Plenty has been written in the past day or so about some possibly disturbing changes to the POPLINE database. Are they permanent changes? Temporary glitch? Why was it done? Or, something larger and well, very upsetting (to put it mildly).
and many other blogs... just search using your favorite blog engine.
One thing we haven't read is a response (assuming they have one) from the POPLINE database as the talk in the blogosphere continues to grow.
We have contacted the team and have been promised a response in the next several hours. When we have it (assuming we get one), we will post it here.
UPDATE: We have learned an official response from POPLINE/INFO Project will be coming tomorrow (Friday). It will be interesting to see what they have to say.
That said, it would have been much more useful (and fair?) if POPLINE would have posted their OFFICIAL explanation for these changes BEFORE going online with them. POPLINE should have realized that info pros and other users would discover this change and transmit the news in an expedited manner using listservs and weblogs. Precisely what has happened in the past day or two. Being out front with the info would have made POPLINE fair better in terms of public opinion, even if their reasons are, well, not what we want to hear.
Finally, on a somewhat related note, with all of the Java being used with the POPLINE database we have found it fo challenge to use. A new UI is a must.
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