Knowledge Nuggets from Word Sell Conversationalists
Image via WikipediaLately there’s been a whole lot of learning going on around here, and mainly from Word Sell readers, not me. Here’s what I’m talking about …
Karen Swim recommended Addictomatic as a newsgathering tool in response to a post on Google Alerts. Check it out — it collects Web pages from a wide range of news sites, bookmarking sites, social media sites, and blogs. I’ve chucked my Google Alerts and am now feeding my news habit on Addictomatic. Thanks, Karen!
Justin, also in response to the Google Alerts post, suggested Filtrbox, a fairly sophisticated media monitoring tool. I haven’t had a chance to investigate — has anyone had experience with Filtrbox?
Amit Aviv, in response to a post about the blog publishing assistant tool Zemanta, talked about Kaalga, his Firefox extension. Like Zemanta, Kaalga seeks out links based on relevant content.
Jeevanjyoti Chakraborty gives us a clue about what “relevant content” is, and it’s implications –
Zemanta is based on semantics. At least one Uber geek (I am in a technology institute) told me very recently that semantics is the future of the net. There are some mind-boggling potentials for stuff like zemanta (basically semtantics) for gleaning “interest” feeds (one step ahead of RSS feeds) and in general making the web more personal and relevant than ever.
Chris Cree shared his wisdom on a recent post about blog “category creep” –
Brad, Though it will on your blog, changing your category structure will not break post links in all cases with WordPress. It depends how the permalink structure is set up.
For example my permalink structure is /postname/postID
Robert’s looks like /postname
Joanna’s seems to be /year/month/postnameChanging categories around won’t break the post links on any of these blogs.
It will break any links that someone has made to one of your categories, but in most cases that is probably a very small number of inbound links.
(There’s quite a bit more in this conversation from Chris and other readers if you’re interested in this topic.)
Saad Khan, a new Word Sell reader (I think), blogs about corporate social leadership in Pakistan. Browsing through his blog gave me a whole new perspective.
Jeanne Dininni and Ulla Henning wandered off topic (which is A-OK around here) on a post about storytelling techniques and talked about the movement against home schooling in California and in Germany. It’s a rather sad story in itself, and similar to that of business development in Pakistan, one we don’t hear much about in the mainstream media.
And then there is this nugget from a mysterious “myse dundee” who went to a lot of trouble and left a custom made short story in Scottish dialect on a post about Scottish dialect. Thank you, sir! An excerpt –
A Wee Carnaptious Wifie and her Blootered Man
The wind was fair snell and then it began tae Ding doon wi’ rain when a wee Dundee wifie was seen walkin’ wi’ a hirple doon the Overgate in her baffies. Now this wife wis kenspeckled as she was a right Carnaptious cratur because of her man, a real Mink and a Bampot he wis.
Now wee Jess wis aye kent tae be Perjink, but the day, she seemed tae be in a richt Guddle and looked fell Puggled. “Whit’s up wi’ ye Jess,” I says,” yer in a fair Fankle the day?” …
Joanna, Amy, Bob, Jackie, and Karen in particular might want to check out the whole thing.
Thanks to all of you, and so many others, who are making Word Sell a place to learn! What have you learned today about blogs or business or writing that’s worth sharing?
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Maybe you and I can introduce UK slang to Chicago. Brad...
Brad,
Thanks for including my and Ulla’s comment thread on parents’ educational responsibilities/homeschooling among your “knowledge nuggets” — even if they were the result of my wandering off topic a bit after my first few comments. While I admit that I did hop onto my soap box on behalf of homeschoolers, my tangent seemed pertinent to the reading/educational topic being discussed at that point — and more specifically, to the question of just how well-educated our children are today.
I’m sure Ulla will agree that, as part of this post, we’re in good company!
I appreciate your letting me highlight the legal battles many homeschooling parents face as they dedicate themselves to their children’s education.
Jeanne
Jeanne, it’s going to be very telling how these issues work themselves out over the next several months. We seem to be at a cultural crossroads.
Brad,
a big “thank you” from as well. Regarding your question on learning today about blogs: I definitely learnt today what a blog can be: A place where people come together to exchange and share their opinions. I must admit that I still feel a bit strange with that Wordsell.Inc title - which stands for me for business and nothing else. But I’ve learnt - not only today, but today once more - that your blog stands for much more than business. It brings people together. I would like it to be the other way round: “Start Connecting” in big letters, and Wordsell.Inc in smaller letters. But of course that’s a foolish idea, so just forget it!
Hi Ulla, You might be on to something there about making “Start Connecting” my company’s name, but I don’t think I have the energy to change it now. I wish I had known you earlier to get your wonderful slant on things! Thanks for being part of Word Sell - you make this blog better with every visit.
Brad,
I agree. I think we’re at both a cultural and a legal crossroads. Though, of course, the two can hardly be separated, since culture could never be fully understood outside the legal context, each individual culture being as stongly impacted as it is by its specific judicial rulings and legislative enactments. Only time will tell where all this will lead — yet we can always hope it will be to a better place.
Jeanne
Hi Brad - thanks for the mention on the Scottish dialect link. I have to say that Myse Dundee’s post even had me scratching my head but that is the joy of the language in Scotland.
And re you thinking about changing your company name I have been giving serious consideration to changing my blog name - in fact at the moment it doesn’t really have one. It is just me out there….but I can’t get motivated to do something about it!
Keep up the great work.
Hi Jackie, Changing your blog name is tricky if you want keep the name and the URL the same, which is desirable. I have a blog where the name and URL are different, and it causes confusion and definitely works against branding/name recognition. I think your blog has a nice look, but a name would be good … let me know if I can help.
Well, I’ll be hornswoggled! Them Scottish folks sure do have a funny way of talkin’, don’t they?
Yeesh! I can read the words, I think, and even get most of the meanin’. But don’t ask me to read it back to ya!
Thanks for the offer Brad - my son is a newly graduated designer and I have asked him to create a new look for the blog to include in his portfolio ( the things Mum’s do for their kids)…will build your comments into his brief!
Brad, thanks for recapping these great tools and conversations. I learned about Zemanta from you and have been using it and loving it! I followed Jeanne and Ulla’s discussion about homeschooling and education with great interest (subject dear to my heart) and would love to see Jeanne write more on this topic. I also read the Scottish comment and realized I don’t understand Scots English at all! LOL! This has been quite a month at Word Sell. As Robert would say, keep er coming! :-0
Robert, I’ve got a book of cowboy slang … there may be a post coming …
Karen, You know I don’t quite understand the Scots story either, but it’s still beautiful somehow.
It’s a story about a woman who is having trouble with her husband who likes a drink….beautifully told! I think it would spoil the magic to translate it.
If you really do like this have a look at some Robert Burns poetry. There’s a man who knew how to use the words wonderfully.
Jackie, I keep threatening to read Robert Burns, and with this pressure, I may just have to! Glad you liked the story from our mystery writer!
@ Karen,
Glad to hear of your interest in the topic to which I digressed in my comments on this post (homeschooling). I’ll definitely consider your suggestion to write more on this important subject.
Thanks for your feedback!
Jeanne
Brad, I appreciate the way you keep us all up to date. Thanks, since I see some new tools to explore.
Hi Brad,
I did see that wee short story in your comments, and laughed fit to burst! I had to guess at the meaning of, oh, eighty percent of it, and my imagination sure made it an interesting story
You’re a master at connections, and every time I pop over here I learn more that just what your words are saying! Keep it up Brad and thank you.
Karen (another one!)
Robyn, FYI, Zemanta works with Blogger quite well. The more I use it the more I like it.
Karen, I appreciate your kind words and encouragement. One of my greatest (and unexpected) pleasures of blogging is having all you wonderful Scots lads and lassies frequent Word Sell. You add a whole new dimension to our conversations on language and writing, including a great deal of humor, insight, and good will. Nice combination!
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You should also check out FaveBot.com — it can track keywords / phrases in podcasts, videos, blog posts, news articles, (new) books, etc. Plus it can find local events matching your keywords. You can track your output (results) on the site or via RSS feeds.
Thanks a lot for mentioning my blog, Brad. Yeah, am a Word Sell reader indeed.