Do Feelings When Placing Bids Help you Get Online Work?

I don't know why, but I feel blissy when I bid for projects.

Pretend-new age geek that I am, I feel that when I bid on projects feeling blissful and peaceful, I am much more inclined to win the project. 

When I am all frazzled out and stressed and pressured, MORE especially when there are bills to be paid,  I don't get new projects.

But when I am all inspired and feeling moneyed and just all smiley in my heart, I immediately see a notice that the buyer is interested in availing my services.

How about you, would you rather smile or pressure yourself when applying for a project?

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Typo Ghosties can Come Back to Haunt You

Start your website right.  From the start and while it's running, use correct spellings on ALL your copy and optimizing tags.  Do not  dismiss this as "oh, it's just one tiny error."  But you do it the next time and you still say "Oh, it's just a small error."  And you do it again. And again. And again.

Years later, you have a big fully running website that is highly optimized for SEO.  And you can't figure out why your site does not appear in the searches.  Then, to your horror, you find yourself in a Google search alright, but with typos!

Typos make your website look unprofessional.  This can hurt your sales/ conversions.  How can people trust you with their credit card numbers if you can't even go the extra mile with correct spelling?  Not all people are great with spelling, true, but it can be addressed with a little effort.

In addition, because of typos, you can't be found when people look you up.  Unless someone also got the spelling wrong when they search for you, then you will be.  But you will lose a lot of customers because most of them take care to type in the correct spelling so they can get the correct provider they need.  So you'll be out of the ball game before they start.  Only because of a simple neglect to run a spell check or to look up a word in the dictionary.

So be prudent.  Invest very little time to correct typos as you do a page.  Years later, you will be glad you did so.  You may not be able to see all errors while working, but the next time you do see one, do correct it ASAP so search engines will be better able to find you.

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Thanks, IBlog6

I attended the sessions of IBlog6 yesterday at Malcolm Hall in UP.  When one lives under the rock and just peers at the monitor all day, a blog conference is mighty welcome.

On the resource persons, I was amazed that these people who wrote so well ALSO spoke well.  That was kewl.

Thank you to the speakers and organizers.  I learned some new things and most importantly, was rejuvenated on committing to my blogs.

And of course, kudos to UP isaw.  When you go to UP, don't miss this uniquely marinated and surprisingly soft Pinoy grilled deli. 

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Yay! Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valour) is Respected this 2010!

The good news is our Araw ng Kagitingan commemoration falls on its exact date this year.

Only because it fell on a Friday.

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One of the things that irk me a lot is the disrespect of moving historical holidays to the nearest Friday or Monday.

A lot of times in the past 10 years, the Day of Valour in the Philippines (April 9) is not important enough.  The commemoration always gets moved a day or two, to accommodate a religious group's week-long holiday.


I'm offended, really.  How dare anyone just change a day that remembers how our grandfathers and grnadmothers died horrible deaths protecting this country's independence 60 years ago?

You can change holidays.  Long week-ends will be good for tourism, says the intrimitida officials.

Okay fine.  I hope somebody changes your birthdays and see how that feels.



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Emo-ing on the Pricing System of Writing Online

I know my future contractors will come across this article and may take it as a point against me, but I plead for everybody to hear me out first.

Writing articles or books is a difficult task.  It takes effort and brain power, especially if you're writing something that is very structured and formal.

So I am wondering why writers are willing to exert so much effort in exchange for 3 dollars, 2 dollars,1 dollar.  And they're supposed to be super grateful when they do $5 each for an article.

Call me a slow writer if you will, but here is a typical set of tasks for me to accomplish a 500-word article:

• Reading around the topic EVEN IF it is one of my expertise topics.  Thinking.
• Writing a draft.  Thinking.
• Looking for official documents if possible, if not, a verifiable 3rd party  source.  For internet marketing articles, I look for information through about 2-5 books in my collection.  And these books are the newest in the industry and cost money too.  Thinking.
• Cross checking information again.  Thinking.
• We-write. Thinking.
• More changes.  Thinking.
• Final look.  Oh, I don't want to think at this point anymore. :-)

If you were the one to do these steps, you would not think all that time and effort is worth $5, no?  Moreso, $3, $2, $1.  The electricity you used to use the computer for this wouldn't even be covered with that amount.

The pricing system for online writing is a tragedy.

$10 for a more personal piece with less research is okay. But $5 for a fully-researched, well-structured article does not cover it, folks. Sorry...

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