Archive for 2008

Design Your Pages for Humans not for Search Engines

December 31, 2008 Add Comment

Design Your Pages for Humans not for Search Engines



I decided to kick off this week of SEO tips with a little piece of general wisdom for how to approach your overall SEO strategy: Design your site for humans not for search engines.

If you start compromising the user experience in order drive more organic search traffic, you'll soon find yourself with a site that is great for bots to read but terrible for users. In the long run you won't be able to retain users, not even for their first visit (driving up the bounce rate as people land on your page and don't get your value proposition).

The reverse is also true - if you build a site that delights real users, you'll soon gain the respect of other sites, earning you valuable inbound links that will give you far greater value than the SEO tweaks you might be doing that destroy the user experience. Hope you enjoy that bit of Monday morning wisdom.

Computer Maintenance Tips

December 30, 2008 Add Comment

Computer Maintenance Tips


Ten Tips to Keep your Computer Running Smoothly

1. Never, never, turn your computer off with the power switch until Windows has shut down.

The one exception to this rule is when your computer locks up and your hard drive is not running (hard drive light is not blinking). In this situation, you can turn the power off without harmful effects to the hard drive. As cutting the power can also result in lost data or Windows files, you should only do this when you have to.

Following this rule will prevent permanent hard drive defects caused by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the drive disc, and it will prevent a host of Windows problems.
Whenever possible, recover from crashes by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time. Press them again to reboot your computer.

2. I highly recommend that you purchase an UPS (uninteruptable power supply) for your computer. This will keep your computer from crashing during power outages, and will protect your computer from low and high voltage occurrences.
An UPS is far superior to a surge protector and will save your computer from almost any type of power disaster. (See #1 above for what happens when your computer crashes.)

3. Backup, backup, backup, any data you cannot afford to lose to at least two separate physical drives. So backup data to external hard drives, Zip disks, CD-RWs etc.
The time to backup is when you create something you can't afford to lose. Don't wait until tomorrow.

4. Run Scandisk and Defragment at least once a month. This will keep your hard drive healthy and prevent crashes. Alternatively, purchase Norton Utilities and use it to keep your hard drive healthy.

5. Never unplug peripherals from the computer when it is powered up. Unplugging with the power on can short out the connector socket or the motherboard.

The only exception to this rule is if you know a peripheral is "hot pluggable". If you do not know what "hot pluggable" means then ignore this exception.

6. Do keep at least 300 MBs of your C: drive free for Windows to use. If you use Windows XP or Vista then you should have 400-600 MBs of free space on your C: drive.
If you do not have enough free space you will choke Windows and it will start dumping data to your hard drive, or it will just get really, really, slow.
Use the ADD/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to delete unneeded programs from your drive.
You can also use Cleansweep included in Norton Utilities to clean up your drive. If you do use Cleansweep or another hard drive cleaner, do not delete shared files unless you back them up. The cleaners do a rotten job of knowing if another program uses shared files.

7. Do not let a lot of programs load up when you start your computer. They use valuable memory and Windows Resources (Windows internal workspace).
All programs in your Windows System Tray (in the lower left of your screen) are running on your computer. Close them if you don't need them or run them and configure them not to load when you boot up.
Other programs running in the background can be found by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time.

8. Do use a virus checker regularly. Everyone should use a virus checker. The best type of protection is continuous monitoring from a dedicated anti-virus program like Norton Antivirus.
The second best thing is to use is the free online virus checkers such as Housecall provided by Trend Micro.

9. If you have a high speed Internet connection you need a firewall program. A firewall program keeps those who want to hijack your computer from gaining access to your system. You really do not want someone else running your computer.

I suggest you purchase and run Norton's Personal Firewall program. Your firewall should boot up with your computer to protect it from invasion.

Case in point: When I am online 10 hours or more with my DSL connection, my computer is usually attacked by a hacker at least once.
Do not think you are safe from hackers!! Hackers use search programs to seek out computers at random. Get a firewall program and use it.

10. Keep track of the software disks you receive with your computer and new peripherals. These disks contain valuable software drivers and programs for Windows and are needed when Windows must be reloaded. Keep these disks and your Windows software disks in a safe, dry, place -- you never know when you will need them. 

WEP & WPA Wireless Security which is best?

December 30, 2008 Add Comment

WEP & WPA Wireless Security which is best?


WEP
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was originally intended to give you the same or similar level of security as on a wired network but it turns out that it does not. WEP works by using secret keys, or codes to encrypt data. WEP is defined in the 802.11b standard and aims to provide security by encrypting data over radio waves so that it is protected as it is transmitted from one end point to another. The network card encrypts the data before transmission using an RC4 stream cipher provided by RSA Security. The receiving station, such as an access point performs decryption upon receiving the frame. WEP only encrypts data between 802.11 stations. The Access Point and the client must know the codes in order for it to function. WEP has three settings: Off (no security), 64-bit (weak security) and 128-bit (higher security).

WEP is not difficult to crack, and using it reduces performance slightly. The WEP concept of using a passphrase is introduced so that you do not have to enter complicated strings for keys manually. The passphrase you enter is converted into hex keys. The static nature of the shared secret keys is its weakness. 802.11 doesn't provide any functions that support the exchange of keys among stations. As a result, system administrators and users generally use the same keys for long periods of time. This gives hackers plenty of time to monitor and hack into WEP enabled networks. Most wireless networks that use WEP have one single WEP key shared between every node on the network.

WPA
WPA (WiFi Protected Access) is the new security standard adopted by the WiFi Alliance consortium. WiFi compliance ensures interoperability between different manufacturer's wireless equipment. WPA is a much improved encryption standard that delivers a level of security beyond anything that WEP can offer. It bridges the gap between WEP and 802.11i (WPA2) networks. WPA uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), which is designed to allow WEP to be upgraded through corrective measures that address the existing security problems. WPA is able to achieve over 500 trillion possible key combinations and re-keying of global encryption keys is required. The encryption key is changed after every frame using TKIP. This allows key changes to occur on a frame by frame basis and to be automatically synchronized between the access point and the wireless client. The TKIP encryption algorithm is stronger than the one used by WEP. WPA is compatible with many older access points and network cards.

WPA2
WPA2 is the latest implementation of WPA and provides stronger data protection and network access control. It provides WiFi users with a higher level of assurance that only authorized users can access their wireless networks. WPA2 is based on the IEEE 802.11i standard and provides government grade security. 802.11i describes the encrypted transmission of data between systems of 802.11a and 802.11b wireless LANs. It defines new encryption key protocols including the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

There are two versions of WPA2:
WPA2 Personal and WPA2 Enterprise. WPA2 Personal protects unauthorized network access by utilizing a setup password. WPA2 Enterprise verifies network users through a server. 

Printer Troubleshooting Tips

December 21, 2008 Add Comment

Printer Troubleshooting Tips


Ever have blinking lights on your inkjet or laser printer that just will not go away? Ever install a new ink cartridge in your printer and it still thinks the old one is there? Well, instead of just getting angry at the printer or hunting around for your manual, you can try one simple thing: unplug it.

This technique has a few names that all mean the same thing: cycling the printer, resetting the printer or clearing the printer’s memory. Now unplugging your printer may seem like a low-tech solution to complex problems, and in reality it is. But, for problems like blinking error lights it is the only solution and also, it is typically the first one that will be recommended to you by a technician working for HP, Lexmark, Epson etc. They will recommend it right away if you install a new cartridge and it is registering as empty. If your printer isn’t registering it full, then that means it still thinks the old cartridge is in there and the memory needs to be cleared by unplugging it.

The first thing to remember about this solution is that unplugging the printer is not the same as turning the printer off. If you have error messages or cartridge communication problems, then turning off the printer is not going to do anything. It has to be physically unplugged from the wall or the back of the printer itself (you don’t have to unplug the printer from the computer). The second and most important thing is that the printer must be unplugged for at least one minute. It takes at least one minute for all the electricity to be cut off from the printer to allow it to completely reset and clear its memory. If you just unplug it for a few seconds, when it comes back on it is going to pick up right where it left off.

While this technique will not fix every problem, it is still a very quick and easy solution to a lot of annoying printer problems and it is always the best place to start when one of those problems arises.

Web Conference & Video: Which you like most?

December 16, 2008 Add Comment

Web Conference & Video: Which you like most?



Web and video conferencing technology is becoming more sophisticated with each passing day. A few years ago it was a novelty just to talk with someone online, and view his or her image at the same time. Today web conferences bring together entire companies in complex interaction that rivals live face-to-face meetings. How you might benefit from the latest developments in web conferencing depends on your particular needs. Here are a few points that you should consider.

1. Do you need to make a Powerpoint or other presentation during your conference?

If you answered “yes” to this question, then you will be glad to know that current web and video conferencing services allow the host of a conference to present a slide show or power point demonstration that will be visible on the screens of all the participants of a conference. Similarly, hosts can also open and show other document formats to their attendees. If you need this kind of capability, make sure that your conference provider can give this to you.

2. Do you require telephone conferencing integrated with your web/video conference?

Many organizations have found telephone conferencing to be an effective way to get work done. If you are already connecting with your members and staff via telephone conferences you can expand on this by choosing a web conferencing system that integrates telephone conferencing along with the online conference. The combined service will give you the ease of phone conferencing along with the enhanced visual and presentation features of online conferencing.

Some services allow the host to pay the long distance bill of all the participants (toll free conferencing), while others require each participant to cover their long distance fees.

3. Do all of your conference participants use the same type of computer?

If your participants are going to be using a variety of computers (PC, Mac, Linux) then you will benefit most by choosing a web conferencing system that works on any platform. While earlier conferencing systems required the downloading of complex software that would work only on specified operating systems, newer conferencing formats are delivered online and are browser based. They work on any operating system and if yours in an eclectic audience, then you will get best results with this type of conferencing.

4. Will it be necessary for one of your technicians to “take-over” and operate the computers of any of your participants?

If you wish to use conferencing as a service tool and want to avoid having to send out your service team on physical visits to clients, you can save a lot of travel time and cost by selecting a web and video conferencing system that allows the host of the conference to go online and actually take control of the computer of the client or conference participant. If you are looking at web conferencing as an after-sales service tool, then this particular feature will probably give you one of the most important benefits that you could wish for.

5. Do you want to conduct an online poll or survey during the conference?

If you have a large organization and want to make a quick and accurate poll of opinion or vote on a particular issue then the new polling capabilities of the most advanced web conferencing services will be an important feature for you.

Similarly, if you need to gather demographic information about your meeting participants, obtain valuable input, or quiz and test your participants, then the new online survey capabilities of current web conferencing systems will be an important feature to look for when choosing your conference format. Data from these types of online “surveys” can typically be saved and used for future use.

6. Do you want to brainstorm online, using a “whiteboard”?

Brainstorming is a great way to tap the ideas of a group and to come up with and select new ideas. If this is what you like to do when holding physical meetings, then you will probably want to be able to do the same thing in your virtual meetings as well. This is now possible in some of the more advanced web conferencing systems by using a “group notepad” that enables meeting participants to utilize a shared workspace. The results of these brainstorming sessions can typically be saved in a storage area.

Which of these features will benefit you the most? It all depends on your particular needs. However, one thing is sure: once you experience the convenience of online meetings, you will not want to go back to the era when every meeting required you to pack up your bags and get on an airplane.

Wireless Security - Kick to Hackers

December 16, 2008 Add Comment

Wireless Security - Kick to Hackers


It may sound strange but is true that several organisations, which have adopted Wireless networking, are open to severe security breaches. Mostly the reasons are that organisations simply plug the access points and go live without bothering to change the default factory settings. Wireless local area networks are open to risk not because the systems are incapable but due to incorrect usage. The biggest problem lies with inadequate security standards and with poorly configured devices. For a start, most of the wireless base stations sold by suppliers come with the in-built security Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protocol turned off. This means that unless you manually reconfigure your wireless access points, your networks will be broadcasting data that is unencrypted.

In the old world of wired local area networks, the architecture provides some inherent security. Typically there is a network server and multiple devices with an Ethernet protocol adapter that connect to each other physically via a LAN backbone. If you are not physically connected, you have no access to the LAN.

Compare it with the new wireless LAN architecture. The LAN backbone of the wired world is replaced with radio access points. The Ethernet adapters in devices are replaced with a radio card. There are no physical connections – anyone with a radio capability of sniffing can connect to the network.

What can go wrong?


Unlike the wired network, the intruder does not need physical access in order to pose the following security threats:

Eavesdropping. This involves attacks against the confidentiality of the data that is being transmitted across the network. In the wireless network, eavesdropping is the most significant threat because the attacker can intercept the transmission over the air from a distance away from the premises of the company.

Tampering. The attacker can modify the content of the intercepted packets from the wireless network and this results in a loss of data integrity.

Unauthorized access. The attacker could gain access to privileged data and resources in the network by assuming the identity of a valid user. This kind of attack is known as spoofing. To overcome this attack, proper authentication and access control mechanisms need to be put up in the wireless network.

Denial of Service. In this attack, the intruder floods the network with either valid or invalid messages affecting the availability of the network resources.

How to protect?


There are 3 types of security options – basic, active and hardened. Depending upon your organisation needs, you can adopt any of the above.

Basic

You can achieve the basic security by implementing Wired Equivalent Standard 128 or WEP 128. The IEEE 802.11 task group has established this standard. WEP specifies generation of encryption keys. The information source and information target uses these keys to prevent any eavesdroppers (who do not have these keys) to get access to the data.

Network access control is implemented by using a Service Set Identifier (SSID – a 32 character unique identifier) associated with an access point or a group of access points. The SSID acts as a password for network access.

Another additional type of security is Access Control List (ACL). Each wireless device has a unique identifier called Media Access Control address (MAC). A MAC list can be maintained at an access point or a server of all access points. Only those devices are allowed access to the network that have their MAC address specified.

The above implementations are open to attack. Even when you do turn on WEP, there are still problems inherent within it. The problem lies in the protocol's encryption key mechanism, which is implemented in such a way that the key can be recovered by analysing the data flow across the network over a period of time. This has been estimated at between 15 minutes and several days. The SSID attached to the header of packets sent over a wireless Lan - is sent as unencrypted text and is vulnerable to being sniffed by third parties. Unfortunately most supplier equipment is configured to broadcast the SSID automatically, essentially giving new devices a ticket to join the network. While this is useful for public wireless networks in places such as airports and retail establishments - in the US for example, Starbucks is offering 802.11b access in some of its stores - it represents another security loophole for corporates that do not switch it off. Finally any MAC address can be change!

d to another (spoofed), so the use of ACL is not foolproof either.

Active

To implement an Active type of security, you need to implement the IEEE 802.1x security standard. This covers two areas – network access restriction through mutual authentication and data integration through WEP key rotation. Mutual authentication between the client station and the access points helps ensure that clients are communicating with known networks and dynamic key rotation reduces exposure to key attacks.

Due to weaknesses in WEP, some standard alternatives to WEP have emerged. Most of the Wi-Fi manufacturers have agreed to use a temporary standard for enhanced security called Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).

In WPA, the encryption key is changed after every frame using Temporary Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). This protocol allows key changes to occur on a frame-by-frame basis and to be automatically synchronized between the access point and the wireless client. The TKIP is really the heart and soul of WPA security. TKIP replaces WEP encryption. And although WEP is optional in standard Wi-Fi, TKIP is required in WPA. The TKIP encryption algorithm is stronger than the one used by WEP but works by using the same hardware-based calculation mechanisms WEP uses.

Hardened


There are organisations like banks, which have very stringent security requirements. They need to implement the hardened type of security systems. These are solutions certified in accordance with the Federal Information Protection Standard (FIPS 1.40). Products in this category offer point-to-point security for wireless information communication and include offerings such as AirFortress and IPSec Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). A VPN will increase the cost of your network, but you can base your decision on whether to implement it by using the same course of action that you should be taking with all other parts of your infrastructure. Map the risks against the business data that you will be passing over radio, and assess the financial impact of a breach. If the data is too critical, reassess what should be passed over the network, or use a VPN to enhance your protection.

Summary


The vendors are working towards implementing newer standards and this year we should see products implementing IEEE 802.11i that will further the authentication and encryption gains implemented by WPA. Most notably, it will add a ground up encryption standard known as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) as well as various other enhancements.

Newer standards apart, organisations must understand that achieving wireless security is essential and the good part is that it is easy. An organisation must define its security needs and use the features available in the systems accordingly. Choose a good vendor who can help you implement your requirements through standards based solutions. A good implementation must be supported by a security policy, which is well understood by everyone in the organisation. Make your employees aware that they all are responsible for security and share the cost of security breaches. Assign authority & ownership to few employees for the various parts in the security policy and make periodic reviews of their performance. Most important is to monitor your systems for any possible breaches and adapt if necessary. Never sleep well.

Best Antivirus list

December 14, 2008 Add Comment
To protect yourself from viruses that crop up all the time, it’s important to update your antivirus software’s data definition files. Am here posting the list of Some top Anti Virus Programs which are very useful to users.

AVG Free Edition – AVG Resident Shield provides real-time protection executions of files and programs. It features a smart e-mail scanner, virus updates and virus vault for secure handling of the files which are infected by viruses. The base version for windows is Free for private and non-commercial use.

BitDefender Online Scan System – BitDefender Scan Online scans system as memory, boot sector, all files and folders and also comes with automatic file cleaning option. Overall, it scans for over 70,000+ viruses, worms, trojans and other malicious applications. Inexpensive product received excellent scores in our performance tests, although its scan speed was sluggish.

McAfee VirusScan for Windows: This antivirus package detects all virus types, including Word and Excel macros; boot-sector infections; and file, multipartite, stealth, polymorphic, and encrypted viruses.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal Pro – A commonly used virus protection solution offering full protection against macro-viruses and unknown viruses. It offers reliable data integrity control and protection of e-mails from viruses.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus – ESET NOD32 Anti-virus is available as an anti-virus for small businesses, individuals and for large networks. The trialware enables the user to try the application for a period of 30 days.

avast! Home Edition – A free antivirus solution for scanning disk, CDs, in E-mail, HTTP, NNTP, IM and P2P.

Panda Antivirus Platinum – A complete virus protection package for home and business users. It comes with an easy installation and automatic protection from latest viruses.

Norton AntiVirus – Norton AntiVirus is the most popular and secure virus scanner for checking boot sector records at startup. The live update feature automatically installs new updates for regular protection against viruses.

HandyBits – A free for personal use virus ‘scanner integrator’ with features like auto-search which scans for already installed virus scanner. It scans for files using installed virus scanners there by utilizing the strengths of installed programs.

HijackThis Software – HijackThis is a small application for scanning and cleaning spyware, malware infections in computer. It enables the user to save the scan log in a txt file which can be examined later for system security analysis.

And Here are Some Online ScannersÂ

Stinger – A stand-alone application for automatic detection and removal of viruses. It acts as more of an assistance for administrators and is not meant to be a full time anti-virus replacement. It is available as freeware for Windows.

Avast! Online Scanner – An online virus scanner from alwil software for scanning files smaller than 512KB.

Dr. Web – Dr. Web is an online scanner for curing system viruses. Users can select viruses from system and can scan selected files.

BitDefender Online Scan System – BitDefender Scan Online scans system’s memory, boot sector, all files and folders and also comes with automatic file cleaning option. Overall, it scans for over 70,000+ viruses, worms, trojans and other malicious applications.

ESET Online Scanner – ESET is a powerful user-friendly scanner for removing malware from user’s computer.

Free online Trojan Scanner – An online scanner for detection and removal of Trojan horses.

F-Secure – An online virus scanner for detecting and clearing viruses.It supports Windows XP and Windows 2000.

Kaspersky Online Scanner – A fast and effective online scanner for checking individual files, folders, drives or even files related to emails.

Mcafee Virusscan Online – A trusted VirusScan service for search and display of infected files. Once the infected files are displayed McAfee scan provides detailed information about the virus, its type and removal instructions.

Symantec Security Check – An effective online scanner for testing various types of viruses and threats on user computers.

X-Cleaner Micro Edition – An online scanner from FaceTime Security Labs for different types of adware, keyloggers, Trojans and many other forms of unwanted software.The offline version includes a trial version of X-Cleaner and a deluxe version with a wide range of cleaning solutions. 

Keyword in Meta Description - SEO Tips

December 04, 2008 Add Comment

Keyword in Meta Description - SEO Tips



Are you updating the meta description tag for your pages? Make sure you don't ignore this very important tag, and also that you include your target keywords in that description.

The meta description is a way for a webmaster to tell search engines (and through that to people searching) what a particular page is about. Given that, this is one of the factors that search engines look to when assessing what a particular page is about and therefore what the relevancy of that page is to various search terms. If you want the page to be highly-relevant to certain target keywords, make sure to include them in that description. All that said, although meta description helps, it has a "light" effect on overall rankings.

Also, remember that the meta description oftentimes shows up in the search engine results page (SERP) and therefore is a big driver of the clickthrough rate to that result. So, if you're description is comprised of keywords stuffed together, but not logical sentences, a human being is not going to be able to make any sense of it and therefore be less likely to click. So remember, make sure that you build your site and pages for humans and not for search engines.

How quickly shut down the system

November 22, 2008 Add Comment

How quickly shut down the system 


Turn the computer from the start menu is quick and easy, but do not know a command prompt for the same thing. Also offers a shutdown command parameters for the user log off from your account, restart the computer, and turn off the system and cancellations. When you have experienced to be booting to the command line (command line) to overcome a problem, know how to work this command will be useful for you.

Close all open programs to prevent data loss. Open command prompt from the Start menu * All Programs *Accessories, and click Command Prompt. At the command prompt, type shutdown-s. Press enter or return on the keyboard. Shutdown dialog box will appear. To cancel the shutdown is in progress, at the 

command prompt, type shutdown-a.

Other options are-r to restart the system,-m \ \ computer name to turn a remote computer, and-l to log off the computer. To see all the options, type shutdown /? at the command prompt. Congratulations to try.

Changing the performance of the program 

You can adjust the performance of programs that are open and which are working in the background so that better. Open the Control Panel in the system. Advanced tab, Performance section, click Settings. Go to the advanced tab, the Processor scheduling; click Programs, to determine more processor resources to programs that are open to the program of work in the background. Click the background 
service for a set of resources equivalent to the entire program.

Choosing the option Programs, response time will produce a more subtle and more quickly to programs that are currently active. If you want the task of working in the background, such as the Backup utility, to work more quickly, choose Back-ground service.

Secure your PC from Spyware

November 18, 2008 Add Comment

Secure your PC from Spyware


Internet access is increasingly spyware creators make much more freely run. It is not spyware virus or worm, but what spyware is far more dangerous, because he was spy that you continue to lurk system. Even without the Internet spyware can be installed by someone to spy on all that you do. Moreover, when the system was connected to the Internet, then all activities you will easily be from the distance, including access to your important documents.
To avoid spyware activities before, you can take advantage of several shareware spyware removals of the many available. But before the removal was installed, should enable the system restore point in XP. This is to anticipate a time when the crash occurred in the system. Below is some kind of spyware removal tool to overcome these:

Spyware Blaster 

This tool is effective enough to block all the spyware to be installed in the system. In addition, the data is owned by spyware Blaster enough, so many are able to recognize a variety of spyware outstanding. In addition to preventing the entry of spyware in the system, this tool is also able to identify and clean spyware that are already in the system previously.

SpyBot Search & Destroy 

The ability of the software is also good, and quality equivalent to the Ad-Aware, especially in containing the feature "Immunize" that allow users to block ActiveX controls in the list (with a similar technique in KillBit Spyware Blaster). Besides, it is also able to build a SBHelper Browser Helper Object that can directly plug-in in Internet Explor.a

Instant Messengers Problems

November 10, 2008 Add Comment

Instant Messengers Problems




Instant Messenger applications such as ICQ, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger lets you create a personal profile that describes who you are, name, hobbies, gender, home address, and of course e-mail address. This is clearly dangerous, because this is one of the main sources of data for the consumption of spammers and other Internet crimes. To preserve your activity in the use Instant Messenger, allow the profile is empty. Or if there is a field filled, fill with the fraudulent data. But the steps above have not yet safe enough. Employees who have access to the network between your PC computer with a host of service providers Instant Messenger that you can use a hack and data traffic sign your message.

If you use Instant Messenger to communicate only regular exchange of data and is not important business, this may not be a problem. But when the business was important, then you need additional facilities additional security. If you want to secure the activities of Instant Messenger with a number of encryption and other security measures, use utility Zone Labs IM secure. This free application can be from the same company that makes firewall zone alarm at this site . 

Include Keywords in the URL to Improve the Page's SEO

November 05, 2008 Add Comment

Include Keywords in the URL to Improve the Page's SEO


Including your target keywords in the URL of a specific page will help that page's relevance towards those keywords. So, make sure your URLs look more like http://domain.com/keyword rather than http://domain.com/?content=1234.

Not only is it good to include the keywords in the URL, but keep in mind that the more to the left in the URL they show up, the better (and the higher up in the folder structure). For example, http://keyword.com is better than http://domain.com/keyword which is better than http://domain.com/folder/keyword.

Getting your URLs correct right off the bat will save you a lot of time (and site performance headaches) later when you have to re-write the URLs (more on that in a later, and more advanced, post).

copy and paste disable in Windows Operating

September 14, 2008 Add Comment

copy and paste disable in Windows Operating


Go to Start, Settings then Control Panel. Select the Internet Options icon and click on the Security tab. Then click on Custom Setting, and make sure the "Drag and copy or paste" option is enabled.

* Windows encountered an error accessing the system Registry (Windows 98/ME)
Do a search on the C Drive for the User.dat file. If the file size is 0k, delete the file so Windows will recreate it next boot up.

* Your files do not open with the program you want to open them with.
Hold down shift while right clicking on the file. Select Open With from the menu. Select Choose Program and find the appropriate program from the list. If the program you want to use is not listed, click on Browse. Navigate to the executable (.exe) for the program and then click on Open. Check the box that says "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" checkbox.

* Error deleting file or folder
This message will most likely occur if you attempt to delete, save over, or move a file while it is in use by another application. Close the open file and try it again. If it is open by another user over the network you will get the same error.

* llegal Operation Errors
An illegal operation is usually when the computer requests an operation that is unknown to the operating system or processor and that can't be performed. The operating system or processor usually terminates the program that made the illegal request. If this keeps happening you should reboot your computer.

Web Browser Errors

* Cannot find server
This basically means your web browser was unable to find the Web server you attempted to reach. It usually means there is a problem with your internet connection or the web page just happens to be down.

* 401 Unauthorized/Authorization Required
You will usually see this error when you are trying to access a web page that requires a password or some other credentials to get in which you do not have.

* 404 Not Found/The Page Cannot Be Found
This usually happens when you try to access a page that doesn't exist on the web server. This is most likely caused by mistyped URL.

* 503 Service Unavailable
This usually means the page is offline due to too much traffic or maintenance. 

Increase life of your laptop's battery power

September 14, 2008 Add Comment

Increase life of your laptop's battery power


Follow the few steps to increase the laptop battery's life:

Lower the backlighting on your screen.
The screen of your Laptop takes up significant amount of power and you do not require its maximum brightness. You should have to check your system and decrease the screen brightness it to a comfortable point.

Stop your wireless signal when you are not using.

After turning off your Laptop can save max. 20 minutes of your laptop's battery time because WiFi can use a considerable quantity of power. By right clicking you can stop your WiFi signal when you are not using.


Manage the correct power scheme in XP

Windows XP contain a number of predetermined power plans, which control settings like how rapidly your laptop turns off and when your screen saver boots in. You can change your laptop power scheme by choosing Control Panel > Power Options. For max. Battery life from the "Power scheme" chooses the option "Max. Battery" and decline the list. There are good choices for you just like "Low Power Mode" and Portable /Laptop. They don't conserve as much power as Max Battery. After selecting a power scheme you click Ok button to finish the process.

fatal error blue screen windows xp

September 07, 2008 Add Comment

fatal error blue screen windows xp


Blue Screen errors (Also known as bug checks)occur when the system encounters a condition that compromises safe operations. As a result, the system is halted and the “blue screen” with the bug check information or STOP error is displayed. These types of errors can occur for several reasons:

* Software defects in drivers or core system services cause an invalid instruction to be sent to the processor.
* Defective hardware causes unhandled messages to be sent to the operating system.
* Core system services have been terminated (e.g., Local Security Authority or Client/Server Runtime Subsystem).

Bug checks provide diagnostic information such as STOP codes and driver names that can help lead to problem resolution. Because of the volatile state of the system, this information cannot always be recorded when the event occurs. It is important that you record the information associated with the bug check and driver information sections. Many of the bug check messages have relevant information that you should read and understand if they apply to your situation. Finally, if you have enabled memory dumps, wait until the dump is complete before restarting the computer (if you do not have automatic restart enabled). Your device vendor and/or Microsoft use the memory dumps to help understand the state of the system at the time that the bug check occurred. You can change the memory dump settings through the Startup and Recovery button in the System Properties’ Advanced tab, while the STOP messages might not always indicate the root cause of the problem, in combination with other sources of data; it can help direct a trained support technician to track down the root cause of the problem. 

Ways to Make Money Online

August 26, 2008 Add Comment

Ways to Make Money Online


There are several lists with “ways to make money with a website” on the Internet, but none of them seem to be complete. That is why I decided to create this one. If you know a method that is not listed below, just let us know and we’ll update it.

Notice that ways to make money with a website are different from ways to make more money from it. Methods to increase your traffic or click-through rate will help you make more money, but they do not represent a method of making money per se.
For example, one could suggest that blending AdSense ads with the content is a way to make money from a website. In reality it’s not; it’s just a way to make more money by improving your ad click-through rate. The real monetization method behind it is a PPC ad network.
The list is divided into direct and indirect methods, and examples and links are provided for each point. Enjoy!

1. PPC Advertising Networks


Google AdSense is the most popular option under this category, but there are also others. Basically you need to sign up with the network and paste some code snippets on your website. The network will then serve contextual ads (either text or images) relevant to your website, and you will earn a certain amount of money for every click.
The profitability of PPC advertising depends on the general traffic levels of the website and, most importantly, on the click-through rate (CTR) and cost per click (CPC). The CTR depends on the design of the website. Ads placed abode the fold or blended with content, for instance, tend to get higher CTRs. The CPC, on the other hand, depends on the nice of the website. Mortgages, financial products and college education are examples of profitable niches (clicks worth a couple of dollars are not rare), while tech-related topics tend to receive a smaller CPC (sometimes as low as a couple of cents per click).
The source of the traffic can also affect the overall CTR rate. Organic traffic (the one that comes from search engines) tends to perform well because these visitors were already looking for something, and they tend to click on ads more often. Social media traffic, on the other hand, presents terribly low CTRs because these visitors are tech-savvy and they just ignore ads.

List of popular CPC advertising networks:

  • Google Adsense
  • Yahoo! Publisher Network (YPN)
  • BidVertiser
  • Chitika
  • Clicksor

2. CPM Advertising Networks


CPM advertising networks behave pretty much as PPC networks, except that you get paid according to the number of impressions (i.e., page views) that the ads displayed on your site will generate. CPM stands for Cost per Mille, and it refers to the cost for 1,000 impressions.
A blog that generates 100,000 page views monthly displaying an advertising banner with a $1 CPM, therefore, will earn $100 monthly.
CPM rates vary with the network, the position of the ad and the format. The better the network, the higher the CPM rate (because they have access to more advertisers). The closer you put the ad to the top of the page, the higher the CPM. The bigger the format (in terms of pixels), the higher the CPM.
You can get as low as $0,10 and as high as $10 per 1,000 impressions (more in some special cases). CPM advertising tends to work well on websites with a high page views per visitor ratio (e.g., online forums, magazines and so on).
List of popular CPM advertising networks:
  • Casale Media
  • Burst Media
  • Value Click
  • Advertising.com
  • Tribal Fusion
  • Right Media

3. Direct Banner Advertising


Selling your own advertising space is one of the most lucrative monetization methods. First and foremost because it enables you to cut out the middleman commissions and to determine your own rates. The most popular banner formats on the web are the 728×90 leaderboard, the 120×600 skyscraper, the 300×250 rectangle and the 125×125 button.
The downside of direct banner advertising is that you need to have a big audience to get qualified advertisers, and you will need to spend time managing the sales process, the banners and the payments.
Related links:

  • How to Find Advertisers for Your Website
  • Finding Advertisers for Your Blog
  • Direct Advertising Sales for Beginners
  • Openads Ad Server
  • OIO Publisher Ad Platform

4. Text Link Ads



After Google declared that sites selling text links without the nofollow tag would be penalized, this monetization method became less popular.
Many website owners are still using text links to monetize their sites, though, some using the nofollow tag and some not.
The advantage of this method is that it is not intrusive. One can sell text links directly through his website or use specialized networks like Text-Link-Ads and Text-Link-Brokers to automate the process.
Text link marketplaces and networks:
  • DigitalPoint Link Sales Forum
  • Text-Link-Ads
  • Text-Link-Brokers
  • TNX
  • LinkWorth

5. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a very popular practice on the Internet. Under this system you have a merchant that is willing to let other people (the affiliates) sell directly or indirectly its products and services, in exchange for a commission. Sometimes this type of advertising is also called CPA (cost per action) or CPL (cost per lead) based.
Affiliates can send potential customers to the merchant using several tools, from banners to text links and product reviews.
In order to find suitable affiliate programs you can turn to individual companies and publishers like Dreamhost and SEOBook, or join affiliate marketplaces and networks.
List of popular affiliate marketplaces and networks:

  • Commission Junction
  • ClickBank
  • Azoogle Ads
  • Link Share

6. Monetization Widgets

The latest trend on the web are widgets that let you monetize your website. Examples include Widgetbucks and SmartLinks. Some of these services operate under a PPC scheme, others behave like text link ads, others yet leverage affiliate links.
Their main differentiator, however, is the fact that they work as web widgets, making it easier for the user to plug and play the service on its website.
List of companies that provide monetization widgets:
  • WidgetBucks
  • ScratchBack
  • SmartLinks

7. Sponsored Reviews

PayPerPost pioneered this model, with much controversy on the beginning (related to the fact that they did not require disclosure on paid posts). Soon other companies followed, most notably Sponsored Reviews and ReviewMe, refining the process and expanding the paid blogging model.
Joining one of these sponsored reviews marketplaces will give you the opportunity to write sponsored posts on a wide range of topics. Not all bloggers are willing to get paid to write about a specific product or website (because it might compromise the editorial credibility), but the ones who do are making good money out of it.
If your blog has a big audience you could also offer sponsored reviews directly, cutting off the commissions of the middleman.
List of sponsored reviews and paid blogging networks:
  • PayPerPost
  • Sponsored Reviews
  • ReviewMe
  • BlogVertise
  • Smorty

8. RSS Feed Ads


With the quick adoption of the RSS technology by millions of Internet users, website owners are starting to find ways to monetize this new content distribution channel.
Feedburber already has its own publisher network, and you can sign-up to start displaying CPM based advertising on your feed footer. Bidvertiser recently introduced a RSS feed ad option as well, with a PPC scheme.
Finally, some blogs are also opting to sell banners or sponsored messages on their feed directly. John Chow and Marketing Pilgrim are two examples.

Related links:

  • Feedburner
  • BidVertiser
  • Pheedo

9. Sponsors for Single Columns or Events

If you website has specific columns or events (e.g., a weekly podcast, an interview series, a monthly survey, a special project) you could find companies to sponsor them individually.

This method increases the monetization options for website owner, while giving advertisers the possibility to target a more specific audience and with a reduced commitment.

Mashable illustrates the case well. They have several advertising options on the site, including the possibility to sponsor specific columns and articles, including the “Daily Poll” and the “Web 2.0 Invites.”
Problogger also runs group writing projects occasionally, and before proceeding he publicly announce the project asking for sponsors.

10.Premium Content


Some websites and blogs give away part of their content for free, and charge for access to the premium content and exclusive tools.
SEOMoz is a good example. They have a very popular blog that gives advice and information on wide range of SEO related topics. On top of that visitors can decide to become premium members. It costs $48 monthly and it grants them access to guides, tools and other exclusive material.


11. Private Forums


While the Internet is populated with free forums, there is also the possibility to create a private one where members need to pay a single or recurring fee to join.

SEO Blackhat charges $100 monthly from its members, and they have thousands of them. Obviously in order to charge such a price for a forum membership you need to provide real value for the members (e.g., secret techniques, tools, and so on).
Performancing also launched a private forum recently, focused on the networking aspect. It is called The Hive, and the monthly cost is $10.
These are just two examples. There are many possibilities to create a private and profitable forum, you just need to find an appealing angle that will make it worth for the members.

List of popular forum software:
  • vBulletin
  • Simple Machines Forum
  • phpBB
  • Vanilla

12. Job Boards


All the popular blogs are trying to leverage job boards to make some extra income. Guy Kawasaki, ReadWriteWeb, Problogger… you name it.
Needless to say that in order to create an active and profitable job board you need first to have a blog focused on a specific niche, and a decent amount traffic.

The advantage of this method is that it is passive. Once you have the structure in place, the job listings will come naturally, and you can charge anywhere from $10 up to $100 for each.

List of popular job board software:
  • JobThread
  • Web Scribe Job Board
  • SimplyHired Job-o-matic
  • Jobbex

13. Marketplaces


Sitepoint is the online marketplace by excellence. Some websites and blogs, however, are trying to replicate that model on a smaller scale.
Depending on your niche, a market place that allows your visitors to buy, sell and trade products could work well. Over the time you could start charging a small fee for new product listings.
The problem with this method is that there are no standard software on the web, so you would need to hire a coder to get a marketplace integrated into your website.
You can see an example of a marketplaces being used on EasyWordpress and on Mashable.

14. Paid Surveys and Polls

There are services that will pay you money to run a small survey or poll on your website. The most popular one is called Vizu Answers.

Basically you need to sign up with them, and select the kind of polls that you want to run your site. Most of these services operate under a CPM model.

15. Selling or Renting Internal Pages


Million Dollar Wiki made this concept popular, but it was being used on the web for a long time around (check Pagerank10.co.uk for instance).

These websites sell for a single fee or rent for a recurring fee internal pages on their domain. Usually they have either high Pagerak or high traffic, so that people purchasing a page will be able to benefit in some way.
Implementing this method on a small blog would be difficult, but the concept is interesting and could be explored further.

16. Highlighted Posts from Sponsors

Techmeme probably pioneered this idea, but somehow it has not spread to other websites. The tech news aggregator displays editorial posts on the left column, and on the sidebar they have a section titled “Techmeme Sponsor Posts.”
On that section posts from the blog of the advertisers get highlighted, sending qualified traffic their way. Considering that the monthly cost for one spot is $5000 and that they have around 6 sponsors at any given time, it must be working well.

17. Donations

Placing a “Donate” link or button on a website can be an efficient way to earn money, especially if your blog is on a niche where readers learn and gain value from your content.

Personal development and productivity blogs, for instance, tend to perform well with donation based systems (one good example being Steve Pavlina).
A small variation of this method appeared sometime ago with the Buy Me a Beer plugin. This WordPress plugin enables you to insert a customized message at the bottom of each article, asking the readers to chip in for a beer or coffee.

18. In-text Adverting


In-text adverting networks like Kontera and Vibrant Media will place sponsored links inside your text. These links come with a double underline to differentiate them from normal links, and once the user rolls the mouse over the link the advertising will pop. Should the user click on it the site owner will make some money.

Some people make good money with this method, but others refrain from using it 
due to its intrusiveness. It is also interesting to note that very few mainstream websites have experimented with in-text advertising.

19. Pop-ups and Pop-unders

Pop-ups are a common yet annoying form of advertising on the Internet. If you are just trying to make a much money as possible from your website, you could experiment with them.
If you are trying to grow the traffic and generate loyal visitors, however, you probably should stay away from them. Just consider the hundreds of pop-up blockers out there: there is a reason why they are so popular.

Ad networks that use pop-ups:
  • Tribal Fusion
  • PayPopup
  • PopupAd
  • Adversal

20. Audio Ads

Also called PPP (Pay Per Play), this advertising method was introduce by Net Audio Ads. the concept is pretty simple: play a small audio advertising (usually 5 seconds) every time a visitor enters into your website. The user should not be able to stop it, creating a 100% conversion rate based on unique visitors.
The company is still rolling tests, but some users are reporting to get from a $4 to a $6 CPM. Regardless of the pay rate, though, this is a very intrusive form of advertising, so think twice before using it.

21. Selling the Website


Selling your website could be your last resource, but it has the potential to generate a big sum of money in a short period of time.
Market places on online forums like DigitalPoint and Sitepoint are always active with website buyers and sellers. Keep in mind that they most used parameter to determine the value of a website is the monthly revenue that it generates, multiplied by a certain number (the multiplier can be anything from 5 to 30, depending on the expectations of the seller, on the quality of the site, on the niche and other factors).
Some people also make money trading and flipping websites. They either create them from scratch or buy existing ones, and after some revamping they sell them for a profit.

Related links:
  • How To Buy A Website And Flip It For Profit
  • How To Sell A Website – How Much Is Your Website Worth?
  • Where to sell a website? How to go about selling it?
  • Indirect Methods

22. Selling an Ebook

Perhaps one of the oldest money making strategies on the web, using a website to promote a related ebook is a very efficient way to generate revenue.
You could either structure the website around the book itself, likeSEOBook.com, or launch the ebook based on the success of the website, like FreelanceSwitch did we the book How to be a Rockstar Freelancer.

Related links:
  • Writing an ebook for your blog
  • How to sell ebooks
  • Processing payments for your ebook
  • How to sell digital products online
  • List of ebook selling software

23. Selling a Hardcover Book


Many authors and journalists leverage their blogs or websites to sell copies of hardcover books. Examples include Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin and Malcolm Gladwell.

While most of these people were already renowned authors before they created their website, one could also follow the other way around. Lorelle VanFossen did exactly that with her Blogging Tips book. First she built her authority on the subject via her blog, and afterwards she published the book.

List of self publishing and publishing services:
  • Lulu
  • Self Publishing
  • iUniverse
  • WordClay

24. Selling Templates or WordPress Themes


As more and more people decide to get an online presence, website templates and WordPress themes become hotter and hotter.
On this segment you have mainstream websites like TemplateMonster, as well as individual designers who decide to promote and sell their work independently.
Brian Gardner and Unique Blog Designs are two examples of websites that make money with the sales of premium and custom WordPress themes.

25. Offering Consulting and Related Services

Depending on your niche, you could make money by offering consulting and related services. If you are also the author of your blog, the articles and information that you will share will build your profile and possibly certify your expertise on that niche, making it easier to gain customers.
Chris Garrett used a similar strategy. First he created a highly influential blog on the blogging and new media niche, and afterwards he started offering consulting services to clients with related problems and needs.

26. Creating an Email List or Newsletter

Email lists and newsletters represent one of the most powerful marketing and money making tools on the Internet. They offer incredible conversion rates, and the possibility to call people to action in a very efficient way.
Creating a big list is a difficult task though, so if you have a popular website you could leverage it to increase the number of subscribers on your list.
Yaro Starak is a famous Internet marketer, and if you visit his blog you will notice that right on top he has a section encouraging visitors to subscribe to his email newsletter. Yaro generates five figures in revenues each month from his email newsletters, proving that this method works.

List of software to manage email newsletters:
  • AWeber
  • SendStudio NX
  • PHP Autoresponder
  • Constant Contact

27. Mentoring programs


People are willing to pay for someone or something that will teach them and give them knowledge (as opposed to mere information). Education is one of the biggest industries in the world, and the online landscape behaves in a similar way.
Creating a mentoring program related to the niche of your website could be very profitable if you manage to structure and promote it adequately. There is a wide range of media and tools that you can use to deliver the information, from text articles to audio and video lessons.

Brian Clark leveraged the success of Copy blogger to launch a mentoring program teaching people how to build membership and how to sell content online. The program is titled Teaching Sells, and it costs $97 monthly. Sounds expensive, but they have over 1,000 members.

28. Creating a conference around the website


If your website takes off and becomes an authority on its niche, you could create a conference around it. Depending on the size of your audience, the event could attract thousands of people, and you could make money directly from conference passes and sponsors.


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