What I can't quite get is all the vitriol near the end, when... please, correct me if I'm wrong... the story everyone's been assuming and repeating actually ties pretty tightly to JC's 'actual true story' version.
I mean, ignoring the talk of contractual disputes, the 'official' version of events is that Bauer called to complain about people posting her address, the fight with Jenna was over peoples' ability to legally post her address, and the direct result of the fight was the switch being flicked.
Okay, going through JC's post, is this the order of events from the blog-post (no editorialising - just hunting for points. Man, this is a convoluted story...)
-- Stephanie sets up AW with specially rated server space
-- AW goes way over agreed upon limits, with outdated software, and extremely heavy system requirements - kept under control by Stephanie.
-- Wagner hands over control of AW to Glatzer but doesn't record the transaction with the host.
-- A lot of resources now going unchecked, but given the nod by Stephanie.
-- Bauer submits legal request for takedown
-- Address is removed from AW
-- Other posters take badly to removal.
-- Address re-appears, with added bashing, violating JC Hosting TOS/AUP.
-- Bauer contacts JC again
-- JC contacts Glatzer
-- Fight breaks out over the request
-- JC pulls the plug on AW, giving 24 hours notice, claiming multiple infractions, with this as the last straw.
-- JC request payment for the next month so that site contents can be removed from database for transport; shuts down site with decision to drop from collection.
-- Lawyer calls from AW
-- JC's Legal advice is to hold onto the database as evidence, hence total lockdown.
-- Internet explodes
Is that about the size of it?
That's my understanding so far too, Greg, and I can only say 'Buh?!' I really look forward to seeing this one finally unravelled; it's certainly going to be interesting reading.
You're absolutely right about iTunes - it's a hideous work of true horror. I've bought a few audiobooks from it (not many - the price of them generally threatens to turn my hair white, especially when I hit the preview button and hear horrible, scratchy tape quality audio) and every time it's been a nightmare just trying to find authors I'm interested in, never mind casually browse around for something new...
"Or, if you've put a lot of yourself into your book, it may feel like dating: if the group of people whose attention you want keep publicly disparaging people like you, you're not going to be encouraged. It's not easy to remember the distinction between "most of the slushpile is crap" and "all of the slushpile is crap, and the people who send those unsolicited manuscripts are crap"
Don't forget:
"But...but what if I'M one of the crap ones and just don't realise it? ANGST! PARANOIA! AAAIE!"
The Eye of Argon still slightly wins out in the bad prose stakes, if only because nothing in the whole English language will ever be able to top the line...
“You"; ejaculated the Ecordian in a pleased tone'
...but that was one damn funny bad book. Kudos, especially for stabbing at PA in the process.
"Just like e-mail spam doesn't specifically target people, I don't think comment spam is particularly targeted either. It's all about the numbers."
It just looks for the comment posting scripts, it doesn't care who you are. Once the idiots have found yours, they keep bombarding it - I get loads of folks trying to post spam to my WordPress powered blog, despite the fact that I deleted all the files and replaced it with Drupal aeons ago.
I did an article on Lulu a few months ago and they sent me some samples. Pretty good quality. Decent printing, binding that resisted my attempts to shake out the pages and good quality paper stock. If I were going to POD anything at the moment, I'd certainly use them rather than Cafe Press (whose books I've also seen and were okay, but not great). Haven't tested out the other PODs though.
As for Lulu in general, I like the fact that they're upfront - a straight case of "Want your book? Okay, we'll print it for you, and anyone else who wants a copy." No ludicrous hype, money-grubbing setup fees, insane hidden costs or false promises of fame and glory. Was impressed with what I saw.
ASS COVERING DISCLAIMER: This was a few months ago now, although I haven't heard any horror stories.
I'm getting hammered on my Drupal powered site at the moment, along with a lot of other people. I've got the spam filter eating almost all of it automatically, but it's a real pain - my referrals list is unusable due to hundreds of fake links, while I often get more comment spams in a single day than my site's ever had comments.
What really annoys me is that it's quite blatantly the SAME GUY every time, cycling through random IP addresses in an attempt to use a bottom-feeding advertising method that my site blocks at the door anyway. Ngggh!
"Some blog ads were charging 12,000 dollars for a month. I can't even fathom it."
Bah! I'll do you an ad for half-that. Er..I can offer, maybe two readers? Except on Tuesday, when one of them goes to the cinema ;-)
I buy plenty of books online, but only ones I know I want. I'll quite often see something that makes me interested in a book online, but usually I make a mental note to take a look into it later on rather than instantly reaching for my credit card.
"While I no longer seriously advocate this kind of solution, I still think it's the only language the bastards will understand."
Randomly, it's been tried. Alan Ralsky's address was 'accidentally' printed, and anti-spammers went about giving him a taste of his own medicine. With gusto.
http://www.freep.com/money/tech/mwend6_20021206.htm
Oddly, he wasn't amused.
"Even the attention my own small site gets makes me demand spammers"
Ahem.
"Even the attention my own small site gets makes me demand spammers' heads on poles"
Even the attention my own small site gets makes me demand spammers. I can't even check my referral stats at the moment because it's drowned in patently fake links to non-existent Texas Hold-Em sites.
(Even so, I really dodged a bullet - I upgraded my site to the latest version of my CMS (Drupal, host-watchers) on Saturday, realised I should probably add spam filtering to the comment system on Sunday, and woke up on Monday to find some autofellating coprophage had flooded a couple of hundred referral-spam posts in random places. First time this particular site has ever been hit, and about four hours after finally taking precautions. Still annoyed, but grateful for serendipity...)
Sadly, political solutions is worthless. Excluding the basic fact that spammers aren't going to obey the law anyway, the pathetic CAN-SPAM situation shows how little they get it.
The old fashioned 2x4 Wooden Slab of Justice approach sounds mighty tempting though.
"But the only certainty is Google. I use it constantly at work. At home, I use Google instead of bookmarks.."
I downloaded Google Desktop Search at the office, and it was on my home computer within five seconds of getting home. I have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of documents, and finding them is a true nightmare. Now, I can find them all in about three seconds flat.
Can't think of one specific site, because I generally use the Newspaper option in my RSS feed reader. Which has about a hundred billion sites in it, because I tend to do the full pack-rat thing with web links. Blogs, news sites, weird and wacky link collections...all kinds of things, with different sites popping out different pearls every day.
"And, Richard, you're overlooking the possibility (probability, I suspect) that what the lawyer has actually said to Mr. Rice is somewhat less effusive than what Mr. Rice heard."
I was thinking specifically of the shifty Vanity Lawyers ones who play the games Steve was mentioning, not the genuine ones who would laugh such a ludicrous suit out of their office before you can say SCO.
"Sure, free legal consultations might be a scam, but more likely they're they're a business opportunity."
Most of the ones I see are far, far too keen on "No win, no fee! No case, no problem! Shonky, Schilly and Schubert, Attorneys at Law: Call us, and we'll find someone to sue!"
And that's just in England. The US ones are amazing...
"Disclaimer: please don't pass that on as Known Truth on my account alone. I'm not a lawyer, I don't have any exposure to the legal industry,"
One big avenue for scamming is that 'no win, no fee' almost certainly won't apply to the lawyer's expenses/administrative costs. I hear they get through a lot of diamond encrusted pencils.
But be careful, Greg! It's always possible that Daniel could go with the ambulance chaser contingent instead, making the $150,000 claim "I was so shocked upon reading that nasty reality check that I fell backward off my chair and my writing hand fell into a beartrap I keep by my desk for some reason, and I was unable to finish my masterpiece and sell it on eBay!"
No crooked jury in the land would let you off, leaving Daniel with a whole shiny dime to fund an attempt to get Iain Banks and Iain M. Banks into the same room. Brr.
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