Barbara Bates

 

Remember when you were young and you wanted to do something, so you asked your mom. And she said, “No.” 

 

So you asked, “Why?” And she said something like, “Because I said so, that’s why.” And the discussion was closed. Then, you had to either be good and do something else, or sneak around and do it anyway.

 

But the above isn’t even really an argument, for there’s no back and forth, just an inquiry and a response. An argument should be more like a debate. Not the type you often see on television, where the debaters just try to make their own point, not rebut the opponent’s views or present new information.

 

I’m going to attempt to start a series called “The Bottom Line”. I will present my opinions and would like you to either agree or not.

 

If you agree, I’d be glad to hear how and/or what  you think about it. Try to be specific and give reasons if you can.

 

If you don’t agree, you can simply say, “I don’t agree.” In which case, the chances of staying posted are okay. If you say, “I don’t agree, because…” you have a better chance of staying posted. But, if you say, “I don’t agree, because… And I’d like to present this as a solution instead…” You will definitely stay.

 

And if you post off topic, you’ll probably be deleted. (Sorry folks, but I started this blog for a reason and it isn’t to let you rant about anything you want. You start your own blog for that.)

 

What I’m saying is I don’t care if you agree or not, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But if all you’re going to do is rant and rave, then don’t bother commenting. If you want to tell me (and the rest of you) why you disagree, and offer another point of view, then welcome aboard.

 

Please keep your comments civil, and without links. I intend to learn how to edit your comments, and so, many of the links may disappear soon. (I don’t mind an occasional link to your site, but if you’re going to respond to every posting in one day, with a link, some of them may vanish. Fair warning.)

 

What exactly do I mean? Let’s take an example.

 

Suppose the premise is: “Lollipops are the best, safest candy for young children. The stick protects them from getting small pieces lodged in their throats.”

 

If you respond with “I don’t think so.” You may not stay posted. (Unless you’re one of the few comments like this.) 

 

If you comment with, “Lollipops are okay, but children can still bite off pieces and they can lodge in their throats.” There’s a much better chance your comment will survive.

 

But, if your response is,”I don’t think lollipops are the greatest, hard candy itself is pure sugar and isn’t good for you. Crunching a lollipop can lead to pieces becoming lodged in their throats. And besides, candy made from real fruit has been found to be better and not cause as much tooth decay.” This will definitely stay.

 

It’s okay to have an opinion, but I want you to share why you have that opinion and if you don’t agree, then what can you suggest as an alternative? It’s fine to say “No”, but suggesting what can be done (or used, or considered) instead is better. If everyone offered an alternative instead of just digging in and not seeing another’s viewpoint, the world would be a better place.  

 

The litmus test “The Bottom Line” articles will use is:

 

Can people exist without XXX? And conversely, can XXX exist without people?

Where XXX is the subject for the article.

Not — Will things remain the same? Not –

Will it affect our present way of life? And not — Will life be better or worse. All those things are subjective – existence is a fact.

 

If you don’t understand it now, don’t worry, it’ll be much clearer when the articles come out.

 

What type of things will be considered for “The Bottom Line”? Well, part of that is up to you. Suggest things for me to consider. What’s your bottom line? On life? On your job? On the condition of society today?  And if my opinion differs from yours, let everyone know. As long as you keep it clean (rated PG or below), civil (no cuss words or name calling), intelligent (no rants allowed, that’s my job), and stick to the rules above.

 

Everyone game?  

 

 

 

 

I filled out a form to receive a download the other day. It’s a good thing I read all the way through.

 

This is not as easy for me as it is for you. I use a screen reader to read the screen – it reads one line at a time. You can’t scan, can’t look ahead, can’t see what’s coming up next.

 

So, I filled out the form but before I clicked the submit link, I went down and read further.

 

Below the submit link it stated a code you needed to receive the download. 

 

Now, think about it. This is silly (I could have called it something else, but silly will do for now.) It’s like putting up a form, having the person fill it out, then saying something like, “USE ONLY CAPITAL LETTERS at the bottom after the form has been filled out. Now you have to go back and refill out the form.

 

True, it’s not an exact imitation of what happened, but you get the idea.

 

You should put all the information the person needs to fill out the form – above the form. Directions on filling out the form or what to do after the form is submitted do not belong below the form.

 

Doesn’t this make sense? To me, who can’t read below the submit line before submitting, it makes perfect sense. How do you feel about this? Am I being picky about this?

 

I’ve been receiving quite a few emails about putting either video or audio pieces on blogs or websites. The problem with this is a good number of those doing this have no idea how to make them accessible to those of us using adaptive equipment. And there are over 30 million Americans alone who access their computers using adaptive equipment.

 

If you’re trying to sell something shouldn’t you not tick off potential customers? One would think so. Shouldn’t you make it as easy as possible for people to order from you?

 

Some people don’t like audio, some don’t like video, some don’t like to read. The solution? Give potential customers options. Create an option box at the beginning of the page.

 

Would you like to:

(link) Read this offer?

(link) Listen to this offer?

(link) See a video of this offer?

 

Is it really that hard? If you’ve taken the time to produce a wonderful product, shouldn’t you make it available to as many people in as many forms as possible? It makes sense to me.  

 

Think about your presentation as you lay it out, as you record it, as you video tape it. A little common sense can go a long way.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you noticed that many people who post on the Internet think everyone — likes the same things they do, want the same things they do, have the same desires, ideals, and prejudices they do?

 

They offer you a solution to a problem, an item to buy, or an event to attend, based solely on their experiences. The way they solved the problem, the information in the item they’re selling, or the material they’ve collected for their seminar, worked for them; so it must work for you also. So follow this list of instructions and the problem will dissolve, as if it never existed.

 

What these people don’t realize is — everyone is an individual, and therefore needs an individual solution to achieve the best results for them. They stand in front of a gathering of people (either real or virtual) and see only their own smiling face reflected back — perpetuating the idea their solution is the one and only one to work.

 

Studies have shown people learn from, and retain, information from different media in a dissimilar manner.  Some people may learn best from visual images, others from audio, and some by reading the specified material. When an information product is offered for free in one media and has a price associated with it in another media, it builds unnecessary walls and can often cost more than just a sale.

 

I don’t like video products on the Internet. The Internet has no idea how to present material to those of us who are visually challenged. In addition, video files are large — taking up too much space and too long to load and view. I prefer my information in a written manner where I can control the rate I access the item at.

 

There are pros and cons for every type of media. But, if a choice is given, more visitors will come away with a warm, fuzzy feeling from your site, and just may return.

 

So, step outside your comfort zone and try bringing in people with different ideas, opinions, and beliefs than yours. A little friendly discussion will get you thinking; challenge some of your unfounded beliefs, and may even inspire you. Try some different things, approach a problem from another angle, or do something you’d normally consider “crazy”. Inventions like the telephone, television and microwave were thought impossibilities at one time. Stop copying and start thinking.