Floor plans, paperbacks and buzz

Q: I feel like there are so many things on the Internet that I could take advantage of but don’t know about. Can you, Mr. Noobie, tell us where these things are on the Internet?

A: How right you are. There are millions of web pages on the Internet and to try and sample every one probably couldn’t be accomplished in a lifetime. Luckily you came to the right guy so here’s a free sampling of some web sites you may never have heard of.

The first is Floor Planner which can be found at www.floorplanner.com. Floor Planner is a free, web-based home design package which allows you to easily create your own floor plans using simple drag and drop techniques. Finished floor plans can be saved, shared with friends, printed or even placed on your own web site.

If you are a book lover, here’s another great site. It’s called Paperback Swap which can be found at www.paperbackswap.com. To use Paperback Swap, you first create a free account and then list all of the books (they don’t have to be paperback) that you are willing to swap. This will earn you free credits. You can use these credits to search for other books that you like and request that a book be mailed to you. When other people request your books, you ship your book to them and earn more credits. You pay the postage when you ship a book and the people you receive books from do the same for you. It’s an easy way to read your favorite books without having to buy them new, not to mention a great way to clear that old pile of books gathering dust in your basement.

Lastly, if you want to receive new products about to hit the market before anyone else, try BzzAgent which can be found at www.bzzagent.com. Once you set up an account and create your profile, BzzAgent will periodically ask you to join a campaign for a new product that matches your profile. After you join, you will receive a shipment containing the new product. Although the products are free, you are required to do some follow-up work. Your job is to try the product and then generate buzz about the product with your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. You then have to report back to the BzzAgent web site on what you did to generate buzz and what the people’s reactions were. I have my own BzzAgent account and I can tell you that I have buzzed just about everything from Take Five candy bars to electric toothbrushes.

This post was originally broadcast Friday, August 17, 2007 on Tech Talk with Noobie, a weekly radio show on WCBK 102.3 FM in Martinsville, Indiana. Tech Talk with Noobie airs every Friday between 11:30 a.m. and noon. If you have a question you would like Noobie to answer on the air, simply e-mail your question to .