Thursday, August 8, 2019
The MIT Press releases a comprehensive report on open-source publishing software
The MIT Press has announced the release of a comprehensive report on the current state of all available open-source software for publishing. “Mind the Gap,” funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, “shed[s] light on the development and deployment of open source publishing technologies in order to aid institutions' and individuals' decision-making and project planning,” according to its introduction. It will be an unparalleled resource for the scholarly publishing community and complements the recently released Mapping the Scholarly Communication Landscape census.
The report authors, led by John Maxwell, associate professor and director of the Publishing Program at Simon Fraser University, catalog 52 open source online publishing platforms. These are defined as production and hosting systems for scholarly books and journals that meet the survey criteria, described in the report as those “available, documented open-source software relevant to scholarly publishing” and as well as others in active development. This research provides the foundation for a thorough analysis of the open publishing ecosystem and the availability, affordances, and current limitations of these platforms and tools.
The number of OS online publishing platforms has proliferated in the last decade, but the report finds that they are often too small, too siloed, and too niche to have much impact beyond their host organization or institution. This leaves them vulnerable to shifts in organizational priorities and external funding sources that prioritize new projects over the maintenance and improvement of existing projects. This fractured ecosystem is difficult to navigate and the report concludes that if open publishing is to become a durable alternative to complex and costly proprietary services, it must grapple with the dual challenges of siloed development and organization of the community-owned ecosystem itself.
“What are the forces — and organizations — that serve the larger community, that mediate between individual projects, between projects and use cases, and between projects and resources?” asks the report. “Neither a chaotic plurality of disparate projects nor an efficiency-driven, enforced standard is itself desirable, but mediating between these two will require broad agreement about high-level goals, governance, and funding priorities — and perhaps some agency for integration/mediation.”
“John Maxwell and his team have done a tremendous job collecting and analyzing data that confirm that open publishing is at a pivotal crossroads,” says Amy Brand, director of the MIT Press. “It is imperative that the scholarly publishing community come together to find new ways to fund and incentivize collaboration and adoption if we want these projects to succeed. I look forward to the discussions that will emerge from these findings.”
“We found that even though platform leaders and developers recognize that collaboration, standardization, and even common code layers can provide considerable benefit to project ambitions, functionality, and sustainability, the funding and infrastructure supporting open publishing projects discourages these activities,” explains Maxwell. “If the goal is to build a viable alternative to proprietary publishing models, then open publishing needs new infrastructure that incentivizes sustainability, cooperation, collaboration, and integration.”
Readers are invited to read, comment, and annotate “Mind the Gap” on the PubPub platform: mindthegap.pubpub.org
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Cyntoia Brown is married and has a memoir on the way!
Recently released sex trafficking victim, Cyntoia Brown got married while in jail and has a book deal brewing.
—She’s Free! Cyntoia Brown has been released from prison after serving 15 years—
Brown’s book publisher, Atria Books, announced that Brown “looks forward to starting her life as a recently married woman,” and will discuss her life in a new memoir set to drop October 15.
On Aug 7, after 15 years, Brown was been released from a Tennessee prison after being granted clemency in January from former Republican Governor Bill Haslam.
More about her plight will be outlined in her upcoming book, “Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System,” which contains her thoughts and writing from the years she was imprisoned, The Tennessean reports.
“For the first time ever, Cyntoia shares the details of her transformation, including a profound encounter with God, an unlikely romance, and an unprecedented outpouring of support from social media advocates and A-list celebrities which ultimately lead to clemency and her release from prison,” a press release said.
The memoir is a “coming-of-age memoir set against the shocking backdrop of a life behind bars”. While in prison, Brown earned two degrees and started the GLITTER Project, (Grassroots Learning Initiative on Teen Trafficking, Exploitation and Rape).
Yona Deshommes, associate director of publicity for Atria, which is a division of publishing giant Simon & Schuster, revealed that Brown now goes by “Cyntoia Brown-Long.”
The 288-page hardcover book is set to cost $26.
Brown was officially released early Wednesday morning, according to a press release sent at 3:30 a.m. local time, according to ABC News
—Wesley Snipes snags a role on the upcoming ‘Coming 2 America’ sequel—
“Early this morning offender Cyntoia Denise Brown was released from the Tennessee Prison for Women,” the Nashville District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “Per the commutation, Brown has now been released to parole supervision.”
Brown, who has requested to “leave the prison and seek some time for privacy and transition,” says she will make no public appearances for now. She will spend the first few days adhering to the conditions of her release.
The post Cyntoia Brown is married and has a memoir on the way! appeared first on theGrio.
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Wesley Snipes snags a role on the upcoming ‘Coming 2 America’ sequel
Blade may not have welcomed him back, but Zamunda is welcoming Wesley Snipes with open arms.
Snipes reportedly has been cast in the upcoming “Coming 2 America” sequel starring comedic icon Eddie Murphy, who plays Prince Akeem. The movie is slated to hit theaters August 7, 2020, reports The NY Daily News.
—Mahershala Ali to star in ‘Blade’ series reboot—
The former Blade actor who recently was not re-cast in the upcoming Marvel reboot will play General Izzi, the ruler of a neighboring nation to Zamunda, the place where Prince Akeem reigns, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Also on board for the next installment of the cult classic movie is “Saturday Night Live’s” Leslie Jones and the legendary James Earl Jones. TMZ also caught up with comedian Michael Blackson who revealed that he got a dream call to play in the movie too.
And of course, Arsenio Hall reprises his role of Semi, Prince Akeem bosom buddy.
It sounds like movie magic is happening and we’re here for it!
The script was written by industry vet and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris along with original Coming to America writers, David Sheffield, and Barry Blaustein. Craig Brewer has also been tapped to direct.
The idea of a sequel for Coming to America was first floated by Murphy himself in 2017 when he posted a picture of Vanessa Bell Calloway along with the caption, “Coming to America sequel?”
The original film was centered around Prince Akeem, who traveled from his wealthy African country to a modest neighborhood in Queens in order to escape an arranged marriage and find a wife who will love him in spite of his wealth and nobility. Arsenio Hall brilliantly co-starred as the prince’s loyal handler, while James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, and John Amos were also featured in the hit.
—Back to Zamunda: ‘Coming To America’ sequel gets a release date!—
Reportedly, the plot for the second installment will follow Akeem as he learns about a long-lost son in America, so he returns to meet the unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda. Given the recent international, blockbuster success of Black Panther, there’s no doubt that Paramount is feeling confident about revisiting their beloved cult classic and appealing not just to long-time fans but also to a younger audience that may not have even been alive when the first movie hit theaters.
The original movie also made over $128 million domestically and another $160 million globally, according to IMDb so it might just break the bank the second time around too.
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Cuba Gooding Jr.’s attorney starts #NotMe movement after judge denies motion to dismiss his sex abuse case
Cuba Gooding Jr.’s lawyer has launched a #NotMe movement after a Manhattan judge decided she wouldn’t dismiss his upcoming sex abuse case.
The actor’s attorney is walking a fine line by throwing his alternative take of the #MeToo movement into the mix after a woman accused him of getting too handsy and groping her in New York nightclub in June.
—Cuba Gooding Jr. accused of putting his hands where they didn’t belong, report says—
On Wednesday, Judge Phyllis Chu refused to drop the misdemeanor forcible touching and sex abuse charges against Gooding Jr for allegedly squeezing a woman’s breasts inside the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar. Gooding Jr’s team filed a motion asking for the charge to be dismissed, Page Six reports.
Heller wrote in her decision Gooding hasn’t proved why the case shouldn’t move forward.
“The court finds the defendant has failed to meet his burden of setting forth compelling reasons to warrant dismissal.”
The judge did however contend that the accuser has “certain mental characteristics” that make it more likely for her to fudge the truth.
And it hasn’t helped that the accuser wrote on Facebook previously her “brain was one big fat mess…Some people are scared of others and want nothing more to be invisible. I am not that type of person. I am starving to be seen.”
Gooding Jr’s attorney Mark Heller announced that he has activated the “Not Me Movement” in response.
“After fifty years of defending innocent, falsely accused and unfairly prosecuted defendants, I am igniting the ‘Not Me Movement’ (#NotMe),’ ” Gooding Jr’s attorney Mark Heller announced.
—Atlanta hotel guest dies after contracting disease that has affected up to 73 other guests—
Heller has been scolded by Manhattan prosecutors for victim shaming. Gooding Jr has maintained his innocence.
At issue is video of the Oscar winner which appears to show Gooding Jr. motion his hard toward a woman’s chest and then pull back before kissing her hand.
“I am totally confident that when a jury of Cuba Gooding, Jr.’s peers assess all of the exculpatory evidence in this case, that he will be totally exonerated,” Heller said. “His case will be a hallmark example for the #NotMe Movement.”
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