Associated Content: Published

Check out my recently published content on AC:

Review: MSI Wind U100 Netbook

Shake and Purr: The Next Big Thing

This is it.  This is the next big hit and you want to be in on the ground floor.  Shake and Purr.  Think of it like Facebook and XTube, only not.  Words won’t do it justice so just mosey on over and take a peak.  Shake and Purr, the name says it all.

Gmail Crashes, Again: Get Over It

Gmail went down again this morning.  Reports are flying about angry users not being able to access vital information.  Rioting breaks out in cyberspace.  And…  The world goes on.

Google is not infallible.  No email provider is infallible.  Technology breaks down from time to time.  Get over it.  Anyone who has used a computer has experienced a glitch from time to time and Gmail experienced a glitch this morning.  Google knows when this occurs and when it does, they get to work on fixing the issue and restoring service.  If your business or personal life is so deeply dependent on one single service such as Gmail then you have bigger problems than your email not working.

I know, it’s convenient to store everything in your email folders.  And most of us rely on email as a key way of communicating.  But things break.  This is life.  Don’t live in a fools paradise in which you think that just because a huge company is providing you a service that it will never break.  Machines break.  They always have and they always will.  No need to hyperventilate or kill your neighbor.  Calm down, step away from the computer and maybe step outside for a moment and get a breath of fresh air.  Run in place.  Do something to clear your mind and realize that when Gmail or Yahoo Mail isn’t working it does not mean that all life on the planet will come to an end.  Let the engineers fix the problem and then you’ll be able to access your precious email again.

And in the future, perhaps you should consider storing valuable data in multiple locations because guess what, this kind of thing will happen again in the future.  Forewarned is forearmed.

Writing For The Web: A Brief Primer On Content Writing

When writing for the web, that is, when deciding how to write content for a web page or blog post just remember to keep it brief and to the point.

Think about it.  Most people will probably come across your site as the result of a generic search on one of the main search engines.  They’ll land on a page and begin scanning it.  They will not be reading it in detail, not at first anyways.  You want to write content in such a way that the relevant information will come first and be easy to understand.  There is a term, “front-loading”, which basically means that you will always try to put the most important content first.  Again, you are trying to be clear and concise so that when someone begins reading a sentence or paragraph, they will start seeing the relevant information that you are trying to get across to them first.

Regardless of the information you are providing you want to hook the reader and then reel them in, providing the details further down on the page.  Want to sell your services as a plumber?  Then you’d want to point out at the top of your page that you are a plumber with X number of years of experience in residential or commercial plumbing and you are licensed and bonded according to the local rules covering plumbers in your area.  Next, give examples of the type of work you do.  Perhaps mention some clients who have used you in the past.  Finally, cover your rates and how to contact you.

The example I just used talked about a website that advertises services but this same method applies to any website and online store.  And whatever information you choose to provide must also contain relevant keywords that pertain to the particular page the viewer is reading as well as to the purpose of the website in general.

Also think “inverted pyramid”, with the base at the top providing the most relevant information and proceeding down like a funnel.  Moving people to the close, whatever that may be.  The content that you choose to display on your website is not important if people are unable to locate the information in the simplest way possible.  Even a personal or family website will benefit from this approach.

Recycled Paper Notepads

The ubiquitous office notepad.  It is one of the most important tools in the workplace but most of us give it little thought.  So many notepads were used last year in the United States that if you place each one end to end they would circle the equator twice.  Even in the information age you would be hard pressed to find an office that does not use paper notepads.  But paper is paper right?  Not exactly.  Studies have shown that by using recycled paper you save up to 3 cubic yards of landfill space each year.  Will this simple act alone save the planet?  No, but making the conscious effort to switch to recycled paper notepads is easy, cost effective and it is going to help conserve our planet’s natural resources.

Until the day arrives which will bring us truly paperless offices it will be up to all of us to find creative ways to cut down on waste.  Paper is a necessary tool in our daily lives and we cannot stop using it altogether but we can be more mindful as to our consumption of it.  Recycled paper notepads are the answer to this problem.