About

April 14th, 2008

So what is this website?


This website is about utilizing practicality to change the world (a bit of an oxymoron, I know), specifically through what I know best: Internet tools, entrepreneurship, internet marketing, and social media. I’m not out to give you tech news. There’s enough places for that. I’m out to teach more practical things, as well as talk about the future. There’s a ton of resources on the internet that can help you be a better businessman and a better person. I want to bring all of that to you and, via the Internet Tools Wiki, collect all of that useful information in one place. I will be building additional functionality to this site to that end, as well as writing well-researched blog posts. I do the thorough research, smart writing, and constant tweaking to bring all of that to you.

I also want to coordinate a larger discussion on how entrepreneurship can be used to change the world for the better. I especially am interested in trends and what they say about the future of technology and innovation.

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So who is Ben Parr?

Instead of me trying to describe to you who I am and what I stand for, I’ll highlight a few traumatic experiences in my life that will give you a clearer picture of Ben Parr. Who wants to hear about your entire life story anyway? Why not skip to the action? (If you’re looking for the professional bio, skip below)Ben Parr

  • I didn’t talk until I was three years old (honestly, I just didn’t want to). All of the psychiatrists and teachers thought I was learning disabled and had speech problems. They were fantastically wrong. How they got it wrong, I’m not really sure, but I’ll have to investigate that someday.
  • I was hit by a car in a parking lot when I was six. The man who hit me gave me $20 bucks to never say anything. I happily obliged. This was my first experience in business and economics and I should thank that guy someday for it.
  • When I was about eight, I broke my collar bone. My babysitter decided it was a good idea to swerve off the road to avoid a bunny on the highway when she was taking me to my first T-ball practice. Two days later, she vanished, I had a broken collar bone, and our jeep…well, that thing’s probably a cube of crushed metal by now. I blame my babysitter for my horrendous baseball skills. At least it didn’t affect my swimming or my football.
  • I used to weight 201 pounds not so long ago. I decided to change it one summer, though, and dropped 40 pounds. Just goes to show what some consistent dedication and what smarter eating can do.
  • I tend to learn by jumping into the pool and then learning how to swim. I am unconventional with my thinking and my activities. I tried to start a business my junior year at Northwestern, for example. It crashed and burned. But the results taught me a great deal. And I continue to do work with and for start-ups. Don’t let failure deter you; use it as a stepping stone and an educational experience towards making your mark on the world.
  • Finally, prove all your doubters wrong. They can only hold you back if you let them.


So who is Ben Parr? - The Professional Version

You ask about my qualifications, and I shall oblige. I am a recent graduate of Northwestern University in Science in Human Culture, Political Science, and Business. My work has been in the fields of internet entrepreneurship and internet marketing. The highlights:

  • I am the Interactive Content Manager for the high-growth web health firm Spine-Health.com, which provides doctor-written, doctor-reviewed content on pain conditions. It’s gratifying work because of how deeply people rely on the information. I am in charge of an array of initiatives, including UI, writing/editing, growth strategy, optimization, community, and design aspects of the site.
  • I am a regular writer and contributor for Mashable.com, one of the top authorities in social media and social networking and one of the top ten most popular blogs as rated by Technorati. I write analysis articles about social media, Internet trends, and entrepreneurship
  • I was the Project Manager and Promoter for Free Lunch, a social networking application start-up. We created a beautiful app called FriendQuilts. Unfortunately, the Facebook app market isn’t like it once was and we didn’t design the product like we should. I’ve taken that experience and the lessons to heart, though.
  • I started and failed at an internet startup
  • I started and failed at two other blogging projects, LUEniverse and Buck the Slump. One was “by Gen Y, for Gen Y”, and the other was on economic issues.
  • I reformed the role and visibility of entrepreneurship on Northwestern’s campus.
  • I consult with and give (lots of) help to a wide range people who are committed to launching an Internet startup but have no idea where to start. College students especially.
  • I have written 95% of a science fiction novel that I just can’t seem to finish. It’s the monkey on my back. Give me a few months to beat the monkey…

I have had some interesting experiences, but if you’re reading this blog, you’re trusting the insight I have gained from my successes and failures, my network, and my internet research skills (how do you think I find information on some of these services - Clairvoyance?). I won’t let you down on your trust.


Contacting Me

I love to hear from you and chat. It’s how I get a lot of ideas for articles. I also love hearing about new services or new ways to use them. So let’s chat. Here’s the best ways to get in touch with me: