Dopp Juice Archive

Yeah, I know, we’re all email experts by now. But the thing is, we all do it differently because it’s still a fairly new communication medium. Here’s one team’s attempt at defining “the rules.” http://www.itsecurity.com/features/99-email-security-tips-112006/I think they do a particularly good job with the Etiquette section. Thou shalt not send emails when angry…

I have another fun toy for you. This one goes out to all the Creative Professionals out there — those who have something to offer as unique and marketable individuals. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s everyone. LinkedIn is an online community site for networking professionals. Be honest, now. You really don’t want to be searching for a job, client, or new business contact with your facebook or friendster accounts. This one is purely professional, focusing on your goals, accomplishments, and connections. As with any website marketed to professionals, not all of its features are free. But I’ll tell you what is free: creating a full profile, linking to people you know, writing endorsements (testimonials) for your contacts, and introducing your connections to each other. You can also search for new jobs, contacts, services, etc, and use your network to get you closer to those targets. If you’re “A” and you want to get to “C,” go talk to your buddy “B” and she’ll probably hook you up. And that’s enough free stuff for me to dub this site completely worthwhile for all of our efforts. Go sign up, and start by connecting with me (just search for “Sarah Dopp” and I’m there). Or tell me your email and I’ll connect you to my network with an invitation. All of a sudden, you’re network will include everyone I’ve already connected with (instant friends!). If there’s anyone in my network you’d like to have on your side, just tap me on the shoulder and ask for an introduction. If I’ve worked with you and you’d like me to write an endorsement, just give me a nudge and it’ll be up there. Or maybe I’ll notice how I can help you out, and take those steps on my own. Whatever you want to use the site for for, I think you should join the game. I can do so much more for you when we’re working in the same systems. And I think this one will be good.

There’s a new concept floating around out there that I’d like to explore further: Have everything, own nothing. If you can get past the typical American “pride of ownership” issues, you can have a lot more for a lot less. A great example of this is Pandora.com. It’s a music site that allows you to build your own “radio stations,” or audio streams, based on your favorite types of music. But the great thing is, it does it so intelligently. You start by naming your favorite artist or song. Pandora then references the style, quality, and influences of that artist or song, and compiles a list of similar songs by various artists. It’s a great tool for discovering new music based on what you already like. You can have multiple stations, and multiple artists named per station.Even more, I appreciate the interface. They get you started quickly. I went to the site, saw a big text box, typed “Ani Difranco,” and Boom! “As Is,” one of her most popular songs, started playing. They named the attributes of her music style, and then started playing a female vocalist I loved but had never heard of. I checked “I like this song,” and they kept playing good stuff of that variety.For me, this is a gem. I haven’t invested money in new music in years, and I stopped downloading it from the web when it became super-policed (I try to be a good girl, you know…). As a result, I haven’t discovered new artists in awhile. Now I can, and it’s completely free and legal, because I don’t own it. Someone else does, and I just tell them what I want to hear. I’ve also set up some instrumental and world music stations, and I’m using them for backround music when I’m working. I think I just found my new favorite minimized web browser window. Check it out yourself.(Thanks to Dougie for the tip.)