Alternative Web-Based Publication Systems A moth ate a word. When I heard of that
marvel, it seemed to me a strange fate that a worm should devour the speech
of a man, that a thief in the dark should eat the words of the mighty and the
book that contained them. Nor was that stealthy guest made any the wiser by
the words that he swallowed.--Anonymous One of my foes deprived me of life, took my
worldly strength, wet me thereafter, immersed me in water, removed me again,
set me in the sun, where soon I lost the hair that I had. The hard
knife-edge, afterwards cut me, the impurities ground off; fingers folded me
and the fowl's delight made tracks upon me with useful drops o'er the swart
edges, swallowed the tree dye, part of the stream, stepped on me then,
traveled on, leaving the blackest of tracks. Then a man bound me with binding
boards, covered me with hide, clothed me with gold. So the work of smiths
splendidly decked me, and the encircled me with wire. Now the ornaments and
the reddish dye and the glory-dwellings attest afar the protector of people,
no less the fates of foolish men. If the sons of men seek to use me they will
be the sounder and surer of victory, the bolder of heart, the blither of
spirit, the wiser of mind, the more friends they will have, the dear and the
near, the true and the good, the kind and the faithful, who will add to their
fame, their glory, and joy, and graciously then clothe them with kindness,
clasping them firmly in the arms of love. Ask what I am called, of benefit to
men. My name is famous, useful to heroes and holy itself.--Anonymous
Some Notes and Queries Upon a
Minimalist Framework
Lewis
Micropublishing remains steadfastly committed to the production and publication
of quality texts and textual or text-related artifacts that have global reach
and significance, and that remain at the cutting edge of human civilization. Our goals are to:
i.
Develop traditional and digital
publishing and publication frameworks and forums in a parallel and symbiotic
manner.
ii.
Encourage the exploration of new forms,
styles and genres of writing and textual presentation that emerge in the
interstices between the virtual and hard-copy worlds. iii. Develop both digital and traditional print reference and bibliographic resources and systems of efficient delivery of such resources on demand.
On Digital & Virtual Publishing There is no doubt that digital publishing is quickly changing the larger world of conventional publishing, and these changes are, like all changes, relatively permanent and irreversible. The great facility with which almost anyone, like myself, can publish to the web and achieve some measure of global virtual visibility entails that quality control and reliability and credibility become placed at a premium. People have visited us from every nation on earth, and keep returning for more.
We have for the past decade actively explored the differences between hard-copy and digital publications, especially on a web-based forum, and it is clear that writing for a web-based readership is a different problem set than that of an author writing for a hard-copy audience via bookstores. These differences are many, on almost every facet of the problem of writing, production and publication, and are often subtle and critical to the text. One should not presume to define what
is or is not possible in terms of the production of new texts and artifacts
and the design of their forums of presentation on the web. I think the time
will quickly arrive when computer-based and generated movies will no longer
require human actors or even physical sets or settings, and one would be hard
pressed to tell the difference. And such movies will become increasingly
interactive, allowing for an almost unlimited number of possible pathways and
alternative outcomes. The question of received social
legitimacy in the world never really goes away and must always be addressed
at some level or another, and usually at multiple points simultaneously.
Cross-cultural differentials clearly exist in this regard--many of our
on-line publications tend to be better received in some parts of the world
than in others. And often, if they seem well received in some key core
locations in the world, it is probably for the wrong reasons. What we have noticed is that our sense
of social legitimacy has grown and improved in the world, in more places, and
apparently, by a broader range of people who have been tramping through our
pages on a regular and frequent basis. Markets and Minds are shifting
gradually in relationship to the Internet and what it can and cannot do in
commercial, communicational and informational senses. There is now a greater
collective realism and skepticism, as well as a greater realization of the
potentialities and possibilities represented by the web. We have striven to
build upon this improved positioning for ourselves to further leverage, brand
and enhance our sense of received legitimacy in the world to as broad and
diverse an audience as we can manage.
Death
Beckons Death beckons Just beyond My doorway Awakening me rudely From my dreams Entreating me to journey Somnambulent Into the dark night Death beckons Be shrouded by the darkness Cloaked by anonymous shadows Death visits by night And knocks upon these portals Not daring to pass Into the lighted spaces And interior warmth of my little
home So well lived by day
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