In praise of praise

November 14, 2011 Editor Bit of fun freelance lifepraise

[caption id="attachment_2185" align="alignnone" width="580" caption="Screen shot from Freelancethanks.com."][/caption]

Working independently has its benefits, but consistently receiving encouragement and thanks is not one of them. Editors don't always take—or have—the time to give positive feedback and, when dealing with freelancers, some employers think putting a cheque in the mail is praise enough. Some days, it isn't.

"Is there an app for that? No, but there is a website.

Freelancethanks.com is a random-praise generator that doles out encouraging exclamations to brighten a freelancer's day. Messages like "Brilliant!" greet users on the site's landing page. But if one compliment isn't enough, hitting the "More!" button keeps the generic praise a-comin'. "You nailed that deadline!" "Awesome stuff!"

The site, designed by DRAWINGISGOOD's Adam Shield, has a matching Twitter account (just created last week). From its About page:

Freelance Thanks is a pat on the back when you’ve done something great, but there’s no one there to congratulate you. Maybe you’re self employed and you work from home or you’re a student working away in a library. Working alone can often be tough. Sometimes all you need is someone to say, good job! Well Freelance Thanks is here to do just that.

You can also ask for "more personalised thanks" by email or through Twitter.

Maybe having to ask for thanks deflates the benefit a bit, but, hey, it can't hurt.

Hat tip to Brigitte Noel and Matthew Braga.

Writers and Editors Voice Support for Occupy Movement

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OccupyWriters.com is providing a platform for authors and editors who want to lend their names, and their work, to the Occupy Movement. As of today, more than 900 names are listed on the site under the statement: "We, the undersigned writers and all who will join us, support Occupy Wall Street and the Occupy Movement around the world." Included on…

The view from over here

August 16, 2011 Editor Bit of fun broadcastingdigitalprint

[caption id="attachment_1570" align="alignnone" width="580" caption="Chart created by David Cohn/Digidave."][/caption]Do journalists working in various media really perceive each other like the above image suggests? Of course, David Cohn, who made the chart, is having a bit of fun with the stereotypes about people who work in print versus broadcast…

Happy Birthday, Marshall McLuhan

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So, what happened at the NMAs?

June 13, 2011 Editor Bit of fun national magazine awardsstorify

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Canadian Magazine Freelancers Survey: The results

June 10, 2011 Editor Bit of fun national magazine awardssurvey

The big day is here! Tonight, the National Magazine Awards will be handed out at the annual awards gala, where Canada's journalists will sashay down the red carpet in their designer duds and borrowed gems from Tiffany's, wave to the screaming crowds and pose for the paparazzi, stopping now and then to sign their fans' dog-eared copies of last…

Take the Canadian magazine freelancers survey

May 30, 2011 Editor Bit of fun national magazine awardssurvey

Gearing up for the NMAs this month, we thought a survey on the state of magazine freelancing in Canada was in order. It's also a chance to take your own picks for the best work in Canadian magazines last year (see the NMAF's list of nominees). Results of the survey will be published here on Friday, June 10, the date of the NMA gala.The survey is…

45 Years of This Magazine Covers

May 09, 2011 Editor Bit of fun magazinesthis magazine

[caption id="attachment_953" align="aligncenter" width="544" caption="Screengrab from the This covers archive."][/caption]Whether you've read it, written for it, or, gasp, have done neither, This Magazine's collection of 45 years' worth of cover designs is worth browsing. From the very first This Magazine is About Schools in April 1966 up to its…

Content farm spoof hits its mark

April 29, 2011 Editor Bit of fun content farmingpublishing

Content farming, as a web-based business model, is going through a tough time. Increased scrutiny from media critics and frustrated web users is targeting sites like Mahalo, which had to significantly decrease its staff after Google made its algorithm change, and the various online properties owned by Demand Media. Some people also include the…

Sun News Network: the Right stuff

April 19, 2011 Editor Bit of fun broadcastingsun news networktwitter

Yesterday, some unsuspecting late-afternoon channel surfers were likely puzzled by the sudden appearance of the Sun News Network on their screens. It sprang into action at 5 p.m. (after a half-hour preview), just in time to greet 9-to-5ers, still angry from their long commutes home and primed for the pundits' right-leaning rants.The long-term…