Blogware

Blogging with the Whales

Joey deVilla — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:59:00 -0400

Over at the internet marketing blog One Degree, Toronto-based online business guru Bill Sweetman writes about how a non-computer, non-tech, non-internet business is making use of a corporate blog. The article, titled Blogging with the Whales, covers the blog run by a New Brunswick company that offers whale-watching cruises. Bill writes:

The blog is maintained by Danielle, a marine biology graduate in charge of photographing, identifying and recording the whales and sharing that information with various marine research organizations. Danielle’s blog chronicles through words and photos (by Danielle) the recent whale sightings and had been updated earlier the day I first looked at the blog with photos of whales that had been spotted that morning.
I was immediately captivated by the near-immediacy of this information and the fact it chronicled the spontaneous nature of whale watching. The “Sightings and Updates” blog also demonstrated to me that Quoddy Link Marine really cared about whales and the environment, not just selling whale tour tickets. Thanks to their blog, I also felt one degree closer to the people behind this tour company than with those from any of their competitors.

If you're wondering if having a corporate blog can help your company attract new business, you might want to read the article.

Sex, Drugs and Finance at Blogs Lampooning Wall Street

Joey deVilla — Mon, 29 May 2006 11:54:00 -0400

You've probably heard of celebrity blogs -- Defamer is a prime example -- which give you an inside look at the sordid details of the lives of your favourite stars. They're pretty old hat, though; gossip writing and tabloids go back well before the age of blogging.

What aren't as common are blogs that purport to tell all about the details of the lives of those in high finance. They too lead "rock and roll lifestyles" and according to this article in the International Herald Tribune, they're covered in blogs like Leveraged Sell-Out and Dealbreaker.

Blog Couture

Joey deVilla — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 11:26:00 -0400

There's a guy who goes by the moniker of Manolo the Shoeblogger who comments on all sorts of fashion in various blogs:

If you're the type who wears jeans and t-shirts seven days a week, you might not enjoy Manolo's blogs. However, if you like to dress up every now and again (and especially if you dress up every day), you'll find it, as Manolo would put it, "the interesting and the entertaining".

Cricket Blogs

Joey deVilla — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 12:29:00 -0400

While we in North America don't talk much about cricket (with the exception of a few pockets, such as Silicon Valley, where a number of Indian and Pakistani techies have started leagues), it is a beloved sport played in many Commonwealth countries. As with anything else that has a devoted following, cricket too has a number of blogs devoted to it.

"If you think that people get passionate about the War On Terror," writes Alan Connor in the BBC article Blog Before Wicket, "they've got nothing on cricket writers." Go check out the article for links to some notable cricket blogs.

Hello, Dollar!

Joey deVilla — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 12:32:00 -0400

"Money is a good servant," as the proverb goes, "but a bad master."

The aim of a new blog called Hello, Dollar! is to help you make sure that money is your servant and not your master. You're not going to find any get-rich-quick schemes or stock tips there, but what you will find is sensible advice on saving money and making what you have go farther.

Hello, Dollar's author, Frank, learned about money the hard way: by struggling with it. In the "About" entry, he wrote:

Three years ago, I was on the edge of a cliff. A young software engineer with a few years experience, I was doing well in my job, but I never learned how to manage my finances. I had two credit cards maxed out and was kicking myself over my car lease that had one year remaining and was turning into a money pit.

I was still living within my means, but just barely. I might pay off a large chunk of one credit card when I had some extra cash, only to run it back up again before the month was out. There was no savings -- if I had lost my job, I would not have been able to pay rent the next month.

By making small but necessary changes such as cutting back on unneccesary expenses and starting a savings plan, Frank improved his situation and was inspired to start Hello, Dollar! As Frank says, his blog is about:

Helping impulsive and distractible people (like me!) become responsible with their money.
Learning which actions will help or hinder us on our paths to financial independence.
Making a series of small improvements, training ourselves one small step at a time to eliminate unhealthy financial habits and establish healthy ones.
Encouraging each other and benefiting from each other's experiences.

I've added this blog to my reading list, and you might, too. Give it a look!