Forty-eight million American adults have contributed some form of user-generated content on the Internet. That's 35 percent of Internet users. Of those adults who have posted content on the Web, 73 percent, or 31 million, have a broadband connection at home.

If you have ever considered sharing your knowlege with others via a weblog or participated in an online community you know how this works.  Millions of folks are starting to share information and connect and communicate in some incredible new ways.  It's worth getting to know more about how to particpate in this new online world.

Complete Story from ClickZ | digg story

'The amount of money spent on Internet advertising in the U.S. rose by 30 percent last year to a record $12.5 billion, according to a report released Thursday by advertising trade group the Interactive Advertising Bureau and independent auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers.' - From CNET News

• More from this CNET  Report on Online Advertising

The article states that Keyword search ads led the sector, representing 41 percent market share and $5.1 billion in revenue.  This should hit every business owner between the eyes and raise the question about what their own online advertising strategy is.  I've known businesses in the past few years to establish national prominence and a largely expanded sales presence from adapting to this new reality. 

If you have a business whose customers can come from more than just your nearby locale - then learning how to get connected to some of these online advertising tools and techniques is a great place to begin.

Question 1: Do you even know how your page ranks in the search engines?  What actually comes up when you google your company name or the product/service lines that you represent?  Try searching for your company or service the way a customer would - you will learn a lot about where you stand.

Question 2: Do you know how to purchase and benefit from even a basic Google Adwords advertisement?  Although fine-tuning a Google ad and its underlying keywords can take some time, you can still get familiar with the technology in less than an hour… Visit https://adwords.google.com to learn more. 

This is one of the best online speed tests I've ever seen for determining how fast your cable modem or DSL connection is performing.  This takes less than 60 seconds and give you a very visual presentation of how fast your connection really is.

• SPEED Test | Online

A new service, GotVoice, is a clever and free product will dial up your voicemail service periodically, record your messages, and both save them on its Web site and email them to you.

• Here is the CNET Review
• Here is the GotVoice Website 

• GotVoice and the Military Family Network (emilitary.org) have partnered to offer our free GotVoice services to members of the United States armed forces deployed overseas. This will allow military service members to listen to their US based home and cellular voicemail from any Internet connection for free. We hope this will enable more service members to keep in close contact with their friends and family back home.

From the Wall Street Journal's Center for Entrepreneurship: 'When he persuaded a Wal-Mart buyer to give his unusual pen a test run some 18 months ago, Colin Roche thought the hard part was over. Selling to the world's largest retailer is, after all, the entrepreneurial Holy Grail: With 138 million weekly customers, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. dwarfs other bricks-and-mortar competitors.'

• Read about how Colin has engaged the opportunity with WalMart

'He conceived of PenAgain in 1987 while sitting in high-school detention and dreamed up its design to relieve his writer's cramp. A prototype built in his Dad's garage became the catalyst that launched the business and drove it to nearly $2 million in sales last year.'

This is such an encouraging article - seeing that still today, a small team of entrepreneurs can engage a distribution opportunity like WalMart - capitalisim is alive and well!

From Business 2.0 - here is a very short slideshow sharing with you the top jobs and some very impressive statistics related to each one.

• Business 2.0 Top Ten Fastest Growing Jobs

Here is a very interesting set of maps that color-code each county in the United States according to the variety of religions dominant in any given region.

• Glenmary Research Center's Data Maps: US Religions

From Business 2.0 - they say over half their readers dream of starting their own company.  They share the following five ideas for how to get started even though you are working a full-time job today.

• Complete Article from Business 2.0

1. Use Your Salary as Funding
2. Turn Common Complaints Into a Business Plan
3. Make Your Boss a Beta Tester
4. Take Advantage of Your Company's Reputation
5. Convert Your Employer Into a Business Partner

It's never easy to get started - but these are some great ideas that can give your startup a much greater chance of success. 

Sometimes all work and no play make for a long day.  If you've gotten bit by the Sudoku bug - here is one of the best free web-based games that gives you a new challenge each day.

• Sudoku Craving