There are many schools of thought regarding the Art of the Title, and generally this art varies according to purpose, medium, and culture. For better or worse, depending on your viewpoint, the Internet has changed what we expect from headlines, and how we shape them, but it is hardly a static art, especially with the advent of microblogging platforms like Twitter.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) writing, as a distinct style, was born in the Internet era and has matured before our very eyes in a relatively short span of time. Although it is evolving and maturing still, and will continuously do so, we can define some of the tried and tested steps of content optimization to help unique pages place at or near the top of search engine rankings.
Anyone dealing with reader commentary has probably had second thoughts about the wisdom of allowing just anybody to have a moment on their stage. Flamers, haters, idiots, bigots, and crazies—we get them all. But reader commentary on my recent editorial about A-list bloggers hanging up their jerseys was so thoughtful and passionate, I thought they deserved a brighter spotlight.
Is Twitter Killing Blogs and Blogging? was the question posed by Mark Evans. My sense is Twitter is emerging as a vibrant alternative to bloggers and blog readers. Some bloggers who may find the grind of writing daily are now able to share their thoughts in quick bursts on Twitter, and still feel like they are contributing and cultivating their digital brands.
Bloggers and other web-based writers do a lot of linking. It's great for the Blogosphere. In fact it's really the only reason we have a Blogosphere. How often are our links misleading though? I'm not talking about "paid" or sponsored links that are deceptive and just trying to go after a click. That's another issue entirely. I'm talking about just the everyday point-of-reference links.
Chess is one thing, but if we get to the point computers can best humans in the arts—those splendid, millennia-old expressions of the heart and soul of human existence—then why bother existing? Fortunately, computers have yet to match us in music or writing or dancing or even drawing—the lines are straighter, but that's not even the point, and good luck uploading an actual right-brained imagination.*
Currently, my editor Brian Jepson and I are collaboratively writing the book (tentatively titled) Google Office Hacks by O'Reilly using Google Docs. I wanted to outline the process we came up with, and maybe it's helpful for you too for certain needs.
Have you had trouble opening Word files lately? If you’re like me, you get these Word docs that end with .docx and can do nothing with the file. This makes it real hard to operate as a writer or editor of white papers. For the first time in many years, it seems that Microsoft if forcing those of us with older versions of Word to upgrade. What gives Bill?
It may be a new year, but we’re still talking (well, some of us are anyway) about an old issue: namely, the idea of paying writers based on the traffic they get. The focus of the debate right now is Gawker, where Nick Denton has apparently started paying his bloggers based in part on how many views their posts get. This one has been around for awhile, but now it’s official thanks to a memo on (Gawker-owned) Valleywag.
In this MSNBC interview the Snr. V.P. of Network Solutions covers what any business needs for page one search rankings.
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