Elsevier threatens others for linking to Sci-Hub but does so itself
A couple of silly questions:<p>1. How did publishers like Elsevier get started?<p>2. Was their value proposition true back in the day? How did it change over time?<p>3. How did the industry evolve?<p>3b. What are the barriers to entry and how did those evolve?<p>3c. What was the business model then and what is it now? Who are the clients (universities, I presume)? How do they pay for this (taxpayer money? If so, that's a huge clue). Who is the decision-maker regarding these purchases?<p>4. How is it possible that they still exist? If they don't provide value anymore, then what is it? Are people habitual creatures? Are they pressuring universities? Did they somehow get a vendor lock-in effect (can people get out)?<p>I'm simply trying to get why it became what it became and why it isn't dying in the slightest despite researchers trying to organize themselves a bit for open access.