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My thoughts on grand central arena
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Raymond Daley
Oct 3, 2011, 8:11:21 PM10/3/11
to
ok, i not long finished it.
its got a good start, a decent middle but a pretty rubbish and incredibly
weak ending.
our heroes are WAY too fortunate and lucky, never did i ever feel they
weren't going to triumph.
several times ryk paints himself into a corner (that final arena battle is a
biggie there) and just uses a fairly crappy mcguffin to get himself out of
it with no effort required.
that particular one is the very definition of the classic "one leap and they
were free".
the start i like, especially the initial descriptions of the arena and
aliens. ryk really nails overwhelming as thats exactly how i felt reading
it.
somehow though i highly doubt i'd feel the same if and when i decide to
re-read.
i liked the doc smith reference in the space racers name, i'm sure there
were a ton of in-joke references to other stuff i probably missed.
i do get the feeling ryk is either a massive niven fan (as the whole arena
reeks of ringworld big time) or he's majorly into dyson spheres.
if its not something you haven't read before give it a whirl, it ticks most
sf boxes (even including the heinlein box for can get boring in the middle).
i'd probably re-read it but not for another year at least, i'd want to
forget as much of the story as possible.
i think if the final few chapters were tidied up a bit, there was a better
resolution and the heroes lost at least 1 person this might be a whole
truckload better.
i know you are supposed to cheer the heroes but i lost count of how many
times i was mentally shouting "die bitch" at arianne.
the book leaves too many things unanswered, i'm guessing theres an eventual
sequal in the pipeline.
its got a good start, a decent middle but a pretty rubbish and incredibly
weak ending.
our heroes are WAY too fortunate and lucky, never did i ever feel they
weren't going to triumph.
several times ryk paints himself into a corner (that final arena battle is a
biggie there) and just uses a fairly crappy mcguffin to get himself out of
it with no effort required.
that particular one is the very definition of the classic "one leap and they
were free".
the start i like, especially the initial descriptions of the arena and
aliens. ryk really nails overwhelming as thats exactly how i felt reading
it.
somehow though i highly doubt i'd feel the same if and when i decide to
re-read.
i liked the doc smith reference in the space racers name, i'm sure there
were a ton of in-joke references to other stuff i probably missed.
i do get the feeling ryk is either a massive niven fan (as the whole arena
reeks of ringworld big time) or he's majorly into dyson spheres.
if its not something you haven't read before give it a whirl, it ticks most
sf boxes (even including the heinlein box for can get boring in the middle).
i'd probably re-read it but not for another year at least, i'd want to
forget as much of the story as possible.
i think if the final few chapters were tidied up a bit, there was a better
resolution and the heroes lost at least 1 person this might be a whole
truckload better.
i know you are supposed to cheer the heroes but i lost count of how many
times i was mentally shouting "die bitch" at arianne.
the book leaves too many things unanswered, i'm guessing theres an eventual
sequal in the pipeline.
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Oct 3, 2011, 10:53:56 PM10/3/11
to
On 10/3/11 8:11 PM, Raymond Daley wrote:
> ok, i not long finished it.
>
> its got a good start, a decent middle but a pretty rubbish and incredibly
> weak ending.
> our heroes are WAY too fortunate and lucky, never did i ever feel they
> weren't going to triumph.
Well, different strokes. I write in a style in which I would expect you
> ok, i not long finished it.
>
> its got a good start, a decent middle but a pretty rubbish and incredibly
> weak ending.
> our heroes are WAY too fortunate and lucky, never did i ever feel they
> weren't going to triumph.
to have the same feeling of tension you would in a positive-adventure TV
series or film. If your suspension of tension, so to speak, won't extend
to that, then no, you'll never feel any of them are in danger, because
they aren't any more than Captain Kirk was in danger during Star Trek.
(I ignore Generations)
>
> several times ryk paints himself into a corner (that final arena battle is a
> biggie there) and just uses a fairly crappy mcguffin to get himself out of
> it with no effort required.
piece was in place LONG before it was needed.
> the start i like, especially the initial descriptions of the arena and
> aliens. ryk really nails overwhelming as thats exactly how i felt reading
> it.
> somehow though i highly doubt i'd feel the same if and when i decide to
> re-read.
would only work once?
>
> i liked the doc smith reference in the space racers name, i'm sure there
> were a ton of in-joke references to other stuff i probably missed.
> i do get the feeling ryk is either a massive niven fan (as the whole arena
> reeks of ringworld big time) or he's majorly into dyson spheres.
Babylon 5. How I constructed the Arena itself I actually wrote about in
one of Scalzi's "The Big Idea" columns.
> i think if the final few chapters were tidied up a bit, there was a better
> resolution and the heroes lost at least 1 person this might be a whole
> truckload better.
there's a POSSIBLE way for them to die, but it's got to be "Stood alone
at Gjallarbru" level, and for that to work you need a LONG time building
up the character's Awesome level before you kill them)
> i know you are supposed to cheer the heroes but i lost count of how many
> times i was mentally shouting "die bitch" at arianne.
yes.
> the book leaves too many things unanswered, i'm guessing theres an eventual
> sequal in the pipeline.
obviously leave open the possibility of sequels.
Thanks for reading!
--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Website: http://www.grandcentralarena.com Blog:
http://seawasp.livejournal.com
Mike Voss
Oct 3, 2011, 11:31:11 PM10/3/11
to
On Oct 3, 7:53 pm, "Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)"
up a few references (your Big Idea page on the Scalzi blog, for
example)
to focus my thoughts, I thought of *exactly* the same tv metaphor
(sans
the examples you just provided). *Something* in GCA must have clicked
with me, lol!
>
> > several times ryk paints himself into a corner (that final arena battle is a
> > biggie there) and just uses a fairly crappy mcguffin to get himself out of
> > it with no effort required.
>
> I must protest slightly here. I set up that event very carefully. Every
> piece was in place LONG before it was needed.
My own feeling when reading was that it had been set up carefully.
I'm not familiar, reading-wise, with Golden Age sf, but I do know
how it generally works: setting up the heroes in jeopardy and
springing them out, and realism (characters on "our side" dying,
for example) not so much in the picture. The emphasis is on the
adventure story, not a true-to-life accounting. Golden Age sf
is, by default in a way, early sf juvenile writing. The reader
is not *expected* to discriminate a great deal.
<snippage>
> > i think if the final few chapters were tidied up a bit, there was a better
> > resolution and the heroes lost at least 1 person this might be a whole
> > truckload better.
>
> I don't kill heroes. Simple rule. The main characters don't die (well,
> there's a POSSIBLE way for them to die, but it's got to be "Stood alone
> at Gjallarbru" level, and for that to work you need a LONG time building
> up the character's Awesome level before you kill them)
A much better explanation than I was offering!
> > i know you are supposed to cheer the heroes but i lost count of how many
> > times i was mentally shouting "die bitch" at arianne.
>
> You're the first person I've had express hostility to Ariane. DuQuesne,
> yes.
I'm perplexed by that one, too. I liked Ariane a bunch and was hoping
every
moment she'd find another chance to advance her destiny. (Another part
of the "sense of wonder" you talk of in your writings about GCA's
origins:
that some of the characters, who start out as just qualified or lucky
winners of a trip into unknown space, actually *have* a destiny.
I never had any real hostility to Duquesne. He clearly was a victim,
and before that's revealed the genre you're writing in implies he'll
be vindicated in some way after he's reviled. I mean, not to
disparage your skill in using them, but there are formulas at work
in this type of fiction :-)
As long as I'm here, let me take the opportunity to thank you
again for writing GCA. I've been reading so many series I was
never exposed to until recently (Vorkosigan, Honor Harrington,
Tanya Huff's Confederation) that GCA's youth leaves me
itching a bit when I think about how long it will be until
the story (hopefully) continues. (Probably in a sixth-generation
Kindle, sigh).
Mike
(also looking forward, impatiently, to Portal! E-books should come
out *before* the print run, dammit! And I should be allowed to
proofread
'em,lol!)
<seaw...@sgeinc.invalid.com> wrote:
> On 10/3/11 8:11 PM, Raymond Daley wrote:
>
> > ok, i not long finished it.
>
> > its got a good start, a decent middle but a pretty rubbish and incredibly
> > weak ending.
> > our heroes are WAY too fortunate and lucky, never did i ever feel they
> > weren't going to triumph.
>
> Well, different strokes. I write in a style in which I would expect you
> to have the same feeling of tension you would in a positive-adventure TV
> series or film. If your suspension of tension, so to speak, won't extend
> to that, then no, you'll never feel any of them are in danger, because
> they aren't any more than Captain Kirk was in danger during Star Trek.
> (I ignore Generations)
Wow! While preparing a reply to Mr Daley's post in my head and looking
> On 10/3/11 8:11 PM, Raymond Daley wrote:
>
> > ok, i not long finished it.
>
> > its got a good start, a decent middle but a pretty rubbish and incredibly
> > weak ending.
> > our heroes are WAY too fortunate and lucky, never did i ever feel they
> > weren't going to triumph.
>
> Well, different strokes. I write in a style in which I would expect you
> to have the same feeling of tension you would in a positive-adventure TV
> series or film. If your suspension of tension, so to speak, won't extend
> to that, then no, you'll never feel any of them are in danger, because
> they aren't any more than Captain Kirk was in danger during Star Trek.
> (I ignore Generations)
up a few references (your Big Idea page on the Scalzi blog, for
example)
to focus my thoughts, I thought of *exactly* the same tv metaphor
(sans
the examples you just provided). *Something* in GCA must have clicked
with me, lol!
>
> > several times ryk paints himself into a corner (that final arena battle is a
> > biggie there) and just uses a fairly crappy mcguffin to get himself out of
> > it with no effort required.
>
> I must protest slightly here. I set up that event very carefully. Every
> piece was in place LONG before it was needed.
I'm not familiar, reading-wise, with Golden Age sf, but I do know
how it generally works: setting up the heroes in jeopardy and
springing them out, and realism (characters on "our side" dying,
for example) not so much in the picture. The emphasis is on the
adventure story, not a true-to-life accounting. Golden Age sf
is, by default in a way, early sf juvenile writing. The reader
is not *expected* to discriminate a great deal.
<snippage>
> > i think if the final few chapters were tidied up a bit, there was a better
> > resolution and the heroes lost at least 1 person this might be a whole
> > truckload better.
>
> I don't kill heroes. Simple rule. The main characters don't die (well,
> there's a POSSIBLE way for them to die, but it's got to be "Stood alone
> at Gjallarbru" level, and for that to work you need a LONG time building
> up the character's Awesome level before you kill them)
> > i know you are supposed to cheer the heroes but i lost count of how many
> > times i was mentally shouting "die bitch" at arianne.
>
> You're the first person I've had express hostility to Ariane. DuQuesne,
> yes.
every
moment she'd find another chance to advance her destiny. (Another part
of the "sense of wonder" you talk of in your writings about GCA's
origins:
that some of the characters, who start out as just qualified or lucky
winners of a trip into unknown space, actually *have* a destiny.
I never had any real hostility to Duquesne. He clearly was a victim,
and before that's revealed the genre you're writing in implies he'll
be vindicated in some way after he's reviled. I mean, not to
disparage your skill in using them, but there are formulas at work
in this type of fiction :-)
As long as I'm here, let me take the opportunity to thank you
again for writing GCA. I've been reading so many series I was
never exposed to until recently (Vorkosigan, Honor Harrington,
Tanya Huff's Confederation) that GCA's youth leaves me
itching a bit when I think about how long it will be until
the story (hopefully) continues. (Probably in a sixth-generation
Kindle, sigh).
Mike
(also looking forward, impatiently, to Portal! E-books should come
out *before* the print run, dammit! And I should be allowed to
proofread
'em,lol!)
Greg Goss
Oct 3, 2011, 11:52:07 PM10/3/11
to
"Raymond Daley" <raymon...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>ok, i not long finished it.
>
>its got a good start, a decent middle but a pretty rubbish and incredibly
>weak ending.
>our heroes are WAY too fortunate and lucky, never did i ever feel they
>weren't going to triumph.
I can't say why it didn't "work" for me. That's why I don't do many
>ok, i not long finished it.
>
>its got a good start, a decent middle but a pretty rubbish and incredibly
>weak ending.
>our heroes are WAY too fortunate and lucky, never did i ever feel they
>weren't going to triumph.
book reviews or critical works.
I loved the opening and about the first third, then I drifted off into
"don't care about that either" by the end.
>i know you are supposed to cheer the heroes but i lost count of how many
>times i was mentally shouting "die bitch" at arianne.
--
"If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates" (Jim Hightower)
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Oct 4, 2011, 12:10:15 AM10/4/11
to
I've been reading so many series I was
> never exposed to until recently (Vorkosigan, Honor Harrington,
> Tanya Huff's Confederation) that GCA's youth leaves me
> itching a bit when I think about how long it will be until
> the story (hopefully) continues. (Probably in a sixth-generation
> Kindle, sigh).
>
> Mike
> (also looking forward, impatiently, to Portal! E-books should come
> out *before* the print run, dammit! And I should be allowed to
> proofread
> 'em,lol!)
your chance to proofread...
erilar
Oct 4, 2011, 7:46:44 PM10/4/11
to
How could anyone not like this book? 8-) I want the next one SOON!
--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist
--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist
Lynn McGuire
Oct 4, 2011, 7:50:19 PM10/4/11
to
On 10/4/2011 6:46 PM, erilar wrote:
> How could anyone not like this book? 8-) I want the next one SOON!
>
Me too ! I rated this book a strong 4 stars out of 5 stars.
> How could anyone not like this book? 8-) I want the next one SOON!
>
And I had the guts to do it on Amazon where the raters get
rated (but nobody has rated my review yet).
http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Central-Arena-Ryk-Spoor/product-reviews/1439133557/
I note that the rating on Amazon is now 4.5 stars with 16
reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Central-Arena-Ryk-Spoor/dp/1439133557/
Lynn
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Oct 4, 2011, 8:26:45 PM10/4/11
to
On 10/4/11 7:46 PM, erilar wrote:
> How could anyone not like this book? 8-) I want the next one SOON!
>
I understand his main problem and in fact it sparked a longer post on
> How could anyone not like this book? 8-) I want the next one SOON!
>
my LiveJournal today.
William December Starr
Oct 13, 2011, 11:02:02 PM10/13/11
to
In article <j6g885$laj$1...@dont-email.me>,
"Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
"Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
> I understand his main problem and in fact it sparked a longer post
> on my LiveJournal today.
Can you post that here?
-- wds
David DeLaney
Oct 14, 2011, 1:47:50 AM10/14/11
to
On 13 Oct 2011 23:02:02 -0400, William December Starr <wds...@panix.com> wrote:
>"Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
>> I understand his main problem and in fact it sparked a longer post
>> on my LiveJournal today.
>
>Can you post that here?
>"Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
>> I understand his main problem and in fact it sparked a longer post
>> on my LiveJournal today.
>
>Can you post that here?
He could probably post a link; you don't need a LJ account to read (unlocked)
entries.
Dave
--
\/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Oct 14, 2011, 1:31:07 PM10/14/11
to
On 10/14/11 1:47 AM, David DeLaney wrote:
> On 13 Oct 2011 23:02:02 -0400, William December Starr<wds...@panix.com> wrote:
>> "Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)"<sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
>>> I understand his main problem and in fact it sparked a longer post
>>> on my LiveJournal today.
>>
>> Can you post that here?
>
> He could probably post a link; you don't need a LJ account to read (unlocked)
> entries.
> On 13 Oct 2011 23:02:02 -0400, William December Starr<wds...@panix.com> wrote:
>> "Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)"<sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
>>> I understand his main problem and in fact it sparked a longer post
>>> on my LiveJournal today.
>>
>> Can you post that here?
>
> He could probably post a link; you don't need a LJ account to read (unlocked)
> entries.
Link: http://seawasp.livejournal.com/292506.html
I never lock my regular LJ entries.
William December Starr
Oct 14, 2011, 7:00:40 PM10/14/11
to
In article <slrnj9fed...@gatekeeper.vic.com>,
-- wds
d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) said:
> William December Starr <wds...@panix.com> wrote:
>> "Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
>>
>>> I understand his main problem and in fact it sparked a longer
>>> post on my LiveJournal today.
>>
>> Can you post that here?
>
> He could probably post a link; you don't need a LJ account to read
> (unlocked) entries.
Yes, but I would have to deal with a goddamn blog.
> William December Starr <wds...@panix.com> wrote:
>> "Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
>>
>>> I understand his main problem and in fact it sparked a longer
>>> post on my LiveJournal today.
>>
>> Can you post that here?
>
> He could probably post a link; you don't need a LJ account to read
> (unlocked) entries.
-- wds
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Oct 14, 2011, 7:23:18 PM10/14/11
to
William December Starr
Oct 14, 2011, 7:29:38 PM10/14/11
to
In article <j7ag96$tph$1...@dont-email.me>,
Etc. Bleah.
-- wds
"Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
> On 10/14/11 7:00 PM, William December Starr wrote:
>
>> Yes, but I would have to deal with a goddamn blog.
>
> What's to deal? You read it on the same screen as anything else.
Newest stuff on top. No way to mark articles/comments as read.
> On 10/14/11 7:00 PM, William December Starr wrote:
>
>> Yes, but I would have to deal with a goddamn blog.
>
> What's to deal? You read it on the same screen as anything else.
Etc. Bleah.
-- wds
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Oct 14, 2011, 8:06:25 PM10/14/11
to
http://seawasp.livejournal.com/292506.html ) You don't have to deal with
any of that.
I would agree that this would be true if you were talking about reading
the whole blog, but one entry is like reading one usenet posting or
William December Starr
Oct 14, 2011, 8:46:13 PM10/14/11
to
In article <j7aiq1$b2u$2...@dont-email.me>,
form) of blogs at all.
-- wds
"Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> said:
>>>> Yes, but I would have to deal with a goddamn blog.
>>>
>>> What's to deal? You read it on the same screen as anything else.
>>
>> Newest stuff on top. No way to mark articles/comments as read.
>> Etc. Bleah.
>
> For reading ONE ENTRY? (specifically
> http://seawasp.livejournal.com/292506.html ) You don't have to
> deal with any of that.
No, I was just venting against the very existence (in their current
>>>> Yes, but I would have to deal with a goddamn blog.
>>>
>>> What's to deal? You read it on the same screen as anything else.
>>
>> Newest stuff on top. No way to mark articles/comments as read.
>> Etc. Bleah.
>
> For reading ONE ENTRY? (specifically
> http://seawasp.livejournal.com/292506.html ) You don't have to
> deal with any of that.
form) of blogs at all.
-- wds
erilar
Oct 14, 2011, 10:16:47 PM10/14/11
to
In article <j7al4l$igv$1...@panix3.panix.com>,
I look at one at long intervals, but normally avoid them for similar
reasons.
--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist
reasons.
--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist
Howard Brazee
Oct 14, 2011, 11:19:34 PM10/14/11
to
On 14 Oct 2011 20:46:13 -0400, wds...@panix.com (William December
http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/
How about Scalzi's, or Stross' or Gaiman's?
Patricia Wrede's is very good if you're interested in the art and
profession of writing:
http://pcwrede.com/blog/
--
"In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found,
than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace
to the legislature, and not to the executive department."
- James Madison
Starr) wrote:
>No, I was just venting against the very existence (in their current
>form) of blogs at all.
All blogs? Have you read Pohl's?
>No, I was just venting against the very existence (in their current
>form) of blogs at all.
http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/
How about Scalzi's, or Stross' or Gaiman's?
Patricia Wrede's is very good if you're interested in the art and
profession of writing:
http://pcwrede.com/blog/
--
"In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found,
than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace
to the legislature, and not to the executive department."
- James Madison
Jaimie Vandenbergh
Oct 15, 2011, 7:25:31 AM10/15/11
to
On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:19:34 -0600, Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net>
wrote:
>On 14 Oct 2011 20:46:13 -0400, wds...@panix.com (William December
>Starr) wrote:
>
>>No, I was just venting against the very existence (in their current
>>form) of blogs at all.
>
>All blogs? Have you read Pohl's?
>
>http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/
>
>How about Scalzi's, or Stross' or Gaiman's?
>
>Patricia Wrede's is very good if you're interested in the art and
>profession of writing:
>
>http://pcwrede.com/blog/
WDS is grumping (entirely fairly) about the format of blogs, not the
content. As with web forums, they're reinventing Usenet very poorly.
Cheers - Jaimie
--
"Please stop telling us what you feel. Please stop telling us what your
intuition is. Your intuitive feelings are of no interest whatsoever,
and nor are mine. I don't give a bugger what you feel, or what I feel.
I want to know what the evidence shows." -- Richard Dawkins
wrote:
>On 14 Oct 2011 20:46:13 -0400, wds...@panix.com (William December
>Starr) wrote:
>
>>No, I was just venting against the very existence (in their current
>>form) of blogs at all.
>
>All blogs? Have you read Pohl's?
>
>http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/
>
>How about Scalzi's, or Stross' or Gaiman's?
>
>Patricia Wrede's is very good if you're interested in the art and
>profession of writing:
>
>http://pcwrede.com/blog/
content. As with web forums, they're reinventing Usenet very poorly.
Cheers - Jaimie
--
"Please stop telling us what you feel. Please stop telling us what your
intuition is. Your intuitive feelings are of no interest whatsoever,
and nor are mine. I don't give a bugger what you feel, or what I feel.
I want to know what the evidence shows." -- Richard Dawkins
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Oct 15, 2011, 8:31:33 AM10/15/11
to
them as open diaries, etc., and you've got a bookmark at the current
date, so that's where you start and go backward to find things. (most
have calendar views, etc., so you can at least look for stuff around a
particular time).
Now, as a substitute for Usenet they suck. As do most BBS systems based
on web interfaces.
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Oct 15, 2011, 8:34:15 AM10/15/11
to
On 10/15/11 7:25 AM, Jaimie Vandenbergh wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:19:34 -0600, Howard Brazee<how...@brazee.net>
> wrote:
>
>> On 14 Oct 2011 20:46:13 -0400, wds...@panix.com (William December
>> Starr) wrote:
>>
>>> No, I was just venting against the very existence (in their current
>>> form) of blogs at all.
>>
>> All blogs? Have you read Pohl's?
>>
>> http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/
>>
>> How about Scalzi's, or Stross' or Gaiman's?
>>
>> Patricia Wrede's is very good if you're interested in the art and
>> profession of writing:
>>
>> http://pcwrede.com/blog/
>
> WDS is grumping (entirely fairly) about the format of blogs, not the
> content. As with web forums, they're reinventing Usenet very poorly.
>
Actually, they're not reinventing Usenet at all. They're really not
> On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:19:34 -0600, Howard Brazee<how...@brazee.net>
> wrote:
>
>> On 14 Oct 2011 20:46:13 -0400, wds...@panix.com (William December
>> Starr) wrote:
>>
>>> No, I was just venting against the very existence (in their current
>>> form) of blogs at all.
>>
>> All blogs? Have you read Pohl's?
>>
>> http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/
>>
>> How about Scalzi's, or Stross' or Gaiman's?
>>
>> Patricia Wrede's is very good if you're interested in the art and
>> profession of writing:
>>
>> http://pcwrede.com/blog/
>
> WDS is grumping (entirely fairly) about the format of blogs, not the
> content. As with web forums, they're reinventing Usenet very poorly.
>
designed to do anything even vaguely LIKE Usenet.
Web forums are closer -- they ARE meant to be public
talking/interaction areas -- but they not only tend to lack some of the
obvious features of Usenet, they're all one-machine (or at least
one-organization) controlled things, not a distributed operation sort of
thing.
If we could make a friendly web-based sparkly interface to Usenet we
might even be able to revive it. (I'm not talking about Google Gropes,
of course).
Brian M. Scott
Oct 15, 2011, 5:40:58 PM10/15/11
to
On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:16:47 -0500, erilar
<dra...@chibardun.net.invalid> wrote in
<news:drache-8EA370....@news.eternal-september.org>
in rec.arts.sf.written:
Likewise. Not to mention the fact that I'm still on
dial-up, and blogs load an enormous amount of crap.
Brian
<dra...@chibardun.net.invalid> wrote in
<news:drache-8EA370....@news.eternal-september.org>
in rec.arts.sf.written:
dial-up, and blogs load an enormous amount of crap.
Brian
Brian M. Scott
Oct 15, 2011, 11:24:10 PM10/15/11
to
On Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:31:33 -0400, "Sea Wasp (Ryk E.
Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> wrote in
<news:j7buf5$mhg$2...@dont-email.me> in rec.arts.sf.written:
[...]
> Now, as a substitute for Usenet [blogs] suck. As do most
is the Stack Exchange interface, which is surprisingly good.
Brian
Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> wrote in
<news:j7buf5$mhg$2...@dont-email.me> in rec.arts.sf.written:
[...]
> Now, as a substitute for Usenet [blogs] suck. As do most
> BBS systems based on web interfaces.
The only web interface that I've found satisfactory so far
is the Stack Exchange interface, which is surprisingly good.
Brian
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