Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Where To Avail of Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3
Just another last minute plug, if you want to a copy of Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3, you can get them either from me (charlesatan[at]gmail[dot]com) or from Banzai Cat. They won't be in bookstores until next year. Another source is Dominique Cimafranca who has them available in both Dumaguete and Davao City. Retail price is P300.00.
Social Dynamics of Success and Failure
Every Wednesday, I have an essay on any topic that catches my fancy!
Society has played an integral role in determining the value of what it is like to succeed. While some people might value success as an end in itself, it is usually society's recognition of our triumph that makes the endeavor worthwhile. Imagine yourself successfully climbing and surviving Mt. Everest: I'm sure it's a great feeling and a big ego boost to your self confidence. Now imagine yourself never telling anyone about it (either implicitly or explicitly). The sense of worth is still there but for some people, there seems to be a missing element. It is pride without the bragging, respect without the acknowledgment.
If you're like me, you might feel guilty about this fact. We've been raised after all to value humility. But if we look at it from another perspective, we discover that it's a natural condition, the need to tell others about our accomplishments. It's not just about pride and sin but rather that we're social beings and we need something to give us an advantage when it comes to socializing with other people. One careful look at society reveals that this is what makes or breaks our relationships and how this is encouraged in our culture. Take a look at your family: didn't we as kids try to impress our parents? We might tell them "I did this" or "look at what he did wrong", especially the latter when it comes to our other siblings. Take a look at your school, at how we reward the smart or talented kids by giving them awards and praising them. Take a look at your office, especially if you're an employee. Sometimes more than the money, people are dissatisfied with the company when their efforts aren't acknowledged and some people do use their salary as a gauge of how much they are valued.
If you want to see how social dynamics affect success, just look at NaNoWriMo. It's not the first time people have attempted to write a novel. In fact, there's nothing stopping people from writing during the other eleven months in a year. But why have people jumped on this bandwagon? Mostly I think because of the community that surrounds it. Some people might perceive NaNoWriMo as putting nothing on the line--after all, it's not like money is involved whether you succeed or not--but that's not quite true. Your reputation is on the line, your commitment to finish the novel along with other people in your community is at stake. Not that there's a penalty for failing to write that novel because NaNoWriMo wasn't designed to be that kind of organization but there is peer pressure of some sort. And honestly that's quite peculiar because writing has usually been a solitary act (once you've finished writing it is another matter) although writing is indeed a social endeavor. The social element of NaNoWriMo is what sets it apart from the other months of the year and might be that extra incentive people need to write as well as give them a venue to air their success without sounding arrogant.
Another way to look at it is from the perspective of its opposite: failure. I don't think failure is bad--failure enables us to learn. But that's not how society views failure: you're a loser, a pariah of a sort, even if making mistakes is the most natural thing in the world. Honestly, as children, how else did we grow up to become who we are? We tripped, we fell down, we made the wrong choices yet we somehow survived it all. That's not to say we should look forward to screwing up but rather we shouldn't be disheartened by not succeeding. It only starts to become unbearable when our failure is publicized. One example I have is my passion for games. As a kid, I loved trying out new games, especially video games. I enjoyed playing Super Mario Brothers, even if I never finished it by my own efforts alone. In fact, I probably died a million times. But that didn't stop me from continuing to play the game. Perhaps one reason for this is that I was playing the game privately or at least if I had an audience, they knew they wouldn't fare any better and kept silent about it. Now compare that to the arcade game Dance Dance Revolution. It certainly piqued my interest especially with its "unconventional" controls (which has now become quite conventional) but I didn't try playing it in public because well--people would see me fail. And Dance Dance Revolution is the kind of game that draws a crowd and some people use it as a venue to show their skills that it becomes embarrassing for newbies to try out (fortunately it was ported over to home consoles). Another example I have goes back to school. Why are some students afraid to volunteer or to raise their hands and answer the teacher's question? It's because they'll stand out and there are social consequences for getting it wrong or worse, for getting it right. I don't know about you but during my high school, the students laughed at you if you got the answer wrong, and then became jealous of you if you always answered correctly. I think that's why some people dislike the smart kids in school--because they embarrass the less smarter ones. School is the perfect example of an environment where other people's opinions matter. Grades might matter to teachers and parents but to students, what's important to them is what their fellow classmates think of them. It isn't failure that they fear but rather embarrassment.
Having said all that, how does this all relate to real life? Well, it helps us become more conscious of our motivators. The reason you might be dissatisfied with your work environment might not necessarily be the pay but the lack of acknowledgment. Or perhaps you don't like a certain sport not because you're not good at it but rather because you think other people will chide you for your mistakes. Some people try to meet it halfway: they attempt something but once they accomplish it, are afraid to show the results. Aspiring writers are one example of this: they finished writing a manuscript but are hesitant to show it to anyone else (and perhaps burn it at a later date). And while I've mentioned that such attitudes are perfectly normal, sometimes we have to go beyond them. Galileo might have acquiesced to the demands of the church but that's not what the likes of Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King did: they all went against the current paradigm of their society even amidst ridicule and social ostracism.
Society has played an integral role in determining the value of what it is like to succeed. While some people might value success as an end in itself, it is usually society's recognition of our triumph that makes the endeavor worthwhile. Imagine yourself successfully climbing and surviving Mt. Everest: I'm sure it's a great feeling and a big ego boost to your self confidence. Now imagine yourself never telling anyone about it (either implicitly or explicitly). The sense of worth is still there but for some people, there seems to be a missing element. It is pride without the bragging, respect without the acknowledgment.
If you're like me, you might feel guilty about this fact. We've been raised after all to value humility. But if we look at it from another perspective, we discover that it's a natural condition, the need to tell others about our accomplishments. It's not just about pride and sin but rather that we're social beings and we need something to give us an advantage when it comes to socializing with other people. One careful look at society reveals that this is what makes or breaks our relationships and how this is encouraged in our culture. Take a look at your family: didn't we as kids try to impress our parents? We might tell them "I did this" or "look at what he did wrong", especially the latter when it comes to our other siblings. Take a look at your school, at how we reward the smart or talented kids by giving them awards and praising them. Take a look at your office, especially if you're an employee. Sometimes more than the money, people are dissatisfied with the company when their efforts aren't acknowledged and some people do use their salary as a gauge of how much they are valued.
If you want to see how social dynamics affect success, just look at NaNoWriMo. It's not the first time people have attempted to write a novel. In fact, there's nothing stopping people from writing during the other eleven months in a year. But why have people jumped on this bandwagon? Mostly I think because of the community that surrounds it. Some people might perceive NaNoWriMo as putting nothing on the line--after all, it's not like money is involved whether you succeed or not--but that's not quite true. Your reputation is on the line, your commitment to finish the novel along with other people in your community is at stake. Not that there's a penalty for failing to write that novel because NaNoWriMo wasn't designed to be that kind of organization but there is peer pressure of some sort. And honestly that's quite peculiar because writing has usually been a solitary act (once you've finished writing it is another matter) although writing is indeed a social endeavor. The social element of NaNoWriMo is what sets it apart from the other months of the year and might be that extra incentive people need to write as well as give them a venue to air their success without sounding arrogant.
Another way to look at it is from the perspective of its opposite: failure. I don't think failure is bad--failure enables us to learn. But that's not how society views failure: you're a loser, a pariah of a sort, even if making mistakes is the most natural thing in the world. Honestly, as children, how else did we grow up to become who we are? We tripped, we fell down, we made the wrong choices yet we somehow survived it all. That's not to say we should look forward to screwing up but rather we shouldn't be disheartened by not succeeding. It only starts to become unbearable when our failure is publicized. One example I have is my passion for games. As a kid, I loved trying out new games, especially video games. I enjoyed playing Super Mario Brothers, even if I never finished it by my own efforts alone. In fact, I probably died a million times. But that didn't stop me from continuing to play the game. Perhaps one reason for this is that I was playing the game privately or at least if I had an audience, they knew they wouldn't fare any better and kept silent about it. Now compare that to the arcade game Dance Dance Revolution. It certainly piqued my interest especially with its "unconventional" controls (which has now become quite conventional) but I didn't try playing it in public because well--people would see me fail. And Dance Dance Revolution is the kind of game that draws a crowd and some people use it as a venue to show their skills that it becomes embarrassing for newbies to try out (fortunately it was ported over to home consoles). Another example I have goes back to school. Why are some students afraid to volunteer or to raise their hands and answer the teacher's question? It's because they'll stand out and there are social consequences for getting it wrong or worse, for getting it right. I don't know about you but during my high school, the students laughed at you if you got the answer wrong, and then became jealous of you if you always answered correctly. I think that's why some people dislike the smart kids in school--because they embarrass the less smarter ones. School is the perfect example of an environment where other people's opinions matter. Grades might matter to teachers and parents but to students, what's important to them is what their fellow classmates think of them. It isn't failure that they fear but rather embarrassment.
Having said all that, how does this all relate to real life? Well, it helps us become more conscious of our motivators. The reason you might be dissatisfied with your work environment might not necessarily be the pay but the lack of acknowledgment. Or perhaps you don't like a certain sport not because you're not good at it but rather because you think other people will chide you for your mistakes. Some people try to meet it halfway: they attempt something but once they accomplish it, are afraid to show the results. Aspiring writers are one example of this: they finished writing a manuscript but are hesitant to show it to anyone else (and perhaps burn it at a later date). And while I've mentioned that such attitudes are perfectly normal, sometimes we have to go beyond them. Galileo might have acquiesced to the demands of the church but that's not what the likes of Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King did: they all went against the current paradigm of their society even amidst ridicule and social ostracism.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Random Links
Haven't been doing some linking as of late mainly because I haven't had time to randomly surf the Internet. Anyway, managed to sneak an hour of doing so today and here's some tidbits I found interesting:
A Song of Ice and Fire fan trailer (From George R. R. Martin) - Some fans make a trailer used footage from existing fantasy films.
Anthology Builder (From Mary Robinete Kowal) - Create your own anthology! Now I can publish that library-themed speculative fiction anthology...
Thai Drag vs Japanese Drag (From Vertical Weblog) - Oh no... those Thai girls are men?
Oliver Burkeman's Stance on Copyright and Poetry - Well, to be honest, I'm not really a fan of poetry... or Western music for that matter.
A Song of Ice and Fire fan trailer (From George R. R. Martin) - Some fans make a trailer used footage from existing fantasy films.
Anthology Builder (From Mary Robinete Kowal) - Create your own anthology! Now I can publish that library-themed speculative fiction anthology...
Thai Drag vs Japanese Drag (From Vertical Weblog) - Oh no... those Thai girls are men?
Oliver Burkeman's Stance on Copyright and Poetry - Well, to be honest, I'm not really a fan of poetry... or Western music for that matter.
Manga Review: The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Vol. 5 by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki
Every Tuesday I'll post either an anime or manga review.
I never thought I’d see a pink-colored manga cover but Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service proves me wrong and does it in a stylish way. So far, this series has been quite consistent, mainly because with the exception of one volume, all the stories are self-contained stories which is friendly to new readers. There are four chapters in this particular manga as well as a comprehensive glossary. Most of the chapters are your standard fare Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service story, which is to say they’re weird and bizarre. What’s remarkable however is the first chapter which makes good use of Yamazaki’s art style in particular. Otherwise, this volume follows the old formula although Otsuka drops more hints towards the origins of the powers of our main protagonist. My only complaint about the entire series is that it’s already the fifth book and I’m getting tired of these episodic stories. Give me the big, overarching story arcs! The build-up has been slow and steady and while some people might see that as a good thing, I’m honestly getting impatient and I can’t help but wonder whether the payoff is worth it. As usual, if you liked the previous volumes, don’t hesitate to grab this volume. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a drastic change of pace or climax, no, it hasn’t happened yet.
Rating: 3/5.
Monday, December 17, 2007
CharleSATAN's Snarky Bibliophile Fights
It's Christmas, I'm biased, but I'll try to be entertaining (or failing that, just plain mean). Hopefully both publishers will not get offended. But seriously, buy all of the publications mentioned. At worst, they're great Christmas gifts that'll make you look smart.
Round 1: Expeditions Vol. 1 vs Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3
Expeditions Vol. 1
Pros: It has a friggin' introduction by Neil Gaiman! And artwork by Leinil Yu!
Cons: 9 short stories for P500. And not all of those stories are that great.
Why You Should Buy It: If you're planning on participating in next year's competition, this is probably the type of fiction that the judges will like. The book has Neil Gaiman's signature on it ('nuff said).
Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3
Pros: I'm in it. It's the biggest local speculative fiction compilation yet.
Cons: You can't get it at bookstores. It has an ad at the last page.
Why You Should Buy It: Get this book if you're a Filipino who wants to read sci-fi or fantasy without feeling guilty. Also, this book is cheaper.
The Final Verdict:
On one hand, you have a book that doesn't have my name on it. On the other hand, you have a book that does.
That aside, Expeditions costs P500 at least and gives you nine stories. Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3 costs you P300 and gives you 21 stories. What's my point? I don't know, I'm not a math genius. All I care is that I'm a Neil Gaiman whore so I'm buying the former.
Round 2: Story Philippines vs Philippine Genre Stories
Story Philippines
Pros: It's huge!
Cons: It's huge!
Why You Should Buy It: To show everyone in the MRT that you're a literary snob and that you love reading.
Philippine Genre Stories
Pros: It fits in your pocket.
Cons: What does the publisher/editor know about fiction anyway?
Why You Should Buy It: If somebody asks, the cover is misleading enough that you can claim you're reading komiks.
The Final Verdict:
It's a David and Goliath fight! Story Philippines is run by an actual staff while Philippine Genre Stories is being published and edited by one man. But their dark secret is that they're both part of the Chinese publishing mafia. They're both graduates of Xavier! Do you think you have a choice? They've already monopolized the market!
Round 3: Salamanca vs The Kite of Star and Other Stories
Salamanca
Pros: It won a Palanca!
Cons: It's a novel!
Why You Should Buy It: Because it's a Philippine novel that's not required reading for class.
The Kite of Stars and Other Stories
Pros: It doubles as a romance collection because half the stories deal with either love or heartbreak.
Cons: You're only willing to pay for the cheaper version when the more expensive one is the only copy available.
Why You Should Buy It: It's a collection of local speculative fiction short stories that's not published by Dean Alfar himself.
The Final Verdict:
Who is the better Alfar? One is published by Ateneo University Press, the other by Anvil Publishing. Alfar, Ateneo, Anvil--all begin with the letter A. It's another conspiracy I tell you!
Round 1: Expeditions Vol. 1 vs Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3
Expeditions Vol. 1
Pros: It has a friggin' introduction by Neil Gaiman! And artwork by Leinil Yu!
Cons: 9 short stories for P500. And not all of those stories are that great.
Why You Should Buy It: If you're planning on participating in next year's competition, this is probably the type of fiction that the judges will like. The book has Neil Gaiman's signature on it ('nuff said).
Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3
Pros: I'm in it. It's the biggest local speculative fiction compilation yet.
Cons: You can't get it at bookstores. It has an ad at the last page.
Why You Should Buy It: Get this book if you're a Filipino who wants to read sci-fi or fantasy without feeling guilty. Also, this book is cheaper.
The Final Verdict:
On one hand, you have a book that doesn't have my name on it. On the other hand, you have a book that does.
That aside, Expeditions costs P500 at least and gives you nine stories. Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3 costs you P300 and gives you 21 stories. What's my point? I don't know, I'm not a math genius. All I care is that I'm a Neil Gaiman whore so I'm buying the former.
Round 2: Story Philippines vs Philippine Genre Stories
Story Philippines
Pros: It's huge!
Cons: It's huge!
Why You Should Buy It: To show everyone in the MRT that you're a literary snob and that you love reading.
Philippine Genre Stories
Pros: It fits in your pocket.
Cons: What does the publisher/editor know about fiction anyway?
Why You Should Buy It: If somebody asks, the cover is misleading enough that you can claim you're reading komiks.
The Final Verdict:
It's a David and Goliath fight! Story Philippines is run by an actual staff while Philippine Genre Stories is being published and edited by one man. But their dark secret is that they're both part of the Chinese publishing mafia. They're both graduates of Xavier! Do you think you have a choice? They've already monopolized the market!
Round 3: Salamanca vs The Kite of Star and Other Stories
Salamanca
Pros: It won a Palanca!
Cons: It's a novel!
Why You Should Buy It: Because it's a Philippine novel that's not required reading for class.
The Kite of Stars and Other Stories
Pros: It doubles as a romance collection because half the stories deal with either love or heartbreak.
Cons: You're only willing to pay for the cheaper version when the more expensive one is the only copy available.
Why You Should Buy It: It's a collection of local speculative fiction short stories that's not published by Dean Alfar himself.
The Final Verdict:
Who is the better Alfar? One is published by Ateneo University Press, the other by Anvil Publishing. Alfar, Ateneo, Anvil--all begin with the letter A. It's another conspiracy I tell you!
Fully Booked Promo
Dropped by Fullly Booked today and they have various promos which involve you buying books for them. For example, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is being sold for P750 if you buy anything else with a minimum purchase of P100.00. Other items that involve a similar promo are the Marvel Encyclopedias (Hulk and Spider-Man).
Book Review: Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Every Monday, I'll be doing spoiler-free book reviews.
It's only recently that I've been discovering Guy Gavriel Kay, gobbling up the books people recommend such as the Lions of Al-Rassan and avoiding the reputedly not-so-enjoyable ones. Tigana was one of the books highly recommend although obtaining a copy was ever elusive. I finally managed to acquire Tigana--purchasing it without hesitation--and it didn't disappoint.
There are several things going for Kay. First is that the novel is working with a big concept, that of memory and history. It is the shadow that haunts every character for good or for ill and I think Kay manages to strike a balance between the two. The second is the characterization and this in my opinion has always been Kay's strength. For a book published in the 90's, it has so much depth and complexity that many modern writers are trying to emulate. The protagonists are well-rounded and while they are noble, they are not without flaws. The antagonists are fleshed out and do not suffer from the evil overlord syndrome but are characters--even sympathetic characters--in their own right. The third is that this is easily a fantasy epic narrated in the span of one novel. It begins with a large cast of characters and some seemingly unimportant events but Kay manages to wrap it all up and tie it together in the last 100 pages or so. Fourth, the prose is endearing. Kay is no Ellen Kushner or Patricia McKillip, but he is a cut above most writers and more importantly, his story doesn't need to be told in such a melodic form. However, Kay does sprinkle in some poetic irony whenever he can and it gives the novel that extra layer. Fifth, there is magic in the book and it's somewhere in between Gandalf the Gray's subtle machinations and Fizban's fireball. Its presence is undeniable but it is neither flashy nor obvious. People who enjoy fantasy because of the unique magic system of fictional cultures might want to give this book a look for Kay's unique take.
Having said all that, is there nothing not to like? Well, the book is quite thick and might daunt unfamiliar readers. The novel also begins with different points of view and seemingly unrelated characters but once you manage to glean over that, it all starts coming together. Tigana is not an easy read but neither is it difficult. Overall, the novel has adult sensibilities and I'd like to think you don't need to be a fan of fantasy to enjoy this book. Tigana is easily a classic, one of the best fantasy epics I've read in quite a while.
Rating: 5/5.
It's only recently that I've been discovering Guy Gavriel Kay, gobbling up the books people recommend such as the Lions of Al-Rassan and avoiding the reputedly not-so-enjoyable ones. Tigana was one of the books highly recommend although obtaining a copy was ever elusive. I finally managed to acquire Tigana--purchasing it without hesitation--and it didn't disappoint.There are several things going for Kay. First is that the novel is working with a big concept, that of memory and history. It is the shadow that haunts every character for good or for ill and I think Kay manages to strike a balance between the two. The second is the characterization and this in my opinion has always been Kay's strength. For a book published in the 90's, it has so much depth and complexity that many modern writers are trying to emulate. The protagonists are well-rounded and while they are noble, they are not without flaws. The antagonists are fleshed out and do not suffer from the evil overlord syndrome but are characters--even sympathetic characters--in their own right. The third is that this is easily a fantasy epic narrated in the span of one novel. It begins with a large cast of characters and some seemingly unimportant events but Kay manages to wrap it all up and tie it together in the last 100 pages or so. Fourth, the prose is endearing. Kay is no Ellen Kushner or Patricia McKillip, but he is a cut above most writers and more importantly, his story doesn't need to be told in such a melodic form. However, Kay does sprinkle in some poetic irony whenever he can and it gives the novel that extra layer. Fifth, there is magic in the book and it's somewhere in between Gandalf the Gray's subtle machinations and Fizban's fireball. Its presence is undeniable but it is neither flashy nor obvious. People who enjoy fantasy because of the unique magic system of fictional cultures might want to give this book a look for Kay's unique take.
Having said all that, is there nothing not to like? Well, the book is quite thick and might daunt unfamiliar readers. The novel also begins with different points of view and seemingly unrelated characters but once you manage to glean over that, it all starts coming together. Tigana is not an easy read but neither is it difficult. Overall, the novel has adult sensibilities and I'd like to think you don't need to be a fan of fantasy to enjoy this book. Tigana is easily a classic, one of the best fantasy epics I've read in quite a while.
Rating: 5/5.
Praise for A Kite of Stars and Other Stories
Jeffrey Ford is one of my favorite short story writers and I'm glad to hear he likes Dean Alfar's A Kite of Stars and Other Stories as well as mentioning that the Philippines has "a few very distinct voices" when it comes to speculative fiction.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Coyote Wild Plug
Hi! Aspiring speculative fiction writers can also submit to the online quarterly magazine Coyote Wild which accepts, fiction, flash fiction, poetry, essays, and artwork/photography. The guidelines can be found here.
While I'm at it, also want to plug Last Dragon author JM McDermott's short story Last Star. I've been plugging Last Dragon to some of my friends but the book not yet being out and all, can't really gauge how good the novel is but hopefully his short fiction will give us a taste of what he can do.
While I'm at it, also want to plug Last Dragon author JM McDermott's short story Last Star. I've been plugging Last Dragon to some of my friends but the book not yet being out and all, can't really gauge how good the novel is but hopefully his short fiction will give us a taste of what he can do.
The Mech Warrior Movie That Could Have Been
This is mainly for my non-Filipino readers but here in the Philippines, we've done a couple of movies and TV series's which have been ripped off from existing brands. We've had a Batman and Robin movie in the 80's, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles clone ("Pandakekoks"), etc. Also during Christmas is our annual Manila Film Festival so we miss out on all the foreign movies and instead the theaters only show all local movies so December is like movie release month in the Philippines. Here's one of the movies that's going to be shown starring one of our local action movie stars/politician (he's not governor but...)
The film's website can be found here.
Trailers:
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Gerry Alanguilan at Pasko ng Komiks
From Gerry Alanguilan:
Sorry, forgot to plug Read or Die's Pasko ng Komiks last December 11, 2007. Anyway, a recording of Gerry Alanguilan's talk can be found here (you'll need a Multiply account though).
Azrael, on the other hand, has some video coverage of the symposium which includes a variety of local comic creators.
Sorry, forgot to plug Read or Die's Pasko ng Komiks last December 11, 2007. Anyway, a recording of Gerry Alanguilan's talk can be found here (you'll need a Multiply account though).
Azrael, on the other hand, has some video coverage of the symposium which includes a variety of local comic creators.
On Gleemax: Problems and Possible Solutions
Gleemax being in its alpha stage has a lot of problems, mostly dealing with navigation and user interface (UI). I'll be tackling what they are, suggestions how they can be improved, and what are "band-aids" or temporary solutions to them as of the present.
For the most part, Gleemax actually has a robust and unique programming behind it. Unfortunately, those two factors are insignificant if users can't navigate the site or utilize it to its full potential. The current Gleemax has two main sections: the forums and the blogs. The former is doing well as far as forums go. No breakthroughs in forum design but it's also perfectly servicable (and in fact is my preferred forum interface as far as tools are concerned). The blogs however is where everything collapses.
Navigation
The biggest problem of Gleemax is navigation. They can be described by the following:
- Lack of aggregated posts aside from the front page. Honestly, aside from the main page where the general announcements are posted, how do I navigate the site or discover all the other blogs? It's not that Gleemax doesn't have good blogs but it has a problem of aggregating it.
- The Monday - Friday Syndrome. This is a term I'm inventing. Right now, while there is some method of filtering posts (i.e. sorting them by board game, card game, reviews, etc.), what it lacks is a way to look at older posts: there is no "Older Posts" or "Previous" button. So theoretically, if I post an entry on Monday, somebody who checks the board only every Friday will never see my post because Gleemax only shows the 6 most recent posts in any one category (the only exception to this are the personal pages) and chances are, there are enough posts during Tuesday through Thursday so that by the time the Friday visitor checks, all traces of Monday posts are gone unless they're one of the chosen posts on the front page.
- Lack of "Favorites List" support. Thankfully, Gleemax has a "Favorites List" to navigate and theoretically compile the blog entries that interests you. My main problem is that finding the "add to my favorites" button isn't readily apparent (and I can't seem to find it now) and finding my own favorites list is also quite a hassle (I just discovered I have to go to my own personal page to see it). (Edit: Found the Add Favorite button. Needs to be more visually apparent.)
- Too many clicks. In most other blogs, it takes me anywhere from two to three clicks to get where I want to. In Livejournal, I just click on my Friends Page and I get to read all the blogs that I want. In other services like Wordpress or Blogger, I usually have a link on my blog and I click that link (click 1). I'm where I want to be. In some cases, if it's linking to an aggregation site like SF Signal, that's the second click arises. In Gleemax, from the main site, I have to click to my Personal Page (click 1). From there, click on somebody from my Favorites List (click 2). From the profile of anyone on my Favorites Lists, I have to choose a post and go to "Read More" (click 3). If I want to view his other blog entries, I'll have to go back and more clicking ensues. Honestly, some people are turned off with this as it takes too much effort than it needs to be.
- Too many buttons in the wrong places. As I'm currently navigating through Gleemax, I'm finding that some of the solutions I want already exists in Gleemax. The problem is that the buttons that lead to those solutions are difficult to find and are scattered across different pages. A unified menu or navigation bar would be helpful, instead of finding a solution in page A, and then finding another solution in page B. Too many buttons also confuses users.
Current Solutions:
- Because of the current problem with navigation, one of the more popular blogs are those that aggregate information. Users like Crazy_Monkey1956, Solice, and KJW are trying to compile a list of interesting blogs through entires like Monkey Monday News, Friday Favorites, and Great Reads respectively. Also, Wizards of the Coast has its own aggregated list of designer blogs and RSS feeds of the latest forum post but it's not on the Gleemax site: Community. This solves issues #1 - #4 but who's going to put up such blogs to expand those not covered by the already existing bloggers?
- Stickied Table of Contents. It was Crazy_Monkey1956's idea to use this and it's a great idea. Make on sticky post on your blog and it links to all your other entries. This also solves the lack of readily apparent "Older Posts" on Gleemax. The bad news is that not every user will do this and worse, needs to be maintained (whenever you have a new post, you have to edit your sticky post). The truth of the matter is while this is a solution, this is more of damage control since dedicated blogging sites like Wordpress or Blogger does this automatically (they're called Archives, Tagging, etc.).
Patches to Hope for in the Future:
- Place a link to the Community page at the front of the Gleemax site for God's sake. I mean you already have a working solution, you just need to integrate and promote it.
- Add a "See Previous" button so that if I'm someone who checks the site only Fridays, I can actually find posts last Monday.
- Better aggregation methods such as a Favorites List that mimics RSS Feeds or Friend's List (from Livejournal). (Edit: I found a similar feature in the Control Panel but this button needs to be more visible, not hidden!)
- Ditch the "Read More" button in each member's profile page. Just show the posts in their entirety. Don't give us the trimmed-down version that forces us to hit the Read More button and takes us to a new page. Remember, the fewer clicks it takes to read something, the better.
- Add a more visible "Add to My Favorites" button. Make it a mainstay in the menu, please! Make it big or an icon! There's already too much text on the personal profile pages that the Add Favorite link is camouflaged.
- An RSS feed for the blogs. If people don't go to you, let your content go to them. Don't force them to go to your site and they'll naturally go to yours.
What They're Doing Right:
- Recent Posts is actually a good section and enables users to discover and find new blogs. However, it is hampered by the fact that it only shows the most recent entries (giving birth to the Monday-Friday syndrome) and could use a better filtering system.
- Sticky Posts are great since it gives at a glance the important entries a user wants to showcase.
- Blog coding is done correctly. I can easily copy/paste my Blogger blog entry into my Gleemax blog entry.
What I'm Hoping for in the Future:
- Better integration between the Forums and the Blogs (since they're still part of the Gleemax umbrella rather than a different section of the parent company). Having a Send Private Message button in one's Gleemax profile would be helpful for example instead of going to the forum and then clicking Private Messages. Also, finding the profile of a poster in the forums and finding the Add Favorite button to include them in my Favorites List for the blogs (remember, less clicks, better interface!).
- A way to copy/paste my blog posts into forum posts and vice versa while retaining the formatting (links, font style, etc.). Granted, this is a tall order (since many have attempted this and none yet to perfect success) but it's something to aim for considering Gleemax is both a blogging and forums site.
- Other blogging services such as the ability to upload photos, videos, sound clips, etc. without relying on external sites.
Blogging Content
In one of the message board threads, I mentioned one of the four possible blogs entries that will arise in Gleemax (if you have more to add, feel free to comment). I'll elaborate on them further here:
News/Aggregation Blogs:
These are blogs which typically links to other blogs/sites and reports on news. Examples of this are Monkey Monday News and my own Fiction/Writing and Tabletop RPG Podcasts. On one hand, "success" here is mentioned by how useful your news is, and how many people actually get to read it (mostly the former exists to draw in the latter). Feedback (i.e. comments) here isn't as readily important. I mean I really appreciate the "thank you for posting this" feedback but at the end of the day, that's probably the end of the discussion. People really won't debate why I am posting this or that or vehemently agree/disagree with my post. The most feedback one will probably get in such a site is why this news tidbit wasn't included or something. All News/Aggregation Blogs include some editorializing of some sort (in my case, the first paragraph of every post) but it is conceivable that some such blogs are hybrid blogs--that is they cover much editorial content. An example of this is a highly detailed tournament coverage blog. A strictly News/Aggregation Blog will just give you the score (i.e. Player X goes 2-1 against Player Y) but those that feature in-depth coverage usually throw in writing of their own and might generate feedback (i.e. "I don't think Player X should have done that..", etc.).
In the scale of popularity, News/Aggregation Blogs probably has the widest demographic as most people will have a use for it, even if they'll seldom comment on it. As far as interaction with the readers go, it's the least since it's not the type that generates debate (also the specific news/links it contains might generate debate). In Magic: The Gathering terms, News/Aggregation Blogs are like the Tutor cards or cards that retrieve cards from the Graveyard. In D&D terms, it's like the Limited Wish spell. They're not valuable in itself, but are valuable because of the subject matter they cover (rather than create). Without quality content from other sites, there is no point in having a News/Aggregation Blog because there is no such news to aggregate/cover.
Reviews Blog:
People usually tend to love reviews since it gives them a guideline as to whether to buy and support a product or not. What has changed with the Internet is that reviews aren't solely being written by people in the publishing industry but by anyone. Contrary to popular belief, I don't subscribe to the idea that there are inherently bad reviews and inherently good reviews (although I do believe in a well-written review and a not well-written review). There are simply reviews which are more similar or dissimilar to the tastes of the reader. So in many ways, the diversity of reviews works well. The problem will be finding a reviewer who has the closest approximation to your preferences and covers the particular product you're looking for (i.e. books, board games, card games, etc.). As far as demographic goes, in a perfect world, you'd have several reviewers each catering to a different niche in the market. For example, at ENWorld, we have John Cooper who gives "crunchy" bits in his RPG reviews, citing all the errors and unofficial errata he'd give to monster/NPC stats. Obviously, rules-intensive gamers will find such a review useful, while more streamlined or storytelling-orient ed gamers might prefer a different reviewer.
I'd think that each gamer will probably subscribe to one or two review blogs, but no one will really like read all the reviews that's published out there (although that is a possible idea for a News/Aggregation Blog). As far as interaction with readers go, it's flexible. I mean readers might ask questions to clarify certain opinions of the reviewer or flat-out praise him/her. On the other hand, if the reader has a different paradigm with the reviewer, he might complain about the review and antagonize the reviewer. (My advice there is that as a reader, find a reviewer that's more attuned to your tastes so that such debates don't occur! Or better yet, write your own review if you disagree so much.)
Game Report Blogs:
This is usually relegated to one's own personal experience, either a tournament they participated in or last Saturday's campaign session with your gaming group for the past 20 years. This is a precarious sort of blog because I think it's hard to get readers, at least as far as RPG sessions go. Have you ever heard of the statement that your campaign is interesting to you and your gaming group but not to other gaming groups? Well, that's true to a certain extent but that's not an absolute. Compelling writing or ideas might draw in other readers even if they're not part of your existing campaign (and might entice them to join yours). For example, I usually read Jeff's Gameblog and I think the guy carries the blog entries with his personality and unique preferences. Another time that Game Report Blogs might be popular is if you're covering a big event (i.e. D&D 4E Playtest, Pro Magic Tour, Gen Con, etc.) or if you're a celebrity (either a real celebrity, a game designer, or something interesting unique quality that keeps people hooked [The Wandering Men comes to mind]).
A segment of the gaming population that might be interested in such reading material are game designers who are interested in getting feedback with regards to playtesting about their games. Another hybrid might be Original Content that keeps the game report enticing. Examples of Original Content/Game Report hybrids are potential strategies one could have employed in D&D Miniatures. You're not only reporting about the tournament but giving feedback of your own on what should have been done or what could have been done. Aside from those factors, it's usually compelling writing, character, or some strange quality that will sustain your reading demographic. Otherwise, it's more of a private record for you and your gaming group.
Original Content Blogs:
This I think is why most people go to blogs--and generate much discussion (either positive or negative about them). Original Content I'll use very loosely. It can be anything from your own opinions on the industry (i.e. Ryan Dancey), musings on game design (or creating new "crunch" so to speak), or anything else in between (this very blog entry is an example). Honestly, the reason why I read blogs is for Original Content. And in many ways, most blogs incorporate Original Content in some way or the other--it's just that they're qualified by something. Reviews Blogs and Game Report Blogs are really narrow, focused Original Content Blogs with a particular theme or subject. I'd like to think however that the reason why people go to Gleemax is to find Original Content Blogs (and in fact many of the designer posts entries fall under this classification). This is also the most pivotal opportunity for blogger to interact with their readers. They can usually ask a question and receive feedback. Sometimes, they don't end with a question but readers will give them feedback either way, either agreeing/disagreein g with their point of view or point them to a related topic.
Gleemax has the potential to house gaming-related Original Content Blogs but the current problem that aside from the game designer blog entries, there's really no way of efficiently digging through the archives and finding the good original content blogs. It's not that I don't that they're not out there, but if one was ever written, it's damn difficult to sort them out from all the other posts.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Top 10 Best-Sellers as of 2007/12/9
From USA Today's best-seller list (you can find out their basis here):
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham
- Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts
- T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
- For One More Day by Mitch Albom
- I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
- The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Kootz
- Double Cross by James Patterson
- You: Staying Young by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz
A Long Random Musing on Reading vs Writing, Guilt, and Others
My friend Bhex is currently in New Zealand and she has a long entry on her encounter with the library there. What I like about Bhex is that we can peacefully contradict each other and bounce off each other's ideas.
Like her, I share her frustration with the country's seemingly inadequate libraries (but to clarify, that's not to say that we don't have good libraries lest I offend my librarian readers; it's either they simply don't suit my particular tastes, they're difficult to get to, they're not well publicized, or there's a significant bar of entry such as enrolling in a private school or university). And honestly, I don't have a practical solution to solve that dilemma. If it's any consolation, there are librarians out there discussing about the matter such as The Filipino Librarian and Zarah (check out her coverage of the Spec Fic talk at Xavier's Library [1, 2, 3]). And as I've written before, emerging technologies is making education a lot easier such as the potential of eBooks (to which Bhex will contend that not every Filipino can afford a computer--which is true--but I think the potential is for future libraries to stock computers where documents can be read).
Another of her complaints is the lack of "customer-friendly sales schemes" from bookstores and publishers but I think the lack of customer service is a symptom of the Philippine culture as a whole rather than limited to the book industry. One thing I noticed in comparison to my travels abroad is that the Philippines has good human customer service--that is the employees go out of the way for you and is evident by our lack of self-service gas stations (there's always somebody there to refuel your car) but we lack good product customer service. What's good product customer service? Things like refunds or -gasp- customer satisfaction. I mean in countries like the US, there is such a thing as returning a commodity because it didn't meet customer satisfaction. There's nothing wrong with the product but it was returned nonetheless. Of course I don't blame Filipinos for lack of such a service. The Chinese businessman in me is wondering at all the potential abuses of such a policy. Suffice to say, other cultures trust their customers and we don't (it's best left to your opinion whether that's true or not).
But my main point however is that despite both conditions, it's not an excuse not to develop good writers. Now Bhex believes that in order to develop good writers, people need to read good books. Numerous times in my blog, I've espoused writer, write, and write. But at the end of the day, I'm not contradicting Bhex's idea. I mean what inspires people to write after all is to read. And Dean said it himself in his novel-writing seminar that seminars and the like don't teach us to write but we all subconsciously learn how to write by reading. Yet I also think there are limitations to simply reading in the same way that a teacher can be good at teaching (how to write) yet never be a great writer himself and a great writer never being able to become a good teacher. Suffice to say, reading is not writing. I can read all the books in the world and never become a competent writer. Likewise, I could have read little or a lot of "trashy" books yet become a competent writer. There are several explanations for this, everything from the act of writing hones your craft to becoming conscious of the act of writing. But let me simply say this: in order to be a good writer, one must strike a healthy balance between reading and writing. I can't imagine a writer who never reads although I can imagine a prolific, talented writer who seldom reads just as I can imagine a prolific reader who seldom but skillfully writes. The thing is, there are several avenues to becoming a good writer and there is no one formula to guarantee success for everyone. The best anyone--including myself--can give are suggestion and hopefully it applies to you. And here's a secret: not all avenues to writing have been discovered. In fact, the "rules of writing" are really just guidelines. New techniques, new methods are being discovered as different writers try out new stuff--sometimes out of ignorance. But yes, I have a bias on writing as opposed to reading. Because I've been stuck on the latter in the past. You might have read all the important books that need to be read and gained the knowledge how to write the best novel--but until you actually write it down, all that potential is useless. And let me tell you, at least for writers like me, we always feel inadequate, we're always worried that what we write is never good enough. And so we might never write what we want to write, or worse, write it down but never show it to anyone else, perhaps hoping that one day it will be discovered and published by one of our friends and relatives and be a famous writer post-mortem. Or I could make do with what I have now--insufficient as it may seem--and start writing, other people's opinions be damned. It might not be the perfect document but at least it's something. And if I don't get it right now, I'll try again. And again. And again. (To sum it up, it's Gabriel Marcel's primary reflection vs secondary reflection.)
This essay however isn't simply about promoting my writing beliefs and agenda. Rather, it's to explain at how not to make excuses for one's self. I do think that if you're really determined to become a writer, you'll find a way to acquire the books you need to read (whether it's taking a part time job, borrowing it from a friend, talking to a mentor, etc.) or in the event that you can't, try your hand at writing anyway. It's about taking a pro-active stance (and what I mean by pro-active isn't necessarily being hard working in persistent but more of creating opportunities instead of waiting for them) although that's probably hypocritical of me as I'm not pro-active at least as far as my writing is concerned. And then I can very well imagine my heritage being levied against me: how easy it is for me to say that considering that I'm not poor, that I had XX years of private education, that I met the right people at the right time, etc. That's all true but as I also said, that's my heritage just as you have yours. I mean sure, I have certain advantages, but I also carry my own weaknesses and burdens, just as other people have theirs. There have been nights that I've wondered if I could only have been more talented, perhaps born in an earlier or later era, etc. I can wonder about all these what-ifs and they'd probably make a great story but it does little to help my current situation. Maybe you're more talented of a writer than I am: that's your advantage. Maybe you're more experienced in the ways of the world, you can relate more with the common reader: that's your advantage.
Last but not least is the feeling of guilt. Bhex in her entry narrates at how she feels guilty about enjoying all the reading privileges in New Zealand. But my question is, aside from writing about it, what good would it do to dwell on the fact? It's not like you can suddenly juxtapose yourself with an impoverished youth just dying to read all those books. And honestly guilt plagues a lot of local writers, whether it's authors feeling the need to write about social realism or socially relevant texts to including Filipino locales, characters, or events in the works they write. I feel that guilt but it shouldn't stop me from doing what I need to do. Some writers, they get over this guilt and write what they want to write. Others, they reconcile themselves with this guilt and incorporate their agenda in their writing--some to their success, others to their detriment. For the most part, I don't think we should be hampered with guilt: either get over it or do something with it but don't wallow in it.
Before I end, I have two more statements I want to say but Dean said them better. In his paper on speculative fiction, Dean says that while realism us to write literature that matters (to which I disagree because speculative fiction can matter), it is the reader who selects what literature matters to them (which is something I cannot disagree with because as much as insightful or not this post might be, it's my readers or non-readers who decide its value). And in his talk on Read or Die's seminar, Dean says "It is one thing to be a lover of reading, like I am, like you are. But if we were all readers, there would be nothing to read if no one were to write."
Like her, I share her frustration with the country's seemingly inadequate libraries (but to clarify, that's not to say that we don't have good libraries lest I offend my librarian readers; it's either they simply don't suit my particular tastes, they're difficult to get to, they're not well publicized, or there's a significant bar of entry such as enrolling in a private school or university). And honestly, I don't have a practical solution to solve that dilemma. If it's any consolation, there are librarians out there discussing about the matter such as The Filipino Librarian and Zarah (check out her coverage of the Spec Fic talk at Xavier's Library [1, 2, 3]). And as I've written before, emerging technologies is making education a lot easier such as the potential of eBooks (to which Bhex will contend that not every Filipino can afford a computer--which is true--but I think the potential is for future libraries to stock computers where documents can be read).
Another of her complaints is the lack of "customer-friendly sales schemes" from bookstores and publishers but I think the lack of customer service is a symptom of the Philippine culture as a whole rather than limited to the book industry. One thing I noticed in comparison to my travels abroad is that the Philippines has good human customer service--that is the employees go out of the way for you and is evident by our lack of self-service gas stations (there's always somebody there to refuel your car) but we lack good product customer service. What's good product customer service? Things like refunds or -gasp- customer satisfaction. I mean in countries like the US, there is such a thing as returning a commodity because it didn't meet customer satisfaction. There's nothing wrong with the product but it was returned nonetheless. Of course I don't blame Filipinos for lack of such a service. The Chinese businessman in me is wondering at all the potential abuses of such a policy. Suffice to say, other cultures trust their customers and we don't (it's best left to your opinion whether that's true or not).
But my main point however is that despite both conditions, it's not an excuse not to develop good writers. Now Bhex believes that in order to develop good writers, people need to read good books. Numerous times in my blog, I've espoused writer, write, and write. But at the end of the day, I'm not contradicting Bhex's idea. I mean what inspires people to write after all is to read. And Dean said it himself in his novel-writing seminar that seminars and the like don't teach us to write but we all subconsciously learn how to write by reading. Yet I also think there are limitations to simply reading in the same way that a teacher can be good at teaching (how to write) yet never be a great writer himself and a great writer never being able to become a good teacher. Suffice to say, reading is not writing. I can read all the books in the world and never become a competent writer. Likewise, I could have read little or a lot of "trashy" books yet become a competent writer. There are several explanations for this, everything from the act of writing hones your craft to becoming conscious of the act of writing. But let me simply say this: in order to be a good writer, one must strike a healthy balance between reading and writing. I can't imagine a writer who never reads although I can imagine a prolific, talented writer who seldom reads just as I can imagine a prolific reader who seldom but skillfully writes. The thing is, there are several avenues to becoming a good writer and there is no one formula to guarantee success for everyone. The best anyone--including myself--can give are suggestion and hopefully it applies to you. And here's a secret: not all avenues to writing have been discovered. In fact, the "rules of writing" are really just guidelines. New techniques, new methods are being discovered as different writers try out new stuff--sometimes out of ignorance. But yes, I have a bias on writing as opposed to reading. Because I've been stuck on the latter in the past. You might have read all the important books that need to be read and gained the knowledge how to write the best novel--but until you actually write it down, all that potential is useless. And let me tell you, at least for writers like me, we always feel inadequate, we're always worried that what we write is never good enough. And so we might never write what we want to write, or worse, write it down but never show it to anyone else, perhaps hoping that one day it will be discovered and published by one of our friends and relatives and be a famous writer post-mortem. Or I could make do with what I have now--insufficient as it may seem--and start writing, other people's opinions be damned. It might not be the perfect document but at least it's something. And if I don't get it right now, I'll try again. And again. And again. (To sum it up, it's Gabriel Marcel's primary reflection vs secondary reflection.)
This essay however isn't simply about promoting my writing beliefs and agenda. Rather, it's to explain at how not to make excuses for one's self. I do think that if you're really determined to become a writer, you'll find a way to acquire the books you need to read (whether it's taking a part time job, borrowing it from a friend, talking to a mentor, etc.) or in the event that you can't, try your hand at writing anyway. It's about taking a pro-active stance (and what I mean by pro-active isn't necessarily being hard working in persistent but more of creating opportunities instead of waiting for them) although that's probably hypocritical of me as I'm not pro-active at least as far as my writing is concerned. And then I can very well imagine my heritage being levied against me: how easy it is for me to say that considering that I'm not poor, that I had XX years of private education, that I met the right people at the right time, etc. That's all true but as I also said, that's my heritage just as you have yours. I mean sure, I have certain advantages, but I also carry my own weaknesses and burdens, just as other people have theirs. There have been nights that I've wondered if I could only have been more talented, perhaps born in an earlier or later era, etc. I can wonder about all these what-ifs and they'd probably make a great story but it does little to help my current situation. Maybe you're more talented of a writer than I am: that's your advantage. Maybe you're more experienced in the ways of the world, you can relate more with the common reader: that's your advantage.
Last but not least is the feeling of guilt. Bhex in her entry narrates at how she feels guilty about enjoying all the reading privileges in New Zealand. But my question is, aside from writing about it, what good would it do to dwell on the fact? It's not like you can suddenly juxtapose yourself with an impoverished youth just dying to read all those books. And honestly guilt plagues a lot of local writers, whether it's authors feeling the need to write about social realism or socially relevant texts to including Filipino locales, characters, or events in the works they write. I feel that guilt but it shouldn't stop me from doing what I need to do. Some writers, they get over this guilt and write what they want to write. Others, they reconcile themselves with this guilt and incorporate their agenda in their writing--some to their success, others to their detriment. For the most part, I don't think we should be hampered with guilt: either get over it or do something with it but don't wallow in it.
Before I end, I have two more statements I want to say but Dean said them better. In his paper on speculative fiction, Dean says that while realism us to write literature that matters (to which I disagree because speculative fiction can matter), it is the reader who selects what literature matters to them (which is something I cannot disagree with because as much as insightful or not this post might be, it's my readers or non-readers who decide its value). And in his talk on Read or Die's seminar, Dean says "It is one thing to be a lover of reading, like I am, like you are. But if we were all readers, there would be nothing to read if no one were to write."
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