Hammock People | Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/ en Copyright 2008 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:44:27 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Favorite sources for free and cheap images stock art. Stock art is a lot less expensive than setting up a photo shoot, and it suits well for many purposes. What if you LITERALLY have no budget? Well, that's when you have to get creative. Despite a still-common belief to the contrary, images you see online are NOT free for the taking. Unless you're notified otherwise, you should assume that any image you see on a website is owned by someone. And they'll either have to grant you permission to use it for free, or they can charge you to do so. Here are three choices to consider for finding great free images:
  1. Take the photo yourself. This is simpler than ever, with point-and-shoot digital cameras creating great images at a low price. If you have a digital SLR and know how to use it, even better. Follow these tips for a great photo.
  2. Check Flickr. Whatever you want a picture of, rest assured, it's already on Flickr. The pages for individual images on Flickr will display the rights available for the image, so that's helpful. Even more helpful: Search images available for use, if you attribute the photo, from this URL: http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0/. Be sure you're properly attributing any image you find on Flickr, of course!
  3. Try Stock Exchange. Created specifically for photographers to share their work for free, Stock Exchange is another great resource. As always, make sure you're meeting the requirements of the photographer before using a shot.
    4. ]]> How to find free or cheap images online. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/07/favorite_sources_for_free_and.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/07/favorite_sources_for_free_and.php July 21, 2008 10:44 AM 200807211044 Quick pic from the wedding From left to right: My new husband, Ashby Barnes; me; my son Jake; my mom Nancy Creekmore; my daughter Ellis Aaron; and my dad Larry Creekmore. My name and all contact info remain the same.]]> Laura got married this weekend -- a quick peek at the photos. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/07/quick_pic_from_the_wedding.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/07/quick_pic_from_the_wedding.php July 1, 2008 1:34 PM 200807011334 Out til July 1 I'm out of the office until July 1. For once, I won't be checking email or voice mail the whole time I'm gone -- I'm getting married! I'll be back on Tuesday and I'll share a photo from the fun event. In the meantime, please contact someone else on your Hammock team for immediate help. Laura's tying the knot -- and out of the office til July 1. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/06/out_til_july_1.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/06/out_til_july_1.php June 25, 2008 10:21 AM 200806251021 Planning Content for a Blog
  4. Reverse-chronological entries
  5. Comments from readers
  6. Tags and/or categories
  7. Archives
    8. These conventions make blogs different from previous forms of writing. Yet, many aspects of blogging are similar to other writing that we might do. And I'll highlight one here: Good planning results in good writing. You can probably tell through my sporadic posting on this page that I haven't been planning what to put here. So far, I haven't intended for this page to serve a particular function for me or for Hammock. But when you have a goal in mind, laying out the steps will help ensure your success. We've been creating editorial calendars here at Hammock as long as we've been in existence. Printed publications demand lots of advance planning, and the longer the edit well in a particular book, the more planning you must do. When I first started blogging regularly in 2005, it was difficult for me to think of something to write about regularly. The more you blog, the better you get at spotting topics all around you. But I also found that one key to regular posting is to plan your blog. Tips for Planning Blog Content
    • Sit down and think about it. Seems obvious, but it's not. Blogging allows you to write on the spur of the moment, but don't just write that way. Think about what your blog is saying, and write down your goals.
    • List any regular features. The crutch of any recurring publication, regular features let you provide helpful information in a restricted format -- which makes it easier for you to figure out what goes there.
    • List events or irregular topics you can count on. If you blog about your business, there are likely events or topics that come up the same time every year -- industry conferences, research, tax season. If your blog is personal, you'll choose different topics, of course.
    • Keep your eyes open. Regular bloggers start to think about the world in terms of how they can express it on their blogs.
    ]]>     Good planning results in good writing. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/06/planning_content_for_a_blog.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/06/planning_content_for_a_blog.php June 17, 2008 1:40 PM 200806171340     Photoshop Express Mini-Review Skitch. I use this almost daily now, as well -- it's great for marking up photos and screen grabs to share comments back and forth. Lots faster than cracking open Photoshop for the same thing. With at least three photo editing tools at my disposal, do I really need a new one? Photoshop Express is going to make the cut. It's easy and quick to add photos, and the editing is intuitive for someone who's used any image editor before. And fear not--if you're a novice, they're providing some really great Photoshop Express tutorial screencasts that take you step by step through any editing job.
    See how the red pops out?
    Like other commenters I've seen online, I'm wondering why the Pop Color feature isn't included in Photoshop -- maybe next time. It's a pretty automatic way to "pop out" one color from any photo. Even the basic editing tools are great. I can see a lot of bloggers using this, and I would think it's a great, helpful program for anyone who just needs to crop and downsize an image to email it to a friend. Downsides: Express is slower than I wish it were, even on my massive broadband connection at work. It does require Flash, which may still be a downside for some users. And here's my big one...that will keep me using Photoshop. You can't size images to any size you want. When you share an image, you're given three options on size, all proportionate to the original. Need to crop to exactly 300x420 pixels, 72 resolution? Crack that Photoshop back open, my friend.]]>     I give Photoshop Express two thumbs up, but I'm not getting rid of Photoshop. Or iPhoto. Or Skitch. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/05/photoshop_express_minireview.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/05/photoshop_express_minireview.php May 16, 2008 10:13 AM 200805161013     Staying Tied to the Outside World
  8. Eating seasonally -- Enjoying the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season
  9. Getting outside -- With a busy family that needs shuttling around, I can't do this as much as I'd like. Even in the winter, I think it's important to spend some time outside each day. And especially this time of year, when it's so beautiful!
  10. Gardening -- I live right smack in the middle of the city, and my back yard is pretty small. Still, I find that even small-scale gardening ties you inextricably to the rhythms of the season.
    11. ]]>     Staying tied to the natural rhythms of the world around us. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/05/staying_tied_to_the_outside_wo.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/05/staying_tied_to_the_outside_wo.php May 5, 2008 12:35 PM 200805051235     Out of the office I'm out of the office Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2. I won't be checking voicemail, and likely won't have much time for email -- my sister is getting married! Please let another Hammock staff member know how they can help you in my absence. See you Monday, May 5! Laura is out of the office until May 5. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/04/out_of_the_office.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/04/out_of_the_office.php April 30, 2008 3:09 PM 200804301509 Culling the Email Inbox people who are still stuck in email hell. ]]> Laura polishes her email management halo. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/03/culling_the_email_inbox.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/03/culling_the_email_inbox.php March 26, 2008 2:15 PM 200803261415 Back at work! SXSW....what a great conference! I say every time I go that it's just like drinking from the firehose, cliche though that may be. You walk in the door of the Austin Convention Center and you are so overwhelmed. Adding to that feeling the past two years: The conference has -- I heard -- doubled in size in both 2007 and 2008. Thousands and thousands of web people all in one place at one time. I've got my conference notes in our SXSW blog. I also attended a panel moderated by uber-connected Guy Kawasaki, but I found it hard to take notes on it. Billed as "True Stories from Social Media," the panel brought together six people who have diverse experience building, selling, using and running social media sites. It really was fascinating.]]> My trip to Austin for SXSW....and now I'm back! Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/03/back_at_work.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/03/back_at_work.php March 11, 2008 4:10 PM 200803111610 I'm at SXSW Rex, Patrick, Summer and me the next few days on our SXSW blog.]]> I'm at SXSW Interactive today through Tuesday. Follow Rex, Patrick, Summer and me the next few days on our SXSW blog.... Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/03/im_at_sxsw.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/03/im_at_sxsw.php March 8, 2008 10:55 AM 200803081055 Polling, focus groups and real answers John and I were just discussing the Clinton-Obama finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, and how wrong the polls were about last night's primary results. Why were the polls and predictions wrong? What are polls worth if they miss the answer by that much? [Sadly, we didn't come up with definitive answers. Both of us are just amateur, if earnest, prognosticators.] But the discussion got me thinking about focus groups and user testing vs. measuring actions. In the custom media business, we spend a great deal of time trying to figure out what readers need. Common sense says, just ask people what they want, and they'll tell you. In real life, it's rarely so simple. Focus groups can help you get an idea of where your customers are. Or they could be derailed by a couple of folks with strong opinions. User testing -- which I'm a big believer in -- can give you a false picture of how people use your website. Or it might explain exactly why so many shopping carts are abandoned just before confirmation. In the end, the only thing we can count on is what our customers actually do. Never mind what they tell us they want [more articles about the tax code! more lengthy educational pieces!] -- we must respond to what they actually read [more articles about Britney and Jamie Spears!]. Figuring out the most effective ways to measure and respond to customer actions, online and off, is our challenge. ]]> Figuring out how to measure and respond to actions, and not just handling requests. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/01/polling_focus_groups_and_real.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/01/polling_focus_groups_and_real.php January 9, 2008 2:26 PM 200801091426 You can do everything but pull the lever online The New York Times: With each election cycle, the NYT continues to improve its online offerings, often with Tufte-esque graphics that tell the story as well or better than the accompanying erudite analysis. Khoi Vinh and his design team rock. The Green Papers: I've been a reader of this fabulous site since not long after its inception in 1999. It's green. It's ugly. And it has more information about elections than you can find in any other one place. Patrick Ruffini: Excellent commentary from a guy with significant GOP party and national campaign experience, especially on how the media, Internet and other digital technologies affect races. [Disclaimer: He's friends with my boss and I've met him several times. But don't let that dissuade you: Patrick knows whereof he speaks.] Politico: It's just been around a year, but this site quickly became a must-read for people who need the latest news from the campaign trail. Or who like to read fun campaign gossip. NFIB.com: Don't forget to check out NFIB, our client. They're already hard at work to fight for small business in the 2008 elections.]]> I love election years! I'm sharing my favorite online political sources. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/01/you_can_do_everything_but_pull.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2008/01/you_can_do_everything_but_pull.php January 2, 2008 1:43 PM 200801021343 Out of the office, on the grid email at least a couple of times a day, but I won't be checking my office voice mail at all. If you need to reach me right away, please email me or call my cell phone [615.500.4131]. Best of the season to you!]]> How to find Laura between now and Jan. 2. Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2007/12/out_of_the_office_on_the_grid.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2007/12/out_of_the_office_on_the_grid.php December 21, 2007 3:00 PM 200712211500 The dreaded GTD couple of folks here in our office are real devotees of GTD -- the acronym made famous online by David Allen and his productivity system. Being a bit of an iconoclast -- can you be a bit of one? -- I have long eschewed such official programs for Getting Things Done. But the truth is, when you live on Internet time, as I've done since about 1996, you've got to have a system or you'll drown in bits. In my family, I'm famous for not being the organized one. Now, I'll tell you two things right off:
    • Everything is relative. My mother and my sisters are borderline compulsive about lining up their ducks in a row.
    • And second, since my natural state tends more toward entropy, I've become an expert at using a few tools to fence in my chaos.
    Here are my favorite organization tools:
    • Microsoft Excel. I know, I know. Say what you will about the Evil Empire, but if you've been using spreadsheets as long as I have, you start to think that way. Excel is often my first tool, though it's rarely the final one. I start here making lists and figuring out how to think about a project.
    • Basecamp and related products. This is where many projects end up. I collaborate with all my coworkers on the Hammock Basecamp site, where we keep tabs on publications and web projects. I frequently use Backpack -- the 37signals offering that's sort of a step down from Basecamp. It's perfect for personal project management, like, planning my family's Thanksgiving dinner.
    • Gootodo. I'm still playing with this one. Created by Mark Hurst of Creative Good, this also aims to fulfill your task-management needs. I don't have it fully worked into my brain the way I do the 37signals products, though.
    • My Franklin planner. Yes, old school. Pencil, paper, calendar. For me, it's still part of the daily routine. It's faster to find most info here than even on a hand-held device. And when I write something down, I'm much more likely to remember it. Typing doesn't seem to have as strong an effect on my memory, though it's a step up from just hearing or saying something.
    ]]>     A couple of folks here in our office are real devotees of GTD -- the acronym made famous online by David Allen and his productivity system. Being a bit of an iconoclast -- can you be a bit of one?... Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2007/12/the_dreaded_gtd_1.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2007/12/the_dreaded_gtd_1.php December 17, 2007 7:42 PM 200712171942     Waiting for web-based apps to be truly convenient Me: Let me ask you this. Isn't there some way to -- Rex: No. No there's not. Hahaha. He already knew what I was going to ask. If you are bookmarking for several different projects, can't you easily switch between your accounts, right there at the point of bookmarking? No. No you can't. Ah well. We can do so much now to hook our thoughts, words, images and experiences into those of our friends and colleagues. One day maybe it will be seamless, too. ]]> We spent a lot of time this fall working on a new site for one of our clients. The site is really fabulous in so many ways -- it takes advantage of many leading social technologies available today, including Flickr,... Laura Creekmore http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2007/11/waiting_for_webbased_apps_to_b.php http://www.hammock.com/people/lauracreekmore/2007/11/waiting_for_webbased_apps_to_b.php November 28, 2007 10:03 PM 200711282203