Scribosphere updates…
Posted on October 30, 2007
Filed Under Uncategorized
Just a short post to help a couple of brothers out… I’m a little late in posting this… I apologize. Just not enough time in a day and I do try to use as much time as I can… LOL.
Andy over at AndyCoughlan.com has created an outstanding little widget for the Scribosphere called the Scribomatic Widget. Read about it here:
Calling all Scribo-Bloggers! (Long-Version)
Andy has even programmed a configurator for you to blend the widget into your blog… Basically, he’s taken the time to weave in all the popular screenwriting blogs’ RSS feeds. It works similar to BlogRUSH but it’s not specifically for driving traffic or building traffic credit to anyone’s site like BlogRUSH… And to me, even a little better looking.
You can see what it looks like on the right hand side here on UnknownScreenwriter.com.
Remember Scribosphere.org? They want to me to let you know they they will be launching real soon… Probably in November? Let’s see just SOME of what all they’ll have going for the new launch…
- Built to allow screenwriters to get plenty of info from one place.
- Collective rss-feeds are doing in the home-page of the site.
- A nice place for writers to chat, through the public chat.
- A three month online workshop.
- Pro writers that will join as SPEAKERS through scheduled chat-sessions.
- Q&As.
- Podcasts.
- Articles.
- Videos with examples, etc, on writing.
- Scheduled LIVE table-meetings.
Yup… There will be even more happening at the new Scribosphere… Here’s a little more of our recent communication:
“On a more individual and serious level, there will be a goal for each and one of these participants to finish a first draft feature screenplay. Every one or two weeks, they’ll upload it to their own table, as mentioned above, letting the other members of that table read it (notice that only the members of each writer’s table, often consisting of 4 writers, will have access to these documents). Then they can chat, again within the table (there are two kinds of chats, the public and the table-chat), and express their thoughts on each other’s work so far and what could get better. In other words it will work like an online writer’s group meeting.”
Bottom line? I’ve been given a tour of the new Scribosphere and it promises to be pretty amazing. I’ve even volunteered to be a mentor or whatever you’d call it… LOL. Is it going to cost something? Yes it is but RIGHT NOW you can become a member based on WHATEVER you want to pay. Once the launch is on however, there’s gonna be a fixed price…
And just to let you know… No I am not making a dime off the new Scribosphere. No I am not in any way behind it but I have offered to help out when I have the time. Because that’s what friends do, right?
Unk
Comments
18 Responses to “Scribosphere updates…”
Leave a Reply
I’ve emailed the proprietor directly about this before…I object to the use of the term “scribosphere” for this project. An admirable project in what it attempts to accomplish, and I’m not suggesting any nefarious motives. But “Scribosphere” is a term coined by Craig Mazin to refer to the unaffiliated collection of blogs on the net that have to do with screenwriting. I just don’t think it’s proper for any one person, entity, business, or organization to trade on the name. It sort of implies an association or endorsement that doesn’t exist.
Dave,
I hear you on this and more or less agree that it’s kind of a cheat but from what I understand, the proprietor did contact Craig and ask if he minded using it… The problem? That was when it was simply a blog with excerpts from other blogs.
It’s obviously taken a different direction since then which is where the “kind of a cheat” comes in — especially when it comes to making money.
Hopefully, the proprietor will go ahead and comment about that and set things straight.
Unk
EDIT: I should probably add that I’ve actually had numerous communications with the proprietor and I’ve never once felt he was in this to make money. I do know he would like the site to at least pay for itself but he’s always just wanted to help out the screenwriting community which is the reason I volunteered to help out when it comes to teaching when I have the time. In fact, the site would have probably launched ages ago HAD he actually had the money to do so. From what I understand, once he hired a programmer, it just got bigger and bigger… Some of that was due to my suggestions as well as others he went to for advice…
Yes, the name made more sense and seemed more appropriate back when the site was a collection of blog feeds. I don’t think anyone’s out to cheat anyone or do anything wrong, but I really would have preferred for “scribosphere” to remain a term that belonged to everyone.
This certainly isn’t something that keeps me up nights. I now try to use the term “screenbloggers” to refer collectively to those who have screenwriting blogs.
Hey Unk, thanks for all the help. Highly appreciated.
Hi David. I understand your POV. The term was first used for the site that collected good screenwriting-posts from blogs around the scribosphere. I had the same concern as you, so I asked Craig about it and he didn’t see any problem with it.
Now, few months later, what will the site do? Still collect posts from generous screenwriters, around the scribosphere, and make it possible for more readers to reach them.
The “new stuff”, such as the workshop, are just extras. You don’t have to pay in order to use the basic functions, like the scribosphere-posts, only if you want to be part of the extras. And frankly this only became necessary within the development of the site. Both I and Unk know that the idea was to serve the writer for free to begin with.
Even as it is now, the kind of service and help the participants will get doesn’t compare to the low price - needed to keep the site alive and going.
In other words, why Scribosphere? Because the site is basically a place where the real scribosphere (screenwriter’s blogs) is the source of knowledge to the public and where writers connect to develop themselves by sharing with others. You’re in a writer’s group David, don’t you find it helpful?
The term is used by the site because you simply can’t describe what the site is all about without using it anyway.
“You’re in a writer’s group David, don’t you find it helpful?”
As if that was the issue? Nice bit of misdirection. Yes, I find it helpful, but more to the point: we don’t call ourselves “The Writers Guild, west”, for instance.
I’m very excited about the return of the Scribosphere… I’ve really missed it as a resource.
Unk, do you have any idea how I’d check if the “$1000 Film” RSS was being picked up by the Scribo widget… only, as you know, in the good old Scribosphere days, I was blogging as “$1000 Spielberg.”
I can’t for the life of me remember if all the threats of legal nonsense, sudden changes of address and midnight packing of postings, came before or after Scribosphere shut up shop for refurbishment.
Hi Clive,
I’m glad people are interested in Scribosphere’s concept. Even though not many have shown participation in the other functions yet…
As for the RSS-feed, it’ll taken care of, the feeds are constantly checked manually so there’s no fear ;)
Keep it up!
Thanks Scribo,
Truth is I’ve been waiting to see some activity, before committing. I’m probably not alone in that.
I understand and hope that’s the case.
Cheers.
I’m sure it is… and I’ll throw up a piece on the $1000 Film Site next week, mention it in a couple of my favorite forums, suggest it to my two mentee’s and also sign up myself.
Hey Clive, thanks, much appreciated ;)
Have a good one!
Clive,
You probably know this already but your feed was like the very first one I read on Andy’s widget… No worries.
Scribosphere,
As with any endeavor, you’ve got to prove yourself first… At least a little. I can say that what I’ve seen thus far was impressive but even so — that’s not going to be enough for people to sign on. This is just too small a community for that.
Get it up and running and keep it up and running… That will probably be the very best thing you can do.
Unk
Thanks Unk, you know how crazy my brush with Dreamworks was and I couldn’t think of a better way of checking! LOL
I have, of course, gone all warm and fuzzy at the compliment of you checking out $1000 Film first! LOL
I’ve also made a leap of faith with the Scribo experiment… I’ve made my donation and have signed up.
The way I see it, the Scribosphere has been an incredible resource for the screenwriter community and I’m prepared to risk what, after all, is a fairly small amount of money to see what comes out of it.
Unk,
I know and agree. I still have some issues though to sort out, but will get it up no matter what as soon as I actually can.
Thanks.
Unk-
Tag, you’re it.
“I still have some issues though to sort out, but will get it up no matter what as soon as I actually can.”
I’m just glad I was reading ALL the comments….
MaryAn,
When working with external developers, it’s not always up to you. The site is almost ready and will be up in one or two weeks max. Yes, there will be issues, but that’s why it’ll also be BETA. Of course basic functions will hopefully run smoothly and other issues fixed when discovered.
Sorry for the confusion.
MaryAn
Massive round of applause to you… excellent “knob” gag! LOL
We really ought to be handing out points for that sort of thing.