“Has technology at last advanced to the point where the revolutionary promise of distance learning can be fulfilled? We don’t yet know; the fervor surrounding MOOCs makes it easy to forget that they’re still in their infancy. But even at this early juncture, the strengths and weaknesses of this radically new form of education are coming into focus.”
Tag: 09.18.12
Watch An Author Write And Edit A Novel In (Almost) Real Time
Fantasy novelist Silvia Hartmann is writing her current projcet, The Dragon Lords, on Google Docs, and she’s inviting fans to follow along live, watching the drafting, re-drafting and editing.
Met Opera’s Only Female Stagehand Sues Company For Harassment
“A former Met stage carpenter is suing the Metropolitan Opera for sexual harassment, claiming that her male colleagues constantly abused her with unwanted come-ons and crude, dangerous pranks. Teri Orsburn, 53, worked for almost three years at the Met.”
Salman Rushdie Writes Thank You To Indie Booksellers
“I have never ceased to be grateful for what the independent booksellers of America did in 1989 and, now that I have finally been able to tell the full story of that battle, I’m glad to be able to honor your courage and give you all your due.”
The Richard Burton Diaries: Dick Dishes The Dirt And Flings The Mud
“Those who told us that Lucille Ball was ‘very wearing’ were not exaggerating. She is a monster of staggering charmlessness and monumental lack of humour. I loathed her the first day. I loathed her the second day and the third. I loathe her today but I now also pity her.”
The Richard Burton Diaries: The Elizabeth Obsession
“At 12 noon I did something beyond outrage. I bought Elizabeth the jet plane we flew in yesterday. It costs, brand new, $960,000. She was not displeased.”
The Richard Burton Diaries: He Knew He Was Difficult
“I have been like a mad and highly articulate bull with all kinds of people I normally have great respect for. This is par for the course when I am drinking heavily, but I’m surprised that I still do it when sober. If it is still the same in a month I shall go back to old father booze and find out how long it will take him to kill me.”
E-Book Price War Worries Authors
“Bestselling ebooks by authors including Jeffrey Archer and James Herbert are being sold for just 20p from Sony and Amazon’s digital stores, prompting concerns from writers that the “relentless downward pressure on book prices” could lead to industry ruin.”
Claim: The Internet Is Sparking A New Industrial Revolution
“The past 10 years have been about discovering new ways to work together and offer services on the web. The next 10 years will, I believe, be about applying those lessons to the real world. It means that the future doesn’t just belong to internet businesses founded on virtual principles. but to ones that are firmly rooted in the physical world.”
Study: When Is It Safe To Joke About Tragedy?
“For terrible events, the key is to get enough distance before cracking jokes, the new study found. When mishaps are mild, on the other hand, it usually works best to joke about them right away.”