creative briefing

User-generated content is not uncommon to websites today and its popularity has grown over the years with the public’s demand to have control and input over what they’re seeing on websites. Sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, and countless others will typically offer a form on the front-end of their website for users to submit content for immediate publishing, enhancing user interactivity and overall experience.

For WordPress users, this is usually a problem because the post and page-writing functionalities are hidden away in the back-end admin panel of WordPress. Not only that, but users are required to have a registered account before being able to access these functions. Add on the fact that logging into the admin panel exposes the user to a different interface and visual environment, and you’ve got yourself a bad user experience and little incentive for the user to want to submit content.

So how do you create a site that offers a usable front-end form that will allow users to publish content immediately onto your site while still taking advantage of the powerful publishing engine of WordPress?

This tutorial will break down one way of overcoming this obstacle using cantwaitforchristmas.com to illustrate examples.

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In my post about how to be a better creative writer I prescribed reading more as my #1 tip. And as I fully ramp up into my full-time entrepreneurship, one thing I’m really looking forward to is bulking up my RSS feeds on blogs and sites that surround marketing, design, and of course, entrepreneurship. Not only has frequent blog reading helped me to amass greater knowledge from those who know best, but it’s also helped me connect with like-minded individuals that inspire me with their perspectives on this glorious lifestyle we proudly share.

So as I grow my roster of feeds, I wanted to share with everyone some of my favourite blogs. If you’re an aspiring marketer, designer, entrepreneur (or all three), I recommend that you give these sites a read.

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For the site designer/developer/publisher, here are 99 common Mime Types to be used to aid you in implementing custom file extensions.

Click here to learn about how to use Mime Types to make custom file extensions.

99 Common Mime Types & Extensions

application/activemessage
application/andrew-inset
application/applefile
application/atomicmail
application/dca-rft
application/dec-dx
application/font-tdpfr pfr
application/java-vm class
application/mac-binhex40 hqx
application/mac-compactpro cpt
application/macwriteii
application/msword doc
application/news-message-id
application/news-transmission
application/octet-stream bin dms lha lzh exe
application/oda oda
application/pdf pdf
application/postscript ai eps ps
application/powerpoint ppt
application/remote-printing
application/rtf rtf
application/slate
application/wita
application/wordperfect5.1
application/x-bcpio bcpio
application/x-cdlink vcd
application/x-compress
application/x-cpio cpio
application/x-csh csh
application/x-director dcr dir dxr
application/x-dvi dvi
application/x-gtar gtar
application/x-gzip
application/x-hdf hdf
application/x-javascript js
application/x-koan skp skd skt skm
application/x-latex latex
application/x-mif mif
application/x-netcdf nc cdf
application/x-sh sh
application/x-shar shar
application/x-stuffit sit
application/x-sv4cpio sv4cpio
application/x-sv4crc sv4crc
application/x-tar tar
application/x-tcl tcl
application/x-tex tex
application/x-texinfo texinfo texi
application/x-troff t tr roff
application/x-troff-man man
application/x-troff-me me
application/x-troff-ms ms
application/x-ustar ustar
application/x-wais-source src
application/zip zip
audio/basic au snd
audio/midi mid midi kar
audio/mpeg mpga mp2
audio/x-aiff aif aiff aifc
audio/x-pn-realaudio ram ra rm
audio/x-pn-realaudio-plugin rpm
audio/x-realaudio ra
audio/x-wav wav
chemical/x-pdb pdb xyz
image/gif gif
image/ief ief
image/jpeg jpeg jpg jpe
image/png png
image/tiff tiff tif
image/x-cmu-raster ras
image/x-portable-anymap pnm
image/x-portable-bitmap pbm
image/x-portable-graymap pgm
image/x-portable-pixmap ppm
image/x-rgb rgb
image/x-xbitmap xbm
image/x-xpixmap xpm
image/x-xwindowdump xwd
message/external-body
message/news
message/partial
message/rfc822
multipart/alternative
multipart/appledouble
multipart/digest
multipart/mixed
multipart/parallel
text/html html htm
text/plain txt
text/richtext rtx
text/tab-separated-values tsv
text/x-setext etx
text/x-sgml sgml sgm
video/mpeg mpeg mpg mpe
video/quicktime qt mov
video/x-msvideo avi
video/x-sgi-movie movie
x-conference/x-cooltalk ice
x-world/x-vrml wrl vrml

The guys at FS have posted a great article on the 10 Essential Steps to Avoid Freelance Headaches. Don’t be fooled, their insight applies directly to entrepreneurs struggling to figure out where work ends and life begins on a day-to-day basis, too.

I was going to write an article on something similar, but this one hits the mark. #1 (find great clients), 6 (set aside designated time) and 10 (automate) are strategies I personally subscribe to. Check it out! It’ll help you save time, reclaim your life, and avoid the headaches.

A few things have caught my attention in recent days from the good guys at FreelanceSwitch. Just thought I’d share the love!

A Guide to Making Passive Income
Who likes making money? And who likes making money without having to do anything active? Thought so. Clearly the FS camp had similar feelings when they were producing notbythehour.com: a guide to making passive income. This goodie outlines the concept of selling stock, making stuff, selling subscriptions, and building a web business all in the name of earning a stream of passive income. The site even has quirky wallpapers (like the one you see above)! 
Check it all out here.

The 2007 Global Freelancer Survey
FS is taking the initiative to gather never-before-compiled statistics on the freelance industry, and leveraging its own massive community to get it done. The survey aims to compile the industry’s collective knowledge for the benefit of freelancers everywhere. This is a great way to benchmark your own standards to those of others sharing the market. Plus, they’re offering the [very valuable] detailed results of the survey to all those who participate, in addition to a random draw for some sweet prizes.
Read about it here.
Take the Global Freelancer Survey here.

Note: this isn’t a sponsored post! I have a great deal of interest invested into the freelance community, and while I’m not exactly a freelancer, I work with them enough to know a thing or two about the industry.

Update: this post has been getting tons of traffic ever since FS shared some link love. To the new visitors, I hope you’ll take some time to explore some of the other articles I’ve written.

Enjoy!