Craigslist has not a nice design. It’s not that it isn’t very good ; in fact, it’s pretty effective and goes over very well — at least in the USA. But I’m not sure about France. Its success in France remains to be seen, largely because there are already tons of big players in the classifieds ad sector.
Also with this web design coming directly from 90’s, will it succeed in French language?
TechCzar made me an offer for my french blog vincentabry.com, but I am not very excited about it. VincentAbry.com currently received 350,000 unique visitors for March 2008.
(note: this blog Abry.biz is now adapted in english from vincentabry.com by Catherine)
TechCzar, a company I had never heard of, approached me two weeks ago to offer me a partnership with their firm and to become part of their network of blogs.
The offer would have resulted in a monthly cash income plus a free translation blog, available in nine languages.
The idea did seem attractive because there is a big name behind three blogs that are currently part of the network there: Jeremy Zawodny, the MySQL Guru at Yahoo. Its Blog is a top blog ranked among the top100 Cnet tech blogs.
Becoming part of TechCzar would also broaden the audience here, but I hesitated due to several things: first, each site does not take responsibility for its own translation — instead, they appear on TechCzar (Jeremy’s example is in French).
In addition, the header isn’t really impressive…and also, I wondered, what’s about SEO with a header ?
Finally, I considered the impact that such a partnership would have on the readership of this blog. Not sure.
Well even if the team at TechCzar appears to be truly serious and professional, for the moment I do not want to take the risk. I would prefer a partnership with a less intrusive and more fluid logo/header.
What do you think?
Note: Despite the Russian inscription on the logo, the company is based in California.
For some time now, I have been inquiring around about buying an ergonomic mouse because I have some problems with my hands, which are akin to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs in people who use their hands a lot in their daily work, and those who use a computer (mouse and keyboard) all day long are the first to be affected.
The symptoms include tingling and numbness of the fingers, then of the hand and wrist, arm and even shoulder (i.e., “writer’s cramp”). It is a little-known malady, but it is still badly affecting more and more people as the computer has taken up such a large part of our daily lives. This syndrome should not be taken lightly, and we should not underestimate nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as cortisone, or even an operation. We may even be forced to change jobs.
The solution: Change your work station to include the ergonomic mouse. I am about to buy one, and right now three models have caught my attention:
1 — Ergonomic Mouse Evoluent Vertical Mouse 3:
According to all the opinions that I have read on the Internet, it seems that the Evoluent Vertical Mouse is the best on the market. It is a vertical mouse, which keeps the wrist in a natural position, without rotating your forearm. The problem is that it is difficult to find outlets that sell this mouse in Canada unless you order it online directly from the Evoluent site at www.evoluent.com. In USA, no problem, evoluent mouse is available at Amazon.com : Evoluent Right Hand VerticalMouse 3 - Silver / Black
2 — The Mouse Joystick: Anir Vertical Mouse, Or Ergonomic Mouse 3M:
This mouse is definitely more difficult to manage because it is really different, but once you work with it enough for it to feel familiar in your hand, it is very comfortable to use. The 3M product is available at Amazon.com: 3M Ergonomic Mouse SMALL/MEDIUM
3 — Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000:
The ergonomic wireless mouse from Microsoft seems to be a good fit because it works well with the Evoluent Vertical Mouse, in an upright position, which relieves the wrist and carpal tunnel area. The mouse buttons are also programmable. Available in most stores. Canada: FutureShop for example. USA: available at Amazon.com: Microsoft 69K-00001 Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
There are a few other factors that should be taken into consideration to adapt your work station to a comfortable one. For example, you can also change:
– the mouse pad. For an optimal solution that reduces friction to the maximum, you can opt for pure Teflon sheets, or PTFEs (polytetrafluoroethylene).
– the keyboard. The ergonomic keyboard is the best choice among all stores.
If some of you have tips or experiences with the ergonomic mouse, feel free to leave a comment!
A newcomer to the sponsored links, TradeDoubler, an European leader in affiliate marketing, will embark on contextual advertising on March 31 with AdMatch.
Knowing the seriousness of the TradeDoubler platform and its advertisers, I look forward to seeing what AdMatch looks like.
The sponsored links will be available in three formats: text, xml feed and product display.
In its press release, the company says
“AdMatch operates as follows: the solution scans the contents of web pages and facilitates the placement of advertisements along the site’s content as relevant and contextual. Thus, AdMatch helps improve the relevance of ads on your site, optimizing conversion rates and ultimately increasing your commissions.”
For the moment, there is no site for Admatch.com, .eu, or .fr online. I think TradeDoubler will be an integral part of Admatch in and among the members’ section.
It is the “Anti-Buzz” that has become the Buzz in France: Nicolas Princen, a 24-year-old graduate of HEC and the Ecole Normale, has been appointed by the Elysée to make sure he gathers everything that is said about French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the Web.
In other words, Princen will do some News Monitoring and will decide whether the Buzz on Nicolas Sarkozy is either good or bad.
Also, it is understood that if a blogger says something against the president, an attack to justice will follow. Wow. It’s another step towards the death of Web 2.0 and blogs on celebrities.
Bloggers, it is time for you to recycle somewhere else: soon you will not be able to say anything without fear of prosecution. Nicolas Princen will sue all blogs and online media that releases false rumors about Nicolas Sarkozy.
By “attacking,” it is not yet clear whether this includes formal notice or a direct summons to court.
Some people took this news with humor by creating a page on Facebook, declaring that Nicolas Princen is “sexy”. The page already has almost 200 members.
Princen, definitely a name to remember. A future Loic Le Meur, perhaps? (The story did not say whether Nicolas Princen planned to hire someone to monitor everything that is said on the Web about himself… ; -)
This video shows the high technology of the beast : it can climb a slope in a wood, it can walk in the snow, on ice, is pushed roughly without saying a word, jump over an obstacle without contact, climb a wall of bricks… and all this without never falling down.
What this robotic quadruped is able to achieve is incredible. But the most unsettling is its shape, its body like a beast or a giant spider with a permanent noise of a big bee. We could easily think that there are also two men hidden under the Big Dog.
Big Dog weights 235 lbs (106.7 kg) and can carry more than 340 lbs (154.3 kg). A Monster.
The new Big Dog Video from Boston Dynamics :
The program is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA).
