kinda sorta O/T: Wish list format for price guide

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Posted By: warshawlaw

A searchable database is a copyable database. You get nothing for your troubles in preparing the database because once you post it, the work can be pirated, especially since checklists per se cannot be copyrighted. For that reason I don't think you will ever see a comprehensive publication like the standard catalog on anything except paper. A subscription service for price compilations is potentially a better possibility, but again, probably not worth the work unless some heavy engineering goes into protecting the data from capture. Which, of course, undermines the basis for the service in the first place. The most you will see is probably a service that lets you direct print a copy of some data for a fee. Many industry organizations in the construction field already do this with their standard forms (American Institute of Architects, etc.).

Setting aside the issue of electronic data and limiting things to a hard copy, what format would you like to see?