Comments on: Today’s Best Website and a Little Open Source Theory for the Morning http://www.openjournalmontreal.com/todays-best-website-and-a-little-open-source-theory-for-the-morning/ Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:47:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Bonnie Calhoun http://www.openjournalmontreal.com/todays-best-website-and-a-little-open-source-theory-for-the-morning/comment-page-1/#comment-87 Bonnie Calhoun Sun, 09 Oct 2005 20:55:46 +0000 http://open.touchbasic.com/journal/?p=158#comment-87 I agree with everything you said (mostly...but that's another post) I have a real problem with sending a whole manuscript to someone that in reality you have no idea who they are. And, I have also done a not-so-confrontational blog about Bookner. I agree with everything you said (mostly…but that’s another post) I have a real problem with sending a whole manuscript to someone that in reality you have no idea who they are. And, I have also done a not-so-confrontational blog about Bookner.

]]> By: risa http://www.openjournalmontreal.com/todays-best-website-and-a-little-open-source-theory-for-the-morning/comment-page-1/#comment-85 risa Wed, 05 Oct 2005 13:50:39 +0000 http://open.touchbasic.com/journal/?p=158#comment-85 Hmm, Bonnie, that's an interesting point. I really dislike it when people who are trying to make something new close themselves off to comments. I know Bookner's not trying to be a community, and I'm alright with that, but there is a point where you have to demonstrate that you are willing to learn from other perspectives. Especially if you are building something that relies so heavily on a theory of collective intelligence. On the other hand, he does seem to be staying aware of the critiques being raised against him, or at least of the people who are linking to him. I don't know what all he's been doing to 'alienate the publishing world' - I haven't been paying too much attention to this website/software or to it's author's behavior around the blogosphere. If you are refering to the same bits of rhetoric from the Bookner site that seem to have upset the anti-bookner bloggers so much, well, to be perfectly honest, I think they're being a bit silly. Jason has come up with a unique idea that requires author participation for it to work. It requires a certain amount of author particpation for it to hit a critical phase and get off the ground, and before it hits that point he needs to explain as powerfully and convincingly as possible why he believes it will work. Whether he's right or not we will only be able to see in a year, five years, maybe more. Hating on him for the analogies he uses seems unnecessary. I'm anti-nuclear proliferation, I'm anti-environmental recklessness, but I'm not anti-bookner. The more important point that I'd like to make is that I don't think Bookner poses a terrible threat to good publishers or agents or authors. I don't think a system where authors- of whatever caliber, but diligent enough to have completed a manuscript- asign a number to the probability that they would purchase a text is going to be horrifyingly bad. I think it might articulate a layer of texts and opinions to the publishing system that will contribute to that system's internet-enabled evolution. Rather then replacing people who love books, and who love looking for great new books to bring to the public eye, it might become a great ressource for them- a little something to add to their bag of tricks. It's a system that doesn't require any other system to stop doing it's thing, but offers a next dimension of accessibility. Whenever a new system threatens to interact with an existing system/culture there is a knee-jerk, reactionary fear. At this point, proponents of the new and old way can either solidify into enmity or grudgingly acknowledge that they both might not be perfect, that both systems might be able to learn from an outside perspective. I believe Bookner, a young system, seemingly built by one guy, is a kernel of a great idea that will grow into a brilliant idea by walking that fine balance between trusting its own instinct and vision and opening up to new ideas and admitting when and if he's wrong. The current publishing system is not perfect either, and can certainly stand to be challenged by systems and by individuals who come into this artist/business world with new kinds of logic. That's what I think. Thanks for your comments guys, R Hmm, Bonnie, that’s an interesting point. I really dislike it when people who are trying to make something new close themselves off to comments. I know Bookner’s not trying to be a community, and I’m alright with that, but there is a point where you have to demonstrate that you are willing to learn from other perspectives. Especially if you are building something that relies so heavily on a theory of collective intelligence. On the other hand, he does seem to be staying aware of the critiques being raised against him, or at least of the people who are linking to him.
I don’t know what all he’s been doing to ‘alienate the publishing world’ – I haven’t been paying too much attention to this website/software or to it’s author’s behavior around the blogosphere. If you are refering to the same bits of rhetoric from the Bookner site that seem to have upset the anti-bookner bloggers so much, well, to be perfectly honest, I think they’re being a bit silly.

Jason has come up with a unique idea that requires author participation for it to work. It requires a certain amount of author particpation for it to hit a critical phase and get off the ground, and before it hits that point he needs to explain as powerfully and convincingly as possible why he believes it will work. Whether he’s right or not we will only be able to see in a year, five years, maybe more. Hating on him for the analogies he uses seems unnecessary. I’m anti-nuclear proliferation, I’m anti-environmental recklessness, but I’m not anti-bookner.

The more important point that I’d like to make is that I don’t think Bookner poses a terrible threat to good publishers or agents or authors. I don’t think a system where authors- of whatever caliber, but diligent enough to have completed a manuscript- asign a number to the probability that they would purchase a text is going to be horrifyingly bad. I think it might articulate a layer of texts and opinions to the publishing system that will contribute to that system’s internet-enabled evolution. Rather then replacing people who love books, and who love looking for great new books to bring to the public eye, it might become a great ressource for them- a little something to add to their bag of tricks. It’s a system that doesn’t require any other system to stop doing it’s thing, but offers a next dimension of accessibility.

Whenever a new system threatens to interact with an existing system/culture there is a knee-jerk, reactionary fear. At this point, proponents of the new and old way can either solidify into enmity or grudgingly acknowledge that they both might not be perfect, that both systems might be able to learn from an outside perspective. I believe Bookner, a young system, seemingly built by one guy, is a kernel of a great idea that will grow into a brilliant idea by walking that fine balance between trusting its own instinct and vision and opening up to new ideas and admitting when and if he’s wrong. The current publishing system is not perfect either, and can certainly stand to be challenged by systems and by individuals who come into this artist/business world with new kinds of logic.
That’s what I think.
Thanks for your comments guys,
R

]]> By: Bonnie Calhoun http://www.openjournalmontreal.com/todays-best-website-and-a-little-open-source-theory-for-the-morning/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Bonnie Calhoun Wed, 05 Oct 2005 05:10:26 +0000 http://open.touchbasic.com/journal/?p=158#comment-84 You can't really call his blog a blog, because he disabled the comment feature. I question how effective he can be at getting what he calls 'good' writers published, when he is doing his best to alienate the publishing world. Two comments that my grandmother taught me, "Never bite the hand that feeds." and "Be careful who you step on, on your way up because they'll be waiting for you on the way down." You can’t really call his blog a blog, because he disabled the comment feature. I question how effective he can be at getting what he calls ‘good’ writers published, when he is doing his best to alienate the publishing world. Two comments that my grandmother taught me, “Never bite the hand that feeds.” and “Be careful who you step on, on your way up because they’ll be waiting for you on the way down.”

]]> By: Chloe http://www.openjournalmontreal.com/todays-best-website-and-a-little-open-source-theory-for-the-morning/comment-page-1/#comment-82 Chloe Tue, 04 Oct 2005 00:56:03 +0000 http://open.touchbasic.com/journal/?p=158#comment-82 GO to antibookner.blogspot.com to find all the negative aspects of joining Bookner GO to antibookner.blogspot.com to find all the negative aspects of joining Bookner

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