Open letter on open access

"F1000 founder and chairman Vitek Tracz addresses a former Faculty Member’s critique of our subscription service....What I want to address here is what seems to be your main reason for resigning, namely that you think F1000 is committing some mortal sin by charging subscription and not being free to all. The Open Access model of publishing was developed by us and others to ensure that research findings are available free and without restriction to all. It was made possible by changing the model of charging the reader to one charging the author, or rather in both cases the relevant institutions and funders. This model cannot apply sensibly to providing information that is not primary research findings. The relevant institutions would not accept a scheme like that and in my opinion rightly so. If we want to provide a range of “secondary” services in an organised way, services that actually require significant investment to make them happen, we must fall on the option of charging the reader...."