tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post5558726540865852084..comments2024-03-18T19:00:03.047-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Everybody's E-Talkin'Leigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-28646672507904779412014-12-07T23:12:33.711-05:002014-12-07T23:12:33.711-05:00Hey BJ--better late than never! Thanks for the co...Hey BJ--better late than never! Thanks for the comment.<br /><br />It was great meeting you as well, my friend. We live too close to each other (one state apart) not to get together now and then and talk mystery writing. Take care!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-76199045948554069302014-12-04T15:23:09.245-05:002014-12-04T15:23:09.245-05:00I just now found this blog post, so I'm defini...I just now found this blog post, so I'm definitely late to the party, but I had to say what a pleasure it was meeting John in person. Sorry, John, but you were not exactly as I'd imagined...you were much taller. Here's looking forward to seeing you again sooner rather than later.BJ Bourghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05505709985250888132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-62608251699847772082014-09-15T21:08:24.272-04:002014-09-15T21:08:24.272-04:00Jeff, I think that's accurate. And the electr...Jeff, I think that's accurate. And the electronic communication between us keeps us up-to-date between conferences!<br /><br />I agree, Stephen. Thanks for chiming in!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-61508861338000980892014-09-15T20:58:50.499-04:002014-09-15T20:58:50.499-04:00I'm a great believer in social media and all t...I'm a great believer in social media and all the "new" ways we can find to communicate. I think it all adds to the inter-connectivity of our lives and enriches us. Stephen Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05594368159220033291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-33633138826233493602014-09-08T18:24:52.418-04:002014-09-08T18:24:52.418-04:00Right! :) I read somewhere that the conventions ar...Right! :) I read somewhere that the conventions are where people who hardly see each other fall in where they left off like long-lost friends!Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-13182340809807348362014-09-08T00:01:59.297-04:002014-09-08T00:01:59.297-04:00Thanks, Jeff! Meeting e-friends for real is one o...Thanks, Jeff! Meeting e-friends for real is one of the good things about Bouchercons, right?John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-57835683496488858082014-09-07T23:19:01.893-04:002014-09-07T23:19:01.893-04:00My Brother and I have lamented that we don't c...My Brother and I have lamented that we don't call each other anymore, we text and Facebook each other! But the 'net is amazing---a friend of mine reconnected with a High School buddy when the friend posted a film they'd made for a class 35 years ago! And, John, thanks for the kind words! Yes, folks, John Floyd is everything he seems and better!Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-54139061186668684462014-09-07T00:04:24.071-04:002014-09-07T00:04:24.071-04:00Rob, the sad thing is, if you collide with one of ...Rob, the sad thing is, if you collide with one of those folks, you'd probably be the one at fault.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-17903042822372313502014-09-06T23:47:41.113-04:002014-09-06T23:47:41.113-04:00Sometimes I am riding a bike on a trail or whateve...Sometimes I am riding a bike on a trail or whatever which is supposed to be shared with pedestrians and I find myself headed toward someone who is walking with head down in a phone or other device. When I get a few feet from her/him I stop the bike and wait. So far no one has walked straight into me but a few have come close.Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-25857897244100379952014-09-06T23:31:40.017-04:002014-09-06T23:31:40.017-04:00Melodie, we're glad (and lucky) that you are!
...Melodie, we're glad (and lucky) that you are!<br /><br />I suppose I should take the Twitter plunge. I probably need to talk with you about that . . .John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-18950121499001175742014-09-06T20:50:11.211-04:002014-09-06T20:50:11.211-04:00I remember grumbling when my first book publisher ...I remember grumbling when my first book publisher told me I had to get active on Facebook and Twitter. Now, I wonder what I do without the clever and witty friends I have met online!<br />For one thing, I wouldn't be a blogger with a regular gig on SleuthSayers :) Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-18382997242654963162014-09-06T18:34:14.368-04:002014-09-06T18:34:14.368-04:00You're right, Herschel--that would be funny if...You're right, Herschel--that would be funny if it weren't so sad. I seem to have a problem almost every time I try to do that. The other day my bill at Walmart's was $ 19.78, so I helpfully gave the cashier a twenty and three pennies. After receiving a blank stare, I solved this math dilemma by putting the three pennies back in my pocket and taking my 22 cents in change. John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-3306435299555927272014-09-06T18:20:33.216-04:002014-09-06T18:20:33.216-04:00Making change without using a computer is a lost a...Making change without using a computer is a lost art, or skill as the case may be. And it sometimes is a problem when a computer is used. I once tried to give the cashier a penny when my change was 14 cents. I thought it would be an easy thing for her to do. She had no idea what to do with it. I ended up with a dime and five pennies, one of which was mine. SadHerschel Cozinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097703750150309319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-69861594388157583162014-09-06T16:08:12.247-04:002014-09-06T16:08:12.247-04:00Sorry, I seem to be leaving words out of some of m...Sorry, I seem to be leaving words out of some of my posts today. I meant, it has enabled ME to find . . .John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-41561159487846318182014-09-06T16:06:17.347-04:002014-09-06T16:06:17.347-04:00David, I probably check email a hundred times a da...David, I probably check email a hundred times a day, and my mother, who's 88, uses a cell phone. Technology might be frustrating sometimes, but it's a wonderful thing.<br /><br />Liz, I find that I do enjoy Facebook. For one thing, it has enabled to find (and be found by) longlost friends that without FB would still be lost. And when someone says they're too old for FB, I tell them about the ninety-year old lady who bought one of my books at a signing and then, late that same night, sent me a Facebook friend request.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-64303892700424606242014-09-06T15:59:16.949-04:002014-09-06T15:59:16.949-04:00I have two BFFs, one I've known 53 years and t...I have two BFFs, one I've known 53 years and the other 40 years, and I have quite a few internet friends, some of whom I've known 10 or 15 years. I don't socialize very much otherwise.<br /><br />I love email, because it creates a record of both sides of the conversation. I have a small flip phone which isn't terribly smart, but it only costs me $20 every three months & I never have to look for pay phones. The keys are much too small to be comfortable for texting.<br /><br />Am I the only one here who doesn't do Facebook? An ex-boyfriend already cyberstalked me & I have a restraining order against him. My husband is on Facebook & I look over his shoulder now & then. His sister, who is 40, used to visit, call & email but nowadays <b>only</b> communicates through Facebook.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00239163766419735693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-59499326132833284322014-09-06T15:39:49.653-04:002014-09-06T15:39:49.653-04:00Right on the money, John! I love e-mail and elect...Right on the money, John! I love e-mail and electronic submissions. I have a cell phone, but secretly hope there is a special place in hell for those that walk around "sharing the facts of their life like small change on strangers" (Tom Waits). It's not technology I blame so much as the current phenomenon of "Hey, everyone look at me!!" that has become so much a part of our culture.<br /><br />And, of course, I read SleuthSayers everyday. What right-minded person doesn't?David Deanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005457506363262838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-63159555096562356922014-09-06T14:34:30.610-04:002014-09-06T14:34:30.610-04:00Well said, Bradley. Unless we're writing abou...Well said, Bradley. Unless we're writing about people who never interact face-to-face, how can we, if WE don't, be successful in creating believable characters? Their dialogue would look and sound--Heaven forbid--like text messages.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-10787367661842763592014-09-06T14:22:01.838-04:002014-09-06T14:22:01.838-04:00Good points John, Fran and Eve. I too love technol...Good points John, Fran and Eve. I too love technology - both digital and analog (wasn't Gutenberg press an advance in technology?) - but without direct human interaction, how can we pick up the rhythms, the nuances of dialogue for our stories if we limit our contact to online?<br /><br />Everything has its place - we wouldn't drive our car to visit our next door neighbor nor use a spraycan for decorating small figurines, would we? <br /><br />Email, SMS, social media is good for quick communications, but unless we are writing a story where the characters only communicate this way, we won't know their 'natural' voices, inflections and accents by that alone. <br /><br />To use technology to make tasks quicker or easier is fantastic and should be utilized. But to miss seeing everyday occurrences with my own eyes - the flight of birds, how someone raises an eyebrow or gives a smirk, how bricks settle differently on a sidewalk, someone who wears different colored socks - would be a dagger in the heart of that precious gift of our senses. <br /><br />To borrow very liberally from John Donne, 'No writer is an island, entire of oneself...Every one's dialogue and being enhances me, because I am involved in humankind.'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-9837718125050054462014-09-06T13:46:01.519-04:002014-09-06T13:46:01.519-04:00Fran, I've heard the same thing, about cashier...Fran, I've heard the same thing, about cashiers not being able to make change. You always hope that isn't true, but I'm sure it is.<br /><br />Louis, I gotta tell you, I had my doubts too at first, but smartphones are fantastic. I use mine as a flashlight, a texting device, a level, a clock, a weather watcher, a camera, an Internet surfboard, a voice recorder, an alarm clock, an email checker, a timer, a GPS device, a notepad, a calendar, and a video recorder. Now and then, if required, I even use it make phone calls.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-1269216874582777752014-09-06T13:30:28.140-04:002014-09-06T13:30:28.140-04:00Great post.
I don’t always comment, but I always ...Great post.<br /><br />I don’t always comment, but I always read the SleuthSayers blog posts.<br /><br />I don’t have a smartphone. I have cell phone and it may be smart, but I wouldn’t know because I only carry it for emergency. My greatest fear of cellphone users is drivers holding a cellphone to their ear while making a turn. <br />Louis A. Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16563842429688123421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-36409838389565774852014-09-06T13:02:57.957-04:002014-09-06T13:02:57.957-04:00I'm back again. Just have to comment on the c...I'm back again. Just have to comment on the cursive writing. Aeden is in the ninth grade and learned cursive right before it ceased to be a taught subject in SC schools. <br />Herschel's story about the girl reminded me of when computers became prevalent in restaurants and stores. It wasn't long before we began encountering young cashiers who couldn't make change without the computer telling them how much. Fran Rizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08655783035179620991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-87061141524444221602014-09-06T12:31:27.338-04:002014-09-06T12:31:27.338-04:00Herschel, I'm glad you mentioned the SMFS foru...Herschel, I'm glad you mentioned the SMFS forum. For those of you who might not know about it, it's the Short Mystery Fiction Society forum, in Yahoo Groups. A good way to keep up with fellow writers of mystery shorts--like FB, it's a site I try to check once a day or so. SMFS is a small and (except for me and Herschel and Rob Lopresti) elite group.<br /><br />Funny story, about the cursive-illiterate girl in the restaurant. I'll have to remember that one.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-34652031473619803952014-09-06T12:10:52.272-04:002014-09-06T12:10:52.272-04:00John,
As usual your blog is on the money. I share...John,<br />As usual your blog is on the money. I share your disdain for rude people who have phones growing out of their ears and would be lost without them.<br />Believe it or not I do not have a cell phone, (never did). Yes, it can be a problem now that pay phones are only found in museums. <br /><br />A newspaper article I read the other day told of a man who went into a fast food restaurant asking for directions. He showed the address which was jotted down on a piece of paper. The teenage girl shrugged and said, "I can't read cursive". This, while slightly off the subject, is (or should be) of concern about the state of today's youth. Every bit as intelligent, I would say, as any of us. But technology is taking a toll.<br /><br />E-mail, Sleuthsayers, SMFS, occasionally Facebook are my favorites. And, of course, electronic submissions.<br /><br />Thanks for another interesting blogHerschel Cozinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097703750150309319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-63461406823692306552014-09-06T10:07:45.370-04:002014-09-06T10:07:45.370-04:00Eve, I think email is one of the essentials of lif...Eve, I think email is one of the essentials of life these days, especially if you're a writer. As for cell phones, I once heard one of my friends greet another with "Hey, what's new with you?" The second person replied, "Yesterday I saw, with my own eyes, a lady driving an SUV who wasn't on her cell phone." A rare occurrence indeed.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.com