What's fit to publish
The first idea behind the printing press was to make knowledge, or what we'd call today, information, available to everyone - the general public. Publication, or the publishing industry, was being forged, when Guttenberg built the first pressure printing machine. Whether it was Guttenberg or not, the first man to do it, or think of it, or come up with a way to do it, that's beside the point, just like it is irrelevant to my point here, whether it was Columbus who discovered america. The point is, what's the idea behind it. Not who or when, that's conjunctural history, not how nor the saga of the struggle to make a dream reality.
The question I'm raising is why at all, and what made anyone dream of it and conclude it would be a good thing to make it reality.
Knowledge had been around, available to a few. What advantages could come of making all knowledge available to everyone? Or at least, the most important knowldege, to those who could pay the price of a book?
Obviously the ideals of a pure democracy - a government by the people - and the freedom of choice that derives from knowing all there is to know about the possible choices, come to mind as being great advantages.
But, in deciding what is the most important knowledge, comes the first work of an editor - it wasn't long before the "first editors" decided that the most important "book of knowledge" to publish, was the Holy Bible.
And those excluded from democracy - slaves and women in ancient Greece, were now the poor, those unable to afford a good book...well, any good book, since The Good Book was made readily available to those who came to visit the church.
In that sense, any...way (method, medium, gadget or mechanism), that can make information available to (al)most (all), at affordable prices, such as the internet, can only be hailed as (almost) perfectly democratic.
In that light, the the task of an editor is overwhelming.
He is a censor, as much as he is part of the channel through which the information flows, tightening or loosening the tap. He imposes his view, his background, his upbringing, his taste, even his mood.
What is important that people should know?
In deciding yes or no to a big issue, it's fairly simple to compile all the information in favor or against, so that the public's choice is as close as possible to a truly free choice. However, in all other issues, those that are not so big, and not so simply yes or no matters, the "important facts" become obscure and out of focus.
Are there things not everyone should know about?
Half-truths and maybe-facts that only help to confuse instead of clarify.
In an open-to-all medium, special care should be taken with issues of gratuitous violence and abherrant sexuality.
In the walk of life, an editor - the all powerful master of what is shown - can only hope to help point directions, post warning signs, indicate possible advantages of taking the low road over the high road.
In undertaking the task of publishing ALL (that's fit), I will humbly attempt to do so with good humour whenever possible, and with clarifying purpose.
For freedom of choice for all.
Chuck Gary
Main Poster
May, 2009