Internet For People Like Us!

The Betas are Here!

2006-05-26T00:18:00.000-07:00

May 26, 2006 @ 8:34 am · Filed under Windows, Microsoft, Free stuff, Office

The 23rd of May was a pretty busy day for the Redmond giant, since Microsoft launched the Beta 2 versions of both Windows Vista and Office 2007. I would have written this post earlier, but I really didn’t have the time to do so until now.

For right now, Windows Vista Beta 2 is only available to IT professionals and developers with MSDN and TechNet subscriptions. In the coming weeks, Microsoft will start the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP) for developers and IT professionals who are not members of the subscription services.

The Windows Vista CPP will also be available to technology enthusiasts that want to install and test a copy of Windows Vista Beta 2. You can get a head start on your Windows Vista CPP preparation by visiting the Get Ready section of the official Windows Vista site and downloading the Windows Vista Product Guide (60 MB Word doc - definitely worth reading!).

The Office 2007 Beta 2 is freely available however, if you want to try it out. If you want to keep in touch with the latest information on both Vista and Office, you can subscribe to the Beta Experience site, where you’ll also receive notifications and download information for both products.

You can also ensure that your current installations of Microsoft Office XP and Office 2003 are ready for the new Microsoft Office Open XML Formats by downloading the Compatibility Pack.

MIcrosoft delays

2006-03-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

Microsoft delays could be a good thing, for it means the company is making sure their software is in tip top shape and armed with the necessary files and programming to minimize malfunction junction...

Blog: Can Microsoft Disappoint You Any Further? How Much do Delays Hurt?It's nothing new for Microsoft to hype the heck out of a product, then delay it interminably. It recently announced delays in its two biggest products, in fact, the 2007 version of Office and the Vista version of Windows, which was known as Longhorn when its existence was prophesied long ago in the time of our ancestors. Now the Virtual Server is also on the delayed reserve list. Give us your take on how Microsoft's delays are affecting your business.

Technorati tags: microsoft,delays,strategies,good?

Lying and telling the truth

2006-03-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

by Rosemary Haefner
Vice President of Human Resources
CareerBuilder.com
Ever get that sneaking suspicion one of your co-workers isn't being straight with you? Your instincts may be right.

Nineteen percent of workers admitted they tell lies at the office at least once a week, according to CareerBuilder.com's new "Honesty in the Workplace" survey. Fifteen percent of workers reported they were caught in a lie at the office.

When asked why they felt compelled to bend the truth at work, respondents cited the following reasons:

To appease a customer (26 percent)
To cover up a failed project, mistake or missed deadline (13 percent)
To explain an unexcused absence or late arrival (8 percent)
To protect another employee (8 percent)
To get another employee in trouble or look better in front of a supervisor (5 percent)
But be warned: Nearly one-in-four hiring managers -- 24 percent -- say they have fired an employee for being dishonest.

It may seem cliche, but honesty is the best policy. Even if you are motivated by the best of intentions, being deceitful can seriously compromise your credibility with colleagues and negatively impact your career progress. The vast majority of hiring managers -- 85 percent -- say they are less likely to promote an employee who has lied to them or other members of the organization.

The most common lies workers say they have told at the office include:

I don't know how that happened (20 percent)
I have another call to take or I'll call you right back (16 percent)
I've been out of town or out sick (10 percent)
I like your outfit or you look great (8 percent)
I didn't get your e-mail, voicemail or fax (8 percent)
Which ones have you used?

Survey Methodology:
CareerBuilder.com's survey, "Honesty in the Workplace," was conducted from November 15 to December 6, 2005. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 2,050 workers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 2.16 percentage points (19 times out of 20). Note: the sample of 2,050+ included 1,000 hiring managers. The results for the hiring managers alone are accurate within +/- 3.09 percentage points (19 timesout of 20).

http://channels.netscape.com/careers/package.jsp?name=careers/pm/lyingworkers

Technorati tags: work,truth,lying

Revamped Internet search engine

2006-03-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

SEATTLE (AP) - In its latest bid to catch up with rivals Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. is launching a revamped Internet search engine it says will help computer users find information faster, view it more easily and organize it better. Debuting in test form Wednesday, Windows Live Search is Microsoft's latest move in a major strategy shift that has the world's largest software company focusing more heavily on Internet-based software and services.

read more...

I back!

2006-02-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Soooo... What's happening on the Interenet?
Lots...stay tuned...

On Bullshit

2006-01-01T00:20:00.000-08:00

I came home with my wife from our New Years rendezvous, we hung around for a little while and she then decided to go to sleep. I, wanting to change my routines decided that, for a change, instead of watching the same bullshit on TV that I expected to watch, anyway decided to turn the sucker on...so I watched some CNN special they were showing about a brother and two sisters whose parents perished as a result of last year's tsunami...An encouraging story of courage and determination to go on with life in spite of their tragedy...

Well, then came surfing time...click, click, click...not a damn thing worth watching for longer than 1 or 2 minutes at best...While surfing, C-Span caught my eye. In Miami, recorded earlier this month, was Professor Frankfurt of University of Princeton, answering questions about his recently published book. I have not read many books recently as I've spent enormous amounts of time writing, creating blogs and basically reading up other people's posts and interpretations of life and living as they see it.
This time, it was different! There, in front of a camera, and in front of numerous attendants to his book review was Dr. Frankfurt talking about a book I think will be on my new year's resolution of must read's: On Bullshit.

Here is an excerpt off of his web page:

Harry G. Frankfurt

On Bullshit

One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people are rather confident of their ability to recognize bullshit and to avoid being taken in by it. So the phenomenon has not aroused much deliberate concern. We have no clear understanding of what bullshit is, why there is so much of it, or what functions it serves. And we lack a conscientiously developed appreciation of what it means to us. In other words, as Harry Frankfurt writes, "we have no theory."

Frankfurt, one of the world's most influential moral philosophers, attempts to build such a theory here. With his characteristic combination of philosophical acuity, psychological insight, and wry humor, Frankfurt proceeds by exploring how bullshit and the related concept of humbug are distinct from lying. He argues that bullshitters misrepresent themselves to their audience not as liars do, that is, by deliberately making false claims about what is true. In fact, bullshit need not be untrue at all.

Rather, bullshitters seek to convey a certain impression of themselves without being concerned about whether anything at all is true. They quietly change the rules governing their end of the conversation so that claims about truth and falsity are irrelevant. Frankfurt concludes that although bullshit can take many innocent forms, excessive indulgence in it can eventually undermine the practitioner's capacity to tell the truth in a way that lying does not. Liars at least acknowledge that it matters what is true. By virtue of this, Frankfurt writes, bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are.

Harry G. Frankfurt is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Princeton University. His books include The Reasons of Love (Princeton), Necessity, Volition, and Love, and The Importance of What We Care About.

Reviews:

"[Frankfurt] tries, with the help of Wittgenstein, Pound, St. Augustine and the spy novelist Eric Ambler, among others, to ask some of the preliminary questions--to define the nature of a thing recognized by all but understood by none. . . . What is bullshit, after all? Mr. Frankfurt points out it is neither fish nor fowl. Those who produce it certainly aren't honest, but neither are they liars, given that the liar and the honest man are linked in their common, if not identical, regard for the truth."--Peter Edidin, New York Times

"The scholar who answers the question, 'What is bullshit?' bids boldly to define the spirit of the present age. . . . Frankfurt's conclusion . . . is that bullshit is defined not so much by the end product as by the process by which it is created. Eureka! Frankfurt's definition is one of those not-at-all-obvious insights that become blindingly obvious the moment they are expressed."--Timothy Noah, Slate

"Immediately, I must say: read it. Beautifully written, lucid, ironic and profound, it is a model of what philosophy can and should do. It is a small and highly provocative masterpiece, and I really don't think I am bullshitting you here."--Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday Times (London)

"This is what the world has long needed. . . . Bullshit is now such a dominant feature of our culture that most of us are confident we can recognize and rebuff it. But Frankfurt shows the reader just how insidious (and destructive) it can be. . . . This book will change your life."--Leopold Froehlich, Playboy

I can't wait to get my hands on his book, hoping I will understand and continue to learn how to fight and cope with the bullshit that goes on in this world of ours...

Technorati tags: Princeton,books,on bullshit,bestseller

PNN-Positive News Network

2005-12-14T01:13:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhh! Positive News! Cool way cool!

PNN-Positive News Network

Focus of Our Attention

2005-12-11T21:33:00.000-08:00

Focus of Our Attention
By Jeanie Marshall

"A weak mind is like a microscope,
which magnifies trifling things but cannot receive great ones."
- Lord Chesterfield

The focus of our attention determines our life experiences. Where we put our attention, we put our energy. Where we put our attention, we put our consciousness. We draw into our lives the thing to which we give our attention, whether we want it or not. We seed the thing or idea that has our attention. That seed grows into the experiences of everyday life.

Technorati tags: affirmations,health,focus,life

PCWorld.com - Internet Tips: Better Browsing: Add-Ons, Plug-Ins, and Extensions

2005-12-07T03:40:00.000-08:00

PCWorld.com - Internet Tips: Better Browsing: Add-Ons, Plug-Ins, and Extensions: "
Topics > Tips & Troubleshooting > Internet Tips > Browser >

Internet Tips
Contributing Editor Scott Spanbauer offers incisive tips, tricks, and commentary on a broad range of online issues.
Better Browsing: Add-Ons, Plug-Ins, and Extensions

Free Web image tool for Internet Explorer; managing bookmarks in Mozilla; the best way to remove an add-on.

Scott Spanbauer
From the January 2005 issue of PC World magazine

Any plain-vanilla Web browser will display most sites just fine. But some enhanced browsing experiences require help from what Internet Explorer calls 'add-ons,' and what Netscape, Mozilla, and Firefox refer to as 'plug-ins.' While Adobe's Acrobat Reader, Macromedia's Flash player, and other common plug-ins suggest themselves the moment you encounter a site that requires them, other browser helpers are harder to find. Here are some of my favorites, all free.
Not every plug-in you can add to your browser is a boon, of course. I've taken care to weed out products that also install spyware or adware, or that otherwise jeopardize your privacy and sneak around behind your back. And I'll show you how to make browser add-ons go away, should they become tiresome."

Holiday shopping ideas...

2005-12-05T22:26:00.000-08:00

This article came to me in a newsletter I am subscribed to:
* Self Improvement and Personal Growth Weekly Newsletter * Issue # 378
Week of December 6-7, 2005
Publisher: David Riklan - http://www.SelfGrowth.com

----------------------------------------------------
***Article: The Most Important Gifts of All – By Pauline
Wallin, Ph.D.***
----------------------------------------------------
In This Season of Gift-Buying, Don't Ignore The Most Important Gifts ofAll.
In this season of holiday gift buying, advertisers bombard us withmessages, some
of them contradictory.
One ad tells us that the best way for men to show love is to spend three
months' salary on a piece of diamond jewelry.
On the other hand, MasterCard commercials remind us that there are some
things ("Priceless" moments) that monëy can't buy."Oh, that's a sweet
sentiment," you might say, "but can it reallysubstitute for the latest video
game or hot toy?"
Very few children raised in this materialistic culture would say, "Gee mom,
thanks for making my favorite meal.
What a great Christmas gift!"
Yet 20 years from nöw, these same children probably won't remember the
items they got for the current Christmas. They will, however, recall the special
games that their family played together, the time that their older brother took
them to a movie, or the way their parents tucked them in at night.
These are the little moments, which over time, have a huge impact.
Unfortunately people tend to take them for granted.
With so much emphasison holiday shopping, and on buying the perfect
gift, we can losë sight ofthe importance of the less flashy, but "priceless"
gifts: gifts such as thoughtfulness and gratitude that we can give to one
another all year round.
A diamond may be forever, but its value is nothing compared to a lïfetime
of moments that monëy can't buy.
I'm not suggesting that you forego the presents this holiday season, but
don't worry so much about how "perfect" they are.
Go ahead and buy somegifts, but more importantly, resolve to focus your
energy on helping others feel valued and appreciated. They will remember your
acts of thoughtfulness and compassion long after the material gifts are
gone.
Hëre are some examples of small gestures that can help people around
youfeel valued:
1. Show your appreciation with a thank-you, a smile or a hug (or allthree).
It takes just a moment, but it can make a person's day.
2. Practice a random act of kindness every day. Make this your "gift" to
astranger. For example, let someone in front of you in line. Hold a door open
for someone. Smile and greet people you pass at work. These acts take only a few
seconds or less, yet they create a mood that can last for hours.
3. Call up someone you haven't spoken to in a while, just to catch up on
how they are. You've probably been meaning to do this for a long time. Nöw is a
good time.
4. If you have children, give one child at a time your full attention foran
afternoon: Go for a walk; go to the library; or just sit and read or draw
together. The activity itself isn't as important as sharing time and interacting
together. Going to a movie or watching a video doesn't count.
5. Write a note of appreciation to someone who is important to you. Don't
be surprised if that person keeps the note for years to come.
6. Think of the way you'd like to be remembered by those around you, and
give of yourself accordingly throughout the year. The added benefit for you is
that you'll be in a more positive frame of mind overall.

About the Author:Pauline Wallin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Camp Hill, PA,
and author of"Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide for Transforming Self-defeating
Behavior"(Beyond Words Publishing, 2001).
Visit http://www.innerbrat.com
for more information, and subscribe to her frëe, monthly Inner Brat
Newsletter.

Technorati tags: holidays,gifts,ideas,marketing

Competition

2005-12-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

I was looking for content to this blog, and I came accross this interesting article about competition. It is inspiring to know there are like minded people out there, willing to stand for their convictions and live by their moral code. I am very grateful to cross paths with people like Ms. Giovanni.

Competition

By Katharine C. Giovanni
Today's topic? Competition.
I can't tell you how many phone calls we get about this topic. It's number one on everyone's list ... who is the competition? How do I beat them? They're going to take all the clients!!!
NOT TRUE. Plenty of business out there for everyone folks.
Let's take a look at the realtors in your town. How many are there? I'll bet you five dollars that none of them are stepping on each other's toes and that there is plenty of business for them all. One company couldn’t possibly handle all the business in one town … they would be overwhelmed and would soon be out of business. Trust me on this one … this has happened to a few clients of mine. They were one of the only concierge in town and advertised their business ... and WHAM! It worked!! However, they soon became overwhelmed with all the business and had to close down for a few months while they re-organized. Clearly one company can't possibly handle all the business.

Here’s another way to look at it … what would McDonalds be if Burger King hadn't come on the scene??

Wendy's? Taco Bell?

Think they spend their time sending each other hate mail?? I was first! You can't set up your restaurant! It was my idea!!!

See my point? PLENTY of business for everyone. One town can certainly handle more than one company offering the same basic services with no problem at all.

I think competition is good for the soul. It forces us to do better and offer a better product. I also firmly believe in building relationships and working together towards the common good. Working together will get us farther than working apart.

And yes ... I practice what I preach. I've actually trained a few of my competitors (although I'll admit I didn't know it at the time) and have even given them some referrals. Should I get mad every time someone publishes another book on the Concierge industry"

THE QUOTE OF THE DAY...

2005-11-28T14:57:00.000-08:00

One of the secrets of life is to keep our intellectual curiosity acute.
— William Lyon Phelps

from bookreporter.com

The Wealthy Blogger - Money Management Musings from two Decidedly Un-Wealthy Bloggers

2005-11-26T16:37:00.000-08:00

Interest trends found out there in the blogosphere world. I think Fabian did the right thing and that he will definitelly get the return on his investment.

The Wealthy Blogger - Money Management Musings from two Decidedly Un-Wealthy Bloggers
August 24th, 2005 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized

I want to thank Jeremy and Mike for the smooth transaction.

Yes I bought a blog! Why on earth would somebody buy a blog?

The answer is simple: it's called a return on investment. Where better to prove this then here ? : "August 24th, 2005 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized

I want to thank Jeremy and Mike for the smooth transaction.

Yes I bought a blog! Why on earth would somebody buy a blog?

The answer is simple: it's called a return on investment. Where better to prove this then here ? ;-)

Many of you now will think: what's next.?

My plan is to keep the Wealthy blogger alive. On a personal level I am more interested in how to keep
my earned money (tax related) then credit cards and investment tips.
If I blog about credit cards it will only be about anonymous South American cards.

Technorati tags: blogs,investments,sell

Permalink: http://www.wealthyblogger.com/uncategorized/this-blog-is-sold-part-ii/

BusinessPundit: Your Daily Dose of Competitive Advantage

2005-11-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

BusinessPundit: Your Daily Dose of Competitive Advantage: "Doing the Right Thing: TypePad Has Guts

After outages affected TypePad users, the CEO let's them pick how many days of free service they get for their incovenience. There's a whole school of business thought that says 'but wait, what if they all select the maximum amount? We will miss $$$ worth of revenues.' But I'm with Typepad, believing that they just sent a message to their customers saying we trust you and we care about your blogging experience, and that it will pay off in the long run. It never hurts to build good business karma.
Posted by Rob at 08:34 AM

I love a company that bends over backwards for me, as a human being and a customer. I will buy what I don't need, just to reciprocate, but I hate companies that do not give a rats ass about their users or customers. I am very sorry for the folks at Yahoo. The more they ignore me the more I will fight for my needs, wants and humanness. I am still being totally ignored by a company that built its reputation around customer service. I know I have not bought anything directly from them (that I know of). But at least Yahoo could have the decency and right human relations to respond to my pleas for help. Instead, they continue to ignore me. Cool. I love blogging!

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.businesspundit.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/2407

8 Rules For Good Customer Service

2005-11-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

I just had to blog this in it's entirety. It will not only help you go a long way in sales and marketing, it will also help you in life...

8 Rules For Good Customer Service
Your Guide, Susan Ward From Susan Ward,
Your Guide to Small Business: Canada.

Good Customer Service Made Simple

Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long.
Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers.

If you’re a good salesperson, you can sell anything to anyone once. But it will be your approach to customer service that determines whether or not you’ll ever be able to sell that person anything else. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with customers – a relationship that that individual customer feels that he would like to pursue.

How do you go about forming such a relationship? By remembering the one true secret of good customer service and acting accordingly; “You will be judged by what you do, not what you say.”

1) Answer your phone.

Get call forwarding. Or an answering service. Hire staff if you need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business. (Notice I say “someone”. People who call want to talk to a live person, not a “fake recorded robot”.) For more on answering the phone, see Phone Answering Tips to Win Business.

2) Don’t make promises unless you WILL keep them.

Not plan to keep them. Will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. If you say, “Your new bedroom furniture will be delivered on Tuesday”, make sure it is delivered on Tuesday. Otherwise, don’t say it. The same rule applies to client appointments, deadlines, etc.. Think before you give any promise – because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.

3) Listen to your customers.

Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want or what your problem is and then discovering that that person hasn’t been paying attention and needs to have it explained again? From a customer’s point of view, I doubt it. Can the sales pitches and the product babble. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.

4) Deal with complaints.

No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, “You can’t please all the people all the time”. Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time - and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service.

5) Be helpful - even if there’s no immediate profit in it.

The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, the proprietor said that he thought he might have one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch band – and charged me nothing! Where do you think I’ll go when I need a new watch band or even a new watch? And how many people do you think I’ve told this story to?

6) Train your staff (if you have any) to be ALWAYS helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable.

Do it yourself or hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what it is (and isn’t) regularly. Most importantly, give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, “I don’t know, but so-and-so will be back at...”

7) Take the extra step.

For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them find something, don’t just say, “It’s in Aisle 3.” Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait and see if he has questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people.

8) Throw in something extra.

Whether it’s a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. And don’t think that a gesture has to be large to be effective. The local art framer that we use attaches a package of picture hangers to every picture he frames. A small thing, but so appreciated.

If you apply these eight simple rules consistently, your business will become known for its good customer service. And the best part? The irony of good customer service is that over time it will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did.

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Identity theft? Yahoo ignores my cause.

2005-11-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

11/16/05

And I will not rest quietly until it gets solved.
A long time ago, I opened up a group thru Yahoo groups. Time went by (a few weeks or months perhaps) then, eventually I stopped posting for a while. When I came4 back to the site, I was not able to log in.
I went to their help site to find assistance, and then decided to finally give in and change my password.
Well after 4 times or so of giving them via their "unable to sign in" protocol my name, yahoo email address, and my mother's maiden name I gave up as the site repeatedly told me my mother's maiden name was the incortrect response for me to be able to log in.....
I left the issue to rest for a while, and tried again online. No success.
I gave them a call finally, as there is no email addresses to contact and no "real" people behind the sites. The person on the other side of the phone would not accept my basic information either and told me that my mother's maiden name was not the right one I had given!...
I the mean time, there is a new member, possibly two that have signed in to the group and have posted spam that has been there for the last year or more. I tried calling the company yesterday as well, to no avail. A series of recorded messages, but no real humans behind the scene.
I emailed one of their departments yesterday to no avail either.
So, I guess that my next campaign in life is to pursue my case until someone or anyone at the company decides to collaborate with my restoring my stolen identity and be given full rightful access to my group.
If you feel and believe that posting this in different places will assist me in my pursuits, please drop me a line at edfern34@hotmail.com
I will see that your efforts in assisting me with this issue get rewarded.
Thanks!

Godsdragon

UPDATE 11/22/05
I contacted the Company again. Have not heard from them.
They sent a survey, I filled it in with my thoughts and oppinions indicating there is a problem, but I guess they really do not care...

UPDATE 12/02/05
Have not heard from Yahoo as of yet...Could it be that it is not just me that gets the end of the stick here? I found this article today that could explain very well why Yahoo does not care about someone like me:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051201/wl_afp/
iraq_051201185052;_ylt=Anz0pmdMejGb9ny9f_mZQMCs0NUE;
_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-

Technorati tags: identity theft,customer,Yahoo!,action

How to Market your Way out of Tough Times

2005-11-22T04:19:00.000-08:00

How to Market your Way out of Tough Times
by David Garfinkel

There's gloom and uncertainty in the air, and most businesses are making a terrible mistake right now in their efforts to ride out the tough times. They're cutting back on marketing and waiting until the economy improves.

In an economy like this, cutting back on marketing is flirting with business suicide. What you should do instead is increase your marketing without increasing the amount of money you spend. This will not only protect you from sales declines, but will also strengthen your business against the threat of deep-pocketed competitors, who may see tough times as a great opportunity to outmaneuver you and grab some of your customers.

How do you get more marketing bang for fewer marketing bucks?"

read on...

Immigrant Resource Center in a Bind

2005-11-17T17:55:00.000-08:00

Immigrant Resource Center in a Bind
Saundra Amrhein
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
November 11, 2005
Copyright 2005 Times Publishing Company

A school that offers free English classes to adults might shut down if it can't come up with the money to apply for a zoning change.
SEFFNER - In their countries, they were dentists and business people.
But here in this breezy yellow brick house off Parsons Avenue, they are students seeking a path out of manual labor.
At the Multicultural Resource Center, more than two dozen adult immigrant students gather four mornings a week to study English in a house turned into a language school and computer lab.
Another 80 are on a waiting list.
But the popular school, which was started in the late '90s, might be shut down next month unless directors come up with $3,500 to apply for a zoning change. The county sought the change after a neighbor complained.
For many with night jobs or schoolage children to care for, the free morning classes are like a salvation.
"My daughter is studying in school, and how can I help her?" asked Carmen Moncayo, 45, originally of Peru. Her daughter is 9. "How can I help her if I don't know English?"
Seated next to her, 62-year-old Elsa Icaza, a dentist in her native country of Ecuador, can't return to her profession until she learns English. She cares for her two grandchildren in the afternoons and evenings.
"If it weren't for this (morning) class," she said, "I couldn't study."

read more...

Technorati tags: inmigrants,school,politics,money

Does BPO Have a Future?

2005-11-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

October 5, 2005
Is Business Process Outsourcing Killing Itself?
By John Parkinson
As business process outsourcing looks to automation to cut costs, it just might be sowing the seeds of its own demise.

Ever since the process reengineering wave of the 1990s, businesses have been looking at their core operations with an eye to cutting costs. Companies typically have three options: Consolidate and standardize operating processes via a shared-services strategy; upgrade the level of automation to reduce labor costs and boost productivity; or outsource the process to a third party that can offer economies of scale, global sourcing economics or access to more focused management expertise
Is Business Process Outsourcing Killing Itself?
read more...

Newsletter 'Pathway To Success' #23, 2005, Subscribers' Issue

2005-11-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

Several Serious Problems on the Internet Causing Unnecessary Failures
Irena Whitfield

In spite of the fact that the Internet creates millionaires every day, there are still tens of millions of people failing miserably. The three main reasons I mention in this Article may help you on your way to your goals.

read the rest of the article

Congress loves identity thieves

2005-11-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

Security Watch: Congress loves identity thieves E-mail to a friend Send us feedback TalkBack:Add your opinion By Robert Vamosi Senior editor, CNET ReviewsNovember 11, 2005
Earlier this year, I wrote about several major data breaches at ChoicePoint, then LexisNexis. Headlines screamed how thousands--and in the case of CardSystems, millions--of individuals had their names, social security numbers, and other personal information exposed to god-knows-who. These revelations came only because of a California law, SB 1386, which requires companies to inform California residents if any data breaches occur. The Senate is currently considering a national version of the California law, but a weaker House of Representatives bill is rapidly gaining influence in Congress. If the House bill passes and becomes law first, future data breach revelations will be silenced, and data thieves will be free to run amok.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3513_7-6381707-1.html?tag=nl.e757

Technorati tags: congress,identity theft,news

Remembering our Warriors...

2005-11-12T02:17:00.000-08:00

The Pledge of Allegiance

I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America

and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

"Juro lealtad a la Bandera de los Estados Unidos de América

y a la República que representa, una nación al amparo de Dios,

indivisible, con libertad y justicia para todos."

http://www.defendamerica.mil/

Taekwondo Code of Conduct El Codigo de Conducta del Taekwondo
Be loyal to your country.Se Leal a tu Pais.
Respect your parents. Respeta a tus Padres

Be faithfulness to your spouse. Se leal a tu pareja.

Respect your brothers and sisters. Respeta a tus hermanos y hermanas

Be loyal to your friends. Se leal a tus amigos.

Respect your elders. Respeta a los ancianos

Respect your teacher. Respeta a tus Maestros

Be honest and always stand for justice. Se Honesto y siempre defiende la justicia.

Be courteous. Se cortes.

Never take life unjustly. Nunca tomes la vida injustamente.

Be loyal to your school. Se leal a tu escuela.

Finish what you begin. Termina lo que empiezes.

Never misuse Taekwondo. Nunca uses el Taekwondo erroneamente.

To whom it may concern...

2005-11-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

If you are messin with this blog and you think you are smart, don't count it all glory... Just wait and see...

Technorati tags: hacks,evil doers,help,fear

Gratitude...

2005-11-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, the first thing I'd like to talk about, since it is gratitude month, is exactly that. Gratitude. You probably ask yourself, well, what in the world are you talking about when the world is in such turmoil. And...the anser is still gratitude. When I am grateful for life living and those around me, I can't help but continue to think straight, I can't help but continue to be in awe about the incredible things that ARE still happenning regardless of all that is wrong. When I am grateful, I can't help but think that there is something or someone out there, or in here, somewhere, that is bigger than my thoughts, bigger than what could possibly be wrong...
When I am Grateful, there is a chance I can transfer that energy from within to things without. This preambles what I really want to talk about.
I want to talk about a place called Castle Cops. A place where there is never a dull moment. A place that has grown by leaps and bounds, that has what it takes to live in a world of bytes, hardware, software, thoughts, ideas, and a wide range of useful information for dealing with things online. It trully is a place that has made me put this blog aside and allowed me to realize that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that there is no computer problem to small or too big for a team to tackle it. It is a place where I have found many many solutions to simple and complicated problems with my computer. A place that glows with a true spirit of knowledge, teamwork, and sharing...

That, in a nutshell is the spirit of Castle Cops!
Have computer problems or software problems? Need an answer? Stop by and visit!

CLICK HERE!

Technorati tags: computer help,solutions,help forums,Castle Cops

Ok, Back again...!

2005-11-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have posted anything here. Lots of changes, within and out there. Excuse? rarely so!. I have tried to diversify my ventures and new and exciting things have happened since I got that ball rolling...
Stick around, read on, cause it is getting better all the time!

Technorati tags: internet,news,help,solutions

No Web Tax Yet

2005-10-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

No Web Tax Yet: "No Web Tax Yet
By Evan Schuman, Ziff Davis Internet
October 2, 2005

Opinion: A widely misunderstood Oct. 1 deadline set by a group of states calling themselves the Streamlined Sales And Use Tax Project is making some e-commerce players worried. But the move actually has little to do with the Web and a lot to do with Halloween.

Like a Java version of the sword of Damocles, the threat of a Web tax has loomed over e-Commerce players since the Web was formed a little more than a decade ago."

Internet Sales Tax on the Horizon

2005-10-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Internet Sales Tax on the Horizon: "Internet Sales Tax on the Horizon
By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
October 3, 2005
The Streamlined Sales Tax Project may sound to some like the states are getting ready to start charging state sales tax on all e-commerce purchases, but the reality isn't that simple.

What the SSTA (Streamlined Sales Tax Project), a group of U.S. states united in trying to simplify state and local tax collection, is doing is setting up a system by which Internet e-commerce companies can voluntarily pay state taxes to the states in which their customers reside.

read more...

Instapundit.com -

2005-09-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

A hot topic here in Florida. My friend Pete and I will be visiting a company that was born within the last few months and we are hoping to get the run-down and -up on the details...
Exciting news...

Instapundit.com -: "NANOTECHNOLOGY UPDATE: It pays to read Instapundit! The Foresight Conference covers nanotech from every angle, from today's applications and policy issues to advanced research and long-term visionary goals. If the cost has held you back, you can contact the organizers -- disclosure: I serve on their board -- to get the 'Instapundit group discount'. Call Elaine at 1 650 289 0860 extension 256, or email elaine@foresight.org for details."

Pluck RSS Tips, Tricks, & News: Pluck Firefox Edition and Tabbed Browsing

2005-09-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

I am a Pluck fan. I am also a Firefox fan. Here is a good article, I thouhgt about both.

Pluck Firefox Edition and Tabbed Browsing
If you are a Firefox user I imagine you use (or know about) tabbed browsing.

If so, I must share with you the following tip for Pluck Firefox Edition. You can select to have your Pluck feeds and bookmarks open in the same tab or in a new tab.

read the rest of the article...

Web Hosting :: Free Article on How To Pick A Hosting Company by Matt Bacak

2005-09-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

If you are seeking a new hosting company let me give you some words of wisdom because I have been through a few. One company even went belly up in the middle of the night giving me no notice. That was disastrous for me as well as my customers. If you are tired of hosting companies with poor service and excessive downtime then get ready to print this page out.

First thing first, you might take a step back from your website or E-business and think about what you want it to look like in the future. Then start making decisions about the hosting. Think about things like: How much traffic are you expecting? How many more sites will you build or could possibly build in the future? Are you going to load software to the server? Some of the best programs that smart marketers use need to be loaded: such as; affiliate programs and autoresponders and require a dedicated IP address. If you intend on growing then make sure these things are an option.

If you realized that you will want to have more sites in the future or currently are moving a lot of sites from one account to another. One thing you can do is get a dedicated server or keep your money in your pocket and find a hosting company that'll allow you to have add-on domains. Did you realize that you could have one account for around $25 a month and all your domains on it? You, for the cost of $25 a month could host 2, 10, 15, 26, 45 domains. There ar e accounts out there that will let you do this. But here's what you should know about these types of accounts, you are not limited in domains, but limited in the amount of space you have. So if you need more space, just ask and they'll be happy to give it to you for a price.

If you want to market your website you should get your own IP address with your accounts. This will play a big part when it comes to search engines finding you, as well as increasing the utilization of your autoresponders.

One big thing to watch out for:

Make sure that you find out what type of control panel the hosting company is using. If they don't tell you I would be scared. I believe that the best hosting companies out there will use cPanel. If the hosting company is using cPanel then they will probably be bragging about it since it is designed very well.

Now here's a quick checklist:

�Step back and think about what you want

�Check to see if they allow you to have add-on domains. If so, then what will it cost in additional fees? (Some companies have a one time fee for this).

�Make sure you own your own IP address, not a shared IP. Most companies call this a dedicated IP address.

�Look at the control panel, is it cPanel?

Now for the biggest question I always get: What hosting company do you highly recommend? I recommend a company called Frontier.

Me? I recommend you do your homework thoroughly before you jump in. It could save you some serious money in the long run. Make sure you are not going to be taken for a ride, mugged, and chewed only to be left out in the alley...
That's the recommended wisdom of a friend who is still thinking about what happened to him and his Web Business Dream...

Spanish speaking folks blogging in English...

2005-09-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

http://boingboing.net/2005_01_01_archive.html

Sounds like somebody is finally thinking... What a world of opportunities would a chap like me bring to you and your business, were you to consider the posibilities of my linking you to thousand other Spanish speaking folks like me?

I found the post below at one of the best blogging scenes on the planet:
Boing Boing

Spanish-speaking bloggers blogging in English: an aggregator
Blogger and communications professor Jose Luis Orihuela in Pamplona, Spain says: "Thanks to Víctor Ruiz, an idea that's been around for a long time -- an RSS aggregator for feeds of English-language blogs from Spanish-speaking bloggers -- has finally launched. A beta version is available here: Link." There's more background (in Spanish) in this post on Jose Luis' blog: Link

posted by Xeni Jardin

Technorati tags: blog,
weblog,
search,
directory,
community,
web directory,
web search,
search engine,
boing boing,
mark frauenfelder,
cory doctorow,
godsdragon,
david pescovitz,
xeni jardin,
john battelle,
pop culture.

permalink: http://www.boingboing.net/2005/01/31/spanishspeaking_blog.html
http://haloscan.com/tb/godsdragon/112717154680116379

Microsoft investigates another IE flaw report

2005-09-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

Microsoft investigates another IE flaw report
Published: August 29, 2005, 10:30 PM PDT
By Joris Evers
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

A new, unpatched flaw in Internet Explorer could let miscreants surreptitiously run malicious code on Windows PCs, according to the discoverer of the bug. The problem affects Internet Explorer 6--the latest version of Microsoft's Web browser--on computers running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 and all security patches installed, Tom Ferris, an independent security researcher in Mission Viejo, Calif., said in an interview Monday. Other versions of Windows and IE may also be vulnerable, he said.

The security hole allows for "full-blown remote code execution," Ferris said. "If a user browses to a bad Web site, malicious software can be installed on their PC without their knowledge."

Ferris claims credit for discovering the problem and said he informed Microsoft of the flaw on Aug. 14. He reported some basics of the bug on his Security Protocols Web site Saturday, but he is not sharing more details to prevent information from getting into the wrong hands.

A Microsoft representative late Monday confirmed the company received Ferris' report. The Redmond, Wash., software giant can't confirm whether the flaw exists, but it is investigating the report, the representative said. "At this time, there are not any attacks, and there are not any risks" to users, she said.

Ferris said he provided Microsoft with details on the bug, including computer code to prove the existence of the problem. On his Web site, Ferris shows a screen shot of a crashing IE 6 Web browser, which he said was caused by the same bug.

Upon completion of the investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to protect users, the representative said. This may include providing a security update through its monthly patch release or providing an out-of-cycle security update, she said.

There are several unpatched vulnerabilities in IE 6, according to Secunia. The security monitoring company has issued 69 alerts on the Web browser since 2003; almost one-third of those security bugs remain unpatched, according to Secunia's Web site. Secunia has yet to put out an advisory on this latest IE security issue.

Ferris has found bugs in Microsoft software before. Earlier this month, Microsoft credited him with reporting a bug in a Windows feature called the Remote Desktop Protocol that could allow an attacker to remotely restart Windows systems.

Ferris recommends people pick a different Web browser or use caution when surfing the Web to protect against any exploitation of the latest IE flaw and other browser bugs. Microsoft, as always, urges users to apply all available software patches and run updated security software.
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+investiga...tag=cd.top

CastleCops What to Watch Out for This Month

2005-09-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

There were fewer reported Phishing alerts this month, and while that is encouraging, the threat is still widespread. Information was gathered from various sites including http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/archives/current & http://www.antiphishing.org.

1. Phishing Scams

Subject: PayPal - Unauthorized Access Report
Bait: Fake email asking you to confirm/update/verify your account data at PayPal by clicking on the embedded link.
Goal: To have you visit the Phishing site and reveal your logon information to PayPal so it can be used for fraudulent purposes.
Sample: http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/report/1121

Subject: PayPal - Notification of Limited Account Access
Bait: Fake email asking you to confirm/update/verify your account data at PayPal by clicking on the embedded link.
Goal: Capture as much information on your PayPal account as possible.
Sample: http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/report/1119

Subject: Armed Forces Online Banking and Bill payment Update
Bait: Fake email asking you to confirm/update/verify your account data at Armed Forces Bank by clicking on the embedded link.
Goal: Capture your as much personal information as possible.
Sample: http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/report/1117

Subject: Bank of the West - Unauthorized Access Report
Bait: Fake email asking you to confirm/update/verify your account data at Bank of the West by visiting the embedded link.
Goal: Capture your logon information.
Sample: http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/report/1116

2. Hoaxes and Scams

Zotob Hoax
Delivery: Fake email with a bogus attachment claiming to be a patch from Microsoft that will prevent your computer from being infected by the Zotob worm. The subject of the message is: “What You Need to Know About the Zotob.A Worm” and the sender is spoofed as update@microsoft.com. The attachment contains the Agent.AII Trojan, a nasty multi-purpose worm.
More info: http://ct.enews.pcmag.com/rd/cts?d=184-...16-0-0-0-1

Scammers cash in on Katrina: Only a few days after one of the worst natural catastrophes in American history, phony Web sites have appeared claiming to collect donations for Hurricane Katrina victims, and emails are circulating pretending to solicit money for the victims from well-known charities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/con...ailarticle

Source: SANS OUCH Newsletter www.sans.org

The Indian Economy Blog

2005-09-13T00:31:00.000-07:00

Maybe we all can learn what is being done right in India that is taking the bread and butter away from American workers. It would be interesting to have a few of the geeks here, put together with the few Economic nerds to figure it out!... The first thing I noticed is that:
Partying has to be out. For good...I think that is what the post tastes to me...
Another thing was that those guys really worked together to have a blog like that!
Anyway, just my two cents...(before taxes and before indexing inflation into them)

The Indian Economy Blog

I Want To Rock & Roll All Night..
September 12th, 2005 by Prashant Kothari
And write code every day?!

The computer programmers arrived in the United States unknown to each other but united in their quest to rock.

On the surface, they were not unlike many others who have left India over the past decade on the H-1B visa, a guest worker program for highly skilled professionals. They wore glasses and mustaches and collared shirts. They could exterminate Y2K bugs and code Java and link Unix.

But as they toiled in cubicles, they dreamed of banging on keyboards of a different sort, of a world where C-sharp is just a musical note, not computer code.

Armed and Dangerous � Blog Archive � Microsoft tries to recruit me

2005-09-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Now, I like rationalizing and justifying my reality. Not too long ago I was very enthusiastic about my Spaced Duded blog. I was ready willing and able to have Microsoft sponsor great links, great content and a variety of ideas that could not have happened were they not have invented Microsoft Spaces. I did get tough when London was attacked and I posted several links to the FBI, as well as other pertinent information about those thugs called terrorists. Well, could this article here below be the explanation for the lack of response I have received from MSN? Is my Blog permanently hacked and obstructed from my presence to be able to add or modify anything in it?
I don't really know, but after 5 attempts to contact their help desk, I have given up...
Is there anybody out there?

Armed and Dangerous � Blog Archive � Microsoft tries to recruit me: "Microsoft tries to recruit me"

Technorati tags: blogs,Microsoft,inaccessible,hiring?

Keeping my eye on: Web Based Aggregators Solution Watch

2005-09-08T03:59:00.000-07:00

Keeping my eye on: Web Based Aggregators Solution Watch

Hotmail message

2005-08-31T01:33:00.000-07:00

Please respond to this plea if you can. God only knows they need the help!

Greetings Ed,

My heart goes out to everyone affected by the
devastation inflicted by Hurricane Katrina.

The Mayor of Biloxi was quoted as saying:
'This is our Tsunami' ... and by the images
I've seen on CNN, it looks eerily similar.

With estimates of almost a million people left
homeless, it's up to those more fortunate to do our
best for them now, and in the future.

We can do that by continuing to build our businesses,
and making ever larger charitable donations.

Do it now, please.

https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp
Also, EmpowerMe!Online will be contributing 10% of all
sales revenue to the Red Cross in their relief efforts.
We now have 15 seminars to offer you.

Please check them out on our website.

http://www.empowermeonline.com

Best regards,

David Matthies
EmpowerMe!Online"

Profile of Small Business Online Behavior

2005-08-29T02:14:00.000-07:00

Fortune magazine has created a profile of small business, based on its own Zogby/Fortune Small Business survey of 2000 entrepreneurs, as well as other published surveys.

read the rest of the article...

I guess we can consider ourselves to be in that category? What are your thoughts?

The Triangle Times

2005-08-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine posted this in a newsletter I have received now for a number of months. Triangle Times and the company behind it have been a powerful source of inspiration, help and support to me personally, and to my baby business endeavors.
Everytime I read one of their articles, I feel they are trully talking and walking their talk. It's as if an intuitive, Higher Powered force is there.
When things feel right, you know it.
I know that sometimes you and I have followed hunches and said and done things that we thought were right at the time, and for one reason or another we failed, got bruised or simply got discouraged.
The article that follows is one of the reasons and explanations as to what happened and how you and I can overcome...

The Triangle Times: "Success Means Never Ever Giving UpBy Bryan Golden
Persistence is the foundation of success. Although there are many ways to describe success, there is only one definition of failure giving up. Whatever your meaning of success, you will only achieve it through persistence.
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
-Calvin Coolidge
Babe Ruth had more strike outs than anyone else in history. When asked about the key to his success he said, I just keep swinging.
In the mid 1960's, Martin Cooper, an electrical engineer at Motorola, had a vision of a phone that could be carried around and powered by a battery. His concept was scoffed at by many of his fellow engineers. After 15 years in development, Motorola brought the cellular phone to market.
In 1864, he was born the son of slaves on a Missouri plantation. He grew up not knowing his parents. With persistence and determination he put himself through college. To combat the racism he encountered, he excelled in everything he did. George Washington Carver became one of our nation's leading scientists and revolutionized agriculture.
At 205 pounds and standing 5ft10in tall he was below average size for a pro football player. To build his strength and endurance he ran up steep hills while playing high school football. As a professional player he ran up an 80-yard hill, set at a 45-degree angle, 25 times a day. Determined to be the best he could be, he watched films of opponents until he could predict their moves. Football Hall of Famer, Walter Payton tied or beat seven NFL records du"

Granted, I am not an avid follower of the game, neither I am 100% opposed to it. Perhaps the game has a lot more to it than meets the eye, and we just have to utilize what is best about things and discard what is not so good.
I trully am an admirer of Triangle Times Wisdom and know that I will never ever fail if I follow their advice...

In response to all comments in the last couple of weeks...

2005-08-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I am Ed. I feel moved from all the responses received a couple of posts ago. Please know a few things about Internet for People Like Us...
We created this team because we saw that there is a need out there to have people come together from all walks of life (Nerds or not, smart or not, rich, poor or in between...)
We work hard at who we are and what we stand for.
We believe that Learning is a never ending process, applicable not to a few, but to ALL...

I believe, faster is not always better...(my teammates might disagree with me, but that is OK too...)
I think we, as a human race can all agree to disagree agreably...Sometimes that just does not happen perfectly... Can you relate?

We believe that Honesty, Integrity, Faith, Valor, Justice, Compassion and other similar values are indispensable in our dealing with others...

These however are solely my thoughts. I own them and they are in no way a reflection of what anybody else, except perhaps my relatives and friends, think about or believe in.
People, including all are free to agree and disagree with me, and I hope that in the future, this could be translated into the many different languages of this our planet, but for now, English, and Perhaps Spanish will have to do.

I could go on and on and on, but I just do not have the time right now.
If you do, please leave a comment and let us know what your thoughts are.
If you don't please leave a smiley, sometimes they are worth a thousand words.
Thanks,

2005-08-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Please type slowly I can't read well when you type so fast...LOL
Thanks...

Beware of Domain Dupers

2005-08-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

Now, this article is one of the reasons I decided to use Bronce2 Platinum Hosting and Technologies for my web site needs.
I can't even begin to tell you how satisfied I am to have hooked up with them!

NewbieHangout
Helping Newbies Create Great Sites
Free Help, Tutorials, RSS Feeds and Graphics
Tips to Raise Your Rank on a $0 budget!

Bronze 2 Platinum Hosting and Technologies
Web Hosting, Domain Name Registration
Custom Design and Development
Helping Small Business Compete with the Big Guy
Since 2001

By Lance Ulanoff
It's been nearly a year since I brought home my newly minted domain. It was so cute. Swaddled in ones and zeros, cuddling its domain suffix. I loved it. It was mine, and I had Yahoo! Small Business to thank for the rock-bottom price ($9.95 a year per domain) and easy setup.

In the past 12 months, I've watched my precious domain do little more than act as a placeholder for my future Web site aspirations. Oh, we had our trials and tribulations. First, there was the time when readers took me to task for using Yahoo!'s service and praising it when there were so many other praiseworthy domain hosting services out there, such as Homestead and 1&1. My domain and I took their slings and arrows as best we could. We knew that Yahoo! was not the only game in town, but it certainly could serve as a model for those looking to bring home their own fresh domains with minimal fuss and expense.

All was good...

Read the rest of the story...

Technorati tags: internet,news,domain names,webhosting

Research: animal behavior observed in humans...

2005-08-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

From the Spaced Dude's w-blog...

It's been a while since I have come here and post my thoughts!. Lots of interesting developments happening out there in cyberspace...wow dude! far out man!
One day Firefox and IE form firefoxie and kiss and make up, the next day kaboom! the whole thing goes to hell, along with my computer... Why can't people, companies, adults and other non child like animals get along with each other? I will probably never figure it out in this lifetime of mine!...
It really sucks to see such good things in life be trampled on and mutilated by a few animals trying to get what they want, when they want it on their own terms...Yeah I Have to agree, survival of the fittest allright... But what about thinking? Don't humans have a better capacity than other animals to do so? Don't humans have the capacity to reason above and beyond other species?
I only have a few answers to these questions:
Yes, It is true:
1. Survival of the fittest is a law of nature (as it applies to lower level species, human animal is supposed to have the capacity to T.H.I.N.K....
2. It is true that , as some say, It is a jungle out there...
(I thought jungles were for wild animals only, but that is not the case)
3. It is true that Mr. Carl Sagan theory still holds true: That there is three kinds of civilizations in the Universe: the ones so primitive that do not have the intelligence and or the technology necessary to communicate with other civilizations... the ones with intermediate technology, like ours, who are still striving within and striving to perfect the technology to be able to establish contact with "other " intelligent beings... and the civilizations so far more advanced than ours that really do not even care or bother to make contact with "civilizations" like ours...

Those are my thoughts today....

Spyware Researchers Discover ID Theft Ring

2005-08-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Spyware Researchers Discover ID Theft Ring: "Spyware Researchers Discover ID Theft Ring

By Ryan Naraine
August 8, 2005

Spyware researchers picking apart one of the more notorious spyware programs have stumbled upon what appears to be a massive identity theft ring hijacking confidential data from millions of infected computers."

read the rest of the article...

FirefoxIE - The Internet is Fun Again

2005-08-09T04:02:00.000-07:00

- The Internet is Fun Again: "30,900 Google links
since the launch on August 28, 2004

It's very exciting to see the interest growing for FirefoxIE and to be a part of the grass roots movement to help others make the switch to Firefox. Please send any reviews you find about FirefoxIE with the link so we can include them here."

Search Links: Search Engines Worldwide

2005-08-08T02:24:00.000-07:00

Search Links: Search Engines Worldwide

Technorati tags: economics,blogs,blogging,search engines,positioning,links,ratings

Malware: Help prevent the Infection

2005-08-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

Malware: Help prevent the Infection
Published: March 22, 2005
By Sandi Hardmeier

In the past, new computer users often felt at a disadvantage from the moment that they turned on their new machines. Although antivirus protection was sometimes pre-installed, it was very often out of date. Anti-spyware software was rarely part of a standard computer package. If they were lucky enough to have XP (Gold or Service Pack 1) the internet connection firewall was often turned off by default.

read more...

Technorati tags: protection,news,spam,virus threats

Resonata - a Wave Machine: Play with Resonance

2005-08-04T01:39:00.000-07:00

Resonata - a Wave Machine: Play with Resonance

Tutoring and Translation services...

2005-08-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

Tutoring and translation Services offered. Individualized plans. Personalized support.
Translating English to Spanish/ Spanish to English:
Documents
Web Pages
Books
Pamphlets

Tutoring available based on need. Your choice of what to learn, when and how to learn it!
Individuals or Corporate accounts. Reasonable rates and free estimates.

If interested please contact edfern34[at]hotmail[dot]com

Feed of the Day

2005-07-29T02:38:00.000-07:00

Feed of the Day: "43 Things steps up to the plate as Pluck's Feed of the Day. Surprisingly still unique - I'd expected a zillion knock-offs with added 'bonus features' - 43 Things is a public way of stating your goals, checking them off the list as you accomplish them (or give up), and seeing what others want to accomplish with their lives. The name itself is not tied to 43 Folders or getting things done. At least not as far as the developers let on. My guess is that it's a combination of Douglas Adams' answer to 'Life, the Universe, and Everything' and Spinal Tap's 'it goes to 11.'"

Trackback: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2901469

Attackers lurk on photo sites, firm warns

2005-07-27T04:40:00.000-07:00

Quote:
Attackers lurk on photo sites, firm warns
Published: July 25, 2005, 3:49 PM PDT
By Joris Evers
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Cybercriminals are increasingly using blog sites and other free online services to spread malicious code, Websense has warned. In the first two weeks of July, the security company's labs saw more than 500 incidents of such attacks, Websense said on Monday. The free services are being abused to install software designed to steal personal information or hijack a victim's PC.

"July has seen a major boom--in the first two weeks alone, we found more instances than in May and June combined," Dan Hubbard, the senior director of security and technology research at Websense, said in a statement.

For the year until mid-July, the San Diego company found a total of 2,500 incidents.

The free services are an anonymous and affordable way for attackers to store and spread their malicious code. In April, Websense reported that blogging services were being targeted by cybercriminals. The company is now warning that other services that offer free Web space--for example, photo album sites, fan sites or greeting card sites--are also being exploited.

The attackers typically lure people to the malicious sites by sending enticing e-mails and instant messages. When a victim clicks on a link, the computer becomes infected. In one case, a greeting card was displayed and a tune played in the background while spyware was being installed on the compromised PC, Websense said.

Automatic tools can be used to create some of the malicious Web pages, Websense said. Typically, the fraudulent sites are only online for up to four days, which makes them harder to detect, it added.

http://news.com.com/Attackers+lurk+on+p...ag=cd.lede

The Road to Success

2005-07-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure,
a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called

Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs.
But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success. Pass it on to ten people whom you want to
see blessed.

News - HaloScan.com

2005-07-22T23:58:00.000-07:00

News - HaloScan.com

Who and what is a weblogger?

2005-07-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

The most accurate description I've found yet .... Feed the Feeds

Be prepared for a good laugh session ;-)

Blogs Really Aren't So Unique

2005-07-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I think that we're being attacked, this time by a different kind of "virus"...

Blogs Really Aren't So Unique

MSN Hotmail - Message

2005-07-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

MSN Hotmail - Message: "Microsoft Doesn't Heart Google

Things seem a bit brighter for search-portal competitor Google. The company is rolling out new services almost daily (have you seen Google Moon? Be sure to zoom all the way into the Moon's surface). Ah, but not everyone is so sanguine about Google's success. In fact, Redmond software giant Microsoft is, apparently, spitting mad that Google hired one of its former research executives. So mad, says Microsoft Watch's Mary Jo Foley, that Microsoft is now suing Google. Foley has the inside look at the dust-up and some speculation on how this might impact a possible 'Google OS.'
Microsoft's legal battle with Google and overall track record in search seems counter to the Redmond-based company's long-standing practice of comfortably dominating whichever market it enters. But maybe Microsoft's on the verge of regaining its old form. I took a look at the announcement about Internet Explorer and RSS in Longhorn from a few weeks ago and noted some echoes of past, similar Microsoft initiatives. Should RSS-focused vendors be scared? I think so.
Still, why should we expect the company to rule the RSS world, when it's still struggling to gain more mobile market share than devices based on the upstart Linux operating system? Our pals at Linux Devices are almost gleeful in their report on the latest smart-phone shipment numbers, which show that Linux-powered devices are beating Windows Mobile phones by a factor of more than 2 to 1. The numbers look s"

Free Download - Resale Rights Report

2005-07-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

Resell Rights report.
Free Download Is Located here: Resale Rights Report

I'm smack dab in the middle of setting up a members area for everyone. In the members area we're going to be giving away a FULL retail version of a soon-to-be-announced software to the first 20 members. It's a $49.95 value and will give you templates, ideas, resources and everything you can possibly need to start a blog and profit from it ..... so stay tuned ... it's gonna go fast when it's available ;o)

Time to Say Hello

2005-07-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to introduce myself and say "Hi" to my teammates and our readers.

My name is Darla and I'm the resident flunky ;o) I'll be checking in often, though I'll be doing more behind the scenes than out here in front (I'm shy, LOL)

There's not a whole lot going on right now but I promise you .... bookmark us and check back often ... this is going to be a Blog to watch because it truely is "For People like You and Me".

We're going to be adding lots of great content and services especially for you ... Stuff that will help you and inform you. Most importantly .... we're flexible ... if you need something or are interested in a topic that we're not covering ... just ask .. we'll get it. And if we don't have an answer for you, we'll find it. Most importantly ... we're going to be adding a "members area" where you can download free guides, ebooks and even software ;o)

So stay tuned .... bookmark us now and keep coming back!

OH .... to bookmark us, right click on this link --> Internet For People Like Us and choose "Add to Favorites"

C'ya soon!

2005-07-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

Parasoft Jtest 7.0 Exposes Functionality Problems with Automatically-Generated Unit Tests for Java Software
— Test Case Sniffer monitors a running application and automatically generates unit test cases that capture application behavior. Simply exercise the application functionality you want to test, and Test Case Sniffer automatically generates JUnit test cases with real data that represents the paths taken through the application. The result is a library of test cases against which new code can be tested to ensure it meets specifications and does not 'break' existing functionality.

The road to success!

2005-07-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

Success is sometimes an elusive word in our vocabulary. There are times that things look bleak in the horizon. The journey of the last few weeks has proven to be exciting, challenging and full of learning and wonder. There is hard work in the process, but in the in the end it pays of! Nobody said it would be easy. However, I am totally convinced that the internet with all its pitfalls and roadblocks, continues to be a great tool for social change that is shaping our lives in ways we would not have thought of. The wind behind the sail carries the vessel. We steer and navigate, and thanks to the wonderful tools here at our fingertips, we make friends, rejoice with one another, support each other, and find that we are all wonderfully connected by the same goals and aspirations-- Anonymous

Blog Tips - ProBlogger: Helping Bloggers Earn Money � Random Blog Tips

2005-07-19T00:32:00.000-07:00

Blog Tips - ProBlogger: Helping Bloggers Earn Money � Random Blog Tips: "July 3, 2005 :: 12:37 AM :: Written by duncan
Is Blogger the worst free blogging service?

I’ve got an interesting thread started at Blog Herald on an interesting topic that should be of interest to Probloggers: Is Blogger the worst free blogging service? that some readers might like to contribute to, but I’d like to add a little here. As a “Problogger” I’ve got to say that I’d NEVER set up a serious blog on a free service. Why? it’s a matter of control. If you are serious about blogging you’ll want to be sure that forever more you’ll have 100% control over your blog and will not be dependent on Google for your hosting. Every time I see a commercial or “Pro” blog launched that uses Blogger I cringe. Don’t get me wrong, personally I’ve always thought highly of Blogger and there is no argument that the service has played an important role in popularising blogs. But in business I wouldn’t risk my time and money on a third party where I’ve got no control over the hosting and future direction of a site, particularly if your site was on a blogspot.com domain. Using a free blogging service, even with Google behind it, is always a risk. I’ve got mixed responses on the actual service, as you’ll see from the post at the Blog Herald, but my advice: if you are serious about blogging you won’t host your blog on a free service."

What do you think? Are you a "for" Blogger or against?

Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things

2005-07-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

Want to get your site listed in one of the most rated blogs online? Please visit....

Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things

Worm spells double trouble for PCs | CNET News.com

2005-07-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

More not so good news...

Worm spells double trouble for PCs | CNET News.com

Windows flaw could spawn DoS attacks | CNET News.com

2005-07-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

And the not so good news...

Windows flaw could spawn DoS attacks | CNET News.com

Getting started...Bloggin 102

2005-07-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

I am relatively new at this "business" of Blogging, my first blog is an attempt to bring together a lot of ideas that linger in my mind on a day to day basis, and I thought it would be helpful for me and others to post and publish. Then, as time went on, I discovered 43things.com, were I found a host of friends that made writing and sharing even more interesting than ever before... I became aware that one of the keys to making money online is the establishing of teams and interdependent relationships were everybody wins, to me the opportunities are limitless, You win and I win and everybody wins, that is what Stephen Covey was trying to convey in his Seven Habits book written years ago, but still having an impact in today's business and personal worlds.
So, I thought why not start using what I already know and apply it consistently so I and others can benefit from it all...
This is how I came up with the idea that bring us to the rest of this story...
I was surfing last night at technorati for content for this blog, which is one of the things you and I need to do to develop our knowledge and expertise, besides using our own personality to add to our writing. I found Mr. Clark's easy to read blog ideas then.
As I was reading his blog today, I found his important point so true that I deemed it worthy of posting here.
Links are extremely important as it makes it easy for your readers to find information quickly without having to go much further than they need to. Anyway, here is what he said...
IMPORTANT POINT

Blogging 101

2005-07-15T01:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is the break down on choices to pick up a blog company or software and do it...
Does it make it easier? I think the site and information is great, but, for someone like me, it still could be tweaked a bit more. Anyway, I give lots of credit for the arduous work that it was... I deem the page worthy of my blogging it...
Blog Software Breakdown

Know what is funny? The word 'blog' and its many derivatives as it is now used, is not included in spell checkers, so I will do a search on the word. I have been using Google of course as my primary search engine, Google's spiders seem to have more sense for what I have searched for over the years, but now the company is getting better. I would say that, in my book, Yahoo is a pretty good search machine, but does not quite give the same results... That is my two cents.

I made up my freaggin mind!

2005-07-15T00:07:00.000-07:00

Made up my mind!

Blogger will be. I figured I can keep it simple and have all my eggs in one basket. What the hell!
Blogger has been nice to me, so I will be nice to them.