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When email and then instant messaging first became popular, many articles were written about about proper etiquette while using them. However there are many people fairly new to online communications that don’t seem to have picked up on these do’s and don’ts. I’m not even speaking of kids and teens that weren’t around to read them then, because I don’t think they will listen to this advice anyway. I am writing this more for the adults that are newer to computers and communicating online.

Connect with your Teens through Pop Culture and Technology

The (full) title says it all!  I’m so tired of parents who can’t stay up with culture blaming teens for listening to music, watching TV or movies, and buying technology that they (the parents) aren’t familiar with.  But I’m one of them, too.  Not a parent.  Still, I’m from a different era:  The 80’s (big hair).  And so I understand that kids are born into a culture; they don’t know anything else; and I have to unlearn what used to be common knowledge and learn for the first time what they understand instinctively.

I never liked pop culture.  I still don’t watch TV (to my detriment).  And I’m not sure that the site author “gets it” either (she doesn’t state her age on her profile page).  Sure, she watches TV.  She uses the internet (she has a website, anyway).  And she (apparently) reads books on technology and teens.  Plus, she says her kids think she’s cool; though, sometimes that’s a bad sign….

Looking at the site today, I’m struck by how insignificant the TV shows she references are… to me.  However, there are a couple of other current trends on the front page: 1. A story about Paul Newman and 2. A story about winning grains of rice that will be donated to the UN World Food Program.  I’d heard about no. 1 but didn’t read up on it till now (thanks).  No. 2 is less trendy and more a sign of dawning awareness than many of the other stories onsite (It’s an original idea.  Her teens clued her in to it.  And I approve).  Plus, there are a few books referenced on back pages and a few videos…

So why do I recommend the site so enthusiastically?  I know I need the heads up.  I also want to stay young and hip (lol).  And, mostly (like I’ve said), I think it’s important to connect with “kids” on their level.  Anyway, it’s all “fresh”.  It’s all “pop”.  And it all shows that “dawning awareness” that clues one in to the fact that (at least some) adults are “waking up”.

It’s a new era:  So where are the stories about rap?  Where are the biographies of up-and-coming African Americans?  Where are the Goths and Emos?  And what about the dawning of new religions or the fall of capitalism?  Not here!  But the site is good… for what it’s good for.  Some fluff.  Some light-fare.  A quick review of girlie TV.  And bits of stories about real teens (hers) and the author’s attempt at getting to know them.

Good for a quick refresher (see the story about Internet Etiquette, quoted above).  I “pop” in regularly.  Wouldn’t hurt you to do so, too.  BTW:  Her articles seem to get lots of Diggs (don’t know what that signifies but it’s a good sign).

The most important thing is to be whatever you are without shame.

Rod Steiger

Dear Carol,

I left a comment on your blog.  I’m impressed that you didn’t “take the bait”.  No response!  Ok, good (so far).

Then, I was further impressed with a gadget I found on your comment form indicated by the link My response is on my own website! (Yes, I wrote a post in response to the above mentioned article and left a special reference comment on that post that linked to my blog… with an excerpt).

So, I (also) wrote an article here about that gadget.  Set up Digg buttons on the site to promote the article.  And Dugg myself.  I had such high hopes.

Now, I’m impressed again.  Inspired, really.  You wrote the article Blogs Worth a Click… and followed that up with …Commenters Favorites (Shouldn’t that have an apostrophe, BTW?  NP, doubt you’d stoop to visiting this blog after my comment on your site and so you likely won’t read this post.  LOL)!

Now, in line with my last two letters, I’d like to borrow your idea (and change it just a little):

I’m inviting everyone who reads this to post 1 (just one) of their favorite blogs in a comment to this post!

Please.  What if YOU threw a party and no one showed up?  And thanks again to Carol “Look What You Started” Taber (Should I use last names?).

So, if you’re wondering why I’ve clicked on your blog 100 times in the past couple of days…

I’m Not Stalking You,

Brett Robertson

Dubai’s prominent developer, Emaar Properties said on Monday it plans to build one of the largest fountains in the world as the centrepiece of its Downtown Burj Dubai project. Arabian Business reveals what the real estate giant has in store.

World’s Largest Fountain in Dubai

My Interesting Files

This is the latest story on the site.  It’s not my all-time favorite (I’ll share that one in a minute).  But it has some of the best images of any onsite!  What do you think of this image?  Breathtaking!

I like the story about The Deepest Swimming Pool in the World:

The pool has two large flat-bottomed areas at depth levels of 5m (16 ft) and 10m (32 ft), and a large circular pit descending to a depth of 33m (108 ft). It is filled with 2,500,000 litres of non-chlorinated, highly filtered spring water maintained at 30 degree Celcius (86 degree Fahrenheit) and contains several simulated underwater caves at the 10m depth level.

And I like the video about Door To Hell in Antarctica.  However, I don’t usually recommend videos as they load slowly, link to megasites, and often don’t work.  AND this article has a sensationalistic title (ie. this story isn’t about HELL).

On the upside, this site has more images than videos (plus the aforementioned video is REALLY worth seeing).  And it’s generally “what you think you’re going to read when you read the title is what you get when you read the article” (it’s not a site about hype or a come-on site that tries to trick visitors into visiting just to sell a product or a page-view).

In fact, I’m shocked that there are (relatively) so few comments.  Each article inspires, in me, such awe!  And anyone who takes the time to read an article must surely be moved to say something about it.  Though they seem not to be so moved.  Excepting, I’m guessing, people are so busy that they don’t take the time necessary to really check out what different sites have to offer (sadly).

To illustrate:  I’m going to share another couple of images.  And that’s something I never considered doing before since images increase page-loads and generally are superfluous to the content. These are from Invitation from the Groom’s Mother.

click to read

Now You See!

Just to show the wide range of topics on this site.  Some are funny.  Some are serious.  Ok, only some are sensationalistic.  ALL are interesting (good site title).

On a final note, these stories are not “original”.  They’re shared from other places.  And some people have a problem visiting blogs where they find content that can be found somewhere else online.  I don’t have that problem.  I like concept sites (as I’ve said before).  And this site has an ORIGINAL CONCEPT.  Plus, the author’s personality is evident in the topics chosen (I won’t go on-and-on about this pet-peave of mine).  Anyway, if you want to search out all of these items using Google, go ahead.  Personally, I like this site and I’m thankful that the author goes through the trouble of finding such great stories and sharing them with his visitors.

Nice site design, by the way!

Must Have Feature

Apparently Squarespace has the latest must-have feature for bloggers.  You can leave a reference (rather than a comment) on a squarespace enabled blog.  This is the blog where I first noticed the feature.  Check it out!

Leave a Reference

On the comment form, you’ll notice this option:  My response is on my own website.  Clicking the link opens a form where you can input such information as:

1. Article Title
2. Article Url
3. Article Excerpt (optional)
4. Site Name
5. Site Url (optional)
6. Author Name

The input button then reads:  Create Reference

What is a Reference?

References are listed after the article and above the other comments.  They are preceded by this statement (which also suggests different ways this option might be used):

References allow you to track sources for this article, as well as articles that were written in response to this article.

In short, you can write a post on your own site and link your post to an article on another site.

The Benefit to Blog Owners

Site owners can link to responses on other sites AND ALSO link to source articles.

1. Reference sites consulted when writing an article.
2. Create a bibliography of your own writings.
3. Link to other related content (yours OR someone else’s).

An Example

Where Can I get This?

Again “apparently” you can only get this on Squarespace.  I say *apparently* because I don’t have a squarespace blog.  Squarespace charges for their software.  I don’t generally pay for what I can get free elsewhere.  And squarespace hosts the blogs that use their web software:  I have my own webhost.

Blogger and Wordpress Plugins

From my research I conclude that this option is not available for Blogger or Wordpress blogs (yet).  Damn!  I want it! I expect someone will create a similar wordpress plugin within 3 months.  And blogger will follow with a widget within a year.  In the meantime, you might create something similar with a form builder plugin like Cforms (for WordPress).

Comment Luv

The closest I can find for Wordpress is Comment Luv.  With this option, your comment will contain a link to your latest post.  But the blog where you leave your comment must be enabled.  And, your latest post might not even be a direct reference to the article where you leave your comment.  Plus, you can’t leave an excerpt!

Most importantly, seems to do little good to add comment luv to your own site since you are offering links to other people’s sites though you aren’t necessarily getting links back from those sites.

In Conclusion

• Leave a reference is a neat option.
• It is cutting edge.
• And it seems very useful.
• You can only get it at squarespace.
• You may be able to design something similar.
• Or you can wait for WordPress to come out with a plugin.
• Comment Luv doesn’t compare.