------- Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine ------- Vol 4, Issue 4 My daughter, Kaylie, is well on her way to becoming an inveterate reader like her daddy. If you should happen to check in on her after she's fallen asleep at night, you would see her little toes peaking out from under the covers and between six and ten books scattered around her on the bed. I would love to catch that on camera, but I suspect the flash would be counter-productive. Now, being only a little older than two, she isn't quite up to the task of actual "reading". She has the general idea of the alphabet, but, asked to name any given letter, she's just as likely to say "blue" (her favorite color) as opposed to responding with the correct alphabetic character. That's all right, I'm sure that all will come in time. What she does enjoy about her books are all the pictures. Pictures of children, animals, colors, shapes, etc. They are what entrance her and engage her imagination. More than once I've heard "Daddy bunny. Mommy bunny. Baby bunny. Bug!" coming from her room. Now, while as adults we rarely shout out the names of the pictures, still the images bring the written word to life. When I write in my blog, especially, I like to have some sort of pictorial representation of the concept I'm trying to expound upon. One of these days, I will upgrade this newsletter to make it possible to include images (but we'll leave that discussion for another time). The trick then is to locate good sources of images. I've found a few spots over the years that I will share with you below. In the meantime, I'd better go clear off Kaylie's bed. It's almost time for her nap! ---------------------------------------------------------------- In This Issue... ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Article: Show Me a Picture 2. Blog Posts 3. Shameless Self-Promotion 4. The Fine Print ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Article: Show Me a Picture ---------------------------------------------------------------- So, you've got a blog, or an e-zine, or a newsletter of some description. You've written some remarkably good prose -- enough to educate, fascinate, and challenge your readers. Now, for the finishing touch -- that perfect image which brings it all together. So, where are you going to find it? I've been blogging for a few years now and I try always to have a small image in each post. I've found a few locations where you can find images. The trick is to find the one which is going to give you the most benefit for the least trouble. Here are a few that I've used. * Your Camera -- OK, most of us have a digital camera of some description. If you don't, well, then skip this one. Positives: You control the image completely. If you are writing about the places you've been and the people you've seen, this makes it easy to have the picture. After you've purchased the camera, the image itself is basically free. Negatives: Not everyone is Ansel Adams. Sometimes the picture you need is not in your ability to take, either because you don't have the skill, or because you don't have access to a Siberian tiger. This is also limited to photographs and wouldn't include other types of images, such as cartoons, drawings, and icons. * Hire a Photographer/Illustrator -- Depending on how much time you have and how much money you have, you can conceivably hire a photographer or illustrator to give you exactly the image you want. Positives: If they are close friends/relations, then you might be able to get them to work for the cost of a meal (or less!). If they are skillful enough, they might be able to get you the exact image that you want. Negatives: OK, let's face it. If you want to get a decent image, whether photographic or otherwise, you are going to have to pay for it. Good photographers cost a lot of money, especially if they have to rent a Siberian tiger. * Google Images -- (http://images.google.com/) This is where it gets kind of interesting. If the image is out on the open Web, there's a good chance that Google knows about it and can serve it up to you. Positives: Google has a *lot* of images -- photographic, artistic, you name it. Chances are if you want a particular image, Google has it or something just like it. Negatives: The only big negative has to do with the ownership of the images. Those who control the rights to the image haven't surrendered them just because Google indexed them. If you actually want to give correct attribution, tracking down who actually owns that picture of the Siberian tiger can be a little challenging. Next time we'll talk about some services which give you the immediacy of Google Images while still allowing you to feel good about giving proper attribution and not necessarily costing you an arm and a leg. In the meantime give Google Images a try. Heck, do a search on yourself to see what comes up! Copyright 2010, Greg Peters ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Blog Posts ---------------------------------------------------------------- Links to posts on the "The Reluctant Networker" Blog: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 -- Constructive Avoidance http://thereluctantnetworker.blogspot.com/2010/04/constructive-avoidance.html "I've advised one or two people on good networking habits now and I'm beginning to see some recurring themes. One of the biggest is "constructive avoidance". It's easy to recognize because I tend to do it, too. This is the process whereby we avoid what we know we should do by claiming that we first have to get something else done. The excuse inevitably seems completely reasonable, but the end result is that we just never get around to doing what we know we are supposed to do in the first place..." Sunday, April 4, 2010 -- So What? http://thereluctantnetworker.blogspot.com/2010/04/so-what.html "It's time for the monthly Chamber breakfast meeting. You've been attending faithfully for months, but today you just can't get up the enthusiasm to go. As you trot out your list of excuses to stay home, remember two little words..." ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Shameless Self-Promotion ---------------------------------------------------------------- The "Clearing Up the Confusion" E-Zine is a production of Greg Peters, owner, chief cook, and bottlewasher of Cyber Data Solutions. CDS has been helping website designers develop better web presence for their clients for more than a decade. Visit us on the Web at www.cyberdatasolns.com to see how we can help your webmaster. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4. The Fine Print ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: You can subscribe to the "Clearing Up The Confusion" E-zine at: http://www.cyberdatasolns.com/ezine Questions: If you have any questions, concerns or comments regarding the Clearing Up the Confusion E-zine, please email Greg Peters at: gpeters@cyberdatasolns.com This content may be forwarded in full, with copyright and contact information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Greg Peters is required, with notification to the original author. We never send the "Clearing Up the Confusion" E-zine uninvited, and we NEVER share, sell or rent our mailing list to anyone. Your privacy is safe with us.