I wouldn't take it too personally. Although I adore ebooks and audiobooks, I would consider P2P networks to be a last resort for the former. I've found a few nice ebooks on BitTorrent trackers, but in my experience, Usenet is the place for ebooks. The small file sizes facilitate copious posting and reposting, so there's usually a hefty list of selections. But perhaps the greatest advantage is the ability to browse offerings, as opposed to performing multiple searches. Searching for broad terms like ebook returns a lot of chaff unless the user provides exclusion strings to filter out ebook readers, converters, etc.
People post a lot of trash (e.g., best-selling novels) to ebook groups, so some more erudite titles—reposted periodically—would be most welcome. You also might find a more receptive audience in BitTorrent users, since many trackers provide a category for ebooks.
A few tips for increasing the accessibility of your ebooks:
When posting to a P2P network, insert both the terms ebook and e-book into the shared ebook's file name.
If the book isn't primarily graphical, perform OCR on the scanned images rather than posting a succession of JPEG files.
If you decide to post your book in Microsoft Reader's LIT format (or something similar) in a non-specialized forum, consider also posting a plaintext version. The file format should be evident from the filename, if not from the file extension. In other words, if you use a compression format that overwrites the file extension rather than appending it, indicate the file format somewhere in the shared file name (on P2P networks) or in the subject header (in newsgroups)
Choose a document format appropriate for the text. PDF is often not the optimal format. PDF-capable software has a much bigger footprint than plaintext readers on palmtops, and also alienates users of older palmtops. Before using PDF, consider whether it justifiably enhances the text. In most cases, the accessibility tradeoff is too great.
Similarly, a collection of HTML documents precludes the use of many ebook readers. Using a web browser to read an ebook means sacrificing special ebook reader functionality, like the ability to set bookmarks at arbitrary points.
Kirk and Spock could be older (which works out for the actors who are older themselves now) and the movie could be set closer to the most popular (in terms of movie revenue) stint in Star Trek history. I've still got a bad taste in my mouth from Trek prequels thanks to First Contact and Enterprise.
Ah, but from a Hollywood studio's perspective, that would be a vastly inferior choice (regardless of whether Trekkers would prefer it). This way they can cast young, "attractive" actors in popular, established roles. I don't know about you, but I only watch films to see 24-year-olds with sculpted hair, not novel and empathic stories.
Ooh, maybe the 1980s will reassert its marketing formula, and they'll follow the film with a new animated series—Enterprise Babies!
As a fine art + design student, I have some personal interested invested in this.
Translation: I'm going to take this personally and try to shift blame.
I would guess that its the current "new media" style of teaching destroying drawing capability, not the existence of graphics computers.
New media is a discipline, not a teaching style; maybe you mean postmodern sensibilities. By definition, New Media courses and artworks necessarily involve technology; although it's the instructor's prerogative whether to allow students to submit CG artwork, university drawing classes and foundation-level undergraduate courses continue to emphasize traditional media.
There are very few ( and the number is decreasing ) schools that require adequate drawing education, the current style is ignoring drawing and teaching students to be funky.
As you say, "I'd like to see the study". Be careful about generalizing your limited experience into the status quo. Based on the student work I've viewed here in the States (both before and since completing my fine art studies), I would agree that many liberal arts colleges seem to award degrees to students who are weak in the fundamentals; but to blame this specifically on emergent media is rather facile and astigmatic.
Yeah, Boot Camp is exciting and great, but this article is total fluff. "Firefox downloaded and installed flawlessly." Just the kind of unrelenting journalism I expect from PC World.
That's the odd thing about the human brain. It's normally very good at working out how to interpret incoming data, given enough time to get used to it. There's even been some success in using a grid of electrodes on the abdomen to simulate vision in blind people...
If the "paranormal" reports of people who are able to "read" by sweeping their fingers and/or feet over text are credible, perhaps these kinds of photosensitive cells are the mechanism? It would not constitute "vision" per se, but perhaps the brain can, at least, decode the patterns of color changes across a surface with a fidelity sufficient to recognize and comprehend letterforms.
So.. as the game show used to say.. 'SURVEY SAYS' -> once again, nothing useful because the people surveying are just too dense to realize exactly who these things were designed to serve.
Well, this is exactly the sort of technology that should be designed—ideally—to serve every consumer. Another slashdotter compared ATM technology with McDonalds restaurants. That's an apt comparison on multiple levels, since McDonalds kitchens are designed toward the ultimate goal of intuitive, self-explanatory technology with no learning curve whatsoever. For an closer analog (i.e., a computerized kiosk that really does aspire to this level of lowest-common-denominator appeal and user-friendliness), study modern video poker and video slot machines.
As for the informal survey results, this is what one gets when a survey yields quasi-useful responses from one person; with all due respect to Peggy Baker, we need just a few more views before we go publishing "survey" results. Actually, the article also mentions another (tiny) survey of Australian Vcom ATM users that yielded some insights representing a viewpoint diametrically opposed to the one represented by Ms. Baker. Not surprisingly, it seems as though the article's author wants to make this seem like a case in which users are polarly divided.
ImageMagick's function library is also accessible through a variety of APIs for your favorite language -- scripting or otherwise. If you haven't used it, try it . . . it's GPL and it Rawks (with a capital "r").;-)
While I use (and love) ImageMagick, it's worth noting that Photoshop has similar (but not totally analogous) capabilites:
Unfortunately, Photoshop's scripting host only supports JavaScript, VBScript, and AppleScript. This is not the same thing as a Photoshop Action; scripting isn't as limited as Actions are: one can employ conditional logic, perform some basic file system operations, and transfer scripts easily.
Just create an action which does what you want, then you can export an "EXE" which takes as command line argument the file you want to process, and optionally, the output. Works like a charm.
I've batch-processed sets comprising about 2,500–4,000 images (greyscale GIFs) both with command-line tools and with Photoshop CS. On each occasion, Photoshop took several hours longer than the specialized CLI apps to complete the jobs. The difference is even more dramatic when executing Photoshop Actions from within Photoshop, since the screen updates further increase processing time (an effect only slightly mitigated by hiding subwindows).
And it was good. Very funny, very well done. Where the hell does YNG Turk Films get that kind of cash to make something as high quality as that (come on, the closing credits were stunning).
Maybe you were so wowed by the post-production that you didn't notice that the acting was horrendous. With more competent actors, this premise could have really shone.
A few years ago, Amazon offered me this bizarre, yet strangely appropriate, recommendation. I believe the screenshot I took speaks for itself (yes, it's real and undoctored):
I am personally in charge of near a thousand computers on our network. The worst luck I have is with maxtors by far. We had a series of external drives that burned themselves out after a short period, with a light load.
External drives? I don't suppose you were trying to put high-capacity 7200rpm drives (or any drives that run on the hot side) into external enclosure? If that's the case, it's no wonder they "burned out". You can't just put any random drive into a small enclosure such as a USB case or drive silencer.
This is exactly why, as one AC put it, anecdotalism doesn't fly in hard drive vendor comparisons.
Open or not, I find it hard to endorse the Wiktionary project. I'm an avid Wikipedian, and I contribute to multiple Wikimedia Foundation projects; nonetheless, I don't think Wiktionary will ever be good.
When I consult an online English dictionary (something I do several times a day), the abridged Merriam-Webster is my first stop (unabridged is for paying subscribers). Only when M-W's free, abridged resource can't deliver do I consult Dictionary.com (which, although a more comprehensive aggregate of several dictionaries, is not as current and refined as M-W).
Lexicography requires a level of expertise, thoroughness, and precision that Wiktionary's entries generally lack; and etymology is not the place for flimsy assumptions.
Last night, just after killing FF's process due to another hang, I restarted the app and was immediately greeted with the updater's announcement of a new version. I thought it was a glitch since neither the updater nor the About box indicated that this was indeed a new release candidate.
Actually, if it ever becomes a standalone product, there is substantial application potential for this technology in the domains of cult film and adult video. For instance, there are many cult film and adult video databases and communities that attempt to catalog and cross-reference performers. Tens of thousands of films and videos exhibit only threadbare production credits (or none at all), so huge numbers of performers are left all but anonymous.
For those who have attempted the incredibly daunting task of compiling filmographies by comparing stills captured from analog video sources, a technology like this--if even 30% reliable--would be surpassingly useful.
Slashdot Mirror
PhRMA says pubic lice theft exceeded $51B in 2009.
People post a lot of trash (e.g., best-selling novels) to ebook groups, so some more erudite titles—reposted periodically—would be most welcome. You also might find a more receptive audience in BitTorrent users, since many trackers provide a category for ebooks.
A few tips for increasing the accessibility of your ebooks:
Similarly, a collection of HTML documents precludes the use of many ebook readers. Using a web browser to read an ebook means sacrificing special ebook reader functionality, like the ability to set bookmarks at arbitrary points.
Gosh, I have plenty of MP3, AVI, MPEG, WMV, Gif, Zip graphic and video files ... that aren't porn, illegal music & warez.
Cor... Now I don't feel so anachronistic for storing all my porn pics in PICT and PCX.
P.S., If anyone wants some red hot VISCII art, PM me.
Gosh, not me! I found $7,000 between the couch cushions yesterday, so needless to say I'm really hoping Apple releases an 18" MBP!
Kirk and Spock could be older (which works out for the actors who are older themselves now) and the movie could be set closer to the most popular (in terms of movie revenue) stint in Star Trek history. I've still got a bad taste in my mouth from Trek prequels thanks to First Contact and Enterprise.
Ah, but from a Hollywood studio's perspective, that would be a vastly inferior choice (regardless of whether Trekkers would prefer it). This way they can cast young, "attractive" actors in popular, established roles. I don't know about you, but I only watch films to see 24-year-olds with sculpted hair, not novel and empathic stories.
Ooh, maybe the 1980s will reassert its marketing formula, and they'll follow the film with a new animated series—Enterprise Babies!
I'd like to see the study itself.
RTA. There is no "study".
As a fine art + design student, I have some personal interested invested in this.
Translation: I'm going to take this personally and try to shift blame.
I would guess that its the current "new media" style of teaching destroying drawing capability, not the existence of graphics computers.
New media is a discipline, not a teaching style; maybe you mean postmodern sensibilities. By definition, New Media courses and artworks necessarily involve technology; although it's the instructor's prerogative whether to allow students to submit CG artwork, university drawing classes and foundation-level undergraduate courses continue to emphasize traditional media.
There are very few ( and the number is decreasing ) schools that require adequate drawing education, the current style is ignoring drawing and teaching students to be funky.
As you say, "I'd like to see the study". Be careful about generalizing your limited experience into the status quo. Based on the student work I've viewed here in the States (both before and since completing my fine art studies), I would agree that many liberal arts colleges seem to award degrees to students who are weak in the fundamentals; but to blame this specifically on emergent media is rather facile and astigmatic.
Yeah, Boot Camp is exciting and great, but this article is total fluff. "Firefox downloaded and installed flawlessly." Just the kind of unrelenting journalism I expect from PC World.
That's the odd thing about the human brain. It's normally very good at working out how to interpret incoming data, given enough time to get used to it. There's even been some success in using a grid of electrodes on the abdomen to simulate vision in blind people...
If the "paranormal" reports of people who are able to "read" by sweeping their fingers and/or feet over text are credible, perhaps these kinds of photosensitive cells are the mechanism? It would not constitute "vision" per se, but perhaps the brain can, at least, decode the patterns of color changes across a surface with a fidelity sufficient to recognize and comprehend letterforms.
So .. as the game show used to say .. 'SURVEY SAYS' -> once again, nothing useful because the people surveying are just too dense to realize exactly who these things were designed to serve.
Well, this is exactly the sort of technology that should be designed—ideally—to serve every consumer. Another slashdotter compared ATM technology with McDonalds restaurants. That's an apt comparison on multiple levels, since McDonalds kitchens are designed toward the ultimate goal of intuitive, self-explanatory technology with no learning curve whatsoever. For an closer analog (i.e., a computerized kiosk that really does aspire to this level of lowest-common-denominator appeal and user-friendliness), study modern video poker and video slot machines.
As for the informal survey results, this is what one gets when a survey yields quasi-useful responses from one person; with all due respect to Peggy Baker, we need just a few more views before we go publishing "survey" results. Actually, the article also mentions another (tiny) survey of Australian Vcom ATM users that yielded some insights representing a viewpoint diametrically opposed to the one represented by Ms. Baker. Not surprisingly, it seems as though the article's author wants to make this seem like a case in which users are polarly divided.
But the real crime is that this is sure to give spammers in general a bad name. :(
ImageMagick's function library is also accessible through a variety of APIs for your favorite language -- scripting or otherwise. If you haven't used it, try it . . . it's GPL and it Rawks (with a capital "r"). ;-)
t oshop/sdk/PhotoshopScriptingGuide.pdf
While I use (and love) ImageMagick, it's worth noting that Photoshop has similar (but not totally analogous) capabilites:
http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/pho
Unfortunately, Photoshop's scripting host only supports JavaScript, VBScript, and AppleScript. This is not the same thing as a Photoshop Action; scripting isn't as limited as Actions are: one can employ conditional logic, perform some basic file system operations, and transfer scripts easily.
Just create an action which does what you want, then you can export an "EXE" which takes as command line argument the file you want to process, and optionally, the output. Works like a charm.
I've batch-processed sets comprising about 2,500–4,000 images (greyscale GIFs) both with command-line tools and with Photoshop CS. On each occasion, Photoshop took several hours longer than the specialized CLI apps to complete the jobs. The difference is even more dramatic when executing Photoshop Actions from within Photoshop, since the screen updates further increase processing time (an effect only slightly mitigated by hiding subwindows).
And it was good. Very funny, very well done. Where the hell does YNG Turk Films get that kind of cash to make something as high quality as that (come on, the closing credits were stunning).
Maybe you were so wowed by the post-production that you didn't notice that the acting was horrendous. With more competent actors, this premise could have really shone.
So... anyone got a torrent? :)
Nurse, get this man some punctuation!
A few years ago, Amazon offered me this bizarre, yet strangely appropriate, recommendation. I believe the screenshot I took speaks for itself (yes, it's real and undoctored):
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/8897/sa6iz.png
[During Ned's dinner date with power-player Lindsey Nagel]
Lindsey: With me, you get more than just a Wharton MBA pulling in $200K—I'm getting a fax... [retrieves fax from mini fax machine strapped to ankle]
Oh no, I've just been indicted; gotta go. How's your July? Mine's terrible.
I am personally in charge of near a thousand computers on our network. The worst luck I have is with maxtors by far. We had a series of external drives that burned themselves out after a short period, with a light load.
External drives? I don't suppose you were trying to put high-capacity 7200rpm drives (or any drives that run on the hot side) into external enclosure? If that's the case, it's no wonder they "burned out". You can't just put any random drive into a small enclosure such as a USB case or drive silencer.
This is exactly why, as one AC put it, anecdotalism doesn't fly in hard drive vendor comparisons.
The worry is if you humanize them too much you cross certain boundaries
How about if we cross a different barrier and drop the anthropocentric bullshit.
Great. First control of Internet, now this!
Open or not, I find it hard to endorse the Wiktionary project. I'm an avid Wikipedian, and I contribute to multiple Wikimedia Foundation projects; nonetheless, I don't think Wiktionary will ever be good.
When I consult an online English dictionary (something I do several times a day), the abridged Merriam-Webster is my first stop (unabridged is for paying subscribers). Only when M-W's free, abridged resource can't deliver do I consult Dictionary.com (which, although a more comprehensive aggregate of several dictionaries, is not as current and refined as M-W).
Lexicography requires a level of expertise, thoroughness, and precision that Wiktionary's entries generally lack; and etymology is not the place for flimsy assumptions.
Last night, just after killing FF's process due to another hang, I restarted the app and was immediately greeted with the updater's announcement of a new version. I thought it was a glitch since neither the updater nor the About box indicated that this was indeed a new release candidate.
Actually, if it ever becomes a standalone product, there is substantial application potential for this technology in the domains of cult film and adult video. For instance, there are many cult film and adult video databases and communities that attempt to catalog and cross-reference performers. Tens of thousands of films and videos exhibit only threadbare production credits (or none at all), so huge numbers of performers are left all but anonymous.
For those who have attempted the incredibly daunting task of compiling filmographies by comparing stills captured from analog video sources, a technology like this--if even 30% reliable--would be surpassingly useful.
I think you meant MSCDs.
... the cathedral's tombs were a mess
I can vouch for this. Dirt everywhere! It was appalling.