Bad Writing = Good Writing?

Grok Headline matches for Bad Writing = Good Writing?

Good Headline Writing

Good Headline Writing 08/05/2004 05:27 PM
U.S. stocks tumble on crude spike That's one nasty tumble with a horrific result I'd imagine.

Just Plain Good Writing

Just Plain Good Writing 02/05/2005 09:50 PM

I linked to Luke's wonderful new site before but moment 9 and moment 12 reminded me why I need to send his URL to all my friends.

Writing Good Blogs

Writing Good Blogs 09/06/2004 08:11 PM
WebDevInfo Sep 6 2004 11:27PM GMT

Writing Good Apps for the Wireless Web

Writing Good Apps for the Wireless Web 09/21/2004 05:11 PM
Enabling the Wireless Enterprise Sep 21 2004 7:34PM GMT

More On Writing for the Web

More On Writing for the Web 03/19/2003 10:28 PM

Writing XML

Writing XML 09/03/2002 04:40 PM
This article shows you how to create XML documents using manual writing, DOM and SAX. It provides you with some excellent learning material, but using either DOM or SAX for creating XML still looks like overkill to me.

"zeldman.ming"

Writing

Writing 03/13/2003 10:23 AM
My writing leaves much to be desired. I've been thinking about it lately and I have to say that I didn't start blogging to become a writer as such, let alone a good one. It just helps if you can string together some sentences with a semblance of meaning. Technically speaking, there's much room for improvement. Vocabulary wise I'm circumscribed (like it?) by a short attention span that causes me to spend too little time searching for suitable, uncommon words.

But beyond possessing a good technical ability when it comes to writing well, I suppose that being a good writer all-round must surely mean writing about things that also interest people. There has to be a middle ground, a balancing act between mono-syllabic grunting about albeit very interesting subject matter and writing exquisitely well about excruciatingly boring things.

I can't help but think that it would be a hell of a lot easier to maintain this blog if I wasn't confined by the limited range of source material I choose to be confined by. Perhaps I need a specialism? I can't talk about my work, well I could but it wouldn't be very interesting and I chose not to talk about it early on. Perhaps one day. I envy those that can and do. Nothing wrong with professionals blogging. Speaking of which, the bag lady's new blog design is the best I've seen. Seriously, it looks the cat's pyjamas.

On a different note, World of Ends (World Offends?) strikes me as not only a very cool and necessary thing to do but it inspired me to think about what else we, the people of the Web, should be doing to help outsiders understand, integrate and take part in it more effectively. Surely this honourable responsibility doesn't only lie at the feet of the likes of Doc Searls and David Weinberger, however qualified and bang-on about it they happen to be? Who are the new thought leaders on the Web? Where can I find them?

Not writing about war

Not writing about war 03/19/2003 10:44 PM
My guess is that now and in the coming days some people will be looking for more news and opinion about the war in Iraq—and other people will be looking for less, they’ll be looking for other things to read about.

So, just so you know, I don’t intend to write about the war either here or on ranchero.com.

Writing for the Web

Writing for the Web 03/13/2003 10:15 AM
One of the things that traditional journalists find unsettling about the weblog medium is the notion that you're "working without a net" -- i.e., without an editor. In fact, everybody edits your stuff, albeit after the fact. The other day I wrote a column in which I asked:

How do we tune networks to deliver the right information to the right people at the right times?

The triteness warning bell sounded in my head, but not loudly enough to force me to find a better way to express that thought. And sure enough, somebody calle d me on it. (How do I know? I found that URL in my referral log.) I really enjoy this kind of thing. Writing is infinitely improvable, and too often mine goes unchallenged. Partly, that's because of my brain wiring. I have an unusually strong built-in editor, watching everything I do as I write, and complaining loudly. As a result, what I write for print publication is very close to what you see in those publications. If you added up the diffs, over the many hundreds of articles I've written over the years, they wouldn't amount to much. ...

On Writing XML

On Writing XML 01/18/2004 12:24 AM
In a recent essay I offered, given demand, to author some XML-writing software. There’s been quite a bit of feedback, and the consensus seems to be that the Java community is fairly well-served with XML writing software, but that this would be real useful at the C level. So that’ll be my coding fun for the month of February. The rest of this essay lists some of the Java options that people told me about, and introduces some issues around the C implementation...

Writing RSS 1.0

Writing RSS 1.0 01/09/2004 09:54 PM

so i have this cool new writing gig . .
.

so i have this cool new writing gig . .
. 02/01/2005 09:52 PM

Do you ever have something really exciting that you want to share with the world, but you're not allowed to talk about it? It drives you nuts that you have to keep it to yourself, so you quietly mention it to Janet, but Chrissy overhears you from the kitchen, and thinks you're dying, so she tells Larry, and pretty soon you're attending your own wake down at the Regal Beagle. You think this could be a chance to get Mr. Roper to give you a break on the rent, and maybe get a little something-something from that Kaylnn girl who passes out skates at the roller rink, but Mrs. Roper finds out the truth, and somehow you're learning an embarassing lesson in front of all your friends, rather than getting lucky on the waterbed in your cousin's van conversion.

In other words, I've been sitting on this big news for weeks, and I just got the green light to announce it. So pay attention, Chrissy:

I am writing a weekly column for The Onion A/V Club! Yeah, that's right! The Onion A/V Club! Wooo!

Check out the spiffy announcement:

The Onion A.V. Club also extends a hearty welcome to a new contributor who comes to us from Hollywood via the Internet. Each week, actor/author/gaming enthusiast/icon/renaissance man Wil Wheaton, who maintains an online presence at wilwheaton.net, will take a look back to games past with his Games Of Our Lives column, reaching beyond Pac-Man and Donkey Kong to find the dusty arcade games and worn-out cartridges that paved the way for the games of today.

(When I read that, I told my editor, "I love it. Can I just tell you how happy I am that it's not all 'Star Trek Star Trek Star Trek Star Trek (tiny font: writes some stuff too.)'?"

He said, "Well, the original draft referred to you as 'the spunky lad who saved the universe' and then went on to say 'Star Trek, Star Trek, Star Trek.' Then I had second thoughts.")

Can you freakin' believe that I get to write for them?! Holy shit! Writing this column is as much fun as doing Love Machine at ACME each week. I get a chance to be funny, add something pretty prestigious to my resume, and I finally have an excuse for playing so many classic video games. I mean, how many people do you know who could deduct an X-arcade Controller? :)

I did an interview with The Onion A/V Club in 2002. If you haven't seen it, you can read it here.

My first Games of Our Lives appears tomorrow. Check it out, and let me know what you think!

Help keep the Bird writing

Help keep the Bird writing 09/14/2004 03:51 AM
Shelley of BurningBird is broke and needs a little help paying the hosting bills to keep BurningBird going. Shelley is one of the earliest weblog writers, and she has a distinctive, original and beautiful writing voice. She catches a lot of flack because she is often the one to turn over the rock that everyone would rather leave lying there, revealing a truth that people don't want to see. Truth be told, she probably also catches flack because she can be a bit cranky at times, but she only turns her rhetorical guns against powerful people, and she is incredibly generous with her time and expertise. The web would be a much poorer place without her presence and that of BurningBird, and if you can spare a bit of change, drop some in her Pay Pal jar. If you can't spare a bit, at least help get the word out....

Writing an End to the Bio of BIOS?

Writing an End to the Bio of BIOS? 12/30/2003 10:55 AM
An anonymous reader writes "Intel and Microsoft are gearing up to move toward the first major overhaul of the innermost workings of the personal computer. The ...

Collaborative Novel Writing

Collaborative Novel Writing 05/09/2004 12:45 PM
The Great Mahakali Write-A-Thon.

[VBB] Manifesto writing

[VBB] Manifesto writing 12/17/2004 06:31 PM
Joi Ito and Jim Moore are leading a discussion of what could be in a "manifesto for a better global conversation." The first comment is that generally we care about our families and towns before we get to worrying about the world. Alex Steffen from WorldChanging says that our goal should be to expand our notion of family. Ethan says that we should start from the common ground: All of us are trying to reach out beyond where we are. The conversation meanders a bit into more abstract topics. (I am guilty of contributing to it.) Ethan slaps it upside...

Writing For the Web (Sales)

Writing For the Web (Sales) 03/19/2003 10:28 PM

The Writing Fields

The Writing Fields 01/11/2004 11:16 AM

People of a certain age — mine — will remember Prince Norodom Sihanouk as the incumbent leader of a neutral and relatively peaceful Cambodia, before the war in Vietnam spilled over Cambodia's borders, leading to the rise of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, the fall of the Cambodian government, and the killing fields.

Now Sihanouk is an expat king in his eighties, writing a blog by hand with his queen, from France. Sources: Stuart Hughes, The Guardian, Yahoo News.

Writing for Google

Writing for Google 05/11/2004 04:33 PM

Tips for writing articles that answer questions posed to search engines.

Useful Writing Tools

Useful Writing Tools 04/10/2004 02:29 AM
Let's face it, we all get stuck for words from time to time. I'd like to take a moment to recommend a couple of tools that can help you create more diverting dispatches. By Christopher Breen, Macworld (via MyAppleMenu)

Writing, Briefly

Writing, Briefly 03/29/2005 04:35 PM
Writing, Briefly:

paulgraham.com/writing44.html
track this site | 3 links

Writing an end to the bio of BIOS

Writing an end to the bio of BIOS 12/30/2003 07:21 AM
Intel and Microsoft are set to start pitching "EFI" as an improved way of starting up a PC's hardware before its operating system begins loading--a task that's been handled by the BIOS for a quarter century.

Writing about your friends

Writing about your friends 08/09/2004 10:24 PM

Over the years I've become quite friendly with many professional journalists. It's interesting that two of my best friends are journalists and they both have told me, "the only bad thing about becoming your friend is that I can't write about you any more." As a blogger, I don't think I have any trouble writing about my friends if I explain my relationship. The issue of professionalism aside, I think the first person tone of blogging makes it easier to write about your friends in the context of providing information. It's probably much harder or impossible to write about your friends objectively in third person.

Comment - TrackBack

Writing in the Margins

Writing in the Margins 02/11/2004 07:35 AM
Our new monthly roundup of indie publishing: Junko Mizuno's deranged manga, Disney's war against the underground, Flann O'Brien on life during wartime, lefty theorist Mike Davis' children's book (set in Greenland), and William Upski Wimsatt bombs the 2004 election.

Web writing a whole new experience

Web writing a whole new experience 10/31/2003 01:56 PM
Canadian Press via Canada.com Oct 31 2003 12:22PM ET

Writing Genx

Writing Genx 02/15/2004 08:58 PM
In between beach time and rainforest time, I’ve been coding away on genx; herewith some impressions with one important lesson and an interesting bit of history...

Tom on Community Writing

Tom on Community Writing 03/16/2003 09:52 AM
Tom gets at something true in his blogging about writing that creates a sense of community. It's the sort of thing you think you must have always known even though you didn't until you read it....

Writing a Mailbot in PHP

Writing a Mailbot in PHP 11/08/2002 11:10 AM
Interesting article on writing a mailbot in PHP. It's surprising to me that the author avoided using PHP's IMAP classes and just focused on parsing mail as sendmail files. [ Go ]

After writing that last post I got to
thinking: th ...

After writing that last post I got to
thinking: th ... 03/13/2003 10:22 AM

After writing that last post I got to thinking: that didn't end on a very positive note, did it? What would I recommend if you want to add some security to your Mac? That depends on what you want to do.

For securing files on your computer I suggest using Disk Copy (from Apple) to create an encrypted disk image upon which you then store your files. It basically takes a chunk of your hard drive, treats it like a separate drive and encrypts everything in that chunk.

For encrypting email the MacGPG project is coming along quite nicely. It does, however, require some comfort with the command line and the UI of some of the elements leave a lot to be desired. I'd recommend installing MacGPG and then the following email utils and then forgetting about it. There's also quite an active maili ng list available.

To use GPG with Mail.app you'll want GPGMail.

To use GPG with Entourage you'll want EntourageGPG. Note that in both cases, for Mail.app and Entourage, you need to have installed and configured MacGPG first.

For securely shredding files under X... I don't know. If you've got any suggestions for an app that works well, securely and doesn't causes file system trauma let me know. Discuss

9:45 AM | Chris Cummer

I'm writing for Digital Web Magazine

I'm writing for Digital Web Magazine 03/14/2005 06:08 PM
I'm now a columnist at Digital Web Magazine. My first column is about the relationships between web design in the traditional sense and IA in the modern sense.

Reading, Writing, and Landscaping

Reading, Writing, and Landscaping 06/03/2004 10:37 AM
I guess this article about teacher pay relative to other professions shouldn't be a surprise .. part-time jobs .. more» .. more

motherjones.com/news/feature/2004/05/teachers.html
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Resume Writing Advice

Resume Writing Advice 04/11/2004 10:19 PM

The Rockport Institute has a six-part series on how to write a resume. (hat tip to Angie McKaig for the pointer.)

Their advice is fantastic, and capitalizes on the idea that you should do "active personal marketing" with your resume:

THE NUMBER ONE PURPOSE OF A RESUME

The resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview. If it does what the fantasy resume did, it works. If it doesn't, it isn't an effective resume. A resume is an advertisement, nothing more, nothing less.

A great resume doesn't just tell them what you have done but makes the same assertion that all good ads do: If you buy this product, you will get these specific, direct benefits. It presents you in the best light. It convinces the employer that you have what it takes to be successful in this new position or career.

It is so pleasing to the eye that the reader is enticed to pick it up and read it. It "whets the appetite," stimulates interest in meeting you and learning more about you. It inspires the prospective employer to pick up the phone and ask you to come in for an interview.

I would recommend this series of articles to anyone looking for a job change or career change.

Part two of the series says that resumes are scanned, not read. I'll agree with that point completely. I generally spend less than 15 seconds with each resume that I receive on the first pass. If nothing in the resume grabs my eye, I throw it away. If something catches my eye, I put it in a pile of resumes to follow up on later.

Parts three and four give a lot of great tips on writing a resume, some of them are especially powerful:

• To write an effective resume, you have to learn how to write powerful but subtle advertising copy.
• If you are applying for several different positions, you should adapt your resume to each one.
• The resume is visually enticing, a work of art.
• All the basic, expected information is included.
• A resume should be targeted to your goal, to the ideal next step in your career.
• Shorter is ususally better.
• Telephone number that will be answered. (I'd add that your email address better be a good one that won't bounce too.)

Part five covers 'choosing the right job' and is an advertisement for Rockport's services, and part six is a great list of power words that should be used over other passive words that might crop up in your resume.

Writing letters for Dean

Writing letters for Dean 11/16/2003 10:28 AM
Halley wonders if the letter-writing event I'm hosting is still on for this Tuesday. And how! It's at 7pm and if you're in the Boston area and feel like coming by to write letters to undecided voters in Iowa about why you're supporting Dean, you're invited. Send me an email for the details....

Critique Magazine's On Writing III

Critique Magazine's On Writing III 09/15/2004 03:39 AM
Critique Magazine's On Writing III - Each year, Critique Magazine's staff compiles essays by and interviews with writers, teachers, and translators of merit for inclusion in the special anniversary edition "On Writing".

Basically, a shitload of authors provide thoughts on, ahem, writing. {Both sites are worth a look, imo.}

IBM DeveloperWorks: Writing Efficient
PHP

IBM DeveloperWorks: Writing Efficient
PHP 02/13/2003 09:14 AM

Get It in Writing: Travel Info

Get It in Writing: Travel Info 12/08/2003 05:49 AM
Thousands of travelers still buy printed guides listing every flight to and from each city. Far from being driven out of business by the Internet, airline and auto guides are still popular with frequent travelers who want an edge.

VAX Users See the Writing on the Wall

VAX Users See the Writing on the Wall 07/08/2004 03:27 PM

textpattern - writing tools for the web

textpattern - writing tools for the web 05/07/2004 03:41 AM
Textpattern: web writing tools .. TextPattern, un nouveau CMS .. content management systems .. TextPattern beta 1 .. Blogging-Software .. Textpatternin .. Text Pattern .. his new CMS .. textpattern .. Allen's

textpattern.com
track this site | 5 links

Online writing with my sister-in-law

Online writing with my sister-in-law 07/19/2004 09:53 AM
My sister-in-law the novelist (and general prose-ist) is offering an online writing class. Here's the pitch: New Online Writing Class With Meredith Sue Willis The Back-to-School Special Are you or someone you know looking for a short online prose writing class? The Back-to-School Special, a private online writing class taught by Meredith Sue Willis, author of more than twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, is a four-session online writing class starting in September for people who would like some feedback from an experienced teacher on a prose project–fiction, memoir, or personal narrative. The cost is $160, and classes start September...
Grok Description matches for Bad Writing = Good Writing?
GrokA matches for Bad Writing = Good Writing?

SDForum: IBM's Mooney on SaaS

SDForum: IBM's Mooney on SaaS 03/23/2005 02:29 AM
ZDNet Mar 23 2005 6:15AM GMT

Bulk Email Sending & Bullet Proof Web
Hosting

Bulk Email Sending & Bullet Proof Web
Hosting 12/17/2002 02:45 PM
We offer you e-mail addresses databases for advertisement mailing; we sell databases also carry out mailing and hosting for the advertising projects. We can work on a turnkey project create a site with original design, program and subject contents. Our databases updates constantly with the e-mail addresses from all over the world. Their ...

Bullet Proof Connection v3.0

Bullet Proof Connection v3.0 01/17/2004 10:58 PM
Bullet Proof Connection is an intelligent internet surfing simulator that prevents you from being disconnected from your Internet Service Provider(ISP). The simulator tricks the ISP into believing that the internet activities are active. By using Bullet Proof Connection the so-called 'Unlimited Internet Access' will now become a reality!Bullet Proof Connection has been tested on over 800 computers. [Shareware $15.00 30 Days 533 KB]

Owners of ActivSoftware and the Email
Application Server, XM Mail Server,
Offer $10,000 Software Challenge to the
Email Industry

Owners of ActivSoftware and the Email
Application Server, XM Mail Server,
Offer $10,000 Software Challenge to the
Email Industry 06/22/2005 01:51 AM
For years, SMTP server software was used to send and receive e-mail communications. These older servers, usually freeware, have created many delivery challenges. Most of the time, marketers, CEO’s and even CMO’s are completely unaware of these issues. The owners of ActivSoftware, in central New York, introduced a worldwide challenge to prove their software system (http://www.activsoftware.com/xms) is one of a kind in the email industry. [PRWEB Jun 19, 2005]

Orascom selects Motorola as GSM supplier
for Iraqi network

Orascom selects Motorola as GSM supplier
for Iraqi network 10/30/2003 11:48 PM
Mena Report Oct 26 2003 10:05AM ET

Allchin named as proof of MS email
destruction policy is sought

Allchin named as proof of MS email
destruction policy is sought 05/24/2004 09:20 AM
In addition to the undeliberate policy...

Before-the-Bell: Motorola, TheraSense Up

Before-the-Bell: Motorola, TheraSense Up 01/16/2004 11:35 AM
Boston Globe Jan 13 2004 4:16PM GMT

After the Bell-Microsoft, Motorola, TI
rise

After the Bell-Microsoft, Motorola, TI
rise 07/21/2004 12:54 AM
Reuters Jul 21 2004 4:07AM GMT

After the Bell-Microsoft, Sun, Motorola
rise

After the Bell-Microsoft, Sun, Motorola
rise 07/21/2004 12:54 AM
Reuters Jul 21 2004 4:09AM GMT

Before the Bell - Motorola, TheraSense
rise

Before the Bell - Motorola, TheraSense
rise 01/16/2004 11:35 AM
Reuters Jan 13 2004 2:42PM GMT

Before the Bell - Storage Technology,
Motorola rise

Before the Bell - Storage Technology,
Motorola rise 01/16/2004 11:35 AM
Reuters Jan 13 2004 2:42PM GMT

Techs Up on Motorola; EBay Up Post-Bell

Techs Up on Motorola; EBay Up Post-Bell 04/21/2004 07:59 PM
Reuters Apr 21 2004 11:16PM GMT

Home Depot, Motorola Rise Before Bell

Home Depot, Motorola Rise Before Bell 08/17/2004 09:02 AM
Reuters Aug 17 2004 12:44PM GMT

Before the Bell - Nokia falls, Motorola
dips

Before the Bell - Nokia falls, Motorola
dips 07/15/2004 07:02 AM
Reuters Jul 15 2004 11:36AM GMT

Slashdot-proof your server with
FreeCache

Slashdot-proof your server with
FreeCache 06/08/2004 04:26 AM
FreeChache is a kind of Ad-Hoc-amai -- a service that caches high-demand content on high-availability servers. The Internet Archive's FreeCache service has an automated tool that integrates with Apache to automatically cache and redirect visitors attempting to download large, popular files -- using this can slashdot-proof your server. Link (Thanks, Dav!)

Before the Bell-Comcast falls; Disney,
Motorola gain

Before the Bell-Comcast falls; Disney,
Motorola gain 02/11/2004 11:01 AM
Reuters Feb 11 2004 2:36PM GMT

Bush: Dumb Like A Bullet / Is Dubya both
a bumbling simpleton *and* a shrewd
manipulator who smirked at tortures in
Iraq?

Bush: Dumb Like A Bullet / Is Dubya both
a bumbling simpleton *and* a shrewd
manipulator who smirked at tortures in
Iraq? 05/22/2004 06:56 AM
Mark Morford: Bush: Dumb Like A Bullet; Is Dubya both a bumbling simpleton *and* a shrewd manipulator who smirked at tortures in Iraq? 5/22 .. Mark Morford has written a fun editorial about Bush's brand of stupidity .. think it's disgusting .. addresses

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2004/05/21/notes0521 04.DTL&nl=fix
track this site | 5 links

Before the Bell-Home Depot, Motorola
rise, Nortel falls

Before the Bell-Home Depot, Motorola
rise, Nortel falls 08/17/2004 09:02 AM
Reuters Aug 17 2004 12:36PM GMT

Launch of a New Generation of email
Server- Unrivalled Performance and Ease
of Administration with Hexamail Server

Launch of a New Generation of email
Server- Unrivalled Performance and Ease
of Administration with Hexamail Server 06/05/2005 11:14 PM
Hexamail Server provides all levels of corporate users and Internet Service Providers with an email server offering unparalleled performance, user-friendly interface and a complete range of features to help system administrators set up a cost-effective, secure and powerful mail server. [PRWEB Jun 2, 2005]

U.S. Says It Has Proof of Sales to Iraq

U.S. Says It Has Proof of Sales to Iraq 01/10/2004 01:05 PM
The US has found evidence .. THIS IS NO SURPRISE: ..

latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-usrussia10jan10,1,5453619. story?coll=la-headlines-world
track this site | 5 links

SQL Server Free SQL server email
Newsletters

SQL Server Free SQL server email
Newsletters 06/05/2004 08:51 AM

" What Kind of Elitist Are You? "

" What Kind of Elitist Are You? " 08/01/2004 09:43 PM

Is ETech Elitist?

Is ETech Elitist? 02/10/2004 11:47 AM
I've not had a chance to keep up with the happenings at this year's Emerging Technology Conference, but I've heard two things that bother me so far: Russell says: Interesting conference - too bad I wasn't there to get a longer impression, but boy it seemed like there were some serious pecking orders there. And someone else I know there said this via IM last night: You are missing some good conferences this week here, although I have come to...

"busy lulling themselves to sleep in
their elitist coccoon of arrogance"

"busy lulling themselves to sleep in
their elitist coccoon of arrogance" 05/14/2004 03:36 AM

C# Email Server 0.2

C# Email Server 0.2 04/16/2004 05:01 PM
An SMTP/POP3 email server.

C# Email Server 0.3

C# Email Server 0.3 07/13/2004 05:30 PM
An SMTP/POP3 email server.

C# Email Server 0.1

C# Email Server 0.1 11/14/2003 03:36 AM
An SMTP/POP3 email server.

Java Email Server 1.3.2 (1.x)

Java Email Server 1.3.2 (1.x) 11/19/2003 01:34 AM
An SMTP POP3 email server.

Java Email Server 1.3.4 (1.x)

Java Email Server 1.3.4 (1.x) 02/13/2004 02:14 AM
An SMTP POP3 email server.

Java Email Server 1.4 (1.x)

Java Email Server 1.4 (1.x) 07/15/2004 12:13 AM
An SMTP POP3 email server.

Bad Writing = Good Writing?

The following phrases have been identified by the grok system as matching this entry: "travis mooney" "travis mooney" iraq "travis bell" motorola bullet proof server supplier email joel splosky elitist