The Writing Life: Self-Restraint: An Admirable Vice

by Raymond Alexander Kukkee

Time reflecting the eternal flame of hope  (c)2011 wlk photography

"Know thyself" --a fine ancient adage, is it not?

I'm kind of an old-fashioned type. I know that, and  perhaps I always have been. I like tradition, the 'expected' and edifying practices rooted deeply in the past, simply because such things are the bleached bones of my heritage. 
I enjoy beautiful things. I have an Achilles' heel for pets and wildlife, gardens, trees, sunflowers, Mother Nature's creations in water, rock, and sky.  Old cannons, rich dark chocolate,  coconut trees,  toasted cinnamon bread with coffee, amethyst clocks  and pirate chests filled with gold. 
Loyal readers continue to amaze me, as do other writers, my friends, those incredible scribblers of all things fascinating, good, creative people who continue to challenge me to get better;  dictionaries,  sultry, hot, sexy women, and bold, self-confident thinkers. Solid-minded people displaying innovation and intelligence invariably pique my interest.
Literature,  fiction, poetry, the spice of everything,  you name it, I like it. Savouring the English language is one of these rare, beautiful treasures;  the world of literature is a richly spiced jewel  that should be polished and tasted with vigour. It should be enjoyed.  That is why I write.
 The simple act of  creating and scribbling such tomes should equally be practiced,enjoyed, and above all, protected.
 Although literary perfection, Latin, and old English are now as rare as exotic orchids, -- and chests of pirate gold aren't  appearing upon the doorstep of most writers  anywhere soon,  dreams of literary elegance persist.   We dream creativity into reality. We dream of success. We work at creating beauty, fiction,excitement and perfection for those around us. For the world. For civilization. For the future.

Word mills, content mills, writing traps for novices,  set up with their own self-serving agenda, show the opposite, pay no more than lip service to creativity or the practice of traditional ethics.  The industry is preoccupied with money instead.
 Greedy word mills  are being revealed for what they are, and as a result are displaying instability and imminent failure.  We now know it's a great idea to not only read, but understand the self-serving 'terms of service' that can be changed daily without notice.  It is ever more essential to be aware.
In fact, the written word, "articles" today,  as delightful as they are, often buy the writer into a trap.   
Caveat emptor.
 I'm not delighted with this trend to the brazen practice of  commandeering and theft 'lesser' ethics  in the industry that has been taking advantage of, and damaging creativity.    This is not a 'good' change for civilization.  We resist change naturally, but it is difficult to watch, being traditionalist in nature. Great civilizations require unparallelled  creativity and art in all forms.

Should creative minds  be forced to a constant state of alert for hosers,  thieves, profiteers less than ethical corporate interests, greedy, arrogant,  non-creative people who willfully and brazenly take advantage of  the creativity of others?

The growing specific lack of ethics in the industry annoys the hell out of me.
I don't like that trend. Why?   Changing to lesser ethics for profit is inexcusable.
Writers, thieves and court jesters alike have their own reasons for existing. What are yours? 
We can now laugh raucously.   We have diligently practiced the fine art of self-restraint with gusto;  a few months of generic self-improvement.  Where the good old-fashioned rant is concerned, self-restraint is an admirable vice.
 I have no idea how long I'll be able to hold out, how about you?
 At times I think  I'm too polite. Is it because I'm Canadian?
Call in the cavalry. Load the grape shot.
 
Is that Incoming I hear?

photo credit:    (c)2011  WendyLee Kukkee   (wlk photography)

Achievements 2011: Were we successful?

The Age of Light is upon us

 
It happens every 12 months.  It's the end of the year, and 2011  got used up pretty quickly, didn't it?   
In looking back it is natural to ask what we achieved --whether it be articles written, books published,  service to others, for personal satisfaction,  entertainment, discussion or persuasive argument.  No matter.
  One might be tempted to procrastinate and reserve judgment until January 1st, but no,  at Incoming Bytes we profess to be  fearless  with an eye open to improvement.  Constant re-evaluation  and questioning is the name of the game. 
During 2011 we touched on many things.

• Was the reader encouraged to pursue further action, pursue life pro actively in their own environment --and face serious issues head-on?  

• Were novice writers encouraged to at least study 'Terms of Service'  and think carefully before submitting their valuable work the rapidly-changing world of  word mills?  

• Did anyone think twice about the endangered sea turtles of Costa Rica?  

• Have any unhappy couples concerned themselves with the need for a quantum change in their own, and  society's collective  lax  attitude toward abusive relationships?

• Has anyone recognized the tendency of the west to promote the proliferation of Democracy in the middle East countries for economic benefit, while diminishing it's worth at home with increasingly-repressive legislation put forth under the guise of 'national security' ?

• Did anyone read 'Occupy this'  twice  and wonder why bureaucracy worldwide, but especially in North America, is in such a hurry to shut down reasonable protest by ordinary  people trying to better our world.

• How about the political gamesmanship with the Keystone Pipeline,  and rejection  of the Kyoto accord by both the US and Canada  in preference for dirty oil of the Athabasca oil sands to feed yet more wealth to powerful international petroleum companies?

• Was anyone convinced we should be asking VERY  pointed questions about the very future of energy itself when CLEAN ENERGY is already  being produced with the new technology of the  Rossi E-cat,   Apparently our politicians are not paying attention. Read this again and weep. 

• Why is the nuclear energy sector still planning to build more nukes after the nuclear disasters in Fukushima, Japan and Chernobyl?  Have any of our readers been convinced it is time to encourage our leaders to   declare war on nuclear power?

• How many snowmobile enthusiasts will have saved their own lives by reading  about one aspect of their   'sport',  the  exciting, but  dangerous and foolish practice of  'Snowmobile high-marking' which, all too often, causes fatal avalanches?   
• *We fondly hope that article and this reminder will save even ONE life this year and many more in years to come.

*We believe that if we have adequately convinced even ONE  snowmobile enthusiast  to avoid 'high-marking' and their understanding of the danger saves ONE life--we will have succeeded. 
  At Incoming Bytes we ask:  

1. How can we continue to improve our own lives? 
2. How can we begin improving society by quantum leaps? 
3. How can we encourage  society to entertain complete change, endorse clean energy, and create a kinder, gentler society that is responsible and sustainable?
4. How can we encourage civilization to allow the Age of Light to begin? An age of  intelligent social construction,  common sense, logic, protracted thought, and cooperation?

 Perhaps  that's a little much to ask of our greedy, profit-oriented, power-hungry,  hedonistic, selfish, arrogant and stiff-necked retail-blinded shopping society so soon.  
No matter. We shall persist. 
  Back to the original question.  Have we persuaded even one person such a quantum change is necessary?   I believe so. That is only one of many worthy achievements.
  It seems to me it's logical to  continue to stay on track, stay informed, use common sense, and explore the mundane, the unknown, the interesting, the challenging,  and the universe itself-- with open minds.  

For 2012:
Let us challenge wrongs and insist upon change with conscience; 
Let us not shirk our duty to ourselves and humanity ; 
Let us continue facing the future and building it better--  for with faith and perseverance, we CAN do it.
The Age of Light is upon us.
  
Think about it if you dare.  Happy New Year!


That's my story and I'm sticking to it 

The trouble with Word Mills: Writers Beware.

The truth always comes to Light

As a writer it is always in my own best interest to pay a lot of attention to what is going on in the publishing industry. 
Writers in North America may be on the move.  Discontent and unhappiness with "word mills"  in the  internet writing community is growing.  It appears to be with some  justification. 
 Such is the current state of the business of "Word Mills," incorporated publishers  that collect, grab possession of,  market, and sell written works from authors and writers.  

It is not difficult for neophyte writers to be taken into this trap.  Writers starting out need somewhere to start, a forum to publish their work in--perhaps the start of an illustrious writing career.  Submissions from new, untested and inexperienced writers are welcomed.
None of the word mills  pay much for articles --essentially pennies --for hours of work crafting beautifully-written articles, How-to Guides, and creative work including short stories, poetry and other genres of work --even if  written by the most skilled, highly qualified freelance writer.


There is a growing movement to challenge the right of publishing "word mills"  like Helium.com ,  Associated Content.com  and others to claim ownership of  the right to commandeer  a writer's copyright in perpetuity. 
Much negative feedback is occurring.  The discussion is growing, and participants should be paying attention with good reason.  
 Good writers are disgusted, packing it in and leaving. Why?   The truth always comes to light.
 
In North America, copyrights belong exclusively to the creator of a  written work or other form of creative work unless those rights are specifically SOLD to another party.  This honourable process has been thwarted. 


To allow a writer to post an article on a site for exposure and readership,  publishers like Helium, Associated Content and countless others  seize the right to a perpetual license  for free use of the author's copyright.  
The reader should pay particular attention to this  fact.    It is NOT a  "one time use" claimed,  but permanent use --and  includes  the right to sell an author's work at any time without acknowledgment or compensation.


A  "content Word Mill", can,  at it's free will, sell an absentee writer's work --and under heavily-skewed TOS,  (terms of service) NOT  be obligated -- to provide any compensation, acknowledgement or by-line.  Once an article is submitted, the writer is simply offered no choice in the matter.
  Normally a publisher is supposed to pay writers when works are sold for any purpose but this requirement can also  be easily thwarted.   Articles may be sold repeatedly--without notifying or  paying any compensation to the author.    
"Stock content" articles are sold to third party publishers and token fee of a few dollars  (i.e. $5.00)  is paid to the writer.
A small revenue share arrangement for "hits" on the articles and associated commercial ad content may also  be paid to the writer.  Such "revenue shares" may be only pennies each month--or none at all.

If a  writer chooses to dissociate himself with the site for any reason,  and is no longer considered to be  "with " the site,  that sales and revenue share is happily absorbed by the publisher, leaving the writer with no compensation or redress for earnings and for articles sold to third parties.  
Increasingly,  it appears that  TOS (terms of service) of word mills  are a very serious bone of contention.  Terms of service are usually written for the benefit of the publisher and worse yet, they can be rewritten and redefined at any time, with no input from the thousands of writers such changes affect negatively.  

Discontent with treatment of writers is becoming a serious  issue--writer discontent is growing.  The dignity and self worth of writers is being ignored;    at times core issues of  respect for the welfare or dignity of writers  even appear to be an issue.   Many writers who have been with "Word Mills" are, as a result, disheartened.   There is much negative press being generated. 

Should any publisher or content Word Mill be allowed to commandeer the right to use a copyright in perpetuity contrary to the wishes of a writer?  Here at Incoming Bytes  we  think not. 
 Recent algorithm changes in  Google's unique-content " Panda" program have also  severely reduced the income paid to writers, -- in  cases from hundreds of dollars per month to mere pennies.  
The individual reader of Incoming Bytes  must decide if they believe a "Word Mill"   increases it's  profit immensely from such changes ---while the  writers,  the producers of the valuable, marketable content, struggle and scramble in real life --to try to earn lost income --and in many cases, even a basic  living.
 Issues of trust or a questionable editing policy  are always sources of irritation and trust in any writer/publisher relationship.  Lack of respect often comes into play, creating difficult situations.
Games can be played by enthusiastic  Word Mill supporters, by  unskilled  editors, or equally by the process of malicious favoritism,  placing poor quality work  in a  higher "ranking" than superior work.   The reader should understand that "Top-rated articles" are the displayed content seen  by the visitor to any Word Mill site; lower-rated articles are usually  down-listed, hidden and thereby ignored, earning nothing.  
The fact is, the readership generates the income and the Word Mill decides which articles are convenient to read.

 Perhaps this discontent and signs of cracking in the "Word Mill" publishing industry is best summed up by the phrase:

" Word Mills no longer offer credibility and writers no longer trust you".   
 Here at  Incoming Bytes  the old adage  "the Pen is mightier than the sword"  comes to mind.  

Let the neophyte writer be forewarned. Times are changing.





That's my story and I'm sticking to it.