Check it out and cast a vote, if you’d like.

http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2008/07/08/8705315.aspx

I’ll be there anywhere from 20 minutes to the whole show, depending on how many people start calling in and give us stuff to talk about. The main topics of discussion will be Battlestar Galactica’s fourth and final season, and I’ll also be talking a bit about Galacticruise. (And for all those people on the fence, I must stress that you really need to get moving on this, since the deadline for booking cabins and event payments is July 1st!)

The show will be streaming live from BlogTalkRadio’s website for SyFy Radio, which is here. The call-in number is (646) 200-3642.

Also, SyFy Radio has a chat room running in concert with the live show, so if you don’t like hearing your voice (or if your voice brings doom upon all mankind… kidding… seriously, I hope I’m kidding!), then you can send us questions via the chat room. Or discuss the content of our show there as well.

So remember: this Wednesday at 10 P.M., click here, and listen to the show. Call into the show by dialing (646) 200-3642.

We’d better see you there, or else [[William Adama|the Old Man]]’s gonna beat your ass with a [[flashlight]].

Update: [[User:Catrope|Catrope]] brought up a good point… Those if you in way different time zones (such as those in Europe) will probably be asleep during the broadcast. So, to address the issue of whether or not you people can hear the show as well, the answer is: “Yes, you can.” All the shows that are on SyFy Radio are archived for playback at a later date!

Here’s my response.

I’m in an interesting position to look at both sides of the issue, since I both write fiction, and am the project leader of the aforementioned Battlestar Wiki.

J.K. Rowling’s lawsuit is very founded, given that Vander Ark is trying to profit from her property and her creation without permission. She did create the universe Vander Ark and his people have been documenting, after all. It’s hers. It’s legally Warner Brothers as well.

Initially, the Lexicon was merely free for all to use, since it’s all online. Like most, Rowling didn’t have a problem with that. And I think it’s wonderful that she used it herself when she found herself needing to refresh her memory.

And that’s because it’s *free*. No one was making money off of it, or trying to make money from it at the time.

However, once you start making money off something, particularly off of trademarks that are not owned by you, then expect to be in a world of hurt. That’s the way it has always been.

People like Mike [the poster on Rehak's site, not Mike Hinman, who I talk about below] have been attempting to make Rowling out as if she were the bad guy. That’s not the case. She’s merely protecting her work, her creation, and she damned well should. She created that universe, not the fans.

As for the Lexicon itself, it doesn’t seek to analyze the work at all, and is merely just a compilation of facts and figures. There’s some minor analysis here and there, from what I’ve read. (I’m not a fan of Rowlings or her books; I personally thing both are overrated, and needlessly verbose.)

Now chronicling a series you love is not a bad thing, since fans have been doing this in fan clubs, fanzines, and, now, the Internet. Hell I and others do it via Battlestar Wiki, but would I try to make money by selling a rehash of copyrighted material I don’t own?

No.

That’s called “derivative work”. And it is not covered under fair use law.

Now if the book were “Analysis of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Saga” focusing more on analysis than the encyclopedic rehashing of Rowling’s saga, then I would also join the minor cacophony and say “frak Rowling”. Since critical analysis is covered under the fair use provisions of copyright law.

But that’s not the case here, so Rowling is right. And it is an ethical and legal imperative that she fights against those who wish to profit from her universe without her both her permission and her blessing.

I will add that I’d probably be taking about this on my appearance on SyFy Radio next Wednesday at 10 P.M. ET. I did want to call into yesterday’s show to talk on my thoughts on the issue, but the phone systems were down for the last show.

On that note, I will commend Mike Hinman for being able to fill 90 minutes of content without callers, since the show is mainly driven by interviews and callers. He did an excellent job, despite the fact that his voice was breaking up near the end.

Yesterday he posted his first question in the forums as:

An apparently miraculous event occurs when a little boy (I’m blanking on his name: Derek?) is cured of a fatal viral encephalitis (I remembered that part!) after Baltar willingly offers his life in exchange for the child’s. Both Baltar and the child end up spared (thanks, as usual on BSG, to a kick-*** female).

David Hume (18th cent. Scottish philosopher) cautions us to be sceptical of apparent causal connections, and to be even more sceptical of reported “miracles.” So, given what’s presented in ‘He That Believeth in Me,’ should we say that a miraculous divine intervention occured, or just a fortuitous coincidence for all concerned (except Connor and his buddy)? And, a fortiori, what should we conclude about reported “miracles” in our world — both past and present?

People have already started replying back to his question, and he is actively participating in the discussion. This is really neat and a first for us. Because of his unique status we hope that you’ll treat him with the utmost respect when asking and posted questions to him. He is an honored guest to our forums. We will be laying down some in-house policy soon on how to deal with cast, crew, authors, etc. so they understand our obligation to them. (Who knows.. maybe more will show up.) He comes in at his own time to post, so give him the respect that you would give your own mother.

Also, for those who live in the Indianapolis area, he will be doing a book signing at the Barnes & Noble in the IUPUI Campus Center signing copies of the book as well as his book ‘Star Wars and Philosophy’ tomorrow between 11am and 1pm.

If you have any questions for him, head on over to the Battlestar Forum, register or login in, and post away. It takes about 3 minutes to sign up!

Further, we were linked multiple times in an article on New Yorker Magazine’s website. Check it out here.

This is just in. Mike Hinman moved SyFy Radio to an earlier time slot, so my appearance on the 23rd will be around 10:25 P.M. Eastern Time. It will last about 20 minutes, if not longer depending on how things go.

I’ll be talking about the Wiki, Battlestar Galactica, and Galacticruise. Also, I’ll be taking your phone calls, if you really want to ask me questions or just chat with us.

So jump to SyFy Radio’s website before the show starts at 10 P.M. on April 23rd by going here.

Additionally, I must note that this a family-friendly show, so I do want (and need) to stress that there won’t be vulgarity or mudslinging. Not that I expect any rational and reasonable person to do those lurid things, but it needs to be said.

So say we all!

Thank you Michelle!

Michael Hinman, the news coordinator and SyFy Portal Actual over at the superb SyFy Portal, has started an internet radio show called SyFy Radio. The show itself launches on April 2nd and people can listen to it both live and via the archives, should you not be able to listen live. The show runs every Wednesday at 11 P.M. Eastern/8 P.M. Pacific and runs for 90 minutes.

The beautiful thing about SyFy Radio is that people can call in or talk on their chat room during the show to bring up questions or discuss the show’s contents with fellow listeners. Plus, I’ve known Mike for a long time, and feel comfortable in going on his radio show. (I was offered to go on NPR, but turned them down because of time constraints — I’m by no means a morning person, people who know me know that I work in the wee hours of the night — and the fact that I was not comfortable with speaking on NPR.)

I will be on the show Wednesday, April 23rd. The show starts at 11 P.M. ET, as noted before, and my appearance will be around 11:25-11:30 P.M. I will be answering your questions, so feel free to participate. The topics of discussion will be Battlestar Galactica (Nah… Really?), Season Four, the Battlestar Wiki and Galacticruise. And anything you guys can bring up that’s on those topics.

The show will be streaming live from SyFy Portal’s BlogTalkRadio, which you may access from here.

Disclaimer moment: Do note that this is a family-friendly show, so no foul language, please, and no immature hi-jinks either. We may have fun on the show, but stupidity and high-school level immaturity will send you to a comfy cell in the [[New Caprica Detention Center]]. For food, I’m told they serve hardboiled eggs… or something similar.

There’s a brief error in the article that I’d like to correct, and it concerns how much FanLib actually pays us. While I’m not going into the exact numbers here, they essentially pay 1/6th of our hosting and technical costs per month. They don’t flip the whole bill.