Successful Blog

Net Neutrality 7-9-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

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

Net Neutrality = A Financial Services Industry Free-Ride?

I’ve written a little about the Net Neutrality debate , and posted some Blog entries bout it — e.g. here, here and here. It’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 — well-informed, mostly well-referenced and balanced. But its ‘neutrality’ has been challenged and has triggered Wikipedia’s discussion process. The discussion page on the issue is fascinating. Here’s the bit about the bias complaint. . . .

[What follows is the challenge process at Wikipedia.]

It’s always irritating to have one’s views changed by other people’s better arguments, but this discussion has caused me to re-evaluate the original entry. I think the point about ‘framing’ is right. Wouldn’t it be nice if all public debate about complex issues were conducted this way? Then we really would have a deliberative democracy. I’m always puzzled by people’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

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Quality of Life

Customer Think Logo

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

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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.

Wufoo

Thanks, Cat Morley, for another Great Find.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Thanks to Week 37 SOBs

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muddy teal strip A

Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

muddy teal strip A

They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her directly to me. This award comes with a full “Liz said so” guarantee. It is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

deep purple strip

Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame. Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Net Neutrality 7-8-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding these links to the Net Neutrality Page.

Let’s put Net neutrality to bed: Engaging the George

We’re talking about a simple idea, that when you haven’t paid for dedicated capacity at a given throughput and reliability . . . your traffic will travel at the same speed and with the same reliability as everyone else’s traffic. The carriers’ position is that they should be able to define that freedom of access. It is the long and successful tradition of the United States that it does not allow a monopoly or duopoly to operate free of regulations which define a minimum common good that they must fulfill in exchange for their market positions.

Battle Lines Drawn Over Net Neutrality

InfoWorldMike writes “. . . Determining the full effects of Net neutrality can be difficult, however, in part because the concept is hard to define precisely. Most of the debate has taken place inside the Washington Beltway, where lawmakers and outsiders have proposed several different versions. InfoWorld has a Special Report up exploring the issue with a debate between experts Bill McCloskey and Jon Taplin and some of the news that has captured the issue as it developed.”

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

SOB Business Cafe 07-07-2006

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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

Jonic Linley analyzes an interview with Blake Ross, co-founder of the Mozilla Firefox browser project, by a Seattle newspaper. Jonic’s analysis is what makes this post so strong. Great information here.

Seth Godin explains Diggbait.

Tom Vander Well’s thoughts for bloglings are worth reading no matter when you started.

Thoughts for Bloglings

Mama Mouse knows where the Google Blogger/Blogspot help is — multiple links to informed sources.

Help for Blogger Problems

Related ala carte selections include

Bloggers Blog let’s us in on Chris Pirillo and Brad Fitzpatrick’s new comic venture.

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