Information is like the food in my example, not the "only water supply" in yours. Leibniz and Newton independently developed calculus, for example.
> you're thinking only of yourself. That's your right; take the low road if it makes you happy.
It's not selfish to be compensated for your work. Authors can choose themselves whether they want to make some of their work freely available, just as a market can give away some food or not.
As far as I'm aware, authors get very little of the compensation for the work they're doing.
> Authors can choose themselves whether they want to make some of their work freely available, just as a market can give away some food or not.
Not if the established procedure for publishing is a journal.
As for journals, I understand the distaste academics have for these. This thread was about whether all published information should be free, not just journals.
It's your right to withhold information just as it would be your right to withhold water if you had the only well in town. Likewise it's my right to use information to liberate withheld information just as it would be my right to provide well digging tools to your parched neighbors.
The only difference is that I'm thinking of what is best for everyone and you're thinking only of yourself. That's your right; take the low road if it makes you happy.