Wikipedia: Fact or Opinion?
I've just concluded a writing assignment of a deeply technical nature. The assignment was in two parts, first of all dealing with the need for Solvency II in the context of life insurance companies and secondly, the factors that persuaded the Massachusetts legislature to implement a mandatory universal healthcare system, the first US State to do so.
By now, you are probably thinking "What?" or yawning. For the curious, click on the links above and they will take you to Wikipedia for a brief overview.
This assignment is not totally uncharted territory for me; I hold UK life insurance professional qualifications so grasping the general view and identifying the issues did not mean I was stumbling around in the dark.
My research took me first of all to Google - inputting search terms that related to the topics produced the usual, incredibly long list of results and in both cases, Wikipedia was featured on the top page of my queries.
Now this is one time when you really need to question the value of an online resource such as Wikipedia. Equally, you could be using some other voluntarily compiled reference work such as DMOZ, but my point is, you must question what you are being told by your source no matter who is providing it.
DMOZ – Open Directory Project
DMOZ is The Open Directory Project and it is the largest, human-edited directory on the web today.
So what?
Well actually, it is quite a big deal as DMOZ represents a considerable opportunity to gain exposure for yourself on the web and in commercial writing circles. DMOZ is in fact, staffed by a huge number of volunteers situated around the globe and offering their services as "experts" in whatever field you can name. Many of these volunteers receive ediotorial status, that is, they are considered to be trustworthy and knowledgable enough about their chosen field that they are allowed to become part of the editing resource for the directory. Incidentally, this human component is what differentiates a search engine, such as Google or Yahoo! from a directory; directories rely on humans to analyse, evaluate and give weight to content whereas a search engine uses an algorithm.
So what's in it for me?
For very little effort on your part, you can become an editor quite easily. There is considerable kudos to be gained by becoming a DMOZ editor and you'll also gain some valuable experience working with other community minded web geeks. DMOZ is especially good at mentoring those with less experience and bringing them on by providing opportunities on very small editing and web projects under the supervision of more experienced hands.
Stopping readers in their tracks! Advice for internet writing
Internet writing is not as easy as it first appears. Writers who write articles for the internet have to keep some things in mind. It is essential for you to realize that you have 5-7 seconds to capture the attention of readers, otherwise they will move on. The internet, being the way it is, enables readers to go on and look for other articles and information from other sites. In this article I will be discussing some of the key areas that one has to look into when writing for the web.
Similar to all other forms of writing, the headline of a page or blog post is the most important. It either makes or breaks a reader’s interest - if readers like the headline they will carry on reading, otherwise they will just click onto something else. Don’t try to be cute when it comes to headlines and never use funny phrases, especially if they are confusing. You should write a headline that people can associate with, something that fits the topic you are writing in. Use key words such as love, anger, mistakes and truth. These words, when used properly, can actually be effective in grabbing the attention of prospective readers.
Blogs! Can they form a career option?
Today internet writing is a reality. Even a few years ago, internet writers, especially bloggers were not deemed as writers who could make a difference, but today, with the explosion of information that the internet has created, online writing has finally come of age. Bloggers today can make a living out of writing and blogging. Although this concept is still very new to the people in many countries, I believe that everything takes a while to start off, and after a certain point in time when people see that it is effective, it becomes popular.
If individuals concentrate on what they intend to do with their lives and the difference they can make if they think a little differently, then they have a certain urge to work harder. Blogging is this volatile domain that is getting ready to erupt. Although the eruption has started, until and unless more people see the difference it can have on the lives of bloggers, they will not give it a try. Today, people who are into blogging can see a future in writing, and there are cases where people have already started to make a living out of blogging and online writing. As I would put it, “blogs don’t just know or imagine the future, they make it happen”.
The Internet: The Biggest Resource on the Planet?
The Internet today, stands as the single most useful place for resources. If you are in front of the computer and logged onto the internet, then you have access to the biggest library, providing you with information about everything. This is the reason why online dictionaries have marched ahead of traditional paper-based ones. Online libraries are predominantly taking the place of libraries in town and city centers, simply because they are easily accessible. Online books and articles are at par with books and printed texts; in a few years time, these will be more accessible than any paper-based material. Daily newspapers and articles are being produced and published online every day. You can pick up grammar and editing techniques, and can even read your favorite books online - everything is just one click away.
Creating a Good Business Blog
Blogs are a great tool for building communities, interacting through them and even marketing the services you provide - they often produce both good and bad results. If you want to gain readership from your blog, you'll have to be a bit more adventurous in the content you produce, have an easy design and market your blog.
What kills a good blog writer is their inability to address their target audience, this means that you have to be clear about the content. If you are not focused, you’ll confuse and lose readers. Grammar is the key in making your blog look professional and typos are another concern for bloggers. Even the most cautious writers have a slip here and there, and this really murders the entire blog. What separates the professional from the amateur is the length of blog post, which should be ideally not too long, but just right. The attention span of most people won't be for long, so keeping the posts short gets you a greater reader base. You also have to keep in mind that you are not just writing for a search engine, so emphasize those keywords, but keep the writing interesting as well. The mantra of getting results from your blog is to keep posting new content. Where most people fail is that they lose interest because it takes time and energy to keep a good blog going. So, keep posting and you will eventually get readers commenting the information you post.
Moving Off The Web
Looking for Writing Work in Traditional Publications
I have a Hollywood friend, Dawn Willson, over from California this weekend. Dawn has worked in television for fifteen years as a researcher, writer, production assistant and now acts as a producer for a private indie outfit in LA (Hub Media).
As we downed a few pints of Guinness we drifted onto the subject of writing. Dawn has ghosted a couple of books and has several TV and movie credits to her name but being a producer means she doesn't get to touch the keyboard very often these days. Nevertheless, in my eyes Dawn is a real writer.
Dawn pointed out that actually I'm the one writing and getting paid for it and we started talking about money. I'm quite pleased that I'm getting $25 for 1,000 words at the moment. That makes a huge difference to my income as well as my confidence levels and I know I can make more than that. It came as quite a shock to hear from Dawn that she doesn't think that's very much but what can I expect as it's writing for the web.