Re: Electronic HRAF

Danny Yee (danny@MORIA.CS.SU.OZ.AU)
Sat, 19 Mar 1994 15:50:46 +1000

> THE ELECTRONIC HRAF
>
> The ELECTRONIC HRAF is a full-text database that provides primarily
> descriptive information on the cultures of the world. The first
.
.
.
> Installment 43, to be issued in December 1994, will cover the
> following cultures:
>
> Cajuns (North America)
.
.
> Yanoama (South America)

Now this sounds wonderful!!!

> Membership Dues
>
> $5000. per annual installment
>
> $3250. per annual installment for active member institutions
>
> $4000. per annual installment for inactive and Cross-Cultural CD
> member institutions

Aaarrggghhhh!! The anthropology department at Sydney University doesn't
use computers for anything except work processing (and doesn't have any
money either). The library here has stopped ordering new periodicals
because of funding cuts, and has a pitiful electronic database
collection. And I sure can't afford those sorts of prices personally.

This means my chances of ever getting access to the ELECTRONIC HRAF are
pretty much to zero. I know it's a bit much to expect this sort of
database to be made freely accessible to anyone on the net, but at those
sort of prices it's really a case of "unto those who have shall be
given", as only those in well-off departments in well-off universities
will ever get a chance to use it. (And if Sydney University can't afford
it, how many universities in the poorer half of the world can come up
with those sorts of sums?)

Danny Yee (danny@cs.su.oz.au)