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Random Thoughts
Sep. 15th, 2011 09:54 amThe events at work that were expected to occupy my day were postponed, so I have a little time to blog. Herewith, some Random Thoughts:
1) The frequently-interesting blog Obsidian Wings has a good historical overview of the New World's post-apocalyptic landscape. Basically, European diseases killed 90% of Native Americans. These peoples had been actively managing "wilderness" areas in places like the Amazon basin and central California. When everybody died off, the management stopped. What we see as "nature" is actually what the local ecology collapsed into.
2) My publisher, in an ongoing effort to improve marketing and move to the next level, has set up a monthly e-newsletter.
3) My primary first reader, Jackie Powers, had to move to Texas for (lack of) job reasons. She now reports that there are glimmers of hope on that front. I wish her well.
4) My friend Jim Hines is having a discussion on banning and moderating comments on blogs on his site. He gets a lot more traffic than I do; even so, I've had to freeze comments on a post. Moderation is an art, not a science, and the very term "moderation" implies that one is operating in the mushy middle without bright lines. At the end of the day, you call 'em like you see 'em and remind people that they are getting everything they are paying for.
1) The frequently-interesting blog Obsidian Wings has a good historical overview of the New World's post-apocalyptic landscape. Basically, European diseases killed 90% of Native Americans. These peoples had been actively managing "wilderness" areas in places like the Amazon basin and central California. When everybody died off, the management stopped. What we see as "nature" is actually what the local ecology collapsed into.
2) My publisher, in an ongoing effort to improve marketing and move to the next level, has set up a monthly e-newsletter.
3) My primary first reader, Jackie Powers, had to move to Texas for (lack of) job reasons. She now reports that there are glimmers of hope on that front. I wish her well.
4) My friend Jim Hines is having a discussion on banning and moderating comments on blogs on his site. He gets a lot more traffic than I do; even so, I've had to freeze comments on a post. Moderation is an art, not a science, and the very term "moderation" implies that one is operating in the mushy middle without bright lines. At the end of the day, you call 'em like you see 'em and remind people that they are getting everything they are paying for.
