Liz, Author at Successful Blog Page

Net Neutrality 7-10-2006

July 10, 2006 by Liz

Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

The Origins of the Net Neutrality Debate

For all the fuss, however, net neutrality was a non-issue one year ago. In the July 7 issue of the National Journal, senior writer Drew Clark asks how the prospect of tiered Internet access suddenly became a focus of public and Congressional debate. He traces the origins of the debate to a few revealing remarks by Ed Whitacre, the CEO of the company then known as SBC (and soon to become AT&T), suggesting that the company was eager to start charging big customers more for access to the company’s Internet backbone connections.

It’s true that Whitacre’s statement raised the alarm among heavy Internet users — but Whitacre was hardly the first to think of turning the Internet into a toll road. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Looking for This Week’s Ideas?

July 9, 2006 by Liz

Look No Further

Mike Sigers at Simplenomics has done your idea work for you. He’s got a keeper of a post on his front page offering 10 Post Ideas for Business bloggers. Go on over and check it out. Click the shot to get there.

This one is a classic. Thanks, Mike!

I’m going now to print it out.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Great Find: Mama Mouse’s Blogger Help Links

July 9, 2006 by Liz

A Must Have for Google Bloggers

lf you use Google Blogger, Mama Mouse has put together a resource that is a MUST HAVE for you.

Great Find: Mama Mouse’s Blogger Problems Help Links

Permalink: http://mamamouseschatter.blogspot.com/2006/07/help-for-blogger-problems.html

Audience/Topic: All Google Blogger/Blogspot users

Content: Anyone who’s spent time on Blogger knows that customer service isn’t their strong suit. A cumbersome platform that has issues seems just what the doctor didn’t order for new bloggers who often started on Blogger because it was so easy to use. Mama Mouse began this month by listing the problems occuring lately and offering the places help awaits.

You’ll find links to

Blogger Tips & Tricks
Blogger Status (official)
The REAL Blogger Status
Most Frequent Blogger ?’s
Blogger Help – Google Group
Blogger Report Form (official)

in her post and in her side bar. To get to Mama Mouse’s post on Blogger Help, there click the logo below.

Mama, who is an SOB, also writes a great blog too. Thanks Mama!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Net Neutrality 7-9-2006

July 9, 2006 by Liz

Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Net Neutrality = A Financial Services Industry Free-Ride?

IÃ¢â¬â¢ve written a little about the Net Neutrality debate , and posted some Blog entries bout it Ã¢â¬â e.g. here, here and here. ItÃ¢â¬â¢s a complex and interesting subject, and politicians have clearly had difficulty getting their heads around it. So I was interested to see how Wikipedia would approach the topic.

The entry seemed to me to be a model of its kind Ã¢â¬â well-informed, mostly well-referenced and balanced. But its Ã¢â¬ËneutralityÃ¢â¬â¢ has been challenged and has triggered WikipediaÃ¢â¬â¢s discussion process. The discussion page on the issue is fascinating. HereÃ¢â¬â¢s the bit about the bias complaint. . . .

[What follows is the challenge process at Wikipedia.]

ItÃ¢â¬â¢s always irritating to have oneÃ¢â¬â¢s views changed by other peopleÃ¢â¬â¢s better arguments, but this discussion has caused me to re-evaluate the original entry. I think the point about Ã¢â¬ËframingÃ¢â¬â¢ is right. WouldnÃ¢â¬â¢t it be nice if all public debate about complex issues were conducted this way? Then we really would have a deliberative democracy. IÃ¢â¬â¢m always puzzled by peopleÃ¢â¬â¢s hostility to Wikipedia: to me, it looks like one of the best things to have emerged from the Net.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Frosted Mini-Wheats Design that Hooks Readers

July 8, 2006 by Liz

Quality of Life

I see the picture on a telephone book. That’s not me there. That’s not anyone I know. That’s stock photography. I can spot it from a mile away. It looks like a wallet photo. It looks like the picture that comes inside a picture frame that I bought at the office supply store — flat and cheery with no humanity behind it.

The same is true of some blogs and websites. They look expensive, but they have no heart. They don’t call to me in any way. Stuff is there, but the music for my eyes is missing. My finger clicks before I think.

Take a moment to stare at a blank wall. Then look at your blog as a stranger might. Is there something that pulls you in, a promise, a wink, a hint of relaxation or surprise? If you don’t see an emotional hook there, perhaps your blog need a makeover to get some “Frosted Mini-Wheats” design. [Read more…]

Great Find: Wufoo — Form-making Tool

July 8, 2006 by Liz

Cat’s in Great Form

Cat Morley isn’t only a supreme designer. She is one curious Cat, for sure. Each week at Tuesday Open Comments Night, she leaves a link that leads to a uselful site or article for us — one she’s found while she’s been surfing. Often during the week she’ll return to shoot me something else she’s discovered. This one, Cat sent for two friends of Successful Blog, Kean and Joe in hopes that they might find it the answer to their quest for a contact form on their blogs.

Great Find: Wufoo

Permalink: http://wufoo.com/

Audience/Topic: Bloggers, small-business owners

Content: Wufoo was released to the public in July 2006. It’s a friendly form-building program that allows users to quickly create a mailing list, a contact form, a marketing survey or even a complete customer management system. Here’s a list of what you can build on their server.

Contact Form
Mailing List
Survey
Job Application
Workshop Registration
Event Calendar
Account Management
Customer Management
Bug Tracker
Invitations / RSVP
Online Orders
Wedding Planner
Address Book
Home Finances
Classifieds
Personal Journal
Quizzes / Tests
Media Collection

Adding class to the picture, Wufoo also provides the power to build a theme for all of your forms and reports. I signed up and made this lovely contact form.

Wufoo provides the code I need to send the answers to the Wufoo server. It was free to make this form and get the code. I would need a $9 subscription to use their server to collect the data. It might tricky figuring out how to use it without a Wufoo subscription on a different server. However, other forms don’t require such a relationship.

You can make three forms for free or buy in a variety of subscription levels — $9/month, $24/month, $69/month, and $199/month. Take the time to check this out. It could be just what you need to add that last dash of professionalism to your business and your brand. To find out more, click the Wufoo logo.

Thanks, Cat Morley, for another Great Find.

–ME “Liz” Strauss