WordWeb 6: Do yourself a big favour and download

This excellent desktop Dictionary and Thesaurus is something that I have used all the time since 2000 - something that has helped me tremendously with my work and when writing Usenet and blog posts and comments.

And whenever someone asked me how they could improve their English, WordWeb is one of the things that I'd insist they download and use. So why shouldn't you when it's also free?

However, there's a condition - it is free "only if you take fewer than three flights in any 12-month period (i.e. at most one return flight per year). If you fly more than this you must purchase WordWeb Pro to continue using the software after 30 days."

How would they ever know if you were to lie? They won't, of course. But you'll just have to live with the fact that you are a liar... and it doesn't matter if you wear a kupiah, jubah, has a goatee and is a haji three times over.

There's now a new version - Version 6 - that came out less than 24 hours ago. I'm surprised with one thing though - it's now a 17MB file, which is a hefty increase over Version 5 which was only around 5MB.

There's a Pro version too, which has more features than the free one, of course. There are different `bundles'  or packages that start from RM69. However, if you really want the whole shebang, then it's at RM209.

Actually I should just bite the bullet and go for the "Pro-Plus-the-Kitchen-Sink" version considering that I'm writing for a living, and this should rightly be regarded as a tool and a necessity. However, I'll have to take a deep breath first before I'd cough out RM200-plus for software. And getting cracks and keygens just doesn't seem right since I could afford it... Ah, well - I'll just use the freeware version for the time being.

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Blog, Twitter & Facebook: Najib’s foray into social media

“Najib joins Facebook”, reads the RSS from New Straits Times.

“So what? Facebook isn’t something new. It’s so… 2008”, some might scoff. You know this type – the thinks-being-cynical-is-cool, smart aleck type.

So what if it’s 2000? Or Zaman P. Ramlee? If something has the potential to bring positive effects, it should be lauded. Or if you don’t want to, just shut up.

One thing I like about the Prime Minister is that he makes an attempt to utilise social media into his everyday governmental life. He had started with the blog when he was Deputy Prime Minister. And then he went on Twitter. Yesterday, he decided to be more active with Facebook. Twitter and Facebook – these are the top two among the social media category (click on the image or here to go to Najib’s Facebook page)

From my own 15 months usage of Facebook, I can attest here that there are a lot of good things about it. The most important is, you can build relationships… meaningful ones. But, like relationships offline, it depends on you the individual, to make these work and prosper. 

But what has this to do with Najib?

It's this: Your participation at his page might be the closest you'll ever get to delivering your message about things. Through Facebook, you get direct access to him. Of course, whether he reads your comments and messages is another matter. But don’t let this discourage you from trying.

So, rather than raising your voice and getting hoarse at the coffeeshop to stress your point about “what’s wrong with the country”, banging the table and uttering obscenities (and adding to your blood pressure, while not hurting Najib one bit) why not try to engage his attention and deliver your opinion IN A CIVIL MANNER? And at appropriate moments? Maybe we can make some difference through Facebook.

Or do you still think being cynical and pessimistic makes you look cool? Cool kepala bapak…

Technorati Tags: Malaysia,Najib,Twitter,Facebook