Conférence de Dino Felluga (Purdue University)

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The value of this talk lies in its concrete examples and data from institutional budgets, such as Purdue paying over $300,000 for the ECCO database and Wiley-Blackwell earning half a million dollars from the encyclopedia he edited. These examples ground his argument in real-world consequences. His argumentation is well-structured, moving from an analysis of the internet’s shortcomings (e.g., Google’s algorithmic bias, sustainability issues, and the deep web) to a proposal of COVE as a solution. He effectively uses analogies like global warming to illustrate the gradual crisis in the humanities. However, the argument is somewhat one-sided, lacking a detailed discussion of potential counterarguments or challenges to the COVE model.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

Rigor is moderate: Felluga cites several sources, including Robert Darnton’s 2012 Guardian article and Siva Vaidhyanathan’s work, but he does not provide full citations or systematic evidence for all claims. He references his own article in the open-access journal 19, but no direct links are provided. The title ‘Conférence de Dino Felluga’ is accurate but insufficiently specific, as it does not convey the topic. The talk is a keynote address, so it acknowledges its nature, but the title could be more informative.

The title is generic but accurately identifies it as a conference talk by Dino Felluga; however, it does not indicate the topic.

8/10

The talk provides concrete data and examples from institutions and publications, and references well-known scholars, though it remains an opinion-driven keynote address.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 00:00Introduction and welcome by Michael Sinatra.
• 05:30Overview of six aspects of the internet, including web 1.0 and hypertext.
• 15:00Discussion of sustainability issues, citing NINES and Romantic Circles funding problems.
• 25:00Robert Darnton quote about library subscription crisis.
• 35:00Global warming analogy and crisis in humanities publishing.
• 45:00Introduction of COVE and its principles.
• 55:00Detailed explanation of COVE's approach and potential benefits.
• 1:10:00Conclusion and call to action.

• Robert Darnton's article in The Guardian — Quoted regarding library subscription crisis and open access.
• Siva Vaidhyanathan's critique of Google — Referenced regarding dangers of relying on Google algorithms.
• The open access journal 19 — Felluga published an article about the failure of negotiations with commercial providers.
• NINES project — Mentioned as an example of sustainability issues.
• BRANCH project — Felluga's own project, predecessor to COVE.

• Robert Darnton's article in The Guardian — Concur with the description of the unsustainable library subscription model.