[Note from the Proprietor: In case you're wondering what it's all about, well, we're smack in the middle of BLOGAPALOOZA! Hey, you're welcome to join in the fun if you like! All ya gotta do is click that cute little link and read all about it!]

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Guest post by Alina Popescu who writes over at Words of a Broken Mirror

January – How to handle being under-appreciated (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/01/12/how-to-handle-being-under-appreciated/#more-110)

This has been a quite difficult lesson to learn. But after finally accepting how I felt and the fact I deserved much better, it completely changed my life. I started working towards turning my dreams into reality and it worked. So far

February – How thorough are you when you check trackbacks? (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/02/25/how-thorough-are-you-when-you-check-trackbacks/)

I got introduced to the misuses of trackbacks and thought to share my findings to help other bloggers keep spammers away.

March – Linux, the best way to increase girls’ sexiness factor (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/03/26/linux-the-best-way-to-increase-girls-sexiness-factor/)

This was my first “big hit” post. It was a half funny, half ironic piece based on my own experience with working in a Linux-man’s world. I had loads of fun writing it and it brought me about 12,000 visits.

April – What trying to convince boys to let me play football taught me (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/04/24/what-trying-to-convince-boys/)

A lesson of persistence, the coolness factor, being able to give people what they need, and of times and perspectives changes, all through the eyes of a little girl trying to play football with the guys. That’s soccer for all you Americans

May – Chicago, ISPCON and my first American Experience (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/05/27/chicago-ispcon-and-my-first-american-experience/)

May was the month of my first business trip to the US. I visited Chicago, New York and Washington, fell in love with Manhattan (typical, I know). I learned a lot more about trade shows, met some very interesting people and fell on my knees just in front of Central Park. That’s how I also found out a Frappucinno did wonders with scratches and bruises  :D

June – Don’t submit but do vote! (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/06/10/dont-submit-but-do-vote/)

That was the month to explore the gray areas of social news/bookmarking sites and deciding the “don’t self-submit but do self-vote” rule was of no real interest to me. I still judge submissions by their value, not by who submitted the story in the first place.

July – First Rule of Personal Branding: Believe in yourself (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/07/01/first-rule-of-personal-branding-believe-in-yourself/)

Before thinking of promoting your personal brand, you have to fist believe in that brand yourself. Otherwise, no matter how good you actually are, people will still be influenced by your own self-doubts. I learned that one should never be surprised of great feedback from others when it’s well deserved.

August – Cell phone producers and missed opportunities (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/08/12/cell-phone-producers-and-missed-opportunities/)

Opportunities to help your customers and make more money in the process should never be missed. This post focuses on one of the many opportunities big businesses sometimes slip through their fingers.

September – And they still sell them! (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/09/17/and-they-still-sell-them/)

There has been quite some talk about differentiation and how ignoring it can harm a company. Well, being different sometimes means doing things differently, not coming up with a completely new product or service. I came to this conclusion after analyzing the sales strategy for three different cars which are basically…the same car!

October – Romania has a big marketing and PR problem (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/10/01/romania-marketing-problem/)

Analyzing how we, Romanians, are able to not care about history being written by our countrymen made me realize the only ones responsible for a country’s negative image are the citizens. We complain about others misunderstanding them and being mean and wrong and nasty, but when we actually have something to show off and help boost our image, we ignore it.

November – How to find problems to fix (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/11/25/how-to-find-problems-to-fix/)

You might have a solution for a very big problem, but your customers may have not run across it, or you may be just starting out and not have enough customers to cover all possible scenarios. I discovered that finding a connection between the issue at hand and someone famous facing it or being somehow linked to it can be a pretty efficient workaround.

December – News, Plans and Announcements for 2009 (http://wordsofabrokenmirror.com/2008/12/29/news-plans-and-announcements-for-2009/)

December was the month when I once again discovered, with a huge smile on my face, how great it is to share good news with amazing friends! Their support, kindness and humor help you achieve just about anything!

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I am the proud author of Words of a Broken Mirror (WoBM), a PR and Marketing blog featuring fresh news, trends, case studies and personal experiences from the online and offline world of public relations and marketing communications. For a little sizzle, WoBM adds some fun and geeky spices to the recipe. I’ve been blogging for almost 4 years and I am completely addicted to it. And even if I could stay away from blogging, I could never survive without the friends I’ve made in the blogosphere over the years!

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[Further note from the Proprietor: Hey, if you're interested in having your own "best of 2008" posts highlighted right here at the Middle Zone, then by all means, click on this link: (BLOGAPALOOZA: What I Learned From 2008) and read all about it! BLOGAPALOOZA will be open for entries from now until Sunday, January 25.]

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