This is an error-filled article, and Timothy should not have posted it. Do not bother to read it. Timothy should post a correction, and be more careful in the future.
I won't drop any names, but I can put my hypothetical manuscript into real famous hands with an email or phone call. This required ordinary socializing, and not actually putting a BAD novel out to get shot down.
Consider yourself one degree of separation closer.
However, *you* can work for Border's or B&N and get even closer. Anywhere in the industry is a good start, actually.
heehee:
Now, that no one is reading this, I shall flame Wally Lamb, who said in my hearing, "Windows, where would we be without it?" in a completely irony-free manner. Now I have to hide from him during subsequent social events.
(He's not the one I would send my manuscript to, fortunately.)
Major publishers don't give $50k advances based on friendship. However, if I wanted to get published, of course I would use my network of friends to try to get the book read by someone who matters. If my book were horrible, I'd lose the chance of using that path in the future.
Two people I know are writers. One wrote a novel, and used one of those print-on-demand services. He wasn't happy with the formatting or anything, really. But the book was really horrible, anyway, and I doubt any of the publishers he sent it to read beyond the first horrible page. I read the whole horrible thing, though, because I'm a nice guy. The other writer wrote three chapters, showed it to a friend, who showed it to his boss, who is an editor at a major publisher. She just signed a contract, got a $50k advance, and a dealine in April. Amazing for a first book, eh? I'll read her book with pleasure, and never read 'vanity press' books again. If you are good, people will pay YOU, if you are bad you will pay THEM.
One of the electronics surplus houses used to sell the WTF-is-this-radio-stuff-in-rubber-shit in their ads in the back of Popular Electronics during the late 70's.
The Wrights did not invent the wing, or the propellor.
They *did* invent the propeller, in that they were the first to realize it should be an airfoil. Their design is around 90% as efficient as modern designs.
My earlier post seemed to bring the anti-Wrights out of the woodwork. To address some of their points.
1. It does not matter if someone else drew an airplane (Leonardo) or allegedly flew a few feet (Whitehead, et al). You have invented something WHEN THE THING ACTUALLY WORKS, not when you file a patent.
2. Every country seems to have its own local flying machine inventor. Good for you,.nz and.br! Why didn't your guys start an aircraft industry there? Perhaps they did not invent a USEFUL flying machine.
3. Taking off under its own power is not part of the definition of an airplane, so the fact the later Flyers used a catapult is not germane. F-14s don't take off with ony their own power from a carrier deck, do they?
4. The Wrights were reliably making long distance, cross country flights LONG before anyone else.
5. The Wrights invented the science of aerodynamics. That is, they did replicable experiments before anyone else figured out how.
Compared to all this, that Brazilian guy with his motorized balloon who buzzed around Paris is merely an endearing eccentric.
The Wright Brothers. Period. Some others may have flown a few feet before, but the Wrights were the first to make *controlled, long endurance* flights.
There was a guy on Motel William's show yesterday who had been bitten and had a big hole in his abdomen after debriding the killed flesh. He said a frend of his had used white blood cells 'and sumtin' and he healed in 10 days. Anyone know if this is the same process?
The chapter in HACKERS: HEROES OF THE COMPUTER REVOLUTION about promoters trying to make a buck off gamers playing was really pathetic, not because of Levy's wti, but just because it is really boring watching others play video games.
There was one good quote in there, though: "You see this? This is my Robotron blister!"
Slashdot Mirror
This is an error-filled article, and Timothy should not have posted it. Do not bother to read it.
Timothy should post a correction, and be more careful in the future.
I won't drop any names, but I can put my hypothetical manuscript into real famous hands with an email or phone call. This required ordinary socializing, and not actually putting a BAD novel out to get shot down.
Consider yourself one degree of separation closer.
However, *you* can work for Border's or B&N and get even closer. Anywhere in the industry is a good start, actually.
heehee:
Now, that no one is reading this, I shall flame Wally Lamb, who said in my hearing, "Windows, where would we be without it?" in a completely irony-free manner. Now I have to hide from him during subsequent social events.
(He's not the one I would send my manuscript to, fortunately.)
Major publishers don't give $50k advances based on friendship.
However, if I wanted to get published, of course I would use my network of friends to try to get the book read by someone who matters. If my book were horrible, I'd lose the chance of using that path in the future.
on a BOAT!
on a RIVER!!
with tangerine TREES!!!
and marmaLADE SKIES!!!!
Two people I know are writers. One wrote a novel, and used one of those print-on-demand services. He wasn't happy with the formatting or anything, really. But the book was really horrible, anyway, and I doubt any of the publishers he sent it to read beyond the first horrible page. I read the whole horrible thing, though, because I'm a nice guy.
The other writer wrote three chapters, showed it to a friend, who showed it to his boss, who is an editor at a major publisher. She just signed a contract, got a $50k advance, and a dealine in April. Amazing for a first book, eh?
I'll read her book with pleasure, and never read 'vanity press' books again. If you are good, people will pay YOU, if you are bad you will pay THEM.
Good to see some attention to this topic!
... ... ...
(the return signal will be posted in the dupe)
One of the electronics surplus houses used to sell the WTF-is-this-radio-stuff-in-rubber-shit in their ads in the back of Popular Electronics during the late 70's.
I don't recall any major aircraft company called "Wright"
p
:)
http://www.curtisswright.com/history/Default.as
Now do you remember?
The Wrights did not invent the wing, or the propellor.
They *did* invent the propeller, in that they were the first to realize it should be an airfoil. Their design is around 90% as efficient as modern designs.
FWIW, that replica flew 330' in 1986. Andy Kosch never flew it again. It was not quite airworthy.
http://www.aerofiles.com/_wh.html
Since I live within walking distance of both the Whitehead replica and the street he claimed to fly from, I *have* done my homework.
That plane could *never* fly in a controlled manner. Whitehead *never* made a flight in public. The replica plane has never flown, either.
(btw, it's at Captain's Cove in Bridgeport CT, former home of the HMS Rose aka HMS Surprise from "Master and Commander"
My earlier post seemed to bring the anti-Wrights out of the woodwork. To address some of their points.
.nz and .br! Why didn't your guys start an aircraft industry there? Perhaps they did not invent a USEFUL flying machine.
1. It does not matter if someone else drew an airplane (Leonardo) or allegedly flew a few feet (Whitehead, et al). You have invented something WHEN THE THING ACTUALLY WORKS, not when you file a patent.
2. Every country seems to have its own local flying machine inventor. Good for you,
3. Taking off under its own power is not part of the definition of an airplane, so the fact the later Flyers used a catapult is not germane. F-14s don't take off with ony their own power from a carrier deck, do they?
4. The Wrights were reliably making long distance, cross country flights LONG before anyone else.
5. The Wrights invented the science of aerodynamics. That is, they did replicable experiments before anyone else figured out how.
Compared to all this, that Brazilian guy with his motorized balloon who buzzed around Paris is merely an endearing eccentric.
The Wright Brothers. Period.
Some others may have flown a few feet before, but the Wrights were the first to make *controlled, long endurance* flights.
You can find them at your local burusera.
somebody forget a by any chance?
This story will be duped at some distant point in the future.
If they hadn't posted this, I never would have known!
We're going to see a bunch of posts in ascii, hex, and binary now.
I won't post the dotted binary address of goatse, I'm too nice.
The article was copied from GQ. Your complaint is with the transcriber, not the author.
There was a guy on Motel William's show yesterday who had been bitten and had a big hole in his abdomen after debriding the killed flesh. He said a frend of his had used white blood cells 'and sumtin' and he healed in 10 days. Anyone know if this is the same process?
A *giant* screen above a casino near New York New York. Thousands of square feet of BSOD. I did not have a camera. :(
... was the best character, and the hacking storylines the only ones I still find funny.
Banana Junior 6000 4ever!!!
Apple Open Firmware Home Page
http://bananajr6000.apple.com/
The chapter in HACKERS: HEROES OF THE COMPUTER REVOLUTION about promoters trying to make a buck off gamers playing was really pathetic, not because of Levy's wti, but just because it is really boring watching others play video games.
There was one good quote in there, though: "You see this? This is my Robotron blister!"
that /. will post ANYTHING when it's the middle of the night in the US, just to annoy its readers living in other time zones.
/. to read up on 'Stuff that Matters' and you see THIS.
Can you imagine, it's lunchtime in New Dehli, and you eagerly go to