We’ve all heard the conventional wisdom that staring at screens all day is somehow bad for our brains: supposedly it destroys our attention spans, blunts our intelligence, and transforms us into technology-dependent zombies. But is there any truth to such grim speculations? Are screens really changing our brains?
Digital Content
DRM: To Prevent Piracy or Secure Loyalty?
By Meagan Nolan
What started as a clause in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 to protect the infringement of copyrighted works, such as movies, books and music, has blossomed into a full-fledged debate on who owns, who can modify, and who can repair the products consumers purchase. These products can range from cell phones and cars to children’s toys and ebooks, making it almost a certainty that everyone has at least one DRM-protected product in their home. The companies who place the DRM on these products can control who uses, modifies, and distributes the copyrighted works and products.
Pottermore and Publishing: A Look at the Multimedia Empire of Harry Potter
By Hope Levy
Harry Potter is a name almost immediately recognizable today in 2016—whether your first thought is of a lightning scar, the Marauder’s Map, or the volume of fans across the world who have for years celebrated the cultural phenomenon that J. K. Rowling’s wizarding world became. On the first day alone, 8.3 million books were sold […]
Buddy Can You Spare a Dime? (For This Excellent Short Story Collection)
By Sophie Aschwanden
Industry tradition tells us that short stories don’t sell. You want to make money from your short fiction? Good luck, friend! Publishers won’t publish it, and nobody would buy it even if they did. (Oh, and PS: the internet is killing off print media, so have fun competing for a slot in the few remaining […]
Start to Finish: From Idea to Reality
By Kate BurkettHi, everybody. My name is Kate. I developed Start to Finish. With the recent attention the project received in Publishers Weekly, I thought people might be interested to know the story of how Start to Finish went from a straightforward idea to the manifestation seen on Ooligan Press’ website today. While web developers have been […]