Now You Can Print My Articles In a “Friendly” Fashion
I just got off the phone with a colleague who told me that although he enjoyed my blog, it annoyed him that he couldn’t get a “print friendly” version of the article.
You know, he was right! Even though clicking on the article title takes you to the full article, you still see all the side bars and other website stuff when you press print.
Well not any more… Now if you want to see a printer friendly version of my writing (no fancy graphics etc) just click on the title to view the single article and you’ll also see a special icon of a printer and a link saying “Print this post.”
So there you are. Don’t say I never listen… Pardon?
Some Advertising Is Awful, Here’s Why…
Don Hauptman said in the The New Individualist, 6/07:
“Some criticism of advertising is justified. A lot of it is awful, primarily because it doesn’t fulfill its intended purpose: selling the product. It’s created by self-proclaimed ‘creative’ people solely - or so it often seems - to ‘entertain’ and to win industry awards and the plaudits of their peers.”
Does your advertising sell? If it were a sales person, would you fire them for underperformance? If your advert is cute, clever, flashy and failing - it’s time to rethink your advertising strategy ~ more likely the message you are trying to express and communicate to your intended customers…
I recommend re-reading this short article.
The Taxman Cometh… Yeah, Even Online!
Watch out online communities and all you avatars out there, the taxman cometh… yeah, even online!
Rumours persist the taxman has created spies in Second Life and is now hunting for possible tax evaders – those of you who don’t declare the money you make within the online 3D world.
Tax inspectors are using a new high-tech snooper computer system to scan the site. The same software is being used to scan and monitor eBay too.
According to Britain’s Sunday Times, more than 13,000 people now make some sort of a living from Second Life. In July, 145 players earned more than $5,000 (£2,480) a month on the site, up from 116 in February. A further 5,384 earned $100 or more.
Bottom line - real or virtual, you can be assured if you make money you will face taxation…
Eyetracking Proves Banner Blindness is Worsening
A newly released eyetracking study by usability guru Jakob Nielsen shows online banner blindness is worsening.
Nielsen says:
Banner ads (indicated by green outlines in the heat maps) didn’t even receive light focus from skimmers, scanners and readers’ and neither did non-ad content in the same areas.
Click here to read the whole story and see the actual thermal maps.
How Spin Works
A friend of mine forward this to me today I smiled from ear to ear when I read the newly spun tale. Now that’s spin doctoring!
Judy Barnes, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered Hillary Clinton’s great-great uncle, Remus Rodham, a fellow lacking in character, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana . He was hanged in 1889. The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this inscription: “Remus Rodham; horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1883, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.”
Judy e-mailed Hillary Clinton @ NY.Gov for comments. Hillary’s staff of professional image adjusters cropped Remus’ picture, scanned it, enlarged the image, and edited it with image processing software, so that all that’s seen is a head shot. The accompanying biographical sketch read as follows:
“Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory . His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed.”
(And that’s how it’s done, folks.)
Get a Second Life
Some folks say that the web will go 3D, others are muttering about a ‘new web’ that will replace the current edition we know and love. I think that both these predictions may already be true: Have you heard of Second Life?
Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 8,976,533 Residents from around the globe.
From the moment you enter the World you’ll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you’ve explored a bit, perhaps you’ll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business.
You’ll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow Residents. Because Residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other Residents. (This opens the door to some interesting business possibilities…)
The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is handled with the in-world unit-of-trade, the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden Dollar exchanges. (There are about 270 Linden dollars to $1 USD currently)
My interest in SecondLife is two-fold: (1) It’s just plain fun - did I mention you can fly! and (2) it’s an amazing place to explore business opportunities…
If you get the time, you should visit. See you on the other side!
Who Packs Your Parachute?
Today I received an email from a friend, there was a file was attached and all he said was that it was “Worth 2 minutes.” I finally found time to sit down and watch the Powerpoint Show and discovered it was worth more than 2 minutes of my time - in fact I did what the message asked and now I’d like to share it with you.
Why? Because each and everyone one of you helps me pack my parachute each day and I’d like to thank you for that. And if you want to know what I am talking about - download and watch the presentation…
Click to download and watch Who Packs Your Parachute?
PS. Here’s an addendum to this post, the parachute story really got me thinking and I decided to find the man that wrote this wonderful piece. His name is Charlie Plumb - Captain Plumb actually and he’s a Former Navy Fighter Pilot - P.O.W. and One of Today’s Top 10 Professional Speakers. You can find out more about this amazing man at his website: www.CharliePlumb.com
Blackberry Resale and Trade In
A funny thing happens from time to time, I write a post about a subject and before you know it - I have the #1 spot on Google.com for that search phrase.
Take the term “blackberry resale” - nearly 3/4 of a Million websites are indexed with that ’special phrase’ and I rank #1 (as of today) for the phrase: “blackberry resale”
I rank #3 for the phrase “blackberry trade in” and that’s pretty cool too.
The moral of this story? is this, Blogs rule… I write a few hundred words about how I figured it was better to sell your used equipment on eBay, and within a very short time I’m coming up on top of the search results!
But seriously, if you do have a used Blackberry - sell it on eBay. See what others have done and simply follow the format. Don’t blatantly rip off someone else’s advert, but by all means use it as a starting point for your own.
If you have any questions or want some free advert copy to get you started, drop me a line.
