PG Weekly Newsletter: Part 1 (2004-03-17)

by Michael Cook on March 17, 2004
Newsletters

The Project Gutenberg Weekly Newsletter March 17, 2004
eBooks Readable By Both Humans and Computers For Since 1971

Part 1

In this week's Project Gutenberg Weekly Newsletter:

1) Editorial
2) News and Comment
3) Notes and Queries, Reviews and Features
4) Mailing list information


Editorial

Hello,

Well there I was talking about real life last week and there it goes
again. I'll save you all the long story, but this week will be my last
newsletter in charge, you can read more of my comments futher down,
but my suggestion would be to grab hold of your mobile phone first,
you'll need it to read your next etext. What am I talking about? See below.

Happy reading,

Alice

Send feedback and suggestions to the newsletter editor at: news at pglaf.org

Founding editor: Michael Hart hart at pobox.com
Newsletter editor: Alice Wood news at pglaf.org
Project Gutenberg CEO: Greg Newby gbnewby at pglaf.org

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2) News and Comment

PG WAP site - read an etext via your phone

        I'm pleased to announce/brag that there is now a PG WAP site available
for wireless devices such as mobile phones. It allows users to search
the library by author and title, and download eBooks with a reader
program in mobile Java (check your phone's blurb: does it support
"downloadable games?"). To get to it, just point your device at:
http://www.gutenberg.net/

        I've tested it in as many ways as I can think of, but I would really
like some help here. Even if you don't have Java support, I'd very much
appreciate your feedback on the usability of the WAP site. In addition,
please do give me a yell if you notice anything awry with the main
website, which I've modified to divert WAP users to the new site.

Many thanks,
Meredydd Luff

Now I have an excuse to buy one! Alice


Statistical roundup

 11911 Total 03/17/04 Week #10 (70/293)
    92 New This Week
   108 New Last Week
100.40 Weekly Average
   200 New This Month
  1004 New This Year
 14.34 Average per day this year
  5206 Projected Total for this year
    69 New this week last year (03/12/03)
   269 New this month last year (Mar)
   605 New this year last year (2003)
$ 0.84 Trillion dollar cost/book
$ 1.36 Trillion dollar cost/book last year
  7348 Etexts This Week Last Year
    10 Production Weeks this Year 42 to go.
    70 Production Days this Year 293 to go.
     3 Production Months this Year
  2406 eBooks in last 6 months (09/17/03 - 03/17/04) 26 weeks (37 - 10)
 13.29 Daily Average for the last 6 months (181 production days)
  2157 eBooks in the prior 6 months (03/12/03 - 09/10/03) 26 weeks (10 - 36)
 11.85 Daily Average for the prior 6 months (182 production days)
  5934 eBooks in the last 18 months (09/18/02 - 03/17/04) 78 weeks (37 - 10)

-----------------

Just a reminder that, our very own Brett Fishburne has created a
Project Gutenberg group on the SETIhome website
(http://setiathome.berkeley.edu). Anyone interested in using their
screensaver to search for aliens can go to the website, join the
effort and then JOIN THE GROUP! Brett informs me that there is now a
version of SETI for the MAC, so you have no excuse.




Radio Gutenberg Update

www.gutenberg.net/audio

channel 1 - Sherlock Holmes "The Sign of Four"
channel 2 - Robert Sheckley's "Bad Medicine"

Both are high quality live readings from the collection.

Testing of Radio Gutenberg audio books on demand is currently taking
place.



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3) Notes and Queries, Reviews and Features









A few thoughts...

Just before I pick up the coffee stained magazines and put them in my
box, put my chair under the desk and head for the nearest pub, I would
like to take this opportunity to put down a few thoughts.

Since discovering PG in 2002 I have made many friends and been
introduced to so many new ideas. I have never ceased to be amazed at
the 'can do' attitude of the people around me, the way that problems
become solutions, that people will drop everything to help in a crisis
and that people will send you get well messages from across the
continent and cards at New Year from the US, even though they have
never met you. Perhaps, I should also add the ability to forgive my
many spelling mistakes.

Project Gutenberg is going through many changes at this time, some of
which are well overdue. This will be a process that can be messy and
may lose people who feel that they and their ideas are not catered
for. Project Gutenberg should not lose sight of what it actually is -
all things to all people. This is one of the few places where you
really can contribute what you want when you want and in the way you
want. It cannot afford to lose that if it is to grow and become more
diverse. It does require people with ideas, inspiration and the
ability to look at the world in a slightly different way. I hope that
Project Gutenberg can accomodate these ways of thinking as it
adjusts to ever increasing numbers of volunteers. To develop and
mature requires the need to not be afraid of change.

Before I go a last word for two people who prefer to try and stay
behind the scenes where they can and without whom life at the
newsletter would have been impossible, so thanks to Brett and George,
may your beer glasses never run dry!

Best wishes to you all,

Alice





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Credits

Thanks this week to Brett and George for the numbers and the
booklists. Meredydd, Greg, Michael and Larry Wall, plus the newsletter
backroom staff (thanks Joel). Entertainment for the workers provided
by as usual by BBC 6Music.

pgweekly_2004_03_17_part_1.txt

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