{"id":4484,"date":"2011-09-16T15:49:04","date_gmt":"2011-09-16T20:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scifisaturdaynight.com\/?p=4484"},"modified":"2011-09-16T15:49:06","modified_gmt":"2011-09-16T20:49:06","slug":"fiction-friday-%e2%80%93-rip-michael-s-hart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/scifisaturdaynight.com\/?p=4484","title":{"rendered":"Fiction Friday \u2013 RIP Michael S. Hart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As well you may ask, “Who was Michael Hart<\/a> and of what importance was he to Fiction Friday?” Mike was the inventor of e-books, founder of Project Gutenberg<\/a> and a self-professed \u201cCopyfighter\u201d. I have extolled Project Gutenberg many times. It has far reaching implications for electronic publishing and is an invaluable repository of what would otherwise be lost informational history. It’s mission statement is:<\/p>\n

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“Encourage the Creation and Distribution of eBooks”<\/dd>\n
“Help Break Down the Bars of Ignorance and Illiteracy”<\/dd>\n
“Give As Many eBooks to As Many People As Possible”<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

His pioneering work benefits everyone now and for coming generations. While much information available electronically is factually suspect or transitory, Mike’s accomplishment is a living breathing entity that grows exponentially with each day. It is a testament to any writer who ever put pen to paper and each new generation, and it garners inspiration from their collective past. I can think of few things on the web of more cultural significance and importance than Project Gutenberg.<\/p>\n

There is a wonderfully poignant article about Mr. Hart written by Cory Doctorow on his amazing website, boingboing, which is a must read (both the post<\/a> and the website<\/a>). I would be foolish to think I could do any better than he did. Thank you, Cory, thank you Michael.<\/p>\n

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