WELCOME

What is your particular "higher" purpose for which you seek exemplary skill in the manipulation of language?

WRITER FOR HIGHER is a compelling showcase of my multifarious, that is, varied, group of writing, editing, research, and interface design projects and products, easily facilitated by my intellect, analytical skill, and deep facility in language.

For example:

1. My skill in communication and persuasion is so acute and effective that in 1999 legendary Apple Computer founder and CEO Steven P. Jobs responded personally to email that I sent him--even though I was actually critiquing his new line of Apple hardware and software products. Here is what Steve wrote me, verbatim:

   "Vincent,

   Sorry you don't like our new look. Unfortunately, that's what we now sell. And, good news - we are selling more high end Macs than ever before.

   I bet our new look will grow on you if you give it a chance.

   Best,

   Steve"

   I also offer a more robust description of this event.

2. I am apparently the only person on planet Earth with a keen enough writer's and proofreader's eye to have noticed an actual typo right smack on the front of the Cheerios cereal box, upper right side, in the general location of the hero shot, in fact. I purchased this box of Cheerios in late Summer 2024, as I recall (for sale: original box, empty, collector's item, excellent condition).

   The front of the box displayed the word minerals as "mineals."

   A Google search with string "cheerios cereal box typo mineals" produces zero hits on this gaffe, even now.

   Cheerios is not only a major product sold around the world, it is America's favorite cereal by both revenue and boxes sold.

Call or email me right now at 973-779-4914(landline) or prowriter@sent.com! Why delay?

INTRODUCTION

Again: what is your particular "higher" purpose for which you seek exemplary skill in the manipulation of language?

Do you require expert health, nutrition, medical, technical, or other writing? Robust and cogent writing in the area of consumer issues, the social sciences, or the environment?

Do you seek a skilled writer with elementary web design skill?  Inversely, a web designer with a superior command of language?

Do you need an "idea man"? ...one not only possessed of a fertile mind brimming with interesting, creative, and profitable ideas, but who has the writing skill to document, record, and indeed actualize these ideas?

Must materials prepared for you possess a logical structure and flow, all necessary detail, and accuracy in fact, figure, and explanation?

For any or all of these needs, you have found what you seek. I am Vincent Frank De Benedetto, a published writer of significant skill; I am seeking a full-time writing (or elementary web design) position in the North Jersey area, or anywhere else via telecommute. My easy facility in language results in clear, intelligent, and well-written materials of any type. My substantial intellect, analytical turn-of-mind, and creative imagination will ensure the superiority and efficacy of content, not just form, in producing writing that accomplishes your goal(s). Additionally, I possess a good grasp of basic HTML, XHTML, and CSS, contributing to my status as a "talented amateur" in web design. In fact, I have created a number of functional and attractive web sites from scratch, using simple hand markup; the site at which you now reside is one of them.

Software tools I have used include Word, Outlook, RoboHelp, FrameMaker, Doc-to-Help, NoteTab Pro, OpenOffice Writer, FileMaker Pro, and PhotoShop. My own preferred writing software of choice, by far, is a legacy tool, Microsoft word XP (i.e. Word 2002). Of course, I can learn your tool of choice, without difficulty.

Professional organizations of interest include:  Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Society for Technical Communication (STC), Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM), IEEE Professional Communication Society, and ACM SIGDOC.

While at Seton Hall I was President of its chapter of the ACM.

In larger journalistic and editorial terms I'm vitally interested in organizations exemplified by the Poynter Institute.

New York Times-Quoted Writer

I created an Internet resource titled 110Again.com just after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in Manhattan. The purpose of the site was to help ensure that we rebuilt the Twin Towers exactly as they were, to their original 110 stories, if not better and even higher. The site also served as a general anti-terror site, and had a small body of such resources, as well as a message board. I remain pleased to report that some of my most important original content, along with the site URL, was quoted in the New York Times magazine on September 07, 2003, in a piece by James Traub.

My content remained resident on the New York Times web site for over 10 years. A full screen capture of the original New York Times page containing this material can be viewed (original site domain was .org).

This success is the tip of my iceberg:  I'm presently developing an eight-part multimedia project consisting in large measure of prose materials, all nonfiction content rooted in seminal political, social, and economic themes. I fully expect this material to be published and promulgated. Thus, in me you are getting not a college kid who "wants to be a writer," but a real writer of mature and original thought and perspective. I can deftly manipulate language in your desired direction whether product copy, book reviews, health and nutrition content, political writing, blog posts, press releases, proofreading, or even in some cases technical writing or web or interface design, all of which I've done, provided you permit me time to learn the tools.

Among many others, I created this entire website, for example, coding it by hand, from scratch, using NoteTab Pro, an HTML editor with very limited automation capability.

Benefits of Hiring A Master Writer

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Here is what a master writer, proofreader, or editor does for you. The "SICs," below, indicate incorrect construction or usage of language that I easily noticed in communication from a variety of media:

"That's not precisely correct." [SIC]. EXPLANATION: REDUNDANT.

insert para quoted to ual [SIC]. EXPLANATION:

"...throwing down the gauntlet." [SIC]. EXPLANATION: the term is pronounced gant' let. A widespread error.

-- Akiva Goldsman, famous screenwriter, having written A Beautiful Mind, I, Robot, and others.

For more, please jump here.

Note

This writing showcase, WriterForHigher.com, was recently restored after being down for some time. Consequently, certain site elements like images, links, or fonts require update. All writing associated with the site, however, whether samples present here or linked to from here, is mine and thus remains fully illustrative of my facility in language.

In assessing said facility, you can actually de-emphasize much of this site, as it is my roster of live websites, listed below, that comprise my current body of online writing and research work. My resume is available, but its utility may be limited: it lists no recent paid jobs, as I served as full-time caregiver for my parents, one, then the other, for a number of years. Fortunately, I continued writing and researching throughout, having a talent for same, and my skill is presently available for hire.

Idea Generation

I'm a good writer in part because I'm a good thinker; indeed, my, as all, writing is merely thought expressed in printed symbol. Let me generate ideas for your business or organization. Here is a list of my ideas of recent years, and their accompanying live web sites, each researched, written, and built by me. A political philosopher, most of my websites carry political and social points of view, implicitly or explicitly. This, however, is irrelevant to the work that I'll do for you, as I'll write in your desired manner. What you'll obviously be assessing in examining my content is my writing ability.

MY LIVE SITES

LOVE PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD
www.LoveProperlyUnderstood.com
Category: social science; society.
Concepts Pioneered:  This book under development argues that "Brotherly Love," properly understood, is the most powerful social force available to Humankind. If utilized, the prospect of a bright future for the human species is colossal and virtually guaranteed.

KEYS TO GOOD HEALTH
www.KeysToGoodHealth.net
Category: health; society; social science.
Concepts Pioneered:  Love is the most important factor in good health. Empirically supported.

IRAQ PROPOSAL
IraqProposal.org
Concepts Pioneered: Innovative, non-partisan, 6-page formal proposal composed in March 2003 prior to the start of the Iraq war, to prevent it. Offered a strategy to achieve both primary goals of the Bush Administration, Blair Government, and others: disarmament and regime change. Widely distributed.

DE BENEDETTO DICTIONARY
www.DeBenedettoDictionary.net
Concepts Pioneered:  Growing body of my interesting and useful word coinages and linguistic constructions.

Here's one for your immediate use: inrequisite, adjective. Not required. Example sentence: "Robert attached a resume, but not a CV, as the latter was deemed inrequisite."

110 AGAIN
110Again.com
Concepts Pioneered:  World Trade Center Towers should be rebuilt, and rebuilt to their same previous height of 110 stories, to show terrorists that you simply can't cause permanent injury to the United States.

NONDIGITAL SOLUTIONS
NonDigital.solutions
Concepts Pioneered: Move cautiously in the face of digital technologies, advice well-borne out given their latest incarnation, Artificial Intelligence, and further down the road their progeny, Quantum Computing. Even now, digital technologies are often unreliable, or reliable but without explanation, such as A.I. "deep learning."

GRASS NOT GREENER
GrassNotGreener.com
Concepts Pioneered: PENDING.

THE DECLINE OF MIND
TheDeclineOfMind.com
Concepts Pioneered: THE REVERSION AND DISSOLUTION OF THE HUMAN BRAIN GIVEN THE DELETERIOUS HABITS OF HUMANKIND.

OUR BETTER SELVES
www.OurBetterSelves.net
Concepts Pioneered:  Wisdom and Love, the latter the most powerful social force available to Humankind, spread across a subset of relevant and interesting social, cultural, political, and economic essays.

THE AGAPE ORDER
www.AgapeOrder.org
Concepts Pioneered:  As stated above, "Brotherly Love," properly understood, is the most powerful social force available to Humankind. The Agape Order is an organization for persons wishing to learn about, and practice, Brotherly Love in their lives.

VINCENT FOR PRESIDENT
www.VincentForPresident.com
Concepts Pioneered: Unique perspective and platform for the 2020 Presidential election, desperately needed by the United States, centering around community, quality-of-life, character development, individual and social competence, economic growth, and comprehensive readiness.

I also created the following sites, and others, now defunct. Each was closed as no longer relevant, ahead of its time, representing expired projects, or those to which I simply could no longer commit. I'm presenting them here, however, as they contain or express ideas of mine that were, and indeed remain, interesting, helpful, and powerful.

I built all sites, both live and closed, from scratch in hand-coded HTML and CSS, and with rare exception researched and wrote all content.

THE METAL WITH MEANING PROJECT
MetalWithMeaning.com
Concepts Pioneered: Heavy metal music can be a force for good in the world.

AN OPEN LETTER TO JJ ABRAMS
www.OpenLetterToJJAbrams.net
Concepts Pioneered: Star Trek movies should retain a certain integrity and timelessness.

LET US TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE
www.LetUsTalkAboutThePeople.us
Concepts Pioneered: Candidate for official N.J. state anthem possessive of both melodic beauty, thematic relevance, and gravitas.

TWO NETS
www.TwoNets.info
Concepts Pioneered:  creation of a separate, second Internet just for mature content. This will elevate the original Internet to a truly general purpose tool for essentially unsupervised use by literally just about anyone, especially children.

BR2049MUSTINCLUDERACHAEL.COM
BR2049MustIncludeRachael.com
Concepts Pioneered: Iconic actor Sean Young must reprise her seminal role of Rachael in the upcoming Blade Runner sequel.

DONTEMBALM.COM
DoNotEmbalmYourLovedOne.com
Concepts Pioneered:  Embalming is a highly invasive medical procedure that permanently despoils the entire interior of the human body to create a temporary illusion on the exterior of the human body.

NOISE KILLS
www.NoiseKills.net
Concepts Pioneered:  Unique perspective on redress of the physical and psychological harms of noise, including death: the national noise epidemic actually comprises not an excess of noise but a shortage of Love.

NATIONWIDE LEAFBLOWER BAN
www.NationwideLeafblowerBan.org
Concepts Pioneered:  Nationwide Leafblower Ban, Multiple Mixed Use (MMU) Protocol, Blower Free Zones (BFZs).

LEAFBLOWERS HURT KIDS
www.LeafblowersHurtKids.info
Concepts Pioneered: These hyperloud, polluting devices produce harms uniquely damaging to children.

NIGHTMARE COMPANIES
NightmareCompanies.com
SITE & CONTENT CATEGORY:  CONSUMER WRITING
Concepts Pioneered: Consumers should be warned about the companies that comprise the very worst-of-the worst.

PRESERVE THE BEAUTY OF SPACE
BeautyOfSpace.org
Concepts Pioneered: Keep the profound and timeless beauty of space and the nighttime sky free from modern commercial advertising intrusion. Pizza Hut, for example, had planned to project a giant pizza image on the face of the moon. Site tagline: "Applying Wisdom to the Commercialization of Space."

Writing in Health and Nutrition

I've maintained a strong interest in these two vital areas for many years, including environmental health, though until recently I've applied my knowledge directly to the improvement of the health of my family, and did little writing. Recently that has changed, however. My flagship writing project in this area is my compelling and increasingly comprehensive internet resource KEYS TO GOOD HEALTH, incorporating a substantial cross-section of my knowledge in health and nutrition. The site, now celebrating its four-year anniversary, incorporates the most unique and powerful health analysis available.

I've also composed an approximately thirty-page booklet entitled Lawn Care & the Health of Your Family, produced for community distribution, that seeks to educate and persuade away from lawn care using toxic pesticides, and deafening and polluting lawn equipment, in favor of organic materials and methods, and "old-fashioned" quiet and nonpolluting lawn care and gardening tools and implements. The latter category includes the classic push reel mower, rake, and broom. As a community Health Educator (non-credentialed), I am proud (and relieved) to report that I persuaded two families on my block to terminate their TruGreen/ChemLawn lawn treatments. Both families permanently discontinued use some time ago.

The scope of my health knowledge can also be gauged by subscriptions to digital publications I've enjoyed:

• ConsumerLab.com's e-Mail Newsletter (ConsumerLab.com assesses potency, purity, and other relevant parameters of a wide variety of health, wellness, and nutrition products).

• American Lung Association's eNewsletter "Fighting For Air Online" (ALA is at LungUSA.org, and is the "...leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through Education, Advocacy and Research").

• American Lung Association's eNewsletter "The Promise of Research."

• Johns Hopkins Medicine's "JOHNS HOPKINS HEALTH ALERTS" (This free public service helps keep you up to date on the latest breakthroughs for the most common medical conditions which prevent healthy aging).

• Total Recall Info's "Daily Worldwide 'Recall Alert' newsletter" (TotalRecallInfo.com, "The World's 1st Recall Information Source," monitoring worldwide recall alerts for defective products of every kind, including those pertinent to health and wellness, then collating and redirecting this information to subscribers).

Moreover, I maintain a membership in Noise Free America. I'm the charter member of the North Jersey Chapter.

Caregiver Experience

My resume shows a period without paid employment; this is the time during which I was full-time caregiver for my father, suffering a serious cognitive decline, diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease. In fact, as such a caregiver I learned more in difficult and concrete terms about this devastating and insidious malady than could ever be transmitted from a textbook. This kind of tough personal experience, in concert with a full understanding of current dementia research, makes for helpful, compelling, and unforgettable health writing.

Writing in Technology

I am not just an ordinary technical writer, but one vitally interested in personal computing in larger terms, given its seminal social and technical character. Thus, on numerous occasions over the years I have voluntarily provided insight and feedback, often in the form of "Features & Usability" reports submitted to leading technology companies and their principles. These powerful reports have been found credible and taken seriously, resulting in personal responses from computing luminaries like Steven P. Jobs of Apple Computer.

The same powers of analysis and composition that caught the attention of these world-class technologists can produce powerful and effective documentation for your product or service. Written material that is structured, clear, complete, and accurate makes your product or service and its operation transparent and comprehensible, thus reducing or eliminating resource-intensive telephone inquiries and support calls!

Additionally, I have created a unique optional process called DSM Integration that can help your company (1.) create more usable, powerful products, faster, (2.) provide more informational and efficient technical support to customers, and (3.) provide marketing hooks to assist in selling your product. I accomplish this during the product documentation process through the efficient, incidental creation of brief reports or bulletins pertinent to the Development, Support, and Marketing (hence, D.S.M.) of the product. These reports, respectively, are entitled Internal Development Notes, Internal Support Notes, and Internal Marketing Notes. They are transmitted to the Development, Support, and Marketing groups, giving the first department feedback and suggestions for refinements and enhancements to operation and interface, providing support personnel with a database of facts and information (such as installation nuances, undocumented features, etc.) available for use during support, and presenting the marketing department with key features, benefits, characteristics, or other relevant information to assist in marketing and selling the product. This multi-node procedure makes explicit, exploits, and strengthens the relationship and link between the product, and its development, support, and marketing processes, a critical and leveraging relationship that is often ill-formed in organizations.

Important Writing in Politics and Social Science

I have achieved similar results in social science, politics, and consumer matters. For example, in March 2003 I conceived and wrote a formal, 6-page, non-partisan proposal, projected as the basis for a new U.N. resolution to avoid war with Iraq. I submitted the document, principally by fax, to 19 foreign embassies with ambassadors or representatives on the United Nations Security Council, including Germany and France, the two nations most vociferous in opposition to the imminent conflict. In this country, I submitted the proposal to the offices of Colin Powell, Hillary Clinton, and others. Additionally, I submitted it to a wide variety of major print organs, from The Nation to The Wall Street Journal.

For these lone and intensive efforts, I was gratified to have received an oral commendation and "thank you" from Elbert Garcia, Congressional Fellow of New York Congressional Representative Charles B. Rangel. I also received a written acknowledgment and "thank you" from The Wall Street Journal editorial page for my submission.

Near the finale of this endeavor I published the proposal online at its own dedicated website.

Other writing projects under this rubric include that for a web-based effort, the International Society to Preserve the Beauty of Space, to temper the impending gargantuan intrusion of commercial images of every variety into our natural space environment. For example, about five years ago Tricon Global Restaurants Inc., parent company of Pizza Hut, Inc., was seriously and actively planning to project the Pizza Hut corporate logo onto the surface of the moon. This is but one of many such planned activities, by every manner of commercial interest.

Of my effort, Leonard David, Senior Space Writer for Space.com, remarked:

Additionally, the project was cited in a published article by a well-known writer, appearing in a well-known business publication.

Web Design

Besides my writing skill, I offer web design skill. I have thus far designed fifteen interesting, attractive, and highly functional websites; each was hand-coded by me in HTML, XHTML, and CSS. Amongst these was a fully-functioning e-commerce site whose payment, billing and invoicing, and other electronic commerce functions I researched and implemented, and that ranked extremely well in searches using popular engines such as Google and Yahoo. These top rankings were no accident, but occurred because of my search engine optimization (SEO) engineering, a body of knowledge I would be pleased to press into service for you to the benefit of your site(s).

Additionally, if your site requires or could benefit from a discussion board, I have experience implementing and managing the famous open-source phpBB board. Moreover, another site of mine featured a functioning PayPal Join button that I implemented, and I've implemented chat rooms across several sites, as well.

Graphics

I've worked with graphics extensively, principally in resizing, cropping, and adjusting such other image parameters as brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, and sharpness. I've also done image overlay.

Just about any image you see on any of my sites was modified by me in one or more of the aforementioned ways. I webmastered and ran an appliance sales website, and engaged in extensive image editing and enhancement to create visual product appeal:  I produced product images that were large, crisp, and bright.

In sum, then, you will find my skillset especially appealing if you require straightforward, attractive, and functional website design from someone with a working knowledge of HTML, XHTML, and CSS. And if your web design projects could also benefit from exemplary writing skill as a co-, or subsidiary, requirement, I am your ideal candidate.

I use NoteTab Pro for hand-coding, and various tools for image and graphic manipulation.

Interface and Database Design

Moreover, I also have expertise and creative flair in basic interface and database design. I have worked, thus far, in Filemaker Pro, designing professional interfaces for Simon & Schuster in the publishing industry, and creating a wide variety of elementary databases for my own personal and household use.

Proofreading Ability

There is no question that I am extremely and organically observant in matters of language. With no effort, I continually notice typos and other language mistakes. In fact, I've begun compiling a rogue's gallery of some of the mistakes that I've found in various print and online publications, as well as spoken gaffes in television and radio broadcast committed by professional journalists and broadcasters--presumed experts in language who should know better.

Among the many typos I've easily found across a wide range of content types and materials is perhaps my crowning achievement:  having easily and immediately found this particular error [page pending] will convince you of my superlative proofreading skill, and deftness, indeed, in execution of any task that requires strong visual acuity, a keen and active mind, and a deep immersion in correct and powerful use of language, such that I readily notice and note both the highs in use of language, printed or oral, and most certainly the lows, reflected in the preceding gaffe that I observed.

Broadcast-Quality Vocal Ability

A recent prospective employer unsolicitedly asserted that I have a "broadcast-quality voice." Indeed, friends and family have remarked for years that my vocal ability and general manner of speaking suggested a career in radio. Previous positions I have held that called for, and made use of, my speaking ability include teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL), and substitute teacher. Additionally, I have studied voice.

I have a detailed, glowing letter of recommendation from the Executive Director of the Uceda Language Institute, the educational institution at which I taught ESL. This document is available for viewing.

Accordingly, if an available position requires, or could otherwise make good use of, strong skill in speaking, reading, reciting, or narrating, especially as applied to serious subject matter, whether technology-related such as narration for a disk-based, online, or live software demo, or for a journalistic or related project, I would be an especially attractive candidate. If such a position had a combined job requirement of voice and writing, or voice and basic web design, my appeal would further rise in proportion.

Examine My Work

Here are links to samples of my work, in various categories. Please click your area(s) of interest.

For employers seeking a writer:  please note that, unless otherwise indicated, I not only HTML hand-coded the creation of every web site accessible from my "Web Design" page, below--I also composed every word for every site.

Resume', References, Remuneration, and Employment Overview

My principal employment for a decade had been as web designer and webmaster our family appliance business, DeBenedetto Vacuum (see sample portions of that web site, now defunct). Interspersed throughout this period, however, were a number of short-term outside work assignments I was offered and purposefully accepted (please request my resume), while continuing my principal employment. Many, though not all, of these positions were technology-related. In recent years, business principals in our family organization have advanced further into sunset years and become increasingly unable to fill traditional company duties, making continued web operations difficult. Accordingly, I am now available for, enthusiastic about, and actively seeking, a full-time permanent position with an outside company. I seek a position as writer or technical writer, doing basic web design, or simply working in language, technology, or their intersection.

Webmastering was a language-intensive position. In my assortment of additional short-term outside positions, some were writing-related and some not. Throughout my life, however, whether working professionally in language or not, a common thread has been my writing--I have continued to do it, throughout. This is why I can easily populate an entire web site with writing excerpts and samples of every kind.

I have decided, then, to seek a position that capitalizes on my second greatest strength--writing. In fact, my principal strength is thinking, that activity and its product expressed and manifest by the creation, manipulation, and recording of printed symbols--the act and process we call writing.

The employer who hires me will be the beneficiary of this mastery of language, analytical skill, and force of intellect. Indeed, the quality of my work has garnered me several letters of recommendation and reference.

Remuneration

Though a highly skilled writer, I'm re-entering the job market and am not focused principally on money but on re-establishing my professional credentials, as well as finding a company and position with longevity. Thus, I am flexible on wage and salary.

Please contact me by telephone at 973-779-4914(landline) or electronic communication. I look forward to hearing from you--let's get started immediately on your next project!

Warm Regards,

Vincent Frank De Benedetto