Interview meme

[sasha_feather]

If you want me to interview you--post a comment that simply says, "Interview me." I'll respond with questions for you to take back to your own journal and answer as a post. Of course, they'll be different for each person since this is an interview and not a general survey. At the bottom of your post, after answering the Interviewer's questions, you ask if anyone wants to be interviewed. So it becomes your turn-- in the comments, you ask them any questions you have for them to take back to their journals and answer. And so it becomes the circle.

Wonderful questions from wintercreek

1. Tea or coffee or something else?

I have recently come around to tea: iced tea, chai, greens, herbals, mint, chamomile, and others. I like to hang out at a tea house, which helps my appreciation, and I'm so happy to have started liking tea because it gives me more beverage options! I don't like coffee-- it's bitter.

2. Roadtripping with podfic: what are your observations? Are there podficcing conventions you noticed that could use some changing? Practices that one podficcer has that others should adopt? General awesomeness of podfic?

It was fantastically awesome and made our 7.5 hour trip go really fast! We actually looked forward to the drive in order to hear some stories we had picked out. I liked the readers who included the fic headers such as warnings. Our biggest problem was hearing the fic, which is a technology problem involving the iPod, the car stereo, road noise, fuzzing out due to being near stop lights and such; I'm not sure what's to be done about that. We had the stereo and iPod up as loud as they would go and still I had to giggle silently so I wouldn't giggle over the sound of hilarious fic!

I am relatively new to pod fic and I just loved it in this context. Most of the stories I had read before but not heard before, and it enhanced my love of them to hear them read aloud. Car trips are my favorite way to listen to things; even music I don't listen to all that much outside of driving. So this was an ideal opportunity to get some podfic time! I'm reflecting a bit now on the openness of sexuality in fannish communities and how awesome that is--- women listening to smut together and not finding it weird. I didn't have anything like this before fandom! I'm so glad to have it now.

3. Talk to me about photography. Does it affect how you see the world even when you don't have a camera in your hands?

Photography has nurtured my natural tendency to observe the beauty of the world around me, which is something I love about it. I notice natural light; when I'm waiting for my tea order I might think, ooh, the light is nice here, and I'll take my camera out. It's also turned my eye toward the beauty of the city in a way I like, since I'm deeply a nature and country person and it's taken me a while to learn to live in, and love, the city.

Something I've been very conscious of is putting up photos of people on the internet (see WisCon 32, cough cough), and I've been actively trying to apply this to my own self-image as well: post photos of myself, and allow others to do so. Don't be overly critical of those photos. I'm working on this. I do untag photos of myself on Facebook for reasons of vanity, but not often. As a feminist I try to own the way I look; I try to give and take the advice of being as kind to myself as I am to my friends, and to love the way I look. It's a process, and photography has helped, because I do take self-portraits. I think the way a photographer looks at other people, and themselves, can come through in their photographs, in subtle and unconscious ways-- it's best to examine that, and feminism has helped me with this, in conjunction with photography.

4. How do you find new fic to read? Rec lists, newsletters, Delicious, other?

When I was brand new to slash fandom, about 2 years ago, I relied heavily on rec lists, sga storyfinders, and intensively reading the same few authors that I knew I liked. Originally I asked for recs from fullygoldy and for a little while, she was the one person I knew to ask! These days, my fandom buddies and I pass around recs via email, and I watch my reading list/friends list for new fic and recs. I also read sga_noticeboard, but it's rare that I read outside of my favorite authors or recs from friends. Occasionally challenges and festivals will change that and introduce me to new authors--and I hope others are reading my stuff this way too!

5. What are the best and worst things about the Kindle?

I have an intense love for my Kindle the way some people love their iPods, their car, or their computer. It is gorgeous and it is my baby! I would say the best thing for me is that I can increase the text size, making text much easier to read than most print books, and that I can carry hundreds of books and fics with me wherever I go, all in 10.2 ounces.

So, generally speaking, the best thing about the Kindle is its disability friendliness. It's light to hold and carry, making it easier for those who can't hold or carry heavy books. It's easier on the eyes than computer screens, because it's not backlit. One can turn the page from both sides at the touch of a button, making it easier for those with hand impairments to turn the pages. The "Whispernet" wireless technology makes it so one can download a book in under a minute, so, if someone can't get to the bookstore because she or he is just too tired, or in too much pain, or immobile, or lives too far away, or the bookstore is closed because it's 2 AM, well, one can just download the book. PDFs, text, and HTML files are also available via emailing them to the Kindle. Also there is a text-to-speech feature! It isn't great in quality, but it is wonderful in that is universally incorporated in all Kindles!

I haven't found a personal "worst" yet. I have heard plenty of people express negative feelings about the Kindle, and many of these are around valid and important issues. Sometimes I feel like people are just saying, "I like paper books too much", and that's fine, that's their perogative, but-- I view that as a teachable moment about disability, which is when I launch into the above spiel. Paper books are not accessible to everyone. Paper books also don't need batteries and they have and will be around for millenia, so I don't feel like the one needs to be a threat to the other; I don't think it's an either/or.

Many people (including me) have genuine issues with Amazon as a company, fear the death of independent booksellers because of increased use of Amazon and eBooks, and feel that the high price of the Kindle is a barrier to access. I trust that the price will come down with time-- as we've seen with iPods and computers. I still buy paper books, even if I don't always read them (I really do prefer to read on the kindle). I support my local indie bookstore as best as I'm able. I seek sources of eBooks that are not Amazon, if I can, and I look for free ebooks. (If anyone knows of sources, do let me know!) Cory Doctorow does have some good things to say about free ebooks and pirating-- usually people who use the free items and who pirate are also the people who *buy*. They are the most loyal customers.

But, I'm still mulling over some of these ethical issues, and I look forward to seeing how some of this works out over time.

Comments

[wintercreek]

Yay! What great thoughtful answers. And now I would love it if you would interview me, please!

I liked the readers who included the fic headers such as warnings.

That's an interesting point about including warnings with the podfic headers. I usually leave them off because I assume that everyone has, if not read the fic, at least glanced at the headers on the original posting. But I suppose that if one is encountering a fic for the first time as podfic, one needs warnings in those headers too. Of course, I don't think I have yet recorded anything with triggery content, so I have not (I hope!) been an irresponsible fannish citizen.

I notice natural light; when I'm waiting for my tea order I might think, ooh, the light is nice here, and I'll take my camera out.

That is very cool. I suspect that an awareness of natural light and its shifts is something we have mostly lost, culturally.

I am in agreement regarding all the upsides of the Kindle - I have one, and for me personally it's about being able to carry (or download!) so many books with one little device. From a librarian perspective, I hope Amazon is able to come up with a library use agreement of some kind that would let libraries check Kindles out to patrons. There's a library in Vermont (? I think) that has six Kindles and checks them out to patrons who are willing to have a credit card on file - the same as a video rental place, really. It helps the library's budget, since electronic copies of books don't require extra shelf space, there's no charge to get a large print edition, etc, and the library lending provides access for people despite the high cost of individual Kindles.

I too feel squidgy about supporting Amazon over independent booksellers (especially after AmazonFail) and about having DRM in my books, but the iPod eventually helped bring about non-DRMed digital music sales and I hope that the Kindle will eventually see the same. In the meantime, it's not as though I can't convert documents to txt files and upload them on my own. And viva la Project Gutenberg, right? \o/

[sasha_feather]

One thing I like about warnings in particular, is that they don't assume! But also, I think podfic functions like audiobooks-- they provide access for the visually impaired, and they are basically *the same* as the fic, just in a different form. Which means they should have the headers!

Oh YAY for libraries having Kindles! That is just so fantastic an idea, and I think people would feel better about them, having seen and used them for free.

I will mull over some questions for you!

[sasha_feather]

1. I have to ask about "scientifically sound magic"-- what are some examples of this?

2. Tell me about a book you love that you wouldn't necessarily recommend.

3. How did you find fandom?

4. What's something you've done in the last month that you are proud of?

5. Have you learned anything through recording podfic? About yourself, about writing, about reading?

[littlebutfierce]

I was excited to see that tea house on State Street this year! New to me--apparently they opened in August last year, so WisCon this year was the first time I saw it. It was v. nice inside! And open late-ish!

I think coffee is nasty & bitter too, but I love the smell of it, & coffee-flavored products. Also chocolate covered coffee beans. But I can't stand the actual drink.

[sasha_feather]

I have accidentally eaten a chocolate-covered coffee bean, thinking
it was some other kind of chocolate, and, you know, ew!

But I do like the smell of coffee!

I love tea houses! I actually haven't been to the one on State, but there is another on Monroe St that I go to all the time. I will have to chekc out the State St one soon!

[sasha_feather]

p.s. would you like to be interviewed?

[inkydragon.livejournal.com]

I seek sources of eBooks that are not Amazon, if I can, and I look for free ebooks.

I thought the kindle only took amazon branded ebooks? Or am I wrong? Being wrong would make me happy.

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

It will take PDF, text, and HTML files-- I got Little Brother and His Majesty's Dragon this way, from free sources. I'm not sure about other sources.

[were-duck.livejournal.com]

Though you still pay amazon pennies for the upload. I think that's a little weird--you should be able to plug the kindle into your computer and load it with whatever you want, like an iPod or a flash drive. i suppose they're charging you for the bandwidth or whatever of using the wireless.
/crabby

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

Agreed! I hope someone figures out how to hack it.

[were-duck.livejournal.com]

We'll get M1k3y on it... oh wait. He would never bother with doing hacks that benefitted anyone but himself and other privileged middleclass white kids...

[fantasmabob.livejournal.com]

you can just load it in--.txt no matter what, and you can get the pdf or whatever converted for free ("name"@free.kindle.com) & then you can load it manually.

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

Oh excellent! Thank you!

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

I love your review of Kindle - you should post it somewhere!

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Good idea, I think I'll post it to kindledfans!

[xanthophyllippa.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I feel like people are just saying, "I like paper books too much", and that's fine, that's their perogative, but-- I view that as a teachable moment about disability, which is when I launch into the above spiel.

So - and I'm saying this out of curiosity, realizing that tone doesn't convey in e-formats - how do you do this without it seeming like an odd/confrontational response? I mean, obviously you yourself aren't saying it to be confrontational - and I'm not sure I've ever heard you be confrontational rather than forthright and direct - but I think I'd consider said spiel a more persuasive reaction to my prerogative than was strictly necessary (if it came from someone other than you). Unless someone said they thought Kindles were stupid and pointless, in which case, yes please, I would hope you'd let it rip.

I actually used you as an example the other day when someone (can't remember who) asked me if I'd ever buy a Kindle. I said no (like books too much), but then revised and said that if I were travelling abroad for a long period, I might so that I could read without having to carry around books. Then I said, "Actually, though, I have a friend who has one and loves it, because it's disability-friendly in many ways," and went into your spiel for you. :)

(And then immediately wondered if I'd fallen into the "Oh, well I have a friend who..." trap, but decided that since it was A Teachable Moment, it was okay to equate anecote and data.)

[xanthophyllippa.livejournal.com]

Oh man. So if you were into pre-1950 stuff you could have a field day on Google Books. Another potential use: historians could carry around a whole library of research without having to carry around a whole library of research.

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

I totally give you permission to say "I have a friend who..." and use me as an example in this scenario. I admit I'm not always sure when the "I have a friend who" argument is good and when it is bad, except it's bad when it's used defensively or to attempt to invalidate somebody else's pain. But I think in this case it's just fine!

This came up this weekend, at the SF convention I was at, when a friend/acquaintance of mine saw me reading on the Kindle and said, half-jokingly, that it was evil and the downfall of all books. I think she really fears that! And I do recognize her fears. I don't think the Kindle is for everybody. So I think that's why I'm a good advocate for it: I'm not an extremist, I do see both sides of the argument. And I gently told her, "It's not evil" (what a loaded word!) and gave her some examples of the disability-friendliness of it that I mention above. I also compared it to the iPod, which is a really accepted and similar device. I think I gave her some things to think about without getting into and argument.

Also, I was just thinking about how I don't always use my *own* experience when I talk about disability, although sometimes I do. Above, I speak using a lot of generalities. And I think that's a safe and often liberating thing to do when talking politics. Sometimes it's appropriate to personalize the argument but often it's helpful and saves your energy if you don't have to.