My team at Internet Archive has 3 open roles: a senior product manager (we build web and digital preservation services for mission-aligned memory and cultural heritage institutions), a senior AI engineer (exploring how we might use AI/ML to better surface human-authored content to humans), and a (non-senior) backend software engineer.

If you want to help keep this ember glowing and growing, and are up for some unique challenges, please apply!

https://archive.org/about/jobs

"Nilavukku En Mel Ennadi Kobam" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30590474) is different, young, fresh, funny.

First third was great. Then melodrama. Then better. Then complicated. Then melodrama again.

The songs in the movie were totally on point!

Also, written and directed by Dhanush.

#Movies #Tamil

I've seen Libgen mentioned a lot yesterday. Libgen has had copies of my books for over 10 years.

Stewing about it, or saying "They are taking money from me!" will not help me.

So I consider Libgen a place where others can find my books. LIke a library. And I continue to write.

#Writing #Piracy

Where's all the lgbtqia+ people on here? Could y'all boost to help me find them
#trans #nonbinary #queer #lgbt #lgbtqia #transgender

Hey there #fediverse, I’m looking to hire a senior engineer to work with some awesome folks on #Netflix’s build tools & test infrastructure. If you are interested please apply online! (see link in Toot)

My DMs are open if you have any questions about the role or if you want to let me know that you applied.

#Java #JVM #Gradle

https://explore.jobs.netflix.net/careers/job/790301668836?utm_source=LinkedIn&domain=netflix.com

What's wrong with scammers these days? They are so low-effort. You call them out on their scam and then they never speak to you.

Back in the day, they would have spent half an hour trying to convince you that they are not scammers 😛

#Scams

"Naadaniyaan" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30422937) had a boring start, trying way too hard to be American. Despite the lack of acting talents of the leads, the story got a little interesting after a bit.

But then it got just very annoying.

One who wants to be an adult forgets a major event totally because of a "crisis" and then "suddenly" remembers about it after a day.

Another says "stand up to bullies" and forgets that himself.

The leads weren't true to character, and the movie lost me at that point.

The ending picked things up a bit again despite the leads not being able to emote. All I got from them was wooden expressions and monotonous delivery.

All the heavy lifting was done by the supporting cast.

#Movies #Hindi #Netflix

@bernicecbc You're welcome 🙂

@bernicecbc Have you looked at LibreOffice? It works on all three main desktop platforms, is compatible with a lot of existing office suite formats, and is totally free 🙂

I have this plot based on a dream about hallways stretching for miles which connect abandoned rooms and also community bubbles.

In my head this was to have the feel of Larry Niven's "Destiny's Road". I've tried several attempts to write it but each one goes its own way 😛

The first attempt turned into a variation of A. Bertram Chandler's brilliant "Giant Killer" with the hallways being on a spaceship. But it didn't have the right feel in the end and I gave up on that path after writing a few chapters.

The second attempt feels a bit like "Silo" (Hugh Howey's "Wool") but goes off on its own direction (or so I feel).

I like this version better and am about halfway through, but it still misses the original feel I wanted.

Should I try a third iteration? Or keep going?

#Writing #Authors #FediBooks

Listing stuff online for sale attracts so many scammers.

First, you have the people who want you to courier the item to them. Scam!

Then, there's the ones who want to just pre-pay you and pick it up and do so via bank transfer. Spoiler, that email link doesn't go to your bank login...

Sometimes I have to wonder how most people survive all this madness. Stay safe out there, folks!

#Scams

I'm trying to get "Raisins of Wrath" ready for publication but need to do the cover.

My wife usually does the cover but she's too ill to do anything at the moment. So I thought of giving it a shot myself. I have the rough drawing in place, but not sure how it'll turn out.

#Writing #Art #FediBooks #IndieAuthor
A rough sketch for a book cover…

@elysegrasso You don't have a lot of control over the process. They let you choose from a list of voices and if I recall correctly, that's about it. You are totally hands-off after that.

They used the EPUB version of my book and I was not provided the option to proof it after the conversion to audio book was complete. It just went up for sale and I was informed that the audiobook is now up for sale.

So yeah, not a lot of control or QA at all. Unless of course, Apple does the QA at their end, but I doubt it.

The voices are better than the usual very computer sounding ones you get with text-to-speech readers, but not as good as an actual voice.

I did do another version of the book with somebody on a profit sharing basis via acx.com and that was very good and at no cost to me, but then the resulting book is limited to Audible. The process was longer but if you find the right person willing to work with you, the end result is much better.

All a matter of what compromises you are willing to accept I guess?

@elysegrasso Draft2Digitial has a new free audiobook publishing promotion using digital voices via Apple Books. I published two of my books as audio books via that.

They say that it will take a couple of months for a book to be published, but in my case I think it took about a month. No sales that I know of, but the book is available on Apple Books as an audio book.

@crcollins Thank you 🙂 Can't really claim inspiration since it was there for the taking ....

I've also started work on a new novel based on a dream I had about a world of hallways and those living underground. "Outside" is just a myth to them.

Got about six chapters written but a ways to go before that one will be ready.

#AmWriting #Writing

Trying to get "Raisins of Wrath", my novella about a cult (and a conspiracy) surrounding sentient raisins out.

Just need to get the cover done, the book laid out, and a few other things done first while juggling health issues in the family.

#AmWriting #Writing #Bookstodon #FediBooks

Last day of the #Smashwords #ebookweek25 sale!

It ends 11.59pm Saturday 8 March Pacific Time (which is 3.59pm Sunday in Perth, Australia, and that’s the last timezone help I can give anyone 😂)

It’s a great chance to stock up on DRM-free ebooks — browse those two hashtags to check out the huge range of Mastodon indie authors with their books on sale.

https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/

#books @bookstodon #ebook #IndieAuthors #IndieBooks #DRMFree

Read an Ebook Week promo ends today! Find my entire collection at a promotional price at @Smashwords till end of the day. Find my books and many more at https://www.smashwords.com/ebookweek

If you like humorous scifi with a bit of social commentary, check out my books 🙂

#ebookweek25 #Smashwords
A promotional image for Smashwo…

@angusm Thanks, Angus. That's good advice. Will try what you suggested. And if you don't ask, you don't get anyway, right? 🙂