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Lakaw is a journey is a step is a move. I love to travel around the world and this is my travel and travel gadget site. Welcome and Enjoy!

Bloggermania: Challenging The Platforms Of Old Media

0 comments | Saturday, August 23, 2008

We have already posted blog challenge 07 -- Bloggermania: Challenging The Platforms Of Old Media.

Is traditional media still relevant in a blogging world? Conversely: Like Wikipedia, is blogging light years away from being acceptable means for credible journalism? Are there means to regain the glory of old journalism? What are the alternatives and where do you think is the proper place of blogging in the grand scheme of media consumption in the 21st century?

Answer the question by writing a post and submitting it to the Blog Challenge Award site. Be recognized in the blogging world with your creativity and way of writing blog posts. Join the challenge 07!

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posted by talk

at 8/23/2008 02:02:00 AM Permalink

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Creativity level test

0 comments | Friday, August 08, 2008

I took a brain juicer test to test my creativity. The result shows that I am leaning more into being an innovator rather than an adaptor – of which I truly am.

Innovator
Your preferred style is to find new ideas by challenging the accepted way of doing things. Your motto is, 'do things differently' and you prefer to solve problems by thinking tangentially and approaching tasks from unexpected angles. You prefer a less structured approach to solving problems and are less concerned the solution gains consensus.

Adaptor
Your preferred style is to take ideas and improve them. Your motto is to 'do things better' and your watch words are, precision, reliability, efficiency, discipline, and conformity. You prefer solving problems with more structure and method and like to build a consensus around the solutions.

What is your level of creativity?

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posted by talk

at 8/08/2008 01:28:00 PM Permalink

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Win Entrecard Credits from Lakaw.com

0 comments | Sunday, August 03, 2008

I am giving away my Entrecard credits!



Here is the deal. Submit any travel story you have (new or old) from anywhere - Philippines or abroad - and if it finds a place in this blog, which I am sure it will, I will give you 100 Entrecard credits.



Aside from the EC credits, your entry will also be linked back to your blog. That's a free link and traffic going to your blog.



It is so easy to submit. Email to me your entries via topratingblogs (at) gmail (dot) com in document format. Don't worry, I don't have strict requirements in accepting entries. Make sure at the end of the entry you specify your blog address and your EC account. I will immediately inform you if the your entry goes live here in lakaw.com. EC credits will be transferred ASAP.



If you don't have EC account yet, sign-up here.



One last thing, if you could include a photo (maximum of two photos only) you took during the travel (you must be in the photo), I'll give an additional 50 EC credits.



Submit entries now!

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posted by talk

at 8/03/2008 08:36:00 PM Permalink

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Ask God for cheaper gas!

0 comments | Wednesday, July 30, 2008

In times of dire need, who else would people turn to? For Christians, there is no other solution to problems than God. Can God intervene to have gas prices lower? A St. Louis faith-based group believes so.

The group has scheduled two prayer services at an area Mobil station to thank God for lower fuel prices and to ask that they continue to drop.



The non-Christians are laughing and singing: Amazing gas, how sweet the smell, that saved my SUV!

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posted by talk

at 7/30/2008 01:25:00 PM Permalink

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Change and Growth Quotes and Me

0 comments | Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Why should change be painful? Why can’t change be just an ordinary word that passes us by without notice, like nothing has ever happened? Why must change occur at a time when we’re at our lowest?

Charles Darwin: It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

Me: I rather become the strongest and the most intelligent than be the one to hurdle change.

Charles DuBois: The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.

Me: There should be other ways to keep the present rolling without having to sacrifice.

Georg C. Lichtenberg: I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.

Me: If I sacrifice in order to change, yet things won’t get better, how would that affects me?

John F. Kennedy: Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

Me: Can I live the present and look at the future without changing?

Pearl S. Buck: Growth itself contains the germ of happiness.

Me: The germ of happiness can be attained by growing painlessly.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Life is a progress, and not a station.

Me: But a station is necessary to know how life progresses. Stop to ponder on your directions.

Anais Nin: There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

Me: Perhaps change is not that painful at all. Let me try it now!

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posted by talk

at 7/23/2008 03:55:00 PM Permalink

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How to add photo on GTalk

0 comments | Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I am starting to use Google Talk or GTalk. Again! Actually, I tried this instant messenger the moment it went live two years ago or so. But it didn't have the wow factor. I stopped when I found out that Yahoo Messenger (YM) was a much better medium for online chatting or sending instant messages. You can probably do anything you want while chatting with YM -- listen to various genre of streaming music for instance.

Before YM, I had the fondness for Windows Messenger. It was my main chatting system. When I started to get spam messages, I stopped using it.

Now, I'm back with Gtalk. Google Talk has tremendously improved since the last time I used it. I personally like the cute Gmail notification that appears on the lower right corner of the screen. YM uses notifications too, but with a much wider, long strip. GTalk also have translations bots. Send a message in one language and Gtalk will have it instantly translated into another. There are 24 bots available - French, Spanish, Greek, etc.

Just now, I am adding my Gtalk photo or avatar to personalize it. There are no "text help" that you can find on the gtalk window that will tell you how to add or change photo or display your favorite icon. But the process is still easy. Here's how to choose a Buddy Picture:

1. Sign in to Google Talk.
2. Click the image next to your name, at the top of your Friends list.
3. Select one of the provided pictures, or click Browse... to upload an image from another location.

Your picture will appear immediately, and your friends will be able to see it next to your name and status message in their Friends lists.

Note: If you upload your own picture, just make sure the image file is a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG. Google Talk will automatically resize the image in your file to 32x32.

That's it guys. Gtalk will now be side-by-side with my YM. Which one is better? I still go for Yahoo Messenger. But who knows I might change my mind when I get used to Gtalk.

To sign-up for gtalk, here. However, if you already have a GMail, the account will work just fine.

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posted by talk

at 7/15/2008 12:19:00 PM Permalink

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Watch Philippine TV shows from a distance

0 comments | Friday, July 11, 2008

With the absence of TFC in my cable TV provider, there is only one option left to watch Philippine TV shows in Brookings, South Dakota for free. You got it right. Visit online sites that offer free-watching shows. There are so many you, probably, can think of.


Google deep - meaning go beyond the results of Google - and you'd be surprised to see the abundance of free sites downloading Philippine TV shows right on time, just minutes after they were shown in the Philippines.



Lately, I was hooked to YouTube. Not that I like YouTube a lot. It was because I was following the Lobo TV series everyday, without a skip. LOL. Funny, because I had never done anything like this before. The first episodes of Lobo were the addictive ones. The storyline was intriguing too and it was very unpredictable, unlike other shows I've seen before that I already had the idea of who gets what, or who would die in the end. This time, Lobo kept me guessing.



Anyway, the series ended today. Finally, I get to bid YouTube goodbye, maybe for a while until the next sci-fi show comes along.



Interested of watching the whole Lobo episodes? Visit this link.

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posted by talk

at 7/11/2008 06:10:00 PM Permalink

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Belly dancing at its best!

0 comments | Sunday, June 29, 2008

Watch at your own discretion! Anyone wanting to learn belly-dancing with this lady? Oh well, go for it.

Watch for the M. Night Shyamalan style surprise ending (hint: it involves FAILURE).

I wonder what happened to the lady.

Leave me some comments below.

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posted by talk

at 6/29/2008 04:41:00 PM Permalink

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Corpus Christi movie: Jesus as gay?

5 comments | Tuesday, June 24, 2008

I ignored the first "Corpus Christi" email. Now I got the same email forwarded to me. It is all about a drive to get as many signatures online hoping to stop the showing of a movie called "Corpus Christi" - a movie portraying Jesus Christ as gay or homosexuals.

My initial thought: it's a hoax. But I wanted to make sure, so I googled and found that this email has been around around since 2001 - same message, same "Corpus Christi" hoax advocacy.

Yes, if this movie pushes through, it is very disturbing and deserving of a Christian revolt.

Hoax email below:
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Please read carefully and comply - Thanks

A pornographic movie is being shot and is intended to show up in America soon, which shows Jesus and his disciples as homosexuals. This is similar to a play that has been in the Theatre halls for a while.

It's called Corpus Christi " which means "The Body of Christ". It is a revol ting joke of our Lord. But we can make a difference, that's why I'm sending this
e-mail to all of you. Could you, please, add your name to this e-mail's list's end?

If you do so, together we WILL be able to ban this movie from being shown in America .. Apparently, some regions from Europe have banned the movie already.

All we need is a lot of signatures! Remember! , Jesus said: "That he who denies Me before men, I will also deny Him before my Father which is in heaven."

(Note: Please, do not simply forward!!! Please, select all the text by dragging mouse down on this message. Copy message (CTRL+C), then select "compose" which gives you a new email page, position cu rs or in the message box & paste (CTRL+V). Edit any unwanted text, add your name at the end of the list and send to all your contacts.)

When the signatures get to 500 names, whoever is the 500th name, please forward this email to: homasg@softhome . net And then start it all over again......

IF WE WORK TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT!!!! Thanks!
-----

Now that you know it's a hoax, please don't forward it to anyone. Thanks.

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posted by talk

at 6/24/2008 10:46:00 AM Permalink

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Trace web sites you visit, your web history

0 comments | Thursday, June 12, 2008

Aside from using the browser toolbar, there is also a nice way to check your internet browsing history -- use Google.
First, log-in to your Google account. It could be your Gmail or Adsense, it won’t matter as both accounts are integrated into one by Google. Next, look for the “My Account” link at the upper top right corner of your browser. Once clicked, a page will show various Google products. Near the bottom is the “Web History” link.

The web history is pretty awesome, although it is only limited to searches. However, you can expand the history by downloading a toolbar. The website history shows the links you have visited and at what time of the day. It even shows the number of times you visited a site. Keywords you used to search are also shown. You can move the calendar to see your web history day-wise and month-wise.

Where’s is your privacy? Is Google peeking your every move? Worry not. You can remove items on your history records by selecting those you want to get rid of (like porn sites or any dubious links. LOL).

The next time you forget the website you visited the previous day, use Google’s web history to trace it for you.

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posted by talk

at 6/12/2008 03:37:00 PM Permalink

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Ukrainian poems

0 comments | Wednesday, June 04, 2008

I know. Everything is in Ukrainian language. I just thought it is nice to promote something different (just because I couldn't understand a single Ukrainian word). It's my Ukrainian friend's poetry blog. This is also my way of indexing the keywords Ukraine, poems, Ukrainian blog, poetry. So this is a two-way benefit. I help my friend promote his blog and I get traffic in return with those keywords.
...thinking like an SEO expert! LOL.

Here is a sample Ukrainian poem (read if you can). I searched for a Ukrainian to English translation online. I couldn't find a site offering it for free.

По стінах руки, блуджу до перемекача
Я повертаю в інший бік до ліжка
Не з того боку бра, і не на тій полиці книжка
Але з вікна ніхто не поміча
Ні сторінок опалих на підлозі
Ані відсутностей сутулості плеча
Я засинаю й бачу у траві хруща
А просинаюся в дорозі

Want more? Follow this link to papito-karlito.livejournal.

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posted by talk

at 6/04/2008 04:27:00 PM Permalink

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Oxford English Dictionary print edition sees end

0 comments | Monday, June 02, 2008

The Oxford University Press is putting an end to the publishing of the print edition of the multi-volume Oxford English Dictionary.
Oxford University Press now focuses on the online and CD-ROM edition of the dictionary, which I think is better. Everything can be found online now, even the definition of the strangest word.

You can visit wiki to learn more of the history of the Oxford English Dictionary.

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posted by talk

at 6/02/2008 09:07:00 PM Permalink

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How to tell if someone is unhappy with married life

0 comments | Monday, May 19, 2008

There are always signs to know when you reach a point that you’re not happy with your marriage anymore. These signs are observable, not just by you but by people around you.

Why become unhappy with marriage anyway? One reason that is most likely to appear in surveys with marriage couples is compatibility. You and your partner are not just compatible with each other. Compatibility sometimes is learned more over time, even when you have kids already.

Compatibility is so hard to measure or to predict. Maybe the only solution to compatibility issues is going steady for a while with your partner without getting married first. Getting to know each other is a serious part of a relationship. This is where you develop friendship and a deeper understanding of each other's emotional capabilities.

So how to know if someone is unhappy with his/her married life?

1. He or she flirts with another party. Third party comes to the picture.
2. He or she tells friends about it.
3. He or she spends more quality time with friends than with his or her partner.
4. He or she doesn’t talk so much about his/her partner’s achievements.
5. He or she wastes time for himself/herself, instead of being with his/her partner often.
6. He or she never brags (or at least say) to his/her friends about how much he/she loves his/her partner.
7. For the wife, she talks about other men. For the husband, he talks about other women.

Are there more that you can add? Please leave a comment.

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posted by talk

at 5/19/2008 10:30:00 PM Permalink

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Boggle - how to play and win the game

0 comments | Thursday, May 15, 2008

A couple of months ago, I bought a Boggle game. Boggle is a word game played using a grid of lettered dice, normally a 4 x 4 size, in which players attempt to find words in sequences of adjacent letters in a limited time.

It is a very challenging game. The words can be found horizontally, vertically or diagonally neighboring.

I had this game too when I was still in the Philippines and used to play it with friends, even joining student tournaments during college days.

Lately, I have been playing Boggle again, this time with American friends. It is so amazing to know that I could actually be at par with their vocabulary, sometimes even surpassing them. Modesty aside, there were games that I ruled over them. The good thing about playing with Americans is that, I get to learn new words that I haven't heard of yet.

Madeline has been my source of info in terms of biology terms since it is her field of expertise. There were many instances that I knew the words exist but couldn't exactly give the definition, Madeline was there to define them for me. If we couldn't agree of anything, we simply cross them off.

The technique of winning the word game is to write as many short words as possible in the time alloted. The minimum is a 3-letter word, so find those 3-letter words as fast as you can. Write them down and look for permutations. For instance, if you find the word "tea", most likely the words "eat" and "ate" are there too. This gives you 3 points if they don't have them on their list.

Once you think you have listed most, if not all, the 3-letter words, go for the long ones. The long words will give you more points. Think of unique words. Think of words with silent letters. Mostly, your opponents won't find them. Utilize the letter "y" and come up with words using it instead of a vowel, like "sky" or "try". Words that start with a vowel are hard to find too. Try to look for them. You can also look for words that start with a prefix, or words that end with "sh" or "er", like "goer". Don't forget to notice if there is a letter "s" on the grid. You can use it to make plural words. And gather points.

Boggle enhances the vocabulary and since I love word games a lot, I might be playing Boggle often this time.

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posted by talk

at 5/15/2008 11:15:00 PM Permalink

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Obsessed with a girl? Blame her...

0 comments | Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Some girls are dangerous. They think they have the control over men, especially when it comes to emotions.

Men are easy preys. Girls have the best tactics laid out, well planned to get their best catch. Since girls are "planners" of emotions, they begin by befriending the men, then eyeing for their weak spots, playing with their emotions, deceiving the men with a facade of falsehood.

The girls would make the men believe they are the princesses trapped in the tower whom in need of a rescue from the unsurmountable distress. They pretend they need a savior that would give them the happiness-ever-after life. They act as if they need men. They make up stories so real that men are lured into thinking they are the answers to the girls' dreams.

Girls laugh in silence while the men slowly fall in their traps. Poor guys!

That is why sometimes I would think men should not be blamed if they suddenly turned violent or different at an instant. Why would girls blame men for running after them, for following their every move, for suddenly being obsessed, when in fact, they, the girls started it all in the first place?

Didn't the girls initiated the flirting? Weren't they the ones who wanted to talk privately in the middle of the night? Should guys be blamed if they think something is going to prosper because girls made them feel there is hope for something special?

Men are easy preys. Almost always, girls take advantage of that.

If someone would ask me to testify against men who stalk women, I probably would say no. There is a reason why men do that. The stalking must not be blamed to the men alone, women have their share of the story too. And that part of the story have to be investigated as well.

Some girls are dangerous. I said "some". Are you one of the "some"?

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posted by talk

at 5/14/2008 02:38:00 AM Permalink

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Tip in buying a laptop: don't trust everything your friend says

2 comments | Monday, May 12, 2008

My friend Janet needs a laptop. She said she wanted to buy mine, a Toshiba, and suggested that I should buy a new one for myself. I thought about it for a while and decided to give in to her request. I charged her a couple hundred dollars less than the original price, although the laptop is just about 4 months old, because she is a friend. Had she been someone else, I would have said no.

Another Filipino friend of Janet told her that I am pricing her too much. That there are other brand new units that are cheaper. That Janet should buy a Windows XP processor since mine is Windows Vista. But isn't Microsoft stopping the mainstream support for Windows XP Service Pack? That would mean security holes could then be easily exploited.

I told Janet that she has to check the specifications of that "Compaq" laptop her friend is talking about. It might be cheaper but of less quality, or maybe it pales with the features that my "Toshiba" has. Mine is already installed with MS Office, which doesn't come with the purchase of a new one. It also has the necessary Virus and Spyware programs ready. It comes with a portable video cam too. I told Janet to go for whichever she feels is right for her use and be critical – feature-wise and pricewise.

What I don’t like about the comment from her friend was that, the person thinks I am overpricing Janet. Damn! Why do I have to do that? Money doesn’t count if you care for a friend who has been begging you for months for the laptop. I love the notebook I own, and if I have to keep it forever to myself, I will. But because I love Janet as a friend, I have to go against my own rule. Isn’t that enough to keep others shut up?

These people who don’t think before they say something must be insensitive beings. Think before you utter meaningless words. Otherwise, your words will be used against you.

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posted by talk

at 5/12/2008 04:14:00 PM Permalink

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Feedjit - for real-time blog traffic

0 comments | Thursday, May 08, 2008

If you are a blogger reading this, you probably have the Feedjit widget installed in your blog already. Most bloggers I know, pros or amateurs, are using Feedjit to track live traffic to their blogs.

Feedjit does three things. It give bloggers or webmasters:

1. LIVE TRAFFIC FEED - Which city and country your visitors are in
2. LIVE TRAFFIC MAP - See your visitors spatial locations
3. LIVE RECOMMENDED READING - Which page they visited on your website
4. LIVE PAGE POPULARITY - Daily stats showing your most popular page

Feedjit widgets are updated as each visitor arrives on your site - real-time updating!

Try the live traffic widget and see for yourself.

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posted by talk

at 5/08/2008 06:53:00 PM Permalink

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Annalena - the girl at the Student Union

0 comments | Tuesday, May 06, 2008

I know it will come to this point of saying goodbye. Hard it may seem, but what is there to hold on? Goodbyes have to be said. Wishes of "till we meet again" have to be painfully wished. Annalena is saying goodbye to Brookings, South Dakota for a much better greener pasture awaiting her in another State.You probably have read my article about her many months ago. She's my "girl at the student union". People who have read that article wondered of who she really is. I never revealed her name in the article, nor in the couple more that followed after that, but only clues of the way she smiles, walks, talks, how she inspires me, the color of her hair and the joy I secretly entertained that time as I watched her almost everyday at the Student Union.

Now, however, there is no keeping-it-to-myself. No secret anymore. She is leaving and I have to leave memories of her behind me. When we had the party last Sunday at my place for her, I couldn't help but think how time tumbled so fast that Anna would be gone in days. I thought of how I lost spending quality moments with her -- maybe at the coffee shop, maybe at church, maybe at a place where we could have enjoyed each other's company.
Last Sunday, I couldn't even look at her straight because I do not want to say goodbye. But I am happy she liked my gift. I gave her a charcoal portrait. I painted her the night before the party from a photo I took a year ago. It turned out okay after spending quite a time visualizing every detail of her face. I want the gift to be memorable. I want her to remember me by. I want her to know that for the short time that we've met and treasured each one as friends, this guy who secretly admires her many months ago is still admiring her today and will forever do.

I may leave some memories of her behind me. But the good ones, oh, I rather tag them along with me every single day.
God bless you in all your endeavors, Annalena!

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posted by talk

at 5/06/2008 05:03:00 PM Permalink

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The smell of vinegar

0 comments | Tuesday, April 29, 2008

What's in the smell of vinegar?

Pinoys love vinegar that it is in fact one of the main ingredients of the popular adobo, along with soy sauce. Vinegar play a role in "sawsawan" too. Isn't it exquisitely good to dip a freshly fried "dried fish" to a hot chili-filled vinegar sauce? Yummy!

But why do foreigners dislike its smell? Is it because it smells like a vaginal odor? LOL. Or is it because it smells like one of those toilet cleansing liquid?

I really do not know! Tell me.

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posted by talk

at 4/29/2008 06:31:00 PM Permalink

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Widget or code to get feedback from your readers

0 comments | Friday, April 25, 2008

Bloggers want to receive immediate feedback from readers.
I have been searching for a free rating code or a widget that visitors can use to rate my posts. I want something that doesn't need an expertise on html coding and that I can embed easily on my blog.

I found one. The outbrain widget.

The outbrain widget is free and is very simple to add to your Blogger, TypePad, WordPress (hosted) or Drupal blogs. After adding the widget, it will automatically insert a beautiful 5-star rating widget to the bottom of every post you publish:

Curious to know what your readers think about your content? Add the rating widget now.

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posted by talk

at 4/25/2008 09:08:00 PM Permalink

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