Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category

Being Internet savvy is quite a blanket statement. The Internet is such a vast domain that having a broad knowledge is an ongoing process for any enthusiast. The first time I ever saw the Internet was at my brother’s house in the mid-90′s. I remember he showed me Yahoo and how you could search for people you know. It was a brief introduction, but I was completely intrigued.

A WebTV setup from RCA.

Being a teenager of limited means, I finally got online in 1997 via WebTV. WebTV became kind of a laughable phenomenon as computer ownership became more widespread. It was really an innovator and ahead of its time given all the Internet-ready TV’s and TV compatible devices available today. It was a limited experience without a computer, but my brain was a sponge. Two years later, my parents (God bless them) shelled out nearly $2500 for my first desktop and I haven’t looked back. So with nearly 13 years online under my belt, I am attempting to write a comprehensive list of criteria that makes one “Internet Savvy” since I can’t really find one online.

What Does “Internet Savvy” Mean?

Let’s break it down. If you’re reading this, you know what the Internet is, but what does savvy mean? The beauty of the Internet is that as I’m writing, I can pull up a dictionary definition of any word.

savvy [sav-ee]

verb, -vied, -vy·ing, noun, adjective, -vi·er, -vi·est. Informal .
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)

I cannot emphasize proofreading enough (yet again, I’m pointing self-ward as I write). I very recently read a book from a self-published author. I reviewed the book on Amazon, and one of the main things I noticed was that every other page in the book had a typo. Grammatical and spelling errors are a distraction. That being said, you will find them rampant on this website. We’ll cover that later.

The aforementioned author is quite the success and there’s really a lot of buzz around the Internet about it. I’m attempting to avoid being a part of that buzz; positive or negative. On the author’s blog, he/she states that he/she had hired an Accountant, Financial Adviser, and a Personal Assistant. Should you or I “hit it big” with self-publishing, I’d like to stress that an Editor might be a wiser hire before the Personal Assistant.

Sure, sure, I’m positive the hype is difficult to handle and the flood of email, tweets, and other communication is probably overwhelming; however, first things first. It’s your craft that is bringing in the fortune. More than that, it is your readers who are supporting your efforts at your craft. Shouldn’t your first actions be centered toward further perfecting your craft and source of fortune? I think so.

Some Facts About Proofreading

• It is nearly impossible for you to proofread your own writing. I proofread every post and page before I hit Publish on this website, but the typos abound.
• Proofreading is not the same as Editing. Learn the difference.
• Final proofreading on your own should take place some time after the writing. A day is not long enough, a week is okay, but a month is better.
• It’s a necessity.

At the Very Least…

When you complete a chapter, proofread it. Do it by the paragraph if you have to, and then the whole chapter. That’s even better. When you’ve completed your rough draft, scan it for those red squiggly underlines. Correct the mistakes. Run Spell Check. Proofread until you’re sick of proofreading. Then…proofread some more. Ask your friends and/or family to proofread. Give them a little time without hounding them. If you haven’t heard anything, proofread on your own again.

At the VERY least, proofread until it feels like overkill. Proofread until the story is nearly memorized…until you’re sick of it. If you have the means, hire someone to proofread for you. After all of this, I can nearly guarantee you that there will still be mistakes present in your book, BUT they will be few and far between. That is what you want…at the very least.

At Most…

Hire yourself a bonafide Editor/Proofreader to check your book professionally for mistakes in grammar, spelling, flow, and content. Again, there will still be mistakes, but they will be few and far between. It’s worth your time, your money, and it’s worth it to your readers. First things first.

I received a Kindle as a Christmas gift. I was given a choice between the Kindle and an Android tablet. After checking features and reviews, I decided the Kindle was for me. I have a laptop for videos and other things the tablet would have been good for; however, I don’t read books on my laptop much. I read a lot of websites and blogs, but books, meh.

All the reviews in the world couldn’t hold a candle to holding a Kindle in your hands and experiencing the features, well, firsthand. I’ve argued long and hard that having access to books electronically is great, but there’s nothing like flipping through a book, magazine, or newspaper. This still holds true, BUT Kindle is the next best things and in some ways, it’s better!

Initial Pros

• Small and thin. It feels great in your hands
• eInk technology is so cool
• User friendly interface. Getting started is EASY
• Menu is short and to-the-point
• TONS of free books from Amazon and other sites FREE EBOOK COLLECTIONS
• I LOVE the highlighting and annotating features, and Kindle saves them all to a file for you
• 2 built-in dictionaries – AWESOME – I’ve never read with a dictionary so convenient before
• 14-day FREE trials on all blogs, magazines, and newspapers
• FREE sample of any book for sale on Amazon
• Amazon threw 3 experimental features they are testing on Kindle 3: a web browser, mp3 capabilities, and text-to-speech. All 3 are fully functional, and pretty cool to play around with

Initial Cons

• The Next Page and Previous Page buttons are huge, on both sides, and I hit them accidentally sometimes
• No lighting. I like that there is no backlight but it would be nice if they included a clip on light rather than buying them separate for no less than $15.
• When you are annotating a passage, you can’t capitalize the first letter without having to delete the lower case, and then go back and capitalize
• Navigation and typing are only slightly better than a QWERTY keyboard on a cell phone

The Initial Conclusion

I am VERY HAPPY with my Kindle. The pros far outweigh the cons. Kindle is the closest thing to flipping through a book there is in the electronic/digital world. I predict that the next generations of Kindle will only improve with color and touch features that slam the competition. iPad, eat your heart out. I’m not looking for a laptop wannabe…I’m looking for an e-book reader that focuses on READING, and Kindle is the answer.

Blogging

Blogger – A free blogging platform owned by Google that is feature packed including social features to discover and follow other blogs.

Books

aNobii – A book review sharing community where you can list books you’ve read and meet new friends who have similar reading taste.

goodreads – Get book recommendations from your friends, track what you’ve read, track what you want to read, and participate in community by forming a book group, answering trivia, or collecting your favorite quotes.

Bookmarking

BlinkList – Save all the cool things you find on the web with one click and retrieve your links with lightning speed.

delicious – Save all your bookmarks in one convenient place online and access them from any computer with an internet connection. Delicious has options for one-click bookmarking. Tag your bookmarks and find them easily in a visual tag cloud which can be embedded on your website or blog.

Digg – Digg is usually filed under social bookmarking, so I will follow this lead. Digg is a place to discover and share content from the Internet. Click the Digg button bump content up higher in the list. The front page of Digg has long been somewhat of a holy grail for bloggers.

diigo – diigo is an extremely handy tool if you spend any time surfing the ‘net at all. Bookmark, highlight, save pictures, screen shots, and more. diigo also has apps for iPad and Android phones as well as one-click tools for most browsers.

Faves – Save your favorite websites, news stories, and more. Access them from ANY computer with an Internet connection. Follow people with similar interests and discover even more sites.

FFFOUND! – Social bookmarking for images only. Share and discover images.

Pearltrees – An innovative social bookmarking site that arranges your bookmarks in a tree-like array for easy mapping. Pearltrees is social bookmarking meets mind mapping.

Business

Biznik – A community specifically for entrepreneurs and small business owners to help you network and grow. Eliminate the loneliness of running your own business, find more customers, collaborate, raise your visibility, and much more using Biznik. Basic features are free, but you can pay for premium accounts.

Blogmarks – An invitation only social bookmarking site. Save your bookmarks, share them, and discover new sites in the public stream.

Ecademy – Exclusive business networking.

fwisp – Business and financial blog links.

LinkedIN – A social networking community geared toward professionals who are working or looking for work. Network with your co-workers and receive recommendation letters directly on your profile.

Creative

Aviary – A free suite of online creative tools including an image editor, music creator, screen capture tool, audio editor, vector editor, image markup tool, effects editor, and color editor. No downloads required. You can share your creations in Aviary’s online community.

behance.net – A platform for creative professionals to showcase their work. Set up your portfolio using the Project Editor, or embed projects from other social media networks. Promote yourself, sell your work, connect with others, or get hired using behance.net.

Colors

COLOURLovers – Create and share colors, palettes, patterns and more.

kuler – Create and share color schemes for websites and other creative digital endeavors.

deviantART – The largest social network for artists, deviantART has been around since August of 2000. As an artist, you can showcase your work on deviantART and receive art community feedback, make friends, and interact all in the name of art. deviantART boasts 35 million visitors per month.

Etsy – Etsy is a community where you can buy and sell handmade goods of all kinds.

Dating (Free)

Badoo – Online dating. Meet new people in your area.

PlentyofFish – Online dating.

Zoosk – Online dating.

Gaming

ibibo – Play social games online with friends.

Kongregate – Play games online with friends and win achievements.

How To

eHow – Find out how to do almost anything included in their library of 1.5 million articles and 150,000 videos.

Howcast – Howcast provides how-to information to a number of different platforms including your mobile phone.

Instructables – A web-based documentation site where people share how to do a myriad of different things including do-it-yourself projects.

Mahalo – A how-to and Answers community. Discover and share.

Journaling

InsaneJournal – A customizable online diary where you can make friends and stay in touch with old ones. Post public, private, you decide.

LiveJournal – One of the oldest online journaling communities on the web. Network with like-minded friends and write to your heart’s content. Share anything including all kinds of media.

Micro-blogging

blippr – Review almost anything in 160 characters or less. Blippr works with other social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, last.fm, Steam, goodreads, and tumblr.

Identi.ca – Micro-blogging based on the StatusNet tool.

Miscellaneous

blogTV – BlogTV is filed under miscellaneous because it’s several things rolled into one. It can be used for video blogging, live shows, and video uploads.

brightkite – Brightkite allows you keep up with friends and places via text messaging and the web.

Buzznet – Buzznet allow you to share video, audio, images, text, polls and links. You can see the popularity of your content grow, see what is trending, and keep up with what your friends are posting.

CafeMom – Social networking for moms only.

claimID.com – Use claimID to claim your OpenID when can be used at hundreds of sites across the web. On your personal claimID page, you can list all the social sites you use in one easy place, and we’ll let you know if one of your pages goes down.

corkd – A social networking community for wine aficionados.

Disqus – A comment platform for your blog that builds community right there on your site. This is a powerful tool for bloggers to build and keep traffic.

eSnips – eSnips is a social community that gives you 5GB of storage space to share ANY kind of content you want.

Families.com – A social network for parenting, relationships, and community.

fanpop – A social community where you can be a fan of anything and everything.

foursquare – Share your location with friends and unlock your city. foursquare helps you find friends and keep up with what’s going on in their lives while discovering new things about your city.

FriendFeed – FriendFeed shares your online social activity from a number of other social networks in one spot.

GRAZEit – GRAZEit is a Firefox add-on that brings you relevant content as you surf the web. Spread relevant content without the add-on directly from the GRAZEit website.

Jaiku – Jaiku allows you to share your Internet activity from a number of social media sites as well as Instant Messenger and Text.

Mixx – Share Internet content from all over the web and then mix it to discover new stuff.

Netvibes – Netvibes is your online dashboard that lets you keep up with all the things you care about online with quick links and updates.

Movies and Television

blip.tv – Broadcast your independent TV show(s). Hundreds of blip.tv shows appear on YouTube as well.

Current TV – Independent TV shows and news clips.

FanCast – Watch popular TV shows online.

Flixster – Share and read movies reviews.

Hulu – Watch hundreds of popular TV shows and Movies streaming online. Post comments, add friends, and enjoy the community -OR- just take advantage of the convenience of catching shows you don’t have access to or that you might have missed with limited commercial interruption.

Joost – Watch popular TV shows and Movies streaming online. Create and account and save your favorites and reviews with others.

Music

Audioboo – A mobile and web platform that allows you to record and upload audio for family, friends, or the world.

Blip.fm – Become a DJ! Blip.fm allows you to play and share your favorite music on Blip.fm and other social sites like Facebook and Twitter.

iLike – A social network for music discovery. iLike helps people share recommendations, playlists, concert schedules and more.

Jamendo – Free and legal music downloads from independent creators across the web.

Last.fm – Listen to streaming music online for free.

News

Dropjack – Submit, share, and discover popular news.

Gather – Submit and discover popular news including entertainment, sports, world news, and more.

Photos

DailyBooth – Your life in pictures.

Flickr – Upload and share your photos with family and friends. Embed your images on your blog or website. Flickr even has embeddable slideshows to showcase you photos.

Fotolog – Upload and share your photos with the world.

ImageShack – ImageShack is an online media host that allows hotlinking. They have integrated with Twitter using their popular yFrog sharing network.

Shopping

eBay – eBay is an Internet staple. Millions of people search eBay for hard-to-find items, to find the value of items, and to find items they need for a good price. Head over, and see what you’ve been missin’.

Epinions – Share your opinions of items and products you use everyday.

Kaboodle – A social network for shoppers, by shoppers.

Multiply – Secure shopping that you can share with your friends and family.

Slideshows

authorSTREAM – Share your PowerPoint slide presentations, convert your slideshows to a downloadable flash video, discuss your slideshows, and create a custom channel to showcase your work.

Social

Bebo – Bebo is AOL’s social network. It’s most popular among AOL/AIM chatters.

Facebook – Quite possibly the largest social network on the web. Facebook integrates microblogging (via status updates), blogging (via notes or networked blogs), games, groups, and much more. Find friends you haven’t seen for YEARS or keep in touch with family and friends over the miles. You can also network for your business using Facebook Fanpages.

hi5 – hi5 is a social network not unlike MySpace or Bebo.

myLot – A social community that allows you to share discussions, blogs, tasks, news, and much more.

MySpace – One of the pioneers of social networking sites. MySpace allows you to customize your profile and share pictures, blogs, statuses, music, and much more.

Netlog – A social network geared toward young people.

Video

Bambuser – Live video streaming from your mobile device. Bambuser works with webcams too!

Dailymotion – Upload and share videos online. Dailymotion allows you to post public or privately, discover new vidoes, and embed them on your website, online profiles, or blog.

Funny or Die – A video site that is geared toward comedy. Upload and watch funny videos.

LiveLeak – Discover and share alternative trending video. LiveLeak seeks to redefine the media.

LiveVideo – Broadcast live video to the world.

Websites

chi.mp – Organize all of your online stuff in one place with your own personal free .mp domain.

Social Networking

Elgg.org – Elgg is a platform for building your own social network. If you want to build a community for your family, or for a particular interest you have, Elgg is a good spot to start.

A Note From ProWebWriter

Check the availability of your username or business name on several of these social networks HERE.

So far I’ve spent about 5 hours on this post. If you find it helpful, please consider submitting it to the social networks you use on a regular basis or add it to your bookmarks. I will be updating this page when I find new sites or learn that these are no longer relevant. Please submit new sites or report broken links using the form below:

[contact-form 1 "Contact form 1"]

Last Updated: 12-15-10

Clear modem

I signed up for Clear.com service nearly 6 months ago. You can read my initial review here. I thought that I would do a little progress update since my review receives a lot of traffic here on my site. There are a lot of people looking for reliable mobile broadband service not only because we’re on the go, but because we want to have internet access no matter where we find ourselves. Not to mention, those employers who have their Internet on lock down. I love to say, “I don’t care.” with my own connection.

I heard a whisper that Clear had started using caps meaning that they intentionally set your Internet at a slower speed so you can’t slurp too much bandwidth especially during peak times. Now, I’m not sure about the validity of these claims as I have not experienced any problems myself; however, my situation is somewhat unique. I work 3rd shift and utilize my Clear service between Midnight and Noon about 4 days per week. The rest of the time, I use my home wireless network. I got Clear specifically for use at work since my job is basically to warm a chair overnight. I chose Clear because they were touting that you could freely use their service for streaming media and games. Here’s a quote from their website:

What makes 4G different?

All you have to do is experience the speed of 4G for yourself and you’ll know. Today’s 3G networks were built for making phone calls. But CLEAR’s 4G WiMAX network was built just for the internet, wherever you are. That means you have the bandwidth you need to download movies, upload videos, stream games and more—all at ridiculously fast speeds.

I have found this claim to be completely true. I have used Clear the last 6 months to watch ridiculous amounts of Netflix movies, as well as, Hulu and YouTube without any notable issues. The minor issues I have experienced are:

• Interruptions in Internet connection – maybe 6 times over the duration of my usage
• Some minor fiddling required to get online – mainly having to obtain new IP settings when I’ve used my wifi at home between Clear sessions
• Dropped connection over extended use – usually after I’ve been connected for HOURS…this entails restarting the Clear software and the connection and movie picks right back up without any problems

With any Internet connection, minor issues are to be expected. Things go down…it’s a given. I’ve never had Clear go down for any extended period of time. The websites I utilize go down more often than my Clear connection.

Recently, I’ve noticed that the Clear coverage area has expanded. I haven’t done a lot of testing, but I noticed 4G coverage near where my parents live in The Sticks…and I do mean rural. Clear also recently updated their connection software and the service works much smoother now with more automated tasks and less clickage.

The Multitudes Speak

I’m not here to convince you one way or the other. I can only relay my experiences with Clear which have been positive. However, it seems like I might be in the minority. The forums at Clear.com speak for themselves. They are rampant with dissatisfied customers complaining about speed and coverage problems. When the staff responds to complaints in the forums, it appears to be canned responses that aren’t really solving the problem:

“Michael Staal, Official Rep, replied 3 months ago

Clear Customer Service Chat 110710

So…either they don’t cap usage, or their representatives are lying.

Conclusion

I still hold to what I said in my original review: Clear is a gamble that you take for the great pricing on unlimited use. Other companies charge at least $20 more for mobile broadband and cap usage at 5GB per month. That’s about 1-3 YouTube videos and you’re done for the MONTH. Since I opted for the month to month, I can stop paying at any time and find a more viable and most likely more expensive option should Clear fail me at any time.

Sources:

http://qubestream.com/?p=336

http://qubestream.com/?p=312

https://www.clear.com/discover

Photo by Breno PeckI recently received a comment on an earlier review I did of the StatPress plug-in for WordPress. The poster had a question regarding the discrepancy between the stats being provided on his website by StatPress and Google Analytics. I, too, use both of these traffic tools, so I was familiar with the differences he was talking about. StatPress shows an often exaggerated amount of visitors when Analytics  displays a very different lower number.

So…I began to do a little digging around to find why this might be and which of the two I should give more heed. The documentation out there on this is nil. I wouldn’t normally site forums and the like as reliable information, but when that’s all you can find…

First of all, these two tools are written on two different platforms. You can run any two, three, or four stats tools on your website, and none of them will agree with another. I’m not a coding genius, but I understand a little. Google Analytics is a javascript application. It requires that you past a snippet of code in your website to log your traffic statistics. StatPress on the other hand is written in PHP and works a lot differently. One reason these two send conflicting information is because StatPress is real time and Analytics usually logs your stats as you refresh the results. Also, some users disable javascript in their browsers which would mean their visit to your page would not be recorded by Analytics.

Discrepancies do not mean that either of these programs is inaccurate since they do work differently. It’s actually a good idea to run more than one traffic tool, especially on a marketing blog, since traffic reports on those types of sites is so important for financial record keeping.

StatPress Tips

Here are a couple tips to help you with StatPress. If you’re using StatPress, and you’re not sure what all the data you are looking at means, check out my review post.

• Make sure StatPress isn’t the 500 Pound Gorilla in your database. Consider doing a periodic download of your statistical data if you want to keep it rather than storing it in your database. You can export your data by clicking Export under StatPress in your Dashboard.
• Check your StatPress options and adjust them accordingly. Did you know that you can choose not to log Spiders? You can also set your Overview Graph to 7, 10, 20, 30, or 50 days.
• And…in case you were wondering, the StatPress Blog is useless.

This question submitted by Mark at humblings.com.

Sources:

http://beermar.ecademy.com/node.php?id=104731

http://www.webtlk.com/2008/03/09/statpress-for-wordpress/

http://www.realestatebloglab.com/blogging-in-general/statpress-the-500-pound-gorilla-in-my-database/

http://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-statpress-stats-dont-match-google-analytics-by-large-numbers

The Backstory (You can skip this if you want.)

I began writing for Demand Studios in July of 2009. At the time, it was a dream come true. I was living in a sleepy little town with no jobs. Demand Studios met me right where I needed them to and provided writing opportunities that fit my abilities and expertise. At that point in time, Demand Studios boasted right around 20,000 Writers in their employ. There was a steady stream of a few thousand titles to choose from and while searching for titles was time-consuming, I always found something to write about.

Some full-time freelancers shun them as just another content mill…even though they are the highest paying such mill that I know of. When you break it down, they pay $15 for a basic article in various formats. That $15 buys ALL rights to that content. It comes down to if you are willing to sell ALL rights to your work at that price. I look at it like this…when I started out working for Demand, I could punch out an article in less than an hour. I found solid resources (because it’s required) and basically rewrote the content. If someone wants to pay me $15 for mediocre…fine with me.

I definitely needed the money. In this economy, and with the large influx of freelancers, no one is paying $25+ for content anymore. People who say they are, find it beneath them to offer proof or any REAL methods to land this type of work yourself. That’s a whole other post in and of itself. Let me see if I can get back on track here. I’m gonna focus on some of the  troubles I’ve experienced in recent months with Demand Studios.

Over the last year and a half, it has become increasingly difficult to be a “Demand Studios Writer” for a number of reasons:

Less Viable Titles

Demand Studios is notorious for crazy titles…such as:

“How to Build Your Own Keyboard Mouse Scanner”

I consider myself pretty intelligent and computer savvy, even well read about do-it-yourself type things, but uh, I have no idea what a “Keyboard Mouse Scanner” might even be. A Google search delivered no results as to what the heck it is either…much less how to “build your own”.

So while at the time of this writing, there were 295, 066 titles available to write, a crazy percentage of them are like the example above or something like:

“Backflow Check Valve Installation”
“How To Remove a Printer’s Print Codes”
“How To Use Frame Machines”

Large Writer Pool

The last I knew, there were 20,000 Writers working with Demand Studios. No doubt that number has increased over the last year and a half with the addition of Demand’s social media outlets and Craigslist listings for Writers. I was unable to find anything recent stating how many Writers are currently working for Demand Studios…not even in the Writer Forums. Since this information is being kept on the down low, I must logically assume that there are too many Writers.

Increased Editing Times

When I started with Demand, my articles were usually edited the same day…sometimes in a matter of a few hours. The last several times I have submitted articles, the editing time lagged and I didn’t get paid for some of them until the next payday. Demand Studios is not a place to earn a quick few bucks anymore now that editing times are impossible to predict.

Inconsistent Editing

Demand Studios has set strict guidelines for their Writers, and I can only assume the same to be true when it comes to editing. An Editor is responsible for knowing the Writers’ guidelines for all types of articles (15 formats as of this writing), and their own set of rules as well. I wouldn’t be familiar with that since I’m not an Editor. Granted, I’m sure it’s not the easiest job and I think they make about $3.50 per article. Inconsistency in editing is unavoidable, but that doesn’t make it less of an aggravation for the Writer. Knowing what you can get by with in the editing phase, inadvertently shapes the way you write your articles. Editors who are sticklers are trouble.

Everchanging Strict Guidelines

Demand Studios has guidelines out the wazoo. If they were any more strict, they’d be telling you what to write word for word. They have overall guidelines, and then separate guidelines for each format…yeah, 15 formats. As if that weren’t enough, they have blacklists of resources that you cannot use as well. First on the blacklists are all the sites that compete with various Demand Media websites. You also can’t use Demand Media sites to reference your article either. So, once you have a good handle on all the guidelines and blacklists, they change them…oh yes, at least once a week there is some kind of addendum to the “Studio Guidelines”. Ad nauseum, ad infinitum.

The Wrap-Up

This article is not meant to discourage anyone from giving Demand Studios a try. It’s worth a try. Heck, you might know what a “Keyboard Mouse Scanner” or a “Frame Machine” is. Here’s hopin’ you can find a viable reference to support your article so you can get paid. I get a lot of traffic on this site to the articles I have written about Demand Studios, so I know a lot of people are in the same boat and trying to figure out where to go from here. I wish I had your answer. Goodness knows if I was making bank in freelancing, I would have let you know by now.

The best advice I have is get yourself a website. You won’t get rich, but you’ll have an outlet for drivel like this AND for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Throw some ads on it, and enjoy the 2 or 3 cents a month it brings. No, but seriously…your own site is the way to go.

I applied for the job at Demand just before I was laid off as a full-time Technical Writer. I had done some freelancing here and there on the side for extra money and I had applied at a number of the “content mills” on the Internet. I really didn’t think that Demand Studios would be much different. So, I took a nonchalant approach to putting together my application. While I can’t remember what articles I used in my application, I just copied and pasted something I had on my hard drive at the time.

I really didn’t know anything about Demand Media, and I wasn’t concerned either way with getting the job. I think I half thought it was too good to be true since it was the highest paying “content mill” I had applied to. Two weeks later, I received my approval email. I updated my profile, and there it sat from February to July 2009. I jumped into writing for Demand with both feet on July 4th. This followed a cross-country move, and several months trying to secure full-time employment.

Part of the reason that I had procrastinated so on getting started was the extensive guidelines set forth by Demand. There are General Guidelines, and then separate guidelines for each article type. There are 12 different article types currently at the time of this writing. If you’ve checked into or been accepted as a DS writer, then I’m sure you have experienced how overwhelming that can be.

Needless to say, I was rather nervous when I submitted my first article. It ended up being a fairly painless process and it was approved with only a small change. There was no stopping me after that. While my contributions to the Studio have slowed somewhat since I’ve gotten a full-time job, I still write occasionally.

It’s important to note that if you can write coherently, show that you have some professional writing experience, and submit a couple decent articles, becoming a Demand Studios writer should be no big deal for you.

I set out to research mobile broadband providers a little over a month ago after I acquired a new job where I’d be able to utilize my laptop. I have used Verizon and Sprint mobile broadband in the past and they worked wonderfully with an expansive coverage area. The problem with them are the 5GB per month limits. This makes it impossible to use their broadband for any streaming media, and well let’s face it, the internet is all about streaming media these days.

Being that as it may, I quickly ruled out any company with a limit from the running. This left me with three options to consider in my area: TimeWarner, Cricket Wireless, and Clear.com.

• TimeWarner was simply too expensive. Even if I bundled the service with other services I currently utilize, it was just too much money.
• Cricket Wireless had some decent consumer reviews out there, but there was a major problem with their service. They advertise their mobile broadband as unlimited, but they put a soft cap on it after you reach 5GB. This means they throttle your internet speeds and slow down your browsing to limit your use in a different way. This allows them to advertise unlimited use and to profit from the fact that they do not charge a per MB overage like other cell companies. The price was right, but I just can’t deal with the limits.
• Clear.com, also known as Clearwire, didn’t have the best reviews online. It seemed that people were saying the same things. The Clear coverage map showed service in their area, but they had a heck of a time picking up a signal. However, they advertised their service as the one to use if you are interested in streaming media from videos to gaming.

I had a decision to make. I decided to take a gamble and go with Clear. It seemed to be my only viable option at this point. I didn’t feel that researching deeper would bring out any more reliable companies or services in my area. The benefits of having internet access from my workplace overruled the risks. I had to give it a fair try before settling in for a long wait for another service to come along, settling for limited service, or shelling out more dough.

Clear.com Evaluation

Pros

• FAST shipping. I had my equipment within 2 days of placing my order.
• Chat. Clear.com has representatives available via chat to answer any questions you have. They also post their customer service phone number prominently in multiple places on their website.
• Easy setup. The Clear modem is virtually plug and play.
• Able to stream ANYTHING. I’ve been watching Netflix without any problems.
• Full reception. I have all 10 bars at work inside 4-hour firewalls with NO windows.
• Low price. It’s $40 per month for unlimited access.
• Additional options. Clear offers packages for more than one mobile device, home internet, and hotspot devices that support multiple connections. No package is over $55 as of this writing.

Cons

• Freezing. If you plan to leave your computer, close down Clear and remove your device. Otherwise, you will have to do it anyway. It doesn’t work well as a continuous connection that is not constantly being utilized.

Additional Observations

When I received my equipment, I installed and then plugged in the device for about 5 minutes to run an initial test. I had one bar and trouble with reception in my home, but I didn’t move around with the computer. I just unplugged it and decided to check it out at work. I have ‘net at home, so I really only car that it works at my job. The only problem I have had with the service is Netflix adjusting streaming because my connection had slowed. I’ve watched a week’s worth of shows, approximately 20 hours, and this has happened TWICE.

Overall Impressions

I’m EXTREMELY happy with the service so far. It has delivered on all fronts and I can do exactly what I want online. The device is compact, and the software is streamlined. It’s actually much better than the Verizon and Sprint equipment I used before. I would recommend the service, but keep in mind based on other reviews, it may end up being a bit of a gamble for you.

Links and Resources

Yelp.com Clear Reviews

Gizmodo Review

Please Note

This is not a paid review of any kind. There are no affiliate links posted here. This my honest experience. I hope it helps you make a decision. If you found it helpful, please leave a comment. Thanks for reading.

Dictionary.com defines “mediocre” as:

me·di·o·cre [mee-dee-oh-ker]

There are a few misconceptions about blogging. I’ve read comments by people who say something like, “Bloggers, no one cares about your life or what you have to say about it.” For many people, usually the less web savvy, “blog” is synonymous with “diary”…or narcissism even. I think as with most stark opposing opinions, those people really deep down wish they had something to “blog” about. They don’t realize that a blog can be so much more than a running chronicle of life. Aren’t many of us a tad bit narcissistic? I think the millions of Facebook and Twitter users posting their life to public streams speaks to our narcissism, but more so to our innate need to be social beings.

Blogs have evolved to be so much more than a “diary”. Nowadays, blogs give us information, news, humor and comics. They tell us how to do things, give us advice, and provide us with ideas. Blogs take on the guise of websites, forums, and online magazines. Blogs can be personal, professional and business-oriented. Blogs are new, old, seasoned and intermediate.

Usually when an individual creates a blog, they have a plan, a theme, and a niche…a target audience, if you will. You might start out your blog with ideas for dozens of posts and that will sustain you for the beginning. Creating fresh content is an ongoing task if you want an ongoing blog. This will be one of your biggest challenges. It might take a week, a month, or a year…maybe even years, but you will hit a stumbling block. With the onset of so many social networks, you should never want for blog ideas. No matter who your target audience is, you can pull from everyone and everything around you. These are things I’ve learned over the years from others and some of my own resources.

Where to Find Ideas

• Forums – Join forums pertaining to your niche. What kind of questions are people asking? Answer them in a blog post. Choose common problems and write a post about the solutions.
• Social Networks – Twitter, Facebook, MySpace. These are all your friends…and where you friends post some of everything. Review their website. Write a post about trending topics.
• Brainstorms and lists – If you’re awake, you’re thinking. Ideas may even come to you in your sleep. Keep a pen and notepad close and jot down your ideas.
• Work – Your job funds your life. Your job means that you have a trade…an expertise in something whether it’s being a cashier or a doctor. Write about what you know. Never write derogatory or negative content about your job. Your boss may be reading.
• Hobbies – Your hobbies are things you enjoy in your free time and things that you are probably more passionate about than your job. Write tips and tricks pertaining to your hobbies.
• Television – TV is a huge resource. You can blog about your favorite show. You can blog about things you learned on the History Channel.
• Radio – Do you listen to a morning show? Morning show DJ’s are genius at covering topics that keep people listening day after day. Take lessons and keep people reading day after day.
• Your city – If you live in a large city or a well-known locale, write content pertaining to your region. Even if you live in a rural area, it can still make for interesting blogging. People have a natural curiosity about the lives of others.
• Social bookmarking – Social bookmarking sites like Delicious.com usually have a list of popular tags. Pick one, do a little research and write an informative post about what you learned.
• Music – Blog about writing music, popular songs, genres, and artists.
• Opinion – Blog about your opinions…on everything. Be cautious when you write about religion and politics. Opposition is inevitable.
• Reviews – Write reviews about everything: products you use, shows you watch, websites you frequent, movies you watch…anything and everything.
• Current events – Writing about current events is self-explanatory. I think everyone at some point in school, had to bring in a newspaper article and write about it.

I hope this list inspires you to look at your life, the things you care about, and be able to pull ideas from the resources all around you. Go back and look over your previous posts. There’s no rule that says you can’t write about the same thing twice. In fact, there aren’t really ANY rules in blogging. Throw in some twists and turns or new information and link to your old post. Search engines LOVE that. If all else fails, take a break and come back with fresh ideas and a new outlook.

I write for Demand Studios. I have been writing for them since July 4, 2009. I was accepted as a writer long before then, but it was in July that my financial situation hit dire straits. I can’t remember what articles I sent them as samples, but I am almost certain that they were unremarkable. I half expected to be easily accepted and half expected them to be somewhat of a scam.

When I received my acceptance, it was nice since I had just lost my job. At least I had *something*. I hesitated to submit my first article after reading their strict and tedious guidelines. I thought, “I’ll never remember everything.” I started out writing Strategy articles. A Strategy article back then was almost like a tutorial. My first article was approved with a rewrite that only required a couple small edits. That gave me the confidence I needed to continue. I branched out and wrote a couple of other different kinds of articles: About and Fact Sheets.

I continued having success submitting articles and eventually fell in love with How To pieces. I write them almost exclusively now. The problem that I’ve had with Demand Studios is that I’ve had a really hard time meeting my financial goals writing for them. I know I can do it. It shouldn’t be that hard to write 40 articles and make $600 in a week…but it is. There are many variables that must be in sync when it comes to having a successful week with Demand such as:

• Writable titles
• New titles
• Figuring out when Demand uploads new titles
• Beating other writers to the good titles
• Exercising self discipline
• Keeping a schedule
• Maintaining a strong focus

Demand Studios has more than 160,000 titles available for claiming as of this writing. You would think that with such a large number of titles to choose from, it would be easy to find 40 to write. The truth as of late is that it takes HOURS to find just a few titles that are actually writable. I define writable as something that is possible to write, fits within my realm of knowledge and research, and is properly categorized. While you can search for any keyword you like, you may or may not find viable titles pertaining to your keyword choice. One of my favorite keyword searches is “photoshop”. As of late, there is less than a page of titles on Photoshop available. A few of these titles don’t make sense…they are not writable. A few of them specify that the article be about Photoshop Elements which is a completely different piece of software. These variables eliminate those titles as writable. Demand does have a category search, but it has been out of whack for months.

I don’t spend much time in the forums at Demand Studios, because hello! I need to be writing. The forums seem to be wrought with a lot of complaints regarding the copy editors and issues surrounding the writing and approval process. I’m not sure if not participating in the forums is to my detriment or not. Perhaps there’s something that I am missing. Supposedly, there is a set time each day that Demand uploads new titles, and if you are in the know about when this is, you have a chance to grab all the good titles. I don’t know when this moment happens, and the last couple weeks has proven that to me with a vengeance. It’s frustrating when you spend 2-3 hours searching for titles and end up with four.

The rate of pay is also up for debate. Until last week, the most you could make on a Demand Studios article was $15. That is tough to swallow when there are freelancers out there who claim to be commanding $50+ per article. So where I need write 8 articles per day with Demand, at that rate, I could get by with three. It saps one’s motivation. When I first started at Demand, all the writers were basically on the same level. Now they’ve launched a Premium program where they hand-picked writers who are eligible to write articles that pay as high as $75. Yours truly was not selected. I’m trying not to be bitter.

When you get down to it…I’ve been writing for Demand for 8 months and I still can only claim 10 articles at a time with consistent scores well above average. I have had 76% of my articles approved without a rewrite, and I can’t even get my queue increased 5 more articles. Speaking of consistency, the copy editors are not…in the least bit consistent. I won’t elaborate because I don’t want this post to become an outright bitchfest…and yeah, they *score* you. They score you based on grammar and research. Both things where it is easy to let one’s personal pet peeves take over.

Pros

• Demand Studios pays twice a week
• Payment is consistent and on time
• Large pool of titles
• Writers must be native English speakers
• Guidelines are well outlined

Cons

• Title to writable title ratio is opposite what it should be
• Recently expanding writer pool to the UK and Canada
• There are no briefings for articles
• Interpretation of the title is left up to the writer’s discretion
• Copy editors are inconsistent
• Huge pool of writers

If you are thinking about applying for Demand Studios, think about it. I won’t tell you not to do it because they have been a viable source of income for me and I’m not sure what I would have done without the opportunity. My best advice is to keep your options open, and you can do that while writing for Demand Studios. If you want to write for Demand or you already do, drop me line, I really like to network with my colleagues.

Twuffer.com is a Twitter tool used to schedule tweets for future posting. Why in the world would you want to schedule tweets? If you are an Internet Marketer, this can be a very useful tool for sharing links, blog posts and website updates. Even if you’re just a dabbler in blogging and social media, Twuffer will alert your friends of your blog posts and other events at a scheduled rate. This way, you are not “spamming”, but you can ensure that your promotional information gets to all of your contacts no matter when they are online.

Simply log into Twuffer using your Twitter credentials and the easy user interface pops up.

Type your tweet in the field, then select the time you want the tweet to launch. You can even tweet now from Twuffer. Click the “set status” button and your tweet is scheduled. You can view your queued tweets by clicking on the “queued tweets” tab. If you schedule a tweet and change your mind, you can easily delete the tweet from your queue by clicking the red “X” to the right of your tweet.

Because Twuffer uses a calendar interface to set the date of your tweets, you can schedule them as far in the future as you would like. This is useful when you are planning to be absent from your Internet endeavors for any length of time. You can schedule your blog posts, and then schedule your Tweets to follow, and let your enterprise run on auto pilot while you focus on other things.

Don’t forget to make sure your settings are right so that your scheduled tweets post at the correct time. You can set this up on the “settings” tab. Twuffer will default to this tab when you log in so you can be confident that your settings are correct. Twuffer also give you the option to post your tweets to their homepage, so it’s all about exposure.

What others are saying…

Twuffer has been met with some opposition from the Twitter community, especially by those who think that Twitter should be a real-time tool only. However, many Twitter users use Twitter for marketing and promotion in addition to personal uses, so scheduling tweets becomes necessary at times.

While you can post on any date using Twuffer, timed posted are limited to each hour on the hour. The upside to this is that it prohibits abusers of the service to send a tweet every five minutes, but it can also be stifling as well since the posting times aren’t as free as they could be.

Pros

• The convenience of future posting
• Easy-to-use interface
• User-friendly tools

Cons

• Website is slow
• Twuffer is in beta so it can only get better, right?

This is the last article in my 10-part series on Twitter Tools and Apps. It doesn’t stop here, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed so you don’t miss my future posts.

TwitterCounter.com is another Twitter-centered site providing Twitter users with all kinds of stats. Since TwitterCounter is a stat site that is powered by Twitter, you don’t have to log into it with your Twitter details, you just click the “Add” button and then click “Allow” for TwitterCounter to retrieve your Twitter stats. Once you add yourself, TwitterCounter is going to want some basic information from you and will make you a couple offers. For example, you can sign up to receive weekly stats information to your email account. TwitterCounter also has a Pro account that will provide you with a few extras like more stats, retweet tracking, browsing more than your last 3 months of tweets and export options. As of this writing, the price for the TwitterCounter Pro account is $32.50 per year.

You can also set up your TwitterMail through TwitterCounter.com. What is TwitterMail, you ask? TwitterMail allows you to post tweets using your email account. This can keep you from incurring text charges when using your cell phone with Twitter. TwitterMail assigns you a unique email address, or you can specify one. You simply send an email to that address and Twittermail posts the body or subject of the email to your Twitter account. Make sure no one can guess your Twittermail address, otherwise some unwanted people might be posting to your Twitter account. You can also receive tweets from your favorite Twitter users by adding their Twitter user name to your Twittermail account settings.

TwitterCounter returns statistics regarding your Twitter account almost immediately. You can view general information such as your follower count and bio and also follower count predictions and your overall Twitter rank. TwitterCounter also has a few tools for advertising your Twitter account on your blog, website, or social media profile. You can create a small button advertising how many followers you have, a large button showing your follower count, and a customizable Twitter widget that displays information about your account.

Other than that, TwitterCounter will show you the Top 100 Twitter users and the Top 100 Lists. You can see how you are ranked among the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Oprah Winfrey. It really is a useful tool and one-stop shop for everything Twitter.

Pros

• Lots of information fast
• Provides tools
• Powered by Twitter

Cons

• Must pay for Pro features
• Does have trending topics stats

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Twittertise.com is a site that lets you advertise using Twitter and track the effect of that advertising. The first thing you do after logging into Twittertise with your Twitter log in information is set your time zone. You can also opt to follow Twittertise with Twitter to receive their updates, but it is not a requirement. With Twittertise, you must schedule your advertisement using the simple calendar interface. There is an option that will allow you to send your tweet immediately.

Scheduling your tweets is a good way to send out several different tweets regarding the same advertisement or to send the same tweet numerous times. This ensures a wider reach for your advertisement. Remember to set your tweets wide enough apart so that your followers don’t feel you are spamming them. If you make a mistake in your tweet, you can simply delete or edit it from the queue. There is also a function so that you can view your tweet. All of these features are under “Actions” in your Dashboard.

Twittertise is really a simple application to use. Each time you send a tweet using Twittertise, it lists the tweet in your Sent Tweets. Your Sent Tweets list the tweet, the date and time, your link and the status. To view the details regarding your tweet, click the first icon under “Actions”. This shows you how many clicks your link has received including direct clicks.

This allows you to track the effectiveness of your advertisement and the effectiveness of using Twittertise overall. Since Twitter lacks built-in analytical tools, Twittertise allows you to track the effectiveness of your Twitter marketing campaign. To tweet in different time zones, adjust your settings any time by clicking the “Settings” link in the upper right corner of the page.

What Others Are Saying…
A lot big companies are using Twittertise. You can see a sampling of who these companies are by visiting the Twittertise blog at http://blog.twittertise.com/ or perform a Twitter search using the keyword Twittertise to see who is buzzing from and about Twittertise in real time.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Ability to track clicks

Cons

• You can only log in for 24 hours at a time
• Tweeting from Twittertise takes a lot of mouse clicks

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Twtaway.com lets you start and run a contest on Twitter. Why would you need to start a contest? Anytime you have a product to promote, the best way to promote it is a free giveaway. No matter what type of products and services you provide as a business or as a hobby, nothing creates a buzz quite like a contest. Twtaway eliminates the need to log in or create an account. You can get down to the nitty gritty by clicking the “Start a Contest!” button.

Fill out the form as follows:

• Organizers – Your twitter name (separate multiple names with commas)
• Sponsors – Include the twitter name of any sponsors
• Contest Title – Type a title for your contest
• Image – Paste in the link to a TwitPic, TweetPhoto or Yfrog image
• Description – Type a brief description of your contest
• More Info URL – Type the link to the contest details or your website
• When – Type the date range of your contest and use the drop down menus to specify times. Use the drop down menu to choose your time zone.
• Number of winners – Type the number of winners allowed
• Hashtags – Type in any hashtags related to your contest i.e. #contest Separate multiple hashtags with commas

You’re ready. Click the “Create Twtaway” button.

Twtaway creates a page with a custom URL for your contest where you can track participants, comments and retweets. You can also grab the HTML to embed a widget for your contest on your blog or website by clicking the “Embed” tab. Twtaway doesn’t automatically tweet about your contest. Click one of the Share buttons to post your contest details to Twitter, Facebook or Google Buzz. It’s up to you to promote your contest. You can tweet it yourself or use a scheduler to tweet updates automatically.

At the end of your contest, Twtaway will randomly choose a winner or winners for you. It as simple as that. Twtaway is a powerful promotional tool at your fingertips.

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TwtQpon.com allows you to create coupons for your goods or services that are exclusive to your Twitter followers and visitors only. This allows you to run specials to promote not only your goods and services, but your Twitter account as well. TwtQpon is a great way to get new followers for your business. To create a twtQpon, click the “Create a Twitter Coupon” button at twtQpon.com. A simple form loads and you are well on your way to creating your coupon, or TwtQpon. Fill in the form as follows:

• Twitter name – Type your Twitter user name
• Coupon title – Type a title for your coupon
• Coupon details – Outline your offer in 140 characters or less
• Image – Include an image file in GIF, PNG or JPG format (optional)
• Coupon Code – Type a code to activate your coupon
• Redirect URL – Type the URL to your website or profile
• Valid Until – Set an expiration date for your coupon

Click the “Create a Twitter Coupon” button below the form and you are done!

TwtQpon then creates a printable coupon with a link the website that you specify where users can input the coupon code you provided. An image was not used for this test, but using an image will brand your coupon. TwtQpon has convenient “Share” buttons that allow you to post your coupon on Facebook and Google Buzz in addition to Twitter. You can also use their TwtQpon link and post it on your website, online profile, or post it in scheduled tweets.

TwtQpon clearly states who created the coupon (your Twitter ID), and lists when the coupon expires. The result is a professional looking coupon that is brandable all for free. Use TwtQpon to enhance your marketing any time.

What Others Are Saying…
TwtQpon is putting local and small businesses on the same level with the big dogs. TwtQpon allows the small business to provide a professional level service to their customers. In the meantime, companies like Dell are using Twitter to offer exclusive deals on computer equipment and has surpassed $2 million in sales using Twitter alone. Twitter is powerful, and TwtQpon enhances that power.

Pros

• TwtQpon doesn’t post your coupon until you choose to share it
• Creates a professional, brandable coupon
• User friendly
• Tracks comments and retweets about your coupon

Cons

• No hit counts
• No automatic tweeting

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Since Twitter doesn’t currently offer any type of hit counter or analytics to track your tweets and traffic, TweetStats.com to the rescue! TweetStats creates colorful graphs of your Twitter activity so you get a visual idea of how much tweeting you actually do. TweetStats will show you how many times you tweet per hour, how many times you tweet per month, a timeline of your tweets and statistics regarding your @replies all in an easy-to-understand graph.

Type your Twitter user name into the field at TweetStats.com and wait for the magic. The site takes a while due to the volume of users, number of your tweets and Twitter API limits. In the meantime, Tweetstats entertains you with funny quotes and shows you a featured user. If you don’t want to wait, Tweetstats even provides you with a custom URL so you can save the page and return later when your stats are done loading.

In addition to graphing your tweets, Tweetstats also graphs a couple general stats from all of Twitter. You can view a pie chart of popular applications that are used to post to Twitter including the web, Tweetdeck and UberTwitter to name a few. Tweetstats generates a bar graph showing the Twitter users with the most @replies for the day. At the bottom of the Twitter stats page, Tweetstats has a list of Twitter applications that aren’t very well known. If you like trying new things before the multitude is buzzing about it, this is a good opportunity for you to be the first to find the next big application.

If you like to stay abreast of trending topics, Tweetstats can help with that too. TweetStats shows two bar graphs: one for the top 10 trending topics of the day and one for the current trending topics. Aside from the graphs, which seem to be a TweetStats specialty, you can also view the day’s trending topic in a clickable word cloud. There is also a word cloud for the top trending Twitter topics of all time. Clicking one of these words takes you to Twitter search and shows you the related tweets. This can be a resource for following like-minded Twitter users and is also useful for linking to various tweets on a topic.

As you can see, TweetStats offers a wealth of information to the Twitter user. You can use the information to track your Twitter usage as well as Twitter trends. Twitter trending topics tells you what a sampling of the world is talking about. You can use these topics as blog posts to increase you traffic. Twitter is a great way to find out what everyone is saying, good and bad, about a certain topic. Use TweetStats information to your advantage.

Pros

• Provides a lot of information with just a few clicks
• Secure and user-friendly
• Doesn’t require your password

Cons

• TweetStats takes a long time to return your data

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Twibs.com is a business directory exclusively for Twitter users and it’s FREE. Twibs focuses on one thing and that is providing a way to search for businesses on Twitter. If you have a business and you tweet, then getting listed in Twibs is a must. Click the “ADD A BUSINESS” link in the top right corner of the Twibs webpage. Fill out the simple form with information about your business. When you click “add my business”, you’ll receive a tweet to confirm your registration. Twibs displays a link for you to view your business profile page. Twitter users can follow you right from your Twibs page in addition to visiting your website, blog, viewing your email address, and your latest tweets.

Once you have added your business to Twibs, you can then log into the site using your Twitter log in information. From your new Twibs page you can manage all aspects of your business profile, tweet, and grab the HTML for a badge to post on your website or blog. This badge has a special purpose. You can promote your Twibs listing, and if you receive enough votes, your profile will appear on the Twibs homepage to be viewed by Twibs users and searchers.

Manage Tags
Inside your Twibs account, click the “manage tags” link to the right. Here you can add two more tags in addition to the four you specified when you registered. Tags are like keywords that bring up your business in the Twib search. Use concise keywords and phrases to optimize your searchability.

Manage Promotion
Click the “manage promotion” link to the right. Here you can type a tweet that is a special promotion which will bring users to your Twib account. This will give users a reason to follow your business and hopefully turn followers into customers.

Manage Products
Click the “manage products” link to the right to make a list of the products and services your business provides to the community. Once you have listed your products, click the “Save Products” button to save the list to your Twib account. You can edit this list anytime by simple clicking “manage products” again.

Manage Links
Click the “manage links” link to the right to list appropriate links for your business. If your business goes by a name different from your Twitter user name, you can put that there as well. You can list your email address, blog address, and a store address. Any link field that is not applicable, just simply leave it blank and it will not appear on your profile.

Manage Locations
Click the “manage locations” link to the right to provide maps to your headquarters or other office spaces. This provides the community with your address for easy access to your business. If you don’t want to list a specific address, then don’t. A simple city and state will suffice. You can also list a contact number or business telephone number. Click “Save This Location” when you are done. The location is saved and will appear on your profile. If your location changes or you add additional locations to your business, don’t worry, you can add all of those changes under “manage locations” too.

TwibsMonitor
TwibsMonitor is a nifty tool that lists the latest search terms being used at Twibs. Use this tool to help you choose your tags/keywords.

Once you have managed all of your profile information, you will notice that a couple more blocks have been added to your profile: a picture block of other Twib businesses that you relate to, a list of your products, and a map of your location. Your profile is now complete and Twib searchers can now find you based on several search criteria.

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Twellow.com is…the Twitter Yellow Pages. It’s a traditional style directory where you can list your Twitter profile for free. Registering at Twellow allows you to create your Twellow profile, add categories, add links, and create your bio. Whether you use your Twitter account for personal or business use, Twellow is a must, to find and be found. Registration is simple. Your account requires your Twitter credentials and your email address. You can opt-in for email updates, have Twellow send a tweet about your registration, or not. Once you register, you are taken directly to the Profile Editor page.

Twellow imports a good amount of information from your Twitter account to save you time creating your profile. You’ll need to check your email and validate your registration. Twellow automatically adds 10 categories for you.You’ll want to edit their choices since they only allow 10, and they are based on information pulled from your Twitter account. They may not be completely accurate. Click the “Create Extended Bio” button to add details to your bio. This opens a 2000 character box where youcan type additional biographical information.

Twellow categories.

Twellow allows you to add links to your other social media profiles with some 26 choices. Simply type in your user name for the corresponding site and Twellow will create a link to your profile on that site. Click the “Done” button when you are finished.

Twellow social media links.

This completes your Twellow profile. Scroll to the top of the page to grab a button for your website or blog:

Twellow buttons.

Click the “Click to View Your Profile” link to check out your new Twellow profile. Twellow creates a nice profile where users can follow you on Twitter, check out your other social media profiles, read your recent tweets, find a link to your website and read your profile information.

To network using Twellow, click the “Twellowhood” tab at the top of the page. Twellow presents you with a clickable map of the world. You can choose a region all the way down to the city level. Twellow lists the Twitter users in that specific area.

Twellowhood map.

You can find and network with both local and non-local users. Twellow lists any possible category matches it finds to the right of the results. The Twellow tabs have a couple quick tools that allow you to stay on Twellow to view your Friends and Followers by clicking the corresponding tab. In addition, the Suggested Users tab suggests users for you to consider following based on your profile information.

Twellow navigation.

Overall, Twellow is a great Twitter tool and a nicely organized directory. It’s definitely a must for any Twitter user.

Pros

• Huge directory
• Traditional directory layout
• Straightforward

Cons

• Tools are not as simple and concise as other Twitter tools

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Firefox is a popular open source browser and many add-ons for Twitter have been developed to work from within Firefox. These add-ons offer a convenient link to your Twitter account without having to keep Twitter open or download a third party desktop application. If you’re already running add-ons with Firefox, then you already know that add-ons can slow the speed of your browser. You’ll want to keep that in mind before your install additional add-ons.

TwitterSearch is an add-on that adds Twitter to your search engine list. When you type a search term into your search box and choose Twitter search, Firefox returns your results directly from Twitter. TwitterSearch is a quick and easy way to search for topics and people on Twitter.

PowerTwitter is a powerful add-on that adds a lot of functionality to the Twitter web interface. PowerTwitter simply seeks to make Twitter better. It lets users share video and music, share photos, search, find friends and post updates to Facebook all via Twitter.

TwitterFox is an add-on that allows users to post to Twitter as well as receive updates all through a pop up add-on right in your Firefox browser. Twitterfox gives users the count of unread tweets, easy posting of current page links for convenient sharing, supports multiple accounts, and handles all the functions of a standalone Twitter application.

TwittyTunes is a tool for posting multimedia content to Twitter directly from Firefox without having to be on the Twitter website. Post the songs you are currently listening to, videos you are watching and links from websites with one click to Twitter.

TwitJobSearch is a Firefox add-on that helps you search Twitter job listings. Believe it or not, there are thousands of job listings on Twitter. With unemployment currently being at a high, you can never have too many job search options. TwitJobSearch will put you directly in touch with employers that want to hire you.

Tweetlol is a fully featured Twitter client in the form of a Firefox add-on. Tweetlol adds a sidebar to your Firefox window where you can keep up with your tweets while browsing the web without having to click between tabs or program windows.

Kutano is a feature-rich Firefox add-on that allows you to tweet about the websites that you view as well as view what others are tweeting about a specific page. Kutano makes it easy to track what Twitter users are saying about our favorite sites or even your own website or blog.

Tweecious is a Firefox add-on that goes through your tweets and saves the ones with links to your Delicious account. That way you never lose track of your links or the Tweets that contain them.

These Firefox add-ons are among the most popular and feature-rich available for use with Twitter. Try one or try them all, but you’re sure to find at least one that will work for you.

Pros

• No need for standalone clients
• Convenient
• Have features no other Twitter applications possess

Cons

• Slows down Firefox
• Some add-ons encroach on your browser window

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With the popularity of Twitter ever rising, there are literally hundreds of applications and tools that are designed for use with Twitter. There are applications for use on a computer, add-ons for browsers and applications for use with mobile phones all designed to satisfy a large group who are addicted to Twitter.

Benefits
The benefits to using these applications and tools are endless. There are applications that add features to the Twitter experience. The web interface of Twitter has become limited when it comes to these applications that allow users to view and post pictures, music and video with just a few clicks. Users can easily shorten links to allow for longer tweets when posting a link. Applications make searching and using Twitter a more stream-lined task. Most Twitter applications auto update and notify users of unread tweets. The list of features goes on and on. Twitter applications and tools have one purpose, and that is to enhance the experience of using Twitter.

Things to Consider
There are some things to consider when using a Twitter application or tool. Not all third party applications and tools are tested thoroughly or even secure. Most of them require that you sign in using your Twitter log-in information. You might want to think about it before you use just any application, especially those confined to in-page functionality. One reported mishap of using non-secure applications was the publishing of Direct Messages, the Twitter equivalent to a private message, to a user’s public Twitter stream. This could prove quite humiliating depending upon the content of your Direct Messages. Use caution when using third party tools and applications.

How to Find Twitter Tools and Apps
Finding Twitter tools and applications is as simple as performing a Google search; however, you can’t always know if a certain tool is secure. The best way to find reliable secure applications is to look for popular websites that have created lists of top Twitter applications such as Mashable or ReadWriteWeb. In addition, you can search Mozilla.org to find add-ons for Firefox. Many of these add-ons are fully featured applications for using your Twitter account. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can check out Twitdom.com for user submitted applications for Twitter. Twitdom.com is a database of Twitter applications that are created and submitted by Twitter users just like you. You can search Twitdom for applications by category and platform. Keep in mind, these applications may not be tested or secure.

Conclusion
Using Twitter applications and tools will in most cases only make your experience with Twitter better. It’s no secret that Twitter can be used for a myriad of purposes including promoting and marketing your personal web endeavors. Whether you’re just trying to meet new friends or seriously networking to further your business, Twitter is one of the most innovative tools to come around in a long time. Using Twitter applications and tools only enhance your reasons for using Twitter.

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1. There is a slim chance you will find EXACTLY what you are looking for. You might find something slightly better or something slightly worse.

2. The secondhand store is NOT a yard sale. All items are priced as marked and not open for negotiation as a general rule unless you’re spending in excess of $200.

3. The secondhand store is NOT the dollar store. Expect to pay more for items of value. i.e. Electronics, tools, etc.

4. The secondhand store is NOT a wholesaler. You will be charged tax.

5. The secondhand store is NOT a business opportunity. No soliciting!

6. The secondhand store is NOT Walmart. Everything is sold as is, so check it over. No refunds. No returns.

7. Not everything at the secondhand store is used. Some merchandise is actually *gasp* new! Expect to pay a little more for new items.

8. The secondhand store is NOT a consignment shop. We don’t particularly want or need your consignments to be and remain successful. No offense. There are consignment shops for that.

9. The secondhand store means quality at a fraction of the cost. EVERYTHING works to the best of our knowledge. We will even plug it up for you, but don’t get crazy. Hooking up an entire stereo system is a bit much.

10. The secondhand store appreciates your business. Remember that above all else.

I was laid off from my job of 2.5 years last December. I lived out in Las Vegas at the time, and that lay-off began a journey for which I was hardly prepared. I eventually moved back home to North Carolina and have been looking for full-time employment ever since. Here are few things that have held true over this last year.

1. Work in any form…is fulfilling.
I am finding myself enjoying things that I used to abhor like cleaning, dishes and even scooping the cat box. I have even applied for jobs that I couldn’t fathom before just to have *something* to do. It is surprising how much a job can define your life and even who you are.

2. I CAN freelance write for a living.
Shortly after I lost my job, I applied online for a writing job. I got it, and I could actually do it for a living. It pays good enough that it is feasible. I have yet to reach my financial goals which brings me to…

3. Goal setting should be secondary only to breathing.
I was required to set goals at my last job. I scoffed at the idea at first and was almost fired as a result. I found that setting goals for work made me want to set goals for my personal life. Having goals gives me something concrete to work toward as opposed to fleeting thoughts of “I want this, so I’ll do this to get it”.

4. Home is where the heart is.
As cliche as it sounds, it is also true. Not only had I lost a good chunk of my identity as a result of my job loss, I might as well have been living in Egypt. I was 2500 miles from my roots, my family and guaranteed meals. While jobless at home hasn’t been easier per se, it has been more comforting.

5. $8 per hour isn’t the end of the world.
I made a decent salary in Las Vegas and had a prestigious position as one of 10+ pioneers of a brand new department. It was and exiting opportunity and the first time that I could officially say “I am a professional writer”. The reality of the region where I now live is $8 an hour is “decent”. I’ve accepted this over the last several months, and while I aspire to more just as anyone else would…8 bucks an hour won’t kill ya.

6. Living with your parents won’t kill you.
Moving back in with my parents at 33 was about the last thing I wanted to do. Without going into too much detail…it is stifling. The place is small and I am reminded everyday that I can’t afford space and privacy. I am also reminded that my parents love me and care if I am eating or not. Living with your parents won’t kill you…quite the contrary, it will sustain you as you get back on your feet.

7. The secondhand merchandise industry is fun and profitable.
In October, I went to work part-time at a secondhand store. It was a more than welcome opportunity after 10 months trying to slide by on my tax refund and freelancing. The secondhand business is HOT right now with the economy rocking nearly at an all-time low. I work in a giant treasure chest. How fitting for a pirate.

8. Mark was right…
about so many things. Mark Linsenbardt is my former boss and I learned so much from him. I’ve billed him as the best boss in the entire world. Mark’s big thing was goal-setting. As I said earlier, he almost fired me once for not having goals. Mark was right about your job funding your personal life. One definitely does not have much of a personal life without the proper funds to secure it. Mark was right that no one can make you feel and you are ultimately responsible for yourself, your life and your level of satisfaction with both.

9. Television is not a necessity.
I have survived now mostly without TV for 7 months and 29 days. Largely this is in part to the copious amounts of shows available on the internet. I have managed to stay abreast of most of the shows I most enjoy. Others, I have managed updates here and there at friends’ homes, so I have managed to survive the near total absence of the boob tube in my life. While it is not a necessity…it is certainly a fervent want on my part.

Photo by Olivander
I have never been one who was much for giving up. I can’t say that I am the most driven individual, but there are not many things that I’ve thrown in the towel on. In the last year, I have faced some tough challenges. I’ve listened to others put me down. I’ve put myself down, but I have not given up on one thing…not a thought, an endeavor or a dream.

You know, I’ve had it a lot easier through this recession than many who have lost their homes and most everything they had worked for their entire lives. So if I were to challenge those people…I would say never give up. You can only grow and become a better and stronger person through adversity. I’m thankful for every minute of life that I am given and in the words of Kanye…”That, that, that, that don’t kill me, only makes me stronger.”

Let’s outline some things to consider when starting a new blog.

- Public or Private?
This is the decision that will define the purpose of your blog. A blog can be used
for thousands of things. A shortened term for the phrase “web log”, a blog is exactly that: a log that is maintained on the web. Blogs basically started out being something that was like a diary or journal where one could write personal thoughts, rants, and musings for others to read…or not.

Most, if not all, blogging platforms give bloggers the option to keep their blog private or share their writings with groups like family, friends, co-workers, up to a public place that anyone with an internet connection and the address can view.

So, the first thing you should determine when starting a new blog is whether you want it to be public or private.

- What do you want this blog to accomplish?
What is the goal you have in mind when starting your blog? Is it going to be your personal space to write about your life? Is it a poetry or photo blog where you catalog your poems and photos…or maybe collected poems and photos from across the internet? Is it written solely for the reader? Do you have an area of expertise and you are blogging to share your knowledge? There is no limit to what you can use your blog for. You should have a general goal in mind when you begin.

- Anonymous or Real Name?
A lot of people who blog assume a username or handle. This allows them to maintain anonymity and enables some people the freedom to post anything at all without fear of being known. For example, if you have a troublesome boss and you are using your blog as a forum to vent your frustration, you wouldn’t necessarily want to use your real name unless your blog was set to private. I kept my identity anonymous before I came out as a lesbian.

Deciding how you want to be known is really up to you. If your blog is private, then it doesn’t really matter either way. If your blog is public and you are blogging mainly to gain readership, you need to decide if you want the whole world to know to know who you are and be able to find your blog using your real name…or not.

- Where will you post?
Ah…the ever important question…what blogging platform or software will you use? There are hundreds of sites that host free blogs. If you’re not really trying to make money with your blog through advertising, you can choose any one of these like LiveJournal, Xanga, MySpace,
Yahoo! 360, etc. Any one of these will suit your needs well and they are all loaded with features for personalizing and customizing your experience. These sites will also allow you to network with friends, family, and other bloggers at your leisure.

If you are going for a more professional blog where you plan to generate revenue with advertising there are also several options. The most popular by far are Blogspot and WordPress.

- Will you allow comments?
Again, this question is based on whether or not your will make your blog public or private. If you blog is public, will it be a place where you will allow others to comment on your writing? Commenting is an excellent way to create a sense of community on your blog. It allows your readers to respond to you and allows you to speak directly to them as individuals.

You will need to prepare yourself for unwanted comments right along with the good ones though and this is why this decision has to be made. In my experience, comments have always been a part of my blog. When I maintained a personal blog, comments were always a forum where I received different insights and advice on life situations. I would never disable the comments on my blog. They are much to valuable to me.

- Will you promote?
This would depend upon who you want reading your blog. If your blog is for friends and family to keep up with your while you are away at college, then you would tell only your friends and family about your blog. If you are blogging for traffic and readership then you would promote your blog by submitting your URL to search engines and to blog directories so that it could be easily found by large numbers of people. In addition, there are ways that you can pay to promote your blog, but this would only be viable if you have something to advertise like a product you are trying to sell or an affiliate program you are promoting.

Once you have considered these factors, you will have the answers needed to create your new blog. Don’t waste anymore time…welcome to the world of blogging!!!

Article originally posted in February of 2008 on waxingpoetic75.com
Photo: Nicki-G from Flickr under Creative Commons