Jethro Tull on Plagiarism

The song in question

On Craigslist, I'm not making this up....

I need help with online class. (Seattle)

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Date: 2011-10-15, 9:48PM PDT
Reply to: job-b3ktp-2652206124@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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I am taking online classes. I need somebody to help me do it. This is my first online class i feel a little bit overwhelmed. First class is American Government and second one US History. What you need to do? American Government: every week i get assignment from teacher you need to read chapter (book will be provided) answer the questions, write your thoughts, participate in chat discussions at least two times a week and do quiz. Quiz has about 30 questions time is limited 25 min. You have to be prepared. In the end of quarter you have to be abel to pass final exam. US History you just need to read whatever will be provided every week, participate in chat discussion about 2 to 4 times , four times a quarter lead particular discussion. There will be two final exam you will need to pass it in December.
All classes will be done by December 21i guess. And then new quarter will be started.
Please write me a little bit about yourself. I need to know if you are currently in collage or not. If you have or had taken similar classes online. You have to have computer, internet and be confident to pass those classes. Pay will be discussed in person.
Start right away !
Thanks

• Location: Seattle
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PostingID: 2652206124

Magazine Articles

On Oct 12, 2011, at 5:42 PM, DS. wrote:

I like the idea of marketing myself to schools.  However, I really interested in writing for local papers, and or, magazines.  Are we going to be offered information that directly pertains to that? 

Hey D,

I am going to include everyone in this reply, because it is a good question.  

I consciously skipped the “write for magazines” strategy in my book and class because 30 years ago, as I considered writing a book and researched how to do so, every first chapter said “write for magazines” to start.  I decided my book is on what is new, not what can be had anywhere else.  along those , lines, please google

how to write for magazines

and check out

http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles

But upon reflection, there are some things I might say, some new stuff in this fast changing field...

Forbes magazine announced in its current issue that not only is it gathering up the best of its writers, and the best of the internet independents and print in its hard copy magazine for mail distribution, , it will now accept articles from advertisers, which it will mark as such.  they call it AdVoice, I call it a mistake.  Both examples in the magazine are incoherent, the misbegotten result of an advertiser trying to write a story but not be an advocate for itself.

Me eldest daughter longed to be a writer, and made some good money in her tweens as a extra on the TV show bill Nye the science guy, which was sold to Disney.  she made AFTRA scale and then spent it taking summer seminars in high school at Northwestern and Cambridge.  Expensive, but her money, so I did not object.

Her high school year she interned at the Seattle Times, and managed a minor scandal when as an unpaid intern, the newspaper gave her a byline (in fact three).  the union came crashing in, and demanded she be paid scale for the work.  she then was.

She formed the goal early on of becoming a writer for the LA times.  She was warned off a journalism degree by all working journalists, so took a BA in Comparative REligion.  She learned italian to land a stinger position for AP in Rome for her last quarter of college.

She freelanced and worked and applied and finally got  hired at the LA times.  How happy she was walking through that fantastic lobby to her cubicle.  And then watched the staff dwindle, budgets cut, corners cut, and then the stress of a dinosaur dying.  

At the same time Gawker and others were recruiting her, so she is making much more money writing in essence, a magazine and newspaper articles, but for web sites.

So, what is my observation?  In my book I say compose on the internet for all to see, and it is a calling card and example of your work.

Use HARO, as mentioned in the transcripts and book, to get quoted in articles, and if you are worth quoting, ought you not be contributing articles?

So my reply is what is the goal of writing for magazines?  if it is money, Look at what forbes is doing, and wonder at the future.  if it is just exposure, well that is another thing.  if it is on the way to getting a book out, then my book covers that, examples thereof.

Catalog is King

Catalog is king in enrollments.  Catalogs may direct people to the website, but the catalog is what gets enrollments, and cannot be replaced.  At about $7 per enrollment (industry standard), nothing can beat that for promotion.  Not display ads, not googleAds, not online promotion.  As the catalog goes, the program goes.

Many schools are emphasizing the instructor do the promotion.  I've been watching this for several years, and I think it is a mistake for a couple of reasons.  The promotional means, facebook, twitter, blogs, etc are free, not effective.  People spend a lot of time on them but get no real return. Ogilvy talks about impressions vs sales.  Some one may have 20,000 facebook followers, but what are the sales?  How much time do they spend feeding the multitudes?

Now I see the technologies as a way of teaching, delivering content, for example, I video'd my live class and put it up. The students see my live class, and non-students are driven to my online class.  But that takes me no time or effort.

I am working on the idea of using youtube and maybe facebook/twitter for "critical steps" that is as one considers a critical idea there is a youtube to watch maybe 3 minutes long, and facebook access to discuss it... or a critical step like visiting a buyer, a youtube to watch and twitter support.

But as viable promotion, I don't think it pays.  Catalog is king.

Also, the school brings 2 or 3 very important functions to the deal:  In every case, online and face to face, the school brings brand.  

We instructors are unknown, so what people sign up for is "Orange Coast College course," that is the brand they trust.  The second thing is promotion, the catalog.  In the case of face to face classes, the third thing is the classroom itself, the physical space.

What if I am wrong about self-promotion of courses, and among the many people trying to do so, someone figures out how to beat the $7 per registration that the school catalog offers?  That information would spread fast, and be quickly adopted far and wide.  Catalogs would wither away.  Instructors would then start promoting themselves as the brand.  At that point, why do they need the schools?  Why would they share any revenue?  If they can promote themselves, fill classes without the catalog, then I think you would find these noncredit instructors doing just that.

The other part, finding physical classrooms for live face to face classes is getting easier as the economy leaves more buildings empty.

Again, I don't think online promotion pays.  I've been watching closely, testing myself, and it just is not there, maybe someday, but not yet.  At the same time, the catalog is an indisputable performer.

I believe, with the LERN organization, that the battle is to be fought with the catalog.  It is the tool for the job, and with efforts its performance can be improved, and I would refer you to LERN for that.

I'd hate to see, in fact I have seen, some programs get between a belief in online promotion and less emphasis on catalogs, only to find dwindling enrollments from lack of catalog effort and no increase from online enrollments.  I won't name names, but I can point out  half dozen easily so far.

For my part I formalized a hypothesis that online promotion will drive enrollments and tested it.  I'd like to see 100 schools do the same.  then we'd have a better idea, and act accordingly.  I say online promotion is a non-starter.  This means the programs are safe.  I also think if and when it is proven instructors can generate their own enrollments, then the programs will wither away.

Cherish and protect those catalogs!

A Challenge In Teaching

For my small business classes, I make clear I teach what I learned from others.  My courses are "how to" not "copy John."  A premise is each of us has something to offer, and it is a matter of reflecting on passion (suffering) and joy to decide what one's calling is, in fact.

As people get close, they want to know how the "how to" might apply in a specific instance.  "How might I teach poetry online?"  Well, I know nothing of poetry.  So there is a point when each has to take the existential step, alone, unaided, and risk a try.  Scary stuff, but it must be done.  Once engaged, the struggle is on.  But if you do not engage, then the ennui continues.

My Books Available On Amazon.Fr

Well, via Kindle...  so Amazon.com serves Kindle versions into France, Belgium, and Monaco, wherein people there can buy and download the books, but I am compensated via US$ remittances.  I priced Perish Your Publisher at the lowest possible ($2.99) and How Small Business Trades Worldwide at the regular $9.99, to see how they each do at those price points.