1. Remember Why People Follow You- This is the first thing you have to figure out. Unless they’re just desperate for more friends, people usually have a specific reason for following you. If your Twitter account is for professional networking, they most likely want to hear your thoughts on relevant industry topics. In other words, they don’t want to read about you clipping your toenails or getting in a fight with your significant other.

2. Determine Why People Quit You- It’s a sad fact of Twitter life, but people will unfollow you at some point. You need to figure out why they’re doing it. One handy tool for doing this is Qwitter. This will send you an alert letting you know the exact moment someone stops following you. It will show your most recent Tweet with the hopes that will shed some light on the situation. If that doesn’t help, ask yourself if you’re living up to your expectations from tip #1.

3. Interact with Your Followers- Twitter is a social tool. So, you need to be social. Don’t just send one-way Tweets. Interact with the people you’re following. Someone is much less likely to drop you if you engage with them on a regular basis. Remember, social networking is about building connections. The only to build strong connections is to chat it up.

4. Don’t Over Tweet- Maybe I’m being anal, but one of the things that leads me to unfollow someone is when they drop 50 Tweets in the span of a few short minutes. It’s like the guy at the conference who tries to take over the show by asking 10,000 questions. Let everyone share the floor. Tweet your heart out, but just be careful not to overdo it.

5. Don’t Under Tweet Either- If you don’t give your Twitter account any attention, you’re begging to be wiped away when someone starts trimming their following list. It goes back to tip#3—if people don’t know you, they’ll have little problem dropping you like a bad habit. Keep your visibility up by making at least a few quality posts each day.

6. Keep Self-Promotion to a Minimum- Is there anything more disappointing than following a new user only to find that every one of their updates is a link to some crappy blog post they wrote? Even worse is when they constantly Tweet about how great their company is or why you should do business with them. Look, a little self-promotion is expected. But keep it at a minimum. It’s not an infomercial; it’s Twitter.

7. Lend a Helping Hand- Instead of constantly promoting yourself, lend a helping hand to some of your connections on Twitter. If you see somebody wrote a good post, do them the favor of Retweeting it. They’ll be appreciative, and it shows others you aren’t just in it for yourself.

8. Be a Resource- If you really want people to continue following you, make it impossible for them to leave by making high quality updates. Whether this is linking out to a great tool or article or simply giving a thoughtful opinion in a discussion, people won’t stop following someone who’s a great resource.

9. Stop Whining- Here’s a surefire way to start losing followers—constantly complain about your life. One of the best things about working from home is I don’t have to listen to people gripe all day about inconsequential things. No one cares if McDonalds messed up your order or if your boss is a jerk; stop whining!

10. Be Yourself- Yes, this sounds like something out of a cheesy motivational video, but it’s true. People follow you because they care what you think. Just be yourself, and people will respect that. It’s the only way you’ll truly stand out from the masses.

11. Don’t obsessively study guides to using Twitter.  (There are a lot.)  You’ll drive yourself crazy and waste valuable tweeting time

12. Don’t edit out your tweets about the weather.  I talk about the weather a lot.  It’s not deliberate, maybe it’s because I live somewhere wild and wet, but it’s a great ice breaker and way to get to know people in other parts of the world

13. Don’t edit out your tweets about what you’re eating.  You’re sure to find someone who’s interested in or revolted by your food choice, or needs a translation.  (Haggis, neeps and tatties anyone?)

14. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  You don’t need to know it all on Twitter.  Ask good questions and you’ll get a flood of witty, helpful responses in return

15. Don’t stick to one time of day.  Your Twitter stream will vary according to time zone, who’s awake, what kind of mood they’re in.   You too.  Experiment and see what suits you best

16. Don’t go so fast you miss your @ replies (replies sent to you).  Invest in replying to those who reply to you and you’ll start to make friends, not just pick up followers

17. Don’t follow people you think you ’should’ follow.  It’s pretty dull following a whole lot of social media A listers.  Twitter’s full of interesting, quirky people.  Leave room in your stream for people who aren’t ‘anyone’, just someone.

18. Don’t forget to share pictures.  People enjoy clicking on a link to a picture.  It’s quick, easy and doesn’t require any mental effort to read another blog post.  Plus it’s a great way to share another part of your world.

19. Don’t stick to talking about your core brand.  Share something of yourself.  Talk about things you’re interested in.  You never know where it might lead.  Apparently I’m to lead a Twitter class on beginner’s Gaelic.  What does this have to with this blog, with Confident Writing, with my professional reputation?  Not a lot.  With me? Mucho.

20.  Don’t worry about the numbers.  And don’t tweet about your numbers: it’s really not that interesting to anyone else.  Focus on the conversation.

21. Don’t worry about unfollowing people.  So what if they’re clocking your clicks with Qwitter?  We’re all following and unfollowing all the time.  It’s one of the reasons I like it: the realisation that there’s no such thing as Twitter because everyone is enjoying a different conversation with a different pattern of people

22. Don’t worry about leaving Twitter for weeks at a time.  ‘Twitter’ won’t care because Twitter doesn’t exist.  Most of the 100s of people following you won’t notice either way.  Your friends will – and will be glad to see you back.

23. Don’t forget to be yourself, whatever that means

24. Don’t think about the fact that the world can read your Twitter stream.  (You have remembered it’s open to all to read haven’t you?)  It might just cramp your style

25. Don’t thank your followers for following.  I mean really: how much effort does it take me to click a link on your name? I don’t expect thanks for following.  And I don’t expect you to mind if I click away later.

26. Don’t reread your own Twitter stream: it might scare you

27. Don’t post your Twitter stream to your blog.  Unless you’re stuck in broadcasting mode your stream will make no sense to readers of your blog.  It might just make sense to people following your stream, but it really makes no sense at all out of context.

28. Don’t try and follow all the links you find in your stream.  It’ll make your head explode. (Apparently Twitter serves up a new post every 2 seconds.)

29. Don’t broadcast all the time.  (It’ll sound like you’re not listening.)  Or reply all the time.  (It’ll baffle the people who follow you.)  Or try and find the perfect balance between the two. (You never will.)

30. Don’t follow my rules – or anyone els’es. But you might want to set some of your own.  (Mine are: Don’t talk about clients in an identifiable way.  Ever.  Don’t drink and tweet.  Don’t DM anything I couldn’t cope with others reading if something scary happened to the system.  Don’t be unkind.)

Thirteen ways that you will certainly say social media has helped my career :
 

Job hunting

1. Expand your network – Social networks like LinkedIN, Facebook and even Twitter are a fantastic way to get to ‘know’ people in your industry but it goes beyond that. Search out their blogs. Find relevant forums. Comment on their work and get to know them. Create your own high-quality, regular content and they will come to you, too.

2. Obtain references – More and more companies nowadays look online when recruiting. If your co-workers, clients or partners are on LinkedIN, ask them to write a recommendation for you. It reflects well on you and, if the recommendation matches the person, it reflects well on them too.

3. Own your online brand – Your homepage may be what Google says it is, and so is your personal brand. I went as far as re-locating this site from a different URL in order to reclaim the top spot when you search for “dave fleet.” What does that matter? Well, when a client recently Googled me when we proposed some social media work for them, they came back saying “you know your stuff” rather than “what do you know?”

4. Find jobs – Most jobs aren’t advertised – they’re filled through networking and recommendations. My job certainly wasn’t advertised – I got to know the team here at Thornley Fallis through social media tools and related events. When the time came for me to move, I already had that connection. Without that, I would likely not be in this job now.

5. Build thought leadership – By creating your own content, you can (over time) develop yourself as a thought leader in your space. (This one could fall under ‘job hunting’ or ‘job performance)

Job Performance

6. Stay on top of industry trends – If you haven’t already, get yourself a Google Reader account and search out the places where people are discussing your industry online. Subscribe to them and read voraciously. My number one tip for agency newbies was to “be a sponge” but that really applies to everyone.

7. Stay on top of breaking news – You can do more than just stay on top of your own job or industry through social media. Pretty much all of the major news outlets have RSS feeds; subscribe to them and set aside time to skim through the latest news each day. Read what’s relevant; discard the rest – the ability to filter out the noise is one of social media’s big benefits. On Twitter, subscribe to feeds like @breakingnewson and any media feeds that you like to stay on top of news by the minute

8. Demonstrate you’re on the leading edge – Whether it’s internally with your boss, co-workers and internal clients, or externally with suppliers, clients and stakeholders, knowing what’s going on will go a long way to improving your reputation. Staying plugged-in helps you get there.

9. Improve your productivity - I subscribe to a couple of hundred sites; I read about 40 on a daily basis (although a couple of them are aggregators). To go to each site individually and search for new content would take most of my day, and catching new posts as they come up throughout the day would be impossible. My RSS reader lets me get through it in a few minutes before work, during the day and in the evening. It’s a huge productivity boost for me.

10. Learn from others – One of the best parts of writing this blog, posting on Twitter, listening to podcasts and all of the other tools out there is that I get to benefit from other peoples’ experience and knowledge. If I’m not sure of an idea I’ll throw it out there for input. When I have an opinion, I let other people challenge it. In the end, I’m that much more sure of what I do and think because of the input of the social media community

11. Improve your writing – When it comes to writing, practice makes perfect. I’m told my writing has improved immeasurably since I started this site (although I still have a way to go). You simply can’t beat the benefit you get from editing your thoughts down to 140 characters for Twitter, or constantly structuring and re-structuring your thoughts as you write blog posts.

12. Become a better editor – In order to have good writing you generally require good editing. With social media, you rarely have someone else to do that for you so you’re forced to teach yourself.

13. Clarify your thoughts – Putting my thoughts, opinions and approaches to problems down on ‘paper,’ as it were, forces you to get your head around them. As a result, you’re more effective when confronted by those issues in your work.

When you’re writing your sales copy, this should be the guiding principle – so try this 12-point approach to structuring and polishing your message:

# 1  Define your audience

Whatever you’re selling, the worst thing you can do is assume your market is “Everyone”. 

Whittle it down to a group that shares a common interest or desire.  “People who breed budgies”, “Gaming enthusiasts””, “Parents who need reliable childcare” – these are specific niche markets who will share a problem or chase the same opportunity.  And that gives you something to latch onto in your copy.

# 2  Know their keywords

Once you know who your market is, do some further research.  How are they expressing their needs in Google, Yahoo and all?  If you log onto Wordtracker you’ll find all the most popular search terms – and chances are, you’ll find a cluster of keywords that your competitors have overlooked.  If you work these phrases into your copy, you can leap to the top of the rankings. 

Also, your research might show you other opportunities, like additional products or services you can sell to the same group of prospects.

# 3  Grab their attention

OK, so you know who you’re selling to and you know exactly what they’re after.  That should make it a whole lot easier to write some copy that gets their attention!

The best headlines serve a mix of self-interest and curiosity.  For self-interest, think how your product brings pleasure or fights against pain or anxiety.  For curiosity, think how you can tell half the story – just light the spark of self-interest and the reader will carry on…

# 4  Empathise

The made-to-measure suit is better than its off-the-peg equivalent, because we’d all rather have something that feels like it’s tailor-made.  So show the prospect that your solution is there specifically to solve their problem.  Show them you understand their worries and the challenges they face, then your product is more than a thing on the shelf: it’s a custom-made solution.

Remember though, empathy is about more than addressing your prospect’s concerns.  You have to speak in their language and adopt a sales style that suits their preference – not yours!

# 5  Get to the point – and stick to it

We’re a restless bunch when we get online.  There’s email and back buttons and other shiny things competing for our attention, so you have to make the connection early.  Then make sure you stay on track.  The blinkered horse always wins the race because he has fewer distractions – so don’t let your copy flit back and fore between one point and another.

# 6  Balance your keywords

The optimum keyword density is whatever it needs to be.  Enter your keywords into Google, then assess the top ranking sites through www.keyworddensity.com.  You’ll see the sort of density that you have to beat.

At the very least, you should place your keywords in your headline, sub-heads and browser tags, as well as the first few paragraphs of text.

But the golden rule with keywords is remember who you’re selling to.  Don’t be tempted to crowbar extra keywords in if it hurts the sales message – until Google spiders get credit cards, they’re not going to buy from you!

# 7  Make it scanable

Chances are, your prospects will read your headline and the first few paragraphs, then scroll to the end looking for a price.  Your goal is to send them back to the start so they take in the full sales message.  So:

- Make sure you put the most powerful words on the left hand side of the screen.  Words like “command”, “explore” and “discover” are more likely to excite your readers than purely functional words that fall randomly onto the page.

- Include a price, but make sure your readers have to look for it!  Don’t put it at the end – tuck it away in the middle, so they see more and more of your compelling message as they scan the page for details.

# 8  Build your credibility

Your prospects don’t know you from Adam, so show them testimonials – but not from ‘JK in Dorset’ or any of that twaddle!  Use real names with real photos or company logos if you’ve got them.  And show you’re genuine by offering a guarantee that gives you all the risk.

# 9  Give it – and take it away

Your mission here is to tantalise the reader as you put the product within their grasp.  Make it real.  Use descriptive language so they can touch it, feel it, taste it! 

Then take it away from them!

Remind them they haven’t got it yet and make them see how dreadful life is today!  When you create this sense of loss, they’ll want it all the more…

# 10  Force a reaction

Your prospect still has 2 questions: why you, and why now? 

Why you?  Because you’ll add some bonuses they’ll only get from you – things that don’t cost you much, but have a high value to the customer like a tip-sheet or custom report. 

Why now?  Well usually because stock is limited or the offer’s about to time out!  But make it believable – give a genuine reason why you can’t hold the offer forever.  If your core message is compelling, why would anyone risk it and wait?

# 11  Ask for the order!

No one is going to second-guess you, so when the time comes, be bold.  Tell the reader what to do next – they’re in foreign territory so naturally they expect to be led.

# 12  Make it easy to buy

Give a range of trustworthy options like Paypal and show your website’s security settings.  Most importantly, include a sales order line.  Only the big guys like Google and Amazon get away with hiding their phone number.

This blog post is by James Daniel, a professional copywriter and MD of EarthMonkey Media. 

7. Do not reply to spam e-mail. If you don’t recognize the sender, don’t respond. Even replying to spam mail to unsubscribe could set you up for more spam.
8. Create a complex e-mail address. With a complex e-mail address, it makes it more difficult for hackers to auto-generate your e-mail, send spam e-mail, or target your e-mail for other types of attacks. Make sure you come up with an e-mail address that you can easily remember. Try to use letters, numbers, and other characters in a unique combination. Substitute numbers for letters when you can. A sample complex e-mail is: Tracy3Socc3r2@samplee-mail.com.

9. Create smart and strong passwords. Make it difficult for hackers to crack your password. You can create a smart password by incorporating capital letters, numbers, special characters and using more than six characters. An example of a strong password is: Go1dM!n3.

10. Never enter your personal information into a pop-up screen. Sometimes a phisher will direct you to a real organization’s Web site, but then an unauthorized pop-up screen created by the scammer will appear, with blanks in which to provide your personal information. If you fill it in, your information will go to the phisher. Install pop-up blocking software to help prevent this type of phishing attack.

10 Tips for protect your-self in chat.

1. Don’t give out your identity

Every IM client asks you to create a screen name. A screen name usually refers to your email ID. Create a screen name which does not touch upon personal information or your real identity. For instance, my screen name is ‘Braniac’ and not ‘Saikat’. And NEVER provide any personal details including credit card numbers and social security number over the internet.

2. Don’t chat with people not on your contact list

Always vet your contact list with people whom you know something about. Talking with Mr. Anonymous at the other end of space may be fraught with risk. It is possible to discover your computer address (i.e. your IP) from an instant message and that usually is the first requirement for a remote hack attack.
Don’t believe everything you read and always verify any information or request for information.

3. Don’t click on spam links
   This is probably what you will be bombarded with first. A link tempts you to click it just for the lark. A lot of these links take you to websites which can install spyware stealthily on your computer. For e.g. Viruses and worms with colorful names such as W32.Yalove or W32/Spybot-MQ are potential threats to Yahoo users.
   Ignore them.
4. Don’t share files with your chat partner

An IM client like Yahoo allows P2P file sharing. Do not share unknown content even if the person is known. P2P files, like email attachments can carry viruses, Trojan horses, and worms. They are engineered to seed themselves to other members on your buddy list. Be especially cautious when someone sends you an .exe or a .zip file.

5. Don’t let potential hackers reach you

Yahoo has an Ignore user or Report as spam so that he can’t disturb you once again. GTalk has a Block user option. Using this option allows you to keep out the unwanted from repeatedly messaging you. The default security settings in chat software tend to be relatively lax. Thus making you open to attacks. Check the settings and preferences of your chat client to apply stricter permission controls.

6. Don’t Neglect Encryption

Most IM clients lack encryption features. That essentially means that your messages can be tracked and read by eavesdropping hackers using technologies like packet sniffers or similar ones. Passwords are also a security loophole with hardly any client using strong password encryption.
The subject of encryption and strong password protection would require another post by itself. So I hand you over to Tim’s excellent post on How To Secure & Encrypt Your Instant Messaging Chats. Here at MakeUseOf.com we have a lot of posts tagged as ‘passwords’. Why not take a look at ways to set strong passwords.

7. Don’t use an older version of IM – Update

IM client companies spend a lot of effort behind doors to prevent backdoor threats. Newer versions come with bug fixes and enhanced security. For instance, the latest version of Yahoo IM is better integrated with anti-virus solutions like Norton Internet Security and Norton Anti-Virus.

So, always update your IM client as soon as one becomes available. If the chat client does not automatically prompt for an upgrade, go to the website and check your version number with the latest available. You can note the version of your particular client by clicking on Help – About…

8. Don’t download third party plug-ins from unverified sources

A lot of third party plug-ins are available for download which enhance the chatting experience. It is safer and advisable to always download from the IM client websites themselves or from verified sources.

9. Don’t forget to log-out completely

It is an oft repeated habit to click on the [X] button and exit. But this action does not close our IM client completely. Most often, they continue to run in the system tray leaving it ‘open’ for a third person to access it. IMs also have a nasty habit of broadcasting your online presence even if left to run as a background task. Especially in public computers be mindful of logging out and exiting completely. Also, never click on any Remember My Password checkbox during log-in as an added safeguard.
Yahoo has an Ignore user or Report as spam so that he can’t disturb you once again. GTalk has a Block user option. Using this option allows you to keep out the unwanted from repeatedly messaging you. The default security settings in chat software tend to be relatively lax. Thus making you open to attacks. Check the settings and preferences of your chat client to apply stricter permission controls.

10. Don’t forget the value of a good browser, a good firewall and an even better anti-virus

Sometimes we will click a link; sometimes we will download a file. All the precautions in the world will not be able to protect us if we don’t have a secure browser, a good firewall and an anti-virus updated with the latest virus signatures. These three not only protect us from IM attacks but they are the must-haves for any system. Check out our recommendations for security programs in our article about Essential Security Downloads. Or check the MakeUseOf Polls to find out what’s more popular among MakeUseOf readers.

1. Evernote

You’ll never forget your thoughts and tasks if you use Evernote. This powerful application stores all of your information in your personal Evernote account and can be retrieved on the Web, on your desktop, and on your phone. To get your stuff into Evernote, create new notes using the desktop, Web, and mobile versions of Evernote; take a snapshot using your camera phone or webcam, and the app will recognize the text in the image; clip Webpages and screenshots; drag and drop content into the desktop clients for Mac and Windows; e-mail notes to your account; scan receipts, tags, and the like; and record audio wherever you are and listen to it later.

2. Remember The Milk

Whether your preferred method of receiving reminders is through e-mail, SMS, or instant message, Remember The Milk offers them all. This to-do list Web service lets you create as many lists as you like, share them with others, and tag them. Say you create a grocery shopping list and need to know if there’s a coffee shop near the grocer on your way home; Remember The Milk will locate where the store is and what’s around it by interacting with Google Maps. Besides using the Web site to send your reminders, you can also use the service through Google Calendar, Twitter, Google Gears, MilkSync for BlackBerry, and download it to the Apple iPhone for free.

3. Backpackit.com

Web-based organizational service that’s both straightforward and intuitive, letting you download calendars and share documents online. We like to think of the service as an online loose-leaf notebook that you can use whenever you please, inputting medical records, travel plans, school itineraries, social gatherings, and so on onto every page. When you sign up, you’ll create a username and password as well as a unique Backpackit.com URL for easy access to your Backpack pages. You can add as many notes and lists as you want to your page, and Backpack’s messaging service lets you schedule e-mail or SMS reminders to be sent out at a specific time or at a Backpack preset time.

4. Doomi

Doomi is a simple-to-use desktop app that takes little effort to set up. All you do is add a task in the form field and press Enter. Click on the clock icon on the ride side to remind you of the task at a designated time. When you’ve finished a task, mark the checkbox next to it. Before you install Doomi, you’ll need to download Adobe AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime): It’s a runtime engine for Windows, Mac, and Linux that supports rich Internet applications and allows an application to run without using a Web browser. That means you’ll be able to use Doomi offline, without running your Web browser.

5. Google Calendar

Organize your events and collaborate with others using Google Calendar. The application looks like a calendar, so all you do is click on which days you’d like to add your event or task. Then fill in the start time, end time, location, and description of your event, and set your desired notification setting, whether it’s by e-mail, text message, or a pop-up message on your computer. You can even send an invitation to your event, or information about your event, to others. Access Google Calendar on your mobile phone by pointing your browser to mobile.google.com/calendar.

6. ReminderFeed

Most reminder services alert you via e-mail and text message; but ReminderFeed delivers your messages right to your RSS reader. Just fill in the online form—including start date, end date, and description—and ReminderFeed will give you a feed URL that you can add to your favorite RSS reader. You’ll receive your reminder at the same time each day, which comes in handy for timely tasks such as picking up the kids from daycare or remembering a dinner date. Best of all, you don’t have to create an account, so just dive right in.

7. Toodledo

Never have to remember anything again with Toodledo. This online tool offers a “hotlist” where all of your tasks are permanently stored with due dates. Toodledo offers inline editing so that you can add, edit, and complete tasks without making the page reload. There are folders for organizing your tasks, a calendar for a visual presentation of your tasks due, and so much more. You can get Toodledo on your mobile phone, in your e-mail, on your calendar, in your RSS reader, via IM, and integrated directly into your Web browser. You can even print out a foldable booklet of all your tasks. Toodledo is now available for the iPhone/iPod touch.

8. Cozi

Designed specifically for families, Cozi is a free service that provides you and your family with everything you need to get organized. With the Family Calendar, all of your appointments can be color-coded by family member. You can build customizable lists to remember your grocery list, shopping list, chores, and more. Get appointment reminders by text and e-mail. Or send a quick message to your family from your family home page. Sign in to Cozi from your computer, phone (at m.cozi.com), or call Cozi toll-free to get your grocery list.

9. Jott

Not near a computer to create your to-do lists? Then you’ll want to use Jott for capturing thoughts, creating lists, and setting reminders—all by phone. Call 1-866-JOTT-123 to dictate your message, then say whether you want that message to be delivered via e-mail or SMS. Jott will capture your voice, turn it into text, and send it off. You can set Jott to remind you 15 minutes before a task needs to be started. Your notes are always available online at Jott.com in the Jott Express desktop tool, too. Download Jott to your Apple iPhone; it’s free for Jott subscribers and replicates most of the functionality in Jott’s call-in service.

10. Nozbe

Targeted at both individuals and businesses, Nozbe is a project-management and time-tracking application for those with a lot of stuff to do and no time to keep track of it all. Organize your tasks and notes into projects, ’star’ any task that needs to be done next, schedule appointments using the built-in calendar, and manage your Nozbe account on your iPhone, iGoogle, or Netvibes homepage, or even on Apple Dashboard.

Inkscape

An Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. Inkscape supports many advanced SVG features (markers, clones, alpha blending, etc.) and great care is taken in designing a streamlined interface. It is very easy to edit nodes, perform complex path operations, trace bitmaps and much more. We also aim to maintain a thriving user and developer community by using open, community-oriented development.

I am currently trying out Inkscape as a possible replacement for Illustrator and so far I must say I am very impressed.

Platforms: All

Download Inkscape

Skencil

Skencil is a Free Software interactive vector drawing appliction. Known to run on GNU/Linux and other UNIX-compatible systems, it is a flexible and powerful tool for illustrations, diagrams and other purposes. A somewhat unique (for a drawing program) feature of Skencil is that it is implemented almost completely in a very high-level, interpreted language, Python.

A few highlights of Skencil include:

• Bézier Curves
• Transformed text and images
• Bézier curves, rectangles and ellipses can be used as guides
• Gradient fills

Platforms: GNU/Unix

Download Karbon14

OpenOffice DRAW

As Karbon14 above, OpenOffice’s DRAW, that forms part of the OpenOffice.org package is an often overlooked application. “DRAW – from a quick sketch to a complex plan, DRAW gives you the tools to communicate with graphics and diagrams. With a maximum page size of 300cm by 300cm, DRAW is powerful tool for technical or general posters, etc.”

Platforms: All

Download OpenOffice DRAW

Sodipodi

Sodipodi is general vector illustrating application for Linux/Unix and Windows. It uses W3C SVG as native file and in-memory image format and can do many neat things. Sodipodi is not currently under development anymore but the code is still available from Sourceforge and if your needs are not great, then Sodipodi might just be the right fit for you.

Platforms: Linux, Unix, Windows

Download Sodipodi

If you are looking for some vector graphics that you can freely use and edit in these aplication you might want to look at the Open Clipart Library.

1. Ship shape with a defrag

Regular defragmentation helps to arrange data more efficiently thus making the hard drive work less to access the data. The quicker the moving hard drive works lesser is the load placed on the battery. Thus, your batter can last longer. The effect is minimal, but this efficiency goes hand in glove with hard drive maintenance.

2. Kill the resource gobblers

End the background processes that are not vital. Monitor the resource usage through a ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ which brings up the Windows Task Manager (in Windows). If you’re not on the internet, it is safe to shut down the immediate non-essential programs running in the taskbar like the antivirus and the firewall. Weed out unnecessary programs running as start-ups by launching the System Configuration Utility from Run – Msconfig – Tab: Startup. Uncheck the programs which you don’t want to launch and reboot the computer once.

3. Pause the scheduled tasks

It may be a defrag or a virus scan, but make sure it is scheduled for a time when you are near a power outlet. If not then nix them for the moment.

4. Unplug external devices

USB devices are the biggest drainers of battery power. Unplug all external devices like an external mouse, PC cards, Wi-Fi, external speakers, Bluetooth and even an attached iPod.

5. Empty the CD/DVD Drives

Even if you don’t intend to use it, don’t leave any CD/DVDs as leftovers in the drives. A spinning drive sucks battery power like a sponge.

6. Go local

Desist using the DVD/external drives while running on batteries. Shift the content to the hard drive or run using (free) virtual drives like Pismo File Mount or even Microsoft’s Virtual CD ROM Control Panel.

7. Lower the lights

The LCD screen of a laptop is another huge power sink. Calibrate the brightness to the lowest level you can tolerate using the Function key toggles or using the Display Settings applet in the Control Panel.

8. Kill the sounds

Mute the speakers and try avoiding the use of multimedia software to maximize the battery life. Installed sound schemes also drain a battery perceptibly.

9. Rid the screensaver

To maximize battery life by a little, switch off the screensaver.

10. Visit Power Options

Get familiar with power management through the ‘Power Options’ applet in the Control Panel. Both XP and Vista come with advanced power management features which shut off components like the monitor and/or the hard drive after specified intervals. This again depends on the chosen ‘Power Schemes’ (for XP) in the same applet. For instance in XP, ‘Max Battery’ under Power Schemes can be selected for maximum battery optimization.

11. Turn off the looks

Today’s OS’s like Windows Vista come with features like ‘Aero Glass’ which are resource guzzlers. One can turn it off and go for the ‘Classic’ appearance which consumes less power. In Vista, click on Desktop – Preferences – View Colour – Appearance – Classic Appearance and Windows Basic graphical interface. In XP it’s – Display Properties – Theme – Windows Classic.

Linux and even Macintosh are better optimized for longer battery life.

12. Hibernate is better than Sleep

In the Stand By mode (or sleep mode), the computer turns of the hard drive and the display but memory remains active while the CPU slows down. This draws on the battery. In contrast, hibernation mode is better because the computer saves the current state and shuts itself down completely thus saving power.

13. Get the most…work on the least

Working on too many programs while on the battery is a sure fire power drainer. Keep use of graphic intensive applications to a minimum. Working on a spreadsheet consumes much less than playing your favourite game. To increase the life of the battery open just one or two programs concurrently.

14. Ram in more RAM

Adequate RAM reduces the load on Virtual memory which by default resides on the hard drive. Though every extra bit of RAM uses up more power, it increases overall savings by short cutting access to the power hungry hard drive.

15. Keep it clean

A laptop with blocked air vents will generate more heat thus reducing the life of the battery. Clean the air vents regularly to keep operating temperatures low. Allow for open space around the vents for air to circulate freely. Keep the area around the laptop clean to avoid entry of dust.

16. Temperature is a silent killer

Undue heat kills off a battery slowly but surely. Avoid leaving the laptop under direct sunlight or inside a closed car.

17. Avoid the memory effect

A problem more for the older Ni-MH batteries than for Li-Ion batteries on which most modern laptops run. Memory effect relates to the loss of battery charge when they are repeatedly recharged after being only partially discharged. It can be prevented by discharging the battery fully and then completely recharging it. Li-Ion batteries on the other hand have no problems with partial discharges and re-charges and complete discharge is never recommended for this type.

18. Update software and drivers

This sounds a bit incongruous but then newer drivers and software are often designed to be more efficient (and hopefully less resource hungry).

19. Use the right adapter

Ensure that the adapter you use to charge the laptop battery is an original one or one with the correct specifications. A mismatch in the wattage could cause an overload thus damaging the laptop and the battery.

20. Pack it up

If you don’t plan to use the laptop on batteries for quite some time, ensure that the charge is nearly 40 percent – remove the batteries and store it in a cool place.

A typical lithium ion battery has an overall average life of 2-3 years. With some care and caution, its mortality can be delayed.

Have you found your own way to increase battery life of your laptop? Share the ‘life giving’ tips with us in the comments.

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