Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2013 October 28

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October 28

chess

this is not a question but could you pass it on. in the "Capablanca chess" article some of the "Variants postdating Capablanca chess" hyperlink to outside wikipedia — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.177.82.193 (talk) 01:41, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

That's not a problem unless there is something wrong with the targets of the links. Looie496 (talk) 02:08, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

I would say it is a problem. Per WP:EL, external links should be kept out of the body of the article except in certain rare cases. Most of those are when the link goes to a sister project like Wiktionary. That said, I'm not familiar enough with chess or the Capablanca chess article specifically to be comfortable making an edit. Dismas|^(talk) 07:14, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

The best place to discuss this is on the talk page Talk:Capablanca chess. --ColinFine (talk) 10:54, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Press conference

Hi guys!

How does a celebrity or someone famous organize a press conference? Who does (is it does or do here?) the job? What can be said there? Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 14:25, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

It's "Who does the job". StuRat (talk) 15:01, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

That would be a press agent's job. StuRat (talk) 14:47, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Our article on the press agent is not so good. Is there any website that says how to organize a press conference. Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 14:54, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Well, since that's normally the press agent's job, you would first hire one and then let him handle the details. I suppose, if a celeb wanted to do it on their own, they could rent an auditorium with a podium/microphone/speakers, then send out invitations to local news organizations. Of course, if you're a minor celeb, they might not show up, unless they are promised something newsworthy. StuRat (talk) 15:00, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Ah, so that explains why we're forever being told that "So-and-so will announce tomorrow that blah-blah ...", and then, when they do actually announce it, we're told "Breaking News! In a shock announcement today, So-and-so revealed that blah-blah ...". -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 19:12, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Sorry but, I don't get yer point. Am I missing something? -- said Miss Bono in a mid-class Irish accent. Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 19:16, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

I think Jack's point was that there's often a great deal of hype before a press release, to get people to pay attention, and the actual announcement can then be quite a disappointment. One example of this was the Segway Scooter, which is basically just a more expensive alternative to a bicycle, not "the future of transportation". StuRat (talk) 21:30, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Oh I get it. So what's the usual topic on press conferences? Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 17:42, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Whatever the person giving the conference wants to promote, or whatever the journalists want to ask about. Usually a press conference will be held either when somebody has some message they want to publicise (eg release of a new product or work) or because something has happened that they expect the press to be very interested in (eg some disaster or atrocity). --ColinFine (talk) 19:23, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

So, if celebrity A has a new product they can held a press conference, but if the journalists wants to ask them about that, they can held one as well and ask the celebrity to participate? It's to messy.

Let me see if I get this right... I am a writer and I've released my new book, I held a press conference for the journalists to be able ask me questions about it; but if I release the book, can the journalists ask for a press conference?

Also, if I hired --as StuRat said-- a press agent. Who will s/he be sending the invitations? The CEO of the local news organizations or the secretary?? Sorry 4 so many questions. Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 19:35, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

In the case of a newspaper, the invitation should probably go to the person who does book reviews for that paper. StuRat (talk) 06:56, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

A journalist would probably ask you for an interview, not for a press conference, if he wants to know something from you. If many ask you for interviews at the same time, which is the case regarding hot news, then you could announce a press conference. Obviously, prominent people with breaking news (deaths, terror attacks, murders of sweet looking children, and major disasters) will attract more journalist than unknown people who are just trying to get some publicity. Many things that look like press conferences are actually public announcements of a book, product or whatever. The audience in these cases is a mixture of journalists, aficionados, professionals in the fields and so on. OsmanRF34 (talk) 20:39, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

And an announcement that a new book has come out is rather dull stuff, so most of the press won't show up, unless you happen to be JK Rowling. For run-of-the-mill news, which is unlikely to get any reporters to show up, you just issue a press release, meaning you send them a printed announcement (or your press agent does). Even if you do a press conference, you might also want to have printed copies of the press release there, to hand out to reporters, and also send it to everyone else after (as sending them out before would reduce attendance at the press conference). Of course, emailing them out is the quickest way, these days. StuRat (talk) 21:15, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

It also greatly facilitates cutting and pasting the press release verbatim into the news item. All the journo has to do is put their name as "author" on the piece, and hey presto, cutting edge journalism appears before your very eyes. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 22:01, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Oh, just to say this; the question is for my novel, I am not going to held a press conference or something lke that. Look at me :D I am 19 Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 12:33, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

Just to help you with your English a bit, it should be "going to hold a press conference". "Held" is the past tense of "hold", so you would say "I have held a press conference". StuRat (talk) 14:19, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

Oh right! Forgot that. Thank you very much. Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 14:22, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

I should also mention that these days it's also possible to bypass the press entirely, and send your announcement directly to the public. If you have a popular web site, blog, etc., you can post your announcement there, or if you have email addresses of previous customers, you can spam them all with the announcement of a new product. StuRat (talk) 06:49, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

The publicity for the publication of a book is done by the publisher. I'm sure that the publisher will liaise with the author's agents, but it is the mainly the publisher's responsibility to get maximum press coverage. For a high profile celebrity book, a tour will be organised; this must be planned about a year in advance. During the tour, the author will be interviewed on chat shows. For any book, review copies must be sent out in advance. Press releases will go out with the review copies. Reviews are embargoed until the official publication date, usually a Thursday. The aim is to have the book reviewed in newspapers and magazines on sale at the coming weekend. A launch party may be held. Itsmejudith (talk) 22:07, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Agreed with all of the above (also see publicist or public relations), however I keep seeing Miss Bono asking about the so-to-speak 'motivations' and how exactly the person gets the press or the press requests the person etc. Something that needs to be kept in mind in many cultures where "press conferences" take place is that there are dozens or actually hundreds of 'media outlets' that is blogs, TV stations, cable networks, tabloids, newspapers etc. all of which or competing with each other sometimes even in cut throat ways to get the best story, best picture or best question in.

On the flip side if you are an author, corporate executive, actor/actress or politican you also are competing sometimes in a very 'cut throat' way with others in your profession to be on the "front page" of the newspaper or get the most media coverage.

Long story short the media that flock to 'press conferences' and let's say the author that is requested to call a press conference are both extremely motivated to arrive to one. It is a bit like asking about a newly wed couple on the wedding night, no big equation of social sciences is needed to understand what both of them want. The pressure and stress for both the 'media' and the (in this case author) isn't about "calling a press conference", that is pretty much just a given that usually needs no big effort to organize or request participation in, they are both "industries" that desperately need each other and fight for access to each other. The author sells more books and the media get higher ratings and sell more magazines/newspapers, the real "problem" is if media have no press conferences to go to, they want to show up and make it a news item. ^{Market St.⧏} _{⧐ Diamond Way} 04:08, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

Thank you guys, actually, in my novel is not a wrtier but a singer the one who is going to hold a press conference. Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 12:37, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

OK, I think I understand now. You don't want to hold a press conference yourself, but rather want to describe how a character in the book, a singer, would hold one. If they are signed by a record label, they would normally handle the publicity arrangements, much as a publisher does for a book author. If they were never signed by a record label and aren't famous, then nobody will show up for the press conference. If they were signed by a label, and are famous, and say just broke off their relationship with that label, then they might be able to get people to show up. Here's where they could either engage a press agent to make the arrangements, or make them personally. Of course, a press agent would know little tricks, like who to contact at each newspaper, TV station, etc., to get the best results, or that you will get a better turnout if you plan the press conference at a certain location near the bar where they like to hang out. StuRat (talk) 14:24, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

StuRat yes, I wouldn't even try to hold a press conferences myself... I am not that important, just a drop of water in the ocean.

I thought about that but... nothing came to my mind, you know... where they are going to hold it (place), if they arrive all the journalist and reporters will be waiting on the outside to start asking a bunch of questions? That sort of things... Like this:

So-and-so was enjoying his stay in Chicago, but the stress of the upcoming press conference was getting on his nerves.

Then I'd try to describe the work of the record label to handle the publicity arrangements and so, but my mind gets empty like a box of chocolat in the hands of Bridget Jones. Miss Bono ^{[hello, hello!]} 14:32, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

To avoid a mob waiting for the arrival of the singer, you could hold it in a hotel with an auditorium (a conference center). The singer could get a room under an assumed name (or rather their record label could), and arrive in disguise, well in advance. Then they just have to go from the room to the auditorium, with no need to fight a crowd on the street. StuRat (talk) 00:50, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

What's the difference between passion and obsession?

Are obsessions just passions, ours or of others, that we dislike? OsmanRF34 (talk) 19:20, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

See Passion (emotion) and Idée fixe (psychology). Dmcq (talk) 20:09, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

This would be a good Language Desk Q. An obsession indicates it has control of you, and you can't resist it. StuRat (talk) 21:10, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Contour maps and details

Does anyone know of an online free contour map of England please? Also I'd like to find an article on Lowestoft that is more detailed than Wikipedia's, if possible. --TammyMoet (talk) 21:00, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

You can find a number of maps by going to an Internet search engine such as google and typing in your query contour map of England. If you do not find what you are looking for, please tell us how the search failed you, so we can suggest other ways to search the web. 88.112.41.6 (talk) 22:34, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Try OpenStreetMap (http://www.openstreetmap.org). The "cycle map" layer shows contours. Looie496 (talk) 23:55, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

As do the Ordnance Survey maps available at Bing (select "Ordnance Survey Map" from the drop-down menu next to "Road") or at the Ordnance Survey's Get-a-map service. Deor (talk) 09:09, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

I had googled myself, but I couldn't distinguish between the free and paid sites, and thought the assembled minds here might be able to point me in the right direction. OS maps are usually chargeable, aren't they? I will go to Open Street Map, thanks Looie. --TammyMoet (talk) 14:13, 29 October 2013 (UTC)