Errol Lincoln Uys's Comments

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Commentopia -- Where to Find the Best Readers' Comments from Top News Sites and Blogs by Errol Lincoln Uys

Sep 12, 2009 | rating: 9.8 | comments: 9

in reply to a comment by Jim Swan

Errol Lincoln Uys Sep 13, 2009, 12:56pm EDT

Thanks, Jim. Delighted that you've bookmarked Commentopia! Can't ask for anything more than a regular visitor to the site. All best, Errol.

Commentopia -- Where to Find the Best Readers' Comments from Top News Sites and Blogs by Errol Lincoln Uys

Sep 12, 2009 | rating: 9.8 | comments: 9

in reply to a comment by Erin O'Riordan

Errol Lincoln Uys Sep 13, 2009, 12:55pm EDT

Thanks, Erin. See my comment below on the nitty gritty of Commentopia.

Commentopia -- Where to Find the Best Readers' Comments from Top News Sites and Blogs by Errol Lincoln Uys

Sep 12, 2009 | rating: 9.8 | comments: 9

in reply to a comment by La Lady Lisa Westerfield

Errol Lincoln Uys Sep 13, 2009, 12:54pm EDT

Thanks, La Lady! See comment below, re my thinking behind Commentopia

Commentopia -- Where to Find the Best Readers' Comments from Top News Sites and Blogs by Errol Lincoln Uys

Sep 12, 2009 | rating: 9.8 | comments: 9

in reply to a comment by Johnice R.

Errol Lincoln Uys Sep 13, 2009, 12:53pm EDT

Thanks, Johnice! Please see comment below, from a fellow news junkie.

Commentopia -- Where to Find the Best Readers' Comments from Top News Sites and Blogs by Errol Lincoln Uys

Sep 12, 2009 | rating: 9.8 | comments: 9

Errol Lincoln Uys Sep 13, 2009, 12:50pm EDT

Thanks to all for your Thumbs Up on Commentopia!

A life-long news junkie, I enjoy exploring the Comment Sections on news sites and blogs.

I became increasingly appalled by the torrent of hatred and bitterness, sheer ignorance and plain lies flooding such forums. The health care debate, climate change, Senator Kennedy's death, no matter the subject, the haters and spoilers, the ravers and ranters spew their vitriol. Words that can inflame the most intemperate of passions; words that can be plain dangerous.

Some site moderators do a good job, but too often the noise drowns out all rational debate. Many fine, thoughful comments on issues of the day are lost amid the babble.

Commentopia is in essence, a "Letters to the Editor" page of the Web, its content curated for balance, differing viewpoints and engaging debate.

We spend eight to ten hours a day reading comment forums of every stripe. We presently post 20 to 30 new items every week; older items are moved into archives covering our main topics: World, National, Business, Sci/Tech, Health/Education, Sports/Entertainment, Environment.

Commentopia is ideal for anyone who wants a quick take on what's being said on the major topics of the day. A link back to the original article/comment thread is provided at the end of every comment.

Commentopia is "curated" live and does not depend on an aggregator. That said, to my delight, Bob Diamond, a follower of Commentopia's Twitter account tweeted: "Better than most news aggregators, Commentopia brings you the best reader's comments from top news sources on the web!"

First time I've been compared to a computer! :-))

Thanks, again, for your interest in Commentopia.

James A. Michener's Secret Covenant (Part 4) by Errol Lincoln Uys

Dec 6, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 10

Errol Lincoln Uys Apr 11, 2009, 5:42pm EDT

Ron,

Your copy of Covenant should have maps on the frontispiece?

Try this Univeristy of Texas site:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/south_africa_1885.jpg

You might also query "Zimbabwe" maps via Google.

Any problems finding suitable references, contact me directly.

Writing a Novel "live" on the Internet by Errol Lincoln Uys

Dec 29, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 26

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 29, 2008, 11:25am EST

MJ, Thanks...It's critical for me to build a subscriber base that will make the project truly interactive. And, yes, hopefully I will be able to share a tip or two about writing, as in this example from the blog: Write What You Know

Writing a Novel "live" on the Internet by Errol Lincoln Uys

Dec 29, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 26

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 29, 2008, 11:20am EST

Sarah and Lacey, Of course...Writing "live" is relative. The working notes I've posted on the site were crafted on Word before I uploaded them. When I get down to the actual draft, I'm also likely to do some drafting before going "live." At the same time, I see an advantage in getting out of the attic into the public eye: An Attic with a View

Writing a Novel "live" on the Internet by Errol Lincoln Uys

Dec 29, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 26

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 29, 2008, 10:42am EST

Or a Kindle! See my Gather piece re digital readers -- both my print editions are also on Kindle. Readers are still high end for most people but will no doubt come down in price. The graphic potential will also move from black and white to color, a boon for iluustrated guides such as I created for Brazil: Kindle Illustrated Guide to Brazil

A Boy's Christmas in the Great Depression by Errol Lincoln Uys

Dec 16, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 10

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 16, 2008, 9:37pm EST

Sandi and Nora,

There are more excerpts on my Gather pages, as well as my website http://www.erroluys.com

A Boy's Christmas in the Great Depression by Errol Lincoln Uys

Dec 16, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 10

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 16, 2008, 9:34pm EST

Hi Sandi,

Donald was one of the former boxcar kids who responded to my son and daughter-in-law when they were gathering stories for their American Experience documentary Riding the Rails. I wrote the companion volume based on the letters and interviews.

It was quite remarkable: We placed a small notice in AARP magazine and a few other places asking if anyone who rode the rails had a story...We got 3,000 letters!

If you live in the Boston area, you can browse them at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington.

Why Amazon's Kindle is a Marvel by Errol Lincoln Uys

Aug 22, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 16

Errol Lincoln Uys Aug 22, 2008, 1:28pm EDT

B&W when displayed on Kindle, yes, but in color on my website. Amazon is working on a color reader, according to Jeff Bezos on NPR the other day -- two or so years down the pipeline.

OR? The Game of Choice by Errol Lincoln Uys

May 9, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 46

Errol Lincoln Uys May 11, 2008, 5:38pm EDT

Jen, only where I differ:

East coast or West? East -- I live here and love it.

Mountains or Valleys? Valleys -- It's great being on top of the mountain but the valleys are greener.

Country or City? City

Fly or Boat Cruise? Cruise preferably with no more than 300 passengers

Chocolate or Licorice? Like both

Coffee or Tea? Coffee

Soda or Milkshake? Soda

Electricty or Candlight? Candlelight, for romance.

Agrarian society or technology? Technology

OR? The Game of Choice by Errol Lincoln Uys

May 9, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 46

Errol Lincoln Uys May 11, 2008, 5:03pm EDT

WOW! What marvelous OR's? (Exclamation Point, indeed!)

Simple idea, really, but as everyone shows, once you get going there's no end. Face to face with friends, too, there's also no end to the debate or insights.

Thanks, too, John Phillip, for the simplest choice of all :)))

I'll post more every week! Enjoy the game!

A Photo by Errol Lincoln Uys

Jun 24, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 24

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 12, 2007, 6:30pm EST

Frank...Catscan.....Purrfect :-)

A Photo by Errol Lincoln Uys

Jun 16, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 8

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 12, 2007, 10:42am EST

Still in print with new Routledge edition...Karen, check the excerpts on my pages :-)

Movie Review: Blood Diamond by Mary F.

Dec 8, 2006 | rating: 10 | comments: 5

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 11, 2007, 6:21pm EST

Excellent review, Mary. I grew up in Africa and -- see my Gather pages - collaborated on Michener's South African novel. Very few movies can match "Blood Diamond" for it true-to-life depiction of current realities. I was especially impressed by the writer/director's sense of right and wrong and the absence of worn-out cliches about the good/bad guys.

The Spike -- Requiem for the Devil's Railroad by Errol Lincoln Uys

Jul 3, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 34

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 11, 2007, 4:30pm EST

Joel's photo is terrific! Easy to see the same scene when the Devil's Railroad was alive with trains running en route through the Amazon jungle.

James A. Michener's Secret Covenant (Part 3) by Errol Lincoln Uys

Dec 6, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 7

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 10, 2007, 2:06pm EST

Alison, Barbara and Judith... I discuss Michener's acknowledgement of my work on The Covenant in the post-script on my website:

The Long-Distance Writers

Biographer Stephen May (quoted above ) devotes a chapter to the making of The Covenant in his new Michener biography. A French professor has also done her dissertation on the authorship of the novel: University of Rennes Thesis

As I note elsewhere in these comments, I've laid it all out in my online literary archive and leave it to readers to draw their own conclusions.

James A. Michener's Secret Covenant (Part 4) by Errol Lincoln Uys

Dec 6, 2007 | rating: 10 | comments: 10

Errol Lincoln Uys Dec 10, 2007, 12:09pm EST

Thanks all, for making the journey through Part IV...Now for the plunge into the archives themselves :-)) Seriously, I believe you'll find them one of the more worthwhile writing sites on the web.

Thanks, Judith, for the kudos. I tell the story of how I wrote my own epic, Brazil, on my website. The Making of Brazil

That trek took me five years - alone. A year on the move and four years at the mast, every word written by my own hand in the old fashioned way, with pen and ink!

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Errol Lincoln Uys
Boston, MA

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