Book Review: The Ultimate HTML Reference

If you've ventured at all into web sites, blogging, and social media, you find yourself running into HTML. Visual editor tools are fine for getting the effects you want into writing, but that is slow and limited. For the greatest flexibility in formatting text, creating tables and lists, inserting pictures, and many other tasks, a knowledge of HTML is handy. The Ultimate HTML Reference by Ian Lloyd is a reference book that should be close by a dictionary, thesaurus, or volume on English usage.

I've found myself frequently reaching for it when trying to remember how to control a table layout in a blog entry or double-checking how to get a link to open in a new window. The material is complete so far as I can tell, and the organization, including TOC and index, is strong and lets me easily find what I need. At $45 it isn't a cheap volume, but could easily save you its cost in time efficiency in your first time or two of using it.

Is HuffPo Stealing Content?

According to Whet Moser on Chicago Reader, Huffington Post is lifting entire concert previews from online media covering the Chicago arts scene. According to Moser, this isn't an isolated case or two, but an ongoing series:

If you go to their Chicago Concerts page, there's a whole list of concert previews from us, Time Out Chicago, Centerstage, and the Onion's Decider--and they're just taking entire pieces.

Moser goes on to provide side-by-side examples that are just a click away. HuffPo does give credit to the source and writer, but according to Moser's post, fails to ask anyone at the publications if it's OK. Presumably none of that $25 million influx of money is going to the outlets that actually do the work, though maybe the editor who writes new headlines for each is getting paid something.

This is disgraceful. Either Huffington and her business, not social undertaking, is willing to play by the legal, ethical, and moral rules, or they are indulging in complete hypocrisy every time they skewer conservatives for supposedly not doing enough for those with too little. Or is this just an example of faux do-gooders deciding that their "missions" excuse them from the niceties that bind the rest of us? As far as I'm concerned, if you take something without permission and without payment, it's theft. And HuffPo does get something out of this, as my BNET colleague David Weir points out:

Note to Arianna: This is not kosher! Of coure, it’s doubtful that Huffington herself is even aware of this practice, but somebody in her organization knows what they are doing. This would appear to be an attempt to bolster the amount of content, which on the web correlates directly with increased traffic, and boosting SEO, which yields highly-valued organic (free) search engine traffic.

Writing News Roundup

A look at publishing, writing, and freelancing:

• Golly, Former Tech Staffers Freelance -- Two CNET reporters turn into talking heads, covering how a former tech journalist is now freelancing. Of course, they don't interview him on camera, and the incredulous air of "You mean he can really find work in this tough environment; don't all the newly manufactured journalists create competition?" The lack of understanding, especially as they wonder whether the public will want "professionals" without bias, is profound. (CNET)


• Where's Your Online Pulitzer, Baby? -- The Pulitzer Prize will accept nomination from online-only publications, showing that the change in the landscape might now be considered official. (The New York Times)


• Reed Elsevier Pulls Mag Sale -- Publisher Reed Elsevier, which owns LexisNexis, has decided to end its attempt to sell its trade publication business, which, in the U.S., includes a whole lot of titles, some of which are Variety, Publishers Weekly, and a whole bunch of prominent names in construction, electronics, food service, and publishing. As the company can't sell off the assets, I do wonder whether it will start shutting down more of its least profitable titles, many of which use freelancers. (The Telegraph, Reed Business Information U.S.)


• Three Kills and a Classic -- Think the younger crowd is lost to publishing? Then consider that Nintendo, the manufacturer of the two top gaming consoles in the world, is partnering with HarperCollins to sell ebook versions of classic literature on a subscription basis for the portable Nintendo DS, turning the game device into an ebook reader. (London Times)


• All Things Cut -- NPR cuts seven percent of its workforce and will can two shows in March. (Wall Street Journal)


• Newsweek to Thin Magazine and Staff -- Newsweek is going to undergo an editorial makeover that will likely result in a thinner magazine, and it's going to cut additional staff. (Reuters)


• Living the YouTube Life -- There are people making six figure incomes, including one doing a humorous celebrity show with the investment of $2,000 in a camera, $6 in fabric for a backdrop, and some unknown amount for worklights from Home Depot. Income doesn't necessarily mean writing service pieces for a consumer glossy. (The New York Times)


• What's Not to Love -- or Hate? -- Fortune makes the case for and against Sam Zell's acquisition of the Trib. (Fortune)

Business Planning and Marketing Classes in January

As I do periodically, I'm teaching some on-line courses at Freelance Success (FLX members get a discount, but they're open to anyone). Instead of one at a time, however, I'm experimenting and teaching both the business planning and marketing classes simultaneously, because there was a split among those who wanted one or the other. Anyone potentially interested can click the links or can also email me for additional information.

Good Post on Business of Freelancing

The next time you get someone asking whether you lounge about in the morning before your two hour and 37 minute workday, point them to this post by Jen Miller. It's in the "X myths of" style, but a good collection that gets past the familiarity of the form. In fact, freelancers who find their businesses lagging might take a look and see if there is a myth or two to which they may have unintentionally subscribed.

Writing News Roundup

All the feedback I received was positive, so I'll try this again (and try to get it done at least once a week). Thanks to all that emailed or posted.

• Novel Publishing to Kindle The author relates hsi experience in writing a draft novel and making it available via Amazon's Kindle. (AaronRossPowell.com)


• Huff and Puff and Pull the Cash In HuffPo reputedly gets $25 million in additional investment. Even more cash not going to writers. (Silicon Alley Insider)


• Cable, Wire, What's the Difference? CNN is experimenting with offering a news wire services that competes with AP. The head of AP claims that it sucks. Yeah, but it's more affordable. (NYT, Silicon Alley Insider)


• Ruped Off Michael Wolff tells part of the story of how Rupert Murdoch got the WSJ. And speaking indirectly of News Corp., the company is launching a new gossip site. Oh, goody, we didn't have enough of those. (The Guardian, VentureBeat)


• Can You Hear Me Now? As the economy gets worse, cold calling will become more important. (Financial Times)


• Trib Files 11 The Tribune files for bankruptcy protection, suggesting that Sam Zell and others who are sure they know how to fix the newspaper industry might learn some humility. (AP)