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You have GOT to be kidding (Traviss' NEW blog)
Posted: 2005-10-07 12:49am
by Master of Ossus
Karen Traviss wrote:
Angels, pinheads and inquisitions
I'm a bit tired of words today, so I thought I'd try an equation. It's about light and heat.
eW= ty x L /k
Where: eW = energy available (in watts)
ty = kilocalories spent in angry typing
k = opportunities wasted to do something useful in real life
L = length of the Super Star Destroyer x by systolic pressure
I substituted a few numbers in that, and boy, there was a lot of wasted heat and not much light generated. I thought about getting a heat exchanger fitted, but then I tried something different.
sb = eW x r /ty
Where: sb = social benefit to real people
eW = energy available
ty = kilocalories spent typing angry responses
r = real issues requiring action
You can see that if you reduce ty, then sb increases.
There are thousands of people in the world who would love to have no greater source of unhappiness in their lives than arguments about SSDs, GAR strengths and whether Han fired first - because they're being blown up by IEDs, or bombed, or starved, or being driven out of their homes by disasters and wars and any number of bad, real things. If the most upsetting thing that happened to them in their lives was arguing about Mara Jade's hair, they'd rejoice.
Passion about fiction is great when it's fun and lighthearted, or when it provides respite or sheds light on real issues. But save your anger about it - on both sides of the argument - and channel it into improving real lives. Visit a vets' home. Send our troops books. If the military isn't your bag, then raise money for famine relief or help an animal shelter. But whatever you do, remember what's real and get het up about that.
Last time people started fighting about how many angels could dance on a pinhead, folks got burned at the stake by the Inquisition. Those really weren't the good old days, believe me.
Or as Niner might say; save the fight for the enemy.
Anyone still want to defend this bitch?
Posted: 2005-10-07 12:56am
by Spanky The Dolphin
Oh boy, the Tragedies of the Real World defence. I knew she would pull that out of her hat eventually, they always do: it's like she's following a list or instructions.
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:00am
by Alan Bolte
So what's next?
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:05am
by Spanky The Dolphin
Well, let's see, first she did It's Not Real, then she went with We Should Use it to Better Ourselves, and now it's Tragedies of the Real World.
I'm gonna guess that Don't You People Have Something Better to Do? is next, although it's only a matter of time before she finally picks You People Are Dorks...
EDIT: Changed both posts to reflect the feminine: I thought it was the other one.
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:06am
by apocolypse
Good god, she's just making herself look more pathetic. Instead of her and Ryan just saying, "hey, we made a mistake", everyone starts pulling out "it's not real", or "think of the starving children!".
Yeah, sorry Karen. Sorry that I wasn't born in some third world shithole with no food or water. Sorry that my house hasn't been destroyed by a hurricane, and sorry that I stopped to think authors really gave a shit about what they typed. I've been proven wrong.
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:14am
by Anguirus
Wow, she's sounding really, really defensive, ain't she?
Why are the fans more professional than the professionals?
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:16am
by Xess
Well gee thanks Karen for telling me that my hobbies consume my entire life and that I don't care about tragedies. Fuck you Traviss
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:16am
by Master of Ossus
Anguirus wrote:Wow, she's sounding really, really defensive, ain't she?
Why are the fans more professional than the professionals?
The fans actually give a damn about the franchise. Clearly lazy bitches like this don't.
Really, though, this is about as pathetically as I've ever seen someone act. One wonders why she doesn't take her own fucking advice, but I guess we can add "self-consistency" to the things that she sucks at.
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:19am
by Jim Raynor
I tried thinking of a good parody for her retarded ass equation, but frankly, I didn't think it was worth my time.
There are thousands of people in the world
Look, she's a minimalist even when talking about REAL LIFE.
who would love to have no greater source of unhappiness in their lives than arguments about SSDs, GAR strengths and whether Han fired first - because they're being blown up by IEDs, or bombed, or starved, or being driven out of their homes by disasters and wars and any number of bad, real things. If the most upsetting thing that happened to them in their lives was arguing about Mara Jade's hair, they'd rejoice.
There's an assload of people in this world who would be happy to have some fucking food and see the age of 20. Does that mean no one better off than that should ever be angry?
Passion about fiction is great when it's fun and lighthearted, or when it provides respite or sheds light on real issues. But save your anger about it - on both sides of the argument - and channel it into improving real lives. Visit a vets' home. Send our troops books. If the military isn't your bag, then raise money for famine relief or help an animal shelter. But whatever you do, remember what's real and get het up about that.
What a fucking bullshit lie. I'm sure we can all do those kinds of things while we're slacking off at work, checking the forums before we go to bed, or wasting an hour between classes at our universities' computer labs. Every moment we spend arguing about SW is time that could go towards saving the world.
Last time people started fighting about how many angels could dance on a pinhead, folks got burned at the stake by the Inquisition. Those really weren't the good old days, believe me.
This analogy's so stupid it's not even worth responding to.
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:23am
by Anguirus
Well, that's one name I'll know to avoid in my future Star Wars purposes. Why should I bother buying her work when she's openly scornful of any person who seriously analyzes Star Wars?
And it must be awfully hard to lose an argument around there with that jerkoff Dark Moose backing you up by abusing his authority.
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:28am
by Stark
C'mon, it's just a myth! Don't you have anything better to do? People are suffering! You're all such *lamers*!
Consistent storytelling at such a premium, and people wonder why I avoid the EU.
Posted: 2005-10-07 01:35am
by Lord Poe
Hahahahahaha!
Holy Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and Curly. There really isn't a need to criticize her anymore, is there? She's doing just fine on her own!
Posted: 2005-10-07 02:39am
by VT-16
That is down-right pathetic. My god, how can she possibly get more defensive?
I didn't make any mistakes, numbers aren't important! Uhm, eh, THERE'S CHILDREN SUFFERING IN THE MIDDLE EAST! AFRICA! THE HOLOCAUST! HAVEN'T YOU GOT A WORLD TO SAVE INSTEAD OF ARGUING?!!
Last time people started fighting about how many angels could dance on a pinhead, folks got burned at the stake by the Inquisition. Those really weren't the good old days, believe me.
Screw that, let us begin the Anti-Saxton Purge.
The streets will flood with the blood of the unbelievers!!! 
Posted: 2005-10-07 03:34am
by Darth Wong
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the five stages of Sore Loserdom:
1) Denial
2) Anger
3) Try to downplay the controversy
4) Try to change the Subject
5) Emotional meltdown with a huge bucket of ice cream
So, she started by defending her inexcusably sloppy work. Then she got angry at the people who were attacking her inexcusably sloppy work (gee, maybe it would have been more constructive to do her work properly in the first place, or more mature to simply admit error and move on). Then she tried to downplay it with that "it's just mythology" nonsense. Now she's trying to change the subject to "hey, there are bigger problems in the world than Star Wars" (yes, if I were Lucasfilm, that's what I'd want to see; a writer who thinks the subject of her own work is unimportant). I imagine that she's heading to the grocery store to buy a large tub of ice cream right now.
Remember, being Karen Traviss means never admitting you're wrong. I also like the way she tries to make it seem as if you have to do all sorts of calculations to see the problems with her numbers, as if you need a spreadsheet to figure out that a galactic-scale "Grand Army" would not realistically be smaller than China's army.
Posted: 2005-10-07 03:53am
by Utsanomiko
So who is this twerp, anyhow? Some bad EU author who treats her work like a sitcom script, I take it.
Regardless, it's nice to see she thinks that everybody else has no defined boundaries between being emotionally-charged with their passtimes and being content & productive with the rest of their day.
In which case that begs the question: why the hell is she even bothering writing such a patronizing and angry statement, complete with uselessly stupid equasions?
Posted: 2005-10-07 08:29am
by Ghost Rider
I love these type of authors.
Literally in fandom there are two two types when critizied. Those who fess up and say sorry and this. These make my cold, cold heart brighten with joy because they are so much a loser and whiny bitch they must insure that no one dislikes their work.
Guess she doesn't like to hear that her GAR thoughts were on the level of a large modern army sitting on one planet...barely. I mean fuck, that's not even minimalism, that's just being retarded.
Posted: 2005-10-07 08:44am
by Colonel Olrik
Watts don't equate with Kcal(m*Pa), so she's obviously full of shit.
Posted: 2005-10-07 09:13am
by Vympel
Where is the debate raging currently, and who's waging it so that she's having such a meltdown? SW.com, the blogs, TFN?
Posted: 2005-10-07 09:32am
by apocolypse
Vympel wrote:Where is the debate raging currently, and who's waging it so that she's having such a meltdown? SW.com, the blogs, TFN?
It's still going on at TFN, but it seems to have slowed down somewhat. I think it must be combined with the blogs or something. She seems to be spiraling downward at an increased speed.
Posted: 2005-10-07 10:08am
by FTeik
Poor woman, to be harrassed this way.
Somebody over at sw.com better offer her some ice-cream.
Posted: 2005-10-07 10:32am
by Crown
Colonel Olrik wrote:Watts don't equate with Kcal(m*Pa), so she's obviously full of shit.
That deserves an 'OWNED' picture ... anyone tempted to post this in her blog?
Bwwwhahahahahha!
Posted: 2005-10-07 10:41am
by Colonel Olrik
And you can also remind her that energy doesn't come in Watts.
Posted: 2005-10-07 10:42am
by Ghost Rider
Colonel Olrik wrote:And you can also remind her that energy doesn't come in Watts.
Oh she'll just decry that being "Too analytical!!!". At this point, you got her ranting and raving like a five year old. I say grab your woman and a beer and watch the fallout.
Posted: 2005-10-07 10:50am
by Crown
Colonel Olrik wrote:And you can also remind her that energy doesn't come in Watts.
Takes hat off to Pedro. You sir are an Engineer and a Gentleman.
Posted: 2005-10-07 10:58am
by Colonel Olrik
OK, slightly better study.
I'm a bit tired of words today, so I thought I'd try an equation. It's about light and heat.
eW= ty x L /k
Where: eW = energy available (in watts)
ty = kilocalories spent in angry typing
k = opportunities wasted to do something useful in real life
L = length of the Super Star Destroyer x by systolic pressure
I substituted a few numbers in that, and boy, there was a lot of wasted heat and not much light generated. I thought about getting a heat exchanger fitted, but then I tried something different.
Watts don't equate with Kcal(m*Pa) so the equation is intrisincally wrong.
First there is the claim that eW represents the energy available in watts. Correct unit is Joules. Later eW is the energy wasted, which makes more sense considering the post, so let's call eW the energy wasted (in JOULES)
If k is opportunities wasted to do something useful in real life, when k -> inf then eW ->0, therefore we shouldn't do anything useful in real life (I think that explains her, actually). On the other hand, a SSD of length 0 produces in fact no wasted energy, that part is correct and no doubt explains how she became a scifi author.