J. K. Rowling is not a good role model for email writers

Grok Headline matches for J. K. Rowling is not a good role model for email writers

An Energy Role Model

An Energy Role Model 12/22/2004 01:57 AM
Technology Review Dec 22 2004 5:58AM GMT

A Good Word Processor For Creative
Writers: Interview With Nisus Founder
Jerzy Lewak

A Good Word Processor For Creative
Writers: Interview With Nisus Founder
Jerzy Lewak 06/26/2004 11:05 AM
By Eolake Stobblehouse, MacCreator (via MyAppleMenu)

Independent Writers of Chicago (IWOC)
offers new online directory to help
businesses find freelance writers

Independent Writers of Chicago (IWOC)
offers new online directory to help
businesses find freelance writers 07/21/2004 02:45 AM
Free searches of database of professional writers specializing in your field; post a writing job for no charge. [PRWEB Jul 21, 2004]

Good Advice For Effective Email

Good Advice For Effective Email 03/14/2005 06:07 PM

Stever Robbins has written a great article with tips on managing your email. He makes some good points in here regarding the fact that it's so easy to send email that we seldom put thought into sending it, which leads to some behaviors that wind up wasting the time of the recipient. He also offers some tips on how to send more effective messages, and how to handle the receipt of lots of email.

Here's my favorite one on sending:

People scan their inbox by subject. Make your subject rich enough that your readers can decide whether it's relevant. The best way to do this is to summarize your message in your subject.

BAD SUBJECT: Subject: Deadline discussion

GOOD SUBJECT: Subject: Recommend we ship product April 25th

While I thought most of his tips on sending are spot-on, I disagreed with some of his tips on how to handle received email. Particularly this one:

When someone sends you a ten page missive, reply with three words. "Yup, great idea." You'll quickly train people not to expect huge answers from you, and you can then proceed to answer at your leisure in whatever format works best for you.

I hate receiving a response like that. So you liked my idea. Does this mean go ahead and implement it? If the goal is to keep the response brief, instead write, "Yup, great idea. Let's get together and discuss this on Tuesday." Then there's at least a clear next step.

Via BoingBoing.

Creating a Good Email Signature

Creating a Good Email Signature 11/05/2003 12:04 PM

The Good, Bad and Downright Ugly of
Flash Email

The Good, Bad and Downright Ugly of
Flash Email 08/18/2002 04:40 PM
Send Rich Media, Streaming or Flash Email may be all the rage with Marketers and Advertisers alike. But is it as effective as all of the folks trying to sell you on it say it is? Read on for some tips concerning what you should know before you try to send Flash & other Rich Media Email.

J.K. Rowling Expecting Her Third Child
(AP)

J.K. Rowling Expecting Her Third Child
(AP) 07/24/2004 02:54 PM
AP - "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling said Saturday she is expecting her third child. Rowling, 38, made the announcement on her official Web site.

Rowling reads to gathered fans

Rowling reads to gathered fans 08/15/2004 06:08 AM
Harry Potter author JK Rowling delights a small group of fans by giving her first public reading in Scotland for four years.

"J.K.Rowling Official Site - Harry
Potter and more"

"J.K.Rowling Official Site - Harry
Potter and more" 05/28/2004 09:25 PM

Rowling Announces Title of Potter Book
(AP)

Rowling Announces Title of Potter Book
(AP) 06/29/2004 03:32 PM
AP - No word yet on when the next Harry Potter book comes out, but at least there's a title: "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince."

Rowling Squashes Ugly Storge/Icklibogg
Rumors (Reuters)

Rowling Squashes Ugly Storge/Icklibogg
Rumors (Reuters) 06/30/2004 09:25 AM
Reuters - JK Rowling has silenced the rumor-mongers by confirming the new book in her series will be called "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince."

Town of Bourton's miniature model has a
miniature model of the model (and so on)

Town of Bourton's miniature model has a
miniature model of the model (and so on) 12/23/2003 11:30 PM
Mark Bourne says: So my wife Elizabeth and I are googling up possibilities for our long trip to England next year. Checking out London sites and so on. An acquaintance suggested staying for a few days in the Cotswolds, a scenic Middle Earthy region west of London. That's how we found a page about the town of Bourton.

You just gotta love this text, which blends Ye Olde Scepter'd Isle with sci-fi gee-wizardry:

You will probably have noticed that when you take a branch from certain trees (some conifers for example), the branch looks like a miniature version of the tree, and when you break a piece off the branch, that looks like a tree too. Mathematicians call this property self-similarity.

Bourton has a wonderful example of self-similarity: it contains a 1/10 scale model of itself. Because the 1/10 scale model is a complete model of the town, it must contain a model of itself, and it does, a 1/100th. scale model of Bourton, and because the 1/100th. scale model is also a complete model of Bourton, it must also contain a 1/1000th. scale model of the scale model of the scale model of Bourton.

And it does. It is only a matter of time before a team of nano-technicians turn up in the town to etch a sub-micron scale model of Bourton on a silicon wafer, complete with mill, waterwheel, and a highly imaginative interpretation of the River Windrush as a stream of electrons.

Link

Adwords Closes down CPM Model in Favor
of CPC Model

Adwords Closes down CPM Model in Favor
of CPC Model 09/10/2002 09:44 AM
"It's now PPC or nothing, $50 credit offered to those who swap."

Mailqube to Support Sender ID. Leader in
enterprise email security supports new
email sender authentication standard in
its Mailqube 2003 secure email gateway

Mailqube to Support Sender ID. Leader in
enterprise email security supports new
email sender authentication standard in
its Mailqube 2003 secure email gateway 09/05/2004 02:37 AM
Atlantic Sky has announced its support to the Sender ID standard for email sender authentication. Atlantic Sky's support will make Sender ID available to global enterprises through its Mailqube 2003 E-mail gateway. [PRWEB Sep 5, 2004]

""I'd just like to get together with a
guy from time to time just to -- just to
play. I'd like him to be, uh, in very
good shape, flat stomach, good chest,
good arms, well-hung, cut, uh, just get
naked, play, see what happens, nothing
real heavy ..."

""I'd just like to get together with a
guy from time to time just to -- just to
play. I'd like him to be, uh, in very
good shape, flat stomach, good chest,
good arms, well-hung, cut, uh, just get
naked, play, see what happens, nothing
real heavy ..." 08/31/2004 08:45 PM

trimMail's Email Battles: CERT Reveals
Email, AntiVirus Software Bugs

trimMail's Email Battles: CERT Reveals
Email, AntiVirus Software Bugs 12/28/2004 11:37 AM
CERT Reveals Email, AntiVirus Software Bugs .. Permanent link to this item

emailbattles.com/archive/battles/security_aajdafbdca_eg
track this site | 2 links

Executive Email: Preserving and
Enhancing the Benefits of Email — A
Progress Report

Executive Email: Preserving and
Enhancing the Benefits of Email — A
Progress Report 06/28/2004 03:12 PM
In the latest in an occasional series of e-mails to Microsoft customers, Microsoft's chairman provides an update on the progress of efforts to curb the epidemic of junk e-mail.

Free Email Notifier for POP3, IMAP4 and
Gmail Email Accounts

Free Email Notifier for POP3, IMAP4 and
Gmail Email Accounts 06/17/2005 03:17 PM
Chrysanth Software has released Chrysanth Email Notifier v2.3, a free POP3, IMAP4 and Gmail notification software that helps you to get notified of every incoming email and even spams in your mail boxes while they are still sitting on the remote email servers. [PRWEB Jun 15, 2005]

Email Hosting Service by Runbox Provides
Businesses with Premium Email

Email Hosting Service by Runbox Provides
Businesses with Premium Email 06/05/2005 11:37 PM
Offer premium email to your business with Runbox Email Hosting. [PRWEB Jun 3, 2005]

Aliencamel.com - The First Commercial
Email Service to Offer Unlimited Storage
for Personal Email, Finest in its Class
with More Features than Gmail, Yahoo!
and Hotmail

Aliencamel.com - The First Commercial
Email Service to Offer Unlimited Storage
for Personal Email, Finest in its Class
with More Features than Gmail, Yahoo!
and Hotmail 08/17/2004 02:00 AM
Aliencamel.com announces that the email-storage-space race is over. This race was started by Google's Gmail service offering 1GB of storage. AlienCamel has gone the final step and is now offering its users unlimited storage. By removing limits on space, users now have a simple, low-cost service which will keep their emails safe, secure and backed up forever. AlienCamel has implemented the most sophisticated anti-spam filtering and email-virus-blocking technology over the last 18 months. Now, AlienCamel is the first independent commercial email service in the world to offer "unlimited storage for personal email". [PRWEB Aug 17, 2004]

Google Email? Would You Trade Off Ads
For Better Email Search?

Google Email? Would You Trade Off Ads
For Better Email Search? 01/17/2004 10:47 PM
The big discussion that I've been having with a few different people over the last few weeks is whether or not Google would get into the email business - and, if so, how? To me, it seems like an obvious extension of their technology and business model - but not everyone agrees. However, the rumors are getting louder and louder that Google is developing an email product. The question is whether they'll be offering an entire "Google Email" system, or if they're just working on a version of their AdSense offering that would work within email (generating contextual ads based on the content of the email). Some people I've spoken to about it thought that people would freak out if they thought Google was reading their email to do its contextualization magic - which could be true. The question is how many people will freak out - and will plenty of others be more than willing to welcome the Google contextualization engine into their inbox, in exchange for the ability to actually "Google your email"? Many people always seem to want the ability to better search through their own email. I could see a certain willingness from many people to let Google place ads in their email in exchange for the ability to better search through all the email. If Google could figure out a good anti-spam solution, as well, it could be a real hit.

Good idea and a good service. Can anyone
say how can I register to gmail, and if
attchment size is large then

Good idea and a good service. Can anyone
say how can I register to gmail, and if
attchment size is large then 07/13/2004 01:33 AM
TechTree Jul 13 2004 5:44AM GMT

KILLER, COWARD, CON-MAN GOOD RIDDANCE,
GIPPER ...MORE PROOF ONLY THE GOOD DIE
YOUNG

KILLER, COWARD, CON-MAN GOOD RIDDANCE,
GIPPER ...MORE PROOF ONLY THE GOOD DIE
YOUNG 06/08/2004 05:47 AM
KILLER, COWARD, CON-MAN GOOD RIDDANCE, GIPPER ... MORE PROOF ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG .. How People View The Dead Is Shaped By Personal Experiences .. Greg Palast on the Reagan "Legacy" 6/7 .. And another

gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=336&row=0
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Calling Nurse Google Patients are taking
advantage of health Web sites - some
good, some not so good

Calling Nurse Google Patients are taking
advantage of health Web sites - some
good, some not so good 06/05/2005 11:44 PM
Gadsdentimes.com - Sun Jun 5, 12:53 pm GMT

Does A Good Game Make A Good Movie Idea?

Does A Good Game Make A Good Movie Idea? 04/24/2004 04:00 PM

Strengthen The Good: Strengthening The
Good: The Gulf Coast Community
Foundation Of Venice Hurricane Charley
Disaster Relief Fund

Strengthen The Good: Strengthening The
Good: The Gulf Coast Community
Foundation Of Venice Hurricane Charley
Disaster Relief Fund 08/23/2004 06:46 AM
Strengthen The Good: The Gulf Coast Community Foundation Of Venice Hurricane Charley Disaster Relief Fund

strengthenthegood.com/archives/2004/08/strengthening_t.html
track this site | 3 links

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]

Where Have All The Writers Gone?

Where Have All The Writers Gone? 07/30/2004 11:52 AM

Over the years, I've learned a big secret about building content-based Web sites. By "content based," I mean sites that are updated frequently and are meant to communicate continuing information about a topic. Not brochureware, but sites like blogs, or a site for your church, or your school, or your organization.

This big secret is the single most important thing you can do for your Web site. It is the absolute make-or-break characteristic of successful Web sites. Without this, you really don't have much. With it, it doesn't matter how limited your resources are, you can still have a great Web presence and a successful site.

Are you ready? Here it is: the big secret to a great Web site is....

Find people who like to write. And can write well.

I always look at Web sites as a three-legged stool. Leg #1 is the asthetics and design. Leg #2 is the functionality and programming. And Leg #3 is the content. But in a weird twist of physics, the stool can put a LOT more weight on Leg #3 than Legs #1 or #2.

Too many times I see Web sites being put together with no thought for the content that's going to go in them. At the initial meeting, there are designers and programmers and project managers, but rarely do you find a writer. We're so concerned with building the swimming pool that we often forget the water.

We had an intern in here this summer. She had just graduated with a degree in Business Communications and was kind of wondering what to do with it. I encouraged her to concentrate on writing for the Web. There's a huge hole in most organizations of people who can put finger to keyboard and express an idea.

More importantly, there's a lack of people who want to do this. And who don't just do it when they have to, but who pro-actively think of things they can write about and ideas they can communicate. We need people who put themselves in the position of a visitor to the site and think, "If I was visiting this site, what would I want to know..." and then compose that information.

It's funny when you think of all the time that we put into asking that same question to refine our usability. We ask outselves that question to make sure our menus are correctly ordered and the title of the page is right and everything else is perfectly suited to get the user to that information...then we put very little time into actually writing the information. Someone else will do that, of course, because we're the geeks. So long as the page executes and renders properly, what's actually in the page isn't our problem.

How many times have you heard of an organization that wants to put up a Web site so they go looking for computer geeks — people who know how to build Web sites? It happens with churches all the time. Lemme tell you — the first people you should look for when trying to build a site are writing geeks — people who know how to write, who are passionate about writing, and who will actually produce some text.

With all the hosted platforms out there today, you can get a great site with very, very little need for technical resources. Eighty percent of organizations would do perfectly well with a TypePad account or a copy of Radio, in fact. But instead we get some computer geeks involved, sink money and time into hosting accounts and platforms and programming until we have a technically awesome Web site.

And for what? A "Welcome to our site..." message, About Us, Contact Us...and what else? We're all dressed up with no place to go. We're a pro-wrestler at a spelling bee.

This then is a call for the writers. Where have you gone? We have enough programmers. We have enough designers. We have enough project managers. We need some writers. If you start your Web site project with with a group of good writers, you have 90% of the ingredients for a top-notch Web site.

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When it comes to wireless security, good
enough is simply not good

When it comes to wireless security, good
enough is simply not good 09/17/2004 10:38 AM

Good enough for the White House, but not
good enough for the bedroom.

Good enough for the White House, but not
good enough for the bedroom. 05/17/2004 11:55 PM
"The sacred institution of marriage should not be redefined by a few activist judges," said the President who was appointed by five activist Supreme Court Justices.

The man who, between the two major candidates in 2000, got the fewer amount of votes went on to affirm that "all Americans have a right to be heard in this debate."

Site Maps : Is Good Enough for
Google.com, Good Enough For Me?

Site Maps : Is Good Enough for
Google.com, Good Enough For Me? 10/30/2003 10:22 AM

Unitarianism: good enough for two
presidents, not good enough for Texas

Unitarianism: good enough for two
presidents, not good enough for Texas 05/19/2004 02:47 AM
The state of Texas has denied Unitarians tax-exempt religious status because the church "does not have one system of belief." As Julia notes, Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams were sufficiently convinced of the Unitarians' religiosity that they actually were Unitarians.

Never before -- not in this state or any other -- has a government agency denied Unitarians tax-exempt status because of the group's religious philosophy, church officials say. Strayhorn's ruling clearly infringes upon religious liberties, said Dan Althoff, board president for the Denison congregation that was rejected for tax exemption by the comptroller's office.

Link (via Electrolite)

Good Intentions don't always equal good
results

Good Intentions don't always equal good
results 04/18/2004 05:43 PM
It would seem that in my life when I intend to do something that is when everything will surely do...

What's good for General Motors is good
for America

What's good for General Motors is good
for America 03/23/2005 10:53 PM
GM in trouble: "If you erased the company name from the balance sheet and showed it to a forensic accountant, the recommended treatment would probably be to seek protection from creditors by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. " GM's troubles are as much a result of the exploding costs of health care as they are due to the company's dropping market share. In Canada increasing health care costs (PDF with many charts) are taking a greater and greater share of government expenditures. In the US it's hurting big employers and regular people. But either way the problem doesn't seem likely to get better any time soon.

SF writers on the future

SF writers on the future 09/12/2004 05:30 AM
Cory Doctorow: Former BB Guestblogger John Shirley interviewed me, Pat Murphy, Kim Stanley Robinson, Norman Spinrad, Bruce Sterling and Ken Wharton, as science fiction writers, about the future. It's just showed up on Locus's website:

Cory Doctorow doubts the efficacy of big control and again sees information as the key: "The Stasi — the East German version of the KGB — had detailed files on virtually every resident of East Germany, yet somehow managed to miss the fact that the Berlin Wall was about to come down until it was already in rubble. Tell me again how a centralized government makes us more secure? September 11th wasn't a failure to gather enough intelligence: it was a failure to correctly interpret the intelligence in hand. There was too much irrelevant data, too much noise. Gathering orders of magnitude MORE noise just puts that needle into a much bigger haystack, while imposing high social costs. Fingerprinting visitors to the US and jailing foreign journalists for not understanding the impossibly baroque new visa regs makes America less secure (by encouraging people to lie about the purposes of their visit and by chasing honest people out of the country), not more."

Bruce Sterling speculates that big global government might take new shapes: "I had a brainstorm about this very problem recently. What if there were two global systems of governance, and they weren't based on control of the landscape? Suppose they interpenetrated and competed everywhere, sort of like Tory and Labour, or Coke and Pepsi. I'm kind of liking this European 'Acquis' model where there is scarcely any visible 'governing' going on, and everything is accomplished on the levels of invisible infrastructure, like highway regulations and currency reform."

Link (Thanks, John!)

Writers wanted

Writers wanted 11/14/2003 01:41 PM
We're looking for a few new freelance writers -- and not just for NewsForge but also for IT Manager's Journal, DevChannel, and Linux.com. We pay for most material, but not all, and to get our top rates you must be a proven professional with previous publication credits.

All Hail the Writers

All Hail the Writers 03/06/2004 01:49 AM
Spent the past few days contributing a chapter for a forthcoming book on Emergent Democracy. My new mantra: Its time to put the demo back in democracy. One link at a time. Its been refreshing to focus on a long...

Win five of the latest DVD re-writers

Win five of the latest DVD re-writers 12/27/2004 06:44 AM
ZDNet UK Dec 27 2004 9:08AM GMT

Writers Forge

Writers Forge 01/26/2004 09:56 PM
Catalan 0.2.0 Released
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J. K. Rowling is not a good role model for email writers

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