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On Readers' Radar
Social media expands discoverability options for self-published authors
It's a great time to think about leveling the playing field between established and new authors.Self-published authors may not have the publicity and distribution apparatus of a major publishing house, but as social media has evolved they are finding more ways than ever to garner new readers. A range of new services from book-centric companies like Goodreads and Amazon, developments from Facebook and Twitter, and a handful of apps are making it easier for authors to be discovered by new readers and to grow their audience.
The book market has become increasingly competitive in recent years—350,000 new print titles were published in 2011, up about 61% from a decade before, according to research firm Bowker. This makes it difficult for any author, especially a self-published one without a publicity team, to stand out from the crowd. But by using social media tools, self-published authors are finding they can go it alone and still discover a passionate audience.
"It's such a great time to be thinking about publishing and leveling the playing field between established authors and new authors—all those same tools are available to anyone who wants to participate in offering their content," says Libby Johnson McKee, general manager of independent publishing for Amazon.
Few companies have worked as aggressively as Amazon to help self-published authors promote and sell their books. The retailer's CreateSpace was the largest self-publishing company in 2011, releasing 57,602 titles (the next largest, AuthorSolutions and its various imprints, came out with 41,605 titles).
In addition to CreateSpace, Amazon has been boosting its investment in Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), its e-book publishing arm, to help self-published authors improve their discoverability. At the end of November, the company announced that it would be adding an additional $1.5 million into its KDP Select fund. The program allows authors to offer their books, or their entire catalogues, for free for a limited period, with the agreement that for 90 days thereafter they will sell their e-books exclusively on Kindle.Books distributed through the Select program are also available in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, where Amazon Prime members with Kindles can borrow any book for free for one month. These kinds of giveaways can be valuable to authors seeking ways to generate interest in their works and give new readers a reason to take a chance on them.
"KDP Select is good for authors," says Anna Hess, the author of 17 e-books on homesteading, including the 12-part Weekend Homesteader series. "Using that program, I'm able to get on Amazon's Top 100 Free list from time to time when I do book giveaways, and that really broadens my audience and brings new readers to the books that aren't free."
Hess and her coauthor husband had first sold their books through their Web site, www.waldeneffect.org, but after moving fewer than 300 copies, decided to try distributing through KDP. They soon saw results and self-published several more books the same way. The brisk sales caught the eye of Skyhorse Publishing, which is now publishing the Weekend Homesteader set, broken into monthly installments priced at 99 cents each.
"Selling books for 99 cents encourages many readers to take a chance on an unknown author, spreading my name further," says Hess. She's now selling about 4,000 e-books a month.
Social book recommendation site Goodreads also encourages authors to give away free copies of their books through its Author Program, in order to help generate a larger audience.
"It can just be 10 to 20 copies, but your goal is to get people reviewing the book and adding it to their shelves," says Patrick Brown, community manager at Goodreads.
Giving a handful of books to readers interested in the same genre makes it likely they will add it to their "To Read" shelf, increasing the likelihood they will review it as well, thus giving it more exposure to Goodreads' community of 12 million members. Brown points to the success story of Colleen Hoover's Slammed. She self-published the novel in January 2012 to little fanfare and generated scant publicity. But in late February and early March, she began promoting the book through giveaways, gaining a few reviews.
This, combined with Hoover's direct outreach to bloggers in her genre, led to a number of blog reviews in March. She spread the word about these reviews and kept her Goodreads fans updated on new announcements, character interviews, and teasers, and by late April, Goodreads' Recommendation Engine had picked up the book. By August it was a New York Times e-book bestseller and was bought by Simon & Schuster, thanks in part to those initial giveaways that first gave readers a reason to take a chance on Hoover's work."New authors have to compete against established authors, and the only way to do that most of the time is, 'You can try my stuff for free,'" says Scott Sigler, who had success as a self-published science fiction author and podcast pioneer, offering entire audiobooks to listeners at no cost. He now publishes under his own Dark Overlord Media publishing imprint. "It adds to the discoverability, and it takes away that fear of loss."
Sigler sees the offering of freebies as the opening to a potentially years-long relationship with new fans. He points to Cory Doctorow and David Wellington as examples of other authors who help expand their audiences by offering free content.
"If you like it, great; if you don't, you were going to buy Stephen King anyway so go ahead and do that," Sigler says.
But while these types of promotions can generate a burst in readership, discoverability is about more than price. David Vyorst, cofounder of Relay Station Social Media, which works with authors to help enhance their self-marketing and social media efforts, urges authors to take what he calls a "programmatic approach" to reaching new readers. "[With] a lot of the authors we talk to, we've found that we have to back up and explain social media 101," he says. "For authors, the objective is to sell more books, but also to raise their profile among an audience."
Authors should begin with a clear understanding of whom they want to reach, according to Vyorst. He recommends listening in on what people are talking about in the markets where the authors' books might appeal.
"Monitor blogs, know who the players are, build a Twitter list, befriend people on Facebook, connect with people on LinkedIn, to get a sense of who these people are and what they're doing," says Vyorst.
Vyorst has partnered with Diane Mancher, owner of One Potata Productions and cofounder of the Self-Publishing Expo, to offer a suite of social media products specifically designed for authors looking to expand their discoverability. The suite will be released in spring of next year. It will teach authors how to build their Twitter and Facebook lists and expand their social media influence.
Sometimes knowing where to look for potential readers may be obvious, but at other times it requires a little more art than science. While the author of a gardening book might reach out to other gardeners, a literary fiction writer has to get more creative in deciding whom to target, comparing the book's themes to similarly themed fiction rather than to genre or subject matter. Dan Blank, founder of WeGrowMedia.com, a company dedicated to helping publishers and authors build their audiences, suggests that authors even look at which phrases are underlined most frequently in Kindle.
"What you notice when you look at that is the messages that really connect with an audience," he says.
For authors, making themselves and the subject matter of their books easy to find is important as well. Joining the main social media platforms and ensuring that keywords and tags are used, even including the names of authors with similar sensibilities, for blog posts, as well as Instagram and Pinterest postings, will help boost an author's chances of being stumbled upon by a Googling reader.
Amazon has been enhancing its own metadata search tools so that when a reader searches a title, category, or keyword, the search engine looks inside the book, as well as at its title and author name. This includes, of course, the "Search Inside" option, which Amazon recently enhanced to make it a discoverable part of its search results.
"It's like SEO on steroids," says McKee.
While authors want to think about their audiences in broad demographic or psychographic terms, Blank suggests categorizing them into specific groups, locations, and Web sites, where those readers can be found and connected with directly.
He gives the example of an exercise he did at the Self-Publishing Book Expo in midtown Manhattan, where he was getting vague answers to the question of "Who is your audience?" Blank asked the authors in attendance to instead imagine that he would give them $10,000 if, in one hour, each author could find five strangers who wanted to read the author's book.
"You start thinking practically—'I'm on 47th Street, do I run uptown or downtown because of the stores that are there? What lobbies would I stand in? What section of a bookstore would I stand in?'" asks Blank. The same can be done with locatability online. Adrienne Graham, the author of six self-published books about women and business, and the CEO of consultancy Empower Me! Corp., followed this approach. She has promoted her most recent book, No! You Can't Pick My Brain, by setting up speaking engagements and webinars with women's networking groups like Atlanta Women Entrepreneurs and 85 Broads and developing relationships with other business writers covering similar topics.
"The biggest blessing from that was that it was other people talking about my book instead of me going in and promoting it myself—I had social proof," says Graham.
Keeping new readers engaged and reaching new ones requires an active approach to social media, with frequent updates and new content.
"It's a way of life—posting updates on Facebook, Tweeting things. If you're going to be part of the online community, you can't just throw a few things out there," says Sigler. "It's consistently participating in those spaces, over a long period of time, that's going to wind up producing results."
He adds that this is not as daunting as it might sound to self-publishing authors, who have other things to worry about, such as writing more books. Using settings on social media sites and services like Tweetdeck and Hootsuite, authors can reach multiple platforms and multiple accounts with tweets, status updates, and posts.
As far as the content itself, Vyorst suggests a rough ratio of 25% useful information and interesting articles; 25% reposts, reshares, and retweets; 25% replies and comments; 10% questions; and 15% shameless self-promotion.
As an author posts new content and continues these outreach efforts, he or she should also be tracking what is working and what is not—taking into account the content, the platform, and even the time a blog is posted or an e-mail sent. For a more broad social media dashboard and analytics offerings, Vyorst recommends Social Mention, Google Analytics, or Sprout Social.
This type of performance tracking has become more essential for authors who are actually spending money on self-directed ad campaigns. Facebook Pages allows authors to send out ad messages to very specific geographic and demographic groups using various promotion programs, often at modest costs. Goodreads offers something similar.
"The self-serve ads you can buy for as little as $20," says Brown. "You can see how they do, then tweak and adjust your targeting. I recommend doing a giveaway connected to the ad and directing people to the giveaway."
Authors can also consider the social payment program Pay with a Tweet, which gives visitors free copies of e-books when they send out tweets or write Facebook posts mentioning the books.
But while social media has proven to be a great way for authors to reach new, receptive audiences, it is also becoming so popular that a writer has to take extra steps to ensure that he or she doesn't blend into the growing crowd. Blank believes an author would be better off finding three people and having an extensive e-mail correspondence or even an in-person lunch with them, rather than adding 200 new fans on Goodreads or Facebook.
"With social media, it's easy to feel like you're doing something, but the question is, 'Are you doing the right thing?'" says Blank. "It's about building real relationships—it's about who you align with."
New tools and social media enhancements are appearing on the market every few weeks, but the main discoverability goal for authors hasn't changed in decades: to create an emotional connection with readers.
"These people who are interested in your book and have questions, really answer them authentically and straightforwardly—you're not hawking it on the street corner, you're having a dinner conversation with them," says McKee, pointing out that authors who have adopted this practice have had the most success with Amazon's many customer-driven community areas.
Graham emphasizes that she has been most successful in her discoverability efforts when she first works to connect with potential readers on the topics that matter to them, then mentions her books almost as an afterthought. While at a business meeting, these topics may be leadership development and time management, whereas on Twitter and her blog, the topics can be more personal.
"You want to be personal and share a piece of you; my followers know when my son graduated high school, and about the birth of my nephew, and even my crazy dog," she says.
Hess agrees that it is important not to just ask for something during interactions with potential buyers.
"Our blog works so well to sell our products because we're really only asking folks to check out new books or to write reviews about 1% of the time or less," she says. "People feel like that we're giving them a lot with our daily educational posts and by providing a window into our lives, so they often tell their friends about my books with no nudging on my part. That's what you want—to build up a fan base who sells your books for you."


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USWA Application Process
Whether you wish to begin or continue in the study of the martial arts, choosing a school is an important decision. To learn more about the United States Wushu Academy and to observe a class in progress, call to find out the class schedule.
While visiting the school, feel free to discuss the program with coaches and students. We wish to satisfy your curiosity, but ask that you observe the school etiquette of speaking quietly and not disturbing a class in progress.
Should you decide that the United States Wushu Academy program is of interest, you can fill out a new student enrollment application and begin your Two months trial lessons.
During these Two months of trial lessons, you will learn if you can keep up with the training schedule and adjust your life accordingly. After successful completed the Two months of trial lessons then you will officially be accepted as a student.
We keep our class size small to provide better instructions and personal attention to each student.

subset: commoncrawl


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History Articles
May 10, 1984
PIX #1 - The Elliott Branchof the U.S. Baking Co.
PIX #2 - Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Co.
PIX #3 - D. Kelly
PIX #4 - Born & Co.'s capital brewery
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the fifty in a series of articles about the CHV&T railroad, now the Chessie System, the towns along the line from Toledo to the Ohio River...some ofthe industry and scenery, as it was before and after the turn of the century.)
Today's ride leaves Delaware and heads for Columbus, the capital city.
The Remembrancer, published by the CHV&T in 1893, said, "Famous among pros- perous cities of America is Columbus, Ohio. It is located in the center of population in the United States, the capital ofthe central state in the union. Its progress and growth have not been spasmodic, but ofthe nature to establish confidence and attract the attention of people everywhere.
"Situated at a point in the Ohio Valley, midway between the great fresh water lakes on the north and the Ohio river on the south, it furnishes as delight- ful a dwelling place the year round as can be found in the 44 states."
"Columbus, with its 15 lines of railway, among which are all the main trunk lines of the country reaching out in every direction, the business man and manufacturer find the shipping advantages necessaryto the success of their enterprises.
"The past 10 years has shown the greatest growth in Columbus, the population decreasing from 51,000 in 1880 to 90,000 in 1890. Its wide streets and ave- nues have been paved with the most substantial materials, with granite and stone blocks for its chief business thoroughfares, and asphalt and several varieties of hard-burned brick on residence and side-streets."
Back before the turn of the century, Columbus already had its fine state capitol, plus many institutions for public welfare. These included the Institution for Education of the Blind, Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Institutionforthe Feeble Minded, and the State Penitentiary.
The annual death rate in the Columbus area was less than 13 percent compared to 20-30 percent in the rest of the United States.
There isn't space to list all of the many businesses and industries in Colum- bus, but the following are a few showing the variety, along with photos of some which existed at that time.
Columbus Cabinet Co., manufacturers and dealers in furniture. Organized in 1861, located in the 200 block of South High Street.
Columbus Bicycle Co., located on West Spring Street, organized in 1890.
Coleman & Felber, organized in 1866, manufacturers of crackers, biscuits, cakes, and confections.
Sciota Boiler Works, located on North Sciota Street, manufacturers of boil- ers, tanks, and sheet iron, started in 1878.
J.F. Williams & Sons, proprietors of Franklin Roller and Roscoe Star Mills (millers of grain), started in 1892.
Hand Cut File Works, makers of all kinds of files and rasps, located at Water and Spring Streets, started in 1877.
Jeffrey Manufacturing Co., makers of all types of coal mining equipment, or- ganized in 1878.
Rock Wall Plaster Co., since 1889, located on West Broad Street, volume per day was 1,500 100-pound bags.
The Capital Sheet Metal Co., started in 1893, makers of metal ceilings, gut- ters and siding.
John Immel & Son, builders of carriages, buggies, wagons, coupes and rocka- ways, located on East Livingston Avenue.
The Case Manufacturing Co. began operations in 1879 on Curtis Avenue, manu- facturers of leather, rubber and cotton belting, wire cloth, pulleys and everything for grain mills.
The Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Co., since 1881, making grading machin- ery, road scrapers, wheel barrows, sinks and troughs.
Capital Brewery, started in 1859, 50,000 barrels of beer per day.
D. Kelly, located at Front and Noughten Streets, wholesale grocers and job- bers in wines, liquors, and cigars.
Elliott Branch of U.S. Baking Co., located at South High Street and South Pearl Street, bakers of bread, cakes, crackers, confections, established in 1859.
The CHV&T Railroad, the number of men employed in their Columbus shops was extensive to keep the locomotives, freight and passenger cars in operating condition.
The census report of 1880 established there wre 316 manufacturing plants in Columbus employing 5,490 people. By 1892 the factories numbered 1,005 with 15,809 employees.
(TO BE CONTINUED) READER FEEDBACK RODE CHV&T AT 11 MONTHS Willis Wyant, West South Street, reported that he recalled his mother telling him that she had taken him to Vinton on that railroad when he was only 11- months-old. They wre to attend the funeral of his greatgrandmother. Vinton as almost at the south end of the line. HAM-BEAN DINNER AT VINTON Willis Wyant also told me that for many years the small community of Vinton held an annual ham and bean dinner. He said people came from all over that area to get in on the feed. Presumably, some of them rode the CHV&T to get there. RODE THE CHV&T OFTEN Evelyn Myers, 324 Elm St., after reading the articles about the old Hocking line, told me that she rode it manytimes when she worked in Toledo, and came home on weekends to see her family. MAP SETTLED ARGUMENT A Potluck reader residing in Bradner telephoned to inquire the date of the first article in the series about the CHV&T. He had read the article which included a map of stops along the way. He and a friend had discussed it and he needed to get another copy having lost his to prove that the train went through Vinton since the friend disagreed. Hopefully the map settled it.


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Ave Maria Pilgrimage: Up to Jerusalem
by Steve Ray on March 18, 2009
I am still a few days behind but should get caught up today since we have the afternoon free. On Tuesday we spent the day in Bethlehem and on Tuesday we toured the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion. Everyone is doing very well. No problems at all! More soon.
Here is Monday — our morning in Galilee and our drive south, up to Jerusalem.


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Cyprus' Elections
Cyprus' parliamentary elections are the first since the 2004 referendum on Kofi Annan's plan for reunification was voted down, and the first since the country's accession to the EU that same year. These elections differ further in that some Turkish Cypriots have registered to vote, and a Turkish Cypriot is running for office.
May 19, 2006 12:49 pm (EST)
- Backgrounder
- Current political and economic issues succinctly explained.
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This publication is now archived.
Though a small island, Cyprus' problems radiate far beyond its shores. An independent nation since 1960, after years of British colonial rule, Cyprus has been divided by a "green line" separating the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south since 1974. The parliamentary elections being held on the part of the island controlled by ethnic Greek Cypriots on May 21 are the first since the failed 2004 referendum on the Annan plan for reunification, and also the first since Cyprus' accession to the European Union that same year. Notable this time around is the fact that Turkish Cypriots have registered to vote, and a Turkish Cypriot is running for office. The numbers are small but symbolic.
What is Cyprus' current status?
Despite the fact that the Cyprus conflict has yet to be resolved, Cyprus became a member of the European Union in 2004. The island remains divided between the Greek Cypriot majority in the south and the Turkish Cypriot minority in the north; a 2004 referendum on Kofi Annan's proposal to reunify the territory was voted down. A UN peacekeeping force, first deployed in 1964, remains stationed there. The Republic of Cyprus refers de facto to the southern part of the island, though it was meant to encompass all of it. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not recognized by any country except Turkey.
Of the eighty seats in the Cypriot House of Representatives, 30 percent are reserved for Turkish Cypriots. But these seats-along with the vice president's office, which is also reserved for a Turkish Cypriot-have been vacant since the Turkish Cypriot began a boycott of the government in 1963.
What is the significance of these elections?
The registration of 270 Turkish Cypriot voters is notable, as is the candidacy of a Turkish Cypriot, the poet and activist Neshe Yashin. Their participation, however, has nothing to do with the vacated seats; Yashin is running for one of the fifty-six seats supposedly reserved for Greek Cypriots. Joseph doubts that she'll win, since she's running with a small party, the United Democrats (EDI).
Precedent-setting aside, the elections to fill the fifty-six seats, plus the eight observer seats reserved for the Armenian, Maronite, and Latin-meaning Roman Catholic-religious minorities, are not necessarily going to result in major changes. Elias Hazou, a journalist for the Cyprus Mail, writes bluntly, "At the end of the day, these are parliamentary elections and, as we all know, the House in Cyprus does not power things, it's just there to endorse (or not) government policy."
Some experts say these elections are more a vote of a poll on President Tassos Papadopoulos-who won a five year term by a narrow margin in 2003-and his views on reunification. Papadopoulos has stated that these elections will prove that Cypriots support his opposition to the Annan plan and his hard-line stance on Turkey.
What are the main issues?
These are the first elections since the 2004 referendum on the Annan plan for reunification, which Greek Cypriots voted down and Turkish Cypriots voted for. Robert I. Rotberg, director of the Belfer Center's Program on Intrastate Conflict and Conflict Resolution at Harvard, says reunification may not be the main issue in these elections, but it is a constant one in Cyprus.
Joseph Joseph, associate professor in the department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cyprus, says reunification, and Papadopoulos' opposition to the Annan plan, is not the central issue in these elections. The true determining factors, Joseph says, are strong party loyalties and personalities. On such a small island, where "everybody knows everybody," people often vote according to personal connections.
Other issues might play a smaller role. Even though the economy is doing well, Joseph says in any election, "the economic aspect is always on the agenda." There may not be many controversial issues at stake, but voter turn out is likely to be high: Voting is mandatory in the country, though not strictly enforced.
Why have some Turkish Cypriots registered to vote in this election?
This year 270 Turkish Cypriots living in the southern, Greek-Cypriot dominated part of the island have registered to vote for the fifty-six House seats. The government recently passed a law allowing them to vote after the European Court of Human Rights ruling on the matter. Previously, Turkish Cypriots were only allowed to vote for the seats reserved for them. Since the Turkish Cypriot seats have been vacant for years, Turkish Cypriots have not been voting. Those living in the north are still not allowed to vote, but a case challenging this is pending.
Rotberg suggests that Greek Cypriots would prefer that all Turkish Cypriots vote, since the Republic of Cyprus would then be seen as being in control of the entire island. The 270 Turkish Cypriots likely registered, Rotberg says, because of the EU passports and accompanying travel documents such citizenship allows.
What are the main parties?
Over 480 candidates are running for the House seats. The communist Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL) and the rightist Democratic Rally (DISY) have the most support. The center-right Democratic Party (DIKO)—President Papadopoulos' party—follows behind these, but it is expected to gain seats. Other parties include the socialist Movement of Social Democrats (EDEK) and the European Party (EvroKo). Some candidates are running as independents, including Costas Kyriacou, a farmer known as "Utopos," who wants to create a Platonic republic based on the principles of free love, matriarchy, and symmetry.
What are the Turkish and Greek positions regarding this election?
Both Turkey and Greece have clear interests in the island, but neither nation is directly involved in the elections. Since Turkey doesn't recognize the Cypriot government-it only recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus-it has no official stance on the elections. As for Greece, Rotberg explains it doesn't want to be perceived as a colonial power, so the country "tries not to play too big a role." Elaine Papoulias, director of the Harvard's Kokkalis Program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe, says that Greek policy has undergone several changes recently, noting that the Greeks have developed a "much more hands-off approach" when it comes to Cyprus.
How will these elections affect Turkey's chances with the EU?
The Cypriot elections do not directly affect Turkey's potential membership in the EU, but Cyprus itself is an issue; reunification would clear a significant obstacle on Turkey's path to join the organization. But if the party of Papadopoulos garners more support, as polls suggest it will, that may make reunification less likely. As Steven Cook, CFR's Douglas Dillon Fellow, says, "Papadopoulos' hard-line stance is creating a difficult situation for Turkey." Most experts don't expect a strengthened Papadopoulos to make much progress on the issue of reunification, and the division of Cyprus will subsequently remain a problem for Turkey's accession to the EU. Joseph says any progress on reunification is more likely to come from external forces than the Cypriot government itself.
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RC Willey Oak Furniture West Transitional Furniture Entertainment Centers
Oak Furniture West, Transitional, Entertainment Centers
RC Willey Oak Furniture West Transitional Furniture Entertainment Centers
View our full Instagram gallery to shop these styles and more
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Entertainment Centers are an integral part of your living room set up. With more display and storage space than a TV stand, a media center wall unit gives you more options on how to store and display your media collection and other home décor. An entertainment wall unit makes it easier to keep your home neat and tidy by giving you more storage space. Depending on the style you choose, you may find that hidden storage behind wooden doors or open storage that shows off your great blu-ray collection is right for you! Whether you are looking for a floating wall unit, a 2-piece, 3-piece, 4-piece, or even 5-piece entertainment center RC Willey has them in a variety of different styles. Some of our entertainment centers also feature a built-in fireplace for added warmth and ambiance. Find the right fit for your home décor style and get busy relaxing in comfort and style.


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25 Impressive Free High-Quality Fonts
In this selection, we're pleased to present Pompadour Numeral Set, Lato, Crimson Text, Espinosa Nova, Musa Ornata, Spatha Sans, ColorLines, Roke1984, Neuton, Avro, Baurete and other fonts. Please note that some are for personal use only and are clearly marked as such. Please read the license agreements carefully before using the fonts; they may change from time to time.
Further Reading on SmashingMag:
- The Best Free Fonts for Designers
- Free Fonts With Personality And Style - 2017 Collection
- Typographic Design Patterns And Current Practices (2013 Edition)
- 55 Wonderful Free High-Quality Fonts To Jazz Up Your Designs
- The Art Of Hand Lettering
New High-Quality Free Fonts
Pompadour Numeral Set (.eps, released under Creative Commons) A beautiful numeral font released by Andy Mangold under a Creative Commons license. The font can be useful in various settings, for instance for packaging design or logo deign. The .EPS file is available for free download. The font is free to use as long as the credit is given.
Lato (open-source sans serif) Lato is a san-serif typeface family. The semi-rounded details of the letters give Lato a warm feel, while the strong structure provides stability and seriousness. Lato consists of five weights (plus corresponding italics), including a beautiful hairline style. The first release includes only the Western character set. Designed by Lukasz Dziedzic.
Crimson Text "Crimson Text is a font family for book production in the tradition of beautiful old-style typefaces. There are a lot of great free fonts around, but one kind is missing: those Garamond-inspired types with all the little niceties such as old-style figures, small caps, fleurons, math characters and the like. In fact, a lot of time is spent developing free knock-offs of ugly 'standards' like Times and Helvetica. Crimson Text is inspired by the fantastic work of people like Jan Tschichold, Robert Slimbach and Jonathan Hoefler. We hope that the free type community will one day be able to enjoy Crimson Text as a beautiful workhorse."
Espinosa Nova: Regular (not free anymore) Espinosa Nova is a revival of the types used by Antonio de Espinosa, the most important Mexican printer of the 16th century and quite probably the first punch cutter anywhere on the American continent (1551). All of the fonts intended for setting text include small caps, five sets of figures (old-style and lining, both proportional and tabular, plus tabular small caps), many "f" and long "s" ligatures and a capital sharp "S" (U+1E9E). Designed by Cristóbal Henestrosa.
Color Lines This decorative font can be used for a variety of products, such as posters, packaging and label design. Original and unique. Designed by Anton Gridz, and available in AI format.
Baurete (free download)
A playful, intriguing typeface that could work for designs without rigid alignment or symmetrically positioned elements. Baurete is free to use for personal and commercial projects.
If you want to use it, please contact the designers at [we {at} welab {dot} info]. You can download it for free.
Neuton Font Neuton is a clean Times-Roman–like typeface by Brian Zick. In structure, it is a transitional type with Dutch inspiration. The x-height is high and the color dark, and it is economical in ascenders, descenders and width. Also available in the Google Font Directory.
Melbourne (personal use only) Melbourne is a sans-serif with a strong modern presence. The designer's intention was to create a calm space-saving typeface. The glyphs have rounded corners and relatively large tracking, which makes it a good fit for dictionaries, indexes, catalogues and so on. When used at a large size, Melbourne can be used as a display or headline font. The typeface is released as a draft, and suggestions for improvements are appreciated. Designed by Marco Müller.
ROKE1984 A free display font based on geometric forms and mathematical symbols, this one includes accents and numerals. An interesting option for technical designs that call for a distinctive yet slightly challenging appearance. Designed by Wete. Available in OpenType format.
Classic Round: medium and italic (not free anymore) This typeface was designed for text and display use. In small text sizes, the typeface looks clean, inviting and legible. When used in big display sizes, it looks playful and interesting. Designed by Ben Blom.
Free Font FR Hopper: regular and italic (not free anymore) FR Hopper is a sans based on geometric forms but still retaining a friendly personality. It is intended for mid-length texts, captions, titles and almost any other occasional use: posters, flyers and even websites. The typeface comes with 7 weights, 12 styles with 836 glyphs, and many advanced OT features such as small caps, discretionary ligatures, alternate characters, fractions, arrows and ornaments.
Darth Vador Free Font An original geometric font for the Darth Vador theme, designed by Juart Little from France.
League Script #1 "League Script #1 is a modern coquettish script font that sits somewhere between your high-school girlfriend's love notes and handwritten letters from the '20s. It includes ligatures and will serve as the framework for future script designs." Designed by Haley Fiege and available in OpenType format.
KanKin Free Font Free original and playful OpenType fonts available in two font weights, regular and italic. Supported languages are English and Russian only. Designed by Alexey Frolov.
Musa Ornata This typeface, with its cheerful characters, could be a good fit for event announcements, grocery stores and public transport signage. To activate the alternative case, check the "Character Palette" in the OpenType options toolbar in your application. The download link is available at the bottom of the release post (above link). Designed by Carvente Dice.
Skyhook Mono: regular This family is a carefully handcrafted monospaced typeface family that is modern, sturdy and minimalist, yet distinctive enough for refined and classy uses. The regular weight is available as a free download. The free weight may not be used in political or religious works.
Phoenica Std (not free anymore) Phoenica offers an alternative to contemporary humanist sans serifs. It is a flexible family suitable for editorials and corporate branding. Phoenica comes in a big variety of weights, each available in both roman and italic. The regular width is available as a free download and for personal projects.
Indento: bold (registration required) "Indento is a multi-purpose modern geometric slab serif for headlines, posters and branding, but legible enough to be used for longer text. The straight and rounded corners, combined with the deep cuts and asymmetric serifs, give it a distinctive look while still keeping its legibility." The bold weight is available as a free download in OpenType format. Designed by Mugur Mihai.
Free Font Adec This typeface was inspired by Art Deco and Constructivism. It would fit posters, magazines and logos. The distinguishing feature of this font is the combination of decorative elements, such as textures and frames. Designed by Serge Shi.
Jean-Luc (Godard) "Atelier Carvalho Bernau Design released Jean-Luc, a typeface inspired by the title cards of films like 'Deux ou trois choses que je sais d'elle,' to celebrate Jean-Luc Godard's birthday. The style of lettering is so interesting to us because it is such a clear renunciation of the 'pretty' classical title screens that were common in that time's more conservative films. It has a more vernacular and brutishly low-brow character; this lettering comes from the street." To embed the font using @font-face, a copyright code must be appended as a comment in the source code.
Arvo Font Family This slab-serif typeface was created by Anton Koovit especially for the Google Font directory. It is optimized for Web use. The typeface is "monolinear-ish" but has a touch of contrast. For Windows users, the smaller 9, 12, 14 and 16 point sizes are hinted in Truetype format.
Thunderball This heavy sans font with 178 characters could be useful for posters, postcards and similar designs. Released under a Creative Commons license.
Spatha Sans A sans-serif font with organic playful shapes that set a friendly tone and are easy to read. The font could be a good fit for titles and maybe short text. Designed by Carvente Dice.
Spatha Serif
As a counterpart to the above-mentioned Spatha Sans, the glyphs in Spatha Serif have classic proportions and short serifs, which retain the playful and organic design. The font can also be embedded using
@font-face, but a credit link is required. Designed by Carvente Dice.
My Fair Cody An interesting playful typeface that makes a an impression with its personality and warmth. The tone is inviting and informal, and as such might not be the best fit for a corporate context. Designed by Darim Kim, and available in OpenType format. You may use the font in your private and commercial projects; but if you embed it using @font-face, then a credit link is required.
Matchbook Matchbook is a simple and functional set of two typefaces, designed in serif and sans-serif versions. Each set includes all accented characters and works beautifully in larger sizes.
Mota Pixel Mota Pixel is a simple pixel font with simple roots. The regular weight was created as a custom design for TypeShow and is now available for free to the public. Optimized for use in 20-pixel increments, it is a larger than normal pixel design. Still, the regular is rather thin and delicate, expressing some tendencies of an upright italic.
Further Resources
- Soma FontFriend FontFriend is a bookmarklet for typographically obsessed web designers. It enables rapid checking of fonts and font styles directly in the browser without editing code and refreshing pages, making it the ideal companion for creating CSS font stacks.
- Cure for the Common Webfont: Alternatives to Georgia For nearly fifteen years, if you wanted to set a paragraph of web text in a serif typeface, the only truly readable option was Georgia. But now we're starting to see some valid alternatives for the king of screen serifs. What follows is a list of serif typefaces that have been tuned for the screen.
- When Free Fonts Aren't Free To ensure that you're using "free" fonts as their creators intended, here are four things to look for when you're scanning a EULA.
- iOS Fonts An overview of font families available on iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad.
- Free Typography A blog dedicated to free fonts.
Also, you may want to take a look at…


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Race, religion and politics collided in Barack Obama's presidential campaign yesterday as they do every Sunday in many African American churches. Guest host Lawrence O'Donnell talks to the reporter who sparked the controversy, and discusses the roots of the black church in the US and its current role in African American society. Also, President Bush marks the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, and how the Panama Canal helped build the American conservative movement.
Banner image of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr.: Trinity Christian Church


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LinkedIn Turns 10: Celebrating 10 Years of Relationships That Matter
May 5, 2013
Ten years ago, I co-founded LinkedIn in my living room with the mission of connecting the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. Inspired by the invaluable role relationships played in our own careers, we launched LinkedIn with the tagline "Relationships matter."
At the end of our first month, we had 4,500 members in the network. 10 years later, we're honored and humbled that so many of you have made LinkedIn a part of your daily professional lives.
Today, hundreds of millions of professionals around the world are turning to LinkedIn to connect with each other, manage their identities, get insights they need to be great at what they do, and find their dream jobs. I'm continually inspired by our members' career aspirations and achievements. Click on the image below to take a look at our journey since 2003, including photos of our first office and notes from an early meeting with my co-founders.
See a Brief History of LinkedIn
None of this would be possible without all of our LinkedIn employees, past and present, who've poured their passion and talents into building this company. In 2003, we were a handful of guys in a living room. Today, 3,700+ employees are celebrating "Cinco de LinkedIn" around the world.
More Photos From Cinco de LinkedIn Celebrations
Our vision at LinkedIn is to create economic opportunity for every professional in the world. We look forward to helping you accomplish much more in the years to come and growing the relationships that matter most. Thank you for being a part of our journey.


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AP Music Writer
NEW YORK — Eminem, who battled an addiction to prescription drugs, thanked his fans at a New York concert for helping him get through dark times.
The 39-year-old told hundreds Thursday night that he "wouldn't have gotten out of that dark place without y'all" before he performed the Grammy-winning song Not Afraid. He said the performance was "dedicated to anybody tonight who's been through personal struggles."
Eminem's addiction and climb to sobriety is detailed in his 2010 album Recovery. It was that year's best-selling album.
At the Hammerstein Ballroom the rapper performed more than a dozen songs at an event for the watch brand G-Shock, including the hits Lose Yourself, Love the Way You Lie and The Real Slim Shady.
Hip-hop foursome Slaughterhouse opened for the Detroit-born rapper.
Photo: Eminem


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LOS ANGELES: The crypt in which Elvis Presley was first buried has been withdrawn from a huge auction of sports and music memorabilia in Los Angeles following virulent protests from the King's fans.
The crypt -- in which Presley was buried in 1997 before being moved to his final resting place at his Graceland mansion in Memphis -- was to be one of nearly 1,000 items belonging to sports and music icons on offer at the weekend.
But Julien's Auctions said it had put a stop to the crypt sale until the Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis "finds a plan that best suits the interests of the fans while respecting and preserving the memory of Elvis Presley."
"YES WE DID IT!!" read the website ElvisMatters.com, which organized the effort to halt the sale. "We have just proven that fans can stand united!
"With the effort of ElvisMatters, the help of fan clubs all over the world and the support of over 10,000 fans who signed our petition, the crypt will remain empty -- as it should!"
Since Presley's remains were moved to Graceland, the crypt has remained vacant.
Fans were able to snap up dozens of other items belonging to the King at the two-day auction ending Sunday, including his personal telephone, sold for $20,480, and a 14-carat gold necklace with the initials "EP", sold for $31,250.
The orange-trimmed robe worn by soul singer Amy Winehouse -- who died last year at age 27 -- in her 2006 breakout video "Rehab" sold for $34,375. A black and pink negligee worn by Madonna on her 1990 tour earned the same amount.
A black and white silk ensemble worn by Lady Gaga sold for $28,125, while a pair of Michael Jackson's tap shoes went for $5,760.
Other items belonging to the late Frank Sinatra and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, as well as Rolling Stones and Doors memorabilia, also went under the hammer.
On the sports side, a pair of signed Air Jordan XI Concord sneakers worn by the basketball legend Michael Jordan during the 1995-96 NBA season sold for $10,240.
New York Yankees great Mickey Mantle's rookie season baseball card sold for $6,875, while a dollar bill signed by Babe Ruth went for $3,437.50.
Multiple items signed by boxing legend Muhammad Ali earned thousands of dollars.


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Plan now to join us in Columbus, OH at the Hyatt Regency Downtown for the National Forum, a three-day educational event that includes preconferences, general sessions, and more than 30 concurrent sessions.
Now in its 15th year, the LITA National Forum has become a highly regarded annual event for those involved in new and leading edge technologies in the library and information technology field.
Registration is limited in order to preserve the advantages of a small conference. Networking opportunities, one of the small conference advantages, are an important part of the Forum. Take advantage of the informal Friday evening reception and Saturday evening networking dinners to get to know LITA leaders, Forum speakers, and peers. Visit the links below to learn about the 2012 Forum.
Track the tag


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EFTA Ministerial Meeting 28.06.2012
EFTA Ministerial meeting, Gstaad, Switzerland, 28 June 2012 On 28 June 2012, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) held its summer Ministerial meeting in Gstaad, Switzerland under the Chairmanship of Mr Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs of Switzerland. Ministers of the four EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) signed a joint declaration on cooperation with Georgia, represented by Ms Vera Kobalia, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development. Read full news releaseRead More


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Continually evolving information and communication technologies (ICTs) touch nearly every aspect of contemporary life. Development of these modern technologies is closely intertwined with human practices and social innovations. The human–technology interaction and the human role in various technologies require constant investigation—investigation that is, by nature, highly interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary and human focussed. Human Technology is a scholarly online journal that provides an outlet for this kind of essential research and scientific discussion.
Human Technology presents innovative, peer-reviewed articles that explore the issues and challenges surrounding the human role in all areas of contemporary ICT-infused societies. The journal seeks to draw research from multiple scientific disciplines with an eye toward how applied technology can affect human existence or how it can, for instance, foster personal development or enhance the research and development industry, education, communication and other fields. Human Technology's dynamic and forward-looking articles are intended for use in both the scientific community and industry and the journal does not set limits regarding the specialization of its authors. Human Technology welcomes also difficult or controversial topics, and is interested in publishing nonparadigmatic and nontraditional ideas that meet the criteria for good scientific work.
This thrice-annually online journal is offered without charge, underscoring the philosophy that good research must be available to all. Through Human Technology, researchers are encouraged to collaborate on and to explore the interdisciplinary nature of the human-technology interaction from multiple and equally valid perspectives. This distinctive journal intends to serve as the meeting place for interdisciplinary dialogue about how humans and societies both affect and are affected by the diversity of ICTs.
Human Technology is cited and/or abstracted in various databases, including:


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SA Journal of Industrial Psychology
On-line version ISSN 2071-0763
Print version ISSN 0258-5200
SA j. ind. Psychol. vol.38 n.2 Johannesburg Jan. 2012
Diversity dynamics operating between students, lecturers and management in a historically Black University: The lecturers' perspective
Michelle S. May
Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, University of South Africa, South Africa
ORIENTATION: The historically Black and White universities in South Africa were shaped by apartheid policies (Abdi, 2003). This research project started, within this socio-political context, because lecturers in a historically Black university (HBU) were confronted with unresolved experiences concerning their relationship with students and management. The researcher describes the diversity dynamics in a historically Black university, by forming an in-depth understanding of these dynamics, operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management, from the systems psychodynamic perspective.
RESEARCH PURPOSE: The purpose of the research was to describe the experiences of nine lecturers in a particular HBU. This was undertaken to analyse and interpret the conscious and unconscious diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management, from the lecturers' perspective.
MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The researcher was interested in the nature of the diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between students, lecturers and management in an HBU, as a platform towards understanding diversity dynamics in educational institutions and South African organisations.
RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROACH AND METHOD: Qualitative and descriptive research approaches were used. Hermeneutic phenomenology, using the systems psychodynamic perspective, allowed for the description and interpretation of diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews with nine lecturers. Thematic analysis resulted in two broad themes for which a discussion was provided and a research hypothesis formulated.
MAIN FINDINGS: Two broad themes manifested, firstly diversity characteristics and secondly struggle skills entrenching the Black and White divide.
PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The research highlighted the importance of understanding the diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between students, lecturers and management. This was in order to develop our understanding of diversity dynamics operating in educational institutions specifically, and organisations in general.
CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The understanding about diversity dynamics is available for application, by lecturers and management, to form a different understanding of conscious and unconscious factors impacting on the relationship between the three stakeholders, and subsequently the effectiveness of the three stakeholders in their respective roles. This understanding can also be transferred to other organisations.
Tertiary education in South Africa had as its main purpose, during apartheid, to maintain and reproduce, through legislative and other measures, apartheid's social order - a social order in which tertiary education was reserved for an elite few (Winburg, 2004). Based on this, I propose that current South African university life is inextricably linked with the apartheid past. Ruth (2000, p. 18) eloquently illustrated this point when stating that 'entrenched historical legacies [exist] as undercurrents in the life of [the university] long after persistent efforts and explicit change have won the day.' It is evident that educational and economic inequality, prolonged over 300 years, cannot be totally addressed within the foreseeable future, through the single co-ordinated system of education and training, regardless of numerous attempts by government, since 1994, to reform the education system and the mergers between historically Black universities (HBUs) and historically White universities (HWUs) in 2004 (Abdi, 2003; Kraak, 2004; Robus & Macleod, 2006). Therefore, the themes and discourses, which come with centuries of marginalisation of Black people at the hands of White people, serve as the backdrop to this historical research about the diversity dynamics that operated in the HBU.
The awareness of the diversity dynamics that operated in the HBU can be developed, by describing the diversity dynamics evident in the relationships between the students, lecturers and management, from the lecturers' perspective. This understanding about diversity dynamics can then be used by lecturers and management, to form a different understanding of conscious and unconscious factors impacting on the relationship between the three stakeholders, and subsequently the effectiveness of the three stakeholders in their respective roles. This understanding of diversity dynamics can also be transferred to other South African organisations, enhancing the understanding of diversity dynamics and informing diversity management initiatives implemented in these organisations.
The historical landscape of South African universities
Through extension of the Universities Education Act (No. 45 of 1959), the first phase in the establishment of HBUs, as separate universities for Black students, commenced, and restricted the admission of Black people to HWUs. Importantly these universities were racially and ethnically divided for eight Black ethnic groups, the Coloured and Indian groups (Abdi, 2003; Robus & Macleod, 2006; Ruth, 2000). Although Black university colleges were proclaimed autonomous in 1969 by Acts of Parliament, these universities remained White-controlled Black universities (Starfield, 2002). This points to the paradoxical nature of HBUs in which power and authority resided with White people, whilst Black people occupied advisory and token positions, and in this way the power relations between Black and White people was maintained (Mabokela, 2001). The White, and mainly Afrikaner, management and lecturers were also considered to be collaborating with government, such as the South African or independent homeland government, resulting in protracted conflict between students, lecturers and management (Sumbulu & Boswell, 2003). At this time, the Black lecturers were probably too few to impact on the students and the status quo (Ndebele, 1997).
The HBUs became one of the many sites of struggle against the apartheid regime (Ruth, 2000), owing to a deteriorating education system and the lack of economic opportunities for young Black graduates during the 1970s and 1980s. The Soweto uprising of 1976 ensured that the educational institutions (high schools and HBUs) became an important site of struggle, for the youth, over educational and also broader political, issues (Nkomo, 1990). This transformed education and HBUs into ungovernable war zones where students expressed their dissatisfaction through unruly and, at times, violent behaviour to which the police and army reacted with military force (Ruth, 2000).
The systems psychodynamic perspective
Systems psychodynamics (SP) allows for the study and interpretation of collective, interdependent unconscious and conscious individual, group and intergroup processes, resulting from the interconnection between different groups and subgroups within a social system (Czander & Eisold, 2003; Neumann, 1999). It affords us the opportunity to attend to unconscious phenomena within people, the organisational context (tasks, structures, boundaries) and the complex interaction between the two (Amado, 1995; Nutkevich, 1998). In diversity dynamics the theoretical underpinnings of SP are applied to understand the psychodynamics which occur in the context of difference and similarities amongst people (Cilliers & May, 2002; May & Evans, 2004; Pretorius, 2003).
Diversity dynamics
Diversity dynamics is a relational phenomenon through which individuals, across differences and similarities, make certain assumptions about others. The individuals then behave, on both a conscious and unconscious level, in a particular way towards each other, based on these differences and similarities (Pretorius, 2003). The defense mechanisms, splitting-projection-introjection-projective identification, underlie these diversity dynamics. Splitting, based on the primary and secondary dimensions of diversity, enables us to divide the world into good and bad, Black and White, the oppressed and the oppressor (Skolnick & Greene, 2004). It is an inherent need in groups to split self from others because it provides the opportunity to dump the bad onto another group, in order to maintain the good within the group (May & Evans, 2004; Skolnick & Greene, 2004).
Introjection and projection are used simultaneously through the process of splitting. Introjection involves attributing positive aspects to one's group and refusing to deal with negative aspects, and externalising the negative aspects of one's group. Thus, introjection manifests when group members internalise positive and preferred characteristics, such as competence, superiority, the establishment of closeness to and a constant presence with the positive. Projection involves attributing negative aspects to other groups by rejecting and externalising negative aspects of one's own group. In this way a group can eradicate bad characteristics, such as incompetence and inferiority (Cilliers & May, 2002). By introjecting the positive feelings and projecting the negative feelings a group produces and maintains 'illusory goodness and self-idealisation.' The other group, identifying with the projection, then becomes the denigrated one, such as the container for the unacceptable and rejected parts of the group that idealises itself (Skolnick & Greene, 2004). Through defense mechanisms, such as splitting, introjections, projection and projective identification, groups in the intergroup process project their unacceptable, disavowed, unexpressed and undiscussible aspects into the other groups. This is performed in order to preserve a good and idealised version of themselves -operating in the paranoid-schizoid position (Klein, 1985).
Several authors have proposed that envy is a destructive phenomenon in groups, organisations and society (Mouly & Sankaram, 2002; Stein, 2000). With envy, the other individual or group is attacked through spoiling or destroying (Hiles, 2007). Envy is stimulated in situations where dependency and helplessness are experienced, for example situations of disparity in resources, actual deprivation and the lack of provision of satisfying experiences (Stein, 2000). Across differences, an envious attack can be directed at other groups.
Groups experience a shift from the paranoid-schizoid to the depressive position, by re-owning their projections and reducing splitting, polarisation, introjections, projection and projective identification. In the depressive position groups realise that they and other groups contain both good and bad parts - resulting in more effective relationships across differences. Groups oscillate between a depressive, intersubjective position of functioning and a more primitive ego-centric paranoid-schizoid position (Klein, 1985).
The core research problem was formulated as follows: What were the diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between students, lecturers and management at an HBU? Researchers have not explored the diversity dynamics that operated in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management in a South African HBU. As a lecturer who worked at an HBU, I am interested in understanding the nature of the diversity dynamics evident in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management, and how these dynamics impacted the effectiveness of these three stakeholders in their different roles. By describing the diversity dynamics evident in their relationships from the lecturers' perspective, the awareness of the diversity dynamics that operated in the HBU can be developed.
The potential value-add of the research is achieved by enhancing the understanding of diversity dynamics. It is also available for application by lecturers and management, to form a different understanding of conscious and unconscious factors impacting on the relationship between, and effectiveness of, the three stakeholders in their respective roles. This understanding of diversity dynamics can be used in other South African organisations by researchers, consultants and managers to enhance their understanding of diversity dynamics, and inform the nature of the diversity management initiatives implemented in these organisations.
The rest of the article is structured as follows. The research design is presented, with reference to the research approach and strategy. This is followed by the research method consisting of the setting, roles of the researcher, sampling method, data collection, recording and analysis. Lastly, the strategies employed to ensure quality data are mentioned. Thereafter the findings are presented as manifested themes. The discussion contains the research hypothesis followed by the conclusion, recommendations, limitations and suggestions for further research.
Research design
Research approach
A qualitative research method was followed, based on hermeneutic phenomenology (Terre Blanche & Durrheim, 2002), that allowed for in-depth description and interpretation, and that applied the SP perspective of the essence of the lecturers' (emotional) experiences in an HBU. This SP perspective enabled the formation of an in-depth understanding of the diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management.
Research strategy
Using a case study design, I obtained an in-depth description of the (emotional) experiences of the lecturers, with emphasis on the diversity dynamics at work in their relationship with students and management. A literature review was undertaken at the beginning of the research process and was used as an ongoing strategy during the research process, to focus on different elements of the research, in order to establish a sound thread of reference pertaining to the key arguments and ideas. This strategy is especially applicable when applied to the literature control that will be used in the interpretation of the data (Creswell, 2003; Henning, Van Rensburg & Smit, 2004).
Research method
Research setting
The research process started when I, as a lecturer at an HBU, was confronted by violent interactions between lecturers and students, and perceived a passivity from management when lecturers were violently threatened by students in social and academic settings, within the HBU. Based on sociohistorical factors, my personal experiences and SP, I explored the (emotional) experiences of lecturers at an HBU, such as their relationship with students and management, to form an understanding about the diversity dynamics operating between the students, lecturers and management.
Sample and sampling
Based on the work of Endacott (2005), a convenience sample, consisting of nine lecturers from a specific department in an HBU, was used to participate in in-depth interviews. I chose these lecturers because I once formed part of their department, and the lecturers were willing and available to participate in the research topic, which they could discuss eloquently. The biographical information of the sample is provided in Table 1.
Data collection methods
As suggested by Terre Blanche and Durrheim (2002) the purpose of the data collected was to obtain an in-depth understanding of the lecturers' experiences of their work context. This was achieved through in-depth interviews which started with a single open-ended question, viz. 'Please tell me the story of your experiences as a lecturer at this university'. Questions based on what the lecturers were saying were generated thereafter. Through the questions I explored the nature of diversity evident in the relationship between the three stakeholders.
Recording of data
The in-depth interviews were recorded and the nine audiotape recordings were transcribed verbatim, as suggested by Terre Blanche and Durrheim (2002). The electronic versions of data and the audiotapes were securely stored and managed.
Data analyses and interpretation
Data analyses entailed transcribing the interviews, familiarising myself with voluminous amounts of data, categorising and coding the data and eliciting themes from the data (see Terre Blanche & Durrheim, 2002). In the analysis, interpretation and reporting of the findings I used the interpretive stance as proposed by Shapiro and Carr (1991). I interpreted data based on evidence from the data, existing literature about SP and the self as instrument (Schafer, 2003).
Strategies employed to ensure quality data
The plausibility, truth value and transferability of the analysed research were negotiated with the lecturers and certain experts in the SP field. From reading the analysis and interpretation of the data they reported that they considered the analysis and interpretation to be plausible. In this article, I attempted to provide a clear description of the sampling, data collected, data analysed and interpretation whilst explicating an account of the experiences of the lecturers at the HBU. Through this account the reader was free to decide about the validity of this project, whether or not she or he would be able to replicate (reliability) the research, and would it be possible to transfer these findings to his or her context (Cresswell, 2003; Henning et al., 2004; Terre Blanche and Durrheim, 2002)?
Informed consent was obtained from the lecturers by describing the project and explaining that the data will be interpreted from the SP lens (Christians, 2005). The lecturers' confidentiality and anonymity were ensured by storing the audio-tapes and transcripts of the data safely. As suggested by Christians (2005), the lecturers' identities were further protected by excluding certain identifying aspects from the data.
Each theme is discussed by providing verbatim evidence from the lecturers. Then each theme is discussed by integrating the theme with existing literature. Then two research hypotheses based on the integration of each theme with literature were presented.
In order to illustrate the diversity dynamics operating in the HBU, two themes, about the diversity characteristics and struggle skills entrenching the Black and White divide, were evident.
Diversity characteristics entrenching the Black and White divide
Given that lecturers, who in this sample are mainly White, the three stakeholders can be divided into particular racial groupings - Black students, White lecturers and Black management. Although the lecturers did not directly refer to the racial groupings in the HBU, the importance of race in the transactions between students, lecturers and management was inferred from the lecturers' statements.
Several lecturers commented that issues pertaining to race affected their relationships with the (Black) students and management. The following statements illustrate this. L4 stated that:
'by virtue of being an academic institution there is a gap between students and academic staff. It has always been a bit worse at Black universities because the academic staff used to be mainly White...' (Lecturer 4, lecturer at historically Black university)
L7 affirmed that:
'the fact that you are White is an issue or a potential issue [for the students and management].' (Lecturer 7, lecturer at historically Black university)
It is also important to recognise that the accusations of lecturers being racist were usually experienced when the students were part of a bigger group. L3 expressed that:
'[she] sees them individually or in very small groups, ... all [the accusations] fall away and there's still a real relationship. She continued to say that [the accusations] only come into play when they're in masses and then suddenly even the individual relationships, which I've had with people, I realise I'm not [myself] to them.' (Lecturer 3, lecturer at historically Black university)
Lecturers seemed aware that the students considered them to be racist, especially in the context of the lack of achievement on the part of the students. L2 voiced that:
'we get direct, not even implied, accusations that we are busy disadvantaging the students.' (Lecturer 2, lecturer at historically Black university)
L6 also stated that the old frame of reference that she saw in her relationship with the students was that:
'White people actively, productively, intentionally try to keep Black people down.' (Lecturer 6, lecturer at historically Black university)
Lecturers reported that they were accused by stakeholders, including the students, who stated that the department is the Vlakplaas1 of the university. L2 highlighted that:
'we are compared with Vlakplaas and the old regime and we are a White department, and so on ... we don't care about the students ... and we manipulate the marks'. (Lecturer 2, lecturer at historically Black university)
The projection that lecturers were the students' enemy is also reflected in the statement made by L6 who referred to being seen as a representative of the far-right, White Afrikaner group, she stated 'I feel that I'm actually there as a kind of representative of the right-wing Afrikaners who tried to stop Black people from getting on in life.'
Race also carried potent historical meaning for the relationship between management and lecturers. L4 articulated that:
'some of these people in the management positions used to be students or junior staff members [or new appointments, mainly Affirmative Action] and they were part of the struggle against the previous management system'. (Lecturer 4, lecturer at historically Black university)
This socio-political power was further entrenched by the positional authority afforded management in the HBU. It is possible that the mainly White lecturers were unconsciously influenced by a question around whether or not Black management was capable of leading them, of whom some were past students in the department, or the lecturers' junior colleagues, or were perceived as affirmative action appointees. Although management was not asked, it is suggested that perhaps the unconscious question that influenced management, based on their behaviour, was whether they, as Black management, can manage and lead White lecturers or not.
In a conflictual situation involving students, lecturers and management, two of the lecturers attempted to reveal themselves as multifaceted human beings who suggested their personal experience of the plight of the students. L3 echoed a story of one student who said 'what a struggle it had been for him to come so many miles to university, away from home, his parents were struggling to pay'. She responded to this story by telling him that she did not study at university immediately after leaving school, and challenged the students' perceptions that 'just because we've got White skins or whatever, ... we haven't necessarily had it all easy. [Students] never even responded to the story ... somehow there were no responses.'
It seemed that issues pertaining to race did not alone influence the student-lecturer-management relationship, but also issues of power and positional authority. L2 stated that:
'perhaps it is not just about White and Black; it's about someone who has power and someone who has no power. Someone who has knowledge and someone who has no knowledge.' (Lecturer 2, lecturer at historically Black university)
L4 articulated that:
'mixed up with that [the fact that lecturers are part of the old system] is the thing that [lecturers] have the authority to give marks and somehow these things always get mixed up'. She continued to say that 'the academic authority and the old political thing I think are to a large extent still not separate.' (Lecturer 4, lecturer at historically Black university)
Another possible diversity characteristic is the language difficulties of the students as observed in their assignments, tests and examinations. Then there are the cultural and assumed political differences between the students and lecturers. Given that the students lived in townships and the lecturers lived mostly in more affluent suburbs, this points to socio-economic circumstances impacting on the relationship between students and lecturers. Additionally the lecturers may have held different perceptions from the students about how individuals at university should behave. The difference between the lecturers' and students' understanding of appropriate behaviour was accentuated by L2 and L7. L2 stated that 'we [the lecturers] possibly have backgrounds at universities where there was a happy atmosphere and a positive educational relationship with the academic staff.' Management to some extent share race, cultural and a particular aspect of the socio-political history with the students. Therefore, these diversity characteristics also widen the divide between lecturers and the management.
Struggle skills entrenching the Black and White divide
Most of the lecturers also indicated that students tend to use struggle skills from the old political dispensation in the current context. This is affirmed by L5 who stated that 'they still want to struggle, they want to fight, they want to continue with those old skills that they were so good at.'
L4 commented that:
'the person is usually White (the lecturer) and that person is usually in a position of authority, that person has the power. And you are the victim and through the years you basically developed a way of challenging this very effectively and somehow it is as though people cannot let go of that.' (Lecturer 4, lecturer at historically Black university)
The link between the struggle skills and the developmental process of rebelling against authority should not be overlooked (Coren, 1997). The latter is highlighted by L7 who stated 'that's what we expect from students - we were like that as well.' The above statements also raise the question whether or not the White lecturers had the new skills needed to interact with the Black students. Thus, lecturers told the story about the students using old skills, as if the lecturers had the new skills (conscious and unconscious) for the new dispensation. Of particular importance is that lecturers might have experienced powerlessness in their interactions between the three stakeholders. This idea is eloquently captured by L6 who stated that:
'in my experience it is very difficult for someone with a White skin to voice a protest, because it is not seen as legitimate. If the system does not see you as a legitimate voice it is very difficult to do anything.' (Lecturer 6, lecturer at historically Black university)
The relationship in the triad was influenced by the different diversity characteristics and the concomitant power and authority that the students ascribed to the lecturers and management. These were based on the diversity characteristics, specifically the power that comes with one's race, the authority and power that comes with one's cultural group and the authority and power linked to one's position. It also seemed that through the process where students ascribed the power and authority either to lecturers or management, students were inevitably forming alliances with either lecturers or management, depending on whom they considered could ensure their academic achievement. Students sporadically formed alliances with lecturers or management, which might suggest that students either empowered or disempowered management and lecturers in the HBU.
It may be that students ascribed to lecturers the historical power and authority as members of the White race group, whereas the lecturers tried to operate in accordance with their current positional authority and power within the system. L2 expressed that:
'in his experience the really bad part is that on the one hand we feel disempowered and on the other hand the students see us as having far more power than we really have.' (Lecturer 2, lecturer at historically Black university)
Certain statements from L4 also seem to indicate that in the same situation, different diversity characteristics could be used simultaneously by students and management to form alliances with each other, against lecturers, and in this way ascribe or strip a group of power and authority. L4 stated that:
'so what [the manager] did was to join with the students against me ... he said to me as a White person I will never understand how this works. Because from their [Black people's] perspective the lecturer is like a mother to the students and she should take responsibility even though it is somebody else's fault'. (Lecturer 4, lecturer at historically Black university)
This statement provides evidence about management seeking an alliance with students by disempowering lecturers. It also illustrates how management accuse White people of not understanding Black people - consequently the implication could be that (White) lecturers do not understand the (Black) students and management. There is an expectation that the lecturers hold the power and authority to assist students, and simultaneously they are stripped of this power and authority.
The purpose of the research was to describe diversity dynamics operating in an HBU by forming an in-depth understanding of these dynamics operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management from the SP perspective.
This research was seen as important to enlighten present and future developments pertaining to diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between students, lecturers and management, and also tertiary institutions and organisations in general.
Two manifesting themes were evident in the data, the diversity characteristics entrenching the Black and White divide and struggle skills entrenching the Black and White divide. These themes were interpreted in the context of existing literature about SP, to form new insights about diversity dynamics. Based on these insights two research hypotheses were presented.
It seems that the diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management was entrenched by diversity characteristics. It also seems that the relationship between students, lecturers and management was buried in different layers of difference (race, power, authority, culture, socio-political aspects and language) amplifying the split, between the three stakeholders. Pretorius (2003) and Skolnick and Green (2004) discuss in detail how these diversity characteristics are used to project denigrated parts onto a group, in this case the lecturers, across the divide amplified by diversity characteristics. It is proposed that these lecturers then introject these parts and through projective identification behave in accordance with these denigrated, disavowed parts, whereas the students and management probably hold onto the idealised parts. It seems that the relationship between the stakeholders mainly occurred within the paranoid-schizoid position (see Diamond & Allcorn, 2003; Jaques, 1990; Klein, 1985; Menzies Lyth, 1990). The projection of denigrated, disavowed and idealised parts is probably an attempt at a reversal of unconscious roles - in the past the denigrated parts and inferiority were projected onto Black people and the idealised parts and superiority were projected onto White people (Powell Pruitt, 2004; Powell Pruitt & Barber, 2004; Skolnick & Green, 2004).
It appears that the conscious feelings, namely of feeling disempowered, baffled, disqualified, hurt and negated, experienced by the lecturers in the face of the accusations of racism by students, might attest to their sense of being denigrated by the (Black) students and management (see Pretorius, 2003; Skolnick & Green, 2004). The lecturers probably also experienced that the students and management, by projecting a racist identity onto them, perceived them to continue the racism and discrimination of the apartheid regime, specifically as the Vlakplaas of the university, against the (Black) students and management. Now, it appears that the lecturers, and consequently the students and management, were kept in particular, unconscious roles.
Juxtaposed against the unconscious attempts to renegotiate unconscious roles amongst the stakeholders, were unconscious efforts to entrench other aspects of these historical roles, which is (White) lecturers as the oppressors and (Black) students and management as the oppressed. In the new dispensation the hierarchical position based on race had, to some extent, changed, resulting in a renegotiation of the hierarchical position of the race groups on a conscious and unconscious level. This apparent reversal, in unconscious roles, amongst the race group might have resulted in groups experiencing changes in the nature of available receptacles for projection of idealized and denigrated parts, across a particular diversity divide, in particular race. On another level it seems that attempts were made to entrench historical, unconscious roles holding on to relatedness linked to the White-person-in-the-mind and the Black-person-in-the-mind. Although the socio-political dispensation has changed, in the South African psyche there is still investment in the relatedness that the different race groups hold towards each other.
In this way the stakeholders unconsciously held onto the White-person-in-the-mind (the racist, the oppressor, the one withholding progress from the Black person) and the Black-person-in-the-mind (the victim, the oppressed, the one who cannot progress). It is proposed that this particular description of the lecturers can be linked to the concept, the-White-person-in-the-mind. Based on the work about the organisation-in-the-mind (Armstrong, 2006; Young, 1995), the White-person-in-the-mind refers to the relatedness that all South Africans have to a White person. Based on the work of Erlich (2001) and Miller (1989) the relatedness of the students and management towards the lecturers denotes how the lecturers are viewed and treated in terms of their group membership.
Based on the above discussion the following research hypothesis was formulated: It seems that the (White) person-in-the-mind of the (Black) students and management is different from how the (White) lecturers see themselves. In the same way the (Black) person-in-the-mind of the (White) lecturers, is possibly different from how the students and management see themselves. This would suggest that diversity dynamics are entrenched by the relatedness, based on diversity characteristics, amongst the (Black) students and management on the one hand and the (White) lecturers on the other. It is also proposed, using the concept, person-in-the-mind, that the stakeholders probably held onto familiar unconscious relatedness, whilst exploring new conscious relationships and unconscious relatedness across diversity characteristics.
It seems that the diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management was further entrenched by the struggle skills of the students. Perhaps students not only participated in a struggle to ensure that they achieved better academic results, but they did so because they may have felt consciously and unconsciously uncertain about whether or not the lecturers or management were the most powerful stakeholder in the university, which would ensure their academic success. The questions which emerge now and remain unclear, are, when, during the struggle in the new political dispensation, did the students use diversity characteristics to ascribe power and authority to lecturers and management, and which of these characteristics did they use? Perhaps what was not being recognised is that the challenge or threat, by using struggle skills, was a way, which Black students knew, to interact with White lecturers.
This challenge or threat seemed to be most prevalent in the test, examination and evaluation situations as indicated by all the lecturers. It is proposed that a situation, in which the students' competence is evaluated, is perhaps the moment of the Black students' most extreme vulnerability, and the White lecturers' highest level of power and authority. This possibly indicates reciprocal splitting between Black students and White lecturers, which provides further evidence to the possibility that the students and lecturers are operating within the paranoid-schizoid position (Klein, 1985). The challenge or threat was probably an indication of Black students projecting badness onto the White lecturers, resulting in a challenge or threat. Thus, the students attacked the lecturers before the lecturers could attack them.
Furthermore, envy probably underlay conflict (see Hiles, 2007; Mouly & Sankaram, 2002; Stein, 2000) within the HBU and allowed for interaction that was attacking, and not only defensive, between students, lecturers and management. The envious attack may result from desiring that which is perceived to be good and desirable - bear in mind that historically White people were considered the desired ones. Perhaps in the HBU Black students and management were envied because of their perceived privileged position in the new dispensation. In this way envy can be used as a deeply damaging attack on linking (connecting) (Stein, 2000) between the students and management on the one hand and the lecturers on the other, and in this way entrench and maintain the Black and White divide, and consequently the diversity dynamics, between the stakeholders. This deeply damaging, envious attack on linking is further entrenched by the sophisticated use of diversity characteristics to maintain the dynamics operating in the paranoid-schizoid position, making the move to the depressive position almost impossible (Hiles, 2007; Mouly & Sankaram, 2002; Stein, 2000).
Based on the above discussion the following research hypothesis was formulated: It seems that envy was used in the struggle between the three stakeholders, resulting in a deeply damaging attack on linking, and in this way it entrenched and maintained the Black and White divide, and consequently the diversity dynamics, between the stakeholders. This deeply damaging, envious attack on linking, between the stakeholders, is further entrenched by the sophisticated use of diversity characteristics, which ensured that the stakeholders operated in the paranoid-schizoid position, making the move to the depressive position almost impossible.
Through the explication of the themes, and also the presentation of research hypotheses presented, I offered to those, in educational institutions and other organisations, the opportunity to reflect on the diversity dynamics that might be operating in particular organisations, and question how employees possibly collude with these diversity dynamics.
By exploring the diversity dynamics from the lecturers' perspective, several aspects of diversity dynamics that operated in the HBU emerged. Thus, the stakeholders in the different organisations are confronted with the idea that they are not only involved in their daily (primary) conscious tasks, but in other activities. They are also not innocent bystanders of the diversity dynamics operating in their organisations. They are additionally actively involved in the diversity dynamics, which include constructive and destructive elements, of their organisations. What is particularly important and challenging is the need for stakeholders in universities, in education in general, and in other organisations in South Africa, to attend to the diversity dynamics in organisations. This can be performed through internal work and safe spaces for shared reflection, in order to ensure real and meaningful work relationships.
A limitation of the research is the extent to which my transference and counter transference to the data could have influenced the outcome of the research project. Thus, the self as instrument that assisted in working with data, may also have prevented me from seeing other salient aspects of the lecturers' experiences. However, my willingness to work with transference and counter-transference, also provided an opportunity for in-depth analysis of data.
Future research could focus on current diversity dynamics evident in South African universities amongst students, lecturers and management. Similar research projects can be implemented with organisational consultants working with diversity management, managers and other employees in various organisations. The way in which, and to what extent, diversity dynamics in the South African organisations might have changed, can also be explored to broaden our theoretical and practical understanding of diversity dynamics in organisations.
Competing interests
The author declares that she has no financial or personal relationship(s) which may have inappropriately influenced her in writing this paper.
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Correspondence to:
Michelle May
PO Box 392, UNISA 0003,
South Africa
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Received: 01 July 2011
Accepted: 11 Jan. 2012
Published: 27 Mar. 2012
1. Vlakplaas was the farm where the death squads of the apartheid security forces were based.


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