Snag P10,000 to play and write

Gaming has just gotten profitable. Avid gamers bring value to the gaming industry when playing, discovering bugs and documenting the game play. Like the big-time beta testers out there, are you ready to make a profit from playing? (photo credit: total wallpapers)

Yahoo suggests switching from MyBlogLog to Yahoo Pulse

Neither MyBlogLog's statistical tool nor the link tracker is working. Only the special customizable widget (shown on the left) remains functional in a number of blogs I visited the past few days. Will the sleek mobile-phone-looking widget be the only reminder of a blogging community that once buzzed with activity?

May 24 is still three months away, but since its recent statement on discontinuing MyBlogLog soon, Yahoo has been encouraging community members to make the switch from MyBlogLog to Yahoo Pulse.

Yahoo Pulse is basically Yahoo Profile rebranded. Users describe it as a cross between Twitter, Facebook and Friendster. Some find Yahoo Pulse "non-user friendly" and "worse than Google buzz." Others praise it for simplicity and social media connectivity.

MyBlogLog to officially die on May 24

A fearless forecast made in 2009 comes true in 2011.
(photo credit: Petr Kratochvil)

As predicted in the late 2009 by bloggers, Yahoo will cut ties with MyBlogLog. The official death of MyBlogLog is expected on May 24 this year, Yahoo revealed this week.

Founded by Todd Sampson and Eric Marcoullier, MyBlogLog  is one of the pioneering social networking communities that allow bloggers to connect better with their readers.

The community offers a free widget that you can install on your blog site to "see" the avatars of your visitors and discover "who is checking you out."

Another popular feature integrated into MyBlogLog  (and my personal favorite) is a detailed analytics spread on where your readers come from, what they are viewing, and what links they clicked last before leaving your blog site ala Google's in-page analytics simplified.

With the proliferation of similar widgets taking over the net though, there's no telling how members of MyBlogLog will  react.

The community is not the first to be axed by Yahoo. As reported at CNet News, the death row at Yahoo is apt to be a long one -- and all for the sake of cost cutting. Already slashed and soon-to-be-dropped features include All the Web, Alta Vista, Delicious, Mash, Yahoo 360, Yahoo Buzz and Yahoo Picks.

Getting to know Yahoo Answers

This week on the forums, Yahoo Answers took center stage. I, for one, participate in Yahoo Answers for fun and for some target trafficking to Teecup Limited.

Yahoo Answers is a community-driven site that allows members to post questions, give answers and select the best response. The responses range from off-topic to excellent, but I've found  the community useful on occasions when I required specific directions and advice regarding trip planning and sundry.

Recognizing Content Predators in the Web

About 99 percent of the population join online contests for the cash. Sad to say, no site is 100 percent scam-free.Wherever you go, there will always be content predators waiting to get away with your work.

As their name suggests, content predators will prey upon your idea, if not your output. This sounds like a bad case of plagiarism and copyright infringement combined.

Anyone could be the guilty party. As you may well guess, predators cloak themselves in a variety of ways. Can you recognize their behavioral patterns online? Keep safe, and don't ever let your guard down. Below are some of the most notorious personality types trolling the World Wide Web:

Write a Walk-Through; Get Paid to Play

Writing a walk-through requires genuine interest in a game, keen observation and precise word choice. You will explore every inch of the game and uncover any secret or tip there is to find. In addition, you might need to replay the game to ensure that you're not giving away random guesses.

Gaming, anyone? Juice up your gameplay with extra cash.
(photo credit: Petr Kratochvil)

A number of gaming enthusiasts write walk-throughs for fun. A few lucky gamers get paid to do the work. This summer, you might be one of the few gamers out there who will qualify for the opportunity! 

A Visayas-based entrepreneur is actively seeking a hard-core gamer to play a game and document the game play. This means two things: YES, you will get paid to play and YES, you need to write a walk-through but it doesn't have to be a full-blown article. Are you up for the challenge?  

HARD-CORE GAMER NEEDED THIS SUMMER

The opportunity to play and get paid is open to students, fresh graduates or anyone with a passion for games like Black Ops. 

Qualifications:

1. decent English writing skills
2. commitment and dedication
3. secure and reliable internet connection at home
4. passion for gaming

Where to Win Big in Online Contests

Are you looking for your pot of gold?
(photo credit: Mandie Lancaster)

If you found yesterday's list of contest sites for creative people a bit incomplete, I don't blame you.

You probably want to know more about the sites, right?  For instance, can you trust them? Do they really pay? How much moolah will contest winners receive?

This post will show you where to win big in online contests. That is -- when you have the right skills to whip up something creative and efficient for the paying client.

Small Online Contests

• recommended for beginners and individuals who hold a full-time job
• average starting pay-out: $5 to $30
• competition: some busy experts, many newbies and inexperienced competitors
• sites of interest:
  
• Digital Point
• NamePros
• The V7 Network
• Tycoon Talk

Mid-Level Online Contests

• recommended for experienced graphics artists
• average starting pay-out: $100 and up
• competition: few gutsy newbies, plenty of experienced competitors
• sites of interest:
  
• Astada
• DesignCrowd
• Hatchwise
• Logomyway
• MycroBurst (starts with $180, with some projects reaching up to $1,000)

Top 10 Contest Sites for Creative People

Web images attract audiences like honey to a bee.
(photo credit: Petr Kratochvil)

Nine in every 10 people say that a powerful  image attracts them to a website and increases their viewing time on a page. 

If you are good at Illustrator or Photoshop, online businesses need you. You can quickly cash in on your creative skills by joining  online contests. 

Win a contest and you grab the prize money. Lose a contest and you still have something beautiful to add to your creative portfolio. 

Where exactly can you find and meet these businesses? Chances are they are lingering behind a fancy pseudonym in the following contest sites for creative people:

Turn Blogging Frustrations into Inspiration

Stressed? Are you blogging for money or for pleasure?
(photo credit: Vinicius de Carvalho Venancio)

Blogging frustrations can put down even the most optimistic and prolific writers at some point. 

For the daily blogger, running out of content to write may be a problem. For the prolific blogger, time management may be an issue. 

For newbie writers, attracting an audience and letting the netizens find out about your blog site are known hurdles.

Apart from time and traffic, what are the biggest challenges in blogging?

The list can be long, but one element that always crops up is money. According to one anonymous Samaritan at a local forum, blogging is a good channel for your thoughts and a wonderful way to showcase your expertise on a subject or two. Add money into the equation, and expect frustrations along the way -- for your first blogging venture anyway.

The statement, of course, was not aimed to discourage blogging newbie writers but to give a realistic outlook on what to expect. I greatly enjoyed his correspondence and thought that his advice was worth sharing with the reading public. So, how do you turn blogging frustrations into inspiration? Here's what he said:

Writing to Unionbank for Undelivered PayPal Funds

Undelivered PayPal funds are the horror of any online provider. It may take a bit of waiting for completed fund transfers to reflect in your online bank statement. 

There have been no untoward incidents though of money vanishing into thin air. In the event that the receiving party is unable to receive funds, these will be sent back to the sender's PayPal account -- albeit with a service charge of P250 (or its dollar equivalent).

In principle, it takes only 2 to 3 business days for PayPal funds to reach your Unionbank account. For the past 3 transactions though, I noticed that I had to wait longer and I had to write Unionbank a follow-up note in order to receive money...

Blogging Platforms for Beginners

What's the best blogging platform for beginners?
 (photo credit: Petr Kratochvil)

What is a blogging platform?

Whenever someone mentions the term, Blogger and Wordpress would immediately come to mind. I searched the web and could not find an exact definition, so I tried to piece together what several sources tried to say (although not explicitly).

In computer technology, a platform is defined as a framework on which applications can run. A blogging platform appears to be a space on the web that allows blogs to operate.

For your blog to appear on the web, your blog must be hosted. Blogging platforms can either be free-hosted or self-hosted types (meaning you will have to pay on your own for domain hosting). 

Considerations

Regardless of the type of blogging platform, all potential bloggers will need to consider a number of variables during the selection process:

• Advertisements
• Blogging plans
• Budget
• Design
• Ease of use
• Search engine indexing
• Purpose for blogging
• Updates management
• Tools and applications

Profiting from Blogging - Fact or Fiction?

Since the founding of Teecup Limited, a number of people have asked me for suggestions on where to find a job online that young people can do and a job online that doesn't require intense work commitments. 

To sign up with Microworkers was my quick response. The site pays you for completing easy tasks.

This week however, I realized that young people are actually more interested in developing their skills and in cashing in on their talents over the long term. Menial tasks don't give you long-term benefits. This is why I thought of writing about profiting from blogging. Is it as profitable as others say? Or are some people merely lying about the figures they earn?

Writing Web Content - Where Do You Learn to Write?

The fluid and open nature of the World Wide Web has given birth to a new breed of writers.

Today, you will find a number of individuals who make a living from writing web content: articles, blogs, sponsored tweets, Craigslist ads, sales pages and fan fiction.

Not all writers graduated with a journalism or mass communication degree. Very few went past the required English language credits.

Interestingly, they are able to pump decent content day after day like well-oiled machines. Where and how did they learn to write (and profitably at that)?

7 Ways to Appreciate Writers

Have you thanked a writer today?
(photo credit: Yana Ray)

What do you do when you come up with an interesting piece of material? Do you simply save the page and continue site hopping? Or do you take the time to appreciate writers behind the keyboard?

The copywriters often use conversions and sales to gauge the effectiveness of their copies.

Most bloggers get ballpark figures from Google Analytics in order to gain insight on visitor loyalty, trends and preferences.

Needless to say, the rewards of writing are not purely monetary in nature. A simple "Thank you" or "I love your piece" from the reading public would make anyone's day.

3 Good Deeds that can Harm Your Blog Site

Stop. Google is watching.
(photo credit: OCAL)

Good friends can harm your blog site.

What you are about to read is a classic case of social networking gone bad, and the scenario is familiar to newbie bloggers.

You've just had your blog site approved on the Adsense program and you're eager to start earning. Soon enough, Google tells you that your site has been banned.

Among the variety of grounds that will merit a ban, there's one crucial variable that you must not overlook: your pals.

Cookie Boy's story - lost in translation

Cookie Boy wears a "lost" look.

I was googling Teecup Limited last night when I came across a weird link that said Google could translate my latest blog entry on Cookie Boy from English to Filipino.

The original story was about the cat discovering the corpse of a bat this week. I wasn't really expecting much from Google's English to Filipino translation.

Still, curiosity got the best of me. Here is an excerpt of the translation:

Isang unidentified bat na nagkaroon wandered sa Teecup Limited headquarters natutugunan ng isang wala sa oras pagkamatay na ito linggo.

Walang mantsa ng dugo, kagat marks at iba pang mga pisikal na katibayan upang magmungkahi na ang isang away ay ensued, sinabi ng cat sa bantay.

"Ang mga bagay lamang froze sa kamatayan," isiwalat Cookie Boy.

Ang tanging lalaki na miyembro ng's pack teecup ng mga di-tala ng mga ninuno cats ay sa patrol kapag siya natuklasan ang katawan.

Siya tinanggihan paglusob ang kabag at sinabi na siya natagpuan ang bangkay matapos habol sa roaches.

"Tulad ng marami bilang Gusto kong kumuha ng credit para sa mga pumatay, hindi ako isang bat nakamatay," cat ang sinabi.

I had the pleasure of a good laugh from the giant G's paragraph-by-paragraph rewording. Google's English to Filipino translation is SO much funnier than Nagmalitong Yawa (a character in Filipino literature). Don't you agree?

On a serious note, if you want your English blog site translated to Filipino, take my advice: Get a human  to do the job. Here's why:

• No matter how advanced technology may be, absolutely nothing can substitute the real human being in terms of language usage.
  
  
• Translation isn't a matter of expressing individual words from one tongue to another. Rather, translation takes into account the dynamic expression of thought within a given context.

There's no way I'm leaving Teecup Limited to the hands of a machine. The story on Cookie Boy's encounter with the bat deserves an international audience.

Cookie Boy - Watch Cat

Cat on patrol. Cookie Boy winks at the press.

An unidentified bat that had wandered into Teecup Limited headquarters met an untimely demise this week. 

There were no blood stains, bite marks and  other physical evidence to suggest that a fight had ensued, said the cat on guard.

"The thing just froze to death," disclosed Cookie Boy. 

The only masculine member of teecup's pack of non-pedigree cats was on patrol when he discovered the body.

He denied attacking the bat and said that he found the corpse after chasing roaches. 

"As much as I would like to take credit for the kill, I'm not a bat slayer," the cat said.

Though docile to humans, Cookie Boy is notorious for his hunting prowess in the animal world. 

Cookie Boy - Furminator Model

Ready for some grooming. Cookie Boy positions himself on the table, waiting to be furminated. He loves the activity -- or maybe he doesn't. I wouldn't know, since he never protests. He just purrs and closes his eyes like a docile little baby. The book "Cat Watching" by Desmond Morris mentioned that a cat purr can only mean one of two things: Either the kitty is in pain or the kitty likes the sensation.

Cookie Boy - Drunken Master

Drunken master mode. Like women, cats can be very moody. This is Cookie Boy's laziest pose ever. He's stuffed. He doesn't want to play nor hunt. He just wants to sleep. When the cat is on drunken master mode, I get the chance to carry on with my writing projects with minimal breaks.

Cookie Boy - Resident Fat Cat

In celebration of the Love Month, my regular blog entries on freelance writing will make way for another soft spot in my heart: my non-pedigree cats. 

Meet Cookie Boy, my portly golden nugget. He was neutered at age 1 and has since then been a certified house cat. He loves to eat, sleep and snuggle.

People say he looks a lot like Puss in Boots in "Shrek."

name: Cookie Boy

aliases: La-Love, Baboy

eye color: yellow

fur: golden yellow

weight: 5.5 kilos
favorite food: tuna in brine

Cats and Writers and the Great Connect

What's the connection between cats and writers?

Pet owners are perhaps one of the happiest people in the planet. Numerous reports suggest that sharing your home with a pet makes you a healthier, more loving, more secure and more sociable person. For many writers, your level of success with pet ownership and a freelance writing career online primarily boils down to one question: Does your pet match your lifestyle?

Notwithstanding the fact that I am a woman and that I freelance full time (and study full time), I readily cast my vote in favor of the Felis domesticus. A personal check on my lifestyle reveals that cats are the perfect companions for freelance writers. Here's my take on why cats and writers go together:

Teecup's 1st Monthsary

     Cheers, Teecup Limited

This blog is a labor of love. Kampai to a wonderful start.
(photo credit: Jon Luty)

  

  20+

   blog posts

  200+

   unique readers

  200+

   votes and likes

  1000+

   page views

  50%

   return visits in

  30

   days!!!

Top 40 Skills to Land a Job Online

From micro-skills to programming skills, let's see what online job platforms are saying.

According to data supplied by the Elance Community this week, there are approximately 40 skills that can land you a job online.

Do you have what it takes to work online? How hot are your skills?

Converting your Skills to Cash - Part III

You could say that yesterday's highlighted skills are for extroverts and glib talkers whose capital investment for landing an easy online job is their smooth PR. Nevertheless, the internet is home to all sorts of netizens and personalities. Loudmouths don't always get to dominate the money-making business. In fact, the silent types have also been making waves -- not with their lips but with their fat paychecks and portfolio.

How much are your skills worth?
(photo credit: Anna Cervova)

Some online work involve less talking, less writing and less people skills.  These talk-less-code-more jobs are what we'll go over today. The list is short and sweet, since I'm not a technocrat. The purpose of this entry is merely to give you a general idea on what skills you can cash in on in the World Wide Web.

Converting your Skills to Cash - Part II

This is now the second leg of our marathon preview of how you can cash in on your skills.  Having great written communication skills will benefit you in your online job ventures. However, don't despair when your writing skills barely hit the passing mark. The world's not going to end with that!

Some online opportunities don't require you to be the ultimate grammar guru.  A functional command of the English language will suffice. What matters most to clients is that you can deliver the job. Not all online jobs are textual in nature anyway. See if your skill set is in demand online.

Converting your Skills to Cash - Part I

There's no such thing as free money. It's easy to get swayed by screen shots of how much money some people are making from their online jobs.

What these people don't tell you is that when you opt for a freelance career, you're bound to sell and take advantage of something. That "something" is your skills. Potential clients, employers and advertisers evaluate your past achievements and portfolio, but it's your skills that take the center stage. 

Not all skills will qualify you to work from home though. If you're good at stand-up comedy, sewing and flower arrangement for instance, then you're better off in the middle of the action. A talent for yodeling, managing pain (ouch) or balancing 20 cats on one hand might make you a YouTube sensation. For the most part, skills like these are best showcased in person.

Luckily, there are a myriad of skills that you can cash in on from online work opportunities: