I opened up my calendar this morning and had to switch from the month view to the week view because all of my appointments were overlapping into some kind of freaky Ven diagram. My summer (which I thought would be slow) has been a whirlwind of activity, from client meetings to chauffeuring to and from summer camps for the kiddos to speaking opportunities. It’s just one thing after another. But never fear… I have been getting your emails and I’m finally sitting down to open up the Sunday Mailbag. Today, I’m tackling most of your tech-related questions – with my obligatory Phillies question, of course.
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Taxpayer asks:
Congratulations on your new home at Forbes! I do have one complaint. I cannot seem to register to leave a comment. The registration process keeps going in circles. Any help?
taxgirl says:
I’ve actually received a number of similar emails about problems with registration so I contacted the tech folks at Forbes for help. They have advised that if you have *any* tech problems on the site – from viewing the blog to registering – that you should contact them directly. If you want to copy me on the email, I would be happy to check in for you, but I can’t fix the problem directly – I’m just not that talented.
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Taxpayer asks:
Do you write all of your own posts? Do you ever accept guest posts for the blog?
taxgirl says:
Yes and a qualified yes.
As a rule, I write nearly every post that you see on the site. Occasionally, I do post a guest post and it is clearly noted as such.
I don’t generally accept guest posts unless they are tax-related and actual articles, not puff pieces. I don’t post press releases or promotional pieces for companies as guest posts (and they’re not, so really, why even ask?). I don’t solicit posts and I don’t pay for guest posts.
No matter what anyone says, size matters, at least on the blog so I won’t publish your thesis or your book manuscript. I try to keep posts in readable chunks.
Every August, I open the blog up for commentary from my readers. I choose a topic and let you sound off by submitting your pieces to me to post “as is.” There are some rules about length, topic and language but pretty much, you can say what you want otherwise. I’ll be posting the topic for August in a few weeks so keep watching. You can read examples from prior years here and here.
The bottom line is that’s important to me that the blog continues to be valuable to my readers. The timing, content, tone and length of the pieces are a crucial component. If, after all of that, you have a piece that you think fits, please feel free to contact me. But if I don’t publish your piece, please don’t take it personally.
And don’t forget that everything doesn’t have to be a post: comments are always welcome!
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Taxpayer asks:
Will you link to me? How do you decide which blogs and other sites to link to?
taxgirl says:
The first answer is that I link to the original source in a post whenever I can. If the IRS says something, I’ll link to the actual quote. If I read something in the Times, I’ll link there. If a reader passes along a tip, I’ll hat tip to their blog or social media site.
Otherwise, my link policy (yes, I do have one and have for years) for blogs and social media is as follows:
- This isn’t grade school. I won’t link to you just because you link to me. I don’t care if you won’t let me in your club.
- The whole point of linking is to share resources with my readers – either because I like the site or I think my readers will find it valuable (or hopefully both). Please don’t send me completely unrelated site links. It’s a waste of both of our time.
- I rarely – and I mean, rarely – ever link to another law firm’s site. Perhaps if you’re wildly witty and entertaining, I’ll consider it (but probably not). Otherwise, see #2.
- I don’t link to sites that splog, steal content or otherwise take advantage of my fellow bloggers. Didn’t your mother teach you better manners than that?
- My readers have enough credit cards, mortgages and life insurance already – or they’re smart enough to know where to look for them. So no.
- The point of a blog is to have fresh content. If you haven’t updated in months – or if you’re a “seasonal blog” (you know who you are) – why even bother to ask?
- There’s a time and a place for everything including bad language, porn and over the top snark. That time and place will never involve taxgirl. Move along.
- This isn’t West Side Story: just cause you’re a Jet today doesn’t mean that you’ll be a Jet tomorrow. I reserve the right to cut you without notice. I have standards, you know. But really, it’s not about you, it’s about me.
If you think you’re still a good fit and I’ve somehow missed you, let me know. I love discovering new sites and new reads and I appreciate your tips and leads: they just have to make sense for the blog. Thanks for understanding – and happy blogging!
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Taxpayer asks:
Hey,
One little comment: Back when I could read your site at Forbes, things seemed to have gotten a lot glammed up. Like some big-deal editor is taking the scissors to everything you write. If that is happening, I gotta say I preferred the stuff that came straight off your keyboard – less slick, more straightforward, with a little more human life to it. Curb that editor!
taxgirl says:
I do have an editor (you can find her here) but she doesn’t take scissors to anything. It’s all me.
The move to the new site took a little bit of getting used to – kind of like moving to a new neighborhood. Same ol’ me but with a different outfit. I promise authentic taxgirl from here on out!
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Taxpayer asks:
Now that you’re at Forbes, how can I search the archives?
taxgirl says:
Not all of my old posts are available on Forbes just yet. Here’s the temporary solution: Go to www.taxgirl.com/about-taxgirl and use the search form in the sidebar to the right. It’s not a perfect fix but it will do for now.
You can also search the archives/old posts by going to any search engine (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) and typing in taxgirl.com: and then your query (for example: taxgirl.com: divorce).
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Taxpayer asks:
I changed my email address. How can I still get your blog by email?
taxgirl says:
You’ll have to sign up again. There are a few options:
- Click over to the “About taxgirl” page. Right under my tagline, there’s an option to subscribe to taxgirl by RSS or email. Click on your preference and follow the instructions. The feed is hosted by Feedburner which will require you to confirm your registration since, let’s face it, we all hate spam.
- On the home page, click on the “Follow Me” box under my taxgirl logo on the page and follow the instructions.
- On the home page, click on that little orange icon under my name that says “My RSS Feed.” It will take you to the feed where you’ll see a few options. In the sidebar to the right, one of the options is “subscribe in mail” which, on the Mac (I’m not sure about PCs) will dump the RSS feed into your mailbox.
If none of those options work, let me know.
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Taxpayer asks:
Hey,
Are you on Google+ yet?
taxgirl says:
Yes I am. And I don’t love it, to tell you the truth, because it’s lonely. If you’d like to add me, I’m at kellyphillipserb (at) gmail (dot) com – tell me that you know me through the blog so that I can pop you into my taxgirl circle. If I don’t know how I know you, you’ll just be in Google+ limbo. I don’t even know what that means but it doesn’t sound good.
If you’re more into other social media sites, you can find me on Facebook and Twitter. Come be social!
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Taxpayer asks:
Now that Shane Victorino is out of the lineup, what do you think will happen to the Phillies?
taxgirl says:
The Phils have been plagued by injuries this season (right now, I can name Rollins, Polanco, Victorino, Oswalt and Lidge as injured) but we’re still doing great. I have faith in my boys!
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If you have a question or comment for me for the next mailbag – or just really want to say hello – you can send me an email, post it on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ (see above).
Thanks for reading!
Before you go: be sure to read my disclaimer. Remember, I’m a lawyer and we love disclaimers.
If you have a question, here’s how to Ask The Taxgirl.