I'm not in agreement with the analogy David makes. Though the Stata manuals
are indeed like textbooks, their intent and use is entirely different.
Stata manuals are designed to explain how to use the tools Stata contains;
for instruction in theory and application the user must turn to the
references the manuals provide or visit the Stata bookstore or other source
and purchase applicable texts.
I agree with Gene's proposal to make the proposed PDF manuals available
through password only to those who've bought the manuals or paid a
subscriber fee. Many journals provide PDF copies of their articles on the
same basis.
Steve Rothenberg
Drew University of Medicine & Science, Los Angeles
National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
>Right. Not to belabor the point, but Stata is probably correct to assume
>that massive redistribution of PDF files would take place. Also, the
manuals
>are of such high quality, and contain so much instruction of how to use the
>statistical tools, that to me they're more like a series of statistics
>texts. And no one would suggest that a textbook writer also distribute the
>book in PDF form. So I think we'll have to live with the paper manuals for
>the time being.
>
>David Epstein
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