Author Archives: Abhi

Career chart of a web content writer in India

As promised in my previous post I am gearing up  for the post on the expected career growth chart of a web content writer in India. Recently my Dad asked our Leader (Aji Sir) a very straight forward question, “What is the future of a content writer?“. He was so rude and blunt in his answer when he said, “There is no future for a content writer?“. I wasn’t very sure why he said so. This actually prompted me to ask him in details about the future of a content writer.

My post is not to scare you. This is just an attempt to bring forth the hidden reality (challenges a content writer faces). I was about to write my post when I decided to go for a series of video interviews (Just thought of making it more interesting). I will be posting all the interviews on my blog, it would be pretty exciting to watch people from different fields talking their mind.

People I am approaching for Interview (talks)

  1. Susmita (Our content head and our mentor)
  2. Daisy (Our HR head, she is looking great in her new avatar)
  3. Kinkini (Content writer working on US credit system, she joined with me)
  4. Rituparna (A content writer, who took a lot of initiatives in the last few months).
  5. Aji Sir (The devil himself, he is very blunt when it comes to career. Thanks for lending me your N95 for video interviews)
  6. Joyeeta (Forum manager for Insurance community)
  7. Arindam (Forum head for Insurance community)
  8. Antara (a new joinee in the Debt team, she is working on blog posts and blog reviews)

So we have people from different backgrounds and I am sure that the interview would be really interesting. I am thankful to everyone for their participation. Lets make it really interesting. Most of the people will be there for the interview during the TT session (4 pm IST). I am really looking forward to it.

55555 things a web content writer should know

(My Next Post: Career growth plan for a content writer.)
I am entering into serious blogging now. It’s been some time I wanted to make my hands really dirty with blogging. Here I am going to post 55555 (5+5+5+5+5) things a web content writer should know (In few years every one will be a web content writer, so it goes valid for everyone who is reading it. Happy reading!). The first 5 are philosophies, next 5 are tech tools, next 5 tips are about important languages, next 5 are the web content guidelines and the last 5 are important SEO tips. I hope you will find it interesting. Take your time as this post contains many links, so bookmark it for future references.

5 Tech Philosophies:

  1. Technology is not that scary as it looks from a distance. As you come closer you will feel comfortable. It’s the fear that stops us from learning the needed techie stuffs. So, take the first step and I assure you that very soon you will have a techie tag.[My smart tips: Take birth as Bill Gate’s daughter or get a techie boy friend]
  2. Technology is essential for content improvisation. It enhances your writing and helps your reach a larger mass. There are different platforms where you can integrate your blog for wider market. [A smart comment: It’s the only medium which will allow you to reach Bin Laden and George Bush at the same time]
  3. Technology is not to add complexities but to simplify things. [A smart comment: Hmmm… You may like to see this http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/7]
  4. Technology helps in manageability, which is very crucial in the long run. You can concentrate on your content and rest of the things can be taken care by your technical tools. [A smart comment: Google knows more about me now but still I can’t avoid using Google search/docs].
  5. Object oriented approach did born as a child to C++ but can be adopted for content management and scalability. Don’t repeat content use links instead. Modular content writing is the way to an organized content system. [A smart comment: Internet doesn’t respect identical twins.]

5 Essesntial tech tools:

  1. WCMS (link)- This is where we can manage our content in an easier way. Every company uses web content management systems. We use lore. I know people using mambo and other stuffs. [A smart comment: “Where do I write my content?” is generally the first smart question a new content writer asks.]
  2. Blogs (link) – I have tried my hands on wordpress and blogspot both. It is so much fun. Every content writer should have a blog of his or her own. I regret for realizing it so late. [A smart comment: Beware! Blogging is very powerful. You can even get a death threat.]
  3. Wiki (link) – It is a web 2.0 way of handling your content. The success of wikipedia says it all. Its about Crowd wisdom over expert writing, which is considered more efficient. [A smart comment: A (informational) content that is not a wiki will die if not already dead.]
  4. Forums (link) – I call it data collection center. The value lies in data, so create a platform where people are given an opportunity to participate. Now almost every website has a forum but running it smartly needs some smart guys like Bijoesh (He is a gem when it comes to handling forums). [A smart comment: We love talking, allow web talking and collect the relevant information in an organized way]
  5. RSS/RSS reader (link)- A content that can’t be distributed easily is only 20% effective. Make syndication really simple through RSS. I use Google reader to read RSS feeds. [A smart comment: Look at my twitter, I even have a RSS for my actions.]

5 Languages for web content content writer

  1. HTML (3 days to learn)- It is a must know language for every web content writer. This post explains it better. It helps you make your article more scanable.
  2. JS (not a must but can try)- You can try your hands on Javascript also.
  3. Smarty (2 days to learn the needed stuff, rest is for programmers)- We are taught smarty (thanks to Shyama Kant). It helps in separating the programing logic from content.
  4. Wiki Syntax (5 days to learn)- This helps you keep your wiki text cleaner. Try to avoid HTML inside wiki pages. Wiki’s are not meant for HTML syntaxes.
  5. CSS (5 days to learn)- When you want to decorate your text, do it properly using CSS. The basics of CSS can be learned in just 5 days. Take the steps.

5 Web Content Writing guidelines (Guide One, two,)

  1. Write to be understood (link) – This is one guideline that defines all others. Writers generally acknowledge that their primary aim is to be understood. We recognize that it is not the reader’s responsibility to understand (know how readers read on web); it is our responsibility to be clear. We also know that clarity is a complex issue, and that achieving clarity means achieving control over many aspects of language-based communication.
  2. No one reads they scan: Click here to know more. Also read “Don’t make me think“.
  3. Make it simple: Complexity exists, simplicity is created. There is value for whatever is created not for the ones that exists by its own.
  4. Build trust: With so many undesired and unwanted incidents happening in the online world, people are losing their trust. So, Building trust is important and building online trust even more mandatory.
  5. Keep improving: One step at a time can lead you really far. I use Google analytics to check the user experience of our pages.

5 SEO tips (thats all you need to know about SEO)

  1. On page text optimization is almost dead. On page optimization can be consolidated to stickiness. Know how to increase the stickiness.
  2. It’s all about how many people/websites/blogs are talking about you (See how Search engines interpret the links). Demand links and you are there on the top. So make some content really talkable. Content or link was/is a debatable issue. Some good links for links 1) 5 rare link tactics 2) topic sensitive links
  3. Don’t get involved in shady link work. Spend hours thinking like a Google guy before implementing any SEO strategy OR think what is good for your visitors and keep working towards it.
  4. SEO is a long term strategy not a short term/short cut success.
  5. SEO thinking -> If you can think what is good for readers then its Google’s job to make your site on top. Focus on 1 and 2 to make Google your true friend.

(bonus 55555+1=55556) Image modification applications/languages – I try my hands on picasa most of the time. You can try Adobe photoshop or paintshoppro. It helps. An image can speak 1000 words at a time.

Your feedback will help me improve my post. So, do add you comments 🙂

ICE

Our cell phones have hundreds of names & numbers stored in the memory but I wonder nobody, other than us, will know which one of these numbers belongs to our closest family. God forbid if we meet with a car accident on the road, the people who will be witnessing the accident or will be attending us will have our cell phone but they won’t be able to call or contact our family to notify them about the accident.

Yes, there are a plethora of numbers stored in our cell phones. It would be really a time consuming job for anybody to search the contact person in case of emergency or ICE? That’s probably the reason why the concept of ICE numbers is catching on quickly.

ICE numbers are contact numbers during emergency situations. All you need to do is to store the number of your family or friends under the name ‘ICE’ so that any third person can understand who he or she should contact during emergency.

ICE is the brainchild of a paramedic who found that inspite of having the mobile phones of the patients, the hospital staff didn’t know whom to contact. Thus, he thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for emergency contacts so that the Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff can easily and quickly find the right contact person. Thus came the concept of ICE.

If you have more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 and so on. A great idea that will make a difference! Let’s spread the notion of ICE by saving an ICE number in our cell phones today!

Merry Christmas to everyone – Love all

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. It is that time of the year when you gift all your near and dear ones the “best of the best”gifts. But is Christmas all about giving gifts that have hundred dollars tags attached ? If you ask me I would say No, because Christmas to me is celebration of new beginning, hopes, dreams and love for humanity!

One of my friends is a Christian and he recently gave me his Bible to read. I confess here that I could not read it completely but I did manage to sneak a peep into the quote that aptly defined the most intangible feeling called Love . So here goes the quote from Bible.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So come and let’s love, the unconditional love. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Here is another Lyrics I remember from a movie Love Actually

I feel it in my fingers,
I feel it in my toes,
Christmas is all around me,
and so the feeling grows

It’s written in the wind,
It’s everywhere I go,
So if you really love Christmas,
C’mon and let it snow?

You know I love Christmas
I always will
My mind’s made up
The way that I feel
There’s no beginning
There’ll be no end
Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

You gave your presents to me
And I gave mine to you
I need Santa beside me
In everything I do

You know I love Christmas
I always will
My mind’s made up
The way that I feel
There’s no beginning
There’ll be no end
Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

It’s written on the wind
It’s everywhere I go
So if you really love me
C’mon and let it snow?
C’mon and let it snow?
So if you really love
C’mon and let it
If you really love me
C’mon and let it
Now if you really love me
C’mon and let it snow?

NoWordDay3: My Love, My friend and My Man

This is the final of the series, I am writing a few words about it as it is more close to me than the other No Word Day posts. I ardently believe that friendship is the foundation of a strong relationship be it between a man and his wife, a brother and sister or between couples who are dating.

So, My Man will be my Friend and My Love and I want to be his friend and his love forever. So here goes No Words Post part 3 (Sorry for some violations)

My Friend

My Love
My Love
My Love 1
My Love 2
My Love 3
My Love 4
My Love 5

My Man
My Man
My Man 1

Syndicate my Blog using widgetbox

You have a blog or a website and want to appreciate my writing (Hey! I am going to write very quality post 🙂 ), here is a simpler way to syndicate it on your blog. Click here to get the syndication code (Click on the get widget and customize it according to your need.). Thanking you in advance. It will look like ===>

Also I have checked in the linkedin syndication tool (check right menu). Integrated blog with technorati (not completely :(, need help)

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