@rune , you’ve basically proved my point. None of the things you cite as benefits from academic publishing requires publishing an academic paper to receive. In fact, things like contacts, visibility on Google, and other benefits you cite, can be more quickly acquired by simply continuing to work on the project itself and its refine its impact instead of focusing on writing about the project and its impact.
Furthermore,
- I have never known academics to offer constructive criticism on any of my projects, because my projects are not meant for academics in the first place. The feedback of people who are not the target audience of a project is not valuable feedback, for obvious reasons.
- Academic funds are not distributed based on impact, they are distributed based on economic return on investment incentives. Academia is not a charity, it is a business. After all, if funds were provided based on impact, why would Edgeryders even exist?
- If someone needs the approval of third-party academics to judge my seriousness about my projects, rather than taking a look at the dedication I put into my projects, then that is not someone who has the necessary critical thinking skills to contribute positively to my project.
Academic publications about activist efforts are a waste of activist’s time, money, and mental energy. I can see the benefit for academics but I remain convinced the benefit to activists is small to non-existent. We have bigger fish to fry, and academics have more often than not proven to ally themselves with obstructionist forces. They are not people I generally trust or consider reliable friends.