Allan Hoffman

I’ve been fascinated by the crowdsourcing trend, and I’ve even delved into it, using 99designs, a website for crowdsourced design (logos, business cards, etc.) for the logo for Web100. Now there’s crowdsourced writing. Yep, just as 99designs helps businesses set up contests for logos and whatnot, essentially getting people to contribute without any guarantee they’ll be the winner, crowdedtext sets up writing contests for press releases, slogans, and the like.

“Holding a writing contest is also a great way to find writers you want to hire in more official capacities, as you can see their writing style before investing too much time,” according to the crowdedtext site.

On pricing:

Listing your writing contest on CrowdedText is only $4.95. We also charge 10% of the prize you are offering as a prize handling fee. This is in place so both the contest holder and the winning writer do not have to worry about arranging payment.

Will this work for writing? I’m not so sure.

I have been writing a column about the web, Internet culture, and personal technology for The Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest daily newspaper, since 1995. The column often appears in other newspapers, such as The San Diego Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, The New Orleans Times-Picayune, The Birmingham News, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Seattle Times, and many others.

The column also appears online at NJ.com.

2010

Easy blogging tools, May 6, 2010

Going geek when you go outdoors, April 23, 2010

Video chatting is going mainstream, April 15, 2010

The iPad is a great device, but still a work in progress, April 7, 2010

Test-driving the iPad, April 3, 2010

Why you should buy a cheap computer, April 1, 2010

An iPhone camera addict is born, March 26, 2010

Journalism’s new story, March 19, 2010

The litl offers something new in family computers, March 4, 2010

The long view on URL shorteners, Feb. 25, 2010

Searching for the real Google, Feb. 18, 2010

Digital world extends books’ shelf life, Feb. 11, 2010

Apple iPad mania will grow as release nears, Feb. 4, 2010

Apple iPad is an iOpener, Jan. 28, 2010

Finding the key to free old files, Jan. 21, 2010

Lost in the Twitterverse? Here are a few guides, Jan. 14, 2010

Apple tablet rumors garner anticipation, Jan. 7, 2010

2009

Predictions and wishes for the new year, Dec. 31, 2009

Last-minute gifts are just a click away, Dec. 24, 2009

New phones could send computers to the trash, Dec. 17, 2009

An augmented reality: Shop until your phone drops, Dec. 10, 2009

Even with cloud computing, it’s important to back up your data, Dec. 3, 2009

The world of web startups—an alternate reality, Nov. 28, 2009

50 Fun Ways to Internet: How to Sign On, Navigate, and Explore the Net without Getting Lost in Cyberspace
Career Press
By Allan Hoffman

The book is a simple guide to exploring the Internet, highlighting the diversity of activities and information available online. Written in a conversational style, it’s a book for both newbies and more experienced Internet users seeking ideas for further exploration. Chapters are devoted to topics such as geneaological resources, sites for women, online auctions, role-playing games, and webzines. Published in 1995, the book was one of the earliest non-technical books about the Internet. A second edition was published in 1998.

NetGuide: Your Complete Guide to the Internet and Online Services
Random House Electronic Publishing and Michael Wolff & Co.
By Kelly Maloni, Ben Greenman, Kristin Miller, and Jeff Hearn

I contributed reviews of Web sites, newsgroups, and discussion forums to NetGuide and several other books in this series, including NetChat, NetSports, and NetTrek. My interview with J. Michael Straczynski, the creator and executive producer of “Babylon 5,” appeared in NetTrek.

Living Large: The Guy’s Guide to Getting Ahead, Getting It Right, and Getting by with Style
HarperCollins
By Randall Lane and the Editors of P.O.V.

I wrote quite a bit for P.O.V. magazine, and I contributed website reviews to the book.