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Product Review: StumbleUpon a Social Networking Website

StumbleUpon is social networking site that enables users to review and add their favorite websites. With one click StumbleUpon provides a random website for you to visit.

To use this site you need to sign up and then download the toolbar. On DSL it takes about 3 minutes. Once downloaded you may need to restart your computer or re-load your browser to see the change take effect. There is also the option of hiding the stumble upon tool bar. To do this select "view" on top of your browser then "toolbars" on the drop-down menu, de-select "StumbleUpon toolbar."

Features include adding friends, viewing their favorites, searching by topic or keyword.

How To Purchase Used College Textbooks from Half.com

It’s that time of year again: back to school season. For those of us in college it also means hunting down textbooks for new classes. Some of these can cost over $100 per book. That is, if you purchase them new. Which is why you’ve got to be creative and hunt down used copies. In the end you could save a bundle of money!

First, check with your college to find out which books you’ll need. Visit your school’s website, as many post a list of books needed for each class. Cut this information into a fresh document of your computer. Pay special attention to the Title, Author, Year Published and ISBN #.

What Writers Need to Know Regarding: About.com and Suite101.com (Part II)

Similar to about.com, suite101.com is a site that publishes content from freelance writers and makes it’s revenue from banner advertisements and Google ads, but unlike about.com they don’t pay writers a base monthly fee.

At suite101 (a Canadian site) writers are encouraged to dole out as many articles as possible (the minimum being ten articles every three months). Yet, suite101 frequently displays the “Hiring Freelance Writers” link. It’s no wonder, the more writers they have -> the more content they build -> the more traffic they can lure in -> the more ads to be clicked. However, it’s my belief that the writers get a raw deal. Here’s why . . . 

What Writers Need to Know Regarding: About.com and Suite101.com (Part I)

Most young, contemporary writers have an interest in taking their craft online. In fact, it seems like internet publications are sprouting up everywhere on a variety of subjects. Consider one reason why, the lead time for print magazines averages about four months, meaning after an article has been accepted, it will take about four months till publication. Yet, online, the lead time is significantly less. Despite this positive attribute, I feel several online sources have taken advantage of writers.

Some smaller home-grown e-zines can’t afford to pay writers; people contribute because they are passionate about a particular topic and want to make a difference. This is a writer’s choice and the majority of these sites state these terms up front. Some offer an exchange of advertising; others provide high ranking positions on a staff list. What concerns me the most aren't specialty e-zines but content driven, ad-centered sites like About.com and Suite101.com. These two large companies work hard to portray themselves in a positive light, all the while I believe they manipulate writers’ expectations and degrade their work. How do I know? I’ve had direct experience with both sites.

Product Review: Netflix

When I first heard about Netflix, I was a bit skeptical. I didn't know if this whole DVD-subscription-through-the-mail thing was going to work. However, after trying out the service for two weeks, I was hooked. Previously you had to drive all the way to the video store, pay $5 to rent one movie for three days and then drive back "by midnight" to drop it off. With Netflix the movies come to you, which makes checking the mail a positive experience.

The Pros:

1. Selection. You can find everything from 80's TV shows to sci-fi movies to popular romantic comedies.

2. Queue. Your queue is where you keep a list of all the DVD's you want to see. You can order them; reorder them anytime you want 24/7.

3. Convenience. PJ's are a girl's best friend so the fact that you can stay in your PJ's (not getting dressed to go to the store) makes this subscription program all the more fantastic.

4. Price. You chose which plan you like, each works out to b economical. Consider this; you can get about three DVDs a week on the 2-DVD's out plan. That works out to twelve DVDs for about $14.00 a month.

The Cons: