Google Labs?

Thought this might be of some use to some of us on Wondir. Seems Google.com, the world's BEST search engine is working on tons of little surprises for us. Check it out and see whats coming.


http://labs.google.com/

Handling Teen and Preteen Posts

Wondir Teens and Preteens:
Handling Questions From Kids Online

If you have spent anytime at all on Wondir, then you have seen many posts made by some of our most regular users. Wondir has a large following with the teen and even preteen sect. And answering questions from them can be most challenging!

Most of the time handling these questions is simple and straight-forward, you simply do their homework for them ;)

But seriously, the teens and preteens that frequent Wondir are usually looking for a few things: homework help, relationship advice with their boyfriend/girlfriend, advice about problems at home, or, and worst of all, issues involving abuse or violence, either in the home or at school.

The homework issue is easily solved by either ignoring it, telling them to google it, or answering it straight out. A simple answer is all that is needed in most cases. Some homework questions take a little time to research and in the upcoming posts I hope to cover a few of the many sites available to us to help the kids get that A+ they deserve for having the brains to come to us, mostly ADULTS, first! (Easy there, just kidding, I hope they have tried to find it on their own, but that’s another blog altogether…)

The second issue gets a little fuzzy at times because you only have one side of the story and that is the only side you will most likely get. My advice, and it is only that: advice. Is take it at face value, states that “if what you say is true I would………” and leave it at that if there is no follow-up posts. If there are follow-up posts then run with it as the lead on the question, especially if they WIM you. Be clear and concise, use common sense (the thing we all wish our parents had used when we made that awful mistake of asking them dating questions when we were kids….*shudder*). Don’t lie, or sugar-coat it and say “It will all work out in the end…….”

Kids and teens don’t want to hear that line of *cough*BS*cough* anymore then we would if we asked a question. They want real advice, like how you felt when this happened to you, what you did, how it worked, what you would have done different if you knew than what you know now…

Face it, kids today are a lot more advanced than we were at that age, this ain’t the 70’s no more Toto (reference to the DOG and NOT the group!!, I’m MUCH too young to know that there was a group called Toto….) *sigh*

Kids today are smarter than we were back then, smarter then most of us are today. They’re hipper to the cool things, more technologically advanced than 99.5% of us are today, they cut through the bull like it’s not even there, they have no respect for you just because you are older….today you EARN that respect, and that’s a long hard row to hoe!

For now my best advice is…

Treat the kids as equals, talk to them like they are adults. They like that and respect you for it. And to tell you the truth, in today’s world, they deserve it MOST of the time. I’m not saying you have to take abuse from ANYONE on Wondir…that’s what the moderators are there for! Call one of us (yes, I’m a moderator if you didn’t know by now).

A simple post to “Attention Any Moderators: So and So is getting out of hand at post (give category and time if possible, post topic always helps us). We’ll be glad to help and “handle the problem” if we see it as a problem. Some mods are more liberal than others with kids, God knows I am, so forgive me ahead of time if I don’t think a kid is getting out of line, but just exerting his First Amendment Rights to call you a butt-head if you’re being one. ;)

In closing this epistle, “Whosoever takes care of these little ones, so shall My Father take care unto you….” (I know I’ve heard that somewhere before….)

3-D mapping makes Google search more exciting

Here's another Google story that I'm sure will e of use to Wondir Users, eventually. Given that everything Google does has a unique purpose, I can't wait to see what transpires from this one.


http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/3368.html

What Makes Wondir Tick?

What Makes Wondir Tick?

Behind every success story lies two things: the brains to get it off the ground and flying, and the heart that keeps it flying.


Wondir.com has both of these.


The brains behind Wondir are the people that work behind the scenes, people we rarely see or hear from (all of whom I’m sure are underpaid, but who isn’t these days?)


But what really makes Wondir keep flying are the users, the regulars, the people answering the questions. People like you and me who go to Wondir on a regular, if not daily basis, to lend a hand and help some people out.


It might be answering homework questions, looking up web pages, giving fashion advice or providing the much needed shoulder to cry on. And, to me, this is what Wondir is all about.

It’s the daily give and give some more that makes Wondir special. Anyone can pay $2.50 per answer at Google Answers and HOPE to get a reply in a few days, but that’s only for researchable things like “What is the theory of relativity?”


What about those questions that need a personal touch? What about the personal issues that nobody wants “an expert” to talk to about? Those questions are the ones that Wondir handles best. The personal life issues that touch the hearts of those involved, even if they are only involved by giving time to read the story and time to type a response. A child’s plea for help, an addicts desire to stop, a depressed persons reason not to kill themselves.

These are the questions that no Google Expert can answer at any price, and certainly not for $2.50 a pop.

To me, it is the human value that matters on Wondir, what good is answering a thousand questions a week if you haven’t made a difference? We can all answer the question “What is the name of the person who gives a horse a manicure?” (HUSH YOU!) (Yes you know who I’m talking too…..)


But do you realize how many lives you can touch with a kind word, a well thought-out response? I see this happen time and time again on Wondir everyday. Someone willing to reach out to another human being (bean?) and just LISTEN…


That’s one of the Keys To Wondir (to be discussed at a later date)! Listening…
The simple feat of opening your ears, shutting your mouth and thinking about what is being said, or in Wondir’s case typed.


So to sum it all up…


What makes Wondir Tick?


You do! The average user who takes a little time out of their day to answer a few questions, to lend a hand and most importantly to LISTEN. We’re the driving force behind Wondir, forget the stars, the rankings, the ratings…


It’s about more, much more than that, its all about the answers, the lives touched and the happiness we can bring. It’s ALL about the CARING!


After all, just how many Wondir coffee mugs and T-Shirts do we really need? (T-Shirts available from BondHunter at only $99.99 plus shipping and handling of course….yes it’s a joke!)


Want to see a topic discussed? Got a column you’d like to have published here? Got a gripe? Email me directly at BondHunter@gmail.com and I will reply. Make sure the Subject of your email includes the word WONDIR or WONDIR Blog so I know where you are coming from. I get over 300 spam mails a day and never see one…gotta love gmail!

What Is Wondir?

Wondir.Com: Fast Answers, Personalized!

With the advent of the Internet, people expect things fast, usually faster then they get it, but still fast in their eyes. Unless you are still using dialup. *Sorry you 56k buffs!


What we hope for today is decent bandwidth, an accurate set of search results and Lady Luck on our sides. Between the pop-ups, spy ware, ad-ware and viruses…chances are slim. And God forbid you are looking for advice, a personal touch or someone just to talk to about a problem. After all, just how much can you trust “JoeSomeone5@yahoo.com“?


But today you have an alternative. You have Wondir!


The website, http://www.wondir.com/, is manned by people who have a unusual knack for answering questions. Be it through links off of http://www.google.com/ or from their own personal experiences, the regulars and the moderators of Wondir seem to really want to help you. And on today’s Internet, that in its own right, makes it leagues above the rest.


After posting a few questions on Wondir back late last year, I decided to join the Wondirful community that I found there. People who are more caring than almost any professional that you would pay top dollar for, more determined to find you an answer and willing to cut through the bull and tell you how it REALLY is. The old “time to piss or get off the pot” applies well to Wondir.


No one is going to sugar-coat it for you at Wondir. They cut through the what-ifs, but-what’s and the usual complaints of “I’ve tried that, it didn’t work” But they do it with style and finesse, caring and sharing, and a true heart-felt feeling that you can really rely on what this person has to say. You know that you’re talking to someone who knows what they’re talking about.
You also need to recognize from the start that the people that are regulars and moderators at WonDir are not professionals, they are just regular folk like us, but they feel compelled to reach out to help people in bad situations, looking for information or just looking to talk to someone about a personal problem.


The regulars of Wondir are the same people you work with, play with, go to school with, even invite over to dinner. From 8 to 98, the regulars all perform their jobs well, some better than others, as rated by the rating system that Wondir has implemented and the fact that they have been on Wondir for a decent amount of time, provided accurate information and been proven trustworthy.


The bad side has to do with sites that Wondir links to and whose users are allowed to post, semi-anonymously, to Wondir. A problem I’d like to see fixed shortly. And the only reason I had for detracting points from my rating of Wondir.


On the scale of 1 to 10, Wondir for all its hard work, dedicated “non-employees” and general good will towards man….rates a 9.5 out of 10.0.


They would have scored higher if not for the fact that their link back system to other sites allowed a banned (read abusive, vulgar, nasty mouthed, thick skulled DUMBO) to sign up (or not) for another account and have free access yet again. As a moderator I have had to ban people several times to finally get them to GO AWAY! But, I’ve found each and every Moderator willing to go that extra mile to see that the site is safe for all.


For its little flaws Wondir is someplace that feel is unusually safe for kids, including mine to hang out and help others, get advice and sadly chat (Chat? What is THAT?)


If I have to send my readers someplace that I trust, with people I can trust and care about, than my Golden Bond Award would have to go to www.wondir.com


I feel safe having my children ask things there, though I have warned them of “Internet Idiots” and have shown them how to ask and how to phrase their questions. And, in reviewing the results I’m over 99% happy with the Wondirful job that the Wondirful “VOLUNTEERS” at http://www.wondir.com/ do.


My advice, which is often given and quoted on Wondir, is “Be Safe, Be Happy, But MOST OF ALL…..BE YOURSELF!


And Wondir is the place you can “be all you can be” . Ask what you need, give what you can and enjoy the Internet with PERSONILIZED service. But be patient, there’s only so many of us out there that are answering the majority or the Q’s. So if things don’t happen in 2 minutes, stay on, ask a few minutes later, or better yet, answer a few Q‘s yourself. Eventually you’ll find the answers you are looking for.


For all the regulars, the moderators, the staff at Wondir.com….My hat’s off for a job done WONDIRfully!!! Bond Rating 9.50 out of 10.00!!! In other words…a WONDIRful job!!!

Welcome To BondHunter's Guide To Wondir