Archive for the ‘Internet’ Category
Aug
27
One of the websites out there that I just love is The Consumerist. Probably many of you are going to already be familiar with this site, but if not, allow me to digress for a moment. This site is not only funny as heck based on the writers they have and the wonderful work they do, but also the stories and subject matter that they cover. It’s humorous, informative, educational, and usually gives the reader a good heads up about something to be wary of. Another reason I dig the site, is that like me they don’t sell ads or anything like that, they are donation supported, but even more importantly they are there for the consumer. These guys are in your corner finding out information and exposing scams and fighting for the little guy (you know, us!) all over. As someone who has always been a huge proponent of good customer service, I have nothing but respect for these folk, so go check ‘em out. Plus they dig up some great dirt on people LOL
This leads me to the purpose of this post, I just had to share this link:
Confessions Of A Former Geek Squad Geek
Check it out, see what you think, then go read some more over there … but don’t forget to come back 
By the way, in case you missed it in previous posts, if you notice the links and logos I have there in the Good Stuff box and a few other places that look a lot like ads when I just said that I don’t sell ads. Those are links to products and/or services that I use or have used that I endorse because I found them to be of superb value. No one is paying me to put those there, they are there because I found something good and I wanted to pass it on!
Aug
2
Anyone who has developed a website hoping to quickly achieve a high ranking in the search engines, especially Google, has probably discovered that the task is much more daunting than they originally thought. That is because new websites and even existing websites must prove to Google, Yahoo, MSN and the other search engines that they are worthy of being ranked high.
There are many factors involved in getting a website ranked high in the search engines, including good, relevant content that gives visitors the information they are searching for along with strong link popularity.
What Exactly is Link Popularity?
Many people think link popularity equates to the number of incoming links a website has linking to it. In other words, how many other websites are linking to your website.
Read the rest of this entry »
Aug
1
Linux web hosting refers to web hosting services that are based on a server that is running the Linux operating system. It is probably the most widely used type of web hosting, especially for individuals and small to medium sized businesses, simply because Linux web hosting is cheaper than other options like Windows based hosting. The reason for this is that Linux is an open source software product and as such does not incur the high licensing fees that other operating systems do; you can freely download and use it at no cost. On the other hand, a web hosting service that offers Windows based hosting has to pay for the software and maintenance fees.
Some of the advantages of Linux web hosting are: cheaper than Windows, support for PHP scripts and MySQL databases and some hosts may offer telnet accounts at no or little additional cost. In many circles Linux is believed to be more secure than Windows, and for that reason it is also the more popular choice for web designers and programmers. Linux web hosting also offers users many configuration and customization options.
The Linux operating system is also very stable, so you can expect high uptime from a Linux web hosting service. Linux supports most scripting languages and types of web files, and you can use files with all the following extensions: .html, .htm, .pl, .php, .shtml, .asp, .xml and others. The biggest disadvantage of a Linux based web hosting solution is that it is not compatible with Microsoft technologies, like ASP scripts.
On the other side of the coin is Windows based hosting, which is generally more expensive, but it does support ASP and, usually for an extra fee, can support Cold Fusion, Access databases and SQL Server databases.
In conclusion, if you are new to building websites and web design, Linux web hosting is the better, and cheaper, option. However, if you need specialized services that are Windows specific, then you will have to use a Windows web hosting service.
Jul
16
I am a news junkie, I love to read the news from many sources and (try to) keep up with what is going on in the world. One of the sites I frequent a lot is the Drudge Report, and anyone who has been there will know that (to me anyway) one really annoying thing about that site is the constant page refreshing. Maybe this is done in an attempt to load more banner ads or something, but it gets on my nerves when I keep losing my place as I am reading articles.
So, in my attempt to find an easy way to stop the Drudge Report website from refreshing every second or so (OK, maybe not EVERY second), I came across a nifty little plugin for Firefox that allows you to blacklist websites and thus stop them from running scripts. In this case that also meant that Drudge no longer refreshes while I am reading the news. It’s a lot like the NoScript plugin that we have talked about before, except that instead of deny all and permit by exception, this one is the other way around. Everything is white listed by default and you blacklist sites that you don’t want to run scripts. It works great for me, and I have found it to be quite useful. I have added it to the Must Have Firefox Extensions page in the Library, go check it out and while you are there, see what other ones we talk about. Enjoy!
Dec
10
I have been keeping a list of Firefox extensions that I feel are must have items. This is by no means meant to imply that these are the only ones to have, but for me they form at the very least the core of what makes Firefox stand up and dance for me. I do update it now and then with additions or removals, status updates, whatever. I just updated the list with a replacement for one extension that went away, so check it out!
Sep
5
In yet another new and trendy spammer and phishing ploy, I have been getting a few copies of a message claiming to be from Blizzard regarding Beta access to the Cataclysm expansion coming out soon. This one did give me pause at first because I am signed up for the Beta, waiting to see if I get in. Luckily, I noticed some blatant signs when I inspected the message. The biggest thing was not only the Cataclysm website they wanted to send you to for account information harvesting being wrong, as in the wrong URL (not even close LOL), but I received several of these and they had different URLs between them. One other thing was that I received this to several email addresses, none of which were the one actually associated with my WoW account. Obviously these guys (or gals?) are carpet bombing and hoping they snag a few of the 10 or 12 million or so WoW players. Just wanted to pass this on, be on the lookout if this fits you in any way! In the words of Mad Eye Moody “CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!”
One of the websites out there that I just love is The Consumerist. Probably many of you are going to already be familiar with this site, but if not, allow me to digress for a moment. This site is not only funny as heck based on the writers they have and the wonderful work they do, but also the stories and subject matter that they cover. It’s humorous, informative, educational, and usually gives the reader a good heads up about something to be wary of. Another reason I dig the site, is that like me they don’t sell ads or anything like that, they are donation supported, but even more importantly they are there for the consumer. These guys are in your corner finding out information and exposing scams and fighting for the little guy (you know, us!) all over. As someone who has always been a huge proponent of good customer service, I have nothing but respect for these folk, so go check ‘em out. Plus they dig up some great dirt on people LOL
