Call it the President’s Day long-weekend version. Speaking of which, a historical reminder: the single most important president in the history of the United States is George Washington. Standing apart from all of his other accomplishments, which were considerable, was his decision to relinquish power after two terms — a decision which created a tradition of orderly transfers of power which has sustained this country for over two hundred years. If you’re lucky, you’ve met one person in your lifetime who had that same combination of vision and selflessness.

(Bonus question: in the history of the United States, who was the single most important person? Answer below.)

• Buzz off: Disabling Google Buzz

  Whatever you think of Google these days, it’s abundantly clear that they have fully transitioned from internet icon to corporate bully. Between their ongoing attempt to hijack the copyrights of millions of legally-protected works, to the opt-out, Big Brother, Microsoftesque we-know-what’s-best-for-you rollout of Buzz, Google has decided that it’s time to take the gloves off and go down swinging as just another morally-bankrupt company bent on leveraging its available cash. (Here Google plays the role of Godzilla, while you play a citizen of Tokyo.)

  Gone is any previous expression of sensitivity to the fact that Google has been collecting personally identifiable data on you for years, all with the promise that it would be treated with discretion. You’re now just an exploitable data point in a desperate advertising-driven bid to remain relevant in an internet world that is increasingly segregated on social networks. (Just as Microsoft didn’t see the internet coming, Google didn’t see the social-network threat.)

  More on turning off Google Buzz here. A slightly confused article about Google’s plans for global Buzz domination here.

  Update: Google makes privacy changes to Buzz based on “feedback”.

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An eclectic mix of articles this week(end). Some trendy and current, others obscure yet timeless. Enjoy.

• ‘Space diver’ to attempt first supersonic freefall

  Have you ever watched one of those video clips where someone attempts a stunt, only to end up lying in a heap on the ground, writhing in agony? Of course you have.

  I’m not comfortable with clips that actually show someone being killed. I think death is another category of outcome. However, as long as the clip isn’t of a child (meaning, say, anyone under twenty) a couple of broken bones often strike me as hilarious.

  Why? Because these people are volunteering to do this to themselves. Somehow, some way, they’ve convinced themselves that what they’re attempting is a good thing to do with their free will as a human being. That they are so utterly and completely wrong even before they attempt the stunt usually has me in hysterics. That they are then proven so utterly and completely wrong only prolongs my paroxysms as I imagine them confronting their onrushing moment of realization.

  The problem here is that I can’t really see any moment of realization for this guy that doesn’t include him getting killed. If he pulls it off, hopefully he’ll be the last person to try. Because this is a fatality waiting to happen. (See also: The Darwin Awards.)

[ Read more ]

Call it the Year In Review edition. We’re nine days into the new year and nothing bad has happened yet. A record for the new millennium.

• The Year In Self-Publishing
  One writer’s in-the-trenches take on self-publishing, complete with ugly earnings report. I admire the enthusiasm and the realism. I also think the new ability for anyone to cut out the middlepersons (agents, editors) and access readers directly, is a bigger deal than most people realize. I’m not saying it’s a more lucrative deal — just important. There’s also a good lesson here about not bastardizing your content in order to be trendy. The great freedom that is the internet means you do not have to compromise. If you’re willing to bend your work any which way in order to make a sale then you didn’t need the internet in the first place.
• Dave Barry’s Good (Bad) Year In Review
  Dave Barry. Enough said.
• Gamasutra’s Top 12 Games of the Decade
  I don’t have much quarrel with the games they chose, which is all the more impressive given the cross-platform nature of the list. I will note that 8 of the 10 are from 2005 or before. Feel free to reach your own conclusions.
• Opinion: The 99 Best Free Games Of 2009
  If you’re really hoping to waste an entire day then you’ve come to the right link. Play #1 on the list, if only to break free of Nintendo/MicroSony/PC Blockbuster straitjacket.
• My Favorite Book Covers of 2009
  My here refers to the author of the linked post, not to me. Still, some good choices, and a good selection betraying no detectable stylistic bias. My favorite: The Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime. Runner-up: Columbine.
• The Year’s Most Mesmerizing Mysteries
  I’ve read exactly none of these, but this is exactly the kind of best-of list that will help me catch up with the latest doin’s in the mystery genre. Speaking of which….

Note: I had another link on this list that I found on Twitter, but as I was reviewing the page a series of faux virus warnings splashed across my monitor. Should I ever inadvertently pass along a link to a malicious site, please let me know. [Tip: use the Alt-F4 key combination to close windows that you suspect may be used to trigger the downloading of malicious content or files.]

— Mark Barrett

Your presents are either broken, boring, or waiting to be returned. You’ve eaten all there is to eat. You have two days before the hammer drops again and someone somewhere expects you to do what they tell you to do.

Between now and then, freedom to read.

• Persuasive Games: I Want My 99¢ Back
  Good solid data on the financial race to the bottom in iPhone app pricing, and good analysis to go with it. If you’re thinking of selling something on the internet, either through Apple, Amazon, or your own store, you need to read articles like this and think hard about what’s happening in the digital marketplace.
• A world of hits
  More pricing discussion — this time tackling the long-tail/hit conundrum. Again: whether you’re a sole proprietor or planning on opening up your own social-media marketplace, you need to be up to speed on these issues.
• The Trouble with Blogging, or: A Writer’s Dilemma
  On artistry, writing, being a businessperson and the problem with platforms.
• Piracy
  The beginning of an interesting conversation and exchange about piracy and copyright, which continues in subsequent posts.
• NSFW: Free as in “my publisher will disown me after I pirate my book on TechCrunch”
  Found on Kassia’s Kroszer’s Booksquare site, this deserves a read if you haven’t seen it. (Speaking of pricing issues, you get a free book for taking the time and trouble to click your mouse a couple of times. Good deal, or still too steep?)

There are very real opportunities opening up on the web, but there’s a lot to think about and a lot to learn. I’ve been thinking and learning for four solid months, and I’m only now getting a handle on where I need to go and what I need to do. And I don’t have any confidence that there’s money at the end of the road.

— Mark Barrett

More links of interest for your weekend reading pleasure:

• Video Games Writing: Where We Are and What We Need
  Craig Stern updates the perennial question: why isn’t game writing better than it is? A good overview, and less needy than the usual game-writing rant. That nothing much has changed in the past decade says less about what’s possible than it does about calcification of the industry around a working business model. Buggy whips indeed.
• A Long, Detailed Look at Distribution Windows
  Kassia Kroszer fills a hole in the old data bank, and does so in comprehensive fashion. The internet is wreaking havoc with all content industries as it destroys traditional distribution channels, but solutions for each industry will not be the same because industry products are not all the same. (See also Part One: Response to Nat Sobel.)
• Study: 58% Of Users Buy Goods From Free-To-Play Games
  The title pretty much covers the subject matter, but this is another clear reminder that solutions to the problem of internet distribution necessarily vary for each content industry. Unless readers prove willing to plop down money for bonus adjectives, the book industry is not going to get a lot of utility out of the free-to-play games model.
• Death and Taxes
  April L. Hamilton takes a look at tax time. Worth a read if you’re really thinking about writing professionally, or if you’ve never heard of a 1099 before.
• Make-a-Flake
  A reader gift from Lou in the comments section. The user interface takes a bit of getting used to, but after that it’s joy. (Tip: to make a cut, center the scissors over an edge and click, then move the scissors to mark the first line of your cut.)

If you want to try making snowflakes with your own scissors and paper, origami paper works best because it’s very thin. You should be able to find it at any craft store.

— Mark Barrett