Category: Burningbird

Reverse Spin

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 20, 2003

I just sent my last edit of the proofs to Simon for the Practical RDF book, which means I’m finished with the writing. Put a fork into me my babies and call me done!

Well, I still have to set up the book support site when it publishes, but the next time I see the writing is when that sexy baby falls into my hands, soft sides cool and sleek to the touch, come hither birdie on the front with legs that go all the way up!

Just in case you’re wondering what I’m talking about, it’s he’yah:

Now, go forth and buy. Send that puppy’s sales numbers through the roof! Buy till it hurts, babies!

Other good news is that I actually managed to setup the nameserver for the new site and it works, as you should be able to see over the next day or two with the domain yasd.com. Next up is moving my sites and this weblog, but first I want to finish that Linux for Poets: what’s in a name, for the co-op members. And maybe I’ll have more pics for you later. And maybe even some other writing.

Sometimes all you need to perk up is to accomplish something. I feel so good, why I’m going to go clean the bathrooms. And then I’m going to go for a nice lo-o-o-o-ng walk. This will give you plenty of time to go out to Amazon, and reserve your advance copy.

Weblogging Writing

Throwing the torch on

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 19, 2003

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I didn’t quite finish the proofs tonight – shame on me – but should have them to Simon tomorrow morning. I can only do so many pages a day before I start crawling the walls.

I also finished the nameserver for the Wayward Weblogger co-op and if the test domain shows up as scheduled then I’ll be ready to start moving weblogs over to the server this weekend. I’ve already had my first volunteer who’s going to get a shiny new MT weblog from exported blogger entries. The question then remains: will he or won’t he turn on comments?

I can’t wait to move my favorite webloggers off of blogspot and other tempermental and restricted servers to the new one. No more slow downloads, and hopefully few problems with posts. We’re going to roar where before we whimpered, and nothing will stop us now. Best of all, I’m going to be surrounded by people I greatly admire and respect. I am a lucky woman.

Speaking of being a woman and technology, Halley wrote something very interesting today about weblogging and women. She wrote:

Although the three women on the cover of Time Magazine were not bloggers, the women using blogging tools are doing a variation on daily whistle-blowing as they blog. They are using weblogs to tell their truth. Much of their truth has been silenced and not allowed to appear in main stream press which is dominated by men. I honestly don’t believe this is any conspiracy by men, but rather a shocking disconnect from the reality men live in and the reality women live in. Weblogs are not controlled or controllable by any one group. Weblogs are a no-barriers-to-entry publishing phenomenon. Weblogs are giving women a publishing platform unparalleled in history. Women are not self-editing their voices out of existence. With weblogs, women are telling their truth without even noticing. Weblogs are creating a level-playing field for women.

Liz has promised to write about Halley’s post, and my recent difficulties with email lists, and I can’t think of a better person to comment on all of this.

Back to domains, DNS, and nameservers for my literary friends, more stories about adventures in the Missouri Greens, and a Grand Co-op Opening.

RDF Writing

Inhale

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 18, 2003

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I went to bed at 3 and got up at 6 so have had 3 hours of sleep, and feel much better. Today was also my last day on the contracted job. The people at the place where I worked were very likable, the consulting company that arranged the gig less so. However, that’s not unusual. Am currently working next chapter of story of life.

I have to finish the proofs for Practical RDF for the editor tomorrow or risk the wrath of a production editor on deadline. Believe me, that’s a not someone you want to antagonize. However, I wanted to clarify that my comment in the last post about the Advice emails isn’t directed at my regular readers. You all can give me any advice you want – as long as you accompany the email with a nude photograph of yourself.

I think that’s a fair deal. Don’t you?

One day after the fooflah yesterday, and lots of good reasons to like wikis, but I still dislike them. The frenzy of activity yesterday accomplished a lot, I will admit – but it was like ants scurrying about an ant hill, as the number of edits headed into the hundreds, and pages were changing by the minute, much less the hour.

However, my dislike of wikis has nothing to do with Sam or his decision to use a wiki. I like ants! Ants are good!

Not caring for a technology does not mean that I’m slamming the people who use it, ants analogy aside. That’s equivalent to saying that anyone who doesn’t like RDF must not like me because I wrote about it and promote it’s use. Such silliness.

Speaking of RDF…

Burningbird Weblogging

Taking a break

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 17, 2003

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

After today, I’m not sure I even want to continue weblogging.

The same people who question about my not ‘getting well with others on the lists’, – have you ever stopped to notice that it’s almost always the same people controlling the discussion? The format? The invitees?

Perhaps the issue is not that I don’t get along well on these lists – it’s that I don’t get along well with certain people, but they’re usually in charge. And I can agree with this.

I will say this – Sam made a statement in an email earlier, and in his weblog that shows he genuinely wants open discussion. So I wish him luck in all good faith. And I thank him for inviting me in, but I’m not sure why he did. Still – thank you Sam for thinking of me.

As for me – I’m going back to working on the server and writing my essays and taking my photos. And trying to decide if I even want to continue this weblog. At this point, I don’t see the point.

Events of note Just Shelley

These tennies are made for walking

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 12, 2003

I’m taking a break from my Katy Trail challenge to meet a challenge of a different nature this weekend – participating in the St. Louis Race for the Cure, in support of breast cancer research.

Katy Trail adventures will return next week.