December 2010

Enlisting • Engaging • Empowering

The Magazine

WEES TSuccessful Women Empowered and Engaged through Technology

Special Edition

Static vs. DynamicWhy a blog may be better

than a website.

Geek Anxiety?Talking Tech can help you

better express your needs.

November 2011

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CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSEDITOR’S LETTER ................................ 4

CONTRIBUTORS .................................... 5

SISTER SENTIMENTS ......................... 10

ENGAGINGENGAGINGENGAGINGENGAGINGENGAGINGThe Women of Martha’s ManorBy Lisa C. Crump.................................... 11

Zulema BiasiWorks to Bridge the Gap between Latinoand Larger Memphis CommunityBy Tarah Neujahr .................................... 12

IN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUE

EMPOWERINGEMPOWERINGEMPOWERINGEMPOWERINGEMPOWERINGBlogging Basics 101By William Bell ........................................ 16

Rachael SmithTech CEO Gives Businesses a New Wayto Gain Customer LoyaltyBy Elle Perry............................................ 18

Talking TechBy Carilyn Daniel .................................... 20

How I Became a BlogggerBy Elle Perry............................................ 21

Repurposing. I like that word. It describes exactly what wehave done with our e-magazine. First of all the name haschanged. Well, to be honest, we really never HAD onebefore. So I issued a challenge to our team of VISTAvolunteers to help come up with a name that would trulyrepresent our publication and Carilyn Daniel rose to theoccasion with the suggestion for S.W.E.ET. It is theacronym for Successful Women Empowered and Engagedthrough Technology. We wanted our publication to do a better job ofhelping us in our mission of helping women and girlsembrace and learn the technology that will help them livemore productive lives, operate more successful businessesand prepare for jobs of the future. So we “repurposed”it. In it we will provide information about newtechnologies, new devices, and trends you should be awareof. But beyond technology - this technical tool will be usedto expose people to some of the spectacular work womenare doing in our communities. We need your input andwould love for you to let us know what you’re doing. Giveus your feedback from time to time to let us know howwe’re doing. One thing you need to know is that this is NOT amagazine geared for the “technologists.” Our mission is totake some of the edge off the task of learning about newtechnology by making it a little more fun and a little more

Editor’Editor’Editor’Editor’Editor’s Letters Letters Letters Letters Letter

Repurposing

relevant to what we do and are faced with every day. Wehope to make the information easy-to-understand. In this issue, we talk about blogging with a short articlewritten by Elle Perry who blogs on Beale Street Chic, and inthe first part of a series by William Bell - considered to be anInternet marketing guru. William’s article answered one, bigquestion I’ve had lately, “should I jump on the bloggingbandwagon and start using it as a tool to promote mybusiness?” After reading his article, I realized the answer isyes. We also introduce you to Rachael Smith - CEO ofStiqrd and give you a little background on QR Codes. Theyare literally everywhere. We need to know what they areand, more importantly, how we can use them. CarilynDaniel, a technologist and trainer with over 20 years ofexperience begins a series on Talking Tech to help you bettercommunicate your needs. Lastly, we introduce you toMartha’s Manor, a special place for ladies who are oftenoverlooked in our community and Zulema Biasi, who worksto bridge the gap between Latino residents and the largercommunity. This is a special abbreviated issue designed to give you aglimpse of our new direction and to invite you to help itbecome a voice and a tool for you. I hope you like wherewe’re going with this, and if not, tell us what you’d like tosee.

Love, Peace and Blessings,

Lisa C. CrumpLisa Crump was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She has a diverse background

that includes experience in public relations, marketing, and promotions. Having previous workexperience in client facing roles, Lisa is an expert in communication. She continuouslydemonstrates the ability to execute excellent leadership and problem solving skills whilemaintaining active roles in her church and community. Lisa, who comes from a family ofseasoned writers, has been writhing actively for the past sixteen years and her writings havebeen featured in numerous print and online publications.

Elle PerryElle Perry, a native Memphian, is currently a freelance journalist. She enjoys

spending time with her daughter, attending concerts, reading, shopping, andtraveling. She is a proud alumni of The University of Memphis and always rootsfor the Tigers. Visit her blog at www.bealestreetchic.onsugar.com.

Tarah NeujahrTarah Neujahr was born and raised in the beautiful state of Montana, where she loves to

hike, hunt and just play in the great outdoors. She also enjoys long-distance running, playing softballand frolicking in the park with her dog. When she’s not outdoors, Tarah can be found readingbooks, playing video games or napping with her cat.

After earning a Bachelor’s degree in History (with a minor in Sociology) from MontanaState University-Billings, Tarah and her significant other, Adam, moved to Memphis. Tarah enteredgraduate school at the University of Nebraska, commuting back and forth between Lincoln, NEand Memphis for two years. She completed her Master’s degree in Journalism and MassCommunications, with a specialization in Marketing, Communication and Advertising in May 2010.

Contributors

Carilyn Daniels Carilyn Daniel’s 20 years of experience as an instructor with IBM, entrepreneur andtechnologist give her a well-seasoned perspective which complements rapidly growingcompanies with unique corporate training.Her greatest reward has been certifying other instructors both national and international totake training to another level with expert knowledge transfer, presentation skills and subjectmatter expertise. She is an advocate of Junior Achievement and any program which promotes anentrepreneurial literacy for youth. She lives in Memphis, loves to read and can be found onthe golf courses in the summer and enjoys slipping away in the winter to the ski slopes.

William Bell Jr.William is the author of four religious books, hundreds of articles and a host of audio andvideo recordings. He is currently publishing his forthcoming book, How to Write and Publish ABook in 30 Days, his first business and marketing book.William is the creator of the popular and effective information product marketing and coachingprogram, “Walking Your Talk To The Bank” where he teaches, coaches and conductsworkshops to help others leverage their time and money through digital information products.

He is married to Leora Bell, of Memphis and is the Father of two lovely daughters of Memphis, TN and a son who residesin Chicago. He can be contacted at info@walkingyourtalktothebank.com.

Karen MooreKaren Moore has over 50 theatrical productions to her producer/director/actor’s credit.

A graduate of Hendrix College with a BA in Theatre Arts and a minor in Music, Karen’s firstprofessional directorial debut was Livin’ Fat at Beale Street Repertory Company, while sheworked by day as a broadcast journalist for WREG-TV. After leaving Memphis, she directedand stage-managed theatre in Hollywood and Chicago before accompanying her husband toItaly where she continued to direct original musical productions. She also performed as anactress in nine foreign films and as an actress and recording artist on European television. Uponher return to the United States as a widow, Moore skirted the theatrical/musical community andfocused on raising her two teenage daughters.

In 2008, she produced an innovative new television show called This House is Cooking!under her company, Karen Moore Inc. Hosted by her daughter, Aryen, it is a cooking showtaped in the kitchen of a beautiful home for sale. Karen, who is also a professional real estateagent, takes the viewing audience on a tour of the house during one segment of the show. You can visit the show’s websiteat www.thishouseiscooking.com or visit www.karenmooreinc.com for more information about Karen and her company.

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SWEETPublisher

Women of Style, Spirit and Success, Inc.

Editor-In-ChiefMarva G. Ballard

GRAPHIC ARTIST Wayne FordTECHNOLOGY EDITOR Carilyn Daniels

COPY EDITOR Karen Moore

PHOTOGRAPHERSChristopher Ezeh

Winston Taylor

SWEET is published monthly and distributedelectronically to individuals in our national,permission-based e-mail database and through otherdistribution channels - both national andinternationally. We reserve the right to refuse to selladvertising space or to promote any event orbusiness that we deem inappropriate for publication.All content of this e-publication, including the design,advertisements, art, photos and editorial content, aswell as the selection, coordination and arrangementof such is Copyright (c) 2008-2010, Women ofStyle, Spirit and Success. No portion of this e-publication may be copied or reprinted without theexpress written permission of the organization.

Join Our TeamWe are looking for volunteers who would like tobecome a part of this initiative by bringing their timeand talents as journalists, copy editors, reporters,photographers and illustrators for this publication.If interested, email us at magazine@womenofsss.org.

magazine@womenofsss.org901.452.8882 | FAX 901.452.8823

Marva G. Ballard - President / CEO

Liesl K. BeckerFinancial Resources Developer

(AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer)

Carilyn DanielProgram Resources Developer

(AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer)

Maria JonesVolunteer Resources Developer

(AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer)

Michael TannerWeb-Based Resources Developer

(AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer)

Karen D. MoorePublic Relations Director

Women of Style, Spiritand Success Inc.

3340 Poplar AvenueSuites 330-333

Memphis, TN 38111901.452.8882

FAX 901.452.8823www.womenofsss.org

ait before working...W

Sister Sentiments

Demonstrate your trust in Me by sitting quietly in My Presence.

Put aside all that is waiting to be done, & refuse to worry about anything. This sacredtime together strengthens you & prepares you to face whatever the day will bring. Bywaiting with Me before you begin your day’s activities, you proclaim the reality of Myliving Presence.

This act of faith—waiting before working—is noted in the spirit world, where yourdemonstration of trust weakens principalities & powers of darkness. The most effectiveway to resist evil is to draw near Me. When you need to take action, I will guide youclearly through My Spirit & My Word.

The world is so complex & over-stimulating that you can easily lose your sense ofdirection. Doing countless unnecessary activities will dissipate your energy.

When you spend time with Me, I restore your sense of direction. As you look to Me forguidance, I enable you to do less but accomplish more.

~Anonymous

One morning, a good friend and prayer partner of mine said “I’ve got something I want to share with you.” Then she proceeded to read the piece I am sharing with you below. After thanking her and telling her how very much I needed it at that moment, I immediately printed it off and taped it to my wall next to my desk at home. I now make a consciouseffort to read it every morning before starting my day. It is my personal pause.

Take a few moments in the morning to pray, meditate, watch the kaleidoscope of fall leaves over a cup ofcoffee (my favorite)…just chill. Slide over in the passenger seat, lay your head back and trust the driver. Even ifyou’re pretty sure of your destination…the driver knows the best way to get you there. Trust him, and even thedetours will be less stressful.

God driven, sophisticated, independent, and poised -these are some of the standards that society sets for awoman to be classified as a “lady”. I have had the amazingopportunity to meet, engage with, and be a part of aspecial and unique movement going on in Memphis.Nestled in the heart of East Memphis, there is a specialgroup of ladies who possess the gentle spirit, classydemeanor, poise, andsophistication that manyaim for. The women that Ispeak of are the lovelyladies of Martha’s Manor.

More often than not,women with mentaldisabilities are just mereafterthoughts in the mindsof others. Unfortunately,women who suffer frommental disabilities areforced to be home-bounddue to the shunning ofsociety and the lack ofactivities for those withspecial needs after the completion of high school.

Martha’s Manor was founded twenty-five years ago.The Center opened its doors at the YWCA as a DayCenter for women with a variety of mental disabilities.Under the direction of Mrs. Mike Hodges, this remarkableprogram not only gives the participants the opportunitiesto build lifelong sisterly bonds, but it engages them ineducational, social, and recreational activities that continueto build self esteem and self worth.

I was privileged to meet with a participant of Martha’sManor, along with her mother, Corene Patterson, in orderto gain more knowledge on how the center is impactinglives. Wanda Patterson has been a participant of Martha’sManor since August 97’. Like the majority of the youngladies at the center who are mentally challenged, Wanda

suffers from Cerebral Palsy which manifests itself incognitive disabilities and speech impediments. “I enjoy theprogram because there is a different adventure each day.”states Wanda. Wanda also went on to discuss how sheenjoys shopping, field trips, and the constant flow ofactivity which means there is never a dull moment at thecenter. In speaking with Wanda’s mother, it is very apparent

that the parent’s lives areimpacted by Martha’sManor just as much as theparticipant’s. Ms. Pattersonstates that, “Martha’s Manorenhances my life through thefact that it makes me feelgood knowing that Wanda isin the best programpossible.” A SpecialEducation teacher in theMemphis City SchoolsSystem, Wanda see’sMartha’s Manor as being anextension to Wanda’s public

school education. In other words “It’s Wanda College”, shestated.

On June 10, 2011, at the Lady of Perpetual HelpChurch, I had the opportunity to fellowship with the lovelyladies of Martha’s Manor for their 25th anniversarycelebration. This illustrious event was sold out by familiesand supporters throughout the Memphis and Metro areas.Jill Bucca, FM 100, was the Master of Ceremony for theevent as the ladies were introduced to the audience in adebutante style gala. The ladies and the guest were able toenjoy wonderful tributes, dinner, and ballroom dancing leadby the participants of Martha’s Manor throughout the night.

These ladies with disabilities are the afterthought and theforgotten among us. If we as a society strived to adapt theirgentle spirit, sweet demeanor, and kind hearts….what aworld this would be.

To Be A LadyBy Lisa C. Crump

ENGAGING

Zulema Biasi knows what it means to suffer with adrug-addicted child. Her son struggled with drugaddiction for many years. The pain and, mostimportantly, the lessons from that time have givenBiasi the drive and knowledge tohelp others in her community. Inher book, Reflexiones de la Madre deun Drogadicto (“Reflections of aJunkie’s Mother”), Biasi writes“My only wish, when writing myreflections, is to use that sadexperience in order to help otherparents whose children fall intoaddiction.” Since her move intothe United States from BuenosAries, Argentina, she has donejust that. Biasi speaks from theheart and tells a truth few othershave the courage to articulate.

In her current position asFamily Initiatives Coordinator atLatino Memphis, Biasi works tohelp Spanish-speaking familiesadjust to life in Memphis, TN. Sheidentifies drug abuse as a bigproblem in the Latino community.The parents who come to her forhelp are urged to speak to their children about drugs.“Education [about drugs] gives the children the tools,”says Biasi. “That is what I’m trying to do.”

She stresses open, honest communication betweenparents and children, but she also stresses honestintrospection. “I won’t say there’s no discrimination[against Latinos]; there’s a lot. But people discriminateagainst themselves…If you feel that peoplediscriminate against you, they will,” she explains. Biasi

believes this attitude results in a loss of empowermentand self-worth. This is a dangerous loss for a familyalready struggling against such issues as drugs abuseand violence. She worries, “They never think that they

can have the problem. It’s not onlydrugs, but the bad choice in friendsthat can lead to drugs.”

Biasi pushes her Latino familiesto look outside their own homes,into the community at large.“Memphis gives me the opportunityto many things. It’s not a big city.You can do a lot of things,” shesays. What a lot of non-LatinoMemphians fail to understand is“many Latino families come herelooking for a better life,” Biasiexplains. “Neither group learns thetraditions of the other. We have toget the two groups together becausewe are all Americans on the samelevel.” She endeavors to bridge thecultural gap in her every day work atLatino Memphis. “The day weunderstand other cultures peace willbe easy to get. Every individual,without looking at language,

country or religion, is a valuable person.”Zulema Biasi’s story has a happy ending (her son

kicked his drug habit and is doing well), an ending shewants to give others. Biasi shares the wisdom gainedfrom a painful past. Every day she lives the advice shegives, “Never feel less or inferior to others, but try toimprove yourself. The way to improve is to giveyourself to the community. Give your talent.”

Zulema BiasiWorks to Bridge the Gap Between Latino

and Larger Memphis CommuniyBy Tarah Neujahr

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EMPOWERING

What Is A Blog?A blog is the short name for web log derived from

the combination of website and log. It an be an entirewebsite or a part of a website. Today, with the newdesigns, blogs are indistinguishable from websites incurb appeal, but once you get inside, that’s where thedifference lies.

Static Versus DynamicThe primary

difference between blogsand regular html websitesare their inbuilt capacity.

Most websites areanywhere from 1, 3, 5, or10 page sites. These aregenerally static websiteswhich means they arelike the school uniforms.You wear the same lookand feel (design) and thesame content orinformation as long asyou own them with theexception of someminimal routine updates.

In addition, these updates cost money and taketime for webmasters, who often may take their time toenter your updates which could range from a few daysto a few weeks.

Typical website owners usually know little abouthtml (hypertext markup language) programmer codingwhich is kind of like the “wizard of oz” behind thecurtain of what appears on the actual webpage. Thus,they must wait in line until they can be served to gettheir information updated. There are also many things

they can “break” on the typical website if they are notfamiliar with how to manage them.

FTP (file transfer protocols) is the process ofuploading files from your computer to the web.Cpanels , short for control panels is a graphicadministration interface provided by the webhostingcompany which serves as a gateway to the differentfunctions of your web hosting account.

Cpanels allow you tomanage your files, set upemail accounts, checkstats on your website,park domain names andmore.

Today, websites arebeing designed with moreflexibility through morerecently updated codingchanges with CSS(Cascading Style Sheets).

On the other hand,blogs are dynamic andintegrate all the above,but none are necessary

for the user to know to have a powerful and successfulblogging experience. Blogs are designed to put the end-user in control of their online experience. Blogs offerwomen all the shoe styles they could possibly want andmen all the baseball caps they can wear.

Adding and changing content is easier thanchoosing an outfit for the next day or deciding whichpair of shoes will match that outfit. If you can enter ausername and password, point and click a mouse andtype into a word processor like Microsoft Word ornotepad, you can become a blogging expert. All you

BlogBlogBlogBlogBlogging Basics 101ging Basics 101ging Basics 101ging Basics 101ging Basics 101by William Bell Jr.

As a result, blogs often out-perform websites handsdown for generating traffic from the web. That meansmore traffic for your business, service or product.When used properly with other tools and resources, itcan mean higher rates of readers, customers and sales.(We’ll cover more of this in later articles).The second way blogs generate content is frominteraction with readers who leave comments. Thesecomments become a part of your blog. (Of course youchoose whether to approve or disapprove comments).But, this is generally good press that adds to yourcontent and increases your blog’s favorability. Thegeneral rule is the more comments you receive, themore effective your blog is and the higher it ranks.Google recognizes that “you’re all that and a bag ofchips” so they bless you with more traffic and betterrankings.

Per Wikipedia, as of February2011, there were over 1.56million public blogs. WordPress,the most popular bloggingplatform, accounts for over halfof the blogs in use. The reasonfor that is because it is so user-friendly. In addition, moreresources (think of them likeaccessories for your outfits) aremade for WordPress that are easyto install and implement.WordPress offers a free non-customized version if you knowhow to properly setup all theinternal functions.We recommend that you have aself-hosted blog on your owndomain name versus a shared

hosted blog on another domain. In other words, don’tset up your blog on a domain that reads likewww.myblog.anotherwebsite.com. Rather, get yourown domain and set it up like www.yourdomain.com.William Bell is an author, speaker, an informationproduct coach, internet marketing consultant, and aCertified Inbound Marketing Professional who workswith entrepreneurs and small business owners whowant to grow their businesses online. William can bereached at 901-818-3035. Call for a free a consultationor visit http://bit.ly/sIUH8O to learn more aboutblogging. See our upcoming “How To” Blogging Basics101 Workshop” at http://bit.ly/sIUH8O.

need is your topic and a little training. Like anythingelse, the more you do it, the better you become atblogging.

Blog Designs Blog designs can be quite intricate and detailed.The more detailed, the more expensive the designs cancost. However, you can easily use blog templates and— with a few modifications to customize them —have your own unique look and feel without investinga fortune on design. Some of the better themes have built in designoptions that allow you to customize the header,background and image slider display for your mainphotos. For example, here are three blogs that use thesame theme but each has a different look and feelbecause of such modifications:www.topqualityheatingandair.comwww.bdnincorp.comwww.walkingyourtalktothebank.com

The Advantages of Blogs Blogs offer two ways ofcommunicating with yourcustomers or audience.First, you “push out” content bywriting about your topic whetherit is a personal, professional orbusiness related blog. Readerswho are searching for yourcontent type in “keywords” intothe search engines, like Google,Yahoo or Bing. Google it” is what we saywhen we are looking forsomething on the web, whether aproduct like Kodak digital cameras, a service likewedding photography or “how to” information like arecipe for pineapple upside down cake. The search engines will return a list of relatedwebpages that — based on the keywords typed in —have the (most content-rich) information for whichyou are searching. Those websites show up on the firstpage. The first three organic listings (non-paid ads)receive about 60% of the traffic. This is where blogs have a decided advantage.Blogs can easily be updated with new content atregular intervals. Google loves fresh, relevant content.Let me repeat that. Google loves fresh, relevantcontent. Repeat this aloud again to yourself.

“Google lovesfresh, relevantcontent. Let merepeat that.Google lovesfresh, relevantcontent.”

Rachel Smith is the Chief Operating Officer of stiQRd, a new Memphis start-up company which launched a mobile phoneapplication on May 20, 2011.

stiQRd is a mobile platform that helps businesses increasecustomer commitment as they reward their most faithful fans.Loyalty has gone mobile.

In a nutshell, the consumer shops, get stiqrs, redeem, rinses andrepeats as often as they desire.

The stiQRd mobile phone application will improve thecurrent coupon and punch/swipe card loyaltyprograms by using Quick Response (QR) codes.

Let’s explain what QR codes are and what they do.QR codes are codes that can be scanned with asmart phone. QR codes are barcodes on steroids.This new technology allows consumers to use their

cell phones to capture images to display text, contactinformation, connect to a wireless network, or open aweb page.

QR Codes can be generated for free with websitessuch as www.scanlife.com and

www.beqrious.com/.

During my conversation with Rachel Smithshe answered the following questions:Elle: Where did the idea for stiQRd begin?Rachel: The original idea – which we havepivoted from a bit since – was born out of

BarCamp Memphis – Aaron Prather, AndyGlover and myself gave a presentation onLocation Based Services and from the feedback

of those in our session, we realized that the LBSsector was missing something. We think that

Rachael SmithTech CEO Gives Businesses a New Way to GainCustomer Loyalty By Elle Perry

missing piece is stiQRd – a mobile application thatconsolidates loyalty programs into one application.Elle: Why should a business replace their paper punch cardwith your service?Rachel: Convenience, security, analytics; by allowing QRcodes to act as virtual punches, a business is aware of thedemographics of their customers, knows that the service issecure (the QR code will only work at a business’ location)and receives better return on your investment. Paper punchcards are a shot in the dark: How many do you need? Whois actually using them? stiQRd gives you that informationand more – and our program is completely customizable.It’s not cookie cutterscience “buy 4 get the 5thfree” – whatever loyaltyprogram you can dreamup, we can provide.Elle: How big is thecompany, at this point?Rachel: Eight people andhopefully growing soon.Elle: How canbusinesses work togetherby using stiQRd?Rachel: It’s easy to implement a daisy chain model withstiQRd – if a restaurant and a dessert shop, within closeproximity of each other, are both using stiQRd for theirloyalty program, their programs can complement oneanother. Patrons of the restaurant receive an extra loyaltypunch if they get their dessert from the shop next door, andvice versa. Currently, we are targeting saturated markets likethese – bringing business to one area rather than to onelocation is beneficial to all.Elle: What advantages does a customer have by using thestiQRd application?Rachel: Convenience – who likes carrying, cards around intheir wallet? The customer discovery that we have doneproves that the stiQRd’s concept is a solution for both thebusiness and the end user. The feedback we have received isa resounding “that is exactly what I have been looking for!”All loyalty programs stored in one application – its genius,even if I say so myself.Elle: What are the advantages of a business using stiQRdrather than just relying on a service like foursquare (which

rewards “Mayorships” to the person who checks in at aplace the most)?Rachel: I love the foursquare model – I was one of thefirst adopters in Memphis and will continue to use it.Businesses who use foursquare are able to choose what typeof special they want to provide – the most popular ofthose being the Mayor special, which means that if I am themost frequent patron of an establishment, then I got 10percent, 15 percent whatever off my purchase simply forbeing the “most loyal.” But the problem with that is thatI’m not necessarily so – I can become the mayor of PizzaHut by sitting on my couch. Many people game the system

– with stiQRd, our QR codeshave been specially programmedto only operate within feet of adesignated business, meaning youcannot take the QR code outsideof the establishment and scan itmultiple times in hopes of morevirtual punches. And that’s only asmall part of the security weoffer.Elle: What comes next after the

application launch?Rachel: Expansion. This idea can and will spread farbeyond Memphis. We’re starting here – we love this city andwe love that we’ve started here, but it’s a global application.We’ll get there.

A friend called the other day. “I need your help!MY COMPUTER HAS CRASHED. The green light isflickering and the arrow is moving everywhere and itsbeeping back at me”.

I asked, “What were you doing when thishappened?” She said, “I wanted to download mypictures from my camera and when I turned it on, itstarted to make these noises and I have a lot of workto do today.”Sound familiar?

As an instructor and technician, I would haveloved to hear, “When I booted up my laptop today thecursor continued to move and the disk drive continuedspinning while making a beeping sound”, at least that’sthe context I had to translate.

Too often, as females, we neglect to see theimportance of knowing “tech-knowledge jargon”, inother words, terminology. Just a few changes in theway we express ourselves and communicate systemproblems or concerns can save us frustration, time andactually teach us how to address the issues facing ournext intrusion.

About 20 minutes later, after an abundance ofexplanations and deciphering the “lack of jargon”, shewas back up running and happy. Her next questionwas, “How do I learn how to explain my problems”, “Iwant to use the right terminology, but I just don’tknow how to get started!” Once you understand howit works, learning terminology and usage becomes easy.

For example, how many of the following termssound familiar? RAM, ISP, IP, Server, IT, FTP, Flash,

Compression, Secure Password, or Open Source? Ifyou know just one, you’re definitely on your way and ifyou know what it means then you’re ahead of thepack? Sometimes it’s hard to keep up, especially if youdon’t feel comfortable with the basics, but learning thesimple ones that have never changed over the yearswill serve as a good foundation. Before you get lost inthe tech-jargon dictionary, think about using a brieftutorial or just searching the web to grasp some of theessentials terms.

For example, RAM, the acronym for RandomAccess Memory. Did you know that “YOU” also haveRAM! When you wake in the morning, if you’re lucky,you know your name, address, spouses name,children’s names, parents, etc… Now, that’s thesimplistic way of thinking about it.

If we want the scientific definition, then we’ll turnto Wikipedia, but what you can access withoutthinking about it, is considered RAM. You also havethe ability to store information for later use, which actsas your disk drive.

Have you had occasions when you can’t rememberyour doctor’s number, whom you called numeroustimes, and have to think about it for a moment? Whenyou remember without looking it up, you’ve accessedthe number from your disk drive and retrieved it toRAM, that’s why if the number is busy and you haveto call back its readily accessible. The informationwas stored on your disk drive and you retrieved it toRAM. You can make it much more complicated, butwhy. Yes, it’s as simple as that.

With Carilyn DanielTalking Tech

In college, I studied print journalism. However,somewhere along the way, I became a blogger.

It’s somewhat ironic because journalists often look at theweb as a revenue stealer making our products obsolete.

Others have embraced the new technology, using it tomake their products better.

I started my blog almost a year and two years ago, afterleaving my daily newspaper gig in Kentucky. I’d dabbledin blogging before, but that was more of an electronicjournal than a serious venture.

With a little prompting and a lot of nervousness, I beganBeale Street Chic. The site focuses on fashion. SomethingI never thought I’d author for a publication, even thoughmy childhood goal was to be a Fashion Editor.

With all that said, here are 6 things to remember to makeyour blogging experience a successful one:

1. Be Consistent. One of the main reasons peoplestop reading a blog is due to lack of posting. Noone says you have to post something every day(frequency also depends on your subject matter),but if you’re not posting more than twice a month,you should focus your energy on another project.You need to write about something that genuinelyinterests you.

2. Content is King. Decide what your focus will beand provide original content. Whether that beunique features and interviews or just a witty

opinion on things. You will need something thatsets you apart.

3. Be Ethical. Granted, I’m not asking you to abideby a journalistic code of ethics (I try.), but someof the same rules apply. “Don’t steal content” —Most bloggers don’t mind you using a photo aslong as you credit them and provide a link to theoriginal source. AND don’t copy a press releasefrom someone else, either excerpt it and link tothat person’s blog or (preferably), get it from theoriginal source.

4. Show Your Personality. Successful bloggersaren’t nameless and faceless. Your personality is ahuge way to make your site unique. If you’resarcastic, show that side on your blog; if you’resweet, let that facet shine through. Use it to youradvantage.

5. Be Active. Be active on the web: Visit similar-subject sites and leave a comment. But don’t everleave a comment saying, “Check out my blog.”That’s called SPAM, my friends; actually writesomething of note. Also consider writing a “guestpost” for another blog and vice-versa.

6. Learn About Analytics. Analytics might soundsuper-technical, but it’s really not. It’s in your bestinterest to find out what web sites and searchterms bring readers to your blog. Even if you’renot interested in monetizing your site, you stillmight like to know which subjects get the mosthits from readers.

Enjoy!!

HoHoHoHoHow I Became aw I Became aw I Became aw I Became aw I Became aBloBloBloBloBloggggggggggererererer

by Elle Perry

www.wealthmap.org

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Please call our office at 901-452-8882 or emailvolunteer@womenofsss.org if you’d like to volunteerin any of these current opportunities.

We are looking for volunteers to assist our faculty withour Saturday Mini-Workshops for The F.F.E.W.Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and have theirown transportation to and from the site they wish tovolunteer at. For more information on volunteeropportunities with the program, please visitwww.theffeww.com.

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Phyllis BenfordPhyllis Benford is a seamstress who has been sewing since the

age of 19. When she was just a young girl, her mother taught her thebasics of sewing and her passion for creating garments grew into notonly a hobby, but a part-time career. When she wasn’t making clothesfor her five children, husband, or herself, she was often hired to designand create clothes for clients – doing everything from alterations toweddings.

A nurturer and creator, Phyllis has spent her life creating beautyout of small things. She is a prize-winning floral arranger, professionally trained cake decorator, andlife-long seamstress. She is also the mother of five children, and grandmother of five. She isemployed by Memphis City Schools as an administrative assistant for White Station Middle School.She spent a lot of her time this past summer volunteering as a sewing instructor in our SummerFashion Camp.

Teaching girls that it’sfashionable to be smart!Saturday Classes, After-SchoolPrograms, Winter, Spring andSummer Fashion CampsFor information on dates, locations andtimes, call 901.452.8882 or visitwww.theffew.com