Seth Godin, founder of Squidoo, took a simple concept and has one of the highest searched websites on the internet.  What did Godin do?  He created “an easy-to-use platform where you can help people understand your little part of the world. A page where you can include links and content and pointers and a bit of community to help people figure out what’s going on.”  People are experts about a breadth of knowledge, they just needed a place to share their information.  Squidoo became that place.

Seth Godin is an unashamed writer (with 10 best selling books), an engaging speaker, and a passionate entrepreneur who has changed the way the world views marketing.  The best thing is, he’s used the internet to do it.  Founded in 2005, Squidoo encourages people to make mini “lenses” pages of topics they’re knowledgable about.  We’ve talked about how essential it is to have a content-rich website, and with  a blog that has over 3,000 posts, Seth Godin knows how that.  Squidoo allows people to write about topics they’re familiar with – from advice on using Twitter  to cute Easter-themed cupcake ideas - Godin has turned his brain child into a website that hosts nearly 900,000 individual pages about a range of topics.

What are you waiting for?  Everyone’s knowledgable about something…  Join the Squidoo Community and share your knowledge with the world!

When we got our intial weekly assignment to blog about Kiva.org, I was very curious to investigate the site.  I had heard the name thrown around by some professors and each time, it was met with  many approving headnods from students.  But why, I wondered, were students so quick to give Kiva a thumbs up?  Was it because they applauded Kiva’s mission to provide micro-loans to entrepreneurs in third world countries or was it more shallow than that?  Were people so quick to commend Kiva’s efforts becaue they wanted to be viewed by their peers as an active member of society?

Regardless of their motives, I think Kiva provides a much needed service that will have an even bigger impact than investors could ever imagine.  To Americans living in such a blessed nation, an amount like $125 is not pocket change, but I’ve known friends who have spent more money on custom made jeans.  When you visit Kiva’s website and read the powerful, personal testimonies of what an impact a few dollars can have on a person’s life, you realize that Kiva exists to be more a pat-on-the-back organization. 

The numbers speak for themselves: with over 3,000 entrepreneurs funded every week through Kiva, people are catching the funding fever and donating more than ever.  When donating to Kiva’s powerful mission, you will be helping change the world, one micro-loan at a time.  Whether you decide to finance someone’s emerging business for the tax benefits or to get a a warm fuzzy feeling inside or because you genuinely want to help, the important thing is that you do it. 

Imagine you’re a a really hip person on the cutting edge… of the craft world that is.  If that’s the case, then you’re probably a knitter or crocheter.  Especially in this economy, many people are returning to homier crafts and once again creating things with a needle and some yarn. 

But where do all these new needleworkers start searching for patterns? Some  probably check familiar craft forums like Craftster or go to sites like Lionbrand or Berroco to start their search. Without finding the right pattern, they continue searching by visiting our favorite crafty blogs for new patterns or even browse through crochet directories with hundreds of patterns. All of these are great resources to find knitting and crochet patterns on the web, but what if there was one place where all these great resources were combined together so we didn’t have to waste precious time searching for patterns? 

Enter Ravelry – the premier place for knitting, crocheters, and needleworkers to post projects, update their WIPs, and keep tabs on their ever growing yarn stash.  The creaters of Ravelry identified a pain and designed a website to eliminate it.  The first website of its kind, Ravelry is a paradise for yarn addicts of all kind. After joining their free website, you will be able to:

• search for patterns by yarn type, weight, project, and craft (knitting/ crocheting/ both)
• view completed projects by other members
• add patterns to your queue or favorites list
• keep track of your yarn stash (who doesn’t have one?)
• interact with other knitter and crocheters on forums
• add other knitting and crocheting “friends”
• you can even join groups (based on yarn and non-yarn interests)

Essentially, Ravelry is a knitting and crochet community. It’s built from user content so it’s what you want to see. Not only do they offer free crochet and knitting patterns, but you can also purchase patterns from aspiring designers.

There is a small waiting list period because Ravelry is still a young project, but once you request an invitation to join, you will be taken to a wonderful world full of yarn, hooks and needles, and other needleworkers that are just as passionate about yarn as you are!

Jim Halpert: I’m just saying that you can’t be sure you’re not the culprit.
Dwight Schrute:That’s ridiculous; I would know if I was the culprit.
Jim Halpert: Marijuana is a memory loss drug, so maybe you just don’t remember.
Dwight Schrute: I would remember.
Jim Halpert: [pretending to be serious] Now, how could you if it just erased your memory?
Dwight Schrute: That’s not how it works!
Jim Halpert: Now, how do you know how it works?
Dwight Schrute: Knock it off! Okay, I’m interviewing you.
Jim Halpert: No! That’s not what you said, you said that *I* would be conducting the interview when I walked in here! Now, exactly how much pot did you smoke?

While this isn’t a typical office conversation, we’d expect nothing less from Jim Halpert’s and Dwight Schrute’s from NBC’s, “The Office“.  How could we forget the scene where Jim held up the picture of marijuana and began interviewing Dwight instead of being the one interviewed.  Brilliant.

We laugh at the scene (not just because Jim’s so hilarious) but because it’s not an everyday occurance we see in the workplace.  Typically, the interviewee  doesn’t become the interviewer.

But the Internet has made business anything BUT typical.  Job networking sites such as LinkedIn, have turned the tables by allowing prospective employees to, in a way, interview a company before getting hired.  Employees can scope out their potential boss’s profile, check out the company’s website, and find a ton of information they otherwise wouldn’t have access to before social networking sites.

Before considering a job, put yourself in your boss’s position and do a little research of your own.  Save yourself some time and find out if you’d be a good match for the company based on their company or LinkedIn profiles before you apply for a job.  Just remember that regardless of where you work, drug tests are pretty standard procedures when drugs are found on copmany property; you may have to provide a urine sample…

Even since we were young, we’ve been taught to be polite and the facets of proper etiquette.  “Please” and “Thank You”, opening doors, finishing our plates, and tucking in our shirts.  So why do we forget all our decent upbringing as soon as we turn on our computers? 

After having a Twitter account for 2 months, I’ve learned some tips on proper ”tweeting” etiquette.  Like 140-character mini blog posts, “tweets” should:

• Have a conversational tone
• Include useful or relevant information
• Respond to other users’ updates
• Be interactive
• Always include a hyperlink
• Focus on a niche market
• And most importantly: Be regularly updated

Sounds like a lot of work, yes, but if people or businesses are serious and want to capitalize on the social networking system Twitter provides, they should learn the etiquitte.    Don’t be that person that puts their elbows on ther perverbial internet table- know the rules of Twitter and follow them…  Please.