ChaCha is a whole new beast of search.

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Trisha, @mayobrains on Twitter

by Patricia Mayo

I was chatting with my buddy Rob Williams of 170spoons when he said “gotta run, time to catch up on some dinner and RSS.” I mentioned I haven’t bothered with RSS for months. His response was, quite understandably - “WHAT?!”

Photo mashup of images by Daniel Bonoore and Beau de Noir

You’re probably going to call me nuts, but RSS, to me, is quite inefficient. There are far better tools which serve the same perceived purpose. I know, I know - I’ve just thrown you through a complete loop, but allow me to explain…

by Patricia Mayo

The “experts” say you should include pictures in anything you publish online - but they never say what to look for in a picture.

Photo via Fail Blog

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - but very few realize exactly what they are saying with their pictures.

Normally, we aren’t aware of the messages these images are communicating - but that just makes the message even more powerful. Just ask any pro selling through a catalog or direct mail.

The difference between a good image and a bad image is very cut and dry - success, or failure. Period.

Of course you’re not. What, you - afraid to read a blog post? Pshaw. No way. Couldn’t happen.

“The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say,
but what we are unable to say.”
Anais Nin

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’
your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
Mark Twain

“Writers, like teeth,
are divided into incisors and grinders.”
Walter Bagehot

“I have made this longer because
I have not had the time to make it shorter.”
Blaise Pascal

Layering even boring statements in catch phrases from pop culture grabs a lot more attention than even a great point could have otherwise. The key is giving people something they can click with and relate to in your writing.

Over the last couple days I have broken my blog more times than I can count - all in the name of improving my writing style. Of course, it helps that it all looks neat and fancy too.