IT HOLIC - The IT article blog

DotProject Benefits---Why DotProject Should Be Your Chosen PMS?

2007-10-13T20:23:00.001-07:00

by: Fat Jack

While it comes to describing DotProject---the popular project management solution----one word is sufficient and that is ‘robust’. While its commercial counterparts come with an exorbitant price tag, this free PHP/mySQL based open source application offers you more features than most of them.

The basic objective of project management system can be divided into three main categories:

* The creation of planning of the project

* Breaking the whole plan structure into a series of tasks

* Assigning schedule to each task to achieve certain outcomes

* All these three main aspects of project management vary with the nature and type of each project.

Efficient project management

DotProject is a project management solution that helps to meet you with all these above mentioned project management needs and beyond that. It helps categorize projects as ‘in planning’, ‘in process’ and as ‘on hold’.

This program helps in tracking the various aspects of the expansion project.

A full calendar and ticket system helps update and prioritize your to-do lists.

It supports a better communication with your long distance employees as well as clients.

The right choice for the budget conscious

The DotProject can be the ideal project management solution for the organizations who have to keep the budget factor in mind; for DotProject being an open source solution it has no fees. It comes under a generous license agreement under BSD, GNU General Public License (GPL). Thus you don’t have to pay license fees, maintenance fees, or purchasing fees.

Simple technology; easier operation

In addition to that it is stable software and utilizes purely open source LAMP technologies including PHP hosting and MySQL database management. It works on all the major browsers and is backed by a supportive community. It supports a fine-grained permission system and also scalable.

Modular structure

DotProject can be integrated with other popular open-source projects such as PostNuke. Its modular character lets you expand its functionalities. With dotProject you have the option of using only the modules you need. Just disable the modules that don’t match your project management needs. Its sleek framework makes it easier for the customization by users or by the developers.

If you are still not convinced, our recommendation is: try DotProject web hosting. We are sure with DotProject as your support system, you will never look back.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3901.shtml

Can Content Syndicators Work For The Benefit Of Your Business?

2007-10-13T20:22:00.001-07:00

by: Fat Jack

A savvy internet marketer should always be aware of the new techniques and tricks of the business and RSS has emerged as the latest alternating messaging medium. With html fast becoming the thing of past, RSS is going to be the next big thing in the web; it is going to become the backbone of the internet by helping share the contents all over the web.

So what is content syndication all about?

This is a technology for sharing content among multiple websites. The characteristic features of this technology are:

* Syndication does not necessarily mean sharing of the full article, images or files.

* Syndication amounts to providing you information about the source website where the full article can be read.

* The information are found in forms of headlines with links to the web pages where the original content can be accessed.

* The syndication file is the basic element of content syndication. These files containing information about the site, the headlines and the links to web pages are located on the web server of the distributor of the content.

A professional webhost allows its customers to participate in content syndication for better business results. So what business benefits are you expected to get from content syndicators provided by your web host?

* Suppose you are engaged in the travel related business. What is the fastest and most effective way of circulating the news about your discounted summer travel package? Just create content with sensational headline and circulate it as RSS feed. Nothing can create speedier impact than this.

* RSS feeds help earn you more reliability from your customers for the simple reason that RSS feeds allow your subscribers to control the flow of information and your customers would trust you more when they are able to control the information they receive. Syndicating increase your online visibility by affecting your search engine rankings positively.

* In the corporate circle and in the intranet, syndication provides a better mode of communications and information about time sensitive issues to the remote employees and clients.

* Finally, its keyword search capabilities empower the marketers in tracking their immediate competitors.

Why not follow the footsteps of such powerful sites as MySpace or YouTube in sharing your contents online? Let RSS be the focal point in your internet marketing and wait for the best to come.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3902.shtml

The B2Evolution Features Than Can Add Value to Your Blog Site

2007-10-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

by: Fat Jack

If you are looking for a suitable tool to host a blog site then believe me, nothing can give you a better option than a B2Evolution software package. Going beyond traditional blogging tools, this software can offer you a range of other unusual features that add to the uniqueness to your blog site.

Multiple user/multiple author/ multilingual support

First of all, it supports a multi user, multiple authors set up.

By installing the software for once the software helps organize your blog in a way that each blog has its own set of member users. Thus, you can take the decision as to who gets to write on a particular blog.

On a more advanced level, certain readers can be denied access to particular posts.

To top it all, full user management is included in the software.

RSS feed enabled

Content syndication is one of the most prominent features of today’s blogging behavior. This is a process of article sharing among several related sites. But it is not essential that the full article should be circulated. Through the RSS feed, you can get to see the title and the source of the article. The source link can take you the original article.

The B2evolution has built-in RSS feed support. It also has Atom feeds for both posts and comments.

Thus the readers can get to see your RSS feeds and subscribe to your site.

With B2Evolution, it is possible to assign separate feeds for each individual blog on your site. Alternatively it is also possible to get a feed containing all the blogs on your site by subscribing to the ‘Blog All RSS feed’.

Digging

Another recent blog-culture involves ‘digging’ of the articles. With the help of a plugin called, AstonishMe Digg Plugin, it is possible to add Digg buttons to your posts by simply checking a box in the Write tab. This allows you and your readers to dig the stories.

Advanced categorization

Another feature helping in advanced blogging relates to complex categorization of contents. This system allows for categorizing and sub-categorizing of the posts/news items by subject or theme.

However, with this software it is also possible to assign multiple categories to each post.

The additional features include: an integrated XHTML validator, supports recursive subcategories, cross posting and has an integrated skinning system.

The end result is: you get blog software that runs easily on almost any web hosting service, generates web pages dynamically from the MySQL database, without any hassle of ‘rebuilding’. Also without running into any hassle, you can add to your site different ’templates’ or ’skins’ from time to time. It also comes with faster search/display capabilities and makes for the most comprehensive blog engine you could ever find.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3903.shtml

B2Evolution---Software with the Most Comprehensive Feature List

2007-10-13T20:20:00.002-07:00

by: Fat Jack

When François Planque forked b2evolution from version 0.6.1 of b2\cafelog in 2003, little did he assume that within three or four years this newly forked software will emerge as the most favorite tools among the bloggers---beginners or seasoned.

This huge popularity can be attributed to the loads of features it come with; that turn it into much more than any other blogging tool. It is characterized by the ease of installation; if the webserver of the host happens to be LAMP compatible (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), the system can be installed in the server within minutes.

B2Evolution makes for a multi-lingual, multi-user and multi-blog publishing system, which is distributed under the GNU General Public License and as such can be downloaded free of charge. With the latest version of B2Evolution installed in your website, you will no longer need configuration file editing; all configurations will be handled through the installer or administrative back-end.

B2Evolution is popular for the extra punches that it packs in its package. Let’s learn about them:

Multiple blogs support

* B2Evolution supports multiple blogs at the same time. It will require you to install the software once and you can use it for up to 1000 blogs at the same time on different pages, in different folders, or on different domains.

This feature also allows you to display several blogs on the same page and you are allowed to add Photoblogs, Moblogs, Linkblogs, Blogrolls or likes in a snap.

AntiSpam Deluxe

* With an efficient combination of active and passive antispam measures, and with the help of community shared blacklist, the software works for blocking comments and referring spams.

Multiple users and authors support

* Through a comprehensive and detailed permission management, any user can be given permissions to read, write, edit or fully change any number of blogs.

Blog skins

* With the help of wide array of Evo-skins, you are not only allowed to customize the look and feel of your blog, you can also control how it behaves. The skins can be easily downloaded and installed.

Plugin framework

* To add more volume to its already expansive list of features, you can take help from the B2Eevolution's advanced plugin framework.

Some of the popular B2Eevolution plugins include Textile, Auto-P, Greymatter, BB code, Texturize, LaTeX, and graphic smilies.

Plugins are also available to facilitate full integration with third party tools such as Gallery 2, YouTube and digg.

Advanced categorization

* This feature will help you break your blog into several categories and sub-categories to organize the posts under different themes. The software even allows assigning multiple categories to one particular post. In addition to that, it allows cross-posting among multiple blogs at once.

To run b2evolution, you will simply need a webserver that can run PHP4, and a MySQL database. It remains the simplest and fastest way of taking your voice farthest across the web.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3904.shtml

Advantages of Open Source Software

2007-10-13T20:20:00.001-07:00

by: Fat Jack

PHP-Nuke, PHP PostNuke, TikiWiki, Xoops, b2evo---you can find them everywhere in the web. These are all the open source software solution used in various areas of web applications. These are most of the time free applications released under special licensing terms. This allows the coding to be shared by all and edited to suit the unique needs of the user.

What is the secret behind this immense popularity of all these software? The use of open source software has some practical benefits. Let us discuss about them in details.

You get the core framework for free

For a start up company, budget is a major factor. You can save on your initial investment cost by adopting open source software which comes free of cost.

Modification benefits

With Open Source software, the code is openly available and that enables the users to fine tune the codes to suit their needs. It also contributes to the improvement of a software product by making it adaptable to changing conditions, fixing of bugs, security problems and so on.

Excellent support base free of cost

With open source software you are not tied to a single company or do not need to fall back upon it for fixing all your application related problems. This dependence proves to be very expensive. But with open source software, you get the support of the entire support community on which these applications grow and thrive.

Forking leading to a new product

The open source software keep open the possibility of forking when the existing code base does not work thus leading to the creation of a new software altogether.

The entire online community is indebted to the various open source software for what they have contributed to transform internet into a vast collaborative community that it is today. With an array of open source software, you may conclude that the days of commercial software are numbered. But it requires time for their installation, implementation and trouble shooting. If you lack the time then you have two options---go for the expensive commercial software or hire an efficient and renowned web host who will tackle these problems for you. The second option is definitely better.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3905.shtml

About Xoops---Pack of Information for the Newbie

2007-10-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

by: Fat Jack

When it comes to the creation of a content rich, large, dynamic website, you are invariably faced with several myths---strong enough to make you drop your plan altogether. One such myth is: it requires you to be a smart programmer to upload and run a versatile website like this. WRONG!! Getting and running a dynamic website of your dream become piece of cake without hassle or lot of efforts, when you are armed with a tool like XOOPS.

If you are a web host, Xoops can be a great CMS tool for you to easily create dynamic websites. Xoops acts as an ideal tool for developing dynamic community websites---big or small. If you want to create personal weblog or corporate intranet site, or a content rich informative portal----Xoops can be the ultimate solution for getting them and running.

To install it in your server, simply what you need are: a PHP-capable web server such as Apache and a database preferably MySQL.

To keep with the spirit of the type of your website, you can use the software differently.

As for example, Lite XOOPS can be used to create a small size personal weblog or journal. The news module that comes inbuilt with its core framework is enough for the purpose.

For a medium size website you need to make use of the additional modules such as News, Forum, Download, Web Links etc. These modules will help in building up of a community and facilitate interaction among the members and with the visitors.

A feature rich e-commerce site however requires development of some of the customized modules. You can download them free or buy from the outside developers. In any case, Xoop’s uniform user management system will help you to seamlessly integrate these modules with the core system.

There are some must-to install modules which you need to use as add-ons for a stronger foundation along with the core framework of Xoops. These are:

Security module (antivirus and firewall), additional editors (word processors), a backup module to protect the data, and a few diagnostic modules for managing the site.

Here is a brief guide of the locations from where you can download these add-ons.

Security (the Protector Module v3.0)

Backup (DB Backup and Restore)

Editors (Frameworks and Xoopseditors v1.10)

Diagnostics (XoopsInfo v2.12)

In addition to the above mentioned modules which are essentially administrative in nature, you need to download more modules to support the features like news, photo galleries, links, forums, wikis, blogs and games.

Here is the last piece of advice relating to the selection of the version. We recommend the latest version which can be found by clicking Download Xoops’ in the Xoops .org Community menu. The latest version---2.0.16 has been released in March 2007.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3906.shtml

About Drupal

2007-10-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

by: Fat Jack

The Onion
The Spread Firefox
Ourmedia
KernelTrap
The Defective by Design campaign

Do these above mentioned names make any sense for you? Well, they are all the names of high-traffic websites….but apart from that?

Well, they are all bound by a common thread…they all use Drupal as their web application framework or blogging engine.

So what Drupal actually is?
Drupal is a software package that is

* Free o download and use
* Written in PHP
* Open-source system
* Distributed under the GPL
* Maintained and developed by a community of thousands of users and developers across the globe.
* Allows an individual or an online community to publish, manage and organize a content rich website.

The background

The credit for writing this software---today’s most popular tool for building online communities goes to Dries Buytaert. The name of the software has significance; the word Drupal has its origin in the Dutch word, “druppel” or Drop. Now Drop in Dutch also stands for Village or community. So the community aspect of the software has always been emphasized. However, others try to establish a link with the name of now defunct Drop.org website---the codes of which had a direct influence on the coding of Drupal.

What it can do for you

The latest version (Drupal 5.1) released in the early 2007 comes with the enhanced feature of easy-to-use web installer. The moment your web host adds this script to your web host account, it is all geared up to help you in your variety of content management and blogging tasks such as: Forums, Peer-to-peer networking , Newsletters, Podcasting, Picture galleries, File uploads and downloads and many more.

The wide ranging Drupal websites

Powered with a wide range of features, Drupal can support different types of website ranging from traditional blogs to Social Networking sites and Intranet applications to E-commerce applications.

If you want to have a glimpse of notable sites using Drupal, refer to this URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupal

On your way to create a community based website or a community driven portal?

Or are you up to introducing a resource directory or an Aficionado site?

Whatever may be your website requirements, Drupal can handle them all. So start your warming up from today; but before that make sure you find an efficient web host who can offer you Drupal webhosting.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3907.shtml

Royalty Free Stock Photos for Web Design

2007-10-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

by: Sharon Housley

Stock photography websites contain thousands of existing photographs that can be licensed for specific uses. A customer who uses stock photography instead of hiring a photographer can save time, effort and money. Typically publishers can either purchase exclusive rights to a single image or they can purchase a subscription of sorts. The subscriptions allow publishers to download a limited number of photos over a specified period of time.

Stock photo websites allow webmasters, marketers and publishers to locate pictures for their marketing and promotional materials without the hassle of organizing a photo shoot. With copyright laws businesses must be very careful in using unlicensed photos.

There are also risks to using "free" photographs. Many of the free websites contain collaborative works from multiple photographers and artists. While the websites attempt to monitor the images in their collections in violation of copyright laws, there are no guarantees. If you opt to use photographs or images from a free portal, it is important to keep this in mind.

The following are a large number of reputable stock photo websites available:

Photo-Wizard.net - The Photo-Wizard's website contains thousands of fantastic, high-quality photographs, in more than 30 categories. Photos can be used on websites, in promotional materials or educational materials. The Photo-Wizard's stock photo directory is packed with eye-catching photos that will meet the needs of graphic designers and webmasters looking for exceptional quality images at reasonable prices. The site is filled with inexpensive, professional quality royalty free photographs. There is no longer a need to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a single photograph. Single images can be purchased for $.99 each or subscriptions can be purchased for $49.95 - $ 179.95.

Photo Wizard - http://www.photo-wizard.net

Photos.com - Photos.com contains professional royalty-free stock photographs available via a subscription. Pay only a single fee and download up to 250 photos from the Photos.com collection per day. The photos.com collection contains more than 325,000 professional quality stock photographs. Subscriptions can be purchased for $149.95 - $ 699.95 .

Photos.com - http://www.photos.com

ClipArt.com - The ClipArt website is exceptional, known for its large variety. You can filter images based on file formats, (photographs, photo objects or clipart) so only the specified format appears in the search results. Subscription can be purchased for $ 17.99 - $ 269.99.

ClipArt - http://www.clipart.com

Morguefile.com - The term "morgue file" is popular in the newspaper business to describe a file that holds past issues. The purpose of this site is to provide free image reference material for use in all creative pursuits. Photos on Morguefile can be used free of charge, but only for personal use; but are not available for commercial or business use.

MorgueFile - http://www.morguefile.com

PixelPerfectDigital.com - PixelPerfectDigital contains 4,000 images. The website uses a forum format to display the images, many of which are clipart rather than photographs. The images can be used free of charge for personal use.

Pixel Perfect Digital - http://www.pixelperfectdigital.com/free_stock_photos/

StockVault.net - StockVault contains photos and logos that are free for non-commercial use. They have additional image packs available for fixed prices.

StockVault - http://www.stockvault.net

Free-Photographs.net - The Free Photographs Network is an online resource for royalty-free stock photographs for non-commercial use. The collection is very limited and a search function specifically for the site is not available.

Free Photographs - http://www.free-photographs.net

FreeStockPhotos.com - Photographs on Free Stock Photos can be used free of charge for non-commercial use, but the photograph must include credits to FreeStockPhotos.com when used on the Internet, in a web page, in printed publications, or in any product, advertising, or packaging. This credit, however, may be cropped out or digitally removed from the photograph if it is included in readable type near each photograph, group of photographs, in the text, or in the credits. The collection is limited and a search function is not visible.

Free Stock Photos - http://www.freestockphotos.net

FreePhotos.com - FreePhotos is a collaborative website that contains photos. The website contains many different image categories, but not a large variety in each category. In order to download an image users must register.

Free Photos - http://www.freephotos.com

ArtFavor.com - ArtFavor contains a limited selection of small high-quality photographs. The images are not available for commercial use.

ArtFavor - http://www.artfavor.com/types.php?type=12

FreeDigitalPhotos.net - The photos on Free Digital Photos can be used for commercial and non commercial interests. If the images are used for promotional items (greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts, screen savers) there is a $ 20.00 charge for the use of each image. Some images also stipulate that they require a link back to the FreeDigitalPhotos website.

Free Digital Photos - http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

FreePhotosBank.com - Free Photos Bank is a collaborative website with a number of attractive photos. Photos contained on the Free Photos Bank are from a variety of photographers and the reprint permissions may vary.

Free Photos Bank - http://www.freephotosbank.com

DesignPacks.com - Design Packs offers free, high-quality image collections that can be used in both personal and commercial web design projects. Each collection features a group of 15 images that share a common theme.

Design Packs - http://www.designpacks.com

ShutterStock - Shutterstock is a large subscription-based stock photo agency. They have an outstanding collection of premium, royalty-free photographs, illustrations, and vectors. Subscription can be purchased for $ 199.00 - $1,999.00 and allow subscribers to download up to 25 images per day.

ShutterStock - http://www.shutterstock.com/

ComStock - ComStock contains a large collection of royalty-free images. ComStock offers three purchase options images can be purchased individually, CD options are available or publishers can purchase a subscription for $299 - $1999.00 which allows them to download up to 50 images per day.

ComStock - http://www.comstock.com

These are all a number of options available for webmasters and publishers in need of images for marketing campaigns or packaging. Regardless of the website selected, be sure to read the agreement terms carefully to ensure that you are adhering to the guidelines.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1307.shtml

Spicing Up Your Blog with 3D Animated YouTube Playlists

2007-10-12T20:42:00.001-07:00

by: Jeff White

People have blogs for different purposes, some people maintain a blog purely for commercial reasons, and other people keep blogs strictly as a hobby. Blogs serve people in various ways and means and ultimately the aim is to provide the audiences reading these blogs with as much content and information as possible. Usually such information is written but sometimes a little something extra and visual is appreciated. We're not talking in the sense of pictures but rather video and movie type content that is becoming increasingly popular these days.

Strictly speaking there are a limited number of videos that we can afford to upload on most standard hosting packages and websites. If you really want to show your users video content then maybe you should consider YouTube videos as an option. You can find a whole number of videos on YouTube or you can upload your personal videos as well. Certain websites offer you the capability of creating playlists of your favorite videos and listing them on your blog. It's almost similar to the way you use other codes to display MP3 songs on something like your MySpace profile but in this case you're using codes to display YouTube videos on your blog.

YouTube video codes are a great way of displaying great content to visitors of your blog without going through the stress of having to upload videos on your own server. There's no limit to the number of videos you can use in your video playlist. If your blog is about rap music for instance you can use the video codes to display a playlist for some of the videos of the latest rap music available on YouTube.

You can think of other imaginative ways of using YouTube video codes as well and it all depends on how creative your mind can get. If you run a blog that offers advice to people, maybe a blog that shows people how to make stuff or do some DIY project or the other, YouTube video codes and YouTube playlists make it all the more fun. Rather than having boring graphic descriptions, followed by a whole lot of words describing a very simple process, you can simply upload your videos to YouTube and create a YouTube playlist. Using video codes you can now give your users access to your playlist of videos through your blog.

Of course you don't necessarily have to do all the hardwork yourself, a number of websites out there will provide you with the content that you need. Some people have content that is freely available for redistribution and viewing on YouTube, you can also use websites like YouTube-Video-Codes.com to create playlists of other people's content that can be found on YouTube.

For more information be sure to visit us at http://www.Youtube-Video-Codes.com

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1308.shtml

Free Image Hosting Service

2007-10-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

by: Russell Hawkins

Image hosting is a part of most web hosting services, providing hosting solutions for images instead of words. Most web hosts that host web pages do allow image hosting as well, but most times you have to pay for those services, or of those that are offered with no charges, you are limited to the size or quality of images you can submit. Free image hosting however is not a faux promise, neither is it too good to be true.

Why may image hosting be necessary? Sometimes a person might wish to publish a web page, but may find that his server at home or at the point of production is not adequate enough to keep the page running on the internet – in order that the published web page is to be continuously displayed, the server through which it is published must also run continuously on the internet. Also, a server also has to be able to support high traffic flowing to the websites that it connects to the Internet – what would be the point of publishing a page without the intension of having people visit the page? If the server is shut off, then the page also goes offline and becomes inaccessible to the public. Web hosting is the service provided to persons who wish to have their web pages up on the internet at all times but who do not have the means or support to do so on their own. Web hosting services may be offered free of charge or they may require a service fee, but almost all web hosting packages include free image hosting services.

Image hosting is a big industry today, drawing almost 90% of the audience market. In fact, almost every site wants to publish a video advertisement or a music introduction in an attempt to increase his market size. Most sites that provide free image hosting services however will limit the amount or size of images that you can post. For example, if you have a site that is dedicated to providing ring tones, music videos, large amounts of photographs or any other image in very large amounts or with very big file attachments, you will not be allowed to publish via the free image hosting service. On the other hand, if you wish to post images on a blog site or any other site with size restrictions, then free image hosting is your solution.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1309.shtml

Website Basics-Choosing a Hosting Plan

2007-10-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

by: Richard James

Once your website has been created, it is time to make it go live on the internet. In order to do so, you will need a hosting plan. A hosting plan is different from a domain name. You own your domain name but you rent a hosting plan. A hosting plan in it’s simplest terms is paying a company to broadcast your website onto the internet. This article covers what to look for in a hosting plan.

SERVICE The number one thing to look for in a hosting plan is service. It does not matter that a multitude of features are offered or if the price is low if the service you will be getting with your hosting plan is sub par or even worse, nonexistent. Once your website is live on the internet you will want it to be up all the time. Therefore should a problem occur it is important to select a hosting provider that is readily available and will resolve the issue in as timely a manner as possible.

UPTIME What is the hosting company's "uptime guarantee". Many guarantee 99% uptime for their servers. That sounds great, but it does mean that your site could go down for 1% of the time, which means over 7 hours out of each month! If you can, choose a host guaranteeing 99.9 uptime.

SIZE How large is your site? Most sites do not require much space but if you're planning on having a large site with a lot of multimedia content or an ecommerce site selling multiple items, you'll probably need additional disk space.

DESIGN How was your Web site designed? For example, if you designed a website using ASP or ASP.NET, you'll need to find a Windows hosting plan. If you have a Web site that uses CGI or PHP, you'll need to get a Linux hosting plan. For the novice user who is building a simple website the above may not be a consideration at first, but may become important later on as you become more experienced and add more features to your website.

TRAFFIC How much traffic or how many visitors do you expect monthly? The more visitors or traffic you expect on your site, the higher the bandwidth you will need.

At www.startmywebsitetoday.com we offer 99.7% guaranteed uptime and service 24/7, and a variety of shared hosting, virtual dedicated hosting, and dedicated hosting plans with either Linux or Windows operating systems for every need and budget ranging from the small personal website to large online multimedia sites to those interested in ecommerce website building. Check us out HERE.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1310.shtml

Website Basics-Creating a Website

2007-10-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

by: Richard James

If you are new to building websites, you might be surprised to find out that it is not as difficult an endeavor as you might suspect.

After securing a domain name, there are 2 main considerations to having a live website on the internet. The first is creation of the web pages, and the second is hosting it on the internet. (Hosting is discussed in the next article).

A webpage is just that, a page. If you have some familiarity with using a tool such as Microsoft Word, the concept is very much the same: when you type a letter or document into Word, you are creating a page. When you save it on your computer’s hard drive, you are saving a page. In point of fact, you'll find you can create a website easy using Microsoft Word. You can type information, adjust the font size and colors, paste in pictures with captions, and add links to other websites. All you have to do when finished is choose the option “save as web page” instead of “save as word document”. The resulting file is saved in html code, the universal language of the internet. Voila! You have created a simple website. In fact for someone who wants to start up a website with a simple single web page website, this is a very easy to use website tool.

Of course, while Microsoft Word will serve the purpose, it is not the best tool for building a website. The 2 most popular software packages for website creation by far are Microsoft Frontpage, and Macromedia Dreamweaver. Both are excellent and fully featured for building and publishing websites. (Uploading a website to the internet is known as “publishing”). Both of the above mentioned products require quite a learning curve, and are really aimed at the more advanced web author.

For the first time web builder, www.startmywebsitetoday.com offers easy website design software with a package product called Website Tonight. The package includes easy to use web site tools in the form of easy website design software combined with hosting. The software offered in Website Tonight is geared toward the newbie. You simply select a basic template, or page design, to begin. Next you will decide on a basic color scheme. Next, a page layout. When these 3 elements are in place, the rest is all menu driven. When you place the mouse pointer into a given area of the page, a menu will pop up, allowing you to select from a number of options, whether you will be adding text, video, audio, photos, etc. All elements of the page are able to be edited and changed as you desire at anytime. When satisfied with your final design, simply press “publish” to make your web page live on the internet. It's easy to make websites using Website Tonight. For more information on Website Tonight click HERE.

Whether you choose to use Website Tonight or another website building software, www.startmywebsitetoday.com offers a wide variety of easy to use website tools to make your presence on the internet a successful one, starting with our hosting plans, discussed in the next article.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1311.shtml

About DotProject - A Guide for a New Entrepreneur

2007-10-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

by: Fat Jack

Project management is the most vital but often neglected aspect of your business. While the term project management conjures up the picture of complicated task---and surely it is---it can be managed with high level of efficiency if you know the tricks of the trade. In the software called dotProject you can find this trick----the key to your project management success.

Here is a short description of DotProject to help you understand what it is.

DotProject is a Web-based project management application. It is licensed under GNU General Public License (GPL), which means dotProject is free to use.

It comes with a modular structure and multilingual feature---- It is translated into 17 languages.

Its comprehensive feature list includes modules for companies, projects, tasks (with Gantt charts), forums, files, a calendar, contacts, tickets/helpdesk, user/module permissions, and themes.

Its modular architecture allows further addition of extra modules such as time sheets and inventory for enhanced functionalities.

Technology used in the software

The software uses the JavaScript and PHP as its Programming Language

It takes the Database support from MySQL.

DotProject can support your websites on an intranet, as well as on extranet environment.

How to install

DotProject is completely open source, and is supported by purely open source technologies. As such a Linux based web hosting service provider using PHP hosting and MySQL database management can add Dot Project in your web hosting control panel. Once installed, it will occupy not more than 2 MB size in your disc space.

As compared to its rival solutions, DotProject makes the BETTER CHOICE for two reasons:

1. A greater number of features
2. A more user-friendly interface.

So make sure to add the DotProject feature in your project management script and boost up your business with a flawless planning, smart execution and quality deliverance of tasks.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3908.shtml

What Management Membership Software Can Do For Your Subscription

2007-10-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

by: Mario Churchill

Subscription is part of the entire member management package. You will hardly find management membership software that does not have functionality for managing membership subscriptions. Almost all of the management membership software available in the market caters to membership subscription management. Subscription is one of the most effective ways to syndicate your site, and it is also one of the most difficult to put up if you do not have the software to back it up. With people subscribed under you, there are infinite possibilities, You can send them newsletters, tell them of your promotions, rally for their support in certain endeavors and offer them products which can really benefit them and bring you income. With more people subscribed under you, other websites will also want to link up with you and this will further increase your affiliations online. This increases your exposure and makes you gain positive online presence and credibility, among many other things.

Minimal technical knowledge is needed when trying to make use of management membership software for subscription. All you need to do is to master the software and set the preferences you have for your subscribers and the software will do the rest of the work for you. This is what is most rewarding about having an effective management membership software: you will not work too hard for your subscription and you will still get very favorable working results and conditions. Some software can get very difficult and requires some technical learning of sorts in order for one to be able to use it. But thankfully, this is not the case for management membership software.

With the software for membership management you can also expect faster dissemination of subscriptions to your individual members. Whether it is a membership of thousands to millions, you will find that your software will be able to generate the needed subscriptions straight to the people you want to send it to. The software will also be able to alert you if email addresses by your members are valid. With an organized set of details, you will also find updating to be quicker than manually cutting and pasting them before forwarding to email addresses. Effective management of replies is almost always part of the whole package of managing subscriptions. Outgoing and incoming email messages will both be regulated accordingly.

This eventually leads to a very efficient management of people who will be subscribing. With this efficient system, you will also be bound to succeed in making your website well-visited and you will earn the loyalty that every movement or organization needs to survive. Since you will be able to effectively manage the people currently subscribed under you, they will continue to welcome their subscription mails and not feel out of the loop even for a short period of time because your software will ensure that all the news gets to all the concerned people in the shortest possible time.

The automated alerts for subscribers without causing hassle on your part is what you truly pay for when getting and installing a membership management software. It is part of a whole bunch of systems in managing your memberships which help keep your organization and website in top condition. If a membership site is being constantly promoted and gains a reputation for efficient management, you will find yourself with higher capacity to have more people subscribing under them.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3909.shtml

Creating Screen Capture Videos

2007-10-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

by: Deepak Arora

One of the biggest new digital products on the market today is video instruction. Where just a few years ago, ebooks were looked at as the hottest commodity, that has changed. Ebooks still sell. Videos sell hotter and, if marketed well, can be sold for a much higher price.

Video instruction can refer to different things. You could have a video of yourself cooking a steak dinner and showing how to create a great barbecue for your guests. Just get your video camera, some conversion software (Windows Vista has it included as does Mac).

With increasing frequency, however, more videos are appearing that show how to do something using your computer. There are videos that show how to set up a website. There are videos that show how to use a piece of software. And so forth.

These videos are created by using software that captures what happens on your computer screen. The software can optionally capture your voice as well. And once captured, the software can also be used to annotate what is on-screen with text and animation that highlights important parts of the video.

To create screen capture videos, you need the right software. While TechSmith's Camtasia is the leader in the field, one of us uses a different (and far less expensive) product called AllCapture with great success.

You'll also want to plan what your video is about. Just because you can "wing it" doesn't mean you should. Here's a brief 5-step guide to get you started.

1 – Plan - Figure out what you want to say; what you want to show. Make notes and be sure that it makes sense.

2 - Run through the software yourself to perform the operations you intend to show. Speak as if you were actually instructing someone sitting next to you.

3 – Do several dry runs with your microphone on and the screen capture program running. You're going to want to make sure you select the right window size for your video, that you've got sound levels right, and that the software you're about to demo is set to the right window size as well.

4 - Play it back so you can see what your customers will see. Chances are your first few runs aren't going to be perfect. One of us finds himself hesitating too frequently in the initial recordings. This leads to stuttering, and so forth. A possible sign that insufficient planning went into the effort. Or it could just be that one gains familiarity with the subject matter by running through it a few times.

5 – Once you've got the video the way you want to distribute it, you now need to convert it to a format that your customers will be able to use. There are usually several format choices, including those for Windows Media Player™, RealPlayer™ and Flash™. Of these, Flash has the greatest popularity for online screen capture products. Both Camtasia and AllCapture produce videos in all three formats.

Related resources:
For Camtasia - techsmith(dot)com
For AllCapture – balesio(dot)com

©2007, by Deepak Arora and Bal Simon

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3911.shtml

Getting Free Photoshop Tutorials

2007-10-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

by: Mario Churchill

The Photoshop software is truly a big deal for most people. It pays to have this program in your computer in order to manipulate your pictures as your desire. With this at hand, you can be sure that you get to improve those digital images you have taken even before they get printed. This is more reason for you to give away beautiful pictures to friends and relatives.

However, it is not enough that you have the Photoshop program installed in your computer. It is a must that you have a basic knowledge in Photoshop so you can do the things that you want. As such it is very important to get a Photoshop tutorial.

There are options such as to hire a tutor or enrol in program where you can learn Photoshop skills. You can also choose to buy books that will teach you the aspects of the program. These are options that are open to you. However, it may even be a better choice for you to get a free Photoshop tutorial. Here, you get to learn a new skill without having to spend the extra money in your pocket.

The Free Photoshop Tutorial

There are many ways for you to get a free Photoshop tutorial. Be sure that you get to use these options because it sure is a good thing to save your extra money instead. If you can have something for free, then just grab it and make the most out of it.

Ask a Friend for Help in the Photoshop

Some people are fortunate enough to have friends and relatives who are skilled in the Photoshop application. If you happen to have a friend of your own, then ask him or her to teach you basic Photoshop. This is a good way to get the free Photoshop tutorial. You can even use that extra time of learning as a bonding activity.

Explore the Photoshop Program

If it happens that you cannot access any friend to give the tutorials, you can explore the Photoshop program. The manufacturers do provide basic tutorials with the installation. You can easily check the options for the basic tutorials. This can explain to you how certain commands work and when to use them. You can read on the instructions and the step-by-step processes. There are also editions in the Photoshop software that can actually give tutorial using visuals. You will definitely enjoy viewing how a project is developed.

Download Files Online

You can also get free Photoshop tutorials online. There are numerous web sites that will give help for free. You can access the tutorial in PDF format and see the instructions. You can also browse through the sites to find the discussion on a particular topic. You may even love the options of seeing the tutorial in video format.

Ask for Assistance Online

The manufacturer can provide an option for you to get help online. However, you may find it even amazing to explore the different discussion boards and forums where other Photoshop users converge. This can be an opportunity to get free Photoshop tutorials from them. You can post your question and you can expect the other users to give you the advice you need.

Conclusion

Get your free Photoshop tutorials and learn the basic skills needed to operate the program. This way, you can turn out your nice images into fabulous pictures.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3910.shtml

Website Basics-Why Register Dot Mobi Domain Names?

2007-10-05T02:53:00.000-07:00

by: Richard James

Dot mobi domain names are here to stay. With today’s society becoming ever more mobile, it makes sense that in the coming years people will more and more depend on mobile devices. It’s already happening; people use their mobile phones and pda’s for everything from scheduling appointments to making purchases to surfing the web. Consequently dot mobi domain registration is on the rise.

Just like dot com is the domain name ending for many Web pages on the wired internet, dot mobi domain names are the suffix for Web pages that are formatted for cellphones and other wireless devices. The principle behind the dot mobi domain name is that it will make finding websites designed for use on mobile or cell phones easier. It is also hoped that the release will herald a new age of mobile internet with the inclusion of industry standards. Above all else, though, the hope is that mobile Internet browsing and surfing will become as commonplace as the cell phone itself. Running a dot mobi domain name website could potentially be very profitable

The mobile Internet is virtually untapped. As the price war wages between mobile Internet providers and the quality of the mobile network increases, there is a very real chance that the majority of the population that owns a cell phone will start to regularly access the Internet through their cell phone browser. You could be one of the first to take advantage of what could be the next big communication revolution- dot mobi domain names.

It’s pretty much common knowledge that at the present time trying to access most web sites on a cellphone is difficult if not impossible. This is because most companies web sites have not yet accommodated the scaled-down version that is necessary for mobile devices. Actually creating a dot mobi domain name site is very easy compared to a standard computer accessed dot com site, the tools used are little more than a text editor, which is good news for anyone with an idea for how to build a better mousetrap out there.

Even if you have no current plans to pursue a dot mobi domain name type website at the moment, you are well advised to register your current domain name also as a dot mobi domain name to protect your brand. Any worthy commercial site should plan to, if not already be in pursuit of, a mobile ready version of their site.

Lastly, some are interested in the dot mobi domain name as an investment vehicle, in remembrance of the original dot com land rush. And indeed there seems to be a mini land rush on for dot mobi domain names at the moment. Dot mobi registration is building momentum. There is some merit to this, but pick your categories carefully, as not every website is likely to transition smoothly over to mobile devices. And keep it short…remember, the dot mobi domain name is being typed into a cellphone!

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1312.shtml

Website Basics-Fine Tuning a Domain Name

2007-10-05T02:44:00.000-07:00

by: Richard James

OK, so now you’ve found the domain name you want, but someone else owns it. Can you still get it? The answer is a qualified YES. You can still possibly register that coveted name even if someone has beaten you to the punch. In the next article we will discuss how to go about registering a domain name that is already taken. But for now, lets look at some alternatives to that:

Hyphenated Names Sometimes it is a good strategy to just take the same domain name and hyphenate it as in turning bobsautoparts.com into bobs-auto-parts.com. Is it always the best strategy? Yes and no. If you are dealing with an already well known name, generally the answer would be no, as most web surfers would usually just enter the non-hyphenated version in, and end up at your competitors’ website instead. Not a good strategy. Also, the longer the name you have chosen, the more tedious and error prone it becomes for the surfer to type in the name correctly, again foiling the chances that they will end up at your website. Definitely shorter is better. But if the name you have chosen is already taken and there is no chance of getting it from it’s owner, and the owner either has no website or a poorly designed one with little traffic, this can be a good strategy in purchasing a name.

Longer or Shorter Domain names can be up to 67 characters long. At 63 characters, thelongestdomainnameintheworldandthensomeandthensomemoreandmore.com claims to be the longest domain name in the world, and it may very well be. But who would want to type it into a browser? Our website, www.StartMyWebsiteToday.com features a name that in a few words encapsulates the purpose of the site. It is helpful also with search engines. In as few characters as possible the name of the site, the purpose of the site, and the keywords of the site have all been neatly put together in a domain name. Shorter is better here. Nuff said.

Brand Name or Generic The answer here is it depends. If your business is your brand, of course it is the best possible strategy to try to register that domain name. For instance, Nike.com is a well known brand name site, although there is nothing in the domain name to suggest that it is a site about shoes. Still, Nike is such a well known brand name to the public that people automatically know what they will be shopping for when they get there. If your brand name is well known, definitely try to obtain your brand name as a domain name. But if you are Nike or Coca Cola don’t discount the idea of buying shoes.com or soda.com if they are available as well. People often search the web using generic terms, more so even than brand names. A person is more likely to search the internet for shoes or footwear or sneakers than to search by a single brand name, even one as big as Nike. So if possible cover all the bases, but a generic name if your business is new or not yet well known can get better results, if you can find a good one.

In the next article, we discuss strategies for buying a domain name that has already been taken.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1314.shtml

Easy Web Design Software For Home Businesses

2007-10-05T02:42:00.000-07:00

by: Charles Brown

Designing your own website from scratch that you're proud of is not as hard as you may think. Especially nowadays, because there is software available that takes on much of the work that used to be relegated to the webmaster (which is you!).

In days past, in order to build a website from scratch, you had to know HTML, or "Hyper Text Markup Language." And really, you are still better off knowing at least the basics of HTML. Nevertheless, it's not required. Especially if you find easy web design software that does most of the work takes care of this for you. Now, every single HTML editor on the planet now features a "WYSIWYG" interface. (What You See Is What You Get.) So, in theory, you shouldn't have to know the first thing about hand-coding a website.

The reality is, however, not all HTML editors (or "web design software") does WYSIWYG well. Little annoying problems tend to crop up. For example, say you typed the following sentence using your site builder:

"Discover the best places to SCUBA dive in the Cayman Islands." Say you want "best places" to be italicized and "Cayman Islands" to be bolded. Here's what's supposed to happen:

In the background, your HTML editor is supposed to 'type' the phrase as such: Discover the best places to SCUBA dive in the Cayman Islands. (I put extra spaces between the tags for this example, in order to keep the article publishing software from parsing it like normal HTML.)

But instead, this is what you get: "Discover the best places to SCUBA dive in the Cayman Islands." Even though you selected the words "best places" and clicked the little graphical icon on your html editor's toolbar that represented italics, your phrase comes out non-italicized. And your bolded words are not bolded.

Well, in this instance, you'd have to go to the "Source View" of your HTML editor and manually insert the above HTML tags to make these things happen. This is a very annoying problem with too many popular web design software titles nowadays.

Another problem that will frustrate the heck out of you, is seeing a totally different result in the web browser than you see in your desktop. For example, your formatting changes are (apparently) taking effect as you type--just as it should (remember it's touted as being WYSIWYG)...

However, they don't show up when you publish the page to the internet! I don't know why, but this problem still plagues most web design software to this day.

Fortunately, there are a few (very few) good software titles that work for cheap, while doing all the other things to make your site stand out and (if you're so inclined) draw visitors by the hundreds.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1315.shtml

Website Hosting - How to Select a Good Company

2007-10-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

by: Brad Stone

Trying to select a hosting package is much like purchasing a new car—there are many different types and ways to go, but in the end it really boils down to how you are going to get where you want to be and the features you’ll need to get there. You certainly would not buy a Honda Civic to make an off-road journey across the Mohave Desert. Nor would it make sense to buy a Hummer to just drive around town.

So in considering the type of hosting package and company to host your website, you should first assess where you want your website to go and what you’ll need to get there.

But first, let’s understand what web hosting is exactly, and the many different features that need to be considered.

The Internet is a vast network of interconnected computer servers which house or host various pages of information, called websites. Hosting a website means to store and maintain a computer folder of various web pages. Hosting companies offer this service by providing computer hardware and software services. These services vary as much as cars do.

Some very important hosting features that should be a must for your hosting package, much like the importance of having a car with a motor and wheels, are the following:

* Security – Protection from Internet hackers.
* Space – Ability to grow my site without size constraints.
* Speed – How fast my website will load onto visitors computers.
* Up Time – Dependability of the hosting servers from crashing.
* Back Up – Protection from loss of data from my website.
* Support – 24 hours support to handle problems.
* Administrative Tools – For making changes to your site.
* Email – The number and size of email accounts.
* Hosting Company – History and track record for support.
* Search Engine Submissions – Submitting to the major search engines.

Now, let’s consider where you want your website to go and what you’ll need to get there. Some questions to ask:

* Do I want my customers to be able to look up information on my website? If so, you’ll need a database driven website with a hosting company that supports it.
* Do I want movement on my website? If so, you’ll need a web design company that can program flash for your site, as well as the ability to host the flash program.
* What type and how much email traffic will I anticipate? This helps to determine the size and amount of storage you’ll need for your hosted website.
* How many web pages will I need? This also helps to determine the size of space needed for your hosting package.
* Will I want to make ongoing custom changes to my website? If so, you’ll need a hosting company that supports ongoing custom design changes.
* Will my website have a lot of images and movement? If so, you’ll need additional space for larger web files for these functions.
* Do I want Internet Traffic to my Website? In order to receive traffic to your website, your hosting company needs to offer this service, or you’ll need to hire a third party for this service.
* Will I need Internet marketing help and consultation? In this fast-changing Internet world, it is important to have professional help and consultation.

The Better Business Bureau offers this advice:

“Choosing a Web Hosting Service for your Business Web Site. Is your business web site down again? Does it seem to have more downtime than uptime? You may want to consider changing your web hosting service. One of the most important decisions you will make for your business web site is selecting which web hosting service will display your web pages to the Internet. Choosing the right Internet Service Provider (ISP) to host your business's web site may feel like finding the right day-care center for your kids these days: Are they reliable? Will they be there next month? Do they know what they are doing? What services do they provide?"

Basically, it is important to find the right hosting company that will partner with you for all your hosting, design and consultation needs. The cheapest hosting is typically not the best route to go. It’s cheap because it is a bare bones package, with little, if any support. That is a sure way to online business failure.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1316.shtml

Use EASY Registry Cleaner

2007-09-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

by: Walter Scholler

The main benefit of each registry cleaner is its simpleness or not. But not all of them can be called easy in use. These terms are often dismissed. Only that software can guarantee users simple usage which was created special for Internet majority population who often has no time to lean much about software. And this is the fact. All what a user should know about a "cleaner" is that how to scan and fix a PC and the Windows registry. Simple idea: pro soft - for professionals, intro - for home users. All is fair. Some characteristics below prove it.

Easy registry cleaner advantages and disadvantages

From home users:
* Good-looking interface
* Different gratifying to the eye "skins"
* Easy navigation
* Not numerous options
* Easy Help support
* Thoughtful FAQ (frequently asked questions) list
* Easily added plugins for additional scan operations

From professionals:
* Too much colors making program like for children
* Not a lot of functions
* Spoon-fed FAQ and Help support
* Needless "skins"

We can think out much more advantages and disadvantages but the final result - easy registry cleaner will be always better for home users only. I'm sure professionals will like them when they will have a hand in such "cleaner" construction. One way or the other such software should be created in future.

So, we can say that the features of easy registry cleaner allow users to fix and clean safely and easily. These two factors are the most important in case of home user's security and convenience. Professional registry cleaner, in its turn, does the same work but in different performance. But the final choice is user's who have to choose between convinience of easy registry cleaner and multifunctionality of pro registry which is just hidden in easy registry software in order do not make inconveniences for a user.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3912.shtml

Searching for an Internet Service Provider to Search With?

2007-09-24T03:27:00.000-07:00

by: Frank Muller

When you are looking at an ISP it would beneficial if they are located near you because, theoretically, it is easier to deal with any issues that may crop up. Services offered and prices charged vary a lot form 1 internet service provider to the next. The small business ISP's are generally popular as they often give great customer service and provide technical support fairly quickly.

These types of vendors offer good competitive price schemes and rely on a good standard of service provision. Another factor that stands out with smaller ISP businesses is the enthusiasm to please. Some of the larger, well known, ISP companies have developed their own in-house technical support and also support other Internet Service Providers. Often these larger ISP's don't offer the flexibility of the smaller ISP's. Generally speaking the bigger organizations have a much larger customer base and do not apply the resources in order to please customers.

For the business user ISP is generally cheaper provided by medium to larger size organizations. Money invested in research and development mean that big companies can offer more technologically advanced processes and connection speeds than the smaller organizations. When choosing an ISP, it is recommended that you do some research before signing up with your chosen ISP.

Make a list of the services you require from your chosen ISP. Search the internet for suitable ISP companies. See how potential vendors respond by emailing them questions regarding key service requirements. If your are a business seeking an ISP go to other similar size companies and ask the Director of IT for feedback on the vendor that they currently use.

Internet Service Provision - Free

Some Internet Service Providers provide a free service and even will help you determine which is the best ISP for you. It is worthwhile getting a free ISP to access the internet after which you can then compare the service offered. Broaden your horizons by surfing the web using a free internet service offered by one of the many ISP.

Dial-up internet connection is not really worth paying for nowadays due to the faster alternatives of broadband and T1.

Once you start using the net you must have a cleansing program that uses anti-virus and ad aware killing programs. To stop unwanted access to your system by intruders you must utilise the firewall protection software.

Basic Gude - P2P Technology

What do you know about P2P? Are you embarrased to ask about it? This guide will run down most of the major P2P services and how they work. Individuals can now benefit by sharing each others files by using P2P technology. Second generation P2P does not work off centralized servers such as Napster. First of all each peer connects to another peer whith whom they intend to share the files with. The next step is to exchange IP addresses. After connection has been established the software will then start the search for the file that is being shared. After finding the location of the shared file all the nodes are connected. At this juncture the download starts and the peer has a screen whereby he/ she can see the download progress.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3913.shtml

Point of Sale Software Means Big Profits

2007-09-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

by: Marvin Cains

Today, most financial transactions use invisible or electronic money. Cash still has its place, of course, but most merchants do a huge portion of their daily transactions through a point of sale device. Point of sale devices, or point of sale terminals, connect a merchant to a financial network that can process electronic transactions. Each point of sale terminal runs a piece of point of sale software that holds the transactions and gives the merchant various options for tracking sales, inventory, profit, and other information. Because POS software is so important to a modern business, picking the piece of point of sale software that is right for the business is important.

When a merchant does much business, it can be difficult to keep track of profits, sales, and inventory. For example, in a restaurant it can take much time, and therefore money, to run totals and hand count items left in stock. Using point of sale menu software you can keep accurate records of business done each day. When you sell a certain item, the software can automatically subtract it from inventory. Even if you do not directly tie your specific system into your inventory, it can at least keep a running total of the each product sold. So you can take off that amount from your inventory without having to count the remaining stock. The time you save by not having to count manually inventory can make the cost of the software worth it all by itself.

Business software has to keep up with the ever-changing nature of modern business, finances, and merchant needs. You may be happy with your current point of sale software, but upgrading to something newer and more current can be a money-saving decision instead of a cost. Think of it like an investment that makes a return every time you make a sale.

Point of sale software has to be written by someone, which is why the cost to buy the most current software can be high. Software programmers and designers have to be creative to design the features that merchants need and will use. There is no need t pay for a bunch of seemingly neat features that you will either never use, or will use but will not save you time or money. You should buy the software that is right for your business and specific needs. This may mean buying a more basic piece of software instead of the high-end example. However, you should be sure the software still meets all of your needs and is designed with a small business in mind. You should also be sure the software will be able to grow with your business so you do not have to replace it right away.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3914.shtml

Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Internet Connection?

2007-09-24T03:13:00.000-07:00

by: L. J. Allen

Are you getting everything out of your internet connection that you could be? If all you're doing is checking your e-mail and occasionally using Ebay to find gag gifts for your friends, than the answer is definitely no! The face of communication changes every day, and the internet is providing you with literally hundreds of opportunities to make connections with people just like you. In terms of interaction with our peers, social networking on the internet is the next big thing and these sites will provide you with more opportunities to make friends and business contacts than you know what to do with!

If you're looking for a broader social network, social networking sites can be just the solution you need. When you're busy and stressed, it can take an immense amount of effort to refresh yourself after a long day at work and then head to a class or a bar to meet people. Maybe you've found yourself in a new situation, or are entering a new place in your life. Social networking can help you find the people that will help you grow and change into a version of yourself that you will love. It's all about the company we keep, and social networking on the internet can help.

Social networking via the internet can be a powerful tool especially if you are in a new area. People move and change locations today more than they ever have, and you'll find that with every move, it can become harder and harder to go out and make friends. If you've moved around at all, you already know how tiring it can be to learn about a new area. You'll probably spend a few nights at social gatherings and bars that do nothing for you. Social networking can take a lot of the guesswork out of finding not only good places to go, but fun people to hang out with!

If someone sounds interesting, you can click on their profile and get a bite-sized chunk of information that will help you figure out if you are compatible in any way. Build up your own profile in a way that will draw people that you are interested in, whether you're interested in trying meet some new mothers who have similar interests as you, or you're just trying to find out where all the artists in the area hang out.

Social networking on the internet can not only make your life easier, it'll make it more fun, too! Sign up at a social networking site today and take a look at all the people waiting to meet you!

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3915.shtml

Web Design Projects Good Designs

2007-09-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

by: Neil Parnham

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 a lot of work by styling all elements on your website in one go.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1318.shtml

Customisation Of Your Personal Or Company Website

2007-09-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

by: Neil Parnham

Nowadays, in this trendy world, people get very uptight when they do not look entirely presentable. This would also be the case in web designing.

Every individual would definitely want their website to look good, if not, to the best they can. Here are a few things we could look out for when wanting to create a professional looking webpage.

Color Schemes and Themes.

When designing, always choose matching colors. An example of a matching color would be to have a dark background, with visible words and designs. With the dark theme, try not to mix too many bright colors into the design. What we should NEVER do, is to mix two very different colors, such as purple and yellow. Now, of course, it would depend on the purpose of the website, but those two colors are too striking for one who wants it to look more professional.

Themes must always suit the company or rather, the organization / etc. If the website was made to cater for a food company, it would be wise to stick to that particular category, rather than to revert to a different theme, such as machinery.

Fonts should be used in regard to the formality of the website. A simple sans-serif font would suffice in most cases. Exceptional cases such as design and art groups might want to use fanciful designs and fonts. Of course, that’s only if you know what you’re doing.

Finally, we must always try to think of our visitors, see the way they see. The resolutions and file sizes of the pictures must not be too large in terms of size. This is to allow maximum compatibility and cater our visitor’s needs.

So, planning is something we should always do, before attempting something.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1319.shtml

Creating Your Easy Website, What Is Hyper Text Markup Language

2007-09-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

by: Neil Parnham

Creating your easy website, what is hyper text markup language

Creating a website is not so much a feat, if we compare it to the education of other technical skills. Most people tend to give up and pack their bags as soon as they hear the word “programming” and “technical”. They think it`s too much of a hassle to actually learn a whole computer “language”. HTML, the most basic computer language in building websites, is actually pretty simple to understand, as long as we have the interest in learning new things.

What is HTML?

HTML is the acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. For learning purposes, just think of it as a language that the computer understands. For example, as humans, we were taught different languages; i.e. HTML as a language, is mostly and specifically used to create a website. The web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, will then decipher and interpret the code or rather, language(HTML), and display it in a way we can understand it, just like in a basic webpage.

Coding.

Coding the HTML language might be a bit tough for some people, so we can actually purchase programmes, such as Macromedia Dreamweaver, or even Microsoft Frontpage. These programmes are solely created to help individuals in designing professional webpages/websites.

Furthermore, one could also gain access to online web-builders, website builders that are inbuilt and can be directly controlled from the net. There are many different and specific builders online.

Books and magazines contain guides that can help in offering tutorials and ways to put up our own websites. Even online tutorials are credible, as in the modern world, information technology is the best and most cost efficient way in retaining knowledge, especially in this particular field.

So, you could start and build one right away. If you enjoy coding, it might even become a favourable past-time.

http://www.diyconservatories-and-windows.co.uk/

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1320.shtml

How to Optimize Your Website for Local Search

2007-09-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

by: Bei Maniago

Nowadays, businesses and entrepreneurs, both big and small, know the fact that advertising at traditional media is not practical anymore. Because ad spending is considered a major operating cost in all businesses, it should be targeted in initiatives that would specifically and effectively reach the target consumers. Proper and well-visited venues and media forms should also take most of the ad efforts. Thus, because online media has been fast becoming a popular and well-utilized media, consumers are more exposed to it and so businesses swoon to follow where consumers or prospective customers are.

So you know that it is now considered a necessity to put up a Website for your business. Suppose your company has established an online page where clients could find out more about your products and services. Logically, the quest does not stop there. You have to aim for your Web site to be exposed to prospective clients or for it to tap the intended and target online users. Operating a Web site, you would soon know that the initiative is not an easy one. But to help you carry out that goal, it would help if you would optimize your Web site for local search.

On top of that concern, you should also specifically aim to target local searches. You know that the Internet is a hub that contains millions of companies' Web pages. So how could you top those searches and make sure consumers check out and easily find your site? The Answer lies in search engines. You should optimize your Web site so that it would easily and strategically be listed in search results. Targeting local listing would also be necessary if you aim to tap consumers who are within your vicinity and who would more probably be convinced and called to action to conduct business with your company. Here are several measures that you could take as you act to bolster optimization of your Web site for local search.

* Adopt a marketing program specifically for the local search engine. To do this, you have to initially determine the scope and range of penetration of ads in the market and of course the possible competition to your Web site.

* Revise several pages or rewrite contents so that the articles would be keyword rich. When the content is rich in strategic and search keywords, for sure, search engine ranking would be better and more effective. Doing so would also help maximize the placement of your Web page in numerous search engine queries.

* Do a Piggyback search engine optimization so that traffic would be redirected to your site. Article marketing would also be helpful in creating Web sites with quality back links.

* Make Web site directory submissions by sending such to as mush as 300 search engine worldwide and affiliated regional directories.

* Market and advertise your Web site through traditional and online classifieds. The Craigslist is an example of an effective online classified that would be a great help to your Web site.

Overall, make your Web site user-friendly, interesting and informative. Creating a good impression to online users would help your Web site, and your business as well, achieve well patronage and regular heavy online traffic.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1322.shtml

Four Critical Web Design Rules

2007-09-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

by: Nicholas Lapolla

When creating a new website or redesigning an existing site, there are four critical rules which the designer should follow to make the site effective and functional - and successful.

1. Easy to Read

When building a website, the first thing you need to be sure of is that your website is easy to read. When you write content, remember that most web site visitors don't read every word of a page - in fact, they only scan pages to find what they want.

Break up Your Content

Break up your pages and use headers between major ideas so people scanning your site can find what they want quickly. Use meaningful headers between each paragraph or major idea - this helps with SEO. Headers should be created with the H1 through H4 tags for SEO. Always use good writing structure. Additionally, avoid long paragraphs that run on. You should break up any long paragraphs.

Color and Fonts

To help readability, use high contrast colors between font and background. Black text against a white background may seem stark, but it is very readable. To make a website easy on the eyes, try an off-white background and a dark gray (almost black) text color.

Things to avoid with content color:

Avoid vibrant background colors like purple or yellow. Such back colors make text difficult to read.

Avoid using an image behind your text.

Avoid using bright text colors on bright backgrounds.

Fonts Matter

One simple statement covers the font issue:

Simple fonts are the best; the more fancy the font, the harder it is to read.

Since many browsers only have the standard font set, use standard fonts. In reality, there is no ""standard"", but there are certain fonts that are installed on most browsers. These include Arial, Verdana, Tahoma and Times New Roman. Your readers will see something different than you see if you use other fonts.

Standard Compliant Browser for Development

When developing and testing your site, use a Standards compliant browser like FireFox. If you develop your site to be standards compliant, it will work in most browsers, including MS Internet Explorer (IE). It is recommended that you test your site using the latest and last browser versions of IE (IE6 and IE7). To run multiple versions of IE on the same machine, TredoSoft has a free installer that will install multiple versions of IE. It works great!

2. Simplify Navigation

The menus and links make up the navigation that the visitor uses to get from page to page in a site. Always plan a site around how people will get from page to page. A visitor to your site should be able to get to what they want within three clicks of their mouse.

Multiple navigation points makes it easy to find things. Repeat the top menu and at the bottom. Also create a left or right menu.

Using links within your text to other areas on your site. You can create links so that they are good for search engine optimization (SEO). There are generally two ways to create links within your text:

The wrong way: ""For search engine optimization techniques, click here.""

The right way: ""Good techniques for search engine optimization are important to use.""

Using link text (anchor text) that describes what the link is about is the best way. Search engine web crawlers (programs that automatically index the contents of websites) visit your site, they ""read"" links. Spiders can index descriptive links into a subject or keyword category. Spiders have nothing to work with when reading a ""click here"" until it reaches the linked page.

This is Cross Linking - use it as much as possible when it makes sense to do so when writing your content.

3. Consistent Design

At most, one or two layouts should be used in your site design. As a reader browses your site, they should be able to get used to looking in the same place for your navigation, for your sub-navigation and for your content. That's all there is to say about that.

4. Lower Page Weight is Better

Page weight is the total size of a page on your site in bytes - code, text and images. Your site's page weight makes a big difference to your viewers. Lighter page weight is better for your readers because the page will download faster. The faster a page downloads, the faster they will get to the content.

What is Means to be Light

No large images. (unless the site's purpose is to showcase images, art or photos)

Fewer images are better.

Optimize images for the web at no more than 72 dpi

Use as small an image dimension as possible for the given design.

Use a table td bgcolor attribute or a background-color style attribute for solid color backgrounds.

Make gradients horizontal or vertical (not diagonal) so that you can use a small image ""strip"" and repeat it.

How ""Heavy"" Should a Web Page be?

Certain studies show that 64K is a good maximum webpage size. 64K is a maximum, however it is still, in my opinion, really big! The smaller the page, the better. 25K is good, 15K is even better. There is a balance between design and function. It is a good idea to focus more on function.

Try putting pages on your web host server as you build your site so you can test it as you go. For pages online, you can test the page weight to be sure you are on track.

Ways to make pages lighter:

Use linked style sheets

Use DIVs instead of TABLEs where possible

Use simple repeating backgrounds for effect

Summary

Visitors to your website should be able to find what they are looking for within about three clicks. Making a site easy to read with consistent page design, and easy to navigate will make it easy to find information. You will be on the way to building a readable, effective, functional and hopefully successful website if you follow these rules.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1323.shtml

Wordpress Themes: Selecting an Effective Theme

2007-09-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

by: Gobala Krishnan

If you're blogging on the Wordpress platform, I'll bet my entire life savings that the first thing you ever did was try to install a new Wordpress theme. I'll bet my future earnings that even today you're still occasionally changing themes and wasting a lot of time doing minor modifications that when summed up merely distracts you from blogging itself.

It's actually easy to see why this single aspect of running a blog demands so much attention. With the correct theme, you can accommodate all the nifty little widgets and codes, and may also mean better search engine rankings and tons of fresh traffic every day.

So what are the factors you need to consider to make theme-hunting easier? Here are five important ingredients:

1) Theme Width and Columns

Typically, Wordpress themes come in 2-column or 3-column formats, with widths ranging from 500 pixels to 960 pixels wide. If you're blogging for non-profit purposes, a 2-column theme can look more compact and reader-friendly. Since you have less images of products or links to other sites to display, you can focus exclusively on the content without leading readers away from your site.

On the other hand, if you're blogging for profit, you may want to consider a 3-column Wordpress theme that will be able to accommodate your Google Adsense, Chitika and Text Link Ads codes comfortably without squeezing everything in the content area. 3-column themes allow room for expansion, but in the event that you've filled up all available space with ads, then it's time you removed the non-performers and use only the advertising services that work for that particular blog.

2) Use of Images and Icons

A theme with images and icons can look good, but it rarely increases your web traffic or subscriber base. In fact, most "A-list" bloggers have plain vanilla themes with a simple logo on top. Reducing the amount of images also means faster loading time and less stress on your servers. This vital aspect of server load become apparent only if you have tens of thousands of visitors a day, but it's worth designing for the future.

A image-laden theme also distracts readers from the content itself. This is the reason why blogs like Engadget and Tech Crunch use images intensively in the content areas to add value to a post, but the theme itself is simple and rather minimalist.

Ideally, a theme should allow you to use your own header image for stronger branding purposes, yet replace images and icons with links and text, or just not use them at all unless absolutely necessary.

3) Compatibility with Plugins

Another time-sucking activity is installing plugins that improve the functionality of your site. There's a plugin out there for almost everything you want to do with your blog, but while most of them are free and easily obtainable, it's not always easy to install the plugins and insert the codes into your Wordpress theme.

If your theme is too complicated, it may be a headache to even insert that one line of code you need to make a plugin work. This is often the case with advanced AJAX-based Wordpress themes that have too many files and heavy coding. I've always preferred a simpler themes that stick to the default Wordpress theme as much as possible, so I can cut back on the learning curve and just get on with my life.

Remember that the purpose of your blog is to deliver timely, relevant content to your readers, Any theme that preserves or improves the reader experience is good, any theme that subtracts from the experience is bad.

4) Search Engine Optimization

A lot can be said about search engine optimization, but at the end of the day if you have content worth reading eventually you'll get the rankings you deserve. That doesn't mean that you don't need SEO; all it means is that what you really need to do is to make sure:

(a) Your tags are formatted properly, with the name of the post first followed by the name of the blog - some themes can do this automatically without modification to the code or use of a plugin

(b) All your blog content titles use the H1 tag, with the main keywords used instead of non-descriptive text for better SEO relevance

(b) Your theme has clean source codes, and if possible all formatting is linked to an external CSS file which you can edit independently

5) Plug-And-Play Ease of Use

Can the theme be installed easily on an existing blog without having to move things around? Can the same theme be used and customized easily on your other blogs? These are some additional things you may want to consider when theme-shopping, especially if every minute of downtime on your blog may mean lost revenue.

While it's hard to make comparisons due to the sheer amount of free and paid themes out there, it's still a good idea to have a test blog site. Test any theme you plan on using, and make sure your test blog is also fitted with all the plugins and miscellaneous widgets used on your real blog. The last thing you want is for your readers start seeing weird error messages on your blog.

At the end of the day, a theme is just a theme. Instead of spending your time installing them, it may be wiser to outsource the task and focus more on your readers. Alternatively, you may also want to consider buying "plug-and-play" themes for a reasonable price. Dennis De' Bernardy of ProWordpress.com has probably one of the best themes around, but if you're short on cash there are certainly cheaper alternatives.

Copyright (c) 2007 Gobala Krishnan

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1324.shtml

Why It’s Important To Have New Content On Your Website?

2007-09-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

by: Mark Gerrard

Have you ever wondered how people get a number one ranking on the search engines? Is it because they are special? Is it because they know the Internet gurus? Is it because they have paid to become number one or is it more likely because they constantly update the content on their website?

Content rules. The search engines employ ‘spiders’ that ‘crawl’ and index the many millions of webpages out there. They are looking for new and ‘fresh’ content. Why? It’s in the best interest of the search engines to always look for new content because their advertisers and people who wish to advertise with that search engine want to know what interests people so they can target that interest.

Advertisers will not pay for content that is stale or not updated because yesterday’s news is the reason for today’s business failure.

As a website builder business owner this can be succinctly summarised:

* New content = new visitors
* New visitors = better chance of sales
* Better chance of sales results from better and new content

This method is not magic. Since it is in the best interest of the search engine’s spiders to always be on the lookout for fresh and new content and if your website is producing fresh and new content (at least once a day) the ‘spiders’ will continue to ‘crawl’ and index your website.

Think of this as a reward. The search engines are rewarding you for posting information that may be useful. The more useful the information becomes, the more you will be linked and your rankings will increase. Because your website and its’ information is useful, more advertisers are attracted to the search engines and they make money from the advertising revenue.

As a website builder owner, you can save literally thousands of dollars by employing the method of keeping your content new and fresh. If you combine this with some of the search engine campaigns you will have incredible success.

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/web_design_and_development/article_1325.shtml

Which Tool to Use for Listening to Your Audio Books?

2007-09-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

by: Juliette Lee

The beauty with audio books is that you have more than one option for listening to them.

For those of us who like to be given lots of options for doing certain things instead of being forced to adapt to just one choice, you definitely have lots of options for listening to your audio book.

If you are someone who likes listening while seated on your favorite couch or seated on your desk, listening to your audio book on your cassette tape player (if the audio book is in audiocassette format, of course) is the option for you.

But if you have a desktop or laptop computer, you might prefer listening to your audio book from here.

Most PCs have Digital Audio Players for playing audio books. If your PC doesn't have any (very unlikely), you can still download them completely free on the Internet. The 2 best digital audio players that you can download free from the Internet include:

RealOne Player: It can be downloaded from their website:-
http://www.Real.com

Windows Media Player: It can also be downloaded from their website:-
http://www.Microsoft.com

But if you would rather listen to your audio book while doing your household chores, dancing, exercising, jogging, commuting to and from work, etc, then you would need portable audio playback devices that you can carry around and listen to, preferably with earphones.

With the ever expanding market of portable audio playback devices, it goes to show that more and more people are now using them, because of the wonderful benefits they provide.

The most common form of these portable audio playback devices are the normal audio CD players or CD-ROM devices. You can carry these around with you while you do your household chores, exercise, jog or commute to and from work.

The more advanced form of these portable audio playback devices for playing audio books, especially those for listening to downloadable audio books, include:

-- Audio-ready PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). Some of these PDAs include Casio CASSIOPEIA and Compaq iPAQ. Both can be pretty expensive, costing as much as about $500 for the Compaq iPAQ and about $400 for the Casio CASSIOPEIA.

-- Compatible Portable Audio Players. Some of these include the Creative's NOMAD Jukebox 3 and the SONICblue's Rio 900. These are cheaper than PDAs. For example, you can get the SONICblue's Rio 900 for about $250 from sites such as Sonicblue.com

Finally, like I said at the start of this article, whatever tool you decide to use in listening to your audio books will depend largely on "how" you prefer listening to your audio books.

For example, for the "young and restless" teenagers they can't do without the PDAs. I bet you wouldn't too if you were their age, right? But for the "aged and rusty" who just prefer the ease of being seated on their favorite couch, nothing can be better than listening to their favorite audio books from their "good old" cassette tape player!

source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3917.shtml

There Are Thousands of Fun PDA Software Types Available Today

2007-09-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

by: Jones Wright

You just got a new PDA. Sure it has all the normal programs, file managers, email, and everything you need to get any job done, but what about the fun PDA software, the games, the photo manager, and the video players? Where are they? Have no fear! There are literally thousands of different games, videos, photos, and other fun PDA software packages that you can purchase and download to your new PDA with ease.

For those who are into gaming, there are millions of fun PDA packages that you can download that will combine some of your favorite games all into one great package for you to enjoy. From word games to action games, you can find everything you like available for download over the Internet. Much of the newest PDA software for gaming that is on the market today will allow you to pick and choose numerous games to download, such as puzzle games or the newest action games for the PSP. There are many great sites that even offer monthly packages, where you can download and try out different games each month. And, with all the great, new games that come out each and every month, you are sure to get some of the best games that are available for your PDA.

For those who are into video or live television, you can also purchase and download special PDA software that will allow you to watch live television and video from your PDA. So, while you are on a business trip, you can enjoy all your favorite shows, videos from home, or anything you wish, all from the comfort of your PDA. Or, you can purchase and download virtual radio players that will allow you to hear all of your favorite radio programs, from music to talk to sports to politics. No matter what radio shows you love, you'll find them with PDA software for virtual radio.

So, no matter what it is you like to do for fun, you can find the perfect PDA software that will allow you to enjoy your PDA while you are away from home. By downloading the software that allows you to enjoy the fun side of your PDA, you will feel right at home, no matter where you are. Most PDA software for gaming, video, photos, television, or whatever you prefer is available though several sites on the web, and most are inexpensive so even the most savvy money watcher can afford to have a little fun on their PDA.

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3101.shtml

Spring Cleaning And Website Maintenance For Your Website

2007-09-18T23:35:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-09-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-18T23:03:00.001-07:00

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?

2007-09-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-09-18T23:01:00.002-07:00

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?

2007-09-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-09-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-18T22:35:00.002-07:00

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

2007-09-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

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

Why Photographers Need To Use Camera Downloader Program?

2007-09-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

by: Martin Brinn

As a digital camera owner you may not be surprised to learn that digital import software to automate image transfer from your card-reader or digital camera is important. Everyone needs to get their images from point A the camera to point B the computer and we need this task performed with the minimum of fuss and bother. As photographers we are all aware that there are occasions when we will need images rotated or some pictures may require a little resolution correction. Using professional digital camera downloader program like RoboImport to automate photo transfer and to perform some image adjustments easily manages mundane digital camera workflow tasks. When purchasing your new digital camera it may come with program that claims to be the “gift with your purchase”, some quaint little image viewer. Usually this digital camera import software is offered on a trial basis or it is the bare minimum quality, if it’s any good at all. With the lower cost of digital cameras today many don’t even come with any digital camera downloader software at all, in fact if you’re lucky your camera package might come with a driver for your computer for digital camera communication but nothing else at all. Some new images may believe that since their new camera did not come with any special digital camera workflow program, it’s not required. Unaware that the uploading photographs from their camera does not require time consuming steps. They will begin by creating folders, then picking photos out one by one and face the next process of cataloguing and arranging. This is simply unthinkable for photographers or even new photography enthusiasts who have thousands of photographs to process and organize. Digital camera workflow program specifically developed to transfer your photos from your camera to your PC does far more than automate the picture transfer process. Any program that would just perform just this task is really quite inadequate. Photographers require professional digital camera workflow software such as RoboImport. This recommended digital camera workflow program will detect the camera connection for us photographers that may not be seasoned computer experts. RoboImport will create the required folders to transfer the images into, and even rename it accordingly. Some less professional digital camera import program may present a problem during the upload process by duplicating filenames and sadly overwriting other treasured photographs that may be present in the computer. RoboImport takes the precaution of renaming pictures from the standard number your digital camera presets, by reading and recording the EXIF information of the photographs to create a unique code representing the date and time the photo was photographed. The complete EXIF information including your cameras make, model and settings will also be transferred with your images, retaining this information is absolutely necessary for professional photographers. RoboImport will also rotate images when required, correct image resolution (DPI) and add any further IPTC-NAA information to the photos you would like to include. When managing hundreds of images this is an exceptional time saving feature. Wildlife and travel photographers are also considered with the added ability of RoboImport to include GPS coordinates of the photos location. Professional photographers who do not have access to their RAW photos do not do their work any justice. JPEG images are not as good in quality and are prone to bleeding and blurring the photographer was not responsible for, and certainly their camera did not create, this is a result of the compression required to convert photographs JPEG images or other formats. RoboImport saves both the RAW image file and the JPEG image in separate folders giving the photographer the photograph they really took, as security and backup against format conversion damage. Excellent digital camera workflow program like RoboImport will also open your Picajet photo manager, or other available digital photo manager you might have on hand for further assessment of your photographs. The time and fuss saved by using software to automate image transfer gives the photographer back their time to spend on the tasks they want to be performing, like taking masterpiece photos.

To learn more please visit RoboImport’s home page: http://picajet.com/en/index.php?page=Digital-Image-Management-Software

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3935.shtml

High Speed Internet Connection

2007-09-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

by: Toh Poh

Internet has almost become a lifeline for the new generation. Many businesses now depend entirely on the Internet. People residing in different parts of world are able to talk to each other via the medium of Internet. Video conferencing is a live example of it. Many marriages are also made with the help of the Internet. The list of benefits that Internet provides is limitless. But, what would you do when you have a slow speed internet connection that takes a lot of time? That internet connection would simply be useless to you. The speed at which you are connected to the Internet plays a very important role in enjoying the advantages offered by it. For example, suppose one of your relatives who is residing overseas, has sent you a holiday clip. Now, if your Internet speed is slow then first of all it would take a long time to load the mail website. Then you would enter your user name and password. It would again take extra time to verify it. Also, downloading the clip would be very slow, even if its size is very small. Overall, you can say that having a low speed Internet connection (dial-up connection) is not a good thing. There are many choices available for a high speed Internet connection. DSL, Cable and Satellite are some of them. You can select the best one from them. Here are some of the common benefits that all these high speed Internet connections provide. * Viewing of streamlining clips or videos is very easy and fast in these connections. Dial-up connections may not even allow their access. * You can upload web pages and download any kind of information or software with more than twice the speed of dial-up connection. * Downloading of images and huge e-mail files can be done almost promptly. * High speed Internet connection has proven to be a boon for all businessmen. They can now access the world wide web within a few seconds. Their businesses have been highly benefited through efficient and quick video conferencing which would have been impossible in a slow dial-up connection. * For those people who work from home, a high speed Internet connection can assist them in increasing their overall work efficiency and output. * On a long term basis, the high speed Internet connection can prove to be highly economical. DSL: The best choice for high speed internet connection Now-a-days, DSL has become the leading choice for a high speed Internet connection. DSL works on existing telephone lines. With a DSL connection you can browse the web and talk on the phone at the same time. Generally, a DSL connection requires a DSL router, a dedicated phone line and a network card or a modem for each system. The installation of DSL at your location is the responsibility of the service provider. Last but not the least, this high speed Internet connection is offered at very affordable prices.

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3944.shtml

Cisco PIX/ASA Security Appliance: How to Configure Banners

2007-09-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

by: Don R. Crawley Banners can be configured to display when a user first connects (MOTD), when a user logs in (login), or when a user accesses privileged mode (exec). Banners are used for legal warnings such as when a user is cautioned not to access a restricted system or that their access of a system is subject to monitoring and logging. Banners are also used on locked systems placed at customer locations by service providers to provide contact information for device access or technical support. The Cisco security appliance supports the use of login banners in console sessions and Telnet sessions, but not in SSH sessions. Exec and MOTD banners are supported in console, Telnet, and SSH sessions. Banners can be up to 510 characters in length. You can create multiple line banners either by creating multiple banner statements or by using the keystroke sequence of "\n" which inserts a carriage return. Here's how banners are displayed: MOTD Banners--When usernames are not configured, MOTD displays at login in a serial console session and before login in Telnet sessions. When usernames are configured, MOTD displays before login in a Telnet session and after login in a serial console session. Login Banners--The login banner displays before login in Telnet and serial console sessions. Exec Banners--The exec banner displays upon login in all sessions. How to Configure a Banner Note: The following procedures were tested on an ASA 5505 Security Appliance running software version 7.22. Other hardware or software platforms may require modification of these procedures in order to function properly. To configure a banner, use the following configuration mode commands: asa(config)#banner motd This is a restricted system. asa(config)#banner motd Do not attempt unauthorized access. Notice the use of two banner motd statements to create a multi-line banner. As mentioned previously, you can also use the "\n" key sequence to insert a carriage return. You can view the banners you created with the following privileged mode command: asa#show running-config banner Hands-On Exercise: Creating Banners on the Security Appliance The following procedures are for training purposes only and should only be performed on devices in a laboratory environment. Under no circumstances should these procedures be performed on equipment in a live, production environment without first verifying their suitability in a laboratory environment. In the following hands-on exercise, you will create MOTD, login, and EXEC banners.

Step 1: In configuration mode, enter the following commands: asa(config)#banner motd This is the MOTD banner asa(config)#banner login This is the login banner asa(config)#banner exec This is the EXEC banner

Step 2: Display the banners you just created with the following command: asa(config)#show running-config banner

Step 3: Type exit repeatedly until you are logged out of your laboratory security appliance. Notice which banners are displayed.

Step 4: Enter privileged mode with the command "enable" and notice which banners are displayed.

Step 5: From your laboratory computer, start a Telnet session and again observe which banners are displayed. When you are finished, exit the Telnet session.

Step 6: Also from your laboratory computer, start an SSH session and again observe which banners are displayed. When you are finished, exit the SSH session. Note: The above procedures are similar to the procedures used to configure banners on other Cisco devices including routers.

Copyright (c) 2007 Don R. Crawley

Source :
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3940.shtml

Green With Envy In The Google Game

2007-09-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

by: Bill Platt
Beginning on April 14th, 2007, a firestorm blew through the Internet community with the search engine optimization (SEO) community burning the hottest. The embers were warm and waiting for a strong wind to blow and kick up the flames, but it took Matt Cutts, the Google engineer extraordinaire to fire the flames with an off-the-cuff comment about "paid links." The flames raged and in most forums, the wind quickly shifted moving the firestorm back towards Cutts and Google. Thread Watch offered the most biting rebuttal to Cutts' comments: http://www.threadwatch.org/node/13925 and http://www.threadwatch.org/node/13941 Aaron Wall at Thread Watch is a respectable fellow, and he tore into Google with a ferociousness that I had not anticipated. Matt Cutts tried to answer some of Aaron's questions, but it seemed that Cutts' rebuttals only added more fuel to the fire. I would not have wanted to be in Matt Cutts' shoes that week. Oh my, it was brutal! Even on Cutts' own blog where the "paid link" comment originally surfaced (http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/hidden-links/), Danny Sullivan posted a question that went unanswered, so Sullivan commented about it on his site: http://searchengineland.com/070420-111550.php Search Engine Watch even mentioned this issue and linked to additional forums where the debate was raging: http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/070416-020746 What Most Readers Took From Cutts' Comments There were only a few readers who took Matt Cutts' comments to be brotherly-advice. The vast majority of people were screaming that Google intended to exercise their "monopoly control" over the Internet to run all of their competitors out of business. Generally, I am not a "reactionary" type person. But for about an hour, even I had a ball in the pit of my stomach. The ball passed from the pit of my stomach when I read a post that mirrored an opinion I have openly written about numerous times before: How does Google determine the "intent" of a person making a link? They can't! Understanding The Nuances Of Similar Items Some people suggest that I should be ashamed of myself for speculating about the future of Google's algorithms. There is even one clown, who has suggested that I should fear mentioning Matt Cutts' name in an article, because I am bound to draw Cutts' ire against me and my businesses. But, I am not worried. I am simply laying out my "speculative" opinion about what Cutts' comments might mean to my business and yours. You are free to use your own brain to judge the value of my words. Am I playing a double standard when I say that Google cannot determine the intent of the person placing a link, and then I comment on how I interpret the future of the Google search algorithms? I don't think so, and let me tell you why. Google uses algorithms (software programs) to make distinctions about what a web page is about, how they value that page, and to judge the nature of a link. I use my intellect (or as some would suggest, my lack thereof) to make a judgment about what Google has told us we should expect from them in the future. I trust software to a certain extent, but software cannot always read the nuance that separates two very similar items. So, how can the Google algorithm be expected to determine the intent of a person who placed a link? It has always been my contention that humans are "required" in any process that must make an interpretation of nuance. In my businesses, we refuse to trust computers to make judgments of nuance, because they can't. That is the reason we employ human beings to process orders. What Is Google's Intent Behind The Paid Links Issue? The whole of Cutts' argument seems to hinge on nixing "paid links" that are designed to manipulate or "game Google's PageRank" and to a lesser extent, their organic search results. Google seems to be really agitated that webmasters are "selling links based on the PageRank value of a page." The problem is that webmasters are selling an intangible asset that is wholly owned by Google and maintained for "Google's benefit." Webmasters are selling this Google asset, but Google will not receive any of the proceeds from that sale. As a result, Cutts suggested that webmasters should use some method that Google's spider can use to recognize and distinguish "paid links" from "given links." Since Google's algorithm is based on the theory that links are given to websites that deserve those links, the paid links on high PageRank pages can really skew Google's PageRank values and its organic search results. Here Is Where It Gets Ugly Both honest and dishonest people inhabit this Internet. Google wants webmasters who are selling links to distinguish paid links from given links, so that Google can ignore "links purchased to influence PageRank." If honest people distinguish paid links in a way that Google can recognize, then the market demand for those links will dry up. Once the PageRank value of a link is taken away from the buyer, the buyer will be forced to purchase links based only on the traffic that the specific web page receives. If all paid link decisions were based only on a web page's traffic, then the market value of a link would be decimated. Once a webmaster tells his link-buying customers that his or her links will no longer carry PageRank value to the buyer's website, then the value of that link will drop in most cases by 80% or more. Why would a webmaster want to reduce the market value of his links by 80%? Although Google's links do not pass PageRank to the websites that are in their index or paid listings, we have to ask ourselves one thing. Would Google be willing to take a step that would reduce the market value of their own links by 80%? They certainly would not do anything that would cut their own bottom line that deeply, yet they are asking webmasters to do just that. This is the reason people are teed off at Google. At least 80% of the market value of a link is driven by the PageRank value of the web page where the link will be placed. Dishonest people don't care to play by the rules; they will continue to sell their PageRank value, as long as they continue to have buyers. Only the honest will suffer. Link Buyers Are Green With Envy Link Buyers are envious of the PageRank value given to other web pages, and they want a bit of that value passed over to their own websites. Link buyers are green with envy, because they can see that little green bar in the top of their browser that tells them how much value Google gives a web page in its algorithms. If Google were to keep PageRank as a private value, known only to them, then "paid links" would not be an issue for them to manage. If the public cannot see what a page's PageRank value is, then link buyers would not be able to use PageRank to influence their link buying decisions, and webmasters would not be able to market their PageRank value to other websites. How Simple Is That? All Google has to do to solve this problem of theirs, is to take away the indicator people use to buy and sell PageRank. Someone suggested to me that Google would never do away with the PageRank indicator in their toolbar, because Google feels that it is the only thing that ensures that people will keep the Google toolbar in their browser. Personally, I will continue to use the Google toolbar for my searches, even if the PageRank indicator was not there, because I like the search results Google gives to me. But that is just my opinion, and I am only one person out of millions of Google toolbar users. What it boils down to is this. If Google is serious about nixing schemes to buy and sell PageRank, then they would simply take their PageRank indicator away from us. But will they take it away? Only time will tell.

Source :
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3942.shtml

What is the Best Method to Back up Data?

2007-09-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

by: James Walsh
This being the age of internet, chat rooms, blogging and innovative hackers, their expectation never gets fulfilled. The news always leaks out or is methodically publicised by a rival or a gleeful hacker. Thereafter, insult is added to their injury as irate customers and the eager press demand explanations about every unsavoury detail of the incident. But data loss is not a problem affecting only the big players only any more. All of us deal with some amount of data and almost all of it is important to us. Albums have been replaced by .jpeg files, our music is inside the hard drive of our pc or laptop, and our emails are stored in offline folders or software like Microsoft Outlook. Students keep their study material in their machines, and a doctoral thesis is usually a file on the hard disk instead of being a thick volume bound in leather covers. It is, therefore, strange that we keep losing data because we have not taken the precaution of backing it up elsewhere. Several start-up home businesses have not seen the light of the day anymore after an initial incident of data loss. All of this underlines the importance of backup, which really cannot be overstressed. Some Methods of Obtaining Backups The method, or rather, the medium chosen for backing up data will depend on the volume of data to be stored, as well as the nature of the data. Some common methods are being enlisted below: CD and Floppy: The floppy has largely gone out of use by now, due to its many limitations, small capacity and security problems. The CD is a good choice for obtaining backups, and is one of the favourite choices in both domestic and corporate spheres. It is cheap, readily available, portable and compatible with several file formats. Storing a CD and sharing information from it are also quite simple. DVD: The DVD is a good choice for storing audio visual information. It may not be as cheap as the CD, but offers better quality, often lasts longer, and has way more space. DVD RWs can be used in such a way that literally every bit is used to store information. A DVD also has the same facilities when it comes to sharing and easy transporting. However, the DVD RW, many market observers feel, may turn out to be an intermediate technology and be replaced by something superior but very similar in function, or may evolve in such a way that the problems would get solved. It must be noted here that the constant research in this regard, and inventions like the Blue Ray disk etc. point out that we can hope for a better technology soon. USB Devices: These are the new favourites all over the world. The greatest proof of the popularity of this technology lies in two facts. Firstly, the storage space of pen drives / flash drives/ memory sticks is constantly increasing. Secondly, their prices are plummeting downwards rapidly. Almost all kinds of files can be stored on these; they are very easy to carry, do not require a separate software or booting up of the machine to start functioning, and it is very convenient to share the data stored on them. For storing smaller music libraries, an iPod may be an option too. External Hard Drives: For larger data storage requirements, external hard drives are excellent solutions. Arrays or stacks of hard drives are available for corporate purposes and are provided by all good hard drive manufacturers. Seagate, Maxtor, ASB, LaCie all make external hard drives of varying capacities and prices. Online and Offline Storage Spaces: These are ‘spaces’ provided by professional firms, and are extremely secure for sensitive data storage. Tapes and Printouts: Traditional storage should not be left out of the list. There is some information that one simply needs to see on the good old piece of paper. Tape has been in use for a long time now, and will probably continue for some time.

Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_3933.shtml