Spring Cleaning And Website Maintenance For Your Website

by: Cliff Posey Jr

Regular website maintenance is an important aspect of owning an online business. Just like a house, your website needs an annual spring cleaning. Certain website maintenance tasks should be performed throughout the year to keep content relevant. Other tasks can be done once a year.

You may be worried that website maintenance is costly, but there are many budget web design methods that can be employed to get the job done. Here is a list of budget web design tips that will help you perform the regular website maintenance that every site needs.

Budget Web Design Tip 1

Visit Competitor Sites

The contents of your site should project the image that you want to promote. For example, if you have a fun website, you should have lively colors and graphics. If you have a website that is serious in tone, the look should reflect that. When performing any type of website maintenance, you should regularly check competitor sites to see what else is out there. While you're surfing the web, be sure to take notes on what you liked, what you didn't, and why. Use these notes to develop an original site that stands out among the competition.

Budget Web Design Tip 2

Analyze Your Website

To properly perform website maintenance, you need to know what your website needs. To determine this, put yourself in your visitors' shoes. Look around. Do you see anything that's missing or can be approved upon? If so, determine how it can be changed. You may also want to consider having a trusted friend or family member look over your site. Ask them to provide an honest assessment, and then use their opinions to better the site. Specific things you may want to ask them about include the site's look and feel, the ease of navigation, and the site content itself.

Budget Web Design Tip 3

Update Your Content

Refreshing content is the top reason to perform website maintenance. Keeping your news pieces and informational content fresh is important. If your web content is stale, visitors will search elsewhere for the things they need. Studies show that sites that are updated regularly have more returning visitors and higher page views. Search engines will also give you more attention if you regularly update your pages with fresh content.

Budget Web Design Tip 4

Learn New Design Skills

Credible websites look professional. If you don't have the design know-how to perform website maintenance yourself, brush up on your skills. There are many free classes and low priced ebooks online that can teach you everything you need to know to redesign your website. There are also many different tutorials that can take you through the process step by step. If you don't have time to learn as you go, you may also want to consider hiring a reasonable priced professional who can perform website maintenance and get the job done for you.

Budget Web Design Tip 5

Track Your Results

After you have completed the website maintenance and implemented a few changes, you will want to track the results of your efforts. Check the logs on your website to determine whether or not you had an increase in visitors or sales. If there are no changes after several months, you may want to consider stepping up your efforts. Run back through the list of budget web design tips. Was there anything you missed? Was there anything that you could do better? If so, take the time to do it. Remember, profitable websites aren't started overnight. They take hard work, dedication, and continuing efforts to succeed.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1335.shtml

Choosing Colour For Your Website

by: Mark Gerrard

Colour schemes are the hardest to pick when building your website.

Why?

If your favourite colour is mauve, this may not translate into a website that is eye-appealing to potential customers. Also, you text and content may be hidden behind that colour.

Your customer might leave right away after seeing a grotesque colour scheme, so having the right colours can change the appearance and initial reaction to your website.

However, since there are infinite colour schemes, which ones will best suit you?

When designing a website, not only are you designing functionality and accessibility, you are also designing readability or eye appeal. This is different from websites that use flash to entice the visitor. Flash sites also have the disadvantage of not having the search engines being able to view a website that is entirely made of flash.

The colours should be ones that suit you, however suit the customer more. Reds, blues and orange/salmon and black on white have dramatic impact on how you perceive. For example, red has been used to demonstrate a call to action (for example, ‘buy’ can be placed within a red context because you wish the customer to ‘buy’ your product. You can place headlines in red; however, if you place the wrong headline in red, you won’t have buying customers. Red is a very powerful message marker. Use with caution.

Blue is used to have a calm experience. For example, some yoga and meditation websites will use blue to calm and red to entice their visitors to ‘buy’ their meditation services.

Some other sites have used orange/salmon to great effect. These colours can also entice visitors to find out more about your products and services as well as a combination of black and white text and background.

Traditional black on white background is still very useful. This is the basic colour scheme that we are all used to seeing and will also convey your message. What you can do is incorporate some of the other colours and see how they best suit your website and you business goals.

Colour enhances the images we see. When this is applied to website design it’s important to have your customer in mind. Determine which colour scheme works best for your website and continue to test. Once you’ve found a colour scheme that works, leave it. This will ensure your website business success.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1326.shtml

Social Networking - Do You Practice Netiquette?

by: L. J. Allen

Over the years, the beauty of the Internet has opened many different doors pertaining to socializing, networking, and the overall art of communication. Today, computer users of all ages are exploring the possibilities associated with chat rooms, discussion boards, forums, and online personals. Sending emails, instant messaging family and friends, and relaying text messages across the World Wide Web are also popular forms of contact. Despite the fact that users are unseen behind the guise of their computer, there is still a written and unwritten code of conduct that exists about the Internet.

Even in the world of online communication, one may offend, confuse, and irritate the people they send emails to or speak with in a chat room. Just as you participate in face-to-face communication, you are often aware of the way you move your body, execute hand gestures, or raise your voice. When contacting others across the Internet, there are also certain messages conveyed through the way you type out your thoughts. One of the most irritating online habits involves the use of all-caps when typing to others. Not only are long strings of capped words a strain on the eyes to read, but is often viewed as "shouting."

When typing emails or chatting with others while online, spelling and grammar really does count in not only making people see your side of things, but also promoting intelligent and free-flowing conversation. Usually, glaring spelling mistakes cause a distraction and confusion in correspondences. Additionally, just because you attempt to avoid making spelling errors and lapses in grammar – doesn’t mean you have the right to criticize others for their poor use of the English language. It is highly suggested to ignore the spelling mistakes of others and concentrate on the way you communicate while online.

Additional email etiquette rules include the avoidance of sending or forwarding junk mail and Internet hoaxes, forwarding virus warnings (which are sometimes hoaxes), replying to all recipients of a collectively sent email, and sending unnecessarily large attachments.

There are also plenty of "netiquette" issues to recognize when communicating with others in online communities (chat rooms and forums). One of the first things to do when joining a chat room, forum, or other online group is familiarize oneself with the rules or guidelines of the service. This practice comes in rather handy and helps one avoid any future online confrontations or misunderstandings.

At all times, your privacy should be protected, as well as other members of the online community. It is unwise to use full names in chat room correspondences and is rude to ask the full names of those you come in contact with. Staying on topic is also a rule of Internet etiquette. For instance, if you have joined a chat room community regarding model airplanes, it is often inappropriate to start sharing your marital problems with others. Using offensive language is warned against and is usually punished (suspension or ban).

When chatting, it is also suggested to keep messages short and present information in the most concise manner. Also, a common practice is to use abbreviations, but not everyone is familiar with the current lingo and this should be kept in mind – the abbreviation of your words and phrases should be used sparingly.

Overall, it is suggested to treat communication across the Internet in the same manner that you like to receive correspondences. Usually, the things that irritate you are the same actions others dislike as well.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3929.shtml

Synchronising NTP Servers to the GPS System

by: David Evans

The GPS system is a worldwide navigational system operated by the US military. The system is maintained by USNO, the United States Naval Observatory. The Global Positioning System is implemented from space by 24 satellites in high orbit. Each satellite has precise timing equipment that can be used to triangulate position for navigational purposes. Low-cost GPS antennas and receivers are now widely available and provide precise time and frequency information worldwide.

This article presents an introduction to using the GPS system for computer timing applications. It describes the equipment that can be utilised to provide a precise time resource for computers and computer networks.

Each GPS satellite has a highly accurate atomic clock timing reference, which can be used by NTP servers to synchronise computer networks. Each satellite continually broadcasts accurate time and positioning information. This information can be received by a GPS receiver and externally mounted GPS antenna. The timing information received is referenced to UTC time. The system is a free to air service requiring no set-up or subscription fees.

Many Network Time Protocol (NTP) server systems utilise GPS time as an external timing reference to synchronise Windows, LINUX, UNIX and other operating systems and network infrastructures. GPS is an ideal time and frequency source because it can provide highly accurate time anywhere in the world using relatively cheap components.

Each GPS satellite transmits a very low-power radio signal at two frequencies; L1 and L2. L1 is the civilian frequency band transmitted at 1575 MHz, while L2 is used for military positioning purposes. The radio signal transmitted by each satellite can easily pass through material such as glass and plastics but are blocked more substantial materials used in buildings. The signals travel by line of sight. The ideal location for a GPS antenna is on a rooftop with a good view of the sky.

The radio signals can be received by a low-cost GPS antenna. The antenna is essentially a high gain amplifier, which is used to amplify and transmit the weak radio signals down a coax cable to a GPS receiver.

The cable length that can be utilised between a GPS antenna and receiver is critical. The maximum distance that can be utilised is dependant on the gain of the antenna and the quality of the coax cable used. High antenna gain and high quality coax allows for much longer cable runs.

GPS signal amplifiers can be fitted inline on the coax cable to boost the signal and increase cable length. GPS amplifiers are generally powered from the coax cable. The higher the amplification, or gain, provided by the antenna, the longer the cable length that can be utilised.

Roof-mounted antennas can be prone to lighting strikes or other voltage surges. A lightning strike up to a quarter of a mile away can damage electronic components. Therefore, it is recommended that a surge suppressor be fitted. Lightning or surge suppressors are installed inline on the GPS cable and redirect any surge to earth. Various types of surge suppressor are available, from gas discharge devices to solid-state multi-strike devices.

GPS receivers decode the received signal from the antenna and provide easily readable information in a serial format. Most operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, LINUX and UNIX as well as time server systems can utilise the time output provided by the GPS receiver for accurate synchronisation. Many different GPS protocols are utilised, the most popular being NMEA. The NMEA protocol was developed by the National Marine Electronics Association. The protocol specifies a set of sentences that contain time and positioning information obtained by the GPS receiver. The sentences can be parsed by a PC or time server to obtain accurate time.

To summarise, the GPS system is an excellent source of precise time for NTP server systems or for synchronising stand-alone Windows, LINUX and UNIX PC's. By using relatively low-cost components, the Global Positioning System can provide time sensitive applications with precise timing information.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3930.shtml

What Is DSL?

by: Toh Poh

DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. It is a service that makes the use of existing copper telephone wires for delivering data services at extremely fast speed rates. It does not hamper the existing telephone line. You can surf the Internet and talk on the phone, simultaneously.

DSL offers speeds that are around 5 to 25 times higher than a typical 56Kb dial-up connection. It is an always-on type of connection. This implies that websites would load quickly, downloads would be faster, buffering of videos would be fast and smooth and the domain of Online games would be illimitable.

Based on the types of service, DSL can be can be categorized in three divisions which are ASDL, IDSL and SDSL.

ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It offers download speed of 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of 384 K. In order to acquire a ADSL connection, your location has to be within 3 miles of your local telephone office. Also, a DSL router is needed for this type of connection.

IDSL is a ISDN Digital Subscriber Line service which requires an ISDN router. It provides a connection speed of 144 K. in this type of connection distance is not a component to be considered.

SDSL means Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. The speeds available under this type of DSL connection depends on the distance between your location and your local telephone office. The speed of downloads and uploads can go up to 1.1 Mbps.

Advantages of DSL

No installation of new wires is required. DSL uses the present telephone line to connect to the Internet. It provides extremely fast connection. Depending on the offer, you would not even have to pay for the DSL modem installation charges, since it is provided free by some of the companies on selection of the appropriate plan. The download rate is much higher in DSL connections. Many business organizations have gained the benefits of DSL. A DSL connection is very secure.

Disadvantages of DSL

The quality of your DSL connection depends on the distance between the DSL providers office and your location. Nearer you are, the better quality connection would you get. So, consumers located far from the local DSL office may face some trouble. DSL provide high speeds for downloading stuff but upload speeds are not that good.

DSL vs Cable Modems

The services provided through a cable modem can sometimes slow down or get hanged. It depends on the number of users accessing that particular service. But, in a DSL connection there is no such problem. The speed of DSL is consistent and high. This does not allow any kind of conjunction on the network. It provides more security than the cable modem connections. The popularity of DSL has risen to new heights which has resulted in disconnections and up gradations of the cable modem connections.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3943.shtml

Microsoft Certification: Your Career Is Waiting!

by: Scott Elliott

Microsoft, a leader in the IT industry, has developed a number of certification programs for professionals working in the business. The programs allow you to decide which certification is appropriate and best suited for your career. There are over 2 million IT professionals with Microsoft certification. You can join their ranks and greatly enhance your professional career with Microsoft Certification. It's important to note that Microsoft has restructured their programs to be very targeted.

Microsoft provides plenty of support as you study for your various certifications. The training includes classroom training, self-study kits, computer-based training, online classes, and books, and certification guides. You can take advantage of the way that you learn best. Depending on the career path you have chosen, you will find a certification that matches your skill set. Microsoft plans to, over time, introduce exams that rely on simulations and performance items.

You start by taking the appropriate entry- level certification. Prepare yourself with the most suitable Microsoft Certification Guides. You need to choose the right guide. A list follows of the various Certification Guides you can choose from. Match you expertise with these guides.

MCSE certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) is an industry standard targeted at the IT professional and provides the skills and training needed to design and implement infrastructure functions based on the Microsoft Windows® 2000 platform and Microsoft server software such as MCSE Messaging and Security.

MCSA certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) is for IT professionals who need skills and knowledge to administer system environments based on desktop and server operator systems. This training focuses on managing and troubleshooting system environments. With this level of certification you can now prepare for specializations like MCSA Security and Messaging.

MCDST certification (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician) is for students who need the right skills and training to troubleshoot ordinary hardware and software issues in Microsoft Windows environments.

MCAD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Application Developer ) provides you with the skills and knowledge that allows you to develop and maintain department level applications for Web clients, desktop client, components, and back-end data services all the way from development to maintenance.

MCSD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developers) is for IT professionals with the skills and knowledge needed for developing and designing leading edge business solutions by using various Microsoft tools, platforms, technologies and architectures. This certification allows you to develop custom .NET-based applications. This training encompasses everything from analysis to design, development, testing and maintenance using Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platforms. You become an expert on all aspects of the application life cycle.

MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Administrator) is for IT professionals who need to plan, administer, deploy, support and maintain databases created by using various Microsoft products.

MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Developer) gives you the skills and knowledge to plan, deploy, support, maintain and optimize IT infrastructures and databases created by using Microsoft products such as Windows Application Developer, Web Application Developer, or Enterprise Applications Developer.

MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Web Developer) distinguishes expert professionals who are Windows application developers, Web application developers, and enterprise application developers. Experts with these skills can build targeted applications using different platforms in the Microsoft.NET Framework 2.0.

MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Developer) is for students who need to distinguish themselves as an expert in comprehensive Windows application development, enterprise application, and Web application development using platforms that use the Microsoft.NET Framework. This certification is a stepping- stone to other Microsoft certifications.

MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is designed fir IP professionals who target specific technologies and demonstrate in-depth knowledge of .NET 2.0 and other specialized Microsoft technologies.

MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is for IT professionals who work with enterprise environment databases. It provides students with in-depth training and skills for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 product.

MOS certification (Microsoft Office Specialist) is designed for IT professionals who need the skills and knowledge to understand and use the advanced features of Microsoft Office software.

MOS MI certification (Microsoft Office Master Instructor) qualifies you to teach MOS courses.

Microsoft Certified Architect Program is designed for IT professionals who can apply successful frameworks and methodologies to create an architecture from beginning to end, through the IT life cycle.

CLC certification (Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant) is a credential for expertise in designing and delivering customized learning solutions for other IT professionals.

MCBDA certification (Microsoft Certified Database Administrators) are trained to design, implement and administer Microsoft SQL Server databases.

MCT certification (Microsoft Certified Trainers) are instructors who are qualified to deliver Microsoft training courses. MCTs are authorized to deliver Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) or Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3936.shtml

Do You Really Need A Website?

by: Mark Gerrard

Savvy business owners have jumped on the Internet bandwagon. Take a look at the amount of websites on the World Wide Web and you’ll see that the number is in the 100’s of millions. However, what does this mean for you? After all, you’ve been established and you sell solidly from your store-front; or on the other hand, you’re content to sell at the marketplace or other seller’s venues.

That’s perfectly fine. In fact, there’s absolutely nothing wrong if you’re content with your current sales volume. However, an increasing number of customers want to have the convenience of shopping from the Internet. Through a few clicks of the mouse and a few keyboard strokes, they can have the product shipped to their house and they didn’t have to speak to a salesperson!

Can you afford to miss out on this potential revenue stream?

Here are 3 reasons why you, as a business owner need a website:

1) Your Customer’s Expect You to Have a Website

Maybe you’ve had a few customers ask if you have a website. When you reply, “No” or “Not yet”, do you get a sinking feeling that you just lost buyer’s who would gladly buy from you multiple times without the trip to your store?

2) No Pressure Selling

Customer’s really, really hate pressure selling techniques. In fact, when sales people approach most customers, the typical, “I’m just looking or I’m just browsing” is the typical answer. So why not let your customer browse? Get a website and they can browse all they want without having a sales person breathing down their neck. The perception is that your customer feels relatively at ease because there’s no one trying to alter their decision. The reality is that every step of the way, you’re reminding the customer to buy from you and making it easy every step of the way to get what they want, all through your website.

3) Accounts for 3 Times the Amount of Sales vs. Phone Sales

There are numerous marketing studies done that all point towards the same conclusion: a website has 3 times the amount of sales than phone sales/walk-ins. So, 25% of sales result from phone/walk-ins and 75% result from on-line sales. These groups tend to be mutually exclusive as well (and phone sales/walk-ins tend to be more mature buyers age 50+) as opposed to Internet buyers, (age 16-49).

In conclusion, do you really need a website? Yes, you do.

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1332.shtml

Microsoft Certification: Your Career Is Waiting!

by: Scott Elliott

Microsoft, a leader in the IT industry, has developed a number of certification programs for professionals working in the business. The programs allow you to decide which certification is appropriate and best suited for your career. There are over 2 million IT professionals with Microsoft certification. You can join their ranks and greatly enhance your professional career with Microsoft Certification. It's important to note that Microsoft has restructured their programs to be very targeted.

Microsoft provides plenty of support as you study for your various certifications. The training includes classroom training, self-study kits, computer-based training, online classes, and books, and certification guides. You can take advantage of the way that you learn best. Depending on the career path you have chosen, you will find a certification that matches your skill set. Microsoft plans to, over time, introduce exams that rely on simulations and performance items.

You start by taking the appropriate entry- level certification. Prepare yourself with the most suitable Microsoft Certification Guides. You need to choose the right guide. A list follows of the various Certification Guides you can choose from. Match you expertise with these guides.

MCSE certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) is an industry standard targeted at the IT professional and provides the skills and training needed to design and implement infrastructure functions based on the Microsoft Windows® 2000 platform and Microsoft server software such as MCSE Messaging and Security.

MCSA certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) is for IT professionals who need skills and knowledge to administer system environments based on desktop and server operator systems. This training focuses on managing and troubleshooting system environments. With this level of certification you can now prepare for specializations like MCSA Security and Messaging.

MCDST certification (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician) is for students who need the right skills and training to troubleshoot ordinary hardware and software issues in Microsoft Windows environments.

MCAD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Application Developer ) provides you with the skills and knowledge that allows you to develop and maintain department level applications for Web clients, desktop client, components, and back-end data services all the way from development to maintenance.

MCSD.NET certification (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developers) is for IT professionals with the skills and knowledge needed for developing and designing leading edge business solutions by using various Microsoft tools, platforms, technologies and architectures. This certification allows you to develop custom .NET-based applications. This training encompasses everything from analysis to design, development, testing and maintenance using Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platforms. You become an expert on all aspects of the application life cycle.

MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Administrator) is for IT professionals who need to plan, administer, deploy, support and maintain databases created by using various Microsoft products.

MCITP certification (Microsoft Certified IT Professional Database Developer) gives you the skills and knowledge to plan, deploy, support, maintain and optimize IT infrastructures and databases created by using Microsoft products such as Windows Application Developer, Web Application Developer, or Enterprise Applications Developer.

MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Web Developer) distinguishes expert professionals who are Windows application developers, Web application developers, and enterprise application developers. Experts with these skills can build targeted applications using different platforms in the Microsoft.NET Framework 2.0.

MCPD certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Developer) is for students who need to distinguish themselves as an expert in comprehensive Windows application development, enterprise application, and Web application development using platforms that use the Microsoft.NET Framework. This certification is a stepping- stone to other Microsoft certifications.

MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is designed fir IP professionals who target specific technologies and demonstrate in-depth knowledge of .NET 2.0 and other specialized Microsoft technologies.

MCTS.NET 2.0 certification (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) is for IT professionals who work with enterprise environment databases. It provides students with in-depth training and skills for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 product.

MOS certification (Microsoft Office Specialist) is designed for IT professionals who need the skills and knowledge to understand and use the advanced features of Microsoft Office software.

MOS MI certification (Microsoft Office Master Instructor) qualifies you to teach MOS courses.

Microsoft Certified Architect Program is designed for IT professionals who can apply successful frameworks and methodologies to create an architecture from beginning to end, through the IT life cycle.

CLC certification (Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant) is a credential for expertise in designing and delivering customized learning solutions for other IT professionals.

MCBDA certification (Microsoft Certified Database Administrators) are trained to design, implement and administer Microsoft SQL Server databases.

MCT certification (Microsoft Certified Trainers) are instructors who are qualified to deliver Microsoft training courses. MCTs are authorized to deliver Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) or Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3936.shtml

Top 10 Ways To Make A Computer Run Faster

by: Brooks Carver

Today I am going to be talking about different ways you can make a computer run faster. There is actually a lot you can do yourself that will boost your PC's performance. So lets take a look at different ways we can remedy that slow computer of yours!

1. Free Up Disk Space

A great way to make a computer run faster is to free up some disk space. Windows comes with a disk cleanup tool that helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete without messing anything up, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

How to use disk cleanup tool.

* Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.

* In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list. (If you have multiple hard drives you will have to select which one to scan.)

* Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.

* When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click OK.

2. Use Defrag Tool

When you add a file or a new program to a new computer, the hard drive is relatively empty so new data is saved to the hard drive in one whole block. When you need to use that information, the computer can quickly access it because it is all in one place. Defragging your system is definitely a way to make a computer run faster.

How to use defrag tool.

* From the start menu point to "all programs"
* Point to "Accessories"
* Point to "System Tools"
* Click on "Disk Defragmenter"
* The disk defragmenter will display the hard drives on your computer. Just select and click Defragment.

3. Get rid of spyware

Definition

Spyware is software with malicious intent - by design; it does something bad to your computer. Usually, it gets installed without your knowledge. It sometimes takes advantage of the fact that most people click "I Agree" to software licenses without reading them.

The only way to get rid of spyware is to have some kind of scanner, sort of like an anti-virus. In order to make a computer run faster and keep it safer your going to need an anti-spyware program. This is tricky, a lot of the spyware programs out there are malicious and will actually add viruses and spyware to your computer by using the "spyware scanner and blocker". So please remember to be very careful when choosing your anti-spyware program.

4. Find and repair disk errors

Detect and Repair Disk Errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

How to run the error checking utility.

* Click Start, and then click My Computer.
* In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.
* In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.
* Click the Check Now button.
* In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.
* If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.
Tip: Only select the Automatically fix file system errors check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.

5. Get an external hard drive

Adding an External Hard Drive to your computer will allow you to clear out a lot of the things you don't need to be storing on your normal hard drive.

A great example would be your music or pictures. All those songs and pictures are sitting on your computer making it go slower. You will see a decline in your computers performance as soon as you use over half of your hard drive space.

Moving all your songs or pictures to your external hard drive will free up a lot of space on your main hard drive. You can even move applications such as photoshop or games.

An external hard drive is also handy because it is portable. You can unplug it from your computer and take it to a friends house and plug it in there, sharing photos and pictures very easily.

This is truly a great way to make a computer run faster.

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3931.shtml

Good Design Practices and Important Rules in Website Design

by: Kanicen Nichathavan

When it comes to your website, extra attention should be paid to every minute detail to make sure it performs optimally to serve its purpose. Here are seven important rules of thumb to observe to make sure your website performs well.

1) Do not use splash pages

Splash pages are the first pages you see when you arrive at a website. They normally have a very beautiful image with words like "welcome" or "click here to enter". In fact, they are just that -- pretty vases with no real purpose. Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the "back" button! Give them the value of your site up front without the splash page.

2) Do not use excessive banner advertisements

Even the least net savvy people have trained themselves to ignore banner advertisements so you will be wasting valuable website real estate. Instead, provide more valueable content and weave relevant affiliate links into your content, and let your visitors feel that they want to buy instead of being pushed to buy.

3) Have a simple and clear navigation

You have to provide a simple and very straightforward navigation menu so that even a young child will know how to use it. Stay away from complicated Flash based menus or multi-tiered dropdown menus. If your visitors don't know how to navigate, they will leave your site.

4) Have a clear indication of where the user is

When visitors are deeply engrossed in browsing your site, you will want to make sure they know which part of the site they are in at that moment. That way, they will be able to browse relevant information or navigate to any section of the site easily. Don't confuse your visitors because confusion means "abandon ship"!

5) Avoid using audio on your site

If your visitor is going to stay a long time at your site, reading your content, you will want to make sure they're not annoyed by some audio looping on and on on your website. If you insist on adding audio, make sure they have some control over it -- volume or muting controls would work fine.

Your website is where your business resides it's like the headquarter of an offline company. Hence, it is important to practise good design principles to make sure your site reaches out to the maximum number of visitors and sells to as many people as possible.

Make sure you have clear directions on the navigation of your website. The navigation menu should be uncluttered and concise so that visitors know how to navigate around your website without confusion.

Reduce the number of images on your website. They make your site load very slowly and more often than not they are very unnecessary. If you think any image is essential on your site, make sure you optimize them using image editing programs so that they have a minimum file size.

Keep your text paragraphs at a reasonable length. If a paragraph is too long, you should split it into seperate paragraphs so that the text blocks will not be too big. This is important because a block of text that is too large will deter visitors from reading your content.

Make sure your website complies to web standards at www.w3.org and make sure they are cross-browser compatible. If your website looks great in Internet Explorer but breaks horribly in Firefox and Opera, you will lose out on a lot of prospective visitors.

Avoid using scripting languages on your site unless it is absolutely necessary. Use scripting languages to handle or manipulate data, not to create visual effects on your website. Heavy scripts will slow down the loading time of your site and even crash some browsers. Also, scripts are not supported across all browsers, so some visitors might miss important information because of that.

Use CSS to style your page content because they save alot of work by styling all elements on your website in one go.

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1339.shtml

Hosting Geeklog Sites----Leading To a Booming Online Community

by: Fat Jack

The weblogs are increasingly viewed as a cheaper alternative of expensive content management system. It makes no difference whether you are an entrepreneur or a man with opinions to share, the weblog system offers you the least complicated mode of reaching out to maximum number of audiences.

Today variety of Weblog-publishing systems are around, but only a few stands out in the crowd for their easy to set up and maintenance features and Geeklog is probably the most popular among them.

Today’s user friendly weblog systems don’t require that much of technical skill to operate them; you can acquire your personal Web space to publish your files, or you can also set up Weblog software on a server run by your ISP.

But availing the hosting service from a service provider like Frontier Power has its unique advantage:

* The Geeklog web hosting literally allows you to get up and running.
* Letting other host your Geeklog site saves your hassles with software, because a web host company has all the necessary software on its own server to host the files that make up a weblog.

Unique advantage of Geeklog websites

Although many are of the opinion that any kind of editing kills the very spirit of weblog, you some time need to regulate some aspects of contents of the site and for that multiple access to the content is required. The Geeklog application makes the multiple author entry possible by setting fine-grained permission levels for each individual user. This enables you to decide for your site whether an individual user can be allowed to take up such functions as posting, editing contents, uploading files or including more users to the site.

It is the interactive features of Geeklog like comments thread, reader polls, shared image galleries or mailing lists that can help you to build up a community of users with matching wave length.

Geeklog also boasts of an efficient calendar system; the system allows administrators and users alike to post information about upcoming activities.

Finally, Geeklog allows you to set up polls -- a great way to know what your audience is actually thinking. Geeklog also has the built in feature of offering your own RSS feed, as well as integrating another site's RSS headlines into your own page.


It is common to feel the need for more advanced features as you progress through your web community build up process. So it is always advisable to start with some advanced package as offered by the Geeklog, so that you do not need to make a mess in the midway by migrating from one system to another.

Among the feature packed weblog systems, Geeklog definitely stands out with its many unique features. True that it is easy to operate, but you can skip the technical hurdles altogether by assigning a web hosting company to do the job for you. The best web hosting service and Geeklog weblog---together they can make wonder for clicking it off with your online community.

Source :

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1344.shtml

Choosing An Effective Web Design Company

by: Phill Bernier

Here's the scenario...

..You're a business person, you know all there is to know about your industry and your products. You felt the time was right to expand your business by harnessing the power of the internet. You know that with the tools available today, just about anyone can throw together a website, however, you also know that there are many issues and pitfalls that can turn a good idea into a complete disaster... time to call in the professionals.

Good plan!

But here's the problem...

There are hundreds of them!!! Prices range from £50 to £5000 for seemingly the same product, there are big companies, small companies and freelancers all selling web design services. Your friends grandson who just left kindergarten can do you a good deal if you're prepared to pay in cash.

In my opinion, if you are going to buy something...anything...you need to have a basic understanding of the issues surrounding it: The good points, the bad points. Acceptable and unacceptable concessions. Consequences and benefits. In this article, we are going to attempt to show you how to avoid getting ripped off by providing you with the necessary understanding required when choosing a web designer. Once you have read and inwardly digested the contents of this article, you should be confident that the web design company you choose will build you a web site that will fulfil the vision that you have for it.

Step 1: Choose a Few Reputable Web Design Firms

The first step when choosing a web design company is to shortlist a number of prospects. The best method possible is to choose a selection of companies based on personal recommendation. Many business people know other business people who can supply referrals. Given the benefit a well developed web site can have on your business, it is well worth taking the time to tap into your network of contacts to get the name of 3 or 4 satisfactory web design companies to choose from.

In the event that this doesn't work for you, use a local directory, the internet or a newspaper to make a list of potential web designers. (Remember that anyone can pay an internet marketing firm to get them at the top of a search engine such as Google so a company's ranking does not mean that they are capable of delivering a good solution.)

Step 2: Check Out the Web Design Companies Own Web Site

It stands to reason that if a company is capable of creating workable web sites or solutions then its own site should be beyond reproach, so take a look at their own web site as well as a couple of sites from their portfolio, if portfolio items are not available, simply e-mail them and ask.

The Design of the Web Site

The following are a number of things to look for when choosing a web design company from your shortlist:-

Are there apparent errors (spelling errors, missing pictures, broken links etc.)?

Attention to detail is vital in web design. What you see on a web page is the result of a great deal of complex interaction beneath the surface. If that which is visible is full of errors, it stands to reason that the same level of care has been taken over the code which makes the site function. Spelling and grammatical errors will harm your credibility and a dysfunctional web site will frustrate your audience.

Can You Easily Find the Information You Are Looking For?

This is critical. If you find yourself on a web site, the chances are you were looking for something in particular. Ensure that the elements of the designer's web site are easy to find. Check that you are able to quickly and easily spot the contents of the pages and move freely between pages.

Other design considerations are as follows:-

- Is the text clear and easy to read?

- Are the pages uncluttered and easy on the eye?

- Are there elements such as excessive animation distracting the user from the main text?

- Does the site appear quickly?

- Does the colour scheme and design fit in with the brand of the company (take the logo as a benchmark)?

The Technical Bits

Now this is important! Why?

First, because there is legislation in both the UK, the US and a variety of European countries that requires your site be accessible to disabled users. Failure to adhere to this will result in your having to hire a third party company to re-code and possibly redesign your entire web site.

Secondly, if your web site is not coded using standards (set by the www council) it may not function correctly when viewed by different people using different equipment.

Finally, it is a well known time-proven fact that if your visitor is kept waiting more than 10 seconds for a web page to appear, they will move on.

SO HOW DO I TELL ?!

I hear you cry in desperation! Well, you don't need to be a geek or even know the first thing about web design, html or programming. All you need are the addresses of a couple of useful websites and an explanation of how to use the tools found there. A web page has been created for your convenience that contains links to these sites and detailed instructions on how to use the tools provided and evaluate the results. The link appears at the foot of this page.

It should be noted that evaluating these elements will give you some idea of the technical ability of your chosen web site design companies. There are many many more issues that a web site designer should be aware of, and in fact should take care of without you even knowing about it. The points listed here are, in our opinion, those that will have the greatest impact on your business and are so often ignored by less scrupulous web design companies.

Step 3: Contact the Web Design Firms

Now you should have pretty much narrowed down the possibilities you can go ahead and get in touch. Most companies will jump at the chance to talk to you and convince you of their product offerings. However, what you are interested in are the facts, not the sales pitch.

You have already established their design and technical capabilities, now you are interested in their ability to fulfil your needs and provide you with efficient service. Ask for some references from their most recent projects. Ask for the web addresses, contact names, details and completion dates. In approaching them in this way you ensure that you're not getting the one or two satisfied clients that they have serviced in the past, you are getting up to date clients and up to date projects.

Once you have their details, call the referees. The following are some idea's of the kind of information you might want to extract from these people:-

Verify the details you have been given in respect to project completion dates.

Find out about the quality of service the client received

Ask how able the web design company was in establishing and anticipating the needs of their client.

Discuss deadlines and timely delivery

Try to establish how effective the site has been in achieving the original goals of the client

Ask if the client has any complaints

Don't be afraid to speak frankly, whether satisfied with the service or not, most people are happy to be given the opportunity to sing praises or vent frustrations.

Step 4: The End

Well, having done all of this you should have a pretty good idea which company is going to provide a solution that's going to work for you. It may seem like a lot of work, but not only are you about to part with a substantial sum of money, but if the web site you receive doesn't do its job properly, you could well be missing out on new business or worse still convincing potential clients to go elsewhere.

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1338.shtml

Is Your Website Being Read? Why People Don’t Read Your Web Page

by: Sherman Cheong

As the world virtually shrinks into the window on your computer screen, the web site is the best and a must-have tool for any business. Not only can it reach a global audience, it will boost your local exposure exponentially—at a minimal cost. However, your business web site isn’t, and shouldn’t be, just an electronic version of your product/service brochure. It could also be another potential revenue-generating source. Just like a printed brochure, your web site doesn’t get read by your visitors from top to bottom. At least not initially—and not until you get them interested in what you have to offer. First Impression As the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” And nowhere is this truer than on the Web. Your prospects form an instant impression of you and your company the moment your home page displays onto their computer screens.” In a mouse click, your prospects determine who you are, how they feel about you, and decide if they want to do business with you. Is your web site creating the impression you want? Your business web site acts as a silent salesman for your business. Knowing this, wouldn’t you want to “dress” it to WOW your customers? Web Design vs Web Creation Being able to draw doesn’t make one an artist. Just as having written an essay doesn’t make one a novelist. At least not without years of practice and training. Similarly, and with the widespread availability of professional software, you as a small business owner may choose to design-it-yourself (DIY). You may think you could create your own artwork, “design” a promotion flyer, build a web site. However, to design something to visually communicate effectively and compellingly, you have to consider its clarity, font usage, readability. Other things to consider are:
* Your business communications
* Branding and marketing mix These are business communication problems to be addressed.

You also need to consider its consistency, identity, colour, professionalism, integration, innovation and emotional impression. Usability Have you ever gone for a drive with a map someone else made and it is poorly drawn or just wrong? We all hate the frustration of getting lost. A difficult or inefficient navigation would break your web site as quickly and easily as it was created (by yourself). We evaluate the consistency, innovation, linkage, usability and presentation of the design. We also evaluate the resolution requirements, complexity, consistency, usability to test the effectiveness of the web site layout. How We Really Use the Web In his book, Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, web usability guru, Steve Krug, writes: “When we’re creating sites, we act as though people are going to pore over each page, reading our finely crafted text, figuring out how we’ve organized things, and weighing their options before deciding which link to click. What they actually do most of the time (if we’re lucky) is glance at each new page, scan some of the text, and click on the first link that catches their interest or vaguely resembles the thing they’re looking for. There are usually large parts of the page that they don’t even look at.” How we really use the web site Krug adds that if one wants to design effective Web pages, there are three facts about real-world Web use to consider:

1) We don’t read pages. We scan them. Why? Because:
* We’re usually in a hurry.
* We know we don’t need to read everything.
* We’re good at it.

2) We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice. Why? Because:
* We’re usually in a hurry.
* There’s not much of a penalty for guessing wrong.
* Weighing options may not improve our chances.
* Guessing is more fun.

3) We don’t figure out how things work. We muddle through. Why? Because:
* It’s not important to us.
* If we find something that works, we stick to it.

Source: http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1336.shtml