Effective Thoughts

I'm asked this all the time by developers: "how do I become an architect?" There's no right answer...and there's no book to read! However, here are several MS sites which will help get you pointed in the right direction.

Over at my other blog, The Freestyle Entrepreneur , we're brainstorming how to actually turn a profit. I think we produce outstanding, compelling content. It's a really good read. But, as much as I like learning about blogging, the technology, and interactive marketing, admittedly, I'd also like to turn a profit on this investment (of my time). To this end, I compiled a list of online resources we'll experiment with over the coming weeks. I thought I'd share my research here: Definitive source for learning how to make money blogging: ProBlogger Paid reviews of products: Blogsvertise , PayPerPost , ReviewMe Affiliate marketing: Amazon, Wiley, Commission Junction , ClickBank , LinkShare , Chitika , etc. Gain advertisers on the site: 10 Ways…More Attractive , "Advertise with us Banner", " 7 Levels of Revenue for your Blog " (monthly, recurring advertisers, graphical banner ads, text link ads, etc.), CrispAds , BlogSponsorships , Fin...

Yesterday, the social networking site Digg community vehemently refused a cease and desist / take-down order on a user posting an HD-DVD decryption key (granting a very technical user the ability to copy DRM -protected movies) online. Interestingly, Digg management/owners pulled the user post down . However, the community revolted and "forced" the post back online (by repeatedly re-posting the decryption key). This event should prove historic because a social / community uprising "won". The "protesters" may not have been right (as in law-abiding) but I think digital freedom is right (as in morally). This looks a lot like the Boston Tea Party to me. No one likes DRM: it's intrusive and it interferes with my right to use the content. If I paid for Spiderman II on DVD, then it should damn well play on every single DVD player I own--including my laptop. Therefore, these protesters dumped the tea overboard by providing the entire Internet with the keys to...