The Forum > General Discussion > 4000 authors plus one - an OLO milestone
4000 authors plus one - an OLO milestone
- Pages:
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
-
- All
Posted by GrahamY, Friday, 11 November 2011 11:01:22 AM
| |
Dear Graham,
Congratulations! To you and all the staff, past and present, of this Forum. It must give you an enormous sense of achievement to have reached this milestone. Posted by Lexi, Friday, 11 November 2011 12:40:45 PM
| |
On good authority: Good news on a morn in Flanders.
Graham tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/GrahamY/status/134815267405570048 , OLO tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/OnLineOpinion/status/134815260896018432 , I'd tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/ForrestGumpp/status/134810271377141760 , you see In just a few minutes we'd tweeted all three. I wasn't too stupid, just blind don't you see? The gauche 'Authors' button just isn't in sight Till you click the 'Search' button, the wee tiny mite Hiding right down the bottom in just six point type. That tiny text button brings up the 'Search' page At left of which buttons with drop-downs parade! So now, just for Lexi, in this info drowning but knowing the metre, a few rounds from Browning: http://www.englishverse.com/poems/how_they_brought_the_good_news_from_ghent_to_aix Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Friday, 11 November 2011 1:46:24 PM
| |
well done Graham and OLO. A forum where all views seem to be canvassed.
Posted by runner, Friday, 11 November 2011 3:36:56 PM
| |
Congrats Graham and kudos for the forum as a whole, the need for a gratis publisher of intellectual expression is vital because we as individuals live varied and insular realities, and mainstream has never moved humanity forward.
John Burnheim is a stratosphere from me ideologically on the subject of leadership and governance but given he is a spasmodic publisher without OLO his voice would be muffled. Once again congrats and thank you for a valid contribution to our society. Posted by sonofgloin, Friday, 11 November 2011 5:08:43 PM
| |
Dear Forrest, Oh Forrest
No forest I see But a guy oh so clever Far clever than me 2 Y's he is 2 Y's he B IC he is 2 Y's for me... Posted by Lexi, Friday, 11 November 2011 6:36:59 PM
| |
Lexi,
You are too kind. Sometimes I think I am just flogging a dead horse on OLO, something I am normally averse to. So there! I don't know why, but I just got a buzz from ending that sentence with a preposition. Too much time up at Olobombastiplatlanatl in the Temple of Gloom, perhaps. Everything Aix. I must go to the Ghents. Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Friday, 11 November 2011 7:00:01 PM
| |
Congratulations Graham!
It certainly is a milestone. Keeping the wheels on the cart in a venture such as this, would take far more effort then most of us understand or appreciate, so thank you. IMHO you have shown tenacity, stared a few critics down and shown your integrity. I hope that you celebrated with a bottle of champagne or similar! I for one would certainly miss OLO if it was not here for all our benefit.I am sure that many others feel the same. Posted by Yabby, Friday, 11 November 2011 8:28:17 PM
| |
yes congratulations
forrest..[ok and the grayman too] but lets narrow this down we are taklking about the articles section right? not us in the general section.. ie..[us bloggers..far from author standard] just here day to day..doing the hard slog...are we lauded by this auther adhonourum too..[thats why i said thanks to the forrest first] depite forrest being only a tree and graymans olo the forrest where we can let our words rest in peace knowing we commented..our opinions..as best as we were inspired by the authers to correct or add to their revealations.. a man by himself is as nuthing so thanks are due to the grayman who made all this happen but thanks to to all the rest of you for giving me a chance to reply..to your general comments..of the day anyhow thats enough sukking up for today why do i feel like a fag about now Posted by one under god, Saturday, 12 November 2011 6:52:14 AM
| |
Sorry about the poetry earlier on, but I just couldn't resist. As they say in website design circles, 'if it ain't obvious, it ain't obvious'. Thats internet thinking, anyway.
` As a child I grew up with access to a three-volume compendium of first-hand accounts (from both sides) of some who served during WW1, titled 'I was there', compiled by Sir John Hammerton. There were many photographs accompanying the accounts. One I always remembered particularly, 'We fired until our rifles were too hot to hold'. I thought that had to have been hyperbole, until I found out years later that you could even get that to happen on the rifle range with a Belgian-designed weapon. About 150 rounds in short order would do it. Forty and more years on I saw what I now know to be the 'thousand yard stare' frequently on a great-uncle's face, and almost as frequently saw him go into a squatting position, perfectly balanced on the balls of his feet, as naturally as breathing, and either actually rolling a roll-your-own cigarette, or going through the motions thereof, with completely sepia-coloured hands. With thoughts of Flanders, Remembrance Day (it still is in Canada at this moment), machine guns (Browning), authors (Winston Groom: A Storm in Flanders; Forrest Gump), fags, and horses on the mind, something visual for viewers from the Western Front courtesy of Twitter and the retweeting of Twitter userID 'GrogsGamut: http://twitter.com/#!/guardian/status/134937163010801665 and surf the link therein. Ten images in all. One of the captions states: "It is estimated that the British Army used 1.2 million horses and mules during the first world war, of which 484,000 sadly died in battle, ..." Many of those would have come from Australia. 'Walers'. At war's end, only one horse returned to Australia, Chauvel's. Most remaining alive in Australian hands were shot as a mercy. ` Its horses for courses. Poetry, and the licence that tacitly goes therewith, can provide an avenue for the telling of otherwise perhaps untellable truths. At least I like to think so. Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Saturday, 12 November 2011 9:02:16 AM
| |
Yes Graham, congratulations, it's great. It's really unique in history - ain't the internet grand?
Posted by Peter Hume, Saturday, 12 November 2011 9:32:28 AM
| |
It is good to see so many people come together with differing opinions and still a a civil conversation.The internet has spawned a new revolution in which the Corporate and Govt media cannot sanitise the reality with their spin.
If we get by without WW3,I'm confident that our world will enter a New Renaissance in which human ingenuity and true liberty will overcome many of our most pressing problems. The old world order with its'new world tag,is coming to an end by its own hand. Congratulations Graham and we all look forward to a bright new future. Posted by Arjay, Saturday, 12 November 2011 10:23:43 AM
| |
You're right OUG, the bloggers in the forum also contribute significantly, and apologies if I have slighted you all. There would be more than 4000 who have posted here, although I'm not sure how many might have started threads. You can see the long list of those who have contributed here http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/user.asp.
And thanks to the congratulations of all. Perhaps I should indulge in some champagne, but then again, perhaps not. Maybe after 5000. Posted by GrahamY, Saturday, 12 November 2011 10:44:54 AM
| |
Dear Forrest,
Thank You for sharing your story with us. We visited my mother-in-law yesterday in her aged care facility and we shared afternoon tea with the other residents in one of their lounges. There was an exhibit on display in the lounge that was made up of newspaper clippings, war medals, phtographs, and bits and pieces of military uniforms belonging to the deceased husbands of some of the residents. It was to mark Rememberance Day. We got to talking with some of the ladies and one lady who was British spoke of her polish husband who flew a "spitfire" during the war and was one of many polish officers who helped the British in their fight against the Germans. Everyone has a story to tell. The more we hear them the more we learn. That's why forums such as this one, are of great value. Sharing our experiences, we learn things we may not otherwise be able to do. So once again it Thank You Graham ,and Staff, and Thank You to all who share this cyberspace with us. Posted by Lexi, Saturday, 12 November 2011 11:12:39 AM
| |
Wish to add my congratulations to Graham, that is quite an achievement.
I do get a lot of interest out of OLO and I read far more than I post on. Mostly I contribute to make a point the others have not. Lately I am finding the threads started by posters far more interesting than the articles section. On thing I would like to know. How big is the average daily readership? Posted by Banjo, Saturday, 12 November 2011 1:07:13 PM
| |
GY yes a thousand thanks.
Your child OLO has helped me to grow. I like the place. While posting over four thousand posts in another place long before coming here. It was here I gained the few skills I have. Found spell check, it some times is a refugee from my feeble attempts but in the end, some times, it comes out right. Internet? yes but the site is a construction that took and takes endless effort. Goononyabloke! My cash flow not what it was but will ASAP contribute to the site , just maybe again I can rattle the tin, think about it folks Whats a news paper cost? Posted by Belly, Saturday, 12 November 2011 3:48:12 PM
| |
Graham,
Congrats from me too. OLO is a singular site. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share our thoughts and to learn a few things too. Posted by Poirot, Saturday, 12 November 2011 7:02:49 PM
| |
At the risk of diverting a General Discussion topic to the Articles area of the Forum (which, nevertheless, is not against the rules), I would like to raise a matter in relation to one of the newer authors now to be found in the (at least to me) newly discovered authors index: the apparent pseudonimity of the author Lao Zi.
Zi, according to the index, was first published on OLO nigh on a year ago (17 November 2010). Zi also transiently was attributed with the article 'The boot on Australia's windpipe' published on 1 November 2011, an article actually contributed by OLO author Dick Davies and seemingly mistakenly attributed to Lao Zi, as explained by GrahamY later in that thread. See: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12792#221430 Zi has since, as GrahamY foreshadowed in his explanation, been published with the article 'Leadership in government: A comparison between Australia, the US and China' on 8 November 2011. Does this mean that OLO will accept and publish articles under a pseudonym, with the author's real identity given equivalent protection to that of any OLO user posting under a pseudonym? Or do slightly different rules apply? If the answer to the first question is, even conditionally, 'yes', would it be possible for an existing OLO user to have, with full legitimacy, a second OLO identity for article publishing purposes in the event of their not wishing to use any existing OLO userID they may have? ` Given that Belly has raised the subject of financial contributions to OLO, could I suggest the copying of the OLO archive to DVD (with perhaps annually updated versions being marketed, 'going forward') for sale to viewers and users? Not all users have a fast internet connection, and such an archive accessible within their own computer may be a benefit. Availability of a DVD archive may facilitate the posthumous bequest of 'collected works' of posters, the true identity of which may be unknown to relatives and friends whilst those posters remain alive. OLO userID 'Bronwyn', who hopefully has not died, suggested this literary heritage potential some time ago. Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Sunday, 13 November 2011 7:30:26 AM
| |
'Once more unto the lists'. For there to be known to be 4001 authors published on OLO there had to be a list, which we now know there always was. In the best traditions of thread hijacking I'll suggest a name for it: '4001: A literary space oddysey'. (Open the pod bay door, HAL!)
Here's another list. ` Reversion to Type: An anthology of the OLO verse of Forrest Gumpp Reflecting on the occasions that I have given in to temptation and taken recourse to verse in the five years that I have been a registered user on OLO, I was surprised to find so much of it, which is not to say that it is necessarily any good. Some of them are very short. The following, most of which were not titled at the time of posting, I list as all that I remember, all that I recall. Seekers scrolling old threads may find more, but if there are any they are not immediately coming to my mind. En Suisse du Jour (In Switzerland Today) http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3093#73927 Salute to Kevin Gilbert http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3130&page=0#73906 Re-Turnered, Re-Inca-nated, Re-Versed http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4109#103321 Ode to McCrae http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3050#73526 Michel http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4109#103476 Sincerest Flattery http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=7725#120691 Another Pearl Harbour http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=7725#120702 The OLO Aviatrix http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4109#103701 Channelled Patersonia http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=7725#120783 Voice-recognition http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2103#57820 A Morn in Flanders http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4829#128501 Yesterday Today http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4792#128261 An Ode to Times Past http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4082#101818 A Mouse clicked on a Windmill http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2103#46932 ` With the impending visit of President Obama, perhaps 'Sincerest Flattery', 'Another Pearl Harbour', and 'Channelled Patersonia' are the most relevant first reads. If anyone is interested, that is. Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Monday, 14 November 2011 4:16:48 PM
| |
Funny how things can jog one's memory.
Earlier this morning I tweeted Yvonne Heslinga (twitter userID 'YvonHeslinga'), a journalist/social media facilitator who lives in Holland. She moderates a forum about the First World War, a forum seemingly bi-lingual in English and what I take to be Flemish. I was bringing to her attention a series of ten photographs posted by The Guardian newspaper in the UK in connection with Remembrance Day highlighting the role of animals in that conflict, the ones to which I posted the link thereto in my earlier post of Saturday, 12 November 2011 at 9:02:16 AM. The seventh image in that series shows an elephant moving logs, somewhere in Belgium or France. Beside the elephant is a German General Officer. You can just see the broad double (red) stripe on his trousers, immediately below his left hand. I think from his height and posture that he is General der Infanterie Oskar Hutier. Hutier of the Kaiserschlacht, the March 1918 offensive. Its possible that posters on that forum may be knowledgeable enough to confirm or refute that identification. With Yvonne Heslinga being on my mind in this connection, I remembered another little poetic miniature which can be found in the post immediately following 'En Suisse du Jour', written just over two years ago, here: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3093#74056 Yvonne had earlier asked if she could post 'Ode to McCrae' on her forum. ` We're such a flaming* monolingual lot! Who from choice would choose an island spot to live? Hey, what? Yes, that's for you Yvon, in case you think its not. ` *The adjective 'flaming' is homophonic with Vlaming (Fleming), not to mention 'phlaigming', that toned-down euphemism for that internet pastime practiced by some, also spelt 'flaming'. Ambiguities and double-entendres that would undoubtedly not have been lost on Yvonne. Roman Polanski these days moves freely between the countries of Switzerland, France and Poland, of the last two of which he is a citizen. Brian Howes languishes uncharged, untried, in prison who knows where? Renditioned? Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 9:21:58 AM
| |
Dear GrahmaY,
May I join the chorus of the congratulators. Any milestone of this remarkable little corner of the internet should be acknowledged. Taking Forrest's example I looked back on my user history to discover in a weeks time it will be seven years since my first post. If I add three more since then it the count will be a neat 1000. For any part of the web to hold an individual's attention for such an extended period must reflect well on its capacity to surprise, to challenge, to allow for dispirate opinion, yet to feel like a refuge from the more shallow offerings from the traditional media and politics. Well done. Posted by csteele, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 9:29:19 AM
| |
While we are waiting to see if HAL will open the pod bay door on the LSS Palindromic Enterprise (Literary Space Ship OLO) and maybe let us boldly go where none have gone before, here is another poetic leaving that I overlooked when compiling the list of versic sins I posted on Monday, 14 November 2011 at 4:16:48 PM. It is in the Japanese Haiku format (a style particularly suited to the 140 character limit of Twitter), which requires five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, five in the last, and some reference as to season of the year, as I understand it. It is untitled, and I don't think I ever actually tweeted it - no context.
With the impending extradition within days of Australian citizen Julian Assange to Sweden (and thence to the US?) unless given a last minute reprieve on appeal by the High Court in the UK, it has perhaps become topical again. ` Stockholm blast. Glass shards. Fall scene in Aftonbladet. Carl's tweet builds the frame? ` It was originally posted here: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=11430#194939 It refers to the first-ever terrorist attack upon Swedish soil on Saturday 11 December 2010 in or near the Stockholm CBD. The word 'Fall' could be taken as a seasonal reference (although it was technically just into winter at that date), or in that context as in 'fall guy' or 'patsy'. Take your pick. 'Aftonbladet' is a Swedish newspaper, with the name translating as 'afternoon leaves (pages)', I think. 'Carl's tweet' refers to a famous tweet by Carl Bildt, the Swedish Foreign Minister at that time, about the incident. Does the word 'frame' need to have an hyphen and the word 'up' with it to make sense in the context? Homonyms, homophones, double entendres; all scattered around like - bomb fragments. More speculation as to that event may be found here: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4159#104883 and here: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=11370#193561 An 'general theory of relativity' hypothesis as to the landscape behind such events, with particular reference to Australia, for the perceptive, may be found here: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=11370#193444 Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Saturday, 19 November 2011 12:45:35 PM
| |
Some time last night marked the 70th anniversary of the loss in 1941 with all hands of HMAS Sydney after an engagement with HSK Kormoran in the Indian Ocean off the coast of WA between Geraldton and Caernarvon. Yet it was only just last year that the wrecks of both vessels were found, and underwater photographs taken showing the present condition of the wrecks.
In the thread to which the link given to 'Another Pearl Harbour' in my post of Monday, 14 November 2011 at 4:16:48 PM takes the viewer, I have indulged in a little speculative revisionist history in response to the Australian government's revisionist history of the 'Invasion Myth' and its associated 'battle for Australia'. That revisionist history as it relates to HMAS Sydney may be found in this post: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=7725#120646 , and the one immediately following. It would be very interesting to know whether the photographs of the wreck of the Kormoran revealed any evidence of the raider's 'schnellboot' being still aboard or present in the debris field associated with the wreck. It would be likewise interesting to know whether the photographs were able to reveal from which side the torpedo(es) struck the Sydney. In speaking of authors, be they of articles, or the mini-authors (bloggers) of opinionation posts, which this topic does, the author James Clavell (Shogun, Noble House, Tai-Pan etc) comes to mind. Someone reputedly asked him at a book-launch how he was able to come up with such historical novels, when few others could. His reply was to the effect that he read the same historical sources they did, or that they had access to the same sources he did. I have always admired and enjoyed James Clavell's work. I guess there is a reflection of that in the Japanese theme of the post that is the source of the haiku 'Stockholm Blast ...'. Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Sunday, 20 November 2011 12:07:14 PM
| |
hi forrest..
just come to sit down with a mate i was thinking that we should have an olo page each like a blog...that we can add too [after the topic expires] i know in my place..that i find stuff..go to the relivant topic then find it closed for comment you will know it allways wernt like that [heck on my first post here.. i think insisting i post..[to a 3 mth old thread ;from memory] i was asked are you sure you wanna post i was and did post to it and next thing we all got lumped with 30 days only for comment i personally find this frustrating often things change in time,,thus we would like to be able to update things [not just start a new topic and try to join the dots of the story that BEGAN..way back when] anyhow i like to get messages ..that a new post has been posted and who knows..someone who is getting messages on new posts..might come back..simply by reactivating the topic it should be an option i recall grayman had another thread on the forum[sugestions?]..and often wish i could go back and add my latest idea anyhow cheers ol fella Posted by one under god, Sunday, 20 November 2011 1:18:36 PM
| |
i have long avoided commenting on these 4000
because i detest the articles format..[post limits] and i know that they have their reason..but i been waituing 23 hours to post a reply because the reply demanded of me is lengthy [to refute the deciets of evolution..that takes a few pages] to explain..a poster has demanded that i put forward how god done it to do this i need to explain to her that dna..isnt alive i need to explain laboriously..to her that even her simplistic sarcasm 7 word reply..over simplifies dna replicating rna that all replication needs a cell...[and thats the bit i was comming to next] meanwhile a vacous poster has diverted the thflow of the rerply..with some creationist myths..[linking me to them]..when that is only more i need to correct...in 4 post limits per day i should know better than to even get into reading the 'articles' but the new general post section gets so few new topic of late seems most like me have given up trying to make new general topics..[cause they simply disappear into the aether..never to be seen again]..so why the heck bother.. lets face it every poster has an adgenda wether its in the form of a leading question or simply an opposing statement..to get theirs in i often wonder if helper's have other adgendas..than owners but heck then again i often wander too much thus often left wondering anyhow..i thought i could post that opionion here as i cant post it there..and any other option is limited..or expired yea 4000 authers how many replied to their starter topic? or even read the opposing replies Posted by one under god, Monday, 21 November 2011 8:12:15 AM
| |
Speaking of authors, bloggers, and the provision of literary space on the LSS Palindromic Enterprise, this morning I came across a comment by OLO userID 'skeptic' which was the only comment to the article 'Old media dog turns new media trick' by Richard Stanton published on 21/10/2011 and now archived and closed to comment. I was reading it as background to Richard Stanton's current article, published just today, 'Middleground' http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=12918 , which as yet has not attracted a comment.
The comment by 'skeptic' was: ` "Richard Stanton All the machinations you describe are due to the necessity of keeping all information under the control of magnates. Yesterday, for the first time, OLO had to withhold some comments to conform to such controls. So long and thanks for all the smelly fish." http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12773#220593 ` I'm just wondering to what 'skeptic' was referring in saying "OLO had to withhold some comments to conform to such controls". Given that there are intimations that the Australian government wishes to bring bloggers under some form of 'control', was there substance to skeptic's comment, and if so can we discuss it? Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Tuesday, 22 November 2011 10:26:02 AM
| |
Forrest Gumpp,
I believe skeptic may have been referring to this: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12766 Posted by Poirot, Tuesday, 22 November 2011 11:58:22 AM
| |
Poirot,
Thanks, I hadn't seen that. The Eatock vs Bolt reference is more or less self-explanatory. GrahamY acting pre-emptively in protection of the Forum, presumably. Posted by Forrest Gumpp, Tuesday, 22 November 2011 12:31:02 PM
|
Here is what I said in this morning's newsletter. You can see an extended version of it on our blog http://www.ambitgambit.com/2011/11/11/author-4001-on-111111/.
Today On Line Opinion publishes it 4001st author, John Burnheim. Yesterday we published our 4000th James Wight. These two speak more eloquently about what makes OLO unique and important than anything else I can think of.
Burnheim is a former Professor of Philosophy at Australia's oldest and most prestigious university - Sydney. You don't get much more erudite or abstract than a professor of philosophy. Wight, is a science student at Macquarie, one of Australia's younger universities. He's in his earliest career as a writer. Both of these authors sought us out as a good place to publish.
That's what OLO is about: bringing new and established together in a place that reaches out to all Australians, no matter who they are or where they come from. We are not an exclusive coterie of the same old writers, but a broad canvass of as much of current thought and discussion on politics and current affairs as we can be; giving due respect to those who are established and reaching out to those whose name is yet to be made.