Tag Archives: the internet

Oh For A Paper Dictionary!

6 Replies

In September 2014 I wrote a post entitled “Come Back My Little Oxford”, (http://newauthoronline.com/2014/09/28/come-back-my-little-oxford/). In that article I lamented the giving away of the Braille edition of my Dictionary and explained that the work is no longer available from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

I am frequently reminded of “The Little Oxford” when writing poetry and short stories. I wish to ascertain the meaning of a word or phrase, break off from my writing, go online and look it up. What is the problem with doing this? I hear someone ask. Surely the internet provides a wealth of information and unlike paper reference books, online material can be updated in the blink of an eye thereby ensuring the person in search of knowledge has the most up-to-date data at their fingertips

I agree with much of the above. It is impossible to deny the ease with which online sources of reference can (and are) updated. My problem with online reference material falls into 2 main areas:

 

  1. By going online I am distracted from the writing process and fall prey to the desire to check email or social media while connected. Additionally many online reference sources survive by using advertising which can be distracting when all one wants to ascertain is the definition of a word or phrase.
  2. I enjoy the physicality of books. Its pleasant to turn the pages of a hard copy work rather than search Google or other internet engine for the meaning of words.

It could be argued that I could avoid being distracted by carrying out online research prior to starting the writing process. Would that things where that simple. Admittedly I could, while writing note down words I wished to look up and research them online once the writing process has finished. However this can entail using a word and/or phrase of which I am unsure, marking it up for checking at a later point in time and continuing on with my writing. It is, in my experience easier to check as one is going along rather than using a word in the wrong context then, at a later point discovering one has done so.

In conclusion the world of online reference possesses many advantages, not least among them the ability to find meanings which may not have filtered down into paper works due to their newness. However this is, in my experience cancelled out by the distractions of the online world. As I said back in September 2014, “come back my Little Oxford”.

Searching

6 Replies

Existence broken up, segmented numbers and letters displayed on a cold, bright screen.

Searching, bits of data revealed, my life spread out (well the part of it which I choose to reveal) on webpages replete with ads.

K Morris? Yes but not me, whoever I am? No someone else, a lady from a land far away possessed of dreams and aspirations, as am I.

I click,

“404. The page you are looking for cannot be found. Perhaps searching may help”.

I search. K Morris no longer exists. He was here but now is no more.

Solid desk on which my computer rests. Unreal cyberspace, a shimmering mirage leading us astray.

Successful Blogging – Guest Post By Kev Cooper

26 Replies

Many thanks to Kev (http://kevs-domain.net/about-my-blog/) for the below excellent post on successful blogging. I agree with Kev, its vital to build up relationships with fellow bloggers and remain courteous in one’s dealings with others. Thank you Kev, (Kevin, the other one)!

 

Successful Blogging

Successful blogging is not only about having good posts, although that does help, be they uplifting, informative, eventful, un-eventful or even if you’re sharing some unfortunate news; Rather, successful blogging is all about community. It’s about how you interact with your blogging community. It’s about showing appreciation and support to your followers and visitors. It’s not rocket science, folks. It’s simple, common courtesy.

For example, not everyone is comfortable with commenting, but they may like your posts and what you have to say… bear this in mind when someone likes your posts. Pay a visit to their blog, see what they’re about. If you like something; let them know in what way is comfortable for you.

Be mindful of those who take the extra effort to leave a comment, however short. It may be that they have a lot to do, somewhere to go and are in a hurry and therefore just leave a word, like “nice,” “beautiful,” or a smiley face. It could be they want to say something, but don’t know what to say. Either way, they have still made an extra effort to show appreciation. Jeez, I should know, I’ve done it often enough myself just before setting off to work or continuing with a project on hand! A return “Thanks/Thank you” or even a smiley face shows your acknowledgement of their effort and will in no way go unnoticed.

Some folks find they have quite a bit to say, use this as a great opportunity to establish a good rapport and even develop a solid blogging friendship. It’s these interactions that really bring your blog to life. Some of the great rapport I have between blogs started with just a simple like, a smiley face, and/or a “nice.”

Finally, be open-minded. Not everyone is going to think like you do. Learn to appreciate your differences and allow yourself to grow from your experience with the wonderful world of successful blogging.

(Now if I can just find a way off this soapbox without slipping…)

Happy successful blogging folks! J

Shed A Tear For The OED

Leave a reply

As a child (a precocious one at that) I owned a Braille edition of The Little Oxford Dictionary of Current English which ran to some 16 volumes in Braille. As a small boy I recall having the idea that one could assemble a library encompassing all the knowledge available. I possessed a vague idea that The Little Oxford only contained a tiny portion of that knowledge but, somehow I believed it was possible for me to know, at the very least, a little about everything.

I know longer cherish the erroneous view that one can ever comprehend all there is to no on a single subject let alone on the ever expanding knowledge base which exists out there. Despite the fact we can never know everything I felt a sense of regret when I read that the next edition of The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) may well only appear online due to the sheer vastness of the project and the prohibitive cost (for many) of £750) of purchasing the print edition. The ever evolving nature of language is, no doubt better suited to an online work of reference hcapable of being easily updated, rather than the many paper volumes which will be out of date as soon as they leave the printing press. None the less I feel a sense of regret at the passing of the OED in it’s traditional printed form. There is something reassuring about holding a real book in one’s hands and I regret the demise of that sense of permanence, however illusory that undoubtedly was. For the article please go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/10777079/RIP-for-OED-as-worlds-finest-dictionary-goes-out-of-print.html

Something Lost?

Leave a reply

On the bookcase in the room in which I write stands, amongst other books, The Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought, 1977 edition. Much of the scholarship contained in that fairly substancial tome is outdated and yet I am loathed to throw or give my book away. Looking at the Dictionary brings back memories of taking down books in the school library. As I write the excitement of finding a hitherto undiscovered author or work of reference is rekindled. I recall reading “The Story of Medicine” and other Ladybird books. The thrill of discovering new knowledge is a wonderful feeling, one which drives the student or, indeed the general reader to enhance his or her understanding of the universe.

Now most works of reference have been replaced (or are in the process of being superceeded) by the internet. Wikipedia is now the fount of all knowledge (well not quite judging by the number of articles which have caveats appended) but you do, I am sure grasp my point! The internet is a wonderful invention which, among other things allows us to access a world of knowledge with the click of a mouse. It is wonderful to click on a site dedicated to Charles Dickens and learn about the author and his world without having to traipse to the public library in the pouring rain. However the joy of searching through dusty old shelves of books, discovering something new, sitting down and becoming lost in a good book is a pleasure which, I fear children growing up today may not experience. Youngsters can click on Google or the search engine of their choice, ascertain the information for which they are searching all without needing to leave the comfort of their home. Leaving aside the issue of whether one can trust all the sources pulled up by Google there remains the intangible matter of the joy of discovery which is, as I said above in danger of being lost. Of course there exist excellently researched sources of information on the web but to someone who, like me was brought up in a world of books the internet can, on occasions appear somewhat arid compared to the garden of books.

I am no luddite. Being blind I recognise the vast benefits of the world wide web. With access technology which converts text into speech and braille I can, using a Windows computer access information which in years gone by I wouldn’t have accessed without the assistance of sighted friends. None the less I have a gut feeling that people of my generation (I am 45) have experienced something precious which many younger people risk losing, the joy of wandering around a library (in my case full of braille books and cassette tapes) and discovering something new in the world of literature, history or some other field.

 

Signed, King Ludd

 

(Note, while writing this post I looked up the word traipse using, you guessed it Google as I no longer possess the braille edition of The Little Oxford Dictionary of Current English which I once owned!

A Sturdy Sappling

6 Replies

Several days ago my blog, newauthoronline.com received it’s 500th follow (as of now I have 502 followers). I am delighted that newauthoronline has grown from a tiny seed into a sturdy sapling but this growth would have been impossible without the support of you, my followers. I relish the interaction between you and I. Without your comments and likes this blog would be a dead thing, a void into which I pour my thoughts  only for them to become lost in the howling wind which gusts around cyberspace. Thank you all for your continuing support, Kevin

Teenage Kicks

Leave a reply

Below is an extract from a story I am working on. The story looks at what happens when a lonely and confused 14-year-old girl, pretending to be 18-years-old, places an advertisement on the internet. Will she, as she hopes “have a laugh” or will what Lizzie perceives as a bit of harmless fun end in tragedy. This is just a taster. It is not my intention to publish the whole story free online. When finished and polished it will be on Amazon. I’d be interested to hear what you think. Kevin

 

“Don’t kiss me darling. You’ll smudg my makeup” Monica said giving her daughter a perfunctory hug. “I’ll be back late so don’t wait up. There’s a pizza by the microwave. Don’t answer the phone or the door to anyone. You know I’ll always call you on your mobile”.

Lizzie raised her eyes heavenwards. “Yeah mum, see you later”.

“Bye darling” Monica said picking up her fake crocodile handbag, which complimented the boots, and headed for the front door.

Lizzie grunted unintelligibly and headed for the stairs, the pizza could wait.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that darling. You can speak well when you choose. You don’t need to grunt like an animal”.

Without pausing in her stride Lizzie climbed the stairs. As she reached the halfway point the sound of the closing front door could be heard. Lizzie sighed continuing to climb the uncarpeted stairs. Reaching the top she walked straight on entering her room.

Lizzie pulled out a folding dining chair and, sitting down reached for her laptop. Clunk, she turned to see a screw from the chair lying on the threadbare carpet. Lizzie bent and retrieving the screw proceeded to tighten it with a mini screwdriver she extracted from the desk drawer. She knew her handiwork wouldn’t last. The thread of the screw was so worn but it should hold for a while longer.

Lizzie reached for the switch on her laptop. As she leaned against the desk it wobbled. The desk had come from MFI a DIY shop which had closed some 25 years ago and had been given to Monica, by Lizzie’s grandparents as had the Windows 2000 laptop.

“All my friends are using at least Windows 7 but I have to use fucking 2000!” Lizzie said banging her fist on the desk which shook precariously with the impact.

Lizzie switched on the machine and as it powered up glanced listlessly at her history homework. “World War I was caused by imperial rivalries between the great powers. Discuss”. “Who gives a fuck” Lizzie said outloud. “What has what Germany, Russia and the other countries did 100 years ago got to do with me? I don’t give a shit”. With a flick of her wrist Lizzie sent her homework over the edge of the desk. The momentum carried the papers across the room where they came to rest under Lizzie’s bed. The act of clearing her desk relieved some of the pent up anger in the girl. Feeling somewhat calmer Lizzie entered her password. Once logged on she sat stirring for long minutes at the monitor. Did she really want to do this? It was dangerous, you never knew what weirdos lurked out there in cyberspace. But she didn’t have to actually meet anyone. It would be a laugh, something to giggle about with her mates. She would put an ad on the web, maybe chat to some guys, get them all excited, maybe promise to meet them but she wouldn’t actually go through with it. God they would be pissed off waiting for a girl who never actually turned up. She imagined guys sitting in restaurants, glancing at their watches until, eventually the penny dropped that the girl they had been chatting with wasn’t going to show. “Serve ‘em right, the dirty pervs” Lizzie said as she clicked on one of the many sites which offer free advertising.

“18-year-old blonde seeks no strings fun with a generous guy”, Lizzie giggled as she typed. There was an option to upload a photograph. Lizzie thought about doing so. It was unlikely that her mum or any of her teachers would see the ad but, being a cautious girl she decided against posting a picture. Possibly she would send one to blokes if they asked.

“I confirm that I am at least 18-years-of-age or older and that I have read and agree to abide by the terms and conditions”. Lizzie checked the box and clicked on the create account button.

A brief moment of panic seized Lizzie. What had she done? She was 14-years-old for Christ’s sake, who knew what pervs would answer her ad. But the site provided her with a unique e-mail address ensuring that no one need know her actual e-mail unless she chose to let them know it which, of course she had no intention of doing.

Time for that pizza Lizzie thought as she switched off the laptop. She would come back later to see what saddos had responded to her add. At the bedroom door Lizzie hesitated. She turned back and sat down at her desk. Lizzie reached for the laptop’s power button. She would delete her ad. “I must have been out of my mind putting that ad on there, I’ll delete the bloody thing. Fuck it, why should I? My life is boring as fuck. Mum doesn’t give a shit about me. I was an accident she once told me. A split condom in the back of a car and she couldn’t be bothered to have an abortion. Typical selfish bitch. I didn’t ask to be born but I’m here and I’m going to have a laugh. I won’t meet the blokes but it will be something to tell the girls about”. Rising from her chair Lizzie headed decisively for the stairs.

Announcement

3 Replies

I have decided to spend more time on my writing which means that blog posts will be less frequent, 2-3 a week, sometimes more and, on occasions less. In addition to my blogging and writing I have a full time job. Balancing the competing demands of work, blogging, writing (not to mention friends)! Isn’t always easy, hence my decision to blog less frequently. I won’t be disappearing so don’t open the champagne just yet! I will continue to lurk in the depths of the web popping up from time to time with blog posts and comments!

I very much appreciate all my followers so rest assured I won’t be vanishing into the deep blue yonder!

 

Kevin

Akelite

Leave a reply

I published my first e-book, a collection of short stories entitled “The First Time” in December 2012. I have subsequently published 1 long short story, “Samantha” and 2 further collections of stories, “Sting in the tail and other stories” and “An act of Mercy”. My experience of self-publishing in the Amazon Kindle store has led me to the conclusion that the best method of obtaining exposure for my books is to enrol them in the KDP Select Programme which allows authors to promote their work free of charge for upto 5 days in any 90 day period provided that titles are exclusive to Amazon. As a consequence of KDP Select my books have received a respectable number of downloads together with several 4 star reviews. In addition to utilising KDP Select I use Twitter and this blog to promote my writing.

Yesterday I came across a Tweet with a link to a promotional video by the seller of software called Akelite. The video states that using Akelite anyone has the potential to make thousands of dollars (well in my case pounds). Akelite does (according to the video) show which topics are trending on Amazon thereby allowing the author to write about popular subjects which will generate an impressive income stream. The developer suggests that people may wish to pay someone to write a book on their behalf in order to benefit from the earning power of Akelite. Authors do not as usually contended require reviews to assist in driving traffic and sales. Akelite dispenses with the need for reviews.

I listened to the presentation with a growing sense of incredulity. The presenter’s statements regarding Akelite simply do not chime with my experiences of self-publishing on Amazon nor do they fit in with anything I’ve read by other self-published authors regarding their experiences.

I attempted to research this product by Googling Akelite, however all of the results appear to lead back to the person who invented (sells) the product or people affiliated to him (I.E. there seem to be no independent reviews of Akelite).

I haven’t used Akelite, however the idea that by employing a piece of software people can make thousands of dollars without putting in the hours (sometimes months or years) required to produce well written books is to me quite simply incredible. In the words of Victor Meldrew in the British comedy “one Foot in the Grave” “I don’t believe it”!

I would love to here from anyone who has used Akelite. All comments positive or negative will be published. The inventor of Akelite is, of course also free to comment.

Are Children Are Safe

Leave a reply

Following the publication of the report of the independent enquiry into the effects of pornography on children the government had legislated to stem the online scourge. All new internet customers now had to opt-in to receive adult material. Failure to tick the box stating that the account holder was happy to access such content meant that the Internet Service Provider’s filters would prevent the customer or anyone else using their connection from encountering pornography.

“I’m so glad that we don’t have to worry about Ian looking at filthy images. They degrade women turning us into sex objects. Its no wonder that so many boys think that they are entitled to have any girl they please when they can do so, at least virtually with a click of the mouse. Well they could until this new legislation stopped all that. It’s a victory for the sisterhood” Louise said with a smile. “You did remember not to tick the box didn’t you darling?”

“Yes Lou” Mike said holding back the urge to ask his girlfriend whether she thought that he was stupid, of course he had remembered not to tick the box. As a new man he was just as committed as Louise to stopping the objectification of women

—

Ian loved his new laptop. It was a top of the range Toshiba. He could do his homework on it but that was a minor plus. The icing on the cake was the amazing graphics display which was great for gaming. The people in the game really came to life, they seemed almost real as they flickered and danced across the screen.

Ian padded on bare feet to his bedroom door. Opening it a crack he listened. The sound of muffled voices reached him. His mum and dad must be in the living room. Returning to the computer Ian typed into the address bar a domain ending with dot.ru. Having entered he clicked on the log in screen and input a Hotmail address along with his password. It wasn’t his usual email, at least not the one which his parents new about. It was used solely for the purposes of accessing this site.

Once logged in Ian went to the site’s search box and began his research. Soon the screen was full of couples cavorting in every conceivable place and position.

“Dinners ready” his mum shouted.

“Just a minute” Ian shouted back. He closed the site and switched to a top of the range history deletion programme.

“It will get cold” his mum yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

The programme had done its work. Ian switched off the computer, opened his bedroom door and took the stairs two at a time.

“You look flushed darling” his mum said.

“Really, it must be the central heating mum. Its so hot in my bedroom”.

“Just turn down the radiator, your not helpless”! Louise said with an exasperated look in the direction of Mike which said “children, who would have them”!

“Yeah, yeah” Ian said taking a seat at the dining table. He just hoped that his parents didn’t notice the payment to the anonymous proxy service when the credit card statement arrived.

(Author’s note: proxy services allow the user to browse anonymously so a person based in the UK can browse while using an IP address on the other side of the world. The proxy acts as a cloak so what the user’s Internet Service Provider sees is a mundane website with an address such as proxify.literature rather than the content the user is accessing while cloaked by the encrypcion provided by the proxy server).