Ask John Twelve Hawks!
A few new members have joined the site recently, and I have noticed that many of them are disappointed to have missed the live chats we have ran in the past with John Twelve Hawks.
While not enough new members have joined to warrant us running another live chat (though this will probably happen again in the future) we thought we would run a John Twelve Hawks Q&A from here.
So, if you have a question for John, please follow the steps below:
- Google+ or Facebook 'like' this post using the button at the top of the article (optional, but it helps us get word out).
- Leave your question for John in the comments below.
- Await the follow-up post in a month or so with all the answers
It's as simple as that!
In a month or so when we have a good range of questions I will collate them into an e-mail which I will send to John Twelve Hawks. Once he answers the questions I will post them on the website and send an e-mail to all registered users with a link to the post.
Ask away...
Comments
what kind of sword is used by
what kind of sword is used by the characters in the book?
My thoughts with social media
My thoughts with social media is both the participants responsibility and the responsibility of those who have control over the social media.
You use social media such as cell phones and computers willingly. If what your saying is inappropriate or questionable then it is likely you shouldn't use such open forms of communication to express your ideas.
But also the responsibility falls on those with authority who think the information is inappropriate to make sure the information is public knowledge.
It's pretty much common since that if your plotting a mass causality attack of any sorts, you don't call CNN or BBC to do an article on it. As it is best for the person who is plotting the attack to tell someone who is logical to prevent it or if someone hears it to report it the responsibility is on them. It's the same with sensitive information.
If it's information everyone with a computer or cell phone shouldn't know; then it's either to keep it to those who should know it and use discrete communication or the information shouldn't be there to be known anyway.
For example: We all have those embarrassing secrets that we only tell our best friends at the most discrete of times in person. Not on our facebook wall or make a video blog on youtube where anyone with a computer can find it.
I know this is not exactly what is what JXIIH is talking about but it does place responsibility on both parties. The best analogy I can use is you get into a fight with someone. You didn't hit the person but you called his mother stupid which provoked him to hit you and you reacted by hitting him back.
Kind of the same thing with using computers or cell phones or computers. You didn't mean any harm by blogging about how unfair American corporations are but you provoked such a stir online that now there is a social movements with protests and pepper spray. (I'm not sure if this is what happened but it's my best guess that it is)
I can also see where JXIIH has a point in that some of the information is one sided. The Collateral Murder video I watched showed the armed forces as the people in the wrong. I do not agree with the action during the event but I also don't think that the helicopter pilots were completely wrong in their actions. I could point out flaws in their end. But I can also see mistakes that I could have made if I was in their shoes doing their job.
Part of what is wrong with anything when it comes to information is that you only get 1/2 the story a majority of the time its rare you get all the information. The Collateral Murder is all one sided. American soldiers are bad guys and bullies. Does anyone who think that know what it is like to be in a war? Does anyone know the feelings of the people in Iraq who have had big bully U.S.A. in their backyard for 8 years? Does anyone know if the helicopter pilots were under any stress that made them make mistakes? You can't form an opinion because a couple videos give a "Poor Iraqi" speech or show people (far from perfect) making mistakes or even show pictures of the victims. That's not fair to the people who may have actually been attacking the Americans it's not fair to the Americans who felt attacked.
My point is that there are more then one point to a story, there is a right and a wrong side. Also there are different responsibilities when it comes to communication. With computers and cell phones it comes down to what the sender says, how the receiver reacts to it, and the authority in charge of cell phone or internet service to censor and/or monitor the information and to make those conversations private after analysis.
JXIIH - Over the past
JXIIH -
Over the past few years media has played a significant role in the perception of information by public consumers. There is Wikileaks and their releases, such as diplomatic cables or the "Collateral Murder" video that resulted in an alleged conspirator in prison (without a trial as of the time of this writing). We also have the Arab Spring events and before that the Green Revolution in Iran. In the USA there are the aforementioned Occupy movements. In all cases media, social or otherwise seem to be large contributors to these movements. However, with the requirement of a computer or cellular phone to participate it would seem like this situation can also be detrimental. Looking at the Green Revolution, the government shut down the cellular network; the US government influences ICANN, the political powers in China run the Great Firewall, in aggregate it seems things are getting stacked in favor of control. With even more penetration of electronic devices things look more scary, especially with there being so few tools for anonymity (TOR for example). It is not my policy to buy the statement, "If you are doing nothing wrong, then you have nothing to worry about." We all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions. With all that said, I am curious about what you think the role of social media in the panopticon, can you tell us your thoughts?
I wanted to ask John Twelve
I wanted to ask John Twelve Hawks a mutiple part question. If and when a movie based on his Fourth Realm Triology comes out. Will he have a part in the casting for the characters? And if so, who does he intend to cast for the main characters?
Such as:
Maya?
Gabriel?
Thorn?
The Preist?
Mother Blessing?
Vicky?
Boone?
Matthew?
Michel?
Also if he is open to suggestions on possible actors?