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Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine Vol 04 Issue 04
------- 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!
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In This Issue...
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1. Article: Show Me a Picture
2. Blog Posts
3. Shameless Self-Promotion
4. The Fine Print
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1. Article: Show Me a Picture
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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
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2. Blog Posts
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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..."
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3. Shameless Self-Promotion
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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.
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4. The Fine Print
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