Want to write for USMB?....come on in.

[saveliberty]

I have selected a topic: Global Warming's effect on Jackalope Extinction.

 

[IlarMeilyr]

No, Bleipriester. You should thank USMB for the opportunity to write on their board. Are they making money off of you? I doubt it. USMB does not charge you for writing on their board, for providing Admin and moderators 24 hours a day. They are not paid by you to read your questions or complaints. Everything you receive at USMB is 100% free. They accept donations but they are not charging anyone a penny to use their Message Board.

On the subject of gratitude. I had no idea that writers could be so selfish.

You should have taken my post with a pinch of salt, man.

While it is true your post was bland, dull and without thought? A pinch of salt won't help it. It would still be tasteless and all that remains left to do is to delete it and write something else.

No, I just exaggerated a bit. Of course, your post cannot compete with the high value of mine

I agree. You are simply brilliant when you make up your mind to be!

But indecisiveness gets in the way.

 

[IlarMeilyr]

I have selected a topic: Global Warming's effect on Jackalope Extinction.

Short answer: none.

Once 'they' went extinct, global warming could have no further effect on them.

 

[saveliberty]

Might have to consider doing one on Hillary's bid to be on the two dollar bill.

 

[Bleipriester]

No, Bleipriester. You should thank USMB for the opportunity to write on their board. Are they making money off of you? I doubt it. USMB does not charge you for writing on their board, for providing Admin and moderators 24 hours a day. They are not paid by you to read your questions or complaints. Everything you receive at USMB is 100% free. They accept donations but they are not charging anyone a penny to use their Message Board.

On the subject of gratitude. I had no idea that writers could be so selfish.

You should have taken my post with a pinch of salt, man.

While it is true your post was bland, dull and without thought? A pinch of salt won't help it. It would still be tasteless and all that remains left to do is to delete it and write something else.

No, I just exaggerated a bit. Of course, your post cannot compete with the high value of mine

I agree. You are simply brilliant when you make up your mind to be!

Oh no. I am not that after money like all the human capital.

 

[IlarMeilyr]

Might have to consider doing one n Hillary's bid to be on the two dollar bill.

Sen. Lindsay Graham wants to be on the three dollar bill, sources claim.

 

[Picaro]

I know of very few oped pieces that were written without research and in response to current events.

The question is simply which slant in political views the author writes in.

They're usually covering topics and news reports by others, not original research by the authors themselves, unless you want to assert writing an opinion and spin on, say, reading the latest GDP statistics report counts as doing 'original research', but that would be a very loose definition of research in my opinion.

 

[Picaro]

No inflammatory and/or insulting language

This restriction would grossly inflate the number of words needed to express opinions, and also defeats the primary purpose of posting on message boards in the first place ...

In any case, 500 to 750 word limits is too short for serious articles, if that is the limit being proposed, though the OP doesn't actually state a limit on word count. Also, limiting the authors to biased ideologies is going to make it dull reading; most ideologues are nutjobs and half-wits with high self-esteem, and the bizarre screeds posted in the regular forums would be far more entertaining because of that.

As for 'pay', if the writers are good enough, they can develop a following first; nobody pays newbies just for typing out screeds, and if the idea takes off I'm sure if it is successful enough some compensation will come along later. It's possible that with luck it could be expanded into a 'magazine' style format with a number of columns covering a range of topics? Who knows; sites have taken off on far less content.

There are also copyright issues to be considered and how that is handled.

I disagree. A great writer with vision can deliver a powerful message within the confines of a 500 word article. Some of the best messages are not filled with many eloquent words. They are brief and focused like a magnifying glass reflecting the sun onto a page. The words begin to burn with the passion of the author and focus the readers heart onto the message. They invoke a reaction, perhaps even a revolting one but nevertheless, more words are not what makes a great story. Content, imagination, ability to write from one's own heart. As Einstein once said, Imagination is greater than knowledge. Any educated person can write an article. But can they write?

A writer writes to put on a page what is in the heart. It's not a job! It's a passion! Pay has nothing to do with writing. If you are accepted? It's an honor. Do not be blind to the purpose of writing. It's not for a paycheck! It's for making history!

I didn't say it was, just that the owners of the board obviously want to expand the site and increase both hits and readership, and if they run ads along with the articles they wouldn't be adverse at all if the articles generated some income from pay-for-clicks from the ads; it's not much, as anybody who is familiar with how ad rates are priced these days, which is why I pointed out paying writers at the beginning is not feasible in the least, and may never be, but then who knows what the case may be later on?

If they do manage to generate some meaningful revenue they certainly wouldn't mind at all paying at least a token honorarium to writers who do well at generating outside interest on a consistent basis to keep them around and writing. You're assuming the owners are opposed to paying something if they end up making something, which of course is a wrong assumption, and in fact may be why they want to try this scheme out in the first place; it's called 'entrepreneurship' and shooting for self-sufficiency. I would be surprised if they were even breaking even on this forum, much less being able to pay themselves even a token salary for all the hours that have to put in on operating these forums.

 

[longknife]

Looks like the OP is ignoring all this tripe.

 

[saveliberty]

I can write an Obituary on the whole idea.

 

[Dante]

Good point. Isn´t that page about making money? So easy for the owner as he does not even have to provide content. It´s even going further. Those providing the content even generate cash by consuming his ads - so do the readers. I should charge USMB 50 Cent for each post I make.

Jaron, is it really you??

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/opinion/20lanier.html

 

[Dante]

On the subject of gratitude. I had no idea that writers could be so selfish.

You should have taken my post with a pinch of salt, man.

edit: 'grain of salt'

 

[Bleipriester]

On the subject of gratitude. I had no idea that writers could be so selfish.

You should have taken my post with a pinch of salt, man.

edit: 'grain of salt'

I prefer the pinch

 

[Dante]

On the subject of gratitude. I had no idea that writers could be so selfish.

You should have taken my post with a pinch of salt, man.

edit: 'grain of salt'

I prefer the pinch

idiots misuse of idioms? What else will usmb give us?

 

[Picaro]

On the subject of gratitude. I had no idea that writers could be so selfish.

You should have taken my post with a pinch of salt, man.

edit: 'grain of salt'

I prefer the pinch

idiots misuse of idioms? What else will usmb give us?

Some in the Peanut Gallery may be curious as to what exactly a 'grain' is. It varies from one system of weights and measures to another, but it is, in fact, about a pinch's worth as far as cookery goes.

Apothecaries' system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

'Pinch' is more 'melodic' as a word choice than 'grain', and preferred by the more literate of the population as an allusion over 'grain', which is a rather harsh sounding word.

 

[Shrimpbox]

Why do the mods have to ask for volunteers to do a blog of some kind? They know who can write and who is serious, how else are they going to make their selections? Why don't the mods send out invites to the best and the brightest and stop looking for cover. I can think,of two right now.

Foxfyre
Flopper .......

 

[Shrimpbox]

Or better yet, hundreds of people post things everyday. Select a half dozen or so of,the best posts each week and put them on the front page. These are things that are written with passion and often much research. They can be edited for any insults and personal attacks. Ck and company can promote diversity of topics and promote the website organically instead of copying the status quo. There really are a lot of talented people on here who are not rewarded for their productivity but rather beat down by trolls, so they retreat instead of contribute. CK, let your freak flag fly.

 

[Bleipriester]

Or better yet, hundreds of people post things everyday. Select a half dozen or so of,the best posts each week and put them on the front page. These are things that are written with passion and often much research. They can be edited for any insults and personal attacks. Ck and company can promote diversity of topics and promote the website organically instead of copying the status quo. There really are a lot of talented people on here who are not rewarded for their productivity but rather beat down by trolls, so they retreat instead of contribute. CK, let your freak flag fly.

Why should they? What an effort! And the initiators want example writings to review, anyway.

 

[Dante]

Picaro

On the subject of gratitude. I had no idea that writers could be so selfish.

You should have taken my post with a pinch of salt, man.

edit: 'grain of salt'

I prefer the pinch

idiots misuse of idioms? What else will usmb give us?

Some in the Peanut Gallery may be curious as to what exactly a 'grain' is. It varies from one system of weights and measures to another, but it is, in fact, about a pinch's worth as far as cookery goes.

Apothecaries' system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

'Pinch' is more 'melodic' as a word choice than 'grain', and preferred by the more literate of the population as an allusion over 'grain', which is a rather harsh sounding word.

I suspect many in the Peanut Gallery are all too familiar with crockery to go with cookery, as they are usually full of crock.


I know the Brits across the pond prefer pinch over grain. As far as being melodic? Is there any scientific consensus ( ) on what constitutes sounding melodic? Is there any scientific consensus on what constitutes a harsh sound, any scientific consensus on what constitutes being more literate?

Were we speaking of idiom, metaphor, or using an idiom as a metaphor? Enquiring (not inquiring) minds want to know

the smallest unit of weight in most systems, originally determined by the weight of a plump grain of wheat. In the U.S. and British systems, as in avoirdupois, troy, and apothecaries' weights, the grain is identical. In an avoirdupois ounce there are 437.5 grains; in the troy and apothecaries' ounces there are 480 grains (one grain equals 0.0648 gram). the definition of grain​

 

[Wake]

You know, I might be interested CK.

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