Odin's > Free Webmaster Tools : The Webmaster Word

"The Webmaster Word" is a blended view of various webmaster oriented blogs. We read these blogs personally. Enjoy.

Dec 31, 69

Net Neutrality: Why You Should Give a Damn

If you believe in a true open market and don't want to give your freedom of choice to some corporate Big Brother, if you don't want your Internet experience censored, if you enjoy watching YouTube or visiting Facebook without limitations -- you probably support Net Neutrality without even realizing it.

Read the rest of the post by Michael Janover, in the Rocky Mountain News

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

I have taken all the 7 Habits Training and feel it made me a better person, employee, supervisor, parent, spouse and citizen. With this training, I was able to work full time at a large university department during a time of tremendous growth in personnel and programming, attend college half-time and be a single parent to an active adolescent involved in sports and school. I do not think I would have made it otherwise.

I pulled out my 7 Habits information again because I have found that I am not spending my time as wisely as I could. It is time to take stock of where I am and where I want to be.

Blog Your Blessing : Wild Things

Memory Walk 2008

I have a good friend that just turned 60. She has always been forgetful; however, last year she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. What started as normal misplacing of car keys and purse soon segued into difficulties with language and abstract concepts. Probably the worse thing is that my friendly, funny and outgoing friend has become a depressed, passive and angry stranger.

The Alzheimer's Memory Walk is the largest event in the USA to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease and to raise funds for the care and support of people with Alzheimer's. Probably most important is the fund raising efforts to further research.

An adult brain contains about 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, with branches that connect at more than 100 trillion points. Signals traveling through this network of neurons form the basis of memories, thoughts and feelings. Neurons are the chief type of cell destroyed by Alzheimer's disease (www.alz.org/brain/05.asp).

Visit the website and search by zip code for a team near you. If you cannot find a team, think about being a team captain. It is not hard to be a captain. You invite three people to join your team and they, in turn, invite three other people. Soon you have a team! Each member of your team has a fundraising goal, usually $200.

I searched for my zip code and found out that Hays County is having their first ever Memory Walk (5K) on October 25, 2008. I can form a team, join a team, sponsor a walker or just volunteer to help raise awareness. Will you join Memory Walk 2008? The funds raised by your walk could be instrumental in finding a cure for Alzheimer's and the brain you help save might be your own.

Fox Making Money on My Space?

Fox Interactive Media (FIM) is made up of a number of websites, including MySpace, AmericanIdol.com, PhotoBucket and FOXSports.com. Fox Interactive Media generated revenues of $856 million in fiscal 2008, missing the 1 billion target goal set by parent company, News Corp. News Corp. does not publicly disclose how much of FIM's revenues come from MySpace, but insiders estimate about 80 percent. Caclulations find MySpace earning $685 million in revenues for the fiscal year.

Monetizing MySpace Traffic - eMarketer

From eMarketer analysis:

Blog Your Blessing : Perseid Meteor Shower

Beware Before Clicking

Twitter users who tried to download pornography were instead given a fake version of Adobe Flash loaded with a trojan, a program capable of stealing data.

According to the security firm, Kaspersky, this is the first attack to target Twitter. However:

Special Baby Shower Invitations

The daughter of one of my best friends is having a baby. This is a very happy occasion because she and her husband have been trying to get pregnant for a long time. My friend, grandma, was completely frantic because she lives in a small apartment and she did not know what to do or where to do it. I volunteered my home for the baby shower, my time to organize the party, and offered to purchase the Baby shower invitations.

Above is the invitation I selected. It is perfect because the nursery is going to be decorated in a Noah's Ark motif. I can purchase 30 for $19.99 and that includes the matching envelopes. I can also get a bonus of 10 free invitations by using the coupon code Free Invite - 10 Free Invites. I plan to have one of the invitations framed for the nursery as a gift.

I better get started, the shower is three weeks away! First, I have to sit the mother-to-be down and get her approval of the Shower Invitations and the Thank You Cards (see below), which I could not resist. Then I will need the name and addresses for the invitations. Next, I will plan some snacks, beverages, games and decorations.

The Linkback Project P1-S1 (Updated)

8/11/08: Updated list with about 25 blogs. This project stops at 100 blogs, so if you wish to participate, get over to The Linkback Project

This is the next stage of the Linkback Project. To participate, please read this post at The Linkback Project and follow the instructions explicitly and leave a comment to be added to this list.

Blog Your Blessing : Rain

High Definition Radio is Here

I remember when FM radio was introduced. Suddenly, there was a completely new sound on the radio. Now, it is time for the next generation in radio--High Definition (HD) Radio.

To listen to HD Radio, all you need is an HD Radio Receiver. New cars may have the HD Radio Receiver as an option, or you may buy one for your car, starting at $100. HD Radio Receivers for your home will cost more.

iPod tagging is a feature available on specific HD Radio Receivers. As you listen to HD radio, if you hear a song you want to hear again, just hit TAG on the radio. The information about the song and the actual audio file will be transferred to your iPod the next time you synchronize.

There are many AM and FM Texas High Definition Radio stations, mostly in the bigger cities. HD radio is broadcast by antenna, so you must be within the listening area of an HD Radio station to receive the signal.

Victory! Internet to Remain Open!

Free Press: Comcast Decision 'Major Victory' for Open Internet

WASHINGTON -- Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to punish Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, for blocking users' access to the open Internet. In a landmark decision, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein approved an "enforcement order" that would require Comcast to stop blocking and publicly disclose its methods for interfering with Internet traffic.

Tests by the Associated Press and others showed that Comcast blocks users' legal peer-to-peer content by sending fake signals that cut off the connection between file-sharers. Today's decision follows an exhaustive FCC investigation, launched in response to a complaint from Free Press and Public Knowledge urging the federal agency to stop Comcast's blocking.

Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, issued the following statement:

"The FCC's bipartisan decision to punish Comcast is a major victory. Defying every ounce of conventional wisdom in Washington, everyday people have taken on a major corporation and won an historic precedent for an open Internet.

"Comcast's history of deception and continued blocking show contempt for the online consumer protections established by the FCC. We commend Chairman Martin and Commissioners Copps and Adelstein for standing up for Internet users and working across party lines to protect free speech and the free market.

"Today's order makes it clear that there is nothing reasonable about restricting access to online content or technologies. Moving forward, this bellwether case will send a strong signal to cable and phone companies that such violations will not be tolerated.

"But the fight is far from over. A duopoly market -- where phone and cable companies control nearly 99 percent of high-speed connections -- will not discipline itself. We look forward to working with the FCC and Congress to ensure proactive measures keep the Internet open and free of discrimination, and accessible to all Americans."

Read the Comcast Complaint: http://www.freepress.net/docs/fp_pk_comcast_complaint.pdf [1]

At 1 p.m. today, Free Press joined Public Knowledge, peer-to-peer company Vuze and the Open Internet Coalition to discuss the impact of the FCC's decision on consumer choice, online innovation and free market competition.

To listen to audio from the conference call, click here [2].

###

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications. Learn more at www.freepress.net [3]

Get a Kippah

Now this is funny! A kippah is a traditional head covering worn by some Jewish men. Buy a kippah and display your political bent. Or buy a hot kippah to show you are just bent.

The Obamica
Logo on one side with Obamica 08. The other side reads My Bubby is voting Obama. Bubby can either mean woman's breast or a friendly term for anybody you like. Take your pick.

The McCippah
Modified McCippah logo on one side. The other side reads John McCain is Zayer Shain, which is Yiddish for John McCain is great. At least that is what the website says. I could not find it in my Yiddish/English dictionary, which makes me very uneasy.

VanityKippah.com hopes to position the Kippah/Yarmulke/Skullcap as THE fashion accessory. Stay tuned for the Bluetooth Kippah and the the ringtone Yarmulke. Can the kippah with built in iPod pocket be next? Oh no, wait until the college fraternities get ahold of a kippah. Somehow they will attach beer to it. LOL

Debt Got You Down?

No matter how deeply in debt you may be, you need to stop adding to your debt and to begin paying off your creditors--NOW. If you ever wish to own a home, buy a new car, take out an educational loan or even to qualify for certain jobs, a good credit rating is a must.

I was reading How It Works on the Debt Free 24, a credit consolidation website. If you are interested, just complete the online forms and a customer service rep will contact you about your debt and current money flow and needs. If you come to an agreement, Debt Free 24 will contact your creditors and negotiate lower interest rates on your debt. Some credit card companies will also roll back penalties and clear your credit as long as you stay current.

Once all the creditors are working to help you repair your debt, you will be given one monthly payment to send to Debt Free 24. They will pay your bills. In most cases, the payment is lower than what you are now paying for all your bills. You are also repairing your credit and reducing your debt.

I am sure you are also paying a fee to Debt Free 24 as well. However, using this type of debt management program can help you reduce the time it takes to pay off your current outstanding debts! Paying less interest will mean your debt will re reduced at a faster rate.

Make sure you understand all the ins and outs of the services provided by debt consolidation firms before you sign any contract. However, I know three different people who went from paying 27+ percent interest rate on their credit cards to paying 8 percent. If you are disciplined and do not start the circle of indebtedness again, you can be debt free.

I wish you all the success.

Blog your Blessing : Chocolate

One day I had a date for lunch with old friends. One of these old friends was Marie, a woman about 70 years old. When the menus were presented, some of us ordered salads, some sandwiches and some soups. Marie said, "I will have two scoops of ice cream, please, chocolate."

Everyone looked at each other and then at Marie. Unfazed by all the attention, she continued with her order. "With that ice cream, bring a slice of apple pie, heated, please." We all acted nonchalant, as if people did this all the time. We were cool, right? When our lunch was served, all eyes were on Marie's selection. Being the well-mannered women we are, we did not say anything to Marie about her diet.

A few days later, I called and invited Marie to lunch. After I ordered a salad with dressing on the side, my mouth dropped open when Marie ordered a parfait, with whipped cream. I smiled at Marie and she asked if she amused me. I answered, "Yes, you do, but also you confuse me. Why do you order rich desserts instead of a sensible meal?"

Marie giggled and said,"I try to eat the food my body requires and keep fit by walking. But, life is so short, my friend, that I do not want to miss anything." She continued, "This year I realized how old I am--I have never been this old before."

"So, before I die, I am going to try the things that I have wanted to do for years! I want to see the tulips in Holland, swim in the spring-fed pool, read all the classics, see a NASCAR race, attend a rodeo, see all the volcanoes in Hawaii, laugh at all the jokes, shop all the outlet malls and go backstage at a Willie Nelson concert."

Marie spoke of missed Broadway shows, phone calls not returned, letters not mailed, church services missed and comfort calls not made. She wants to walk in the rain and fall in love again. She hopes to sit in an old country church and thank God for His Grace.

If she chooses to have dessert instead of dinner, then should she die before morning, she would die a winner, to her way of thinking. "I would have filled my heart's desire by eating that final sweet before my life expired."

I called the waitress over. "I have changed my mind, I want what she is having only add some fudge sauce, whipped cream and a cherry on top!"

Update On Net Neutrality

Discover New Jersey

My cousin who lives in New York State told me that she, her husband and child might move to New Jersey. I am not sure where she is planning to move, but I looked at the map of New Jersey and there are six regions: Gateway, Shore, Southern Shore, Atlantic City, Delaware River and Skylands.

There are miles and miles of beaches, 11 lighthouses, historic towns and byways, gambling and big city entertainment, family fun destinations, snowboarding and skiing, wineries, cultural centers, music venues and many places to get away from it all.

I entered the search phrase, Real Estate New Jersey, and found a site called RealEstate.com. This is a great website if you want the "street view" for homes in almost 1500 cities nationwide. You may also use the site for reference to find information on the costs of homes, weather patterns, crime statistics, length of commute to major city for over 22,000 cities across the United States. There are also several guides on buying and selling a home, financing, moving and home and garden.

I read that New Jersey is the most densely populated and the second wealthiest state in the nation due to some areas of New Jersey being part of the Greater Metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. My cousin and her family will be moving to a very central location if they wish to travel the eastern seaboard. One thing I did notice is that homes are expensive compared to Texas. The advanced search function had the division of $400,000 and under. In Texas, that would be $100,000 and under. Maybe my relatives have more money than I knew. I shall visit them when they move into their palatial new home.

Blog Your Blessing : Food for the Hungry

Have You Made the Change to Vista?

I was in a real comfort zone with Windows XP and did not want to learn a new operating system. I have used all the Windows operating systems and before that, DOS, so I know technology improves as it advances. I finally took the big step with my newest laptop and installed Windows Vista. There are some differences between Windows XP and Windows Vista that you will notice right off the bat.

Windows Interface

The Windows Aero interface, with live icons and the flip three-dimensional feature is definitely different than the XP interface. Hover on a diminished window on the task bar and live icons show you what is running in that window. In Windows Vista, when you are in a folder, the sidebar shows you other folders that you may toggle using 3D flip or ALT+TAB.

The START menu in Vista is much more streamlined than Windows XP. The integrated search feature in the START menu is more robust than the one in Windows XP. You may search for files or applications by typing the first few letters of the name in the search box.

Windows Vista has a feature where users access the computer but may not access critical applications and administrative functions. This feature keeps busy hands from changing your settings or deleting necessary components of the operating system. I found this feature the hardest to get used to. I kept looking for hardware profiles and such that you find in Windows XP.

Windows Security

In Windows Vista, the parental controls let you limit the programs, the websites and the hours users may access the computer and view the documents and the sites users have accessed. This is especially helpful as children become teenagers and learn to clear cache, history and cookies.

Windows Vista has two firewalls, the standard firewall found on Windows XP and another one that has advanced features and filters outgoing as well as incoming data. This is helpful if you have an open port of which you are unaware and someone is listening.

New Broadband Router and Modem

I was using an old Linksys router and Westel modem linked to an old eMachine running Windows ME for managing my DSL Internet assess. It had gotten where I spent more time trying to access the Internet than I did on it! Last week, I spent five hours trying to troubleshoot my home network. I would call my telephone company who supply the DSL and the modem and they would try a few things and then tell me to call Linksys.

Finally, I just asked the telephone company if they had a DSL modem and wireless router that did not have to be linked by Ethernet cables to each other and to a computer to work. Yahoo! For $4 extra a month, I now have a small combination modem/router that sits on my nightstand and works perfectly. I packed up that old router, modem and two eMachines and they are on their way to Goodwill.

Ahhhhh . . . technology. I love it when it works.

Applicant Tracking Made Simple

In this economy, a company that advertises job openings or a recruiter that solicits clients is inundated with applications, resumes, cover letters, letters of interest, reference letters, emails and telephone calls. How do you manage this data? You must manage Applicant Tracking if your company is to have the best candidate for the position..

Resume Direct is an Applicant Tracking System by HRMDirect. Convert your current application into an online version and capture the information you need and convert it into data automatically. Access this data from any computer with a web browser. In fact, keep all your applicant files online, easily accessible to all the top decision makers.

Due to the overwhelming number of applications received per opening, your company may want to implement prescreening questionnaires to verify skill sets and desired personality characteristics. Applicants may complete online skill and behavioral tests as part of the application process. Once you have identified potential candidates, you may also have background checks run on them.

Resume Direct provides much more than just Applicant Tracking. It will also simplify your EEO reporting procedures in compliance with guidelines for Internet recruiting; organize your applicant data into a database that you may use for supplemental hiring, report generation, litigation defense and more.

Interested? You may try ResumeDirect free for 30 days. This is totally a win-win situation.

Blog Your Blessing : Relaxation

Visit Gaiam Life by clicking the picture above. Naturopathic physician, wellness coach and triathlete James Rouse guides you in relaxing. Two minutes to change your state of mind, reduce stress and gain control over your thinking. Not a bad investment of your time, eh?

The Blue Panther Experience is host for Blog Your Blessings Sunday. Visit the blog, grab the blogroll code, add it to your blog, and leave a comment on Blue Panther Experience. Next Sunday, post your blessing. We are of all faiths, creeds and races, so everyone is welcome. Join us on Sunday as we blog our blessings.

Start Tracking Conversations in Twitter Land

Do you use twitter? Are you making the best use of this conversational tool?

New Twitter Tools to Use

Summize Conversational Search - Summize searches for, tracks and displays conversations on Twitter, FriendFeed and Plurk. Just enter a search term, key word or name to find the latest buzz. While you are there, add Summize search engine to your browser.

TweetDeck (beta) - TweetDeck is an application that allows you to organize tweets into discrete topics or group specific columns in a local database. One column contains all your tweets. By using the GROUP, SEARCH and REPLIES buttons, you may add columns. Twitter offline and TweetDeck stores the messages and sends them when you connect to the Internet. This is an Adobe Air application, so you will be directed to download that application.

New Updated Fast Dropping List

If you were using the fast dropping list on Tysblog or UnpredictableLife, chetan at Blog-O-Ninja has created a new list that he has updated and promises to keep updated as websites change and leave Entrecard. To be on the list, your blog must load quickly and it is a good idea to add the widget to above the "fold" of your blog (no scrolling needed).

chetan is very helpful and assists users who have problems using his list. This is a generous offer. If this idea of fast dropping appeals to you, please click this link: New Entrecard Bookmark And Dropping List | Blog-O-Ninja and follow his directions. Leave your URL and he will add your blog to future updates.

Brad's Technorati Experiment

8/11/2008 : Updated this list with all the current blogs. I am sorry to say I did not get a boost in Technorati authority from this project, but it may just take awhile. In the meantime, you may want to try the TechnoFaveTrain that I have posted on LosingProposition.

Give And Go - Technorati Authority Increase Anyone? | Brad Blogging

Feb 27, 07

New keyword discovery tool

Results? After a couple minutes of playing with it, pretty good. Although the ad on the side will get annoying, hey, that’s the price for free stuff.

I’ll try to do a few comparisons and see where this one lands vs. wordtracker and the DigitalPoint keyword tool.

Dec 18, 06

Analytics saves search marketer $10,000.

How much is analytics worth to you? Well, if you use pay-per-click advertising for traffic, quite a bit. Shoemoney recently reported that PepperJam, a search marketing consultant/management company, successfully got one of its clients a $10,000 refund from Yahoo for invalid clicks. Read the full story and link to the article to see exactly how they did it Here.

Dec 12, 06

101 Conversion Tips

Many of the techniques are things anyone should do to try to optimize their conversion rate, whether using the new Google optimizer or not. These are time-tested tips from e-commerce and decades of direct marketing knowledge all rolled up into one page. Great job to the folks at conversion-rate-experts.com!

Nov 01, 06

My Secret to AdWords

I’ve started almost a dozen adwords campaigns over the last month and the successful ones all have something in common: They weren’t successful at first. You can use all the research tools you want, in the end, the best way to learn what works and what doesn’t is through trial by fire.

Today, I made some adjustments and barely made a profit. Tomorrow, I expect enough profit to eat lunch. And that’s how it’ll go.

So if you’ve just started an adwords campaign and you’re losing your ass, congratulations. You’ve just completed step one. Now ask yourself why. Use those stats to learn from, and you’ll see you didn’t lose money at all - you invested it in the knowledge that will help you make money.

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