Another One Bites The Dust

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Just a reminder: It's okay to leave comments!

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I don't often visit the site for Salon magazine as they seldom post anything of interest (to me), but the other day I clicked on a link that took me to their page. That's when I got this pop-up:

I get these sort of warnings a lot. This one was slightly different, though. They gave me an option. I could allow them to use my "spare" computing power to mine for cryptocurrency. Apparently they don't make enough money with ads or subscriptions, so they want me to allow them to use my computer and electricity so they can grab some digital currency to help keep them going. They talk about how the money could be used for what they consider valid social causes. Yes, I suppose it could, but I really think it's to help their bottom line.

While I give them kudos for being upfront about it, they didn't say anything about sharing.

If Salon wants to mine cryptocurrency, that's fine by me. But don't ask to use my resources and slow down / overheat my PC to do it.

What's also interesting is that back in December 2017 Salon posted an article saying this sort of thing was bad as it would require more value in energy than it would get in currency. This extra load would slow the acceptance of "green" energy sources. So it's bad if you do this but good if they do it. Got it.

You may ask why I use an ad blocker when so many sites rely on ads for revenue. I don't block all ads. I don't even mind having a few ads on the screen since I don't click on them. But things have gotten to the point where many web sites are so full of ads and pop-ups as to become unusable. Or they are painful to use. In addition, you never know where the ads originate. More and more have embedded malware or render poorly.

So, in an effort to keep my sanity, I use AdBlocker to block many of them. And since Salon seldom has anything truly unique I can't live without, I just have to say good-bye. I know Salon will disagree, but most of what they have (that I would consider reading) is 10% news and 90% opinion. That's not worth a subscription or having them use my PC to make them richer.

I've also stopped going to Business Insider as they insist I get rid of my ad blocker. Again, there is nothing on that site that isn't on a bunch of other sites.

I do pay for some content on the Internet, and have a few subscriptions that are free. But I get to chose which ones.

So, so long, Salon (and Business Insider).

Note: AdBlocker now has an option to filter out at least some of the sites using your PC to mine for money. And, yes, I have turned that filter on.

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P.S. It would be great if you could check out Terri Deno's Patreon site and consider supporting her writing efforts! Struggling authors need all the help they can get!

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© 2018 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Month's Free Photos - In Your Dreams

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This month is going to be a little different. I've been playing around with CNN. No, not that network—Google's convolutional neural network (aka CNN). Yes, they let you do that. For free. And it doesn't hurt a bit. Let me explain...

You may have noted that I do a little artwork. Very little, unfortunately. Still, I like to check out what's happening in the art world from the periphery on which I exist. Sometimes I even draw or paint something. A while back I stumbled onto a tool that really caught my attention and I've finally had a chance to work with it.

Google has created code for modifying images called DeepDream (or Deep Dream, depending upon the source). You can read about it HERE. I've spent a little time playing around with it on the web (link below) and thought I'd share a little of what I've done with you. Literally.

It works like this:

1. You create a user id / password to get into the app (they don't ask for a lot of info)
2. You upload an image (I've used both JPEG and PNG)
3. Select whether you want to do a Deep Style or a Deep Dream (and how many levels!)
4. Pick the parameters you want to apply
5. Click on the generate button

The picture you make can be saved, downloaded, deleted, or re-edited, and can be kept private or made public.

This is a sample of what you can do with an image:

Original image of pocket watch

Both of the following images were made from the original using the Deep Style algorithms.

This one is done using one of the Deep Dream filters. You'll have to open it to a larger size to get the full effect.

Here's a closeup of the dial. Slightly disturbing, isn't it? Looks like the watch is the one doing the watching!

Now let's see what happens when we work with some nice flowers...

Original wood hyacinth photo I took last year

For the first step, here are the parameters:

• Type = Valyrian
• Resolution = normal 1200x1200
• Inception depth = deep
• Neural network layer = inception_3b-output

For round 2:

• Type = Neuron
• Inception depth = deep
• Transformation = none
• Neural network layer = inception_3b-output 

Finally:

• Type = Spirits
• Inception depth = deep
• Transformation = none
• Neural network layer = inception_3b-output

Even though a version of the original photo is here and I've given out the parameters I used, if you tried to do the same transformation the final output would not be exactly the same. There's something in the way the algorithms work that makes it slightly different each time.

Anyway, these are my free photos for the month! Use them any way you want!

And, as promised, here's a link to the site: Deep Dream Generator

If you're so inclined, you can read about convolutional neural networks HERE. Personally, I'd skip it and just look at the pretty pictures.

Check back again when you can. Maybe I'll have something even better!

Bonus image! click HERE to see an image generated from one of my photos  of a statue in McPherson Square, Washington, DC!

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© 2017 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shore Leave 38 - Saturday - Panels And Pictures

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Saturday July 16, 2016

Saturday is the day the sessions given by the guests and the panel discussions begin in earnest. Of course, you can't do all of those activities without a good breakfast to start the day. This time I tried not to consume everything available at the breakfast buffet.

OK. Better luck next year.

After breakfast, it's off to the races. Which writing panels can I attend while seeing as many of the speakers as possible? And why are so many of the writer's panels held at the same time so I have to choose one and miss the others? Will I get to even see the art show? (I didn't, BTW.) It's always mass confusion on Saturday and the last minute changes to the schedule didn't help.

At 10:00 am I had the choice of two panels: Myths About Writing and Pitching. I chose Pitching, which is surely a weak spot for me.

Pitching

  Panel members:

•     Jeffrey Lang
•     Joshua Palmatier
•     Russ Colchamiro
•     Richard C. White
•     Andrew Hiller

Since many of these panelists have been on both sides of the author / editor (or agent) scenario, they were able to share stories about their experiences, usually pointing out what not to do. Like annoy the editor. One point the panel made was that agents aren't as critical to have as they used to be. That being said, they added that a good agent can be a great buffer between you and the editor. Approach editors with your ideas at appropriate times; don't follow them into the restroom to pitch your book. They emphasized that you should always have a quick pitch ready for your book because you never know when you might run into the right person, either an editor or potential agent. The pitch should be 3-4 sentences of about 50 words. Many editors don't have time to listen to an exhaustive description of your idea. For more formal pitches, they want something no longer than a page unless there is a really good reason. If you are emailing (or sending by post) your pitch, personalize each pitch or query. And keep tweaking it to make it better. Above all, make yourself interesting (that may be the most difficult part!). They also recommended checking Writer Beware to see if an editor or agent was legitimate.

At 11:00 pm I had the choice of three panels: Writing Behind the Scenes for TV & Movies, From Fan Writing to Pro, and Working with Editors. I chose Working with Editors because I thought that would be the most useful for me, though not necessarily the most interesting.

Working with Editors

  Panel members:

•     Greg Cox
•     Joshua Palmatier
•     Terry J. Erdman
•     Danielle Ackley-McPhail
•     Jen Gunnels
•     Marco Palmieri

The panel began by discussing the different types of editors:

1. acquisition (finds stories for a publisher), 
2. production (oversees production of story/book), 
3. copy (corrects spelling and grammar), 
4. content (checks consistency, factual errors), 
5. line (clarifies meaning, checks the way language is used), and 
6. proofreader (goes over the work for errors after the other editors are finished) 

In an ideal world, these should all be different people. In my world of small-press anthologies, of course, they aren't. The overall job of editors is to help focus the reader's attention by making the story readable and tightly written. The suggestions or corrections they make should not be considered as a personal attack. Still, there are times when things become tense between an author and an editor. In situations such as these, an good agent can act as a firewall between the two. There wee many examples given where authors and editors did not see eye-to-eye and how the panelists handled the situation. There is no formula for this. Each individual must be addressed in a way that will bring the project to completion. There are times when a good editor will suggest the author work with a different editor because they are better suited to  the genre of the story or the personality of the author.

One item that was suggested that made a great deal of sense for those writing in the SF or fantasy genres where there are odd names and unusual spellings. Provide the editors with a cheat sheet of character names and quirks of dialect so they will know exactly how the author meant them to be. This can greatly assist the editors in doing their job.

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At 12:00 pm I had the choice of two really interesting panels: Kick-ass Women Heroes or The Whole Package (book covers). Unfortunately, this was also the time slot for the only celebrity photo I had planned for the entire conference. So that became my choice. Here I am with celebrities from Star Trek TOS, Barbara Bouchet and Michael Forest.

Barbara Bouchet, Me, & Michael Forest at Shore Leave 38
(I'm in the center, just for clarification)

That's all for now. I'll have more about the happenings on Saturday in the next post!

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In the meantime, you can read my story, The Song of Aiden, in Human 76 - a post-apocalyptic, shared-world anthology!

Check #Human76 on Twitter for news!

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© 2016 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Anonymous Comments and Backups

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I do read all of the comments I get, even the ones that never get posted. Like this one:

Anonymous <noreply-comment@blogger.com>                     3:22 AM (4 hours ago)

to me

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "FSF Challenge - Thunder":  

 Hi there! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any issues with hackers?
My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no back up. Do you have any methods to prevent hackers?

Take a look at my homepage :: time home buyers  (I've not copied the link for your protection - krsmith)

Publish
Delete
Mark as spam

Moderate comments for this blog.
 Posted by Anonymous to K R Smith at January 16, 2015 at 3:22 AM

Hackers? Such as folks who post questionable links in my comments section hoping someone will click on it? Occasionally. And, yes, I actually do have methods to prevent hackers from spreading their favorite malware or virus—such as not clicking on links sent in anonymous e-mails! Also, I don't post comments like this for the protection of others. And, unlike my anonymous friend, I do make backups of my blog. It's pretty easy.

In the upper right-hand corner of your screen, you'll see your account pulldown. Click on it to see the following window. Click on "Account" inside this window.

I know the guy in the image above looks incredibly shady, but he will serve as an example. After clicking on "Account," a long list of items to update about your blog or tools you can use will appear. Somewhere down toward the bottom, you will see "Account tools." Select "Download data."

Next, select the items you want to download. In this case, I want my Blogger posts and pictures.

Once you've selected the items you want to back up, click "Next" at the bottom of the page (not shown here). On the screen that appears, you can select the appropriate file type for downloading. If you use Windows, a .zip file works.

Once you click "Create archive," a file will begin being built.

Once it's finished, you can see the size. With pictures included, it can be quite large. Click on "download" to save the file.

The file you download will have a long name.

The one I created here was:  takeout-20150117T153725Z.zip. It contains two folders that holder the backup files.

Inside the Blogger folder will be an "atom" file that can be used to restore the blog or move it to another blogging service. The Google Photos folder will contain a file with the images used on your blog.

In case you didn't download the archive right away, you'll get an e-mail reminder like this:

That's about all you have to do to make a backup of your Blogger blog!

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved