Well, here is the deal. I have to renew my TypePad (the tool that I use to blog at Tiffinbox, Omlog and the SAJA Photoforum) service this month.

Now through January 15, 2004 the kind folks at SixApart (the company behind MovableType and TypePad) have offered a rather unique deal. If I renew with them, I get to choose one person (or organization) to receive one year's service to TypePad for free! The great thing is this – I have a PRO account. Whoever is lucky enough to win this will also receive a PRO account. Clear?

I am taking nominations of individuals or non-profit organizations working in one of the following fields: the arts, health, social justice, new media/journalism or photography. The only other caveat is that the blog service you or your organization will receive (valued at $119.60/year) should be used for the public good (doesn't really matter where it is in the world, but hooray if it is South Asian). So, those interested in only creating personal blog spaces need not apply.

I am turning COMMENTS off, so please email me at – tiffinbox[at]pipalproductions[dot]com. Send in your nominations by December 31, 2004 with the subject header of the email reading “BLOGGING FOR FREE.” If I don't see that, your email won't get looked at for a while. Include a brief description of what the organization is about, or who you are as an individual, what your plans are for the blog you intend setting up and why you think you should receive this gift. I am neither asking for a financial statement or proof of your 501(c)3 status, but I trust that you will honor and hold steadfast my wishes as outlined above when you apply. Please be aware that at the end of one year, you will be responsible for continuing the service for whatever SixApart decides to charge you at that time.

Via John Paczkowski

Microsoft recently launched MSN Spaces, a “free” blog service. But the legal eagles in Redmond have obviously been working overtime.

If you are ever tempted to use their service, you may want to read over this part of the policy before signing on the dotted line:

“For materials you post or otherwise provide to Microsoft related to the MSN Web Sites (a “Submission”), you grant Microsoft permission to (1) use, copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, modify, translate and reformat your Submission, each in connection with the MSN Web Sites, and (2) sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. Microsoft will not pay you for your Submission.”

As long as M$ doesn't gobble up Six Apart (whose tool Typepad I use to post my blogs), I could really care less.