by Josh
I think it’s probably safe to say that a very large percentage of computer users have, at some point, either purchased or sold something on eBay. And the same percentage of users who have bought or sold have seen the either extremely brief product descriptions or the descriptions that are so long that you could never possibly weed out the “real” info.
Enter audio. With the debut of services like Odeo, it’s easier than ever to publish audio content on the web. So what is being suggested here? Podcast your eBay auction! Simply record your product description and then link to the audio on your eBay auction. You’d still want to include a written description for obvious reasons, but using an audio description sure would set your auction apart.
Tip: Auction Bytes
Hey y’all. Welcome to 2006. Last year was a crazy year and a great one for To-Done. I wanted to thank all the readers for, well, reading and participating and helping to make To-Done a big hit. It’s been really fun.
This year I’m going to mix things up a bit and I’ve brought on someone to help. His name is Josh. Josh Pigford.
Josh Pigford owns an interactive development firm in the Denver, CO area called Sabotage Media (http://sabotagemedia.com). He’s got a lovely wife and a 6 month old pug named Baxter. He’s also got what he calls, “the unfortunate disease of being obsessed with productivity and hacking life.”
I’m really looking forward to Josh’s help and hopefully that’ll mean more productivity goodness here at To-Done as well as some quality (and stress-free) content from yours truly. So, join me in welcoming Josh and have a happy, healthy, productive and stress-free new year everyone!
It’s been a really crazy holiday season for me and despite lots of advance planning I’m still finding myself behind the ball when it comes to gifts and such. One of the things I wanted to have done by now was having sent out a holiday card. No such luck.
I thought that maybe a few of you might be in the same boat, so I wanted to share an idea with you. In years past I’d always take some time and create an online “gift” of some kind. It was always well received and was something that I could take my time with because delivery was almost instantaneous. This year, while I don’t have the time I used to, I can use this idea to make sure I’ve got something going out to friends in family that’ll get there before the season is too far gone.
Creating a holiday Web “gift” is easier than ever and I’ve got a few ideas for you:
* Create a special holiday Flickr photostream. This is something you can make private if you wish. You can include messages and captions with your photos and allow people to reply with holiday greetings of their own.
* Do a holiday blog post (or two, or three). Getting a blog is a piece of cake. You can use a hosted service like Blogger or WordPress.com or you can get your own domain and host it yourself. Dreamhost has good, cheap domain and hosting services with one-click installs of WordPress.
* Create a slideshow. I did this a few years ago and it was a big hit. It was a lot of work, but now with products like Slideshow Pro this kind of thing is pretty easy.
I’m still not 100% sure what I’ll do this year for friends and family, but I’m really glad I’ve got the WWW to help me out of a time crunch. Nothing like next-to-instant communication. Speaking of which – HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
Feel free to share your own “Webby” holiday ideas in the comments, you may provide me with some creative energy to do something completely different this year.
by Keith
I’ve been doing a bit of research into health type stuff recently. My wife and I are in pretty good shape but we’ve been letting things slip a bit of late. Probably all the stress from the wedding, new business, buying a house, etc. It’s not that big a surprise that we’ve turned to food and booze to take the edge off! Oh, and the holidays don’t help. Seems like everyone is ready with a beer or some delicious eats that goes straight to your waistline.
But it goes beyond keeping the weight down. The holidays and cold weather can do a real number on you in lots of ways.
One of the things I’m going to try really hard to do this winter is not get sick again. I’ve been under the weather on and off for the past week and I’m bound and determined to put a stop to that. Luckily there are all sorts of resources that offer advice on keeping fit through the winter months. I’ve compiled a list of tips for those of you who, like me, want to get a head start on your healthy New Year’s resolution.
Whenever you’re about to embark on a large project—be it writing a novel, redesigning a website, or painting a masterpiece—finding a place to begin can cause anxiety that prevents you from moving forward.
While some planning is necessary before beginning a project, too much planning can allow doubts and second thoughts to cloud your vision. If you find yourself having trouble writing the first sentence or drawing the first line, skip that step. The best place to start is often not at the beginning. Read the rest of this entry »
By Keith
I want to thank everyone who shared their experiences with Instant Messaging. The results weren’t all that surprising, but I find it interesting to read how others use IM.
By Keith
In starting my own business I’ve noticed that trying to establish or stick to a routine is very helpful in keeping everything as stress-free as possible. It’s very hard to do and I’ve had to slow way down on some fronts to stay sane.
(Hell, to simply have a moments peace!)
I’ve noticed in the last few weeks it’s become harder and harder for me to keep up with all my obligations. I went through another of my “quitting exercises” and that should help a bit. I also spent some time creating and formalizing a loose weekly schedule for myself.
I fully expect this to be a big help, provided I can keep it intact, as it will further allow me to focus by setting aside time for activities that need it. I figured it might be fun and educational to share that schedule and get your thoughts on it.