Hi. I'm Newley Purnell. I cover technology and business for The Wall Street Journal, based in Hong Kong. I use this site to share my stories and often blog about the books I'm reading, tech trends, sports, travel, and our dog Ginger. For updates, get my weekly email newsletter.
Mitchell Harper provides some good Web design usability advice in “Diary of a Webmaster Part 1–My Site Design Checklist.” I disagree, however, with Harper’s argument that links to other Web sites should open new browser windows.
Here’s a fascinating story about a section of India’s west coast where young Israelis vacation. The article’s called “Toe Rings, Rave Music and India (Just for Israelis).”
Here’s an instructive guide to getting Web sites listed in human-based directories like Yahoo and the Open Directory Project.
More on email newsletters: A helpful visual–“Anatomy of an e-newsletter.”
Here’s a good article on pitfalls to avoid when publishing an email newsletter.
In their excellent Circuits section, the New York Times is running an article about refurbished computer hardware, which can be a good option for small organizations with limited budgets.
In Salon.com, Amy Standen writes about Truman Capote’s groundbreaking novel “In Cold Blood.” Though I disagree with the parallel Standen tries to draw between Capote and Perry Smith, one of the murderers he portrays in the book, this is an excellent look at Capote’s sizeable contributions to journalism and literature.
Goma, Congo is returning to “a nervous kind of normal” after a deadly volcanic eruption.
Seth Godin’s new book, “The Big Red Fez: How to Make Any Web Site Better,” is an entertaining treatise on the importance of user-centered Web design and Web marketing.
Last May, on the anniversary of Bob Marley’s death, NPR’s Tom Cole reported on the reggae star’s impact on the music world. Cole’s audio piece is available via this page.