Comment

Comment by Katinka Hesselink on December 19, 2010 at 8:43am

MKR: good points.

 

However, the Secret Doctrine commentaries were at least partially available online for years now. Several publishers had that material ready for publication and the Dutch ISIS were merely the first to go to print. I'm pretty sure Michael Gomes would not mind an cheap Indian edition. He might not even mind a free electronic edition or a kindle edition. I think it would merely require someone capable of using that technology (who's trusted by the Gomes) to step up to the plate.

Moderator Comment by M K Ramadoss on December 15, 2010 at 2:07am

While they are welcome addition to theosophical literature, neither has come out with an edition within the reach of ordinary middle class theosophist around the world, especially in third world countries. It is sad that the decision makers and the 'authors' seem not to have taken this aspect into consideration when deciding on the pricing. The decision makers seem to be oblivious of the fact that electronic edition is first make ready and then only a nicely bound printed edition is printed. Why the electronic edition was not made available just like Shareware software where the user can make a 'donation' to support it. Anyone who wants a nicely bound hard-copy to adorn the book-shelves can get it, perhaps by on-demand printing.

 

Past experience with expensive utility type software is that even copy protection is broken and poor user makes a copy simply because they cannot afford to purchase it. The same fate ultimately befalls expensive publications. Already someone had uploaded an electronic copy of the commentary to Internet and of course it was removed most likely because the publisher objected to it on the basis of copyright. But the genii is out of the box and cannot be put back.

 

It is my hope that the publishers will make available electronic copies to theosophists to download and this will generate a lot of good Karma to the decision makers as well as contribute to the long term distribution of theosophy; later should be the primary goal of all publications and hopefully something will happen soon to benefit everyone.