What's new at EricBrooks.Com plus news and gossip all over CyberTown
Old posts here from 1998 – 2003. Frankly, I’m too lazy to sort them, and I don’t think anyone cares, really.
Hey New Yorkers! Before you jump for the bait at the too-good-to-be-true “Why-Rent” commercials you see on TV… you know, the one where Raintree Homes pays your rent until you’re ready to move to the Poconos???
Check out part two of Matt Birkbeck’s series “A Price TOO HIGH“… here and here…
Part three goes up today at www.poconorecord.com and then into a special section called “Special Reports” sometime today (details to follow).
Today was a very good day to come to work….
I have the pleasure of making sure Matt Birkbeck’s Sunday expose went up, in it’s entirety, without a hitch. It’s the story of a man named Hugh Robinson , who is on the verge of losing his home to forclosure as a victim of “predatory lending” and bloated appraisals. An all-too-common practice with the home builders in the Monroe County….
Sounds like anyone you know?
This story is aready blowing the lid off the Poconos… by Monday the D.A.’s office will be pandemonium!
I’m busy redesigning this site… go away. While I’m toiling away for the next week or so, (plans include rotating banners of friend’s sites, email lists of the updates here, database-driven download sections, the death of a weblog…blah blah blah) here’s what YOU can be doing:
While continuing the meme of nostalgia and blogiversaries… Archaeologists have uncovered the earliest version of WHUZZUP! on the web, and it turns out that WHUZZUP! is three years old this month….. really.
PS: I should warn you ahead of time, my old domain www.eroxgraphix.com was recently taken over by CyberPorn.Org… :0)
Congratz guys! (I’m sure my wedding invitation was lost in the mail or something….) :0)
For all the work 123 hosting put in to make this site look like MetaFilter… you’d think someone would have the talent to make a more original site. Holee cow….
Tell 123 hosting what you think….
PS: For anyone that cares… Carole is home safe & sound.
Good Call! – Lucid Confusion’s Bluzz of the Week is Alwin Hawkins’ “View From The Heart“. Great site. Al tells it like it is, and with a sense of perception and sympathy that very few people can pull off. In a recent email to him I thought the quote from “Titanic” fits him best:
“You have a gift … you SEE people…”
It’s a great weblog…. Check it out
After much deliberation (and the kids seeing there’s costumed characters), I guess the Tribe Called Brooks will be making a cameo appearance at Expo 2001 at East Stroudsburg University tonite.
The Pocono Record has a booth there (Which I did an all-nighter making a digital presentation about all the site has to offer for businesses.). Think I’ll go & bust my boss’ chops. :0)
I’ll be the guy who looks like walking death…
Erika will be signing autographs.
Now *THIS* is what I call constructive criticism, and I truly appreciate it. I *DO* feel like I need to explain some things, okay? Recently some asshole decided to ruin my day with (not one, but) two emails… because I was shooting my mouth off here on this site, and he felt it was his God-given right to tear me apart, and take me down a few pegs. So I came off looking like a total dick who can’t take criticism.
That’s not the case. It’s personal attacks & cheap shots that I can’t take.
I wish I was the kind of lowlife that would publish someone’s email online without permission. You’d see why I was livid.
Before I go, dear CyberPals…. please understand that this design was not my first choice. I’m happy with it, but I thought I offered a lot more smarter, faster-loading designs. Also understand that *I* don’t have the final say on what goes on the page. I have to answer to several departments….
You would be amazed with how much I agree with Patti, but unfortunately, my hands are tied. They think that if you bombard people with banner ads, they’ll generate more revenue….
You and I both know that isn’t true.
Anyway…. here goes.
“You asked for it, you got it – my sorry, poor, (and possibly talentless) freelance opinion”
Patti, you know damn well you’re talented. Don’t even try it. ;0)
Can somebody please tell me what I said about “freelancing” that has pissed so many people off??? I can’t support my family on it. I’m sorry. Name anyone who is (without writing books, or having a regular day job, etc), can pay a mortgage and feed five kids, and I’ll shut up… okay?
Does everybody there own a cable modem? I hope so. Load time @ 52k took a while.
The site is Waaaay to graphic-intensive for my taste, too. Definitely not my choice. They all view it with their T1 connections at work, and say “it’s fine”…. so far no one has complained, probably because it loads just as slow as the old site.
As many variations on the color of blue as there are animated images?
I thought all of the pages should be white….they (both bosses) wanted *EVERY PAGE* blue…. try and imagine that. I’ve also made non-animated banner ads, but all of the advertisers want them animated. And, well….what the sponsors want….
Bright red over bright blue? Um, ok.
I think the site would do better with a variety of different colors. While researching, I found most credible news sites have a red, white and blue theme…. it would work if the page was white.
I’m going to give you this one freebee: Newspaper = Headlines. If you have to TELL people where to go to find them, you’ve not thought this through.
Get in line behind me, the editor, the publisher and the 400 emails a day from people pissed off that the news isn’t right on top. I’m getting a bum rap here. This is the original splash page of The Pocono Record… do you have any idea how many phone calls I got a day from people who couldn’t find the news???? Since the redesign, the hits have tripled and the online ad sales have doubled. If I had my way, ads would be strategically placed in areas where people actually *want* to go, and *THEN* I predict sales would go off the charts, and the website would probably generate more revenue than the newspaper itself.
But they don’t want to hear it.
Why yes, let’s link to other newspapers on the main page. Send them away as soon as they get there! Great idea!
Uhmm…. I’m lost there. What other newpapers? The Pocono Record also publishes the Pocono Property Showcase, Eastern Pocono Community News, Pocono Weekend, and Scholastic Sports (and three guesses who hand codes most of them all week?) The Wire is generated through our AP servers every fifteen minutes.
Pretend I’m a novice web user. If I want to print a story from the {frames} website, I should…… ? Riiiight. Riiight.
Welllll….. frames aren’t exactly my first choice either. But to generate the website twice a day as single web pages will require me to re-write most of a 24MB macro template, then re-code almost four years of archived articles. And I find most people know how to right click and open a page in a new window. I will consider a “Print this article” link in the near future though. That’s actually a pretty good idea.
…you might find some tips in structure and design that will save your ass from getting fired next week. 😉
Au contraire…. following my instincts, or making any of the above changes will get my ass fired. It’s a very hard and frustrating job. They loved the look of the new site (as do the advertisers)… that was never the reason for the delay.
I know I have great ideas, and I can make that site rock…
But some things are out of my hands.
Or do I have to drag Zeldman in here to explain this to you kiddies?
Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are solely those of Eric Brooks. They do not necessarily reflect those of his employers, friends, contacts, family, or even his pets (though my cat, Puddy, seems to agree with me on many key issues.). In accordance to my terms of use, you hereby acknowledge my right to psychoanalyze you, practice accupuncture, and mock you incessantly with every visit. As the user, you also acknowledge that the author has been legally declared a "Problem Adult" by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and is therefore not responsible for any of his actions. ALSO, the political views and products advertised on this site may/may not reflect the views of Puddy or myself, so please don't take them as an endorsement. We just need to eat.
