November's Rising Star Award Winners

We'd like to congratulate the five promising new Contributors who won Associated Content's Rising Star Awards for November!

Ramona Taylor joined in mid-October, and she's already on a roll with 135 pieces of published content and over 11,000 page views. She writes on everything from the upcoming winter Olympics to parenting, and her Hanukkah content is fantastic. Check out her piece on what to write in Hanukkah cards.

It's obvious that UC Irvine student Neil Takore knows his school's water polo program front and back. His informative, smart coverage makes him a sportswriter to watch. His other content includes well-researched political pieces, music reviews, tech advice and this helpful piece on the new FTC guidelines.

After joining AC in October, Britney Hornaday Boroughs immediately started building her library (she's already up to 40 pieces) and racking up fans. She was nominated many times in the Forum this month and won AC staff over with her gift guides, arts & entertainment content and exclusive interviews. Check out her Home for the Holidays: AC Exclusive Interview with Congressman Mike Ross.

Gavin Matthews has pinned down in mere months something that takes many Contributors years to develop—a keen insight into what kinds of content perform best. Three months after joining AC, he's earned over 97,000 page views with just 28 pieces of content! Be sure to read 2009 NFL Week 10 Predictions.

New Contributor Catherine Spencer has found a unique voice on AC. While she focuses on content areas covered by many other Contributors (such holidays, local and pets), she always finds an interesting angle (see Decorate a Western Theme Christmas Tree and Book Club Party Just in Time for Halloween; and don't miss her amusing Conical Bra Resurgence).

Be sure to visit these Contributors profiles to welcome them into the AC Community!

AC Labs

We’re excited to roll out AC Labs – a testing environment for new Associated Content features – to all AC Contributors! To access AC Labs, all you have to do is log in and click the pink graphic on the upper-right corner of your Account page:

From there, you’ll be able to access brand new interface under your Account and Content tabs. We’ve been working on a new stats-rich Account page, an improved Content queue and new ways to organize and share your library of images.

We can’t wait to hear what you think! The new pages you'll see in AC Labs are still works in progress, so take some time to experiment. Once you’ve had a chance to explore the new features, please take a few moments to fill out this brief survey. If you prefer, you can also send feedback directly to community@associatedcontent.com – or leave a comment on this blog post.

We’ll continue working on these new features based on your input. If possible, please fill out our survey or send your feedback by 12/20.

Thanks for helping us make AC an even better place to publish!

The 2009 People's Media Awards

We are now accepting nominations for the 2009 People's Media Awards -- Associated Content's 4th annual awards program, which recognizes the achievements of some AC's most exceptional Contributors!

We'll be collecting PMA nominations throughout the month of December, and we're inviting the entire AC Community to get involved! On every Contributor profile and content page, you'll find a PMA graphic that allows you to log a nomination for one of the awards:

Click the graphic on the top-left corner of any Contributor profile
or content page to nominate a Contributor for one of the PMAs.

Any piece of content can be nominated for one of five Content of the Year awards. The author of each winning piece will receive $500. Please help us by finding and nominating the most insightful, inspiring, unique, useful, powerful and poignant pieces of content published on Associated Content in 2009. Winners can be in any format (text, audio, video, slideshows) and come from any category of the AC library.

Contributors can be nominated for one of the following awards:

Contributor of the Year: A prolific and gifted Contributor who reached a large audience in 2009, and built up an outstanding library of useful content that will continue to perform over time. Prize: $1500

Community Spirit Award: Someone who creates lots of valuable content, and gives back to the AC Community by guiding others along the path to success. This is the first year we're offering this award! Prize: $1500

News Contributor of the Year: A prolific and plugged-in Contributor who supplied AC readers with a year's worth of professional and topical news content. Prize: $500

Audio / Video Contributor of the Year: A Contributor who published striking, original audio and/or video content in 2009. Prize: $500

Rookie of the Year: A Contributor who joined AC between August 2008 and August 2009, and quickly discovered the path to success. This is the first year we're offering this award! Prize: $500

Please help us by nominating the most worthy individuals for each category!

All nominees will be reviewed, and final winners will be chosen by a panel of Associated Content staff members. Nominations will be accepted through December 31, 2009, and winners will be announced in January 2010. Read the Official Rules here.

Happy nominating!

What AC Contributors are Thankful for in 2009

We asked contributors to tell us what they'll give thanks for this Thanksgiving. We received hundreds of great articles. After reading these submissions, all I can say is, "What a great bunch of grounded, happy people write for AC." The overwhelming themes found in these assignments included gratitude for family, health, jobs, happiness and even for Associated Content. Some of you made us blush with your kind words!

Photo from Flickr

Kevin Flotte touched us by giving thanks for New Orleans and its rebirth following Hurricane Katrina. He's also thankful for the recent successes of the New Orleans Saints.

Mary Rose-Sellers is thankful to be a breast cancer survivor celebrating both Thanksgiving and the six-month anniversary of her last chemotherapy treatment. Mary's recovery from cancer changed her world view and turned Thanksgiving in the Rose-Sellers household from "a few extra days trying to catch up on things" to a treasured holiday. We're thankful for your good health, too, Mary!

Injecting some mirth into our conversation about Thanksgiving is Mark Whittington, who shared a tall tale told in his family about the creation of spaghetti sauce at the first Thanksgiving. Besides familial fables, Mark is thankful for his family, good health and that this is the first decade of the 21st century.

If you like your holidays with an irreverent, political bent, you'll either love or hate this Thanksgiving gratitude list by Dr. Stoos. Among other things, he's, "Thankful that no one shot back when NASA shot at the moon last month."

Martha Munro gave thanks for small pleasures, including her first vine-ripened tomato straight from the garden in years. She's also making an early New Year's resolution to make daily notes about wonderful things she observes as she interacts with the world in 2010.

Mike Gordon took time to reflect on parts of his life that he sometimes takes for granted, from his home of 25 years to the 1945 surgery that enabled him to live a long and fulfilling life. Mike has been retired for four years and is thankful for the security provided by retirement and the good fortune to have experienced the year 2009.

New contributor Nicholas Palm made us a little misty-eyed with very first article, a fond tribute to 11 years of love and happiness with his wife, to whom he first said "I love you" on Thanksgiving in 1998. They'll celebrate seven years of marriage this year and have adopted a son together.

Kate Clifton has had an eventful life since a near-death experience two years ago. She moved home to her beloved San Diego, married her best friend in a beautiful wedding and began writing for AC. Add three children and four grandchildren to the mix, and you'll see why Kate is thankful for so many things in 2009!

Nancy Canfield shares gratitude for her family and her country in a post that is by turns quirky, self-deprecating and patriotic.

Another new contributor, Bruce A. Ritter, will give thanks this holiday despite losing his job a week before Thanksgiving. He's grateful for the opportunities available to him now and in the future, for his family's support in his new job search and more.

Barbara Hagen is thankful this year for a friend who got a second chance after attempting suicide.

Melani Presler, like Bruce, struggled this year due to the floundering economy. She's thankful that she survived and will go on to succeed and win again.

Teenage AC contributor Jesse Patterson admits that, as a college student, she's used to thinking mostly of herself. She's grateful for some unusual things, including a warm coat and a loving pet cat.

Chris Humpherys has a Thanksgiving story that will resonate with any football fan who's ever been torn between another commitment and the big game. Things worked out pretty well for Chris in the end, and he's got a lot to be thankful for this year.

Wrapping up our batch of featured articles about gratitude this Thanksgiving, Lisa Carey shares an experience she had while waiting in line at Walmart. Her generosity toward a stranger gave another family something to be thankful for and encouraged Lisa to reflect on the little things that really matter this Thanksgiving.

If you found another great Thanksgiving story on AC, share it in the comments section!t