Some questions, some answers: some obvious, some mad, some interesting -- from the web this week.
When will Flickr let you upload videos? Bit obvious, you might think in the YouTube era. They've been talking about it for ages -- but when will it happen? Next week, maybe? (via Video Voo)
When can you listen to Mark Thwaite of the Book Depository talking about book blogging on the radio? Earlier today is the answer, but thanks to BBC Radio 4's "listen again" feature you can catch up with the programme for the next few days.
What is going to make "blooks" and e-readers such as Kindle redundant? Podiobooks, according to Molly Flatt at the Guardian Unlimited. Unless we are talking Harry Potter or exam revision, not at Petrona Towers, however.
Why is bookselling on the UK High St "flat"?(Bookseller news) Lots of answers to this one, but to pick one, how about ringing the changes on the offers? Borders, Waterstones, WH Smith, and smaller chains such as British Bookshops, all have exactly the same 2 for 1 or 3 for 2 or whatever, offers. Why can't some of these chains have different books on offer? Central control and publisher deals are the reason, I am sure -- but a bit of nose cutting off to spite face is going on here, especially as more of these shops are installing cafes and otherwise encouraging long stays by customers (not only inadvertently at T5). If each bookshop was more autonomous, it could be more flexible about offers, and - er - sell more books.
Oh well, back to more realistic questions. Would you accept a dinner invitation with Socrates? No thanks, says Mary Beard. Find out why at her posting at A Don's Life.
Finally, when do too many Cooks spoil the broth? When they are called Gray, or Gary, or Gary J, as PrairieMary found out when writing about that estimable genre, Montana Noir (see also yesterday's Petrona post and comment).
When will Flickr let you upload videos? Bit obvious, you might think in the YouTube era. They've been talking about it for ages -- but when will it happen? Next week, maybe? (via Video Voo)
When can you listen to Mark Thwaite of the Book Depository talking about book blogging on the radio? Earlier today is the answer, but thanks to BBC Radio 4's "listen again" feature you can catch up with the programme for the next few days.
What is going to make "blooks" and e-readers such as Kindle redundant? Podiobooks, according to Molly Flatt at the Guardian Unlimited. Unless we are talking Harry Potter or exam revision, not at Petrona Towers, however.
Why is bookselling on the UK High St "flat"?(Bookseller news) Lots of answers to this one, but to pick one, how about ringing the changes on the offers? Borders, Waterstones, WH Smith, and smaller chains such as British Bookshops, all have exactly the same 2 for 1 or 3 for 2 or whatever, offers. Why can't some of these chains have different books on offer? Central control and publisher deals are the reason, I am sure -- but a bit of nose cutting off to spite face is going on here, especially as more of these shops are installing cafes and otherwise encouraging long stays by customers (not only inadvertently at T5). If each bookshop was more autonomous, it could be more flexible about offers, and - er - sell more books.
Oh well, back to more realistic questions. Would you accept a dinner invitation with Socrates? No thanks, says Mary Beard. Find out why at her posting at A Don's Life.
Finally, when do too many Cooks spoil the broth? When they are called Gray, or Gary, or Gary J, as PrairieMary found out when writing about that estimable genre, Montana Noir (see also yesterday's Petrona post and comment).
Hello Maxine, thanks for the link, this flickr metamorphosis is really in the air for a very long time. :) Hopefully, we'll see a better video community through the video-flickr than the current trolling machine of youtube commenters.
Posted by: Anna | 31 March 2008 at 22:14
I agree with you about the 3 for 2 deals. When I was in Scotland a year & a half ago, I found such deals annoying. Invariably, I could find two books I liked, but not three -- because not all books were included in the offer. Seemed unreasonably cheap on their part not to just let all the stock fit in the 2 for 3 offer.
Posted by: Susan Balée | 31 March 2008 at 23:32
"Would you accept a dinner invitation with Socrates?"
I have heard that he had rather unsavory personal habits. Still, I might accept a dinner invitation with him. I wouldn't drink what he drank, though.
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Peter | 01 April 2008 at 08:02
flickr launched videos for its pro users yesterday (search results show a mixture of vids and photos). It looks pretty good quality, and I like that the videos (defined as 'long photos') are embeddable.
I cannot think of videos as long photos though.
Posted by: annplugged | 09 April 2008 at 22:21
Thanks, Anna -- in fact I linked to your post describing the announcement yesterday ;-)
Agreed about the "long photos"!
Posted by: Maxine | 10 April 2008 at 07:52
yeah, it was handy, and murder is more fun away from home!....... i know, you were all dieing for me to say that.
Posted by: popyanne | 29 May 2008 at 00:52