Newsletter 4 -
The Power of Linking
A linker recounted a schweeeeeet story recently which I want to pass down the line. He is a teacher and was giving a history lesson to a class of 13 year old boys in the bottom stream. He decided to give linking a try, challenging them all to link the years the U.K took part in the Second World War i.e 1939 to 1945. He even started saying to them all ‘….is it in?’ and they responded ‘..you know it is!!’. Anyway, one boy piped up with a link for this particular fact in a heartbeat and it isn’t too bad a link, currently averaging a commendable 7….
‘In 39 Poland was fine, in 45 Hitler wasn’t alive’
Ok, it’s not going to set the world alight but sneaking in the bit of history, that the invasion of Poland triggered the war, in only a few words, aint too shabby. But what’s nice about this story is that he has a permanent support teacher and is slightly autistic and the quote from the teacher was….
‘It’s been a good boost for him to get some public recognition and has given him confidence which can only be a good thing. I really hope this snowballs Andy as it’s a great learning tool’
Ba da da da da..…I’m luvin’ it!
Update
By the time of the next newsletter, the hype page will have more whistles and bells on it, including a blog, to give you a chance to get involved and ‘have your say’! The word is spreading....take a peek at www.englishbanana.com/thinkalink - a website for students & teachers worldwide with over 400,000 hits per month.
Your chance to get involved
The site is a meeting-place for linkers & learners alike. So if you have a link for anything, absolutely anything, regardless of how random, then submit it and I’ll bung it up and we’ll see if it gets a rip-roaring ‘team high 5’ or goes down like a bag of sick. If you have a link but can’t quite nail it, then submit it and I’ll tidy it up, a la Mr Wolf of ‘Pulp Fiction’ fame. If it's an absolute pearler, it will go in the book (as will your name) and if it's a stellar link, then it will aided by a colour ‘toon’ scribed by one of England's finest, Bill Stott, or as he is known down his local battleship cruiser (boozer) ‘The Stottster’
Top Linkers
Congratulations to the following 10 linkers for having the highest average score, per link, as of mid-August.
Links are coming in from all corners of the globe which is great to see, including a Bolivian of all nations. This site just doesn’t care anymore!
The top two linkers have recently linked like it’s going out of fashion which is great to see. They have certainly set the bar high and will take a lot of beating. But, as they say, it’s not quantity but quality. You can submit a handful of links and still be King of the Links (am I sure? There has to be a better term than that – contributions welcome).
You will also note that Dominic O’Brien, the Memory Man, is roaring up the charts which we can’t have…..what does this mind-mapping clown know, eh!!
The linker in the number 1 spot, come Dec 31st, will be crowned Champion Linker for 2008 and receive a trophy!
Bear in mind that this is how you will be known in the book. So it maybe worth changing your user name to your real name & city to prove to your friends that it is actually you! You can always be that shymonger and keep doing a moody swerve from the limelight.
1. Claire Adams, West Sussex, GB
2. Alan Newell, Bracknell, GB (don’t hold the location against him, he’s a nice man)
3. Dominic O’Brien, World Champion Memory Man
4. alanjb
5. R.C. Cox
6. Charley Park
7. Phil Stubbs, Derbyshire, GB
8. Shane Fernando, London, GB
9. MARK KINGSTON
10.Mark Williams (surely not?)
Feedback
I would love to get your thoughts and observations on the site, good or bad. This has been a passion of mine since 1995 and it's finally come to fruition which is hugely exciting. It's new territory for me so any guidance or tips on what does and doesn't work will be warmly received - please let me know at andy.salmon@thinkalink.co.uk. If you would like something linked then let me know and we’ll see what we can do!
Competition View the competitions page
Congratulations to the current kingpin, Claire Adams, for winning 100 biggies for getting the four correct answers to the poser in the last newsletter which were:
Singapore, Cologne, Haywain & Hard Times
Future Newsletters
Please let me know if you would prefer me not to contact you in this way and I will take you off my newsletter circulation list. If that is the case, please accept my apologies.
I’ll leave you with a couple of recent goodies……
France’s National Flower is the Fleur-de-lis
Tears must flow daily in France, having lost so many wars & battles over the years.
Sandy Lyle won the US Masters in 1988
Poor Sandy has seen better days. The only thing he masters these days is the two fat ladies (88) pulling pints down his local.
Keep telling the world to link, as their life is not complete without it.
