Wired online protests

The government is dealing with a whole new breed of opposition this month as it attempts to pass the house bills called SOPA(Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA(Protect IP Act). The Internet community has been known to be a group largely apathetic towards activism, but as major Internet hubs like Imgur, Wikipedia, and reddit go down , Internet junkies everywhere are realizing how these bills are greatly affecting their everyday lives.

 These bills are for the purpose of curbing online piracy by giving the government the license to shut down or control websites they feel are dealing incorrectly with illegal streaming or piracy. Opponents of these bills believe this infringes upon free speech and is considered by many to be Internet censorship. PIPA would cost the government 47 million dollars over the course of the next four years for training of 22 special agents and 26 support staff who would be in charge of the new measures that would be put into place.

Wordpress allowed users to opt for full-blackout or to add a banner to their pages

Wordpress' Freshly Pressed Section All Blacked Out

Most major websites have taken an extremely negative stance on these bills and tried to raise awareness by completely blacking out their websites on January 18th. “Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia.” This is the official statement from Wikipedia when users attempt to open the website.

More than 7,000 websites have participated in this blackout; however, the four Internet superpowers; Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google are remaining open, but have stated they are against these bills. Many protesters have seen the Internet superpowers’ refusal to not shut down as a weak stance. One online blogger stated the reason Facebook and Twitter are not closing down is because both are afraid of losing user activity permanently as a result.

Google protested by blacking out their logo

“Both companies know that the effect of a blackout on user activity will depend on what the other company does. For example, if Twitter is blacked out, Twitter users will migrate to Facebook and vice versa.” (Benjamin Bohr)

It is a valid opinion, however, the blackout only will be truly successful if at least one of these major superpowers blacks out before the bills go out again. Imgur and Wikipedia do hold quite a large sway over a large community; however, people don’t use these sites exclusively on a daily basis for basic daily function. Were one of the superpowers to black out, it would disrupt people’s lives so drastically that many more would be up in arms.

Wikipedia took the protest one step further by blacking out the entire website, at least for America.

Only time can tell what the true effects of these blackouts will be and if it was enough to destroy these Internet controlling bills. However, this will certainly be a day remembered by the Internet users obsessed for years to come. These bills will leave the Internet open to the government’s control and take away what people have always known as the one true open source of information. People wishing to help fight these bills should go to www.stopthewall.us and contact their senator to show their opposition to these bills.

-Brian

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“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”

— C.S. Lewis

Reading always has been one of my greatest pleasures. More often than not, I find myself in a crowded room of chatting people, completely lost in a book and ignorant to almost all ongoing conversation. It is always in these moments I can expect to be asked what I am reading and for my cheeks to redden, as my response lets everyone know I am obsessed with children’s literature.

Growing up, I devoured books. Every school year, I looked forward to the Scholastic Book Fair and made a list of books I wanted, longer than what I could possibly buy. While I would get a few, the books I got would not satisfy my desire to read. I would finish one a day until I had read them all.

Even now, I cannot stand to let a book sit after I have started it. Stories have the power to make the reader lose themselves in an imaginary world filled with the deepest emotions and vibrant imagery. Page after page, the characters come to life and more is revealed. How could I possibly stretch a book over a long period of time when I know something shocking could lie in the next chapter or sentence?

A love of literature is not something that fades. I carried my fascination with books to Baylor University in 2009 when I started college. As a freshman, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I loved writing, people and books.

Throughout my time at Baylor I have met many people, but the people I have connected to most are those who love the books I love. I thoroughly believe bonds form over bookshelves and reading recommendations, as one friend calls another to pour out everything he or she discovered in a new book.

Over the years, through work with my sorority in schools around Waco and conversations with students at Baylor, I began to believe fewer children are developing a passion for reading, and many adults scorn reading fiction as a childish activity. Furthermore, there are studies indicating fewer boys are reading as they face a lack of novels with lead male characters and fear being accosted for reading novels with female leads.

These realizations saddened me but led to my goal to graduate Baylor in May 2012 with a degree in public relations. I plan to enter the world of book publishing to promote children’s literature and change common gender and age associations among novels. Through my internship with TSTC Publishing this semester, I hope to move closer to my goal. Although I love almost all genres of literature, I have found nothing ignites imaginations like fiction written for children. Where else can magic live and rules of reason be ignored?

Sure my cheeks may redden when I have to admit to my friends that I’ve been ignoring them in favor of a book about dragons and elves, but I know those who love reading understand. Everyone is capable of letting their imaginations run away with them into a world of mystery and impossibilities.

They simply have to open a book.

– Emilly

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What a story meant, however, has changed greatly to me with age. When I was a young child, around the ages of six to approximately eleven, I wanted to write stories for video games. What little kid doesn’t love his favorite video game characters coming to life on the screen before them?

Their world wasn’t enough for me, however. I wanted to create my own universes and put little pieces of myself into each and every one of the characters that would inhabit that otherworldly realm in my mind.

At about eleven, I met my best friend in Boy Scouts, and together we discovered the love we have today for the novel.  We felt quite rebellious reading Stephen King’s IT and The Tommyknockers at a mere eleven years old.

That man inspired me to paint a picture not with computer graphics, but with words from my heart instead.  Many people deem Stephen King nothing but a horror writer, but I certainly never felt that way. His stories were, to me, a fight for acceptance in a world that is against you.

In IT there is a club of the biggest losers in the school, and the story is their banding together despite their faults, and saving all of the children in the town from the evil force that is taking their families away.

King gave me hope in a time when I felt like I had none. He gave me passion in a time when I felt defeated. He gave me drive when I felt powerless. I want to give that same feeling to as many people as possible.

My life has always been the straight arrow, but the more I grow as a person, the more I realize life isn’t just the straight and narrow, but a vast network of tree branches all with wonderful fruit at the ends just waiting for me to reach for them.

I am at the end of the trunk of that tree with graduation in only a matter of months. There is a lot of support in the trunk, but now I must go out on a limb, and become my own person. This is my baby step. This is me dipping my toe into the pool of the workforce. As any good Boy Scout, I must be prepared for what lies ahead, and this is my chance to fully prepare myself for whatever path lies ahead of me.

-Brian

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My New Year’s resolutions this year are a little more literary in nature. I’m setting my annual book resolutions.

Read more. Fairly standard resolution for the literary-inclined. To keep track of this, I have taken on the 2012 Reading Challenge put on by Goodreads. Each year, thousands of participants sign up, and this year is no difference. So far (and keep in mind these figures are constantly changing), 88,810 participants have pledged to read a grand total of 5,658,409 books, with an average of 63 books per person.

Some of the participants are setting very high goals for themselves. A few are pledging 150-200 books this year. That would be reading 3-4 books per week steadily throughout the year. I’m not as inclined to such a goal. I’ve set my goal at 20 books this year, excluding any manuscripts I personally work on.

Read more of the classics. I have stuck my nose up at the “classics” most of my reading life. Sure, I read Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield in grade 5, but I’ve never really had much desire to expand my list. This is what I aim to change this year. After all, it’s Dickens’ 200^th birthday this year. I owe it to him to read a second book. That and, despite not reading classic books, I sure do collect them.

Read more newly released books. At the other end of the spectrum, I seldom read new releases. I am an extremely picky reader, and I seem to stick to the 90s and only sometimes venture forward. I’m going to read newer books this year, and I’m not just talking about those that by chance made it to the New York Times bestsellers lists.

Read books by non-American authors. Dickens aside, I tend to read only books written by Americans. This was not a conscious choice as a reader, I assure you! To remedy this, I plan to read more non-American authors and even limit the number of British authors I read, as well. It may be fun to try out some translated works or those from, say, Australia, New Zealand, or other English-speaking countries that I may not have thought to try before.

Read nonfiction books. Don’t tell, but I’m really not a nonfiction reader. There aren’t many plot-twisters in real life that can’t be spoiled by Wikipedia (although more fiction spoilers are ending up there as well). I have a hard time following through. However, as I’ve decided to expand what I read on my list, nonfiction books could not be ignored.

Join me this year with the Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge. Also, we want to hear from you! What are your literary ambitions for 2012? What are you reading right now?

-Ana

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After using them on my iPhone for a few years, the 7-inch screen seemed giant. Ever wonder why we get so excited about a 7-inch screen after investing in 42-60-inch flat-screen monitors?

Overall, I’m pleased with the Kindle Fire; though I’m glad I read reviews on it beforehand. When the touchscreen doesn’t always respond, I just try again. I also remind myself that its lack of a camera or microphone is no big deal; its primary purpose will be to read books, magazines and news and to play my favorite games.

I accessed Amazon’s free library and downloaded books left and right. For easy access, I chose to download the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Then, I grabbed a few old favorites like Great Expectations and Bible stories, a cookbook and a weight-loss book. Thanks to Amazon, the New Oxford American dictionary already was on my Kindle Fire shelf. I added The Velveteen Rabbit for my granddaughter and a few biographies, and I was ready to read.

Also new Kindle Fire owners get a free month of Prime, an Amazon membership plan that is then offered for $79 annually.

I couldn’t believe how speedy the downloading was compared to downloading on my iPhone. So far, I’ve used free WiFi, and that’s worked fine, but I’m ready to invest in a plan that gives me power when I want it and where I want it.

I admit, though, it’s going to take some getting used to. Falling asleep reading, a friend has broken more than one Kindle as they hit the floor. Now, her new Kindle Fire rests between her and her spouse. One of my first Amazon shopping trips will be for a protective cover.

The Kindle Fire certainly grabbed my attention (and my spouse’s for the $199 price tag, less than half the cost of an iPad). Even our 2-year-old granddaughter wanted to try out my new toy.

“GiGi,” she called from her carseat, “I want to touch your Fire!” I had never shown it to her, and I didn’t have it out at the time. I quickly opened one of my game apps and handed it back to her. With giggles, she took her index finger and started playing Angry Birds. It sure helped shorten the trip with a toddler though I probably would recommend strict supervision.

So what about you? Share with us what e-reader you use and what you like or dislike about it. Just comment on this blog or e-mail me at Sheila.boggess@tstc.edu.

–Sheila

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This seems like a good time to pull a story out of the best-selling book ever, The Bible. Here it is, from the book of Matthew, New International Version.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

After he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,” which means “God with us.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. He had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

           –Matthew 1:18 -25 New International Version

Happy Holidays to all.

– Sheila

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How many pages does it take to get into a book? A handful of websites have a few theories. Some of these sites even use these theories to help new writers become published!

As a reader, I’ve always needed to be drawn in at the get-go. I don’t need action and intensity up front, but I do need realistic characters, engaging prose, and a solid (yet twisty) plot. That’s why when friends recommended Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from the Millennium series but said it took 500 pages before the story gets going, I knew I’d never read the book.

PUBSLUSH, WeBooks, and The Page 99 test understand the need to engage readers at different points in a book. Each, though, uses their own formula for determining a manuscript/book’s success at that.

PUBSLUSH, which according to the founders was inspired by J.K. Rowling’s “plight” to become published originally, gives the reader 10 pages, a fairly standard measurement many readers use to determine whether or not to continue reading. After the reader has read the pages, he or she can choose to back the book, which is more or less pre-ordering the book. Like Kickstarter, the book has to reach a certain level of backers (in PUBSLUSH’s case, there has to be at least 2,000 backers). If a book reaches that point, bam! Book is sent to be edited, designed, and published. Yay!

WEBooks gives the writer an even smaller frame to entice the reader. Here, you get 1 page, your first page. Readers then provide feedback of sorts by ranking on a scale from “Toss” to “Elevate”. If a page gets a certain number of “Elevates” or other high rankings, the writer goes to the next level, where he or she submits a larger piece of writing to entice readers. If the writer is successful through this and the full manuscript level, his or her manuscript is sent to an agent and it gets a book deal.

The Page 99 Test is a bit different in that it doesn’t actually get anyone published. This is more a forum for writers to solicit feedback on page 99 of their manuscript and see how the readers react. Why page 99? That’s so random! Exactly!

The creators of The Page 99 Test chose page 99 because it’s completely arbitrary. Writers work, rework, and work some more on the first few pages of the book. They know they only have 10 pages to hook a reader. Page 99 is usually less edited and rewritten. The website even recommends writing clubs and classes to use this site as a means to receive feedback on homework and see if students/participants are on the right track.

I recommend either using these websites as a writer to receive that extra feedback you won’t necessarily get from your best friends and parents. Better yet, be the reader who helps the writer get better. All three of these sites require a give and take relationship on the part of the reader and writer. Get involved!

-Ana

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Oops! I just remembered one more thing I should have done three days ago. That was Tuesday, though, and Editor Ana Wraight and I were busy critiquing portfolios of advanced public relations students at Baylor University. This was Ana’s first time and my fourth or fifth time to accept Dr. Cassy Burleson’s invitation to critique professional portfolios.

Critiquing the work of someone new to public relations inspires those of us who have worked for decades in the fields of marketing and journalism. I never tire of seeing new ideas and was excited to see how many had incorporated QR codes into their work. It was editorial intern Audrey Barron who first introduced the wonderful little coded squares to me last semester. Once I showed them to our publisher, he embraced the codes and decided to add them to every chapter of a book we were publishing at the time, Upgrade to Free: The Best Free and Low-Cost Online Tools & Apps.

The portfolios unveiled tons of talent Baylor soon will unleash. While I love looking as new ideas, I find myself each time looking at the details. Details! Details! Details! I write on one note after finding two misspellings in the entry resume. Those two misspellings cost the student credibility. How could I trust them to send out press releases or Facebook posts if they could not proof their own resume?

For me, the most heartbreaking part was viewing a video and as a word flashed across the screen, I exclaimed out loud, “Oh, no!” The word, the only one on the screen, was misspelled. The video was priceless, but I felt for the student who didn’t take the time to ask several to look over her work before she submitted it.

Having worked with Dr. Burleson now for several semesters, I also know she wants her students to know Associated Press style. In fact, she counts five points off for every AP Style error. In my beginning news class at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, we had a test over every chapter of the AP Stylebook. Sure, there have been changes over the years, but the AP Stylebook and me, we are still very tight friends. I hope the Baylor students remember those items I marked in their books so they won’t make the same style errors at new employers.

Peers sat around the table with us, all intently reviewing students’ work. Ana summed up her first review time this way:

“Having little to no background in marketing and PR, I was a bit nervous going into the reviews. I knew I could hold my own editorially (comma abusers and misspellers beware!), but I don’t necessarily always know what makes a good press release, for instance. I have to say, I was blown away by most of the digital products the students created. These students are so talented! I felt myself even almost cheering for Baylor after one particularly engaging and inspiring video. Almost.”

We left for the day, feeling we had contributed, but we also had gained from the experience.

Then, only a couple days later, I was pulling together our first book signing of the fall. Our newest book Cotton Bales, Goatmen & Witches: Legends from the Heart of Texas officially released Nov. 22. Author Bradley T. Turner and Photographer Mark Burdine joined Baylor Editorial Intern Debra Gonzalez and me at the Texas State Technical College Bookstore. I knew from experience that Store Manager Greg Guerico welcomed us to do book signings but insisted on refreshments. Debra and I manned a festive Christmas table with cookies and punch while Turner and Burdine stayed busy signing books.

This morning I visited Hewitt, Texas, Turner’s hometown, spreading news about another book signing from 10 a.m. to noon, Monday, Dec. 12, at the Hewitt Public Library, 100 Zuni Drive, in Hewitt.

Now, the clock and calendar say the week is ending, but I’m in a holiday mood, spinning with publishing excitement.

-Sheila

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Part of any story’s power lies in how we relate with the who, the what, and the where. Characters come to life through their oddities: the whiskey they drink, the way they hold a certain brand of cigarette as they smoke, the places where they eat dinner, the people they interact with, and the brand of boots they wear as they trudge down the street. We, as readers, connect with that as we read, establishing bonds with characters and agreeing to follow them through page after page, book after book.

As writers, we obsess over the details. As readers, we relish them.

In a recent article on Publishing Perspectives, Valla Vikili wrote it was through his connection with and passion for the details in Jean-Claude Izzo’s Total Chaos that he developed the idea for Small Demons. Small Demons is an interactive database brimming with the devilish details that make up all your favorite books (and then some, once the site is fully launched).

There are almost too many ways to use Small Demons. As an example, I’ll take The Help by Kathryn Stockett, admittedly the only one of the test books available that I’ve read so far. If I click on the title, I see all the people (like Medgar Evers), the places (like Memphis, Tennessee), the music (like Patsy Cline), the movies (like It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World), the TV shows (like Guiding Light), the books (like Invisible Man), the vehicles (like the Oldsmobile), and other gadgets and things (like the Victrola and the brand of cigarettes Skeeter smoked).

I should also mention, these are not mere endless lists of data. Everything is represented graphically. For instance, the “Places Mentioned in the Book” section shows not only a map with the locations but also a running list below. This helps users visualize where everything takes place (perfect if, say, you want to follow a character’s journey from one location to another).

There are other ways to use this database, though, besides searching through titles. Let’s take the Victrola as an example. I click on the image and am taken to a separate page with all of the books that mention the Victrola: Dark Voyage by Alan Furst, Night Soldiers by Alan Furst, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and The Big Blowdown by George Pelecanos.

Once the site is fully up and running, you’ll also be able to search by subject, decade, award winners, and best sellers, as well as by people, places, and things. Small Demons is also working to link “every song, movie, book and a wide range of other products to iTunes, Amazon, B&N, Netflix and other major retailers” in order to satisfy your need to access the details now. You will also be able to help develop the content and curate subjects, as well as see what your friends are reading.

I’m excited about this website, and that’s just after tinkering with the beta version. Once it’s fully up and running, I may become completely addicted. The interface is clean, simple, and easy to use. I recommend requesting an invitation, which they send out once a day. For the latest information on this project, check out their blog.

Interesting side note: The name “Small Demons” does not come from the phrase “The devil’s in the details.” Check their Facebook page to find the inspiration behind the name.

-Ana

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