Category — Local Tech

A journalist is taught to check his or her writing over and over again because they only have one shot to get it right. My newer philosophy is to get ‘the basics’ out where people can see it and let them help me get it right. If there’s information missing I try to find it but sometimes I’ll leave a blank so someone can be my hero and feed me the right word or person’s name. So….

Tip #4. Don’t worry so much about being perfect because in this electronic age, we get do-overs in edit mode.

And I need to take my own advice because I’ve had two-minute posts that took me over an hour to “get it right”.

Be well!
Carl

As I sit perusing what others have done with their blogs compared to my own efforts, I am appalled I didn’t think of this earlier… icons as bullets in my list of links.

Although it’s best use is below, clicking on the icon above will play Habitat for Humanity’s 60-second commercial from their website, but the link itself is a customized Local4All redirect… my pointer URL is a slim 29 keystrokes [http://] “myfavoritevideo.local4all.com” instead of about 60 characters which I can’t even find now in their video gallery.

First time seeing this video? Let me know what you think. If the link ever stops working, please tell me.

Did you post something on Local4All and then want to add new information or make changes?  If you were logged in, you’re in luck… you can go to the Toolbox page and click for a list of your events, etc.   From the list, you can add, edit, copy, or delete.

It’s easy!

1. Go to http://login.local4all.com and, if you want, create a bookmark to the page if you really want to make it easy for future posts.
2. Click on “Create an account” or log in, whichever applies.
3. After creating your account, log in each time you post so our system can track your work and give you easy access – from any Internet connection, anywhere.
4. Online brochures and similar content will be listed on the left side of the Toolbox page.  On the right, you can click on links to create lists of your events, classified postings, etc.
5. Happy posting!

If you don’t log in, figure we’re going to be playing phone tag because there are only a few of us that can edit other people’s content.  We will, but it’s obviously way easier to empower YOU!

Only one question mark?

Hey, Carl here and I need your eyes, mouse clicks and feedback on anything that doesn’t work right on this blog.  Here are some things that I know need to happen.

1. Create community-based header images
2. Get Neill to post his Grand Opening information on Local4All so I can repost it on my blog.
3. Make sure I get to the HomEXPO on time (might tweet about some of my StrongLand Chamber friends using my Blackberry (battery charge is at 3 bars, cool!)
4. Review the tags on my blog – do I need all of them?  Is there a Wordpress (“WP”) plugin that would make them look nicer?
5. Continue this list another time, maybe even from HomEXPO itself (Thank you, Panera Bread and Borders Books for having free WIFI at Pgh Mills!)

According to Allan Walzak’s count, nearly 40  StrongLand members and one guest attended the StrongNet meeting… interesting, some of the services being offered and products on the market.

Tony Colecchi of Minuteman Press is talking about how the business printing industry has evolved to short runs, typically less than 5000 sheets compared to 100,000 or more in years past.  The technology that makes short runs possible is a plate-maker that takes a digital file and creates a plate for the printer in fifteen minutes, mostly automated.  It’s amazing when you consider how far we’ve evolved since the Gutenberg Press was invented in 1436 (Thank you, Wikipedia).

Check out Minuteman Press in Lower Burrell.  Out of 780 sister companies in the Minuteman, only 18 awards were given in 2009 for outstanding quality… Tony’s company received one of them here in the Kiski region.

Location:  m425.local4all.com

Just sitting here munching on a very good Philly cheese steak pizza and checking out my blog at the same time…. ah, let the good times roll!  Kudos to Nite Courts for being one of the first in Armstrong County, PA, to offer free WIFI.

Help wanted, are you the one?

Is it tough out there? You bet. That’s why we need help and you can pick any of three areas to start in.  Details are given below.

As more and more workers are laid off, the best are turning to self-employment as a way to make ends meet. Hanging out a shingle in today’s busy world is more likely to be noticed on the Internet than along the street, depending on how you do it and where. What we are looking for are a few good people in different neighborhoods and online groups to help themselves and others use the free Local4All tools for self-promotion.

Do it well and they will be willing to pay you.

Virtual Assistants fill an area of increasing need

Opportunity #1: Virtual assistant – The busiest people you know don’t have time to do everything themselves so they do what makes sense, they hire someone. While online advertising has the lowest net cost per delivered message (sometimes FREE), it takes imagination, know-how, and time to put it all together right.  We have the imagination and know-how, do you have time to learn?  You may want to dust off those skills, rev up your imagination, and let’s make some money together.

V.Asst. Option 2:  If you’re interested in becoming a virtual assistant with us doing the selling for you, email your resume to carl [AT] local4all.com.  Pronto!

Teach or tutor local businesses and nonprofits

Opportunity #2: Teaching – Local4All has some very neat online tools including a custom mapmaker tool.  MapQuest gets you lost?  Bad mapping costs customers time and increases frustration.  Get around that and teach your friends how to use our  custom Local4All tools.  You can even hire your friends to help you.  Link:  http://forms.local4all.com

Local4All sales - you decide where and when

Opportunity #3: PT Sales – Help us boost our circulation and sales  in all service areas but especially Butler and Indiana, PA.  Within this opportunity are 3  potential incomes.

1. We pay a $20 commission for setting up restaurants to receive our high-quality free placemats.  Guidelines apply, check with us for details.  See our list at placemats.local4all.com -> Click on the link “Restaurants”
2. We pay $40 commission for sales of placemat ads.  Discounts apply for multiple ads on the same contract but we take the hit – the commission stays the same.  Details:  placemats.local4all.com -> Click on the link “Rates”
3. We also have online advertising options that are very low cost + USA-zipcode-sorted + Google-friendly.  Commissions range from $10 to $60 per ad.  Read more about advertising options you can sell at b2.local4all.com.

Neill and Evelyn of River’s Edge Canoe and Kayak are always friendly and trying to help.  Here’s to them and their success…

For a few pictures of them from their Grand Opening on,  click here

Our location map has a link to their website => m12.local4all.com

You can also buy bait and landscaping supplies from them.

The starting line for the swim event is here, not hard to find at all if you have the right map.

Just standing here on Dave’s computer showing him the online maps that I’ve done recently to help some of our advertisers.  Montgomery Underground Winery is one and I just mentioned the one for Crooked Creek Park.  I wouldn’t have been Race Director without it and the online events page.  (Event  page updated annually since 2003:  http://e509.local4all.com, map page m18.local4all.com)

We made a map for Dave and then both forgot what the unique number is, so go to Shelocta’s list at 15774m.local4all.com and check it out… it goes from A-Z.  Dave’s business is D.R. Gentile Computing.

Gotta go for now… Dave has a business to run and I have placemats to deliver.  His neighbor Traci has a hair shop and tanning… who knows, we might see a map for her business next.

Hello Local4All readers,

If you know any Bowsers from Kittanning or the Apollo area, please check to see if they might be related to Robert Bowser, now of Lompoc, Calif.  Bob’s email to me is copied below with his permission: