Work At Home Mum Makes $7,397 A Month!

… and other success stories. Sounds good, huh? With the advent of e-business, people are looking to make big bucks off the internet. But out of the multitude of hopefuls, how many actually profit? And how do these lucky ducks do it?

I don’t know, obviously. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this.

But here are some ways mere mortals like us can try our green hand at.

Blogging

AdSense by Google is a simple way to earn money through blogging. All you need to do is allow Google to place ads on your blog via an option that enables AdSense, and you get $$$ whenever someone clicks on an ad. The difficult part is getting traffic to your blog. No visitors, no clicks, no $$$.

Blogshops / Online shopping

Blogshops range from the professional to the amateur. Professional ones would include online shopping sites like ASOS, ViviDoll, and Zalora. The amateur ones are really attempts to sell stuff you have lying around in your house collecting dust.

Virtual currency

This one is the most interesting and entertaining choice… if you’re a gamer. In the gaming world, hardcore players who are serious about their craft may spend big bucks online for advanced weapons and armour. Some games actually have auction houses or trading systems of some kind where real-world currency is traded for virtual currency and vice versa. Arguably, the most famous example of such a game is Diablo III.

Still interested in making money online? Any of the 3 suggestions listed above are safer than, say, investments or playing with stocks. But of course, no pain, no gain. E-business is tricky business, but if you do make it big online, be a saint and share some tips here, yea?

Google Plus FTW

I am not on Facebook. This is not a joke. I am a rare and endangered species, but no pictures, please. Despite much persuasion from many people around me to get a freaking account, I have held my ground steadfastly. Facebook shall not have my sorry soul if I have anything to say about it.

But all theatrics aside, I have used Facebook before, on someone else's account. And no, I'm not a hacker. Facebook is a good way to post narcissistic pictures, tell the world things we don't want or need to know, and stalk people. But since I'm not interested in any of that, I lead a perfectly good life without it. That is not to say I am anti-social; I am on a social networking site - Google+.

I've been on Google+ for quite some time now, but never had the opportunity to try Hangouts. Google Hangouts is basically video chatting, kinda like Skype. Up to 10 people can join a Hangout at once, and you can join a Hangout via PC or phone. When my project group PHANTOM decided to hold a meeting online, we used Hangouts, and I must say we had a whale of a time. :P

There are politicians and celebrities using Google Hangouts too!

See how great Google+ is? But don't take my word for it, try it yourself!

Power to the People

Ever felt that you were too small to be of significance?

Ever had an idea but no one would listen to you?

Ever wanted to change the world?

Social media has helped make miracles happen by bringing power back to the people, and Avaaz is one such way. With the strength of 15 million members, Avaaz is an organization that allows like-minded individuals with similar goals to take action on major issues, such as corruption, poverty, and climate change.

For instance, the most recent petition I signed was one regarding climate change. China has invested billions of dollars in solar energy, but the US and EU want to put tariffs on China. This could potentially lead to China abandoning the green energy revolution, something that we, as a planet, cannot afford. The purpose of the petition is to convince the US and EU not to put tariffs on China. For more details on this issue, visit www.avaaz.org and look for the article "A massive ray of hope on climate".

There are a lot of other issues addressed at Avaaz. For more examples of ongoing campaigns, click on any of the links provided.

Ria's inspiration

Stop Great Barrier Coal

Free Pussy Riot, Free Russia

Avaaz allows anyone to start their own campaign and gather support from people all over the world. So, still think you're too small to make a difference?

You're too big not to.

So many stories, so little time

The Internet has changed the way we do many things. One such example is in the construction of creative work. Being the incurable bookworm that I am, it is difficult for me not to notice and appreciate the difference the Internet has made in the process of writing and publishing.

Not too long ago, I watched a movie about J.K. Rowling and her life before Harry Potter. Other than her personal life, the most interesting part of the movie was witnessing the obstacles she had to overcome in order to make Harry Potter a reality. After the actual writing of the book, Rowling sought an agent to represent her, and this agent then approached publishers. Despite initially encountering much difficulty, Rowling's work eventually made it, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But now, with the power of the Internet, aspiring writers no longer need to go through all that trouble. Websites such as FanFiction, FictionPress, and Wattpad allow absolutely anyone to submit their stories for people to read online. There is no monetary cost involved, and writers can use the Internet to "test the waters" and determine how well their stories are received before publishing them in hard copy.

The readers have it easier with this arrangement too. Since the stories are free to publish online, they are free to read as well. Uploading the story online also means that it can be read on pretty much any device with an Internet connection, such as tablets and smartphones. Goodness knows Wattpad has saved me from going out of my mind with boredom and helped me pass the time while travelling to and fro school everyday.

Of course, the quantity of stories to read in no way reflects their quality. Books are edited before publication, but stories submitted online are not. Faulty grammar, poor sentence structure, and downright ridiculous plots are abound, but the occasional hidden gem makes slugging through all the inferior ones worthwhile. And stories that are very popular do make it in to bookstores in hard copy too.

If you're a reader like me, I highly recommend Wattpad, if you're not already on it.

'Tis true