Money Back From the IRS? US Government to Stop Collecting Long-Distance Telephone Tax

According to a new press release from the IRS, US Government to Stop Collecting Long-Distance Telephone Tax, it looks like the IRS will stop collecting the 3% federal excise tax on long distance telephone service. The tax on telephone services was first imposed in 1898. The current rate is 3% of the charges billed for […]

Blog Exercises: Backups and Alternatives

I didn’t expect to return home after a meeting this morning to find I have no telephone or Internet access on this bright sunshine, calm weather May day. I’ve got classes to prep for, sites to review for students and clients, article deadlines, these blog exercises to publish and keep to my year long commitment, […]

WordPress Stats and Numbers: Breaking Their Own Records

Working on developing a core of WordPress classes for Clark College and preparing for the next “Introduction to WordPress” college course in a couple weeks, I’ve put together some statistics on WordPress you might find helpful – and stunning. WordPress continues to break records set by others, but more often lately, break records set by […]

What’s Involved for a Speaker at a WordCamp Event

One of the greatest honors in my professional life is being asked to speak or keynote at a WordCamp or related event. I speak at professional conferences all the time, but there is something precious and wonderful about a WordPress Community event. I love attending them as well as actively participating in them. I’ve helped […]

Stories of Our Journeys: The First Step Begins With You

One of the projects I am most proud of being a part of is the brand new Stories of Our Journeys produced by Bitwire Media as part of the Making My Life Network. Working with the incredible Kym Huynh, Stories of Our Journeys is a dream come true. Two years ago, Kym and I talked […]

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful and the Snow is So Delightful

Part of the magic of blogging is the ability to reach out across the distance and touch a heart. That’s also part of the magic of the Internet in general. It allows us to connect with strangers across the planet and find like-minds. The first year WordPress.com featured the snow fall effect, WordPress founder, Matt […]

The Art of the Fan-Based Blog: Crazy Fans

By DB Ferguson of the No Fact Zone Anyone who has ever spent time in any fandom for any length of time realizes that there are two inevitability types of fans. The first is that there are always going to be fans who take their enthusiasm about the celebrity or hobby to an unacceptable extreme. […]

Comcast Now Restricts Bandwidth Data Transfer Levels

If you haven’t reviewed the GigaOM White Paper: The Facts & Fiction of Bandwidth Caps, do it now. As of Wednesday this week, Comcast, the largest provider of broadband and DSL for Internet access in the United States is going to be restricting your data transfer levels to 250 gigabytes a month. According to Om […]

Weekly Digest: WordCamp Dallas, Pasadena Education and Blogging, and More On the Road Blogging and Talking

This week’s Weekly Digest is going to be a quick one, which I’m sure many will appreciate. I’m in Texas for WordCamp Dallas all weekend and so thrilled be surrounded by everyone talking about WordPress and blogging. I’m in heaven! Live near Pasadena? I’ll be there April 2 for the Alliance for Distance Education in […]

Weekly Digest: Lorelle in Oklahoma with Family, Heading to WordCamp Dallas, WordPress 2.5, SOBCON, and More News

For the first time in almost two years, the VanFossen clan came together in one place – well, at least our arm of the VanFossen family. The convenience of coming to WordCamp Dallas enabled my husband and I to make a stop first in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to spend time with family first. In a few […]

24 Reasons Why You Should Attend These Blog Conferences

I’ve got three blog conferences I’ll be speaking at, and I want to give you 24 good reasons why you should be at each of these. March 29-30 – WordCamp Dallas WordCamp Dallas is going to be one of the hottest WordPress-oriented blog events this year. People are flying in from all over the country […]

Weekly Digest: Lorelle in San Francisco, Heading to WordCamp Dallas, Pasadena, Chicago, and Writting About Blogging In Between Talks

It’s been a very busy week for me, traveling to San Francisco, meeting friends and clients, and having a great time. I went to an interesting seminar on US politics, which took an interesting turn recently. Also attended a book signing and talk by Bill Hayes, author of “The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray’s […]

Weekly Digest: Lorelle in San Francisco Talking Blogging and WordPress, Offerring Blog Resources, Beating a Plagiarist, and More

This week finds me in San Francisco starting a spring and summer of public appearances and conferences. I’m getting really geared up for WordCamp Dallas on March 29-30, 2008, and Successful and Outstanding Bloggers Conference in Chicago in May. I hear both of these are filling up fast, so get your registration in immediately. I […]

Blogging Resources and Sources to Help You Blog

As a blogger and professional editorial and technical writer, I have collected a variety of online resources and references to help me write, blog, and work. The following are a list of Internet resources, sources, references, guides, and tools that help me with my basic blog writing research and publishing. I use these resources to […]

Weekly Digest: Catching Up, Speaking San Francisco, Future Post Mixup, Talking to Blogger Talks, and More

Yikes, it’s been a rough few weeks. Along with some nasty business stuff, which is actually normal in my line of work, I was supposed to be on my first real, non-working vacation in 14 years, which turned into a workation. What should have been normal was much less fun than usual as my husband […]