Paris Hilton, raccoons and Facebook apps

Will Write For Chocolate has been updated. The accompanying survey: Do you write for the market or for yourself?

Instead of reading print newspapers, I tend to check online news sites, with a focus on publishing news. I can always tell when a person or topic takes over the news because he/she/it leaks over into my publishing news sources even if he/she/it isn't normally discussed in the publishing world.

Like Paris Hilton. I had started typing "What on earth would anyone find so fascinating about this woman?" but then realized that I've had my own odd obsessions over the years, so who am I to point fingers?

But still.



Thanks to those who posted answers in blogTO in response to Raccoon-proof Green Bins: Fact or Fiction? If you have suggestions or comments re: our raccoon / green bin problem, I do encourage you to post in the comments section of that page. I'll be posting a follow-up article next month. Heh...entering "raccoon-proof green bins" in Google right now turns up my post as the second result.



I'm still enjoying Facebook. I've made useful work contacts, promoted my writing and illustration work, and used some of the Facebook groups for research and getting quotes for articles. And I've also had food fights, been turned into a zombie, and scribbled graffiti on friends' walls. See above example...this Graffiti should not be confused with the other Graffiti (I wish they had picked different app names!); I tried the latter app first but dropped it because I ran into too many problems.

It's been interesting to see individuals and companies competing for Facebook users through their free add-on applications. From a user's standpoint, it's fairly painless ... one click or two to try out an app, a click or two to cancel when you get tired of it. There's a wide range of privacy options, which I like.

Most recently, there have been a flurry of new apps for voice chats and messages. My current favourite is Tag. Reasons: easy interface, "cancel" option, 2 minute limit (keeps messages short). E-mail is good for exchanging info, but I still find that hearing someone's voice, even briefly, can convey so much more. Plus this has potential for songwriting collaboration and music-sharing! I've already sent an improvised whistle mini-performance to my friend Terence in Singapore. :-)



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