Successful Blog

SOB Business Cafe 06-16-2006

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Mike Sigers at Simplenomics shares a seven-day plan to build a brand and customer relationships, to improve the blogosphere, and to make the world a better place. This one I printed out, put over my desk, on my bathroom mirror, inside my front door, next to my bed, and on my kitchen cabinet.

Ariane Benefit at Neat Living explains how clearing the clutter from our workspace not only pays off in productivity, it makes room for important new business to enter our work days.

Clearing Clutter Pays Off Big Time

Ben Yoskovitz is holding a Father’s Day Special at IGotNewsforYou. This might be news for you and for your dad too.

Rob at Jamdo has a great post outlining four crucial steps to making our blogs more attractive to readers — stickier.

4 Steps to a Stickier Blog

Related ala carte selections include

Sidharja Qhaum at Jamloceng offers gamers a treat called “Alky,” a tool that converts a Windows EXE to MacOS or GNU/Linux.

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Net Neutrality 6-16-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

Net neutrality today — playing the “safety” card

Net Neutrality is Bad for National Preparedness, says Center for Advanced Studies

NEW YORK, June 12 /U.S. Newswire/ — In a research brief published by the World Policy Institute’s Global Information Society Project, K.A.Taipale, executive director of the Center for Advanced Studies, Science & Technology Policy, asks whether imposing strict net neutrality regulation on telecommunications providers could put public safety and economic recovery at risk in times of national emergency.

How quickly can an innovation policy question be morphed into a security issue? Answer: Almost instantly.

But Paul, It’s Too Elegant and Simple A Solution [Paul Kapustka’s Post]

Paul Kapustka writes: One idea I kicked around a bit at this past weekend’s Vloggercon (in no small agreement with fellow blogger Matt Sherman, who is about 179 degrees away from me on most net neutrality matters) was the idea of Google (or Microsoft, anyone with buckets of folding money and a desire to get into online apps) buying or building an online application that would show anyone who wants to use it exactly what’s happening to their packets as they course to and fro. . . .

Net Neutrality for Sports — Forced unbundling by any other name [Read more…]

4 Writing Tips I Learned from Peter Gabriel

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When I sat down to write this post, nothing seemed to be working. The words just didn’t behave. I didn’t like anything I wrote. Nothing was good enough. I wanted more than what was happening. So I got some advice from a friend.

I put on some Peter Gabriel. He had some wise words for me. Here are a few of the words he had for me and what they mean to me.

    1. Don’t give up. I know you can make it good. Writing is work. There’s no doubt about that. Every writer has a problem getting started every now and then. I start writing in the middle or sneak in through a side door using a photo for an idea. Sometimes I put on some music or take a walk and then try again.

    2. How you feel can make it real. Get alive with the dreamer’s dream. They say the best advice for any writer is write about what you know. I think the best advice might be write what you care about. Readers can sense when your heart is in the words. They can feel the power. I think they know when I’m laughing, singing, and dancing to the music as I’m typing.

    3. All my instincts they return. Once I start to write about something that I care for, the words cooperate again. My writing starts to sound like I am writing it. I get a kick out of reading it. Something called fun is happening.

    4. My heart is going boom, boom, boom. Nothing is more fun than writing that has gone well, especially after it started out stuck.

Peter Gabriel taught me that.

—ME “Liz” Strauss

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And so far the Scavenger Hunt Winners Are . . .

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Scavenger Hunt IS On

As you may know the Scavenger Hunt is on at this https://www.successful-blog.com/1/link-leak-virus-nyc-comments-scavenger-hunt/ post while I’m in NYC.

These are the link winners so far.

    2. Who asked “and I feel so alone… every body must get stoned,” who knew the answer, and who said he was too stoned at the time to remember?

    NYC Scavenger Hunt

    4. What was Chris propogating?

    Open Mic Night @ Successful Blog

I’ll be continuing to update this post as winners come in.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Net Neutrality 6-15-2006

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Anti-Net Neutrality Spin Examples

CNN ran this fluff-peice by Mike McCurry as an independently written opinion item. Mike, the ex-Clinton Press Secretary, has suddenly become quite an internet expert who says the ‘creaky’ internet needs to be rebuilt. Creaky? I have never heard any of the original architects of the internet say there is a problem right now. In fact Vint Cerf, creator of TCP, (the gateway of all internet data transfer)testified as much in Washington recently. ‘Creaky’ is assuredly a strategically chosen buzzwords to plant an image there is a problem with the internet.

I wish I could end this entry but the spin-nausea doesn’t stop.

The Week I Wish that Wasn’t — Down and Out in Washington, DC

What is clear is that Americans won’t really be able to participate (be it via voice, video, text, IM, or any heretofore unknown mode of IP-enabled communications) in the revolution. At least, not on a level playing field with the lucky subjects of those countries that get it. I had been tracking the state of Internet communications policy around the world through efforts with the Global IP Alliance and the VON Coalition. Most specifically, we posted a Global Policy Matrix and a user-supported Global Policy Wiki at www.globalipalliance.net>. But, as the battle for the future of the Internet heated up in America this year, we amassed most of our troop on the US front. To the extent possible, I commit to reviving our efforts to compile and update our sense of global policy developments.

For the moment, suffice it to say that there is an emerging divide between those countries that get it and those that don’t, and, I hate to say it, but in just two short years, America has switched sides.

Net Neutrality: Shouldn’t We Be Wanting Less Regulation?

Most proponents of NN worry that evil telecoms will be evil capitalist pigs. My response? Of course they will, that’s why their CEO’s get the big bucks! Repeat after me… Increase Shareholder Value. That means your 401k, your pension, mutual fund all increase with telecom stock. But in America you can’t get more money without providing more value. That means they must constantly be looking and searching for new ways to make a buck. If they don’t, their competitors will.

That means finding new products and services they think you will buy. It’s called capitalism, and it’s a very good thing.

The real difference between me and your average NN Proponent … I trust the free market. They don’t.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Link Leak Virus NYC Comments Scavenger Hunt

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The Link Virus Epidemic

Link Leak Virus is a special strain of the indie virus with blogtipping mutations that occur in threes. On Open Comments Night the virus got out of control again. This time in NYC. Here are some cool links that were shared:

Many of the likely link leak virus carriers were there. The Advice Librarian started the conversation with talk of conquering the world. Scot Herrick sent a note from his vacation about why he couldn’t come. Joe joined in with talk of reindeer games.

Next thing you know Mark was missing NYC and sharing his accent. Chris Cree added some explanation on how New Yorkers talk. Ben came without the donkey about the time Chris was propagating something. Ben told us about the contest at his blog. HART taught us the correct way to make toast. Brian stopped in to be amazed that we could be talking instead of watching the Mavs. Then along came Tracy with real-life stories.

We managed to discuss Joe’s interview with Darren, how bad traffic can make a good design seem bad, and new tricks spammars are using.

Scavenger Hunt

Now for some fun for those who didn’t attend. I have a few links still trying to jump through this bloggy boat. So, pick a question and then go to the post below (just click the title to get there.) You’ll find the answer to every question somewhere in the comments.

The comment with the answers are on this post. The Mic Is on in New York City!

Playing is easy as 1 2 3 —

    1. Pick one question. Only one question and answer per person. That way I can give more people a link.

    2. Go find the answer.

    3. Post your answer on your blog and leave a comment here. That way I can have post to link to when I proclaim you a winner and other folks know which question you’ve answered and they can come read it.

That’s it.

BE THE FIRST TO ANSWER and YOU’LL BE PROCLAIMED A LINK LEAK VIRUS WINNER

HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS

    1. What is the correct pronunciation of Long Island and who is from Long Island?

    2. Who asked “and I feel so alone… every body must get stoned,” who knew the answer, and who said he was too stoned at the time to remember?

    3. Who prefers Pink Floyd?

    4. What was Chris propogating?

    5. In which comment does it tell how many people actually played THE THREE STOOGES and how many actors were there?

    6. Where is Tracy’s first paying client going in August?

    7. What word made Liz color on her flat screen with crayons?

    8. Which two people ordered coffee black?

    9. Why did Liz apologize and say she was wrong?

    10. Who said he would write a cool referral script and share it?

As I’ve said before, everyone who hangs out here is incredibly cool and incredbily intelligent. Stop by next week when we go to Tuscany for Open Comment Night. We might find out: whatever happened to Ben’s donkey while we were busy talking about Jimi Hendrix, Civilization, and forensic accounting with Tracy and HART.

PS. I’m off on an airplane to NYC, so I won’t be able to check your answers until later tonight. Good luck to all who pitch in and give it a try.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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