Monday News: Romance survey, Adblock Plus unblocked in Germany, history of women composers, and bookish kid gifts
Survey Time! – Donna Marie Hanson has asked us to post the link to two surveys she has put together as part of her dissertation research (at the University of Canberra) on popular Romance novels. I have not looked at either survey myself, yet, so I cannot provide any details beyond what Hanson provides on her blog. There are two links, however, one for Romance authors and one for Romance readers. If you are both, Hanson indicates in her blog comments that you should fill out the author survey, as it includes some “reader preferences.”
An important part of my research is obtaining the views of romance readers and romance writers. I have been working on these surveys for a few months and they are ready to launch.
Now there are two surveys: one for romance readers and one for romance writers. Please use the correct link!
Yes. Romance writers can be romance readers but I have questions on their romance reading in the writer survey so you don’t need to do two surveys.
I think the survey can take up to 15-20 minutes to do. I do it quicker but I’ve been looking at it many times. So do allow some time.
I am also going to select some people for a follow up interview. There is space to indicate your willingness to be involved in this is the consent form. The consent form is the first part of the survey. – Donna Maree Hanson
German judges explain why Adblock Plus is legal – The German magazine Der Spiegel filed suit against Eyeo GmbH, creator of Adblock Plus, claiming that the company was interfering with the magazine’s business model, which they argued was kind of an all-or-nothing proposition. That is, readers would have to take Der Spiegel‘s online site inclusive of ads; otherwise the use of Adblock Plus constituted a “unified offer” to consumers. The court found for Eyeo GmbH, arguing, among other things, that there are solutions that the magazine could employ, such as asking readers to whitelist the site or keeping Adblock Plus users from accessing the site. Additionally the court held that Adblock Plus did not constitute “unfair competition” to Der Spiegel. Apparently this is the sixth case Eyeo GmbH has won, although appeals have been filed.
In order to be found liable for interfering with competition, Spiegel would have had to prove that Eyeo was “acting with intent to cause damage” and also interfered with Spiegel’s marketing. The fact that Adblock Plus clearly did have some impact on Spiegel’s bottom line isn’t enough to show “intent to cause damage,” in the judge’s view. The ad-block software doesn’t single out Spiegel, applying evenly to all websites.
“The action brought forward is unfounded,” the judges concluded. “The Defendant is not interfering with the Claimant’s opportunities to realize its market potential… Internet users have a legitimate interest in the prevention of undesired advertising, protection from malicious software and control of their data.” – Ars Technica
A History of Classical Music (The Women-Only Version) – For the first time in more than 100 years, New York’s Metropolitan Opera is staging “L’Amour de Loin,” which also happens to be the first opera composed by a woman to be staged by the Met in more than 100 years. Anna Beers argues that female composers did not so much bust all of the ridiculous stereotypes about how women were not cut out to be composers, but rather they basically worked the system, from the 12th to the 21 centuries.
Even if they’ve hardly ended up household names, the women in this alternative history of composing are, quite frankly, anomalies: people for whom ambition and talent coincided with privilege and pedigree. Many had musically influential or well-connected fathers and husbands; others had the support of powerful nobles. Changes in geopolitics played a role in their success, as did quirks of history. As Anna Beer writes in “Sounds and Sweet Airs: The Forgotten Women of Classical Music”: “They did not seek out, or seek to create, a female tradition, nor did they wait for a female teacher or mentor. They invariably worked with, and within, a male-dominated musical culture.” – New York Times
Festive Gift Inspiration: Presents for the Bookish Kid – I think the title of this article should really be “Presents for you and your bookish kid,” because there are some pretty nifty items on this list (I really want to check out the glasses case brand). – BBC
Ooh, those Anne-with-an-E books from the Folio Society are purty…
It’s perfectly acceptable to buy presents for one’s bookish INNER child, too.
Real blooper there BBC about Anne of Green Gables — Anne Shirley is from Prince Edward Island, Canada. She is a Canadian classic not an American one.