Archives for February 2013

The Day I Learned What Friend Zone Means

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Words-Ad-Feb13-final+images-460x306

In spite of working online, I do have a tendency to be the last to know about the latest things to go viral. Remember Gangnam Style? I think my mom know about it before I did! Then there’s Harlem Shake, which I totally don’t get.

“Friend zone” probably takes the cake, though, as I only really learned the “official” definition today, thanks to the February 2013 update of the Oxford Dictionaries. Last year, I was pleasantly surprised with the addition of “Whovian”, Dr. Who fan that I am. Some of you expressed your distaste at certain additions (see the comments in that previous post about the Oxford Online Dictionaries update). Will this year’s additions make you feel the same? Let’s take a look at my picks.

Appletini

Definition: a cocktail consisting of vodka mixed with apple juice, apple liqueur, or cider: in the absence of margaritas the drink of choice was appletinis.

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s about time this was considered a real word!

Dumbphone

Definition: a basic mobile phone that lacks the advanced functionality characteristic of a smartphone: there are still six dumbphones out there for every smartphone

If there is such a thing as a smartphone, I suppose a dumbphone is easy enough to grasp. I personally don’t feel comfortable using the term, though. Nokia’s old phones with Snake and Snake 2 may have been dumb, but they were pretty fun and sturdy!

Friend zone

Definition: a situation in which a platonic relationship exists between two people, one of whom has an undeclared romantic or sexual interest in the other: I always wind up in the friend zone, watching them pursue other guys

Actually, I realize that I have known about the underlying concept of the term (probably dating back to high school?). I don’t get how this term has become so popular in recent times, though.

Tweetable

Definition: suitable for posting on the social media site Twitter: the president delivered a great collection of tweetable lines this morning

This term is constantly used in my circles, thanks to having to work online. Have you used this term before? Are you comfortable using it?

To know more words added in quarterly update of the ODO, take a look at the blog announcement. In the meantime, tell us what you think of the words above!

Note: All definitions and images are from ODO.

What’s Your Stand on File Sharing Platforms?

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File sharing has been around ever since digital files existed. From sharing files using floppy disks to using online platforms – these are all forms of file sharing. With the advances in technology, however, file sharing has become such a widespread activity.

There is the common misconception that file sharing – and thus the platforms allowing them – is automatically related to shady activities. While this idea may be justified, there are actually a lot of legitimate uses for file sharing platforms: sharing copies of your ebook, sharing photos of your vacation, and so on.

When it comes to file sharing platforms, I suppose there is no cut and dried answer. Take for example one of the newest platforms to hit the news – Kim Dotcom’s MEGA. You may be familiar with the name Kim Dotcom. That’s because he is the founder of now defunct Megaupload, which banged heads with the law last year. The entrepreneur has not taken things lying down, and he has made a comeback with MEGA.

One would understand how it can be attractive to users. How does 50GB worth of FREE storage sound? Even Dropbox cannot compete with that! Here’s an infographic to give you more information about MEGA.

online file sharing

MEGA: Privacy or Piracy

Those things being considered, I personally think that file sharing platforms are not inherently evil. It’s in the way that you use them, don’t you think? Why don’t you share your thoughts?

Win a Hand-Lettered Mini Journal With a Maya Angelou Quote!

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It’s been a while since we had a giveaway, hasn’t it? It’s not every day that we come across generous people who want to share their beautiful  – and useful – work with others, but Emily of EmDashPaperCo is giving away one of her hand-lettered mini journals. Not only will it be very useful to any writer, it also has a a very apt quote, which I hope will serve as inspiration.

Emily runs a store on Etsy. She has an English BA and MA, is an avid reader, and a lover of the written word in all its forms. Doesn’t that sound familiar? She describes her craft as centering “on the visually pleasing arrangement of words on a page, incorporating her love of words both as tools for communication and as works of art in themselves.”

I don’t know about you, but I would love to have this particular piece of work in my bag!

Mini Journal Maya Angelou QuoteThat looks nice, doesn’t it? Here’s more information about the mini journal.

• Hand-lettered individually — NOT printed or mass-produced
• Moleskine’s “pocket” size, measuring 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″
• Ruled pages
• Soft, flexible cardboard cover
• Contains 32 pages (64 front and back)
• White acrylic calligraphy ink

It’s small enough to take with you wherever you go, so you can jot down your thoughts for all those lightbulb moments.

To discover more of Emily’s work, you can find her via the following venues:

Twitter: @emdashpaperco

Facebook: Sparrownestscript

Instagram: http://instagram.com/emdashpaperco

How do you get the chance to win?
Just follow the instructions in the widget below. You can tweet every day to earn more entries, and you have to be a US resident to qualify. We will choose the winner at random on Friday, February 22, around 10PM EST. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Does it Take to be a Freelance Writer?

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I’ve been a (more than) full-time writer for ten years.  It takes talent, ambition and the ability to manage your time and money to be successful. Contrary to popular belief, you can be a successful freelance writer without starting your own business. However, if you have a habit of slacking or procrastinating, this probably isn’t the path for you.

My typical day includes writing for up to ten clients at a time. This includes everything from SEO-rich web content to brochures for international hotel chains. I scour job boards for new openings and apply daily, even if I have a full workload for the next few months. I’m also updating my resume, website and LinkedIn while learning new skills like SES qualifications as I accept new projects. [Read more…]

Use Your Writer’s Website to Receive Steady Freelance Jobs

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Writing

Writing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you’re like most writers, you enjoy the part of your job that entails putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). You’re probably, however, somewhat less fond of marketing. Many of us squirm at the idea of cold calling or attending networking events.

That’s why it’s so important to have a strong professional website. Once it is up and running, it can bring you a steady stream of referrals with little or no further effort you your part.

These are features that will help your website attract customers [Read more…]

Talk Your Way to a Job

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Networking Freelancers

(Photo credit: solobasssteve)

The popularity of social media in today’s job market has made everybody believe they can talk their way to a job. It gives them an excuse to visit their favorite social media site and say they are doing it as a part of their job search. While freelancers and job seekers can find jobs on social media sites, it needs to be handled carefully to be successful.

When looking for freelance writing gigs, it is important to let people know you are open to receiving new clients. One of the benefits of social media is the people you are associated with know others and those people know more people. You never know who you can reach within your network on a social media site just by telling people you are looking for a freelance position. [Read more…]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Picking the Best Freelance Job

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My Django project in progress…

(Photo credit: kogakure)

I usually have about seven projects at a time, and they’re not all created equal. As a successful freelance writer, I’ve been on the wrong end of a bad job. However, there are some warning signs that are easy to miss. If a job posting requires numerous, generic forms, you’ll be drowning in paperwork and red tape for the entire project.

Trust your gut during a phone interview. If the client doesn’t know what they want, they’re not going to be happy with anything you produce. The most lucrative jobs are from either well-established corporations or start-ups with solid investors. Tread carefully if a job posting seems too broad or it requires you to sign up for an account. [Read more…]

Why I Don’t Rely Too Much on Spell-Check

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spell-checker

Spell-checker

I remember how, back when I was younger, I was in awe of spell-check. I didn’t have my own computer till I was in university, but I did have the chance to use WordStar for some school work earlier on. Back then, I saw it as God’s greatest gift to mankind. (Well, right after the Nintendo GameBoy.)

Today, we probably take spell-checkers for granted, knowing that they have our backs. After all, whether you use Word, Pages, or the WordPress visual editor, you can easily dabble with the settings so that red (or some other color) lines will show up in case you make a mistake.

That’s the good news.

Now, for the bad. Spell-check isn’t infallible, as I have found out the hard way one time too many. As great as the algorithms have become, language is simply too complex to pin down. If you care about the quality of your writing, you would not want to rely solely – or too much – on spell-check because it does miss mistakes.

Here are three main kinds of mistakes that I have made, thanks to carelessness and thinking that spell-check’s got my back 100%.

One-letter slip up

This is one of the most frustrating and hardest to catch mistakes. When your mind is racing at breakneck speed, and your fingers are flying all over your keyboard trying to keep pace with your thoughts, it is very easy to mistype a single letter which can totally change the word. The result? Another word that does exist and may be grammatically/structurally correct but totally inappropriate for the sentence.

That’s something spell-check will not flag.

A few examples: product/produce, morale/moral, prophesy/prophecy.

Homophone phobia

I love homophones, simply because I like how they play upon sounds and words. Sometimes, though, they can be a pain in the bottom. Again, when in the throes of a good writing session, writing one word that sounds like another can happen. And spell-check won’t help you.

Some irritating examples:

  • Weather/whether
  • Where/were
  • Plain/plane
  • Led/lead

Confusing words

Oh, those confusing word pairs! They’ve done some damage to the best of us, haven’t they? Ingenuous and ingenious. Prosecute and persecute.

The list goes on and on, and you can find more of those words here and here.

Do you have your own examples for these mistakes that your spell-checker will not flag? We’d love to hear about them!

Image via www.condenaststore.com

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