Tuesday, August 21, 2007

My Helium Articles

I posted more than a couple articles to Helium, which is a site that pays a (very) small amount of money to it's members based on how many page views your article receives.

In an effort to get my article views up, I have decided to post links to all of them here. Hopefully there will be something of interesting that catches your eye.

Are you bored of the same old sandwiches
Not everyone in my household has a microwave at work so I usually end up making sandwiches everyday. I have learned to be pretty creative with my s...

Has political correctness undermined free speech in the US?
Are you kidding me? I spent 5 years living in the States and, don't get me wrong I absolutley LOVED my time there but heard more politically incor...

How to make a Shirley Temple
A classic mocktail, one that most kids love (and adults, too, although we won't admit it in public) is the Shirley Temple. I serve this easy to mak...

How to spend wisely on holiday gifts
I would like to divulge a very personal and embarrassing secret about myself. A secret so incredible that even the most open minded of people whom ...

Teens and car insurance: Who should pay?
"Mom. I want my own car" One of the many sentences, uttered from your teenagers mouth with, the ability to inspire both fear and exhileration....

How to prevent indoor cats from scratching furniture
Preventing indoor cats from scratching furniture can be a frustrating - no - maddening experience! Even if you are lucky enough to catch Fluffy in ...

Boarding kennels: Pros and cons.
Most pet owners think very carefully about where and with whom they would like to leave their pets. Luckily there are many options to choose from a...

Road trip tales
My boyfriend and I were just two days into our two week road trip. Our plan was to drive through Alberta and British Columbia before crossing the b...

Ideas for great vacations
A great destination spot for families, couples, and international backpackers is Banff, Alberta. Located in Banff National Park, Banff is known as ...

How to save money while eating at great restaurants
Even those of us who are not flat broke find that it is wise to implement and carefully follow a budget. Budgets can help us pay off debt, save f...

Should girls be allowed in the Boy Scouts?
My younger brother is currently enrolled in Cubs. There are about four or five girls in his troop and one of his three troop leaders is a woman. I ...

Tips for using waste wool
There are several ways to use up waste wool but I would simply like to share my favourite tip. When I was a child, my grand mother would save al...

Is your trash can a treasure chest for identity thieves?
Can trash cans be a treasure chest for thieves? Let me answer that question with a short story. When I moved in with my boyfriend he had papers ...

Great ideas for fundraising bake sales
Bake Sales are a wonderful and traditional way to raise funds and community spirit. I have organized and implanted several bake sales and I can hon...

When and how to end a friendship
Breaking up with a friend is often more difficult and more emotional than breaking up with a partner. This is because romantic relationships fail m...

How to pamper your pet in style
After centuries of unwavering loyalty, affection and service, our canine companions are finally being awarded in the lavish manner they deserve. It...

How to cut food costs as a retiree
There are several ways for retirees to save money, some of them innovative and some more traditional. When trying to conserve cash, one of the firs...

Recipes: Your best invented dish
I absolutely love sushi. Unfortunately, it can be somewhat time consuming to make and rather expensive to eat at a restaurant. I created the recipe...

Deciding if a business degree is right for you
The decision to earn an undergraduate business degree did not come naturally to me, nor did it come over night. This is because I had never really ...

True gardening stories: My funniest garden experience
Having spent the better portion of my life living in an apartment in the city, I had absolutely no gardening experience whatsoever. This fact did n...

Smart spending vs. being a cheapskate: Tips for telling the difference
I love getting a good deal. Although I can be somewhat impatient when it comes other areas of my life, if it comes to getting a deal, I can be a ve...

I wrote tese articles for fun, really. More to stay in practice. Since I am writing them, though, I might as well share. Feedback is appreciated

8 comments:

agreenearth said...

You have written some great articles.

Nanette said...

Thanks green earth! I love visiting your site, you have some great articles (and artwork) there, too!

maria said...

Hello Nanette,

Was just reading some of your articles and thought they were pretty good.

One question here if I may, about Helium?

Do you find it complicated?
How do one gets rated on the articles?

Thanks,
Marie

Nanette said...

Hi Maria,

I don't think it is complicated. I just search the topics (titles) that interest me until I find one I feel like writing about. It is easy to submit the article if there is already a topic opened up.

If I have an article that I would like to submit but it does not fit a title that is already open, then it gets more complicated. I have to request that they start a new topic with my article. Sometimes they just put it under an existing category that I don't think fits well and it ends up making me look silly, or they come up with their own title and, again, I look silly. For example, I wanted them to start a "mocktail recipes and ideas" title and submitted an article for a Shirley Temple recipe and serving suggestions for parties. Instead they created a section and titled it "Shirley Temple Recipes"or something equally silly. Why on earth would we need a bunch of people submitting recipes for the same drink? I felt really dumb.

Sorry, I am digressing :)

They don't reveal their actual system for rating articles but after a writer submits an article, that author is asked to read and compare two articles on the same subject. I think how often your article is rated by others depends on how active you are on Helium and how much activity there is in your article's topic.

I think they also factor how many views your article receives into their rating system.

Johann The Dog said...

Wow, you've done a lot. We're gonna go take a look.

Woof, Johann

Nanette said...

Thanks Johann! it is appreciated. There are one or two dog related articles you might like!

Anonymous said...

Hi thanks for the links I'll be looking at your articles and will keep your profile link. I saw youre interested in keep fit you could visit my other blogs at http://www.blogchex.comn/urbancitycrew and http://cybercoolsnews.blogspot.com OH YES and heres my Helium profile if anyone wants to visit i've got lots of short articles on fitness, beauty, and music
http://www.helium.com/user/show/145397

maria said...

Hi Nanette,

Thanks for sharing your views on Helium.

You wrote a lot of articles, I'm on my way to read them.

Marie