3ML August Briefcase

ARTICLES on PRODUCTIVITY

If this is the first time you have visited the 3 Minute Learning Blog, below you will find summaries from the unique 3ML Briefcase. Over the first 2 weeks of every month, summaries for all 32 articles appearing in the current month’s online magazine will be presented. Articles are presented free of charge and rotate every day with 4 new articles appearing in the respective subject areas (leadership, business and management, marketing and productivity). To read articles, go to the 3 Minute Learning home page.
While you are visiting the 3 Minute Learning home page, check out the new 3ML Store where you will find business and leadership books along with electronics and entertainment. Also on the home page, check out new Amazon entertainment videos; news, sports and business videos; and special feature articles. This content is refreshed on a daily basis.

Popular Search Engine Optimization Misconceptions
David Bain

There is nothing more frustrating for a web designer or a website owner than spending an excessive amount of time “tweaking” his website to optimize its page ranking and then realizing that search engines are bypassing it, for reasons unknown. The problem is that many people are operating off flawed misconceptions about search engine optimization (SEO) techniques; rather than “optimizing” their web pages, they may actually be harming it.

Portable Apps on USB: Wave of the Future?
John Dow

Portable applications are a new class of software filling a necessary gap. What is a Portable App? It's a software program that can run from a USB device often without any interaction of the operating system of the computer. Some still require a little help depending on the nature of the application but many can run with or without a specific OS present (like Windows).

The Job of the Spam Filter
Helen Cox

Even if you have one of the best spam filters on the market, some spam will always make it through. More important than having the best spam filter on the market is having the right spam filter. One spam filter doesn't automatically benefit everyone; you need to find a spam filter that is best for your needs.

How to Use Web Directories
Bruce Swedal

A typical website may get more traffic from search engines than from a web directory but don't let that keep you from using web directory submissions. Before you begin using web directories, you should consider the following because by learning about web directories can help you succeed when using them.

AUGUST MUSINGS
You most likely hear people pine nostalgic on a daily basis. Comments usually include: less than $1 gasoline, grocery bags that would fill a station wagon for under $50 or new cars for less than $10,000. Nostalgia is very memory selective. Missing from the look back to the “good old days” are memories such as:
~~ Refrigerators as a luxury item; during the 1950’s, the ice box was a literal description as a block of ice was necessary to keep items cold (washers and dryers were also considered items for the wealthy)
~~ The family car as a literal description since one car served the entire family needs until the 1980’s
~~ Long distance phone call rates so expensive (until the breakup of “Ma Bell” in the 80’s), a call to distant relatives was seen as a gift; the entire household would huddle around the phone to get a chance to say a precious few words
~~ Since cash was “king” it was necessary to carry enough to pay bills, buy items or go out to eat; purchases became tied to the amount of cash on hand – grocery shoppers frequently kept a running total so as to not be “short” at checkout (a practice that continued well into the 90’s)
~~ Air travel prior to 1980 was for the wealthy and upper middle class; buses still ruled the travel world
~~ Prior to 1990, balding tires were common as was the use of retreads instead of new tires; automobiles were traded less often and many times was considered as an “once-in-a-lifetime” purchase
~~ Air conditioning was a luxury item for both homes and cars and not widespread until the 1980’s
~~ Finally, many vegetables and fruits were seasonal and not available in the quantities found in today’s supermarkets
People had to be selective in the “old days” and many times did without. Today, using the above examples, we would classify these people as “poor” or living in a third world country. Despite all the current woes, people in the US are better off today than anytime over the past 400 years!
Ironically, most people don’t know the origins of the word “nostalgia.” It’s Greek and means, “pain from an open wound.” The appropriate use of this term should be applied to those family and friends that have died and we long for one more hour with them. We need to be nostalgic about people and not consumer spending.

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