tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post7746939158023116201..comments2024-03-18T08:28:21.036+00:00Comments on Positive Letters ... inspirational stories ...: The Bible, Jane Austen, Stanford University, Voltaire, Project Gutenberg and Social Media – what do they have in common?Hilary Melton-Butcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-31842811292609114782011-10-04T01:28:09.914+01:002011-10-04T01:28:09.914+01:00It is all SO amazing! And I'm so grateful to y...It is all SO amazing! And I'm so grateful to you, Hilary, for distilling this information for me. I love the Wikipedia. I'm always looking up people, especially from the past who have passed on. Now I'm going to go meet Michael Hart, whose passing I missed.<br /><a href="http://anncarbinebest.com/" rel="nofollow"><i>Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror, A Memoir of Shattered Secrets</i></a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-2938912752679804742011-10-02T14:52:04.200+01:002011-10-02T14:52:04.200+01:00Hi Scarlett .. glad you've had one of those Eu...Hi Scarlett .. glad you've had one of those Eureka moments ... your kids must be thinking loads with all the wonderful craft work you do with them .. <br /><br />I'm sure their writing skills are pretty good .. I imagine you're a very good teacher ... <br /><br />Thank goodness for entrepreneurial thinkers - is all I can say .. I'm happy to come along behind sopping up some of the wisdom, rather late in life - but better late than never.<br /><br />Cheers - enjoy your Sunday .. and the week ahead - HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-19930343485843505212011-10-02T14:44:46.652+01:002011-10-02T14:44:46.652+01:00Fascinating information! You know, as a home educa...Fascinating information! You know, as a home educator I'm always hearing "have your children write every day" and I try to do that, but I've never really considered the benefits like this...to help them learn to think! happy to know we are following in such distinguished footsteps!<br />~ScarlettAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-54984064861448363612011-10-02T08:10:19.097+01:002011-10-02T08:10:19.097+01:00Hi Amy .. isn't it amazing that one man had th...Hi Amy .. isn't it amazing that one man had that Eureka moment - and at the time when computers were so 'open to exploration' .. and look where we are now.<br /><br />Well - it will sure be a technology lesson towards the future .. which we need to be on - even if it's only to have some understanding of, which we can utilise to some extent - while others grasp the future with both hands!<br /><br />It's a very interesting time ..<br /><br />Have a good Sunday and week ahead .. HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-6385652121651976362011-10-02T02:57:56.566+01:002011-10-02T02:57:56.566+01:00I really had wondered how it all began. Who dilig...I really had wondered how it all began. Who diligently went about making sure all this literature was available. Thank you so much, Hilary, for an intriguing description of how it all began. <br /><br />Won't it be interesting watching it unfold from here>amy@ Souldipperhttp://souldipper.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-5071494494604534742011-09-29T08:12:50.664+01:002011-09-29T08:12:50.664+01:00Hi Blonde Duck .. when that happens it will be ver...Hi Blonde Duck .. when that happens it will be very sad .. but I think for a while all will be well! Good to see you - cheers HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-52841929381328271652011-09-28T12:26:33.556+01:002011-09-28T12:26:33.556+01:00It's almost sad to think that soon the printed...It's almost sad to think that soon the printed book will be a rare obscurity.The Blonde Duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00085499120024055465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-32559299317430427032011-09-28T09:52:15.784+01:002011-09-28T09:52:15.784+01:00@ Marja ... thankfully writing was invented! but ...@ Marja ... thankfully writing was invented! but it is so interesting to see how we've adapted over the years .. and I'm so pleased people take the time researching .. as the Stanford Uni professors have done - gives us yet another dimension .. <br /><br />Glad you enjoyed the post and that sculpture seems to have hit a spot or two .. thanks to Wikipedia for it.<br /><br />All the best & enjoy your Spring! - HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-31234971022112973552011-09-28T09:24:43.627+01:002011-09-28T09:24:43.627+01:00Writing and reading is a blessing and thanks for a...Writing and reading is a blessing and thanks for all the people who have written, recorded information etc. Amazing how technologies has progressed and we can access so much delightful writing (and bad stuff as well) Thanks for your interesting article and love the sculptureMarjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17458942200244031009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-59845473063358529182011-09-28T08:45:55.704+01:002011-09-28T08:45:55.704+01:00@ Mike - I realise I left that out .. I don't ...@ Mike - I realise I left that out .. I don't know much about the Google books work .. but it's interesting to learn that you're utilising it quite extensively with your American Civil War blog .. I'd like to know more!<br /><br />Technology does move ahead rapidly doesn't it .. and again another interesting snippet of information about you publishing the report on-line - I wonder if they used yours as the original source?<br /><br />@ Sue .. thank you .. writing blind! Now that's novel .. and perhaps could produce a novella? I must say I use both .. pen and paper and the computer .. I write better using the computer .. I'm not good at sitting and writing things out .. though I do a fair amount of it. Something technical/ if I'm studying ... then I often do both .. <br /><br />Again you're right there are so many brilliant people who see a different approach to life .. <br /><br />The Brain Pickings site is well worth subscribing to .. many interesting pieces of knowledge there - that I'd never find in other places.<br /><br />The Stanford Uni video on Voltaire is very thought provoking and I'd love to see some others of the research they've done into letters of those days - Republic of Letters .. fascinating project .. <br /><br />Thanks Sue and Mike for adding a great deal to the conversation - have good rest of the weeks .. HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-49110439473636379112011-09-28T08:23:57.815+01:002011-09-28T08:23:57.815+01:00@ Michelle .. yes Michael Hart certainly saw a fut...@ Michelle .. yes Michael Hart certainly saw a future - thankfully for us he did .. <br /><br />Super-libraries - well thank goodness for both Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg .. we'd be back researching through books etc. I wonder what the reticence is .. if you look at the information sensibly and if you're doing detailed research presumably you'd need to go deeper - but here at Wikipedia is a good starting point .. particularly for the likes of me - who just want an overview of things. I do take cognisance of where the information came from .. ie American v English .. because of the bias, sometimes (inevitably) shown ...<br /><br />@ Lee - thanks for coming back .. and my prodding you has turned into a future post - it'll be interesting to see what we all come up with about are we writing in vain from your post. Pleasure!<br /><br />@ Munir - maintaining public relations is so important .. and I'm sure a great many of those conversations with librarians were very rewarding.<br /><br />Thanks Michelle, Lee and Munir - lovely additions to the post .. Cheers HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-18572637419897440362011-09-28T08:14:25.797+01:002011-09-28T08:14:25.797+01:00@ Clarissa - yes, you're an advocate of Projec...@ Clarissa - yes, you're an advocate of Project Gutenberg ... I hadn't spotted that they've made oral recordings too - thanks for that update.<br /><br />Michael Hart - certainly had a passion didn't he .. I understand that funding etc and re-organisation within the bounds of the recent developments of the internet have secured PG for years to come: well I sure hope so.<br /><br />Now that he's died unexpectedly from a heart attack it's a good thing that PG will continue on.<br /><br />@ Manzanita .. we used potato prints! I'm sure we had wooden blocks too - but not sure about the printing set. It is a long way from computers isn't it ... <br /><br />The Way Back: I went to see our Film Society film last week - based on a book written in 1956 .. where 7 men escaped from a Siberian Concentration Camp in the 1930s .. and their 4,000 mile journey south across the Himalayas .. <br /><br />Wikipedia has an article on it and some links .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_Back <br /><br />I'm just glad you're enjoying the book, Manzanita, .. what a will to live - yes that was very apparent .. <br /><br />Thanks Clarissa and Manazanita - wonderful comments .. HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-59408982155215669952011-09-28T07:13:52.868+01:002011-09-28T07:13:52.868+01:00Great piece Hilary, you always stretch me! I gener...Great piece Hilary, you always stretch me! I generally use a notebook and pencil in the morning and 'write blind' (ie without my specs) - somehow I think differently. Later on I use the computer to tidy up my ideas. <br /><br />There are so many brilliant people around, and not all of them are academics are they. I'm intrigued with the Brian Pickings video - <br /><br />Have a lovely end of week. <br /><br />SueSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09715879775216108688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-66492854773709754182011-09-28T02:19:15.829+01:002011-09-28T02:19:15.829+01:00And today Google books is digitizing thousands and...And today Google books is digitizing thousands and thousands of public domain documents and making them freely available on the internet -- which has saved me a lot of time in my American Civil War blog where day by day I'm posting diary entries and letters 150 years to the day after they were written ( http://dotcw.com ).<br /><br />Technology moves ahead and passes up many who have put in a lot of hours in the endeavor to share with others. Several years ago, I published a large (2 to 3 hundred pages) government report online when I was unable to find it anywhere except the library at a local university. Now there are multiple sources for that report.Mike Goadhttp://exit78.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-13894979077329263112011-09-28T01:54:24.282+01:002011-09-28T01:54:24.282+01:00I used to talk to a lot of Librarians when I worke...I used to talk to a lot of Librarians when I worked as sales coordinator with Universal Publications. It was fun and my manager did not mind. She believed in keeping good comunications with our customers. <br />Great Post Hilary. Thanks:)MunirGhiasuddinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05232362559666320301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-16706517023752048612011-09-28T00:27:43.189+01:002011-09-28T00:27:43.189+01:00Yes, I think I will do a post about this question ...Yes, I think I will do a post about this question about writing in vain--probably in November though since I'm pretty full of ideas floating through October. You made me think a bit more about it and I think it would make an interesting subject of discussion. I'll link to this post when I do. I've already started the post and put it in my November queue. Thanks for the inspiration!<br /><br /><br />Lee<br /><a href="http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Tossing It Out</a>Arlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-45578518260012192032011-09-27T23:54:02.489+01:002011-09-27T23:54:02.489+01:00Wow, he was ahead of his time.
I like the word su...Wow, he was ahead of his time.<br /><br />I like the word super-libraries. Wikipedia is one of my favorite sites, though many in the US frown upon it.MTeacresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381461599028233499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-85473245056981864482011-09-27T22:41:50.426+01:002011-09-27T22:41:50.426+01:00We've come a long way, baby, even in my lifeti...We've come a long way, baby, even in my lifetime. I recall a kids printing set of wood blocks and ink when I was a child. Now they get computers. I was thrilled with my press, though. <br />I'm reading the book, The Long Walk.<br />I don't want to put it down. What a will to live he has. Thanks Hilary.<br /><a href="http://beajayblock.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck</a>Manzanitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06467261212623663365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-13045644529095785562011-09-27T22:01:25.674+01:002011-09-27T22:01:25.674+01:00I love the site Project Gutenberg, I have been the...I love the site Project Gutenberg, I have been there many times. And not only do they have the written word typed out but they have it orally read as well. I think the man was very self-sacrificing and I hope he is remembered for giving such a great gift to humanity.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12160669603997465454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-52207861970277585192011-09-27T21:19:52.958+01:002011-09-27T21:19:52.958+01:00@ Sandra - good to see you .. thanks for coming ov...@ Sandra - good to see you .. thanks for coming over from Scarlett's blog .. nice to meet you ..<br /><br />@ Jannie - I thought you were putting songs down? and in that vein enjoying the process .. good luck ...<br /><br />Yes - you and me .. writing letters all the time! <br /><br />I guess ... they wrote to inform, update and query each others' thoughts - with more serious intent than our social media today. Certainly the world has changed in that direction ...<br /><br />Voltaire of course spoke French - but possibly Latin was still the main language, whereas England had evolved into Norman English - yet back then language was not as divisedly separated as it is now - and the educated spoke the languages of the time .. including Latin, Anglo Saxon etc .. <br /><br />Good heavens .. each minute of each 24 hours a day .. 48 HOURS are uploaded - lots of great stuff .. TED videos etc and this Voltaire one from Stanford is fascinating ..<br /><br />Google's got a few clouds - the rain absorbs a lot!!<br /><br />Yes - I'm fine enjoying our Indian Summer .. good old BB - Hardwick is wearing rather .. I hope he lasts the distance and doesn't disintegrate on me!! Love to you and to BB bigsy hugs .. cheers for now xoxoxox HilreeHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-21379266174380569822011-09-27T20:29:08.558+01:002011-09-27T20:29:08.558+01:00I like to think of people writing letters every da...I like to think of people writing letters every day, and I guess they indeed did! Very "Jane Austen," I think. Funny to think it was not for socializing at first.How the world has changed!<br /><br />I wonder if Voltaire did not like the Brits and other Northern Europeans much? May have been a romance language guy. He did make some frogs legs dance as I recall. And then maybe ate them? :) <br /><br />Speaking of daily amassing of knowledge, watched a one-hour documentary the other day on YouTube and how each minute 48 HOURS are uploaded. Wow! Boggles the mind how Google can store it all. <br /><br />hope you are well, Dear Hilary!!<br /><br />xoxo<br /><br />BB sends mutch luvs too.Jannie Funsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11595786402510366043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-90643899892598274342011-09-27T18:57:36.119+01:002011-09-27T18:57:36.119+01:00What a wonderful post!
Sandra EvertsonWhat a wonderful post!<br />Sandra EvertsonSandra Evertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03392505188707270313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-30084395479166252792011-09-27T18:26:30.089+01:002011-09-27T18:26:30.089+01:00@ Lee .. that's an interesting question .. are...@ Lee .. that's an interesting question .. are you going to post that over on your blog?! <br /><br />Do we mostly write in vain? I wonder .. and who will remember us in years time .. who knows - we haven't let the genie out of the bottle yet - success beckons.<br /><br />@ Susanne .. good to see you .. actually the thought of typing the Bible up would test me .. it holds a lot of information! Let alone the other 112! Do you vary Tolstoy with one of Jane Austen's novels .. <br /><br />Cheers Lee and Susanne - thanks for coming by .. HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-25015222493920705102011-09-27T18:16:24.769+01:002011-09-27T18:16:24.769+01:00Hi Hilary. Another interesting post. I couldn...Hi Hilary. Another interesting post. I couldn't imagine typing up 313 books. I can only imagine the many, many, many hours it took to do that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-9254898587641216122011-09-27T18:05:00.966+01:002011-09-27T18:05:00.966+01:00Technology has made it possible to amass so much h...Technology has made it possible to amass so much history and data and the information keeps piling up everyday. It kind of makes most of our own writing efforts seem insignificant as it melts into the accumulation that is already out there. Who will remember most of today's best sellers 200 years from now let alone some of the smaller print run books and publications. Do we mostly write in vain?<br /><br /><br />Lee<br /><a href="http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Tossing It Out</a>Arlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.com