Diaries

by nick rauge

Diaries are sacred possessions, as they are also a rather taboo subject for conversation, which means that every word written in this article is an attempt not to trip on the wires that any comment could set off, especially if the comment is harmless, but not taken in the correct manner. Diaries are an item usually kept by a predominant number of females, but I will direct this article at any member of both sexes, who may keep, or may have at one time, kept a diary.

Diaries can be a very integral part of one's life, especially when one is active on the dating scene, and there is no time more risky for the diary writer, than when they are in hot pursuit of romance. The early parts of relationships are usually quite volatile, which makes the addition of a diary something that should be kept rather well hidden. It is understood that many people may share some of their entries with their closest pals, but many do not, and it is especially noteworthy that the partners in the relationship know nothing of such diaries' existences, or that would be an invitation for them to see what is really thought of them. Now, this is not where I say it is okay for someone to snoop in another's diary, but it all has to do with the stages of the relationship. If someone is dating many people on an inclusive basis, then their better halves should know nothing of the diary, but once a relationship reaches a certain point the other person will most likely find out about the existence of such a treasure, and it is at that time that all previously held grievances should be aired, because then the free-for-all begins.

Mutual respect should be a very dominant issue in any relationship, and that goes for those who know their loved one is keeping a diary, especially if their relationship has hit the long-term. If the partner reads entries aloud, and then tends to flaunt the existence of such a book, then they probably will yield certain information that is in the book, but questions should be asked, as reading the entries on your own would be an utter violation of trust. Also, if one knows of the existing diary, but it is never brought up, than that means that the contents are not just a means of documenting certain events, but is a private avenue for an outlet of feelings, which no one else should know, unless they are summoned to such information by way of the owner.

This is a very tricky subject and should not be breached by anyone sharing a certain semblance of respect with their partner. With that being said, there is a time in most relationships where the diary's holder can adequately let go of all their previous secrets, and release the burden by informing their partner. This does not mean that the opposite course of action is an obvious sabotage of the relationship, but instead may mean that there are some things that are sacred to the individual. The circumstances, consequences, and rules of betrayal all depend on the specific person who owns the diary, as well as the validity of the relationship that the writer holds with their partner(s).

Secrets are never meant to escape, but most of the time they are released in accidental, yet stunning manners, which sometimes hurt others, but also help others to understand the problems, or joys, that one constantly experiences. A diary can sometimes hold these burdens like caged beasts, but it is important to understand that the writer gets to decide if their beast is willing to escape, or would rather succumb to a lonely eternity.

About the author

Nick Rauge is a professional writer and editor of the website duran duran. He collects posters like bridget jones wallpaper from the movie bridget jones in his sparetime.

3 Rules for Writing Articles

Writing articles is nothing more than common sense coupled with a spell-checker program and a little imagination plus the 3 Rules I am about to share with you. First, though, let me tell you about how a high school dropout learned how to write by copying former CBS News Anchor, Walter Cronkite and by using his local newspaper. All he did was apply the "3 Rules for Writing Articles".

I know you want to know the rules right now, right? Let me say, these are not my rules. These are rules known by all good writers. I did not invent them. They were taught to me and I simply use them every day.

Here they are:

Rule #1 - "Tell them what you are going to tell them". This, of course, is your headline, like my headline - "3 Rules for Writing Articles".

Rule #2 - "Tell them". I am already doing that, right? I started with the first sentence at the beginning of this article and I am telling you right now!

Rule #3 - "Tell them what you told them". This is the summary, a sentence or sentences that bring the whole point of the article into focus to give you something to remember. This Rule is applied at the end.

Back to our high school dropout.

He simply took a cheap tape recorder, recorded Mr. Cronkite's newscast every evening, played it back and typed exactly what Mr. Cronkite said. He studied it to see how the three rules applied. He did this over and over and over until he could write his own version of the story. When he felt confident, he showed his work to his wife and best friends for critique. He even recorded himself saying the stories into that little recorder, over and over and over. His dream was to be a radio newsman.

Our high school dropout also took the daily newspaper and re-wrote lots and lots of stories, reorganizing the facts, creating his own catchy headlines. Most important? He applied the "3 Rules" to every article. When he had articles he had some confidence in, he showed them to his wife and best friends for critique. He followed the 3 Rules for several months, working on his writing after getting home from his regular factory job in the evenings. He did this for hours and hours and hours. Practice, practice, practice!

So, where did all this hard work get him? You will be amazed!

Our high school dropout landed a part time job on Sunday mornings as an on-air newsman at a local radio station! His writing and passable radio voice got him that job. His fellow factory workers laughed at him. Made jokes. "You? Come on, get real!". But, did he quit there? No! He kept working on his writing and voice delivery. Hours and hours and hours!

Within 3 months he was full time on the graveyard shift. He quit the factory job and sold cars during the day to make up the difference in income between the factory and Radio.

About 3 months later he was on days, Monday through Friday, in prime afternoon drive-time! He quit selling cars because he was earning more than the factory job. Within 2 years he was a local TV News Anchorman! Two years later he was Anchorman and News Director!

Now, I must point out another key factor in his success. Many professional broadcasters and writers helped him grow along the way. He was never afraid to ask for help with how to improve his writing and delivery on-air. Pride never got in his way. The pro's were more than willing to offer advice and valuable tips! It was better than a college education.

Now, you may be thinking, "Jim, you made this guy up. This story is unbelievable".

Well, friend, that high school dropout is me!

My broadcast news career spanned more than 15 years. I won several national, state, and local reporting awards. I was a paid stringer for Associated Press and United Press International.

Need proof? On my main blog (see Author Box), you will find a photo of me posing with Walter Cronkite in a promotional session for my news program. Imagine that! I actually got to meet and have dinner with my idol who was then my peer!

I also have promotional photos with Mike Wallace, Dan Rather, Diane Sawyer and photos with many other famous people. I have interviewed every type of news maker from Presidents of the United States to killers. I have rubbed elbows with movie stars, the rich and famous, and with folks at the Soup Kitchen. It has been a great life!

Am I bragging? Maybe. But, the point is, the "3 Rules for Writing Articles" plus determination and practice helped me to become a successful writer and news reporter. They will help you, too! I have given you the starting point. You can find other writing guides on my main blog that will help you become an accomplished writer as well. And, in case you have not guessed, I have just completed the "Tell them what you told them" rule!

Yours for success!
Jim DeSantis

Five Article Marketing Secrets

Article marketing is most probably the most effective link building strategy in existence. Article directories allow you to include a resource box for every article you submit. Inside this resource box, you include a link to your website. If you submit just one article to 100 article directories and it is approved for publication, you will immediately receive 100 back links to your website. There are thousands of article directories in the World Wide Web!

Now, if you submit, say, 5 articles to a hundred directories, you may get 500 back links easily! How? Again, by including the link to your website or blog in the Author Box at the end of your articles like I have done below. The best part about this strategy is that quite a number of article directories have high page ranks (PR). We're talking about PR4, PR5, and on occasion, PR7 websites! Having a link to your own website in a website which has a high page rank would give a significant boost to your search engine standing!

There are many questions about this tactic of submitting articles to directories. Here are my answers to the the top 5 questions.

1. If I submit the same article to many article directories, will it violate a search engine's policy against duplicate content?

The simple answer is - No - but see #2 (below) for a loophole. Since we're dealing with high ranking websites, the search engines will assume that the submitted content is your original work. This is the reason why most article directory editors are pretty confident about the articles they display. The problem that they try to avoid, really, is with regards to the credibility of their services. They don't want to be known as a repository of junk content, that's why they have outlawed the posting of PLR (private label rights) articles as well as articles loaded with Affiliate links.

PLR articles are those you buy that were written by someone other than you. These are not a good way to go because the authors are selling the same articles to hundreds of other people. Using PLR articles will create a "duplicate content" problem for you with both the search engines and with the Directory editors.

2. Should I submit articles which I have already posted in my own web pages?

If the article was posted on your website or blog first, the answer is "Yes, absolutely!". If you submit your articles to directories first, the search engines may assume that where the articles first appeared, in the Article Directory, is the originator of the content. In that case, your articles could be distinguished as "duplicate content". This could lead to the de-indexing of your articles. It will not, however, get your website de-indexed. The key is, you want your articles to appear on your website or blog first and be indexed first as originating with you. Wait a few days and then submit them to directories.

3. Can I submit as many articles as I want to as many article directories as possible?

Absolutely, that's what I do and I do it often! This is very much advised as a fast way to build up your link popularity and secure a great page rank for your website or blog. I have only found one directory so far that only allows one submission per day. I have not found any others that have any limits whatsoever.

Bear in mind that search engines are quite wary of any website that suddenly experiences a great increase in the number of its back links. It is advised that when you submit articles to the article directories, wait a few days between each submission. There is one exception to this. When I began submitting articles I had 10 that I submitted on the same day to get caught up, so to speak. After that I limited my submissions to one a day to each directory.

4. My page views are are still quite low even after submitting my articles. Does article marketing really work?

Yes, article marketing does work! If your page views remain at low levels after submitting many articles, ask yourself, or someone you trust, the following:

a) Is the subject of your article interesting enough? Does it cater to a wide audience?

b) Is your title enticing enough to merit a reading of your entire work?

c) Is your article informative enough to merit recommendation to others?

d) Is your article readable enough to give your audience an easy time in digesting the information you are sharing?

I almost always ask my wife or my best friend for their advice on my writing. I have no ego to bruise. I want my articles to be readable and helpful. So ASK! If you get - "No" - to any of these, you have found the factors that contribute to your low page views. Doing some editing to correct the problems you have identified can dramatically increase the number of times your article is viewed.

I have some articles that were viewed more than 30 times in just a few days through just one Article Directory! Multiply that by about 300 and you can see the impact. Many of the readers clicked my Author Box link and visited my blogs for more Free Resources on a particular topic. I pride myself on providing lots of Free stuff on my blogs and you should too.

Remember, some article directories attract only a few visitors so viewing will also be low. If you are writing on a highly specialized topic, low page views would not be unusual.

The key is, your articles are published and your back link in your Author Box is pointing to your website or blog and that helps your page rank even on a low viewed directory.

5. Can I be sure that my articles will be kept intact by people who would use them in their own websites or eZines?

You can never be sure. This is why you have to run your own check from time to time. Search for unique phrases in your article and click on the results. Determine if the webmaster published your Author Box links. If he did not, you could ask him to include them. If you get no response, contact the article directory editors so that they themselves can act on the matter. Vigilance is the key. It is rare but it does happen.

A positive side of directories is the editors will recognize "duplicate content" when the thief tries to submit your article under their name. The article will be rejected. This leaves them with placing it on their own blog or wesbite and you can find that out by doing the search as described.

Do these 5 things and watch your traffic increase.

Lastly, finding Article Directories to submit to is simple - Google "Article Directories" and you will get a huge list. Or, do what I do. I use software that submits the articles with a few button clicks (see my blog). This has saved me hours upon hours of tedious hand-submission because the software has over 350 of the best directories built in so you do not have to search for them.

Keep in mind, submitting articles takes work, tons of work when submitting to one directory at a time. Check out various software like I did. The best software does cost a few bucks so do not expect to get off cheap. There is free or low cost software but "you get what you pay for".

Articles, written by you, are still the fastest and cheapest (Free!) way to get more traffic and higher search engine rankings.

Stop comment spam

Comment Spamming is one of the major problem faced by all the blog owners. Spammers are not interested to redirect your traffic but are trying to increase their (or their client's ) search engine ranking. By leaving comments on your site, the spammers' sites can achieve a slightly higher search engine ranking.Spammers don't want to degrade your site but they just want to get people to their sites and make a larger profit.

How to tackle this comment spamming ?

*) Don't ban specific IP address :

Once you got the spammer's IP address you would normally banned it, but it rarely helps you much as most comment-spammers make use of 'open proxies ' using which they have their spam comments, so you never be able to eradicate them from your site.

*) Don't allow to insert HTML code.

Spammers generally attack your site if you provide them any source for getting into your site such as inserting some html code or anything like that.
If you feel the need to allow the user to include links, there are a number of ways by which you can provide them this functionality, without making your site vulnerable to attack. The most common method is to inform the user that all URLs will be converted to links automatically, then convert any content that starts with http:// to a link.

*) Use Non-Descriptive Form Names.

Good programming requires the use of descriptive names, but in avoiding comment spam, you should stay away from names that describe a form's fields. Form element names like "Comment" make it too easy for spammers to access your comment system.

*) Use rel="nofollow" for All Links.

For any reason, you want to allow your visitor to include links in their comments, then don't forget to add rel="nofollow" tag, doing so you informs search engines bots to ignore the link, so the spammer gains no benefit from adding links in their comments.