I'm finishing up on the February 2015 edition and it really hit home when I changed the volume number from 24 to 25. This is volume 25 -- Twenty-five years online. It's funny how I can actually remember at least two readers who subscribed in the first couple of months -- STILL reading and now friends on Facebook. You know who you are -- can you believe it's been a quarter of a century? January 27, 2015
Hurry . . . The Sidney Hillman Foundation is accepting entries for the 2015 Hillman Prizes which honor investigative journalism and commentary in the public interest. But you've got to get nominations in . . . DEADLINE JANUARY 30 January 26, 2015
Sooner or later you're going to end up in that period of life when your peer group's parents are passing away, and you're dealing with wills, living wills, trusts, closing estates and so forth. When my Mom passed away we had no keys, no passwords and no way to close her online life other than certified letters and Fed-ex overnight packs. Four years later, there are still some unresolved. Have you considered your personal, digital exit plan? If you don't have a digital will, you'd better read this article and get one before it's too late. December 29, 2014
Here we go ... another year, another opportunity to strike bigger numbers. This time of year means even more online social activity -- the holidays are over and it's really cold for the northern hemisphere. Look at the numbers for Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIN and even Google+ and you'll see record-breaking traffic stats. So during this lull ... get ramped up for spring!
This Social Media update helps close out the year. But it's not so much of a bang as it is as a shout. 2015 will probably be a better year -- and as internet and interactive rules change, you've got to get your new year's strategy going. This media update should get your creative juices flowing!
From time to time I actually read some of the crap the social networking sites keep spewing at me. Today LinkedIn sent me an email with the big reversed-out head that reads : "Must Reads for Fred" -- wow they've noticed me! But what they actually sent just makes you laugh! August 29, 2014
Ever since the bottom dropped out of the Google AdSense revenue I've searched and puzzled for an answer without success. Then I began getting Link-Removal requests from sites I had vetted long ago. Then one day Chuck Green, owner of the Jumpola web site asked a question on Facebook. The comments to that question inspired me to share my experiences with Amazon affiliates, Google, Panda, Penguin, SEO, searches, link removal requests, and the cybercrime industry. July 26, 2014
What do you think about the news? As graphic designers we can be terribly influenced by the news -- or not. How do we digest the deluge of news into thought patterns that contribute to our design creativity in a positive way? Or do we just absorb it all? Does the news shape your life? Are you fed up with it? Do you think it's biased or fed to you through colored filters and glass? Should graphic design reflect the news? No? Yes? Today's article on Tom Ashbrook's "On Point" -- the NPR opinion radio show -- was thought provoking and enlightening. February 27, 2014
After running Sandy's story about using Facebook "liking" I decided to take a look at my Likes -- just for fun! Do you use Facebook? Do you often click "Like"? Do you know who you have liked in the past? I've been clicking like for a long time, and I recently went back to find one of those pages I could vaguely remember and was in for a big surprise! February 24, 2014
When I saw the reference to this article in a recent email spam, I had to pause. They used the famous quote from Ben Franklin that I have used in my Creative Layout workshops and seminars since the 1980s. I figured anyone who uses that quote must have something intelligent to say. February 12, 2014
