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Friendly Advice
By now, everyone should know that the Web is not a good place to seek legal or medical advice. But what about those matters with far less dire consequences, like how to tactfully handle an uninvited houseguest? Or when to ask your boss for a raise? People facing potentially awkward social situations often turn to advice columnists, for the anonymity as much as the answer. Unfortunately, older writers (and readers) often had only two options: Abigail van Buren (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Abby) and her twin sister, Ann Landers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Landers). These days, though, we no longer are limited to a single page of our local newspaper. The Web provides access to countless syndicated writers with no shortage of opinions.
Abby has since retired and Ann has passed away, but their daughters carry on the family tradition. "Dear Abby" (http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/) is maintained now by Jeanne Phillips, while her cousin, Margo Howard, pens "Dear Prudence," which appears every Thursday in the online magazine Slate (http://www.slate.com/id/2125312/). They compete for readership with the much-loved etiquette guru Miss Manners (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/style/columns/missmanners), as well as younger upstarts like "advice goddess" Amy Alkon (http://advicegoddess.com/) or the practical, no-nonsense Carolyn Hax of Tell Me About It: Advice for the Under-30 Crowd (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/style/columns/tellmeaboutit/).
At this point, it's probably apparent that the majority of advice columns are written by women and generally for women. However, an increasing number of male columnists are closing the gender gap. The Bay Area's Male Call: Advice from a Guy (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/columnists/malecall/qa_forum.htm) fields questions from both men and women about almost any topic, while Salon.com's Cary Tennis focuses his column, "Since You Asked..." (http://dir.salon.com/topics/since_you_asked/index.html; subscription or daily "site pass" required) exclusively on relationship woes. The London Times even has its own "Mister Manners" in Philip Howard, whose Modern Manners (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,641,00.html) covers much of the same ground as his American, female counterpart.
No matter what the topic, there probably is a column that addresses it. The Vine's Sarah Bunting, who moonlights from her full-time gig at the popular Web site Television Without Pity (http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com), dispenses blunt advice on not only the usual social entanglements, but also her three favorite topics: cats, grammar and baseball (http://www.tomatonation.com/thevine.shtml). Other writers get even more specific. There's The Career Doctor Column (http://www.quintcareers.com/career_doctor/archives.html), in which Randall Hansen publishes biweekly columns relating to career changes, job interviews, résumé polishing and more. Women concerned about financial matters can Ask Jane Dough (http://www.creators.com/lifestyle_show.cfm?columnsName=wws), while nervous brides-to-be can Ask Carley (http://www.theknot.com/keywords/ch_525.shtml) about all matters of wedding etiquette. And those who just want to know which flowers will bloom in their yards can choose one of three "Gardening Experts" at Country Living magazine (http://magazines.ivillage.com/countryliving/archive/0,,284658,00.html).
Should you feel inspired to submit your own query to any of the writers featured here, bear in mind that editorial deadlines have not exactly kept up with the pace of the Internet. You could find yourself waiting months to see your question in print. But in the meantime, you can always just Ask the Eight Ball (http://www.indra.com/8ball/front.html).
—Jennifer L. Behrens, University Libraries