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  Saving photos. Recording thoughts. Swapping stories. The Internet has given the world a tremendous opportunity to communicate. So much so that many teenagers are creating weblogs (or blogs) to share life experiences and host online conversations with people around the world. It's a phenomenon that encourages individual expression, creativity and communication. Everything from photo albums and scrapbooks to journals and websites have proven effective forms of what the folks at Trendwatching.com have dubbed Life Caching. This art of collecting, storing and displaying favorite moments has inevitably taken a digital turn and launched the latest online trend called blogs. What's a blog? According to Blogger.com, "a blog is your easy-to-use website, where you can quickly post thoughts, interact with people and more." You can fill it with photos, words, links, whatever. And best of all, you can create a blog for free. Much like reality TV for the Web, blogs have become a great environment for people to share life experiences. Aptly named for their original purpose — to log what's going on around the Web — blogs have been around a while. It's only recently that they've been seen as highly efficient ways to communicate. A blog is whatever you want it to be. There are blogs that serve as travel logs or parenting journals, some are simply daily ramblings of what's happening in someone's life. You'll also find a lot of blogs created as forums for politics, religion or pop culture. If you'd like to enter the world of blogging as a spectator, start by downloading a FREE blog reader at ProjectDU.com. ProjectDU, from the SBC family of companies, comes preloaded with some of the best music, sports, entertainment, travel and gaming blogs on the Web. Plus, it's customizable so you can build your own channels and add new blogs.
Get your blog rolling To see if blogging is for you, visit some of the following sites. They'll not only share publishing tips and templates, but also give you a chance to start your own. Even if you've already got a blog, you might want to kick it up a notch with moblogging. This site demonstrates how a gadget-minded blogger uses the power of technology — specifically, a mobile camera phone — to create on-the-go content updates. With a fresh, new image and simple text message, you can quickly give your blog a mini-makeover.
Beyond the blog You may already be Life Caching and not know it. By definition, scrapbooking qualifies — including the most traditional, paper-and-glue scrapbook. It's a classic example of gathering memories to be shared with others. And the resources you'll find online to support this pastime are staggering. Getting started For those who love it, scrapbooking is far more than dressing up a photo album with paper, stickers and ribbons. Yes, that's part of the fun, but it's also about creating a showcase for your favorite pictures and memorabilia. If you're new to the hobby, Scrapjazz.com, a scrapbooking megasite, should be your first stop. Full of valuable information and links to everything scrapbooking, you're sure to find what you need. You might also visit Scraptutor.com or gather ideas from fellow scrapbookers on a message board at Yahoo! Groups. The scrapbooking section on About.com can also highlight the basics, provide tips for creating a brilliant title page and point you in the right direction for online support and resources. Can't find the supplies you need? The nice thing about shopping online for supplies is you can find bargains on items like 12x12 paper, ribbon or other embellishments. But it may take a few days for your order to arrive, so plan ahead. These online stores can get you started: Go digital Want to create a digital scrapbook? websites like Computerscrapbook.com and Digitalscrapbookplace.com not only offer ideas for ways to capture your memories online, but also have interactive courses and tutorials to get you started. You'll find downloadable backgrounds, fonts and even e-kits that include everything you need to publish your creation. Picture this Photo albums are another popular way to store and display your favorite pictures. Plus, it's easier to share your photos when they're organized. And thanks to digital technology, there are digital photo albums that make sharing your photos a snap - even with those who live three states away. Whereas digital scrapbooks dress up photos with creative borders and embellishments, online photo albums keep it simple. Think of them more like virtual shoeboxes for your photos. You can save pictures to the site, organize them, add captions and send everyone a link so they can see what you've been up to. A fun place to start an online photo album is Yahoo! Photos. When you sign up, you can:
What's a digital archive? Do you have too many boxes of old photos at home? If so, it's probably time to transfer your pictures to digital storage solutions, like CDs, DVDs or even the handy USB flash drives that are no bigger than a pack of gum. With the proper equipment and know-how, you can even create your own digital archive. Most of the larger office supply stores, like CompUSA, Staples or Office Depot, carry basic imaging software, scanners, CDs and DVDs. And the USB flash drives are available at electronics stores such as BestBuy. If you're ready to go digital, but want to call in the professionals, you'll find a number of sites that offer services to preserve your old photos, movies and memories: Photos, shmotos Rather than taking photos, a lot of people would rather paint a picture using words. If that's you, there are plenty of image-free ways to begin Life Caching. Online journals provide writers an outlet for creative expression, personal thoughts and storytelling. Plus, when you publish online, it's easier to update and share with friends and family. For a comprehensive guide to writing and reading online journals or diaries, go to Diarist.com. Other sites that may help open the pages of your online journal include Diaryland.com, Opendiary.com or Deardiary.net. Memories are how we replay our personal histories to ourselves. Like so many other things, technological developments have made it much easier for us to communicate. Why not share your memories (or make some new ones) by creating your own form of Life Caching? You're sure to enjoy the process, and future generations of your family will enjoy the outcome. *Prices subject to change. For full terms and conditions of this offer, please click on the "high-speed Internet," "digital satellite TV" or "Cingular Wireless®" links. **Subscription to MySBC eBill is not required for use of automatic bill pay or making payments via the www.sbc.com website. Information or reference to any third-party products/services or third-party websites is provided as a convenience for our up2speed® newsletter subscribers. SBC companies assume no responsibility for, and do not endorse, any of these third-party products/services/websites. All questions pertaining to these products/services/websites should be directed to the third-party vendor. |
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