This can’t be good…

February 9, 2008

I sort of, kind of, think maybe, just maybe, the Next Gen thing just went *poof*.

I told the pig upgrading plugins was not as easy as JUST hitting a button.

No one ever listens to me. Poor me…

On that note… what do you think of the changes made to the template yesterday. I think it so doesn’t look like a magazine template anymore. Throw out any and all suggestions, just please, don’t aim for my head. Read more

Tags: TEH blog it hates me

Written by Sybil · Filed Under Quacking About

Is it Just Me….

January 10, 2008

Or does it just sound like a good idea to STAY on default until they figure out whats up. This flipping is driving me mad.

And now that we are on the right server, kind of, we are soooooooooo behind in in posts to go up!

le sigh maybe this is a sign the shiny was not meant to be… sniff…

Tags: 2008, Sybil, TEH blog it hates me

Written by Sybil · Filed Under Ponderings

Wanna Take Bets on How Long It Takes Me to Break It?

January 10, 2008

Again? NOT that it was really my fault it broke. No! Really. The Pig was suppose to do all host shit. I should soooooo not be left to my own devices. But uh he left before it was like fixed fixed… and uh now it works. I think. But I want it changed back. To work like before… just go with it. And once again… no pig. Yep… left to my own devices. And sadly can’t find the geek. But nooooooooo worries… tis all good. No really. I can do this.

Tags: 2008, Sybil, TEH blog it hates me

Written by Sybil · Filed Under Ponderings

Anyone Remember Why…

January 10, 2008

I thought it was a good idea to move servers or try and change the template? Because I am really, really forgetting why I was so amazingly fucking stupid to think such a thing.

If I ever, ever, ever, ever even mention it again….Like if it even seems like I am playing with the idea, please tell me to shut up.

PLEASE. For the ducksake NEVER let me do this again. EVER

I am gonna go cry now.

And no I don’t have an opinion on Cassie Edwards other than I am shocked people are shocked. Oddly enough I have spoken with both houses, about thing that had nothing to do with her. I don’t read her. I didn’t read her before I won’t read her now. But really, really, really that decision would have been made regardless of this came out. To me… she isn’t a good writer. Does that make her fans bad people for loving her shit, because omg she sells?

No I can’t say it does. If they continue to buy her books or the publishers continue to make money off her and her fans does that make them bad people? I don’t know. I haven’t had the time to read and process everything. I can say IMHO I seriously doubt most of ‘cassie fangrrls’ are on the internets. I doubt they know much about publishing or even give a fuck. So maybe ignorance is bliss? I don’t understand it but I didn’t understand why they bought her in the first place.

As for the publishers, I think this is a serious case of CYA. And their response or at least the one I read was so not worded well. Will I punish all authors with Penguin by not buying, reviewing or talking about them or their books? No. Maybe that is stupid maybe that is my own damn greed because I happen to love some of their books and can’t see how they should be punished cuz Cassie Edwards doesn’t know how to write a book (which I don’t think is new statement).

The publisher, dunno, maybe I am part of the problem because I don’t give it enough thought? I mean I really suck at the whole boycott idea. I HATE wally world with an ever loving passion but their books allow me to buy more. Sooo… dunno needs more thought. I need more sleep. Oh and for my flipping blog to fucking work without causing me grief. See…me. I am horrible selfish like that.

I have skimmed very few posts. And read just about none of the comments. But I tend to agree with Candy>:

In short: plagiarism is an ethical issue. It’s concerned with what’s right and what’s not. Copyright infringement is a legal action, and is a way for somebody whose works have been infringed to say “Bitch where my money?” It’s concerned with what’s legal and what’s not.

I keep hearing how omg bad this was of Cassie and there are passage copied word for word. I haven’t looked at it all because I have been busy. What I have been told was it is more setting like shit than plot and public domain. Which leads back to Gwen’s comment about it being very lazy writing.

If this isn’t plagiarism, if it is ‘just’ short passages in each book that don’t have anything to do with the plot or characters, I have to ask why can’t they be removed without hurting the story. Of course I personally have thought the stories hurt too much to finish one so I am not a judge of that. Oh and then would ask WHY put them there in the first place but I think that might be asking too much. But it would seem like a nifty idea to REMOVE them or credit them.

Is it really possible she didn’t know? Yeah I can see that. There are truly authors who are completely disconnected with the net. I have heard she has a myspace page but no haven’t looked for it, been there or plan to in the near future. And really if you were Cassie Edwards would your ass spend time on the internet? I mean hell.

Who knows why she did what she did or thinks what she thinks. But the person to be pissed at, IMHO, should be Cassie Edwards. Are there things to be done that should be done, to see this doesn’t happen again… 100 books!!!@!@@!@ Yeah I would tend to think so.

Do authors truly get to the point where their editors just go sure, fine, whatever? They are selling WOOT! And don’t really try, read thoroughly or bother. Hell it would explain Anne Rice and LKH. ::ducks bev::

Is the question really Plagiarism = BAD THING DON’T DO? Hell any teacher in highschool would have flunked her ass. So I can’t see that really, really being up for debate. Is talking about Plagiarism a bad thing, don’t do it? No. It SHOULD be talked about, discussed, outed. Are the smart bitches evol bitches for doing it? NO. Not at all. Are they mean bitches for picking on Cassie Edwards, sure you can see it that way but I tend to think - and I could be wrong cuz I haven’t asked but really this is a pretty educated guess - Candy and Sarah would be more than happy to own up to any shit on their site.

Good or bad, right or wrong… they own their shit. And they admit when and if they ever feel they fucked up. As well as strongly say if they don’t think they have fucked up. THAT makes for a very good blog and as bloggers I think that is the only ‘responsibility’ we have to anyone. Each reader makes the choice to go somewhere or not. No like, don’t go, wanna bitch about it, open your own damn blog and go for it. Hell most of the most often bitched about blogs, let you bitch at them on the blog. So really… what is the issue?

Freewill tis a thing of beauty. And say what you will about mean grrl bloggers but one of my best memories of RWA in Dallas was sitting at a table, just talking about shit, with many strong opinions and many that didn’t line up. We disagreed. We disagreed in person. No computer screen to hide behind, without the need to change anyones mind and everyone knew who everyone was. And honestly if I ever get the chance again to sit down at table and talk with Candy, Sarah, Jane, Wendy and Kristie J - not only would I do it but I would gladly miss just about anything for the chance.

Say what you will, they are smart bitches (well prolly not Kristie J she really is the nice one). And I think that is fabulous. Talking about things can’t be the problem. You don’t have to agree, all most bloggers wants you to do is think, form your own opinion, tell us we are right, tell us we are wrong, tell us why and well rec books.

Otherwise why is anyone here? Here being the internet cuz I seriously doubt you are here here since the fucking site can’t seem to stay the hell up or WORK right. [and on that note we are blue again… joy]

Tags: 2008, Sybil, TEH blog it hates me

Written by Sybil · Filed Under Ponderings

Site Navigation Tips

January 8, 2008

You can click on the New Site Navigation Tips in the dark purple bar at the top for some information on WTF is going on around here. Please comment to this post (or any other post) with any questions or observations.

Tags: 2008, Gwen, TEH blog it hates me

Written by Gwen · Filed Under Ponderings

Radio Edit…

January 7, 2008

Is the RSS feed redirecting or does it look like the pond as gone quiet?

Tags: 2008, Sybil, TEH blog it hates me

Written by Sybil · Filed Under Ponderings

UPDATE: Objects In Mirror Are Closer(er) Than They Appear

January 6, 2008

1/6/08
Well things are getting a touch better I hope. We are so much closer to the lil idea I had in my head. That should scare you all. Thank you for all the great feedback and for the suggestions. It always amazes me how something so simple to one person can completely pass over another. And hey what author wants to pass up reviewing a review site *g*.I wish I could say it was all perfect now, even if it just made sense to me, it seems if there is a way to screw up a blog I do it. For a while there we thought it was FUBAR. And that made me a sad, sad duckie. I was treated to repeated disbelief and amazement at just how badly TGTBTU was set up. How the files were not in the correct places. And how could I think this was the right way to do things and on, and on, and on. Uh huh and you were feeling badly for the pig. sheezeLucky for me the pig and the geek speak greek to me so it was rather easy to tone them out. Alas my blank stare was lost on them over the internet but hey what do you do? BUT Teddy is THE PIG! And our FUBAR seems to only be a SNAFU. So with a lot of work, fowl language and a pig developing a drinking problem… The Good, The Bad and The Unread should soon be a thing of beauty. And stop changing back to that default template.No really, we will have a clean install and awesome code that works with plug ins that are all shiny. The fact this makes me sqqquuueee with joy is a very very sad thing. Or worst case the pig and the geek will not be able to beat down the awful which was the code and we will crash and burn. And then there will be plan B.

Regardless of what happens, the duckies will rise from the ashes, so no worries if we disappear for a bit. YAY back up(s)! The geek and the pig have been amazing. Beyond amazing. LOL even while bitching *g*. So even if all is lost, I have nothing but thanks to them. And to Gwen, Lawson, Alicia, Sandy, Bev, Devon, Nikki and Connie for putting up with me, coming up with some amazing ideas and keeping that whole blog content thing happening.

If I owe you email, know I am not ignoring you and that you are in amazingly awesome company. I had to decide if I stuck with a blog that would never work right or take a chance of losing everything here, which has been an amazing amount of fun and work for a tons of people. Along with the possibility of a SHIT load of copying and pasting… and this is after about four straight days of work by two people so not getting paid to do this.

In the end I decided that keeping the blog unstable (there is serious irony there) wasn’t an option because if the files were already as screwed as they are and omg big I don’t think we would have made it through the end of the year without crashing. We gots plan man and a ton of nifty happening.

So cross your feathers and hope the shiny survives but either way everything is zen and the show will go on. And will never, evah, evah change templates again. No really, I mean it this time… stop looking at me like that!

While the heavy lifting is going on, you really shouldn’t see any signs of it, well unless that crash and burn things happens. What can I say, I am here to bring fun, books, excitements and ducks into your lives. So look for a new shiny banner, the template to stop flipping every ten seconds, columns to be wider, categories shorter, everything search able, and tons more *g*.

Oh and if anyone knows how to keel the fucking smartquotes that have YET AGAIN returned to plague teh blog, you just might save a life. Since it would be mine own because it is possible I will drive teddy to stuff me in a trunk with my bitching about it, I am really all for suggestions.

1/4/08
oops… I sort of messed it all up but it looks like it is all better now. But just a warning… it will happen again. So if things look really funky… give it a min and it will hopefully be fixed. Quickly

BAD Note: until ~~teddy~~ I can figure it out, you can not ’see’ the comments or leave a comment unless you open the post… ~~teddy~~ I am working on that :)Things might look a touch wiggy but I couldn’t wait…. Read more

Tags: 2008, Sybil, TEH blog it hates me

Written by Sybil · Filed Under Ponderings, The Pond

The Hardest Working Pig in Romanceland

January 1, 2008

aka how I am driving Teddy Pig to drink… The amazing, wonderful, awesome, handsome, kind, adorable Teddy Pig, who I lurveseses muchly, ~~finally gave in~~ offered to help me fix my blog issues. You know that whole server thang. And he had the wonderful idea to redo the template since I was still not completely happy with this one.He said I should do THREE columns…. yes…. I was over the moon with joy cuz I had just recently put aside my dreams of three columns. And while he was doing the test blog I mentioned the template I have been lusting after for months and months and months.

The one that got away. The one that could not be mine. I showed it to him like that sad girl who carries around a picture of the man that got away. He being a boy, ignored me. Repeatedly, most likely rolling his eyes while doing it.

Then finally I told him he HAD to look at it. I needed him to say ‘no sybil, no no’. I needed someone to point out why this wouldn’t work for me so I could put it away in that box with all lost lurves one may never have… so while he was telling me no. Repeatedly. ~~bastard~~

Something awesome happened… something wonderful…. something fucking fantastic… he decided it rocked the house too.

sssssssssssssssssqqqqqqqqqqqquuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

It shall be mine. OH YES it shall… of course with everyfuckingthing blogwise TGTBTU has issues. And Teddy is telling me I am going to lose all my comments! YES! ALL OF THEM! So while I am hoping for a sign from fucking god to fix that because I do not want to lose all of your wonderful and witty comments, or you know, saving the shit I need to repost later…. teddy has been making the new template his bitch.

The Good, The Bad, The Unread will look somewhat different but go forth and see what we will one day look like. Hopefully really really soon. Yes, it is beyond sad how excited this makes me. shut up and let me have my fun… click on the piggie and sqquuueee with me