I’ve found Google Books very helpful on occasion, but I’ve also noticed that they’re really struggling with quality control. Indeed, I think the first thing I ever looked up on Google Books had a crucial page missing, and was therefore useless to me. Some people write thoughtful articles about the problem. Me, I just take screenshots:
Update: For example, as of this writing, Google’s treatment of the Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca is a fucking disgrace. A free fucking disgrace, but still.
upyernoz | 06-Oct-07 at 6:58 pm | Permalink
what? you don’t think aristotle wrote that?
Paul | 07-Oct-07 at 12:59 am | Permalink
At least they use protection.
Chris | 07-Oct-07 at 8:40 am | Permalink
Upyernoz,
Scholars now doubt the authenticity of the fingers, since rubber gloves weren’t worn in scanning until some time after Aristotle’s death. It’s out of little clues such as these that scholars painstakingly assemble the story of our intellectual history.
Paul,
One of those fingers is going bareback, man. I hope this isn’t your idea of adequate protection.
Paul | 07-Oct-07 at 10:49 am | Permalink
C’mon man. Don’t be a buzzkill. Two out of three ain’t bad.
Chris | 07-Oct-07 at 3:11 pm | Permalink
Clearly he didn’t pull out before getting the scan off.
Paul | 08-Oct-07 at 9:49 am | Permalink
Jesus, does everything have to be about sex with you??
Chris | 08-Oct-07 at 10:36 am | Permalink
What in heaven’s name are you talking about Paul? I thought we were discussing scans.
Kegri | 08-Oct-07 at 12:08 pm | Permalink
eew. those are old shrivelly man preservatives. eew.
anne | 09-Oct-07 at 2:48 am | Permalink
Hee hee hee hee….
I have nothing to add, but I am impressed with the screenshot.