Freedly

How Far Will You Travel For Freedom?

The technical side of running a website is a real freedom-killer for many people.

But I love it, so I get the double benefit of writing about things that interest me, and tinkering behind the scenes, finding new ways to break improve my websites.

Whilst rummaging around for information on a technical issue I was intrigued by a message that the website owner had “quit his job and gone gypsy.” The “Follow his travels” button was hard to resist for a freedom seeker such as I. I’m glad I didn’t resist the chance to find out about Driving Inertia.

What a brilliant way to live your life.

I will not give too much away. Please just browse around the website, starting with Driving Inertia’s free competition to help find your freedom.

Please remember to come back here and share your opinions. Better still, share your own outrageously daring bid for freedom.

Which Is Wrong – The Answer Or Your Question?

I have run Internet forums for many years on a variety of topics.

I know this is one of the best ways to learn about most subjects. Certainly, it is the best way to learn about ourselves, and how we can improve our skills and use them to improve our lives.

But many hours get wasted in forums because someone asks a question, and none of the answers is right.

Invariably, the answer is not right because the question was wrong.

I know that sounds like nonsense, but a large percentage of questions are very difficult to answer. The biggest stumbling block is when it is not clear what the question really means, or why the questioner is asking it.

I am compiling guidelines to improve the forums, so here is a draft. Please ask questions about it in the Using Freedly forum.

Using Freedly Forums – How To Ask A Good Question

Ask in the right place

Spend a few moments to familiarize yourself with the topics covered in each forum. There is a list of forums down the right hand side of most forum pages, and you can also see them in the Forum Categories List

Use a meaningful question title

You start your question with a simple one line question, then add your explanation and additional information. Before you click the Ask question button, go back to check your opening question. Is it exactly what you want to ask? Is it short and to the point? If not, change it, or start again with a simpler question.

Is it a single question?

Do not ask questions that have more than one topic. If you have more than one question about a topic, ask more than one question.

Try to use good English

This is not school. You do not get penalized for bad spelling or bad grammar. However, if you do not make an effort to use a spell checker, or to read your question out loud to make it sensible, then people will ignore you. Or they may misunderstand you and give an answer that does not mean anything to you.

What do you want to do/know.

Start your question with what you want to achieve/learn, then follow it up with things you have tried so far. E.g. I want to earn $100 per day online, so I built a website about photography to earn money with AdSense.

Describe clearly what the problem is

You started with what you wanted to do, so continue with what is stopping you. E.g. I have read all Google’s information about AdSense, and several websites that recommend trying different layouts, colors and positions, but the maximum I have ever got is $2 per day, with a total of $20 per month.

Describe exactly what is wrong, not your guesses about how to fix it.

If you have a choice of options, it is OK to ask “Is it better to do X or Y” but in most cases, just stick to the facts, and let people answer in there own way.

Describe failed attempts to find a solution

I always recommend that you search for your question before you ask it. If you do this, say so, and say why the results did not help you.

Be clear on questions and meanings

If you do not understand the meaning of something, that is not a real practical question. Be careful how you ask for an explanation, and be sure to give it a personal context. If you want to know the meaning of a technical term, try a dictionary first.

Never say please or urgent

Though it may be polite in conversation, putting please in your question is just a waste of forum title space. Marking something as urgent is rude.

I will compile some examples of good and bad questions so that you can see these guidelines in a practical way.

Until all guidelines are complete, I will leave the comment boxes open here, though I would prefer you to ask questions and share opinions in the Using Freedly forum.

Money Talks – So Start Telling Me Where To Find You

There is a section here called Freedom Of Speech.

I feared it might be a distraction, but I’m certain it is too important to ignore.

If you just want to improve your wealth then “stop talking, start earning” looks like a better option. Much better than all this Free Speech waffle.

And you’d be right to think that. If you are confident to take what you know, improve it, and earn from it, then get on with it. The tools to help you do this faster will be here soon, but in the meantime, just ask for help in the forums.

But what if you cannot do that? What if you are afraid to start writing a website, or what if you fear you will never learn how to communicate? These are very real fears that stop people everyday. The fear of failure stops them seeking their dreams.
See how to get money talking to you

Will Fear Kill Your Financial Dreams?

Yesterday, I answered a question from a student about the risks of international monetary problems depressing the job market in years to come. Is it every student’s fear – will there be a job for me when I complete my studies?

There are so many aspects and inferences in this question, that it is difficult to know where to begin. My initial response was to consider becoming expert in economic and IT industry trends. That may be a valid response for some people, but I feel that most students would not want to spend there spare time working on projects like that.

What we really need to do is address the real issues that hide behind the question.
Read how to overcome future fears and build a fulfilling career