Abhirupa Purkayastha - Simplifying content

Being a content writer I have to do varied kinds of jobs: like writing content for sites, blogs, forums and press releases (Oh these days I write official mails to clients too!!!!). Amongst these the most challenging one is writing a press release(PR). I confess that I simply hated writing PRs, so a few days back I decided to ask aji sir (aka Web Kotler), why do we write press releases?

Given below are some of the reasons that he gave to me:

1. To let the whole world of web and off the web know about your services/products/launches: “The best of best is useless if no one knows about it”. A press release will help people know about the products or services that you have developed so they can explore more about it and more importantly they will talk about it. This is the key, to have more people talk about it. There are paid services like urlwire.com of Eric ward and businesswire, they will charge you close to $600 to publish your article across a set of 6000 US journalists. These journalists (if interested) will then publish it across different news websites and many will copy it from news websites. In this way you can get a lot of publicity (and links) through press releases.
2. News websites publish contents from the press release websites:
   
   There are many news sites like google news and yahoo news that take content from press releasing websites. Google and Yahoo picks the news from some selected websites only. You can get the list of (new and old) websites using google alerts (subscribe to related keywords). Thus, a well written PR can also become the starting point of your social marketing. There are many who sync (using rss feeds) these news items directly to their websites.
3. You end up getting more links to your site: When different websites (news websites or websites with focussed subject) pick up the story and use your press release as a resource, you get one-way links. There are many techniques to get good quality links but if your campaign works well then you can get some good number of links. Free press releases contribute very less to it. Matt cutts once said, “Try submitting only to 3 to 4 submission website as only one link will be considered.”
4. PRs add credibility to your website: Readers do not come to know that a press release can be initiated by the owners of the site, they assume it to be a plain coverage because of its credibility. Trust is a big factor on web, offline as well as online readers are more likely to trust authentic sources like columnists, editors and reviewers about the credibility of any write up. And PRs are covered by journalists, editors and even news websites.An example of building trust through PRs is careonecredit.com. The site has published some quality and well written articles on different news website and it has indeed helped them tremendously in building trust amongst the visitors. People feel that they are covered by big news agencies but the fact is that they did press releases.

There is more to learn about press releases and I am learning :).

(A chat with Dr.Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya
(Heart Specialist) Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees)

The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.

1. Qn: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?
   
   Ans:

   1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
   2. Exercise - Half an hour’s walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime
   3. Quit smoking
   4. Control weight
   5. Control blood pressure and sugar

2. Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?
   
   Ans: No
3. Qn: It’s still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person
   gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?
   Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.
4. Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary?
   Ans: Yes
5. Qn: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
   Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.
6. Qn: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
   Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints
7. Qn: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?
   Ans: Mother Theresa , who was my patient
8. Qn: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
   Ans: Extremely rare
9. Qn: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age
   (I’m currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?
   Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.
10. Qn: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?
    Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body’s enzyme release for digestion gets confused.
11. Qn: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
    Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.
12. Qn: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?
    Ans: Yoga helps.
13. Qn: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?
    Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.
14. Qn: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?
    Ans: All oils are bad .
15. Qn: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?
    Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.
16. Qn: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?
    Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.
17. Qn: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?
    Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.
18. Qn: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.
    Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, s edentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.
19. Qn: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?
    Ans: Yes.
20. Qn: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?
    Ans: Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child
21. Qn: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart ? What precautions would you recommend?
    
    Ans: When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.
22. Qn: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?
    Ans: Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.
23. Qn: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?
    Ans: No.
24. Qn: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?
    Ans: No.
25. Qn: How would you define junk food?
    Ans: Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas.
26. Qn: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?
    Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.
27. Qn: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?
    Ans: No.
28. Qn: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?
    Ans: Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.
29. Qn: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?
    Ans: No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.
30. Qn: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?
    Ans: Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.
31. Qn: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?
    Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.
32. Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?
    Ans: Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight.
33. Qn: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?
    Ans: No.
34. Qn: What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?
    Ans: There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to
    reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.
35. Qn: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?
    Ans: No.
36. Qn: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?
    Ans: Nature protects women till the age of 45.
37. Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?
    Ans: Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) ….

Send it to all ……. They might be benefited……

Whatever be the identity of the killer of Scarlett Keeling, the fact remains that he/they remain unpunished. What happened on that fateful night still remains a mystery…..why was the second autopsy report different from the first one? Why she had five after-death abrasions on her face, back and shins and had sand stuffed in her mouth and throat.

No one knows the answers to the above mentioned questions but what everyone knows is Scarlett was not a “good” girl and her mother had 4 partners.

The Goa government’s take on the Scarlett case is…….(Iam at a loss of words here….oh BTW the good news is the Govt is ready for a CBI inquiry) .If we look carefully at some of the statements that were earlier given by the Goa government and its spokesperson, you would notice that the whole blame is put on the mother, Fiona Mckeown and on the deceased girl. If the girl had been “good”, then she would not have been raped and murdered…..this is what Mr Minister had to say “How can a mother, let her minor daughter go out so late in the night?…. Tourists should take care of themselves.” I also saw some comments on various blogs like “Scarlett was wasted, she was just 15, yet she was having sex…..” So, it is not a surprise that she was raped. Now my question is – can all these comments justify what was done to Scarlett? So, does it mean a girl covered in veil won’t be raped but a girl in a bikini should be raped?

I have another question to put forth. Much has been said about Fiona’s bad parenting. She left Scarlett alone in anjuna with a 25 year old tourist guide and his aunts. This was a mistake which she has accepted and she will be fighting this demon for the rest of her life. But no one is raising their voice against the bad parenting of the miscreants. People who can rape a 15 year old and stuff her mount with sand, I am left wondering what kind of parenting did they receive?

After I started my career many of my classmates often ask, “How is online writing different from print media?“. Most of them know the answer (may be a part of it) but still wants me to repeat it. This time I am going to write the expert answer to this ever green question. Here are the 5 ways in which online writing differs from print media:

1. Readability problems: On web, people have readability problems and therefore they want to scan the content fast enough before giving it a read.
2. Way too many options: On web, we have way too many options for the same content. One needs to make a choice before reading it (making choices always offer dissatisfaction). Just writing good content won’t help, you need to make sure reader will like to read it. An article published under aboutus.com may be read more times that the same content published on a lower ranked website.
3. Hyperlink: I feel hyperlink is a big blessing for online writing. One can divide the content into various mutually exclusive parts and connect it silently.
4. Action based reading: On web, people want to take actions while reading. They want services, want to muddle with the apps etc.
5. Make people participate: On web, One can use the wisdom of crowds to generate a high quality content.

There are almost another 5 reasons and I will be writing those very soon. Have a nice week ahead!

“I except that their was a monkey“, you must be wondering that what happened to me. Nothing, I am perfectly ok and preparing for my debt arbitrator exams. Many of us make these mistakes. The correct sentence is “I accept that there was a monkey“. Their and there is one of the most commonly misused homonym (In linguistics, a homonym is one of a group of words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings). Here is a rundown of 50 homonym words that (unconsciously) confuse a content writer.

1. Accept
   Example: He did not accept your leave application.
   Except
   Example: Everyone in the room except Rita come out.
2. Access
   Example: Please provide your access details.
   Excess
   Example: An excess of eating is not healthy.
3. Advise
   Example: You advise him to continue his further studies.
   Advice
   Example: Do not ignore doctor’s advice.
4. Affect
   Example: Smoking will affect your health.
   Effect
   Example: It was the result of the magnetic effect.
5. Antic
   Example: His clown like antic behavior surprised me.
   Antique
   Example: The showpiece was an antique one.
6. Altar
   Example: I am studying the history of Christian history.
   Alter
   Example: Please go to the shop to alter the dress.
7. Ascent
   Example: The story of his ascent to success was a remarkable one.
   Assent
   Example: The bride’s father gave his assent to the marriage proposal.
8. Adapt
   Example: It takes time to adapt to new culture.
   Adept
   Example: She is adept in handicrafts.
9. Apposite
   Example: He is famous for his apposite speeches.
   Opposite
   Example: Opposites attract.
10. Apprise
    Example: Would you like to apprise the students about the hike in fees?
    Appraise
    Example: Appraise the situation before you act.
11. Accessory
    Example: The Gucci handbag that she carries is her all time favorite accessory.
    Accessary
    Example: She was an accessary to the crime.
12. Aural
    Example: Usually a migraine is preceded by aural effects.
    Oral
    Example: He was going for an oral surgery.
13. Auxiliary
    Example: There are no auxiliary branches of this shop.
    Axillary
    Example: The doctor looked at the axillary gland.
14. Ablution
    Example: Ablution is the ritual washing of a priest’s hands or of sacred vessels
    Oblation
    Example: In earlier days, child oblation was practiced to please gods.
15. Ail
    Example: Your untimely work schedule will ail you someday.
    Ale
    Example: Ale was a common drink in olden days.
16. Assay
    Example: Assay the sample properly to see how much enzyme is present.
    Essay
    Example: He wrote great essays on socialism.
17. Allay
    Example: The doctor is trying hard to allay the crying child.
    Alley
    Example: There is an old alley in the town.
18. Angle
    Example: The angle between perpendicular lines is 90degrees.
    Angel
    Example: Anny was as innocent as an angel.
19. Bail
    Example: The guilty was soon released on bail.
    Bale
    Example: Transport the bale of cotton to another city.
20. Bridal
    Example: The bridal dress was prepared by the girl’s aunt.
    Bridle
    Example: The movement was an attempt to bridle the power of the dictator.
21. Born
    Example: He was born on 14 th of March.
    Borne
    Example: Great difficulties were borne by the people of this country to get freedom.
22. Bore
    Example: The movie was a complete bore.
    Boar
    Example: We caught the boar in jungle.
23. Beside
    Example: I want to sit beside you.
    Besides
    Example: I do not want to go to the movie, besides, we can not afford it.
24. Blew
    Example: The wind blew from the east
    Blue
    Example: The color of the sky is blue.
25. Birth
    Example: The couple celebrated the birth of their first child.
    Berth
    Example: Sleeping on the berth of a train is not all a comforting experience.
26. Cession
    Example: How much land did the US acquire from the Mexican cession?
    Session
    Example: The session with the marriage counselor went well.
27. Chord
    As noun
    Example: The diameter is the longest chord of a circle.
    As verb
    Example: The musician taught me how to play the major chord.
    Cord
    Example: Tie the bundle with a cord.
28. Corps
    Example: The doctors in the Army Medical Corps demanded for a hike in their salary.
    Core:
    Example: The executive board is the core of the organization.
29. Check
    Example: Check for the errors in your credit report.
    Cheque
    Example: We withdraw money from our bank by writing a cheque.
30. Canvas
    Example: Canvas paintings are put on sale in the art exhibition.
    Canvass
    Example: After the election, the members of the student union were assigned to canvass the campus to find out the opinions of the students about the key issues.
31. Complement
    Example: A glass of wine is a perfect complement to a scrumptious sea food meal.
    Compliment
    Example: Do not compliment people unnecessarily in parties, they might take it badly.
32. Confident
    Example: If you have not done anything wrong then be confident in the courthouse.
    Confidant
    Example: He shares all the private matters with his confidant.
33. Canon
    Example: Canon law governs the Roman Catholic churches.
    Cannon
    Example: In olden days, cannons were used in wars.
34. Calendar
    Example: I have marked the date on my calendar.
    Calender
    Example: Calender is no longer used to smooth or glaze papers.
35. Desert
    Example: Sahara is the second largest desert.
    Dessert
    Example: Strawberry short cake was served to the invitees as the dessert.
36. Dying
    Example: People were dying due to the epidemic.
    Dyeing
    Example: The workers were busy dyeing the clothes.
37. Dear
    Example: During the Christmas time we love to buy gifts for our near and dear ones.
    Deer
    Example: The hunter was trying hard to shoot the deer.
38. Dissent
    Example: He is going to dissent whatever I speak in the meeting, so, you guys have to support me.
    Descent
    Example: His slow descent from the mountain was a cause of worry for his family members.
39. Device
    Example: Cell phone is indeed a useful device to communicate with people.
    Devise
    Example: Do not devise plans to harm him.
40. Dual
    Example: Robert Stevenson penned down the dual life led by a doctor in his novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
    Duel
    Example: A duel was fought between the kings to settle the dispute.
41. Diverse
    Example: India is known for its diverse culture.
    Divers
    Example: Divers face many challenges while working underwater.
42. Deference
    Example: A knowledgeable man will always pay deference to greater men.
    Difference
    Example: Our difference of nature is the root of all the problems.
43. Eminent
    Example: The seminar was attended by eminent scholars.
    Imminent
    Example: The army chief announced today that there is no imminent danger of war now.
44. Emigrant
    Example: The emigrant leaves his land to reside in some other country.
    Immigrant
    Example: She is an immigrant from Sweden, but she has adapted herself well with her surroundings.
45. Fair
    Noun
    Example: Some men love fair women.
    Example: I went to the book fair yesterday.
    Adjective
    Example: He was a fair referee, thus all the charges of bias against him were dropped.
    Fare
    Noun
    Example: Bus fare has gone up again.
    Verb
    Example: Fare well in your exams.
46. Human
    Example: To explain the dichotomy of human nature is quite a tough job.
    Humane
    Example: In our pursuit of making fast money, we must not let our humane qualities die.
47. Lessen
    Example: The medicine will lessen your pain.
    Lesson
    Example: We must learn some kind of a lesson from our past mistakes.
48. Loose
    Example: Loose clothing is the latest vogue.
    Lose
    Example: Children often lose their money in school.
49. Ordinance
    Example: The Government has recently passed an ordinance banning child labor.
    Ordnance
    Example: Ordnance factories supply ammunitions to the army.
50. Physic
    Example: A physic can surely cure your health problems.
    Physique
    Example: an athlete must have a good physique.

It’s just 50 pairs of homonyms, there are more…..and I intend to cover them too!

Before I explain you some laws of useful writing consider the given below paragraphs, they are about the places to get married in Aruba:

Before -> Total words: 287

“Do you want a Caribbean wedding? Then, you are welcome to Aruba Wedding Destinations. Ideally situated at the coast of Central America and towards the north of Venezuela, Aruba is the “Pride of the Dutch Caribbean”. Unlike the typical Caribbean region weather, Aruba has a dry climate and a dry, cactus-strewn background. The population of the island is estimated to be 80% mestizo and 20% other ethnicities.

Sun drenched beaches, warm tropical breezes, and year-round warmth of the sunshine makes Aruba a perfect location to enter into wedlock. Having a destination wedding in Aruba can be thrilling as well as romantic. Just fantasize hearing the words “I Do” in a secluded island ……just two of you amid aquamarine crystal clear water and gentle tropical breeze whispering sweet things in your ear. Doesn’t that sound great? But now turn that perfect tropical wedding of your dreams into a reality. Aruba is one of the finest romantic destinations in the world and surely one of the greatest places on earth to get married.

You can tie the knot at seaside parks, beach retreats, ritzy hotel ballrooms, five star hotels, villas, scenic restaurants. Couples generally look for a locale that’s unique and original and would make their wedding an event to talk about for years to come.

The wedding locales in Aruba also provide wedding packages including a minister or celebrant, bridal flowers, decoration of the wedding place, assistance in legal requirements, champagne toast, a candle lit dinner and a limo ride. Specialist wedding photography / video services are also available to capture the wonderful moments of your life. To make your tropical wedding as pleasurable as possible given below are some of the amazing vow taking locales in Aruba.”

After scrolling down four paragraphs the reader actually gets to know the places to get married n Aruba. The reader will leave the page in frustration ( that’s what I would do….if I had to get married in Aruba) OR ELSE he will certainly change his plans of marrying in Aruba if he lands up on this page.

As I told you all that I recently read Krug’s third law of usability, so thought of implementing it. This is my take on it:

After -> Total words: 38

Aruba is one of the finest romantic destinations in the world and surely one of the greatest places on earth to get married. We have listed some of the amazing vow taking places in Aruba, have a look.

The law says, “Get rid of half of the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left” (thanks to Steve for the mantra). I am still trying to get rid of half of the words. Can anyone help me in it?

Contrary to what all of you might be guessing, I haven’t given up blogging. I write posts but they don’t get to see the light of the day. There are many reasons for that, but the most significant reason is I had to finish off some of the Danielle Steel books (yes I read Danielle Steel too) and a book by Steve Krug (though I could not read it completely) from the list of my recommended reading. I plan to complete the other books too. Also I am planning to complete:

• Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works
  

So what brings me back from this short hiatus? The answer is: law of usability.

On this day of love I was thinking (ohhhh!!!! the guys reading the post might me having this thought ” you can even think”) about the things that make men different from women. And look what I discovered ! Read it carefully

Male and female brain

In a hospital the relatives gathered in the waiting room, where one of their family members lay gravely ill in the ICU. Finally, the doctor came out of the ICU looking tired and tensed .

“I’m afraid I have to tell you the truth,” he said as he glanced through all the worried faces. “The only hope that is left for your loved one at this moment is a brain transplant. Though it is very risky but it is the only hope. You don’t have to worry about the costs, the insurance will cover the procedure, but you will have to pay for the brain yourselves..”

The family members were silent as they were grasping this shocking news. After a long pause, someone asked, “Well, how much does a brain cost?” The doctor quickly responded, “$6,000 for a male brain, and $300 for a female brain.” The situaton turned a bit awkward. Men in the room were trying hard not to smile, by avoiding eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked.

A man unable to control his anxiety, blurted out the question that everyone had in their minds, “Why is the male brain costlier than the female brain?” The doctor smiled at the man and explained to the entire group, “Oh we follow the standard pricing procedure. We had to reduce the price of the female brains, because they’ve actually been used.”

I am so happy today. After almost one month of daily blogging (almost daily, I have 26 posts by now) I got my first spam post. I am delighted.

Many people were asking me this question, “Abhi, did you get a spam yet?”. I used to sadly say NO!, now I can shout YES!

First spam means a lot to a blogger. Damn it! I am getting popular now. How did you react to your first spam? Do share it

I just managed to get a running pic of our new salt lake police car. It is great looking car, gives you a feel of MNP (Multi national police). This looks like exclusive for salt lake city as it is mentioned on the car. Did you notice it?

Exclusive picture

Great going kolkata police!