So who says the last word has been written on Questia, topic of an aggressively critical piece in the Chronicle of Higher Education? Here’s the take of David Moynihan of Blackmask, who, although no cheerleader for Questia, thinks the Chronicle was unfair.
Actually, Questia made Fuckedcompany.com over two years ago with the same info in that Chronicle article. The difference between then and now is they learned to market, and are in the black selling direct-to-consumer–hard!
Also, the numbers cited were completely unfair to Questia, given that they sell to college kids and such, so July numbers, in comparison to the famously unprofitable Britannica, don’t pass the smell test.
I’m saying this not as a favor to Questia, but because, you know, it’s interesting that they so pissed off academia that people want them to do badly. Additionally, burning through Ken Lay’s money is not the worst quality a firm could have.
On a personal level, I despise Questia’s CEO. The guy literally got $100 million in venture capital like a week after graduating from law school, then presented himself as a “self-made-millionaire.” But the firm’s in the black, ya know.
Reminder: The above is opinion, not news–no, I have not personally audited Questia’s books or checked out the scuttlebutt on the CEO. For yet another perspective, you can read an old story in the Houston Chronicle, complete with a Ken Lay reference. Also see the freebie part of FuckedCompany.com as well as Questia’s links to postive clips and its FAQ.
