Do you remember that frustrating feeling when you find an interesting screensaver and can't install it on your computer? This article will help you to never have it again.
Back to when Windows 95 started to find its home on many computers there was just half a dozen of screensavers preinstalled with the system. All you could do was selecting one of these. It was as simple as boring.
Luckily those times are left behind. Now we have hundreds of screensavers developed throughout the years and available for download. Finding a nice screensaver matching your taste and style can be a hard task. How much disappointing is it when you are unable to install the discovery on your computer then? I bet you know.
Often you come across a screensaver with an intriguing description and no screenshots. You are curios to see it in action. But: SLAP! You can't figure out the way to make it work on your system and you will never know what you have missed. What a pity! I know.
Well... Enough! Enough of this! There should be a way to make us, screensaver hunters, luckier. Keep reading. There's something that can open a whole new world of screensavers to you.
First, in order to fight this evil, we should find its roots. Why is it so that we have the problem? Mainly it's because there are several ways to distribute screensavers:
1. As self-extracting installation packages
2. As ZIPped installation packages
3. As individual .SCR files
The self-extracting packages are the easiest to install. You just download the screensaver and double click it. Then the installation program starts and performs all the steps necessary to install the screensaver. That is, you have it ready for use just with a few mouse clicks.
You can recognize the ZIPped installation packages by their names. They have ".zip" at the end. Double clicking such files will probably get you nowhere unless you are well prepared.
The third category is represented by files with names ending with ".scr". Activating such file usually launches the screensaver. That's not bad. At least you can see what it's all about. But this way it won't appear in the list of available screensavers that the operating system starts if your computer goes to rest. That is, you have to use a little trick if you like the screensaver.
Now that the reason of our problems is a bit more obvious, I almost hear your question. Once the self-extracting packages are the easiest to install, why just not to stick with them? Okay, you are right. It makes a perfect sense. But you forget one important thing. Screensavers are created by programmers.
And programmers differ from other computer users in that they see everything from their very specific and technical point of view. It's not a problem for them to extract files from ZIPped packages as they work with them very often. It is rather natural for them to copy files into secret system folders that 80% of users didn't hear about and don't have to.
That's why they create screensavers and put them on download sites in the form that is hard to install for you. But don't hurry to blame them. They mostly do it unintentionally, not because they hate people who can't handle ZIP archives or bare screensaver files.
I know it because I am one of them. In fact (my face goes red here) my Rainy Screensaver ( http://www.elasticsystems.com/rainy/ ) was distributed as a ZIPped package until version 1.7. Thanks to the people who provided me with their feedback. I really don't see any reason to hurt those who use their computers as tools or source of entertainment. These people don't have to know all technical aspects.
I hope more and more screensaver writers will understand this and will make their screensavers easier for you to install. Meanwhile you yourself can get the knowledge needed to handle not so friendly installations without a problem. So let's get back to installing ZIPped packages and bare screensaver files.
* ZIPped installation packages
These ".zip" files are known as archives. It is very popular way to spread software and information over the net. They let you to "pack" many files into one that is much easier to download. They also use special methods known as compression to reduce the final size of the packed files and thus save your time and money spent downloading them.
In order to unpack (extract) files from a ZIPped package you should use a special program. Probably the most popular and easy to use is WinZip. You can download it from http://www.winzip.com. Windows XP has a built-in support for ".zip" files so, if you use Windows XP, there's no need for additional software.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that a ".zip" package usually contains a collection of files that should be extracted somewhere before you can use them. It doesn't matter what program you use to extract the files. Just follow its instructions to do it and put extracted files in the place of your choice. It's better to create a special folder for such cases. Alternatively you can use temporary folder provided by Windows.
Once the files are extracted you should examine them. If you see one named "Install.exe" or "Setup.exe" among them then you can double click it to complete the installation process. Even though archives are very convenient when used on a bunch of files, they can be used to pack a single file to reduce its size. So if you have extracted a single file with its name ending with ".scr" then you should keep reading.
* Bare screensaver files
As I have said before, these files have their name ending with ".scr". They are screensavers themselves. That is, they are the programs that create all these amazing effects when started. You can find some details about them in my article "Windows Screensavers Explained" at http://www.elasticsystems.com/articles.html .
The easiest known way to install ".scr" files is to right click on them and then choose "Install" from available menu options. Once you do this, Windows will set the screensaver as default and open Display Properties dialog where you can adjust screensaver's settings if you wish.
This way has some disadvantages though. First, you should be careful with where you keep the screensaver file. If you have put it in the temporary folder and it is likely to be deleted or moved somewhere else later, then the system won't find the screensaver anymore. So you'd better create a special folder for screensavers that you choose to install this way. Second, if you select another screensaver from the list in Display Properties dialog then Windows will forget any screensaver installed using the described method. That is, you will have to right click it and choose "Install" once and again.
Nevertheless, this way is very convenient if you just want to take a look at the screensaver, play with its settings and delete it. If you really like the screensaver and want it to brighten boring cloudy days then you'd better find a cozier place to keep it.
How do you find such place? It's easy. What you need is to drag the screensaver into your Windows folder. If you use Windows 95/98 or Windows Me then chances are this folder is on your drive C: and has a name of "Windows". If you use Windows NT/2000 or Windows XP then it's probably on your drive C: and is called "WINNT". Once you put the screensaver in this folder it will be available in the list of installed screensavers in Display Properties dialog. Now you can select it whenever you wish. Furthermore, you should worry no more about reinstalling it every time you change your mind and select another screensaver.
TIP: Sometimes you download a ZIPped installation package for screensaver, extract its contents to some folder and find there both "Setup.exe" (or "Install.exe") and ".scr" files. In this case double clicking "Install" or "Setup" is the preferred way. That's because the installation program will perform all the steps needed to install the screensaver like copying necessary files, updating system registry, providing uninstaller and so on. Simply copying the ".scr" file to Windows folder apparently won't do it.
Now that you have a few more useful tricks under your belt, you can install much more screensavers. Add here acquired confidence that those screensavers you like are ready to please you whenever you wish and there's a good reason to become a bit happier.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Windows Screensavers Explained
In this article you will find some background information about screensavers and their history. You will also learn how Windows screensavers differ from other programs and how you can use it to your own advantage. Also there are some tips for users owning laptops, notebooks or CD-burning devices.
Have you ever asked yourself a question like "What is a screensaver actually?" I did. And now I will gladly share the results of my investigation. As you can see easily, splitting the word "screensaver" into two words will give us the phrase "screen saver". This isn't a rocket science and it's clear that the phrase suggests our subject somehow saving the screen. So the word "screensaver" can be applied to some sort of good things that save the screen of our so much beloved baby-computer. But what does it mean exactly? Who is going to harm our computer screen? Who could be such a bad person? The answer lies in the exact definition of screensavers.
If you are a meticulous person then you can search the Internet and come up with some of the existing definitions. But don't hurry. I will list some of the most often found. Here they are:
* A moving picture or pattern that appears on your screen when you have not moved the mouse or pressed a key on the computer for a specified period of time. Screensavers prevent screen damage that is caused when the same areas of light and dark are displayed for long periods of time.
* A program that "wakes up" after a certain amount of time has elapsed with no keyboard or mouse activity and blanks the screen or displays various moving objects across the screen; these are used to prevent your screen from getting "burn in".
* An animated picture or graphic that can be programmed through the Display control panel to come on the computer screen after so much inactivity time has elapsed. The main reason for a screensaver is to reduce wear and tear on the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) inside the monitor that can burn out or become etched if the same window is left on for extended periods of time.
The picture is getting clearer, isn't it? Let's make it plain. The "burn in" or "damage" used in these definitions refer us to the time before 90-ies. At that time many cathode ray tubes in TVs, computer monitors or elsewhere were prone to be damaged if the same pattern (e.g., the WordPerfect status line; the Pong score readout; or a TV channel-number display) was shown at the same position on the screen for very long periods of time. The phosphor on the screen would "fatigue" and that part of the screen would seem grayed out, even when the CRT was off.
TIP: Be careful when using a screensaver on a computer with an LCD screen (most laptops and notebooks). A pixel on an LCD screen is on when it's dark; therefore, blacking the screen as some screensavers do would cause more damage.
Eventually CRTs which were resistant to burn-in (and which sometimes went into sleep mode after a period of inactivity) were developed. But in the meantime, solution was found: home video game systems of the era (e.g., Atari 2600s) would, when not being played, change the screen every few seconds, to avoid burn-in; and computer screensaver programs were developed.
The first screensavers were simple screen blankers - they just set the screen to all black, but, in the best case of creeping featurism ever recorded, these tiny (often under 1K long) programs grew without regard to efficiency or even basic usefulness. At first, small, innocuous display hacks (generally on an almost-black screen) were added. Later, more complex effects appeared, including animations (often with sound effects!) of arbitrary length and complexity.
And now we live in the world full of fun and entertaining screensavers. Many of them produce amazing and very attractive effects. You can find a screensaver on any theme you like, download it, install and enjoy.
This means that a typical screensaver is a program. And it really is. But isn't there something different? Is there something that distinguishes a program running as screensaver from other typical programs? You're right, there is a bit of mystery. In order to demystify it we should plunge deeper into screensaver mechanics. But don't be afraid. It isn't complicated at all.
First, as you already know, screensavers are launched automatically by the operating system.
TIP: Be careful if you use CD-Burning devices regularly and your system is configured to launch screensaver after some period of inactivity. Some screensavers produce very sophisticated effects but for the price of intensive CPU load. If you leave your computer while CD-Burning software is working, screensaver will be launched. This can sometimes lead to the CD-R/RW disks burned improperly.
During their installation process screensavers are copied to the system directory (years ago users had even to copy screensavers by themselves). Once they are there, Windows finds them and puts in the list of available screensavers. You can see this list in the Display Properties dialog. But how does the system know that the program in its system directory is a screensaver? The answer is simple. Any screensaver program has a name ending with ".SCR" extension, while a typical program has the ".EXE" extension at the end. This is the first difference.
Second, almost every screensaver has a bunch of settings allowing you to change its appearance in many ways. This isn't a much difference because many typical programs have options and settings too. The difference lies in the way the user invokes configuration dialogs. Windows provides the only way to do it. It's the Display Properties dialog mentioned above. Other programs usually have their own buttons or menus to do that. Why are we talking about it? It's simple. The whole process means that the system has a way to communicate with screensavers: to launch them, preview and configure on your demand while other typical programs don't have it. Usually they are simply launched and that's all. This is the second difference.
So what? How can we use it to our own advantage? Imagine yourself downloading a new screensaver, running it and finding it rather amazing. The screensaver can be so amazing and entertaining, that you would like to show it running on your screen to the friend of yours. But wait. How do you do that? What if your system is configured to launch the screensaver after 5 minutes of inactivity only? Or after 10 minutes or even more? Will you wait for this eternity? You can say that there is always a way to launch the screensaver from the Dialog Properties. But in order to do that you should launch the dialog, find the Screen Savers tab and click the Preview button. Quite a lot of things to do. And if you are willing to demonstrate two or even more screensavers the things get complicated even more. And what if the screensaver you've found looks best when the whole desktop wallpaper is seen on the screen? The Display Properties dialog will simply destroy this unique beauty you were willing to share.
Now imagine that double-clicking an icon on your desktop could do all this. Simple action, no unnecessary dialogs. Sure, some preparation steps are needed. But they are done once. After that you can enjoy launching screensavers using icons as many times as you wish. Is it worth doing? Try it, the result can be very effective. Once you manage the process, you can proudly call yourself a "Professional Screensaver User". If you like the idea then there's the way to achieve it:
1. Use Windows explorer to navigate to your system directory. Usually it is C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System if you use Windows 95/98/Me. If you use Windows NT/2000/XP, then you should look in C:\WINNT or C:\WINNT\System32
2. Look through the list of programs there. It can be quite large, but you can easily find the name of the screensaver you are looking for. Alternatively you can use the "Find Files or Folders" facility.
3. Once you've found it, use the right mouse button to drag the file onto the desktop. After releasing the mouse select "Create Shortcut Here" from the popup menu. The icon for the screensaver should appear on your desktop.
Now you can launch the screensaver at any time. Simply double-click the created icon. Enjoy! I will be glad if you feel a bit more control over the system.
Have you ever asked yourself a question like "What is a screensaver actually?" I did. And now I will gladly share the results of my investigation. As you can see easily, splitting the word "screensaver" into two words will give us the phrase "screen saver". This isn't a rocket science and it's clear that the phrase suggests our subject somehow saving the screen. So the word "screensaver" can be applied to some sort of good things that save the screen of our so much beloved baby-computer. But what does it mean exactly? Who is going to harm our computer screen? Who could be such a bad person? The answer lies in the exact definition of screensavers.
If you are a meticulous person then you can search the Internet and come up with some of the existing definitions. But don't hurry. I will list some of the most often found. Here they are:
* A moving picture or pattern that appears on your screen when you have not moved the mouse or pressed a key on the computer for a specified period of time. Screensavers prevent screen damage that is caused when the same areas of light and dark are displayed for long periods of time.
* A program that "wakes up" after a certain amount of time has elapsed with no keyboard or mouse activity and blanks the screen or displays various moving objects across the screen; these are used to prevent your screen from getting "burn in".
* An animated picture or graphic that can be programmed through the Display control panel to come on the computer screen after so much inactivity time has elapsed. The main reason for a screensaver is to reduce wear and tear on the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) inside the monitor that can burn out or become etched if the same window is left on for extended periods of time.
The picture is getting clearer, isn't it? Let's make it plain. The "burn in" or "damage" used in these definitions refer us to the time before 90-ies. At that time many cathode ray tubes in TVs, computer monitors or elsewhere were prone to be damaged if the same pattern (e.g., the WordPerfect status line; the Pong score readout; or a TV channel-number display) was shown at the same position on the screen for very long periods of time. The phosphor on the screen would "fatigue" and that part of the screen would seem grayed out, even when the CRT was off.
TIP: Be careful when using a screensaver on a computer with an LCD screen (most laptops and notebooks). A pixel on an LCD screen is on when it's dark; therefore, blacking the screen as some screensavers do would cause more damage.
Eventually CRTs which were resistant to burn-in (and which sometimes went into sleep mode after a period of inactivity) were developed. But in the meantime, solution was found: home video game systems of the era (e.g., Atari 2600s) would, when not being played, change the screen every few seconds, to avoid burn-in; and computer screensaver programs were developed.
The first screensavers were simple screen blankers - they just set the screen to all black, but, in the best case of creeping featurism ever recorded, these tiny (often under 1K long) programs grew without regard to efficiency or even basic usefulness. At first, small, innocuous display hacks (generally on an almost-black screen) were added. Later, more complex effects appeared, including animations (often with sound effects!) of arbitrary length and complexity.
And now we live in the world full of fun and entertaining screensavers. Many of them produce amazing and very attractive effects. You can find a screensaver on any theme you like, download it, install and enjoy.
This means that a typical screensaver is a program. And it really is. But isn't there something different? Is there something that distinguishes a program running as screensaver from other typical programs? You're right, there is a bit of mystery. In order to demystify it we should plunge deeper into screensaver mechanics. But don't be afraid. It isn't complicated at all.
First, as you already know, screensavers are launched automatically by the operating system.
TIP: Be careful if you use CD-Burning devices regularly and your system is configured to launch screensaver after some period of inactivity. Some screensavers produce very sophisticated effects but for the price of intensive CPU load. If you leave your computer while CD-Burning software is working, screensaver will be launched. This can sometimes lead to the CD-R/RW disks burned improperly.
During their installation process screensavers are copied to the system directory (years ago users had even to copy screensavers by themselves). Once they are there, Windows finds them and puts in the list of available screensavers. You can see this list in the Display Properties dialog. But how does the system know that the program in its system directory is a screensaver? The answer is simple. Any screensaver program has a name ending with ".SCR" extension, while a typical program has the ".EXE" extension at the end. This is the first difference.
Second, almost every screensaver has a bunch of settings allowing you to change its appearance in many ways. This isn't a much difference because many typical programs have options and settings too. The difference lies in the way the user invokes configuration dialogs. Windows provides the only way to do it. It's the Display Properties dialog mentioned above. Other programs usually have their own buttons or menus to do that. Why are we talking about it? It's simple. The whole process means that the system has a way to communicate with screensavers: to launch them, preview and configure on your demand while other typical programs don't have it. Usually they are simply launched and that's all. This is the second difference.
So what? How can we use it to our own advantage? Imagine yourself downloading a new screensaver, running it and finding it rather amazing. The screensaver can be so amazing and entertaining, that you would like to show it running on your screen to the friend of yours. But wait. How do you do that? What if your system is configured to launch the screensaver after 5 minutes of inactivity only? Or after 10 minutes or even more? Will you wait for this eternity? You can say that there is always a way to launch the screensaver from the Dialog Properties. But in order to do that you should launch the dialog, find the Screen Savers tab and click the Preview button. Quite a lot of things to do. And if you are willing to demonstrate two or even more screensavers the things get complicated even more. And what if the screensaver you've found looks best when the whole desktop wallpaper is seen on the screen? The Display Properties dialog will simply destroy this unique beauty you were willing to share.
Now imagine that double-clicking an icon on your desktop could do all this. Simple action, no unnecessary dialogs. Sure, some preparation steps are needed. But they are done once. After that you can enjoy launching screensavers using icons as many times as you wish. Is it worth doing? Try it, the result can be very effective. Once you manage the process, you can proudly call yourself a "Professional Screensaver User". If you like the idea then there's the way to achieve it:
1. Use Windows explorer to navigate to your system directory. Usually it is C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System if you use Windows 95/98/Me. If you use Windows NT/2000/XP, then you should look in C:\WINNT or C:\WINNT\System32
2. Look through the list of programs there. It can be quite large, but you can easily find the name of the screensaver you are looking for. Alternatively you can use the "Find Files or Folders" facility.
3. Once you've found it, use the right mouse button to drag the file onto the desktop. After releasing the mouse select "Create Shortcut Here" from the popup menu. The icon for the screensaver should appear on your desktop.
Now you can launch the screensaver at any time. Simply double-click the created icon. Enjoy! I will be glad if you feel a bit more control over the system.
Windows Screensavers Explained
In this article you will find some background information about screensavers and their history. You will also learn how Windows screensavers differ from other programs and how you can use it to your own advantage. Also there are some tips for users owning laptops, notebooks or CD-burning devices.
Have you ever asked yourself a question like "What is a screensaver actually?" I did. And now I will gladly share the results of my investigation. As you can see easily, splitting the word "screensaver" into two words will give us the phrase "screen saver". This isn't a rocket science and it's clear that the phrase suggests our subject somehow saving the screen. So the word "screensaver" can be applied to some sort of good things that save the screen of our so much beloved baby-computer. But what does it mean exactly? Who is going to harm our computer screen? Who could be such a bad person? The answer lies in the exact definition of screensavers.
If you are a meticulous person then you can search the Internet and come up with some of the existing definitions. But don't hurry. I will list some of the most often found. Here they are:
* A moving picture or pattern that appears on your screen when you have not moved the mouse or pressed a key on the computer for a specified period of time. Screensavers prevent screen damage that is caused when the same areas of light and dark are displayed for long periods of time.
* A program that "wakes up" after a certain amount of time has elapsed with no keyboard or mouse activity and blanks the screen or displays various moving objects across the screen; these are used to prevent your screen from getting "burn in".
* An animated picture or graphic that can be programmed through the Display control panel to come on the computer screen after so much inactivity time has elapsed. The main reason for a screensaver is to reduce wear and tear on the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) inside the monitor that can burn out or become etched if the same window is left on for extended periods of time.
The picture is getting clearer, isn't it? Let's make it plain. The "burn in" or "damage" used in these definitions refer us to the time before 90-ies. At that time many cathode ray tubes in TVs, computer monitors or elsewhere were prone to be damaged if the same pattern (e.g., the WordPerfect status line; the Pong score readout; or a TV channel-number display) was shown at the same position on the screen for very long periods of time. The phosphor on the screen would "fatigue" and that part of the screen would seem grayed out, even when the CRT was off.
TIP: Be careful when using a screensaver on a computer with an LCD screen (most laptops and notebooks). A pixel on an LCD screen is on when it's dark; therefore, blacking the screen as some screensavers do would cause more damage.
Eventually CRTs which were resistant to burn-in (and which sometimes went into sleep mode after a period of inactivity) were developed. But in the meantime, solution was found: home video game systems of the era (e.g., Atari 2600s) would, when not being played, change the screen every few seconds, to avoid burn-in; and computer screensaver programs were developed.
The first screensavers were simple screen blankers - they just set the screen to all black, but, in the best case of creeping featurism ever recorded, these tiny (often under 1K long) programs grew without regard to efficiency or even basic usefulness. At first, small, innocuous display hacks (generally on an almost-black screen) were added. Later, more complex effects appeared, including animations (often with sound effects!) of arbitrary length and complexity.
And now we live in the world full of fun and entertaining screensavers. Many of them produce amazing and very attractive effects. You can find a screensaver on any theme you like, download it, install and enjoy.
This means that a typical screensaver is a program. And it really is. But isn't there something different? Is there something that distinguishes a program running as screensaver from other typical programs? You're right, there is a bit of mystery. In order to demystify it we should plunge deeper into screensaver mechanics. But don't be afraid. It isn't complicated at all.
First, as you already know, screensavers are launched automatically by the operating system.
TIP: Be careful if you use CD-Burning devices regularly and your system is configured to launch screensaver after some period of inactivity. Some screensavers produce very sophisticated effects but for the price of intensive CPU load. If you leave your computer while CD-Burning software is working, screensaver will be launched. This can sometimes lead to the CD-R/RW disks burned improperly.
During their installation process screensavers are copied to the system directory (years ago users had even to copy screensavers by themselves). Once they are there, Windows finds them and puts in the list of available screensavers. You can see this list in the Display Properties dialog. But how does the system know that the program in its system directory is a screensaver? The answer is simple. Any screensaver program has a name ending with ".SCR" extension, while a typical program has the ".EXE" extension at the end. This is the first difference.
Second, almost every screensaver has a bunch of settings allowing you to change its appearance in many ways. This isn't a much difference because many typical programs have options and settings too. The difference lies in the way the user invokes configuration dialogs. Windows provides the only way to do it. It's the Display Properties dialog mentioned above. Other programs usually have their own buttons or menus to do that. Why are we talking about it? It's simple. The whole process means that the system has a way to communicate with screensavers: to launch them, preview and configure on your demand while other typical programs don't have it. Usually they are simply launched and that's all. This is the second difference.
So what? How can we use it to our own advantage? Imagine yourself downloading a new screensaver, running it and finding it rather amazing. The screensaver can be so amazing and entertaining, that you would like to show it running on your screen to the friend of yours. But wait. How do you do that? What if your system is configured to launch the screensaver after 5 minutes of inactivity only? Or after 10 minutes or even more? Will you wait for this eternity? You can say that there is always a way to launch the screensaver from the Dialog Properties. But in order to do that you should launch the dialog, find the Screen Savers tab and click the Preview button. Quite a lot of things to do. And if you are willing to demonstrate two or even more screensavers the things get complicated even more. And what if the screensaver you've found looks best when the whole desktop wallpaper is seen on the screen? The Display Properties dialog will simply destroy this unique beauty you were willing to share.
Now imagine that double-clicking an icon on your desktop could do all this. Simple action, no unnecessary dialogs. Sure, some preparation steps are needed. But they are done once. After that you can enjoy launching screensavers using icons as many times as you wish. Is it worth doing? Try it, the result can be very effective. Once you manage the process, you can proudly call yourself a "Professional Screensaver User". If you like the idea then there's the way to achieve it:
1. Use Windows explorer to navigate to your system directory. Usually it is C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System if you use Windows 95/98/Me. If you use Windows NT/2000/XP, then you should look in C:\WINNT or C:\WINNT\System32
2. Look through the list of programs there. It can be quite large, but you can easily find the name of the screensaver you are looking for. Alternatively you can use the "Find Files or Folders" facility.
3. Once you've found it, use the right mouse button to drag the file onto the desktop. After releasing the mouse select "Create Shortcut Here" from the popup menu. The icon for the screensaver should appear on your desktop.
Now you can launch the screensaver at any time. Simply double-click the created icon. Enjoy! I will be glad if you feel a bit more control over the system.
Have you ever asked yourself a question like "What is a screensaver actually?" I did. And now I will gladly share the results of my investigation. As you can see easily, splitting the word "screensaver" into two words will give us the phrase "screen saver". This isn't a rocket science and it's clear that the phrase suggests our subject somehow saving the screen. So the word "screensaver" can be applied to some sort of good things that save the screen of our so much beloved baby-computer. But what does it mean exactly? Who is going to harm our computer screen? Who could be such a bad person? The answer lies in the exact definition of screensavers.
If you are a meticulous person then you can search the Internet and come up with some of the existing definitions. But don't hurry. I will list some of the most often found. Here they are:
* A moving picture or pattern that appears on your screen when you have not moved the mouse or pressed a key on the computer for a specified period of time. Screensavers prevent screen damage that is caused when the same areas of light and dark are displayed for long periods of time.
* A program that "wakes up" after a certain amount of time has elapsed with no keyboard or mouse activity and blanks the screen or displays various moving objects across the screen; these are used to prevent your screen from getting "burn in".
* An animated picture or graphic that can be programmed through the Display control panel to come on the computer screen after so much inactivity time has elapsed. The main reason for a screensaver is to reduce wear and tear on the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) inside the monitor that can burn out or become etched if the same window is left on for extended periods of time.
The picture is getting clearer, isn't it? Let's make it plain. The "burn in" or "damage" used in these definitions refer us to the time before 90-ies. At that time many cathode ray tubes in TVs, computer monitors or elsewhere were prone to be damaged if the same pattern (e.g., the WordPerfect status line; the Pong score readout; or a TV channel-number display) was shown at the same position on the screen for very long periods of time. The phosphor on the screen would "fatigue" and that part of the screen would seem grayed out, even when the CRT was off.
TIP: Be careful when using a screensaver on a computer with an LCD screen (most laptops and notebooks). A pixel on an LCD screen is on when it's dark; therefore, blacking the screen as some screensavers do would cause more damage.
Eventually CRTs which were resistant to burn-in (and which sometimes went into sleep mode after a period of inactivity) were developed. But in the meantime, solution was found: home video game systems of the era (e.g., Atari 2600s) would, when not being played, change the screen every few seconds, to avoid burn-in; and computer screensaver programs were developed.
The first screensavers were simple screen blankers - they just set the screen to all black, but, in the best case of creeping featurism ever recorded, these tiny (often under 1K long) programs grew without regard to efficiency or even basic usefulness. At first, small, innocuous display hacks (generally on an almost-black screen) were added. Later, more complex effects appeared, including animations (often with sound effects!) of arbitrary length and complexity.
And now we live in the world full of fun and entertaining screensavers. Many of them produce amazing and very attractive effects. You can find a screensaver on any theme you like, download it, install and enjoy.
This means that a typical screensaver is a program. And it really is. But isn't there something different? Is there something that distinguishes a program running as screensaver from other typical programs? You're right, there is a bit of mystery. In order to demystify it we should plunge deeper into screensaver mechanics. But don't be afraid. It isn't complicated at all.
First, as you already know, screensavers are launched automatically by the operating system.
TIP: Be careful if you use CD-Burning devices regularly and your system is configured to launch screensaver after some period of inactivity. Some screensavers produce very sophisticated effects but for the price of intensive CPU load. If you leave your computer while CD-Burning software is working, screensaver will be launched. This can sometimes lead to the CD-R/RW disks burned improperly.
During their installation process screensavers are copied to the system directory (years ago users had even to copy screensavers by themselves). Once they are there, Windows finds them and puts in the list of available screensavers. You can see this list in the Display Properties dialog. But how does the system know that the program in its system directory is a screensaver? The answer is simple. Any screensaver program has a name ending with ".SCR" extension, while a typical program has the ".EXE" extension at the end. This is the first difference.
Second, almost every screensaver has a bunch of settings allowing you to change its appearance in many ways. This isn't a much difference because many typical programs have options and settings too. The difference lies in the way the user invokes configuration dialogs. Windows provides the only way to do it. It's the Display Properties dialog mentioned above. Other programs usually have their own buttons or menus to do that. Why are we talking about it? It's simple. The whole process means that the system has a way to communicate with screensavers: to launch them, preview and configure on your demand while other typical programs don't have it. Usually they are simply launched and that's all. This is the second difference.
So what? How can we use it to our own advantage? Imagine yourself downloading a new screensaver, running it and finding it rather amazing. The screensaver can be so amazing and entertaining, that you would like to show it running on your screen to the friend of yours. But wait. How do you do that? What if your system is configured to launch the screensaver after 5 minutes of inactivity only? Or after 10 minutes or even more? Will you wait for this eternity? You can say that there is always a way to launch the screensaver from the Dialog Properties. But in order to do that you should launch the dialog, find the Screen Savers tab and click the Preview button. Quite a lot of things to do. And if you are willing to demonstrate two or even more screensavers the things get complicated even more. And what if the screensaver you've found looks best when the whole desktop wallpaper is seen on the screen? The Display Properties dialog will simply destroy this unique beauty you were willing to share.
Now imagine that double-clicking an icon on your desktop could do all this. Simple action, no unnecessary dialogs. Sure, some preparation steps are needed. But they are done once. After that you can enjoy launching screensavers using icons as many times as you wish. Is it worth doing? Try it, the result can be very effective. Once you manage the process, you can proudly call yourself a "Professional Screensaver User". If you like the idea then there's the way to achieve it:
1. Use Windows explorer to navigate to your system directory. Usually it is C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System if you use Windows 95/98/Me. If you use Windows NT/2000/XP, then you should look in C:\WINNT or C:\WINNT\System32
2. Look through the list of programs there. It can be quite large, but you can easily find the name of the screensaver you are looking for. Alternatively you can use the "Find Files or Folders" facility.
3. Once you've found it, use the right mouse button to drag the file onto the desktop. After releasing the mouse select "Create Shortcut Here" from the popup menu. The icon for the screensaver should appear on your desktop.
Now you can launch the screensaver at any time. Simply double-click the created icon. Enjoy! I will be glad if you feel a bit more control over the system.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Brand Your Website's URL With a Favicon
Have you ever noticed that when you look at your browser favorites menu or the address bar, some entries have their own little icon beside their URL?
It's called a "Favicon" (a graphic file with a .ico extension) and it's placed in the root directory of the web site. Everytime you bookmark a site that has its own favicon.ico file, it is added to your browser, and it will be visible from then on in the favorites menu and in the address bar.
At the beginning, only large websites had a favicon, but now you too can create one and use it to brand your website. The first thing you have to do is to create your favicon. To be displayed by browsers, it must have a size of 16x16 pixels. To create one, you can use a graphics program called Icon Forge (you can download a free trial version in CNET):
http://download.com.com/3000-2195-10128559.html
You can either create an icon from scratch, or import a 16x16 '.gif' or '.jpg' file and save it as a '.ico' file.
You will then have to save your icon with the default name of 'favicon.ico', and upload it to the root directory of your website (where your index page is). Finally, after that, you must associate your icon to your web page. You do that by including the following HTML code immediately after the HEAD tag of your page:
link REL="SHORTCUT ICON" HREF="http://www.yourwebsite.com/favicon.ico"
Once you've done that, that's it. To try it out, go to your web page and add your page to your favorites. You should be able to see the favicon next to your bookmarked page title. Also, the next time you type your URL in the address bar, you will see your favicon to the left of the URL.
(Favicons work with Internet Explorer 5 or newer, and with recent versions of Netscape.)
It's called a "Favicon" (a graphic file with a .ico extension) and it's placed in the root directory of the web site. Everytime you bookmark a site that has its own favicon.ico file, it is added to your browser, and it will be visible from then on in the favorites menu and in the address bar.
At the beginning, only large websites had a favicon, but now you too can create one and use it to brand your website. The first thing you have to do is to create your favicon. To be displayed by browsers, it must have a size of 16x16 pixels. To create one, you can use a graphics program called Icon Forge (you can download a free trial version in CNET):
http://download.com.com/3000-2195-10128559.html
You can either create an icon from scratch, or import a 16x16 '.gif' or '.jpg' file and save it as a '.ico' file.
You will then have to save your icon with the default name of 'favicon.ico', and upload it to the root directory of your website (where your index page is). Finally, after that, you must associate your icon to your web page. You do that by including the following HTML code immediately after the HEAD tag of your page:
link REL="SHORTCUT ICON" HREF="http://www.yourwebsite.com/favicon.ico"
Once you've done that, that's it. To try it out, go to your web page and add your page to your favorites. You should be able to see the favicon next to your bookmarked page title. Also, the next time you type your URL in the address bar, you will see your favicon to the left of the URL.
(Favicons work with Internet Explorer 5 or newer, and with recent versions of Netscape.)
5 Ways To Make Money Online Today
If you are not sure exactly what you should be doing online, don't worry! In this article I'm going to show you some of the best ways to make money online in the year 2003.
Become an affiliate:
This is probably the easiest and the hardest way to make money online. It's easy as it cost's you nothing to join an affiliate program, but it's hard because so many affiliates fails. The stats are 95% of all affiliates never make a cent, but there is help. With the following resources, you will be a step ahead of the rest.
Allan Gardyne's Free Associateprograms.com is a brilliant site to start with. His newsletter is the best in the business.
Phil Wiley's Free Ozemedia.com and newsletter is great, if you can, I would buy his book straight away.
Rob's Free Profitpuppy.com is a hard hitting guide to affiliate programs, straight from the trenches
Create Your Own Software:
This could probably be a bit over your head if you are just starting, but software is selling like hotcakes online. A few examples of what I mean would be, Headergenerator.com and Ecovergenerator.com. These basically just allow you to create your own graphics for your website with out having to hire it out to others.
You can learn more about software and programming from the following resources.
Ben Praters Softwaresecretsrevealed.com is a great guide from someone who is actually making his fortune with software.
Ryan Deiss's Deadsoftware.com is another great site to learn about using pre existing software for your own profits.
Create Your Own Ebooks:
This is the easiest to get up from the ground as you don't need a lot of expensive resources or knowledge. While it seems every man and his dog are creating ebooks and selling them online, it's still a very viable business, and very profitable if you can come up with a topic for your book that is in great demand.
There are only 2 resources you should be checking out if you are new online, (there's a lot more later on down the track).
One is Terry Deans Netbreakthroughs.com which is the ultimate marketing site online. It doesn't matter what you are creating or selling online, you need this site. He shows you exactly what to do with real life examples. This is the most highly recommended site on the Internet to my liking.
The other is Bill Myers Bmyers.com. This site is great for coming up with product ideas but I'm still a little dubious on his online marketing tactics he suggests. Either way, the cost of his membership site is nothing to the amount of ideas you will get for potential killer products.
Create A Members Site:
This is becoming the most popular method of making money online now. Membersites that pay you monthly is where the money is at. Why work your butt off to write a book that's only going to pay you once, when you can write content that will pay you month after month.
The best place to learn about membersites is Paidmembersites.com run by Terry Dean and a few other marketing experts.
Sell On Ebay:
I can not see selling on Ebay ever fading to the point where it's unprofitable to do so. While it may seem everyman and his dog are selling on Ebay, and it's true, it's still very profitable. All you have to do is find a target niche market and give them everything they need. Don't even think about trying to sell electronic goods on Ebay unless you can get them at super cheap prices and have a large quantity to sell constantly.
The best way to learn about Ebay is to get a few products together and sell them. There are plenty of guides on selling on Ebay, most of them you can get from Ebay itself. I also recommend, if you are going to sell on Ebay, that you have another look at Bmyers.com. He talks quite a lot about Ebay, and it's good information.
Well, there you have. Those are probably the most profitable businesses on the Internet right now.
Good luck!
Become an affiliate:
This is probably the easiest and the hardest way to make money online. It's easy as it cost's you nothing to join an affiliate program, but it's hard because so many affiliates fails. The stats are 95% of all affiliates never make a cent, but there is help. With the following resources, you will be a step ahead of the rest.
Allan Gardyne's Free Associateprograms.com is a brilliant site to start with. His newsletter is the best in the business.
Phil Wiley's Free Ozemedia.com and newsletter is great, if you can, I would buy his book straight away.
Rob's Free Profitpuppy.com is a hard hitting guide to affiliate programs, straight from the trenches
Create Your Own Software:
This could probably be a bit over your head if you are just starting, but software is selling like hotcakes online. A few examples of what I mean would be, Headergenerator.com and Ecovergenerator.com. These basically just allow you to create your own graphics for your website with out having to hire it out to others.
You can learn more about software and programming from the following resources.
Ben Praters Softwaresecretsrevealed.com is a great guide from someone who is actually making his fortune with software.
Ryan Deiss's Deadsoftware.com is another great site to learn about using pre existing software for your own profits.
Create Your Own Ebooks:
This is the easiest to get up from the ground as you don't need a lot of expensive resources or knowledge. While it seems every man and his dog are creating ebooks and selling them online, it's still a very viable business, and very profitable if you can come up with a topic for your book that is in great demand.
There are only 2 resources you should be checking out if you are new online, (there's a lot more later on down the track).
One is Terry Deans Netbreakthroughs.com which is the ultimate marketing site online. It doesn't matter what you are creating or selling online, you need this site. He shows you exactly what to do with real life examples. This is the most highly recommended site on the Internet to my liking.
The other is Bill Myers Bmyers.com. This site is great for coming up with product ideas but I'm still a little dubious on his online marketing tactics he suggests. Either way, the cost of his membership site is nothing to the amount of ideas you will get for potential killer products.
Create A Members Site:
This is becoming the most popular method of making money online now. Membersites that pay you monthly is where the money is at. Why work your butt off to write a book that's only going to pay you once, when you can write content that will pay you month after month.
The best place to learn about membersites is Paidmembersites.com run by Terry Dean and a few other marketing experts.
Sell On Ebay:
I can not see selling on Ebay ever fading to the point where it's unprofitable to do so. While it may seem everyman and his dog are selling on Ebay, and it's true, it's still very profitable. All you have to do is find a target niche market and give them everything they need. Don't even think about trying to sell electronic goods on Ebay unless you can get them at super cheap prices and have a large quantity to sell constantly.
The best way to learn about Ebay is to get a few products together and sell them. There are plenty of guides on selling on Ebay, most of them you can get from Ebay itself. I also recommend, if you are going to sell on Ebay, that you have another look at Bmyers.com. He talks quite a lot about Ebay, and it's good information.
Well, there you have. Those are probably the most profitable businesses on the Internet right now.
Good luck!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Website
When designing your website, remember to avoid useless and confusing features, however “cool” they may seem to be. Usually, keeping things simple and consistent are the best way to go. Here are five easy ways to improve your website and make it more appealing to your visitors.
Put your logo on every page of your site, and in the same location. Usually, the best place to put it is in the upper left corner of the page. Remember to make your logo clickable, linking to the main page of your site (an exception is the logo of the main page itself, since you are already there). The benefit of doing so is that if your visitors get lost they can always come back to a familiar location.
Don’ t use a splash screen. Splash screens are seen in many websites before they give you access to the main page. They are usually slow-loading Flash animations that only delay and frustrate users. Remember, when your users want animation, they can turn on the TV. When they go to your website, they usually want information, and they want it fast. Some sites that use splash screens now provide a “Skip the Introduction” link, which most users click anyway, further validating the uselessness of flash screens.
Avoid using heavy pictures. They unnecessarily delay the page upload process. It is OK to use graphics, but they have to be optimized for the web. Use only .gif and .jpg formats. If the pictures are too heavy, try using some of the on-line graphic optimizing tools. They can reduce the weight of your pictures by more than 50% with no noticeable decrease in quality. Another thing you can do is to use thumbnails (clickable miniature versions of a picture). If a user is interested in the picture, he can click on the thumbnail and wait until the full size picture is displayed.
Try not to use animated banners or fancy icons. Just because you can is not a good reason to load up your site with neon-colored, flashing-and-popping, Vegas-style graphics. They usually take away from the content of your site and distract users. Plus, it has been demonstrated that less and less users click on banners every day.
Don’t make your pages too long. People don’t like to read from a screen. Instead, try to use the advantages of hyperlinks to present a summary of the topic or article, with a link to the full article in another page (similar to what newspapers do in their main page, with the added benefit for web users that it is easier to click on a link than to turn a page). If what you have to say is too long, break the discussion in several parts, each of them with a link to where your visitor can continue reading.
Remember, the goal is to give your visitors fast access to your information, through an interface (website) that is visually appealing and easy to use.
You can freely reprint this article. Just include the following resource box at the end:
Mario Sanchez publishes The Internet Digest (http://www.theinternetdigest.net) a website and newsletter that gives you useful advice on web design and Internet marketing, one free tip at a time.
Put your logo on every page of your site, and in the same location. Usually, the best place to put it is in the upper left corner of the page. Remember to make your logo clickable, linking to the main page of your site (an exception is the logo of the main page itself, since you are already there). The benefit of doing so is that if your visitors get lost they can always come back to a familiar location.
Don’ t use a splash screen. Splash screens are seen in many websites before they give you access to the main page. They are usually slow-loading Flash animations that only delay and frustrate users. Remember, when your users want animation, they can turn on the TV. When they go to your website, they usually want information, and they want it fast. Some sites that use splash screens now provide a “Skip the Introduction” link, which most users click anyway, further validating the uselessness of flash screens.
Avoid using heavy pictures. They unnecessarily delay the page upload process. It is OK to use graphics, but they have to be optimized for the web. Use only .gif and .jpg formats. If the pictures are too heavy, try using some of the on-line graphic optimizing tools. They can reduce the weight of your pictures by more than 50% with no noticeable decrease in quality. Another thing you can do is to use thumbnails (clickable miniature versions of a picture). If a user is interested in the picture, he can click on the thumbnail and wait until the full size picture is displayed.
Try not to use animated banners or fancy icons. Just because you can is not a good reason to load up your site with neon-colored, flashing-and-popping, Vegas-style graphics. They usually take away from the content of your site and distract users. Plus, it has been demonstrated that less and less users click on banners every day.
Don’t make your pages too long. People don’t like to read from a screen. Instead, try to use the advantages of hyperlinks to present a summary of the topic or article, with a link to the full article in another page (similar to what newspapers do in their main page, with the added benefit for web users that it is easier to click on a link than to turn a page). If what you have to say is too long, break the discussion in several parts, each of them with a link to where your visitor can continue reading.
Remember, the goal is to give your visitors fast access to your information, through an interface (website) that is visually appealing and easy to use.
You can freely reprint this article. Just include the following resource box at the end:
Mario Sanchez publishes The Internet Digest (http://www.theinternetdigest.net) a website and newsletter that gives you useful advice on web design and Internet marketing, one free tip at a time.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Is Someone Stealing Your Source Code?
That's a question that worries many people on the Internet. And some people go to great lengths to hide their source code.
There are several reasons you might want to conceal the source code of your web pages:
* if you have web pages that rank highly in the search engines, you don't want people to see your meta tags
* you don't want people copying your web page design or java scripts
* you want to protect your website from email harvesters and other spam utilities
But can you hide your source code?
The short answer is no - to display a web page, the browser has to be able to read the source, and if the browser can read it, so can your visitors.
But there are ways to make it more difficult for your visitors to read your source code. Here are some of them:
(1) Adding dozens of carriage returns at the top of your HTML page
This one has fooled me a couple of times. All you see is a lot of blank space - but just keep scrolling down and you'll find the source code.
(2) Using frames
When you try to view the source code of a page using this technique, all you see is the first ten or fifteen lines of HTML. But just save the page to a folder on your hard disk and then look for a sub-folder where the images in that page were saved to.
In the sub-folder you'll find an HTML file that contains the source code you were looking for. Again, this won't fool experienced users, but it's worth a shot. Here is the code: http://www.ezine-writer.com/framescode.html
(3) Disabling Right Click
This is an old trick and experienced surfers know how to get around it. Here it is anyway - a script that disables Right Click: http://www.ezine-writer.com/rightclick.html
(4) Disabling View Source
I searched high and low for a script that disables 'View Source' in the browser menu bar, and couldn't find one.
Here is a script that is supposed to disable 'View Source' - I tried it out in my browser (IE 6.0) and it didn't work, so perhaps it only works in older versions of IE: http://www.ezine-writer.com/no-source-code.html
(5) Encryption plus frames
This is a technique that will work on all but the most experienced web surfers. Here is the code for doing it: http://www.ezine-writer.com/hidesource.html
I've created a copy of my index page using the above technique - if you click on View Source, all you see is a jumble of characters: http://www.ezine-writer.com/encrypted.htm
Well, that's it! All you need to know about hiding your source code.
There are several reasons you might want to conceal the source code of your web pages:
* if you have web pages that rank highly in the search engines, you don't want people to see your meta tags
* you don't want people copying your web page design or java scripts
* you want to protect your website from email harvesters and other spam utilities
But can you hide your source code?
The short answer is no - to display a web page, the browser has to be able to read the source, and if the browser can read it, so can your visitors.
But there are ways to make it more difficult for your visitors to read your source code. Here are some of them:
(1) Adding dozens of carriage returns at the top of your HTML page
This one has fooled me a couple of times. All you see is a lot of blank space - but just keep scrolling down and you'll find the source code.
(2) Using frames
When you try to view the source code of a page using this technique, all you see is the first ten or fifteen lines of HTML. But just save the page to a folder on your hard disk and then look for a sub-folder where the images in that page were saved to.
In the sub-folder you'll find an HTML file that contains the source code you were looking for. Again, this won't fool experienced users, but it's worth a shot. Here is the code: http://www.ezine-writer.com/framescode.html
(3) Disabling Right Click
This is an old trick and experienced surfers know how to get around it. Here it is anyway - a script that disables Right Click: http://www.ezine-writer.com/rightclick.html
(4) Disabling View Source
I searched high and low for a script that disables 'View Source' in the browser menu bar, and couldn't find one.
Here is a script that is supposed to disable 'View Source' - I tried it out in my browser (IE 6.0) and it didn't work, so perhaps it only works in older versions of IE: http://www.ezine-writer.com/no-source-code.html
(5) Encryption plus frames
This is a technique that will work on all but the most experienced web surfers. Here is the code for doing it: http://www.ezine-writer.com/hidesource.html
I've created a copy of my index page using the above technique - if you click on View Source, all you see is a jumble of characters: http://www.ezine-writer.com/encrypted.htm
Well, that's it! All you need to know about hiding your source code.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
How to succeed with the Search Engines
The Cold Hard Facts…..
One of the most important factors in being successful in your business is to learn how to rank high in the search engines. It has been said that the search engines can account for as much as 95% of all the traffic to your website! If you fail to take advantage of the major engines you could be neglecting almost ALL of your targeted traffic!
I don’t know of any business that can afford to throw away that many visitors.
Is your site ready?
There are many factors in which to consider before submitting your website. Have you prepared your website for maximum placement? Each page will need to be submitted separately, and each page will need the following.
* Page Title
* Meta Tags
* Keywords in Header tags
* ALT Tags on all images
* Keyword- filled content
* Keywords as close to the top of each page as possible
* Keywords in links to other pages
* Keywords in outbound links
[Page Title]
It is crucial to place keywords as close to the beginning of your page title as possible. The search engines will typically display your page title as part of the description that shows up when your website is displayed in search results. Placing keywords towards the top of your page can be extremely beneficial. For example, my website page title is, Affiliate Programs Directory@Smokesoft Inc. This means my website will do well in searches on “affiliate”, “affiliate programs” and “affiliate programs directory”. Try to create your page title in such a way that you can include as many keywords as possible.
[Meta Tags]
Although the importance of meta tags is fading each day, they are easy to create and for some search engines they are a factor, so you would be wise to include them in your pages. For the search engines that do not take meta tags into consideration they will merely ignore them.
[Keywords in Header tags]
This means to create a separate heading for each page containing the keywords you are targeting for that specific page. For example, the heading for my home page is as follows:
Affiliate Programs Directory
Meaning that on my webpage it would appear as:
Affiliate Programs Directory
This will greatly increase your positioning in the rankings. take care to prepare EVERY page with this in mind. [ALT tags on all images]
Another worthwhile little “trick” is to add the ALT attribute to every image on every page of your website. You can effectively place a keyword in each image on your website! Follow this example:
Some search engines will use the text in images when considering keyword relevancy, therefore adding more content in your favor.
[Keyword-filled content]
There is no excuse for not filling your web pages with quality keyword-filled content this is a major factor in how well you will rank in the search engines. The more keywords the search engines locate the higher your site will rank….period.
I’ve found that one of the best ways to accomplish this is with articles such as this one. Imagine for a moment that I used “search engines” or “keywords” as two of my keywords for a given page, now skim through this article and see how many times these two words appear. As you can see this would be a huge asset in determining how well my site places, and this is just one article! If you are incapable of writing your own articles there are many places where you can obtain articles to place on your site from another author. One such place is http://www.smokesoft.net/Articles.html
[Keywords as close to the top of each page as possible]
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to increase placement. On each page make sure that the first visible text is a keyword, the search engines LOVE this! If you do not have keywords placed as the first visible text on your page, you may want to consider modifying or redesigning it to allow for this. It is well worth the time and effort and you will most likely see almost immediate improvement in your search engine rankings.
[Keywords in links to other pages]
You should try to insert keywords into your links whenever possible. For instance, if you are targeting the keyword “marketing” on a particular page, create a link to a page on your site and call the page “marketing tactics”. The page the link leads to could consist of articles you have written on marketing tips you have discovered. Not only will search engines use the text in a given link to determine what your page is about, but they will also use it in determining the subject of the destination page. If you really want to take it to the next level, try using a keyword filled link as the first visible text on your page. This too will skyrocket your rankings in the search engines.
[Keywords in outbound links]
This concept is identical to that of linking to other pages except you instead will be linking to another site. For example if I were linking to another affiliate promotion site I would place the keyword “affiliate program” somewhere in the link.This is a must! My advice to you is to save this article and refer to each and every step when you setup a webpage. This is by no means all there is to know about search engines however, if you follow these guidelines you will do extremely well.
Good Luck!
One of the most important factors in being successful in your business is to learn how to rank high in the search engines. It has been said that the search engines can account for as much as 95% of all the traffic to your website! If you fail to take advantage of the major engines you could be neglecting almost ALL of your targeted traffic!
I don’t know of any business that can afford to throw away that many visitors.
Is your site ready?
There are many factors in which to consider before submitting your website. Have you prepared your website for maximum placement? Each page will need to be submitted separately, and each page will need the following.
* Page Title
* Meta Tags
* Keywords in Header tags
* ALT Tags on all images
* Keyword- filled content
* Keywords as close to the top of each page as possible
* Keywords in links to other pages
* Keywords in outbound links
[Page Title]
It is crucial to place keywords as close to the beginning of your page title as possible. The search engines will typically display your page title as part of the description that shows up when your website is displayed in search results. Placing keywords towards the top of your page can be extremely beneficial. For example, my website page title is, Affiliate Programs Directory@Smokesoft Inc. This means my website will do well in searches on “affiliate”, “affiliate programs” and “affiliate programs directory”. Try to create your page title in such a way that you can include as many keywords as possible.
[Meta Tags]
Although the importance of meta tags is fading each day, they are easy to create and for some search engines they are a factor, so you would be wise to include them in your pages. For the search engines that do not take meta tags into consideration they will merely ignore them.
[Keywords in Header tags]
This means to create a separate heading for each page containing the keywords you are targeting for that specific page. For example, the heading for my home page is as follows:
Affiliate Programs Directory
Meaning that on my webpage it would appear as:
Affiliate Programs Directory
This will greatly increase your positioning in the rankings. take care to prepare EVERY page with this in mind. [ALT tags on all images]
Another worthwhile little “trick” is to add the ALT attribute to every image on every page of your website. You can effectively place a keyword in each image on your website! Follow this example:
Some search engines will use the text in images when considering keyword relevancy, therefore adding more content in your favor.
[Keyword-filled content]
There is no excuse for not filling your web pages with quality keyword-filled content this is a major factor in how well you will rank in the search engines. The more keywords the search engines locate the higher your site will rank….period.
I’ve found that one of the best ways to accomplish this is with articles such as this one. Imagine for a moment that I used “search engines” or “keywords” as two of my keywords for a given page, now skim through this article and see how many times these two words appear. As you can see this would be a huge asset in determining how well my site places, and this is just one article! If you are incapable of writing your own articles there are many places where you can obtain articles to place on your site from another author. One such place is http://www.smokesoft.net/Articles.html
[Keywords as close to the top of each page as possible]
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to increase placement. On each page make sure that the first visible text is a keyword, the search engines LOVE this! If you do not have keywords placed as the first visible text on your page, you may want to consider modifying or redesigning it to allow for this. It is well worth the time and effort and you will most likely see almost immediate improvement in your search engine rankings.
[Keywords in links to other pages]
You should try to insert keywords into your links whenever possible. For instance, if you are targeting the keyword “marketing” on a particular page, create a link to a page on your site and call the page “marketing tactics”. The page the link leads to could consist of articles you have written on marketing tips you have discovered. Not only will search engines use the text in a given link to determine what your page is about, but they will also use it in determining the subject of the destination page. If you really want to take it to the next level, try using a keyword filled link as the first visible text on your page. This too will skyrocket your rankings in the search engines.
[Keywords in outbound links]
This concept is identical to that of linking to other pages except you instead will be linking to another site. For example if I were linking to another affiliate promotion site I would place the keyword “affiliate program” somewhere in the link.This is a must! My advice to you is to save this article and refer to each and every step when you setup a webpage. This is by no means all there is to know about search engines however, if you follow these guidelines you will do extremely well.
Good Luck!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Five Free Tools To Help Make Your Business Grow
Five Free Tools To Help Make Your Business Grow
by: Ofa Morgan
One of the great things about the net is all the free things you can find and use. Uh-oh, there's that word again, "free'. It's got to be one of the most over used words ever, especially on the net! Still, it never fails to thrill, or set the pulse racing! We love the idea of freebies, of getting something useful, cool, beautiful, profitable, functional and a whole list of other things without spending with any money.
So if you're like me and love the feeling of having found a bargain or better still, some great resource for free, then you'll love the tools listed and described here! They include:
1. a safelist submitter
2. a site where you can create you own logos and buttons
3. a site that gives precise, up to date traffic stats
4. an online resource giving over 1200 reviews of web hosts offering free and paid web space
5. an online ad tracker
So without further ado, let's take a look at the first resource!
1. The Snazzy Promotions freeware safelist submitter
Snazzy by name, snazzy by nature? You bet it is! This safelist submitter will save your adverts and you can add an unlimited amount of safelists. The only "bad" thing is joining the safelists, but once it's done, it's done and from there on in, it's just a case of choosing the safelists you want to post to, selecting the ad and clicking. Talk about a great time saver! You can get your copy at: http://www.snazzypromotions.com
2. Cool Text
This site makes it really easy to create your own buttons and logos. There's a wide variety of styles and textures (over 100) to choose from and with over 52 fonts to use, you can really let your imagination go and create some very beautiful, unique images. You might want to visit this site when the amount of web traffic is decreasing as it's EXTREMELY popular! http://www.cooltext.com
3. Web Stat
Have you got a site that you can access the coding for? If so, webstat.com provides very accurate traffic statistics. With the free option, you can track the stats for one URL and these will give you info on:
1. the visited pages
2. monthly page trends
3. browsers
4. operating systems
5. search engines
6. countries
You'll also get a general summary giving you a concise report on, amongst other things, the page views for the day and for the past week. http://www.webstat.com
4. Web Host Reviews
You might want to try out a web host before committing to monthly payments but which one do you choose? Which free web hosts allow you to host your own domain? Which ones give you free web space with no ads? As I've come to discover, searching for this information can be an infuriating experience! Don't get like me, check out http://free-webhosts.com for detailed reviews and ratings of over 1200 free web hosts. It's a great time and stress saver!
5. Free Ad Tracker
Last but not least, freeadtracker.net allows you to create unlimited ad campaigns for free. It's so important to know which places are producing results advertising wise and which ones need to be dropped. Tracking your ads will save you lots of money and effort and if you want to try it for free, then this site provides a really good service. It also creates subcampaigns for ezine, banner and FFA advertising. To set up your account, go to: http://www.freeadtracker.net
So there you have it! Five great tools that won't cost you anything to use. I hope that at least one of them will help you with your marketing and promotions. And believe me when I say these tools are free, in the true sense of the word :)
About The Author
Ofa Morgan is the owner of Blue Moon Offers, a site that gives extra special deals on information products, software and downloadables. Blue Moon Offers also hosts a monthly contest with a great prize.
http://www.bluemoonoffers.com
bluemoonoffers@yahoo.co.uk
This article was posted on April 28, 2003
Read More Articles from the "Computers and Internet" Category:
Authentication Methods
by Reggie Andersen
Dial Around Long Distance Plans Compared To Phone Cards
by Rick Hendershot
Options In Broadband Internet Access
by Mark Woodcock
The Cheater's Guide To Choosing Fiber Optic Patch Cables
by Colin Yao
Repairing A Corrupt .RAR/.ZIP Archive
by GlobalFusion
Plug and Play Resource Allocation
by Stephen Bucaro
Great Plains Dexterity History and Programming Overview
by Andrew Karasev
Bulk SMS รข€“ The Advantage
by Santanu Ghosh
What is The Google Toolbar?
by Jakob Jelling
7 Fisherman's Tips to Avoid Losing Money on Your Web Site Design
by Ian McAllister
by: Ofa Morgan
One of the great things about the net is all the free things you can find and use. Uh-oh, there's that word again, "free'. It's got to be one of the most over used words ever, especially on the net! Still, it never fails to thrill, or set the pulse racing! We love the idea of freebies, of getting something useful, cool, beautiful, profitable, functional and a whole list of other things without spending with any money.
So if you're like me and love the feeling of having found a bargain or better still, some great resource for free, then you'll love the tools listed and described here! They include:
1. a safelist submitter
2. a site where you can create you own logos and buttons
3. a site that gives precise, up to date traffic stats
4. an online resource giving over 1200 reviews of web hosts offering free and paid web space
5. an online ad tracker
So without further ado, let's take a look at the first resource!
1. The Snazzy Promotions freeware safelist submitter
Snazzy by name, snazzy by nature? You bet it is! This safelist submitter will save your adverts and you can add an unlimited amount of safelists. The only "bad" thing is joining the safelists, but once it's done, it's done and from there on in, it's just a case of choosing the safelists you want to post to, selecting the ad and clicking. Talk about a great time saver! You can get your copy at: http://www.snazzypromotions.com
2. Cool Text
This site makes it really easy to create your own buttons and logos. There's a wide variety of styles and textures (over 100) to choose from and with over 52 fonts to use, you can really let your imagination go and create some very beautiful, unique images. You might want to visit this site when the amount of web traffic is decreasing as it's EXTREMELY popular! http://www.cooltext.com
3. Web Stat
Have you got a site that you can access the coding for? If so, webstat.com provides very accurate traffic statistics. With the free option, you can track the stats for one URL and these will give you info on:
1. the visited pages
2. monthly page trends
3. browsers
4. operating systems
5. search engines
6. countries
You'll also get a general summary giving you a concise report on, amongst other things, the page views for the day and for the past week. http://www.webstat.com
4. Web Host Reviews
You might want to try out a web host before committing to monthly payments but which one do you choose? Which free web hosts allow you to host your own domain? Which ones give you free web space with no ads? As I've come to discover, searching for this information can be an infuriating experience! Don't get like me, check out http://free-webhosts.com for detailed reviews and ratings of over 1200 free web hosts. It's a great time and stress saver!
5. Free Ad Tracker
Last but not least, freeadtracker.net allows you to create unlimited ad campaigns for free. It's so important to know which places are producing results advertising wise and which ones need to be dropped. Tracking your ads will save you lots of money and effort and if you want to try it for free, then this site provides a really good service. It also creates subcampaigns for ezine, banner and FFA advertising. To set up your account, go to: http://www.freeadtracker.net
So there you have it! Five great tools that won't cost you anything to use. I hope that at least one of them will help you with your marketing and promotions. And believe me when I say these tools are free, in the true sense of the word :)
About The Author
Ofa Morgan is the owner of Blue Moon Offers, a site that gives extra special deals on information products, software and downloadables. Blue Moon Offers also hosts a monthly contest with a great prize.
http://www.bluemoonoffers.com
bluemoonoffers@yahoo.co.uk
This article was posted on April 28, 2003
Read More Articles from the "Computers and Internet" Category:
Authentication Methods
by Reggie Andersen
Dial Around Long Distance Plans Compared To Phone Cards
by Rick Hendershot
Options In Broadband Internet Access
by Mark Woodcock
The Cheater's Guide To Choosing Fiber Optic Patch Cables
by Colin Yao
Repairing A Corrupt .RAR/.ZIP Archive
by GlobalFusion
Plug and Play Resource Allocation
by Stephen Bucaro
Great Plains Dexterity History and Programming Overview
by Andrew Karasev
Bulk SMS รข€“ The Advantage
by Santanu Ghosh
What is The Google Toolbar?
by Jakob Jelling
7 Fisherman's Tips to Avoid Losing Money on Your Web Site Design
by Ian McAllister
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Cut Out the B.S. in Your Internet Marketing
Are you getting disgusted with your results as an internet marketer? Staying up until two in the morning looking for that information that will give you that extra edge over everyone else out there? Slowly changing your goal of working for yourself into a dream again instead of the reality you once knew it to be?
Think of the last great idea you had and never used. What made you give up on it? Not enough time? Not enough money to get it up and running? Did you think it just would' nt work? One more question. Who gave you all of these quick answers that made you so sure you were wrong?
I have one suggestion. Go out and get a gallon of gas, dump it all over your living room, and light a match. Now that your house is gone, tell yourself that the only money you can use to buy a new one is from your Paypal account. Now do you know exactly which efforts are working for you online?
Or call your boss right now and tell him you are quitting. Now all you have is internet marketing. I bet you can double your sales in a week.
Okay, I am really not suggesting that you do this, but put yourself in that state of mind for a few minutes. What project would you start on tomorrow? Is your answer different than it would have been before you started reading your article?
Necessity is the mother of invention. It also is the mother of motivation. If everything in your life is comfortable right now, you have no need to go online and rake in those dollars. You may think you are putting in the effort, but, if you are like me, a lot of this energy may be wasted surfing, checking out pyramid schemes, and finding the easy way out.
Once you have a need for the money you could be making, it's amazing how quickly you can cut out the B.S. and go quickly to that one project that you know will make money. The next time you see your sales dropping, put your life in false crisis. You will quickly narrow down your options.
Think of the last great idea you had and never used. What made you give up on it? Not enough time? Not enough money to get it up and running? Did you think it just would' nt work? One more question. Who gave you all of these quick answers that made you so sure you were wrong?
I have one suggestion. Go out and get a gallon of gas, dump it all over your living room, and light a match. Now that your house is gone, tell yourself that the only money you can use to buy a new one is from your Paypal account. Now do you know exactly which efforts are working for you online?
Or call your boss right now and tell him you are quitting. Now all you have is internet marketing. I bet you can double your sales in a week.
Okay, I am really not suggesting that you do this, but put yourself in that state of mind for a few minutes. What project would you start on tomorrow? Is your answer different than it would have been before you started reading your article?
Necessity is the mother of invention. It also is the mother of motivation. If everything in your life is comfortable right now, you have no need to go online and rake in those dollars. You may think you are putting in the effort, but, if you are like me, a lot of this energy may be wasted surfing, checking out pyramid schemes, and finding the easy way out.
Once you have a need for the money you could be making, it's amazing how quickly you can cut out the B.S. and go quickly to that one project that you know will make money. The next time you see your sales dropping, put your life in false crisis. You will quickly narrow down your options.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Can You Really Make It Online ?
A good day or (night!!) to all you lovely people out there in cyberspace.Today I am going to talk about finding success on the net. For some three years now I have been designing and marketing websites , newsletters and articles.I started out in it as an hobby , but soon realised that I could make a career out of it.It has been a roller-coaster ride so far with it's fair share of ups and downs.Back then when I first started out , I was light-headed and eager to hop onto any program that offered "to make you rich in six weeks with no work".I soon learn't the hard way that all that was just a myth.I was even scammed twice on the net , falling to some "get rich" scheme which was full of nothing but hype.
Soon after I realise what the internet was about with all those scams and schemes , I started to look for the " other side of the net" : the good side.The part of it where you have to work hard to achieve what you want , the part of it where you have to go months or years without success before you finally find it.The internet is not much different from the offline world , only that it is cheaper to go into business and you are open 24/7.
But one has to work just as hard to get where you want to go.I have been in the game for some time now , and I have received my fair share of success.It wasn't easy to reach where I am right now, I had to deal with rejection , setbacks , lack of capital and a lot of other obstacles most of which were unforeseen.But without those obstacles in my way I wouldn't be were I am right now.
For those who are just starting , you have to be willing to make mistakes and suffer setbacks and rejections if you are going to stand a chance of success.Being persistence will get you a long way.Until next time.
Soon after I realise what the internet was about with all those scams and schemes , I started to look for the " other side of the net" : the good side.The part of it where you have to work hard to achieve what you want , the part of it where you have to go months or years without success before you finally find it.The internet is not much different from the offline world , only that it is cheaper to go into business and you are open 24/7.
But one has to work just as hard to get where you want to go.I have been in the game for some time now , and I have received my fair share of success.It wasn't easy to reach where I am right now, I had to deal with rejection , setbacks , lack of capital and a lot of other obstacles most of which were unforeseen.But without those obstacles in my way I wouldn't be were I am right now.
For those who are just starting , you have to be willing to make mistakes and suffer setbacks and rejections if you are going to stand a chance of success.Being persistence will get you a long way.Until next time.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Upload??...Download??......Help!!
How do I upload an ebook to my site? How do I download an ebook or program? I seem to be getting this question a lot lately as well as a specific request to write an article on this subject, so here is the info on how to download and/or upload.
First of all, let me explain the difference. A download is when you "pick up" an ebook, program, etc. from another computer and bring it "down" to your computer.
An upload is just the opposite. You are sending something from your computer "up" to your host's computer. It will then appear on your website.
To download, all you do is click on the download link and save the file/program to your desktop or wherever you want to save it.
When you click on the link a box will pop up. This box will have a Save & a Cancel & an Open button. If you want to Save the program, click the Save button. A Save As box will then pop-up. This is where you can change the file name if you want to. Also, this is when you tell your computer where you want to put the file.
I save everything to my desktop until I can take a look at it and decide where to go from there.
For a PDF file, you want to right click on the download link and then click "Save Target As".
Also, some files will be downloaded as a compressed "zip" file. Compressed files can be downloaded faster and more efficiently. To "unzip" or separate these files once you have them downloaded, you will need an Unzip Wizard. You can find a good one at: http://newbieclub.com/wizard/?web_success
The first step to uploading is to open your FTP site via Internet Explorer. FTP or File Transfer Protocol, is a set of instructions for the computers to use to transfer files. To do this, you simply type "ftp://" (without the quotes) followed by your username (provided by your web host company) then a ":" (without the quotes) and then your password (also provided by your host company). After all this, place an "@" followed by your host address.
Here is an example FTP site: "ftp://MOE:mypass@ftp.myhost.com"
Once this site loads, you should see a list of files and folders. These files and folders represent your webpages. To upload your file, simply locate it on your hard drive and then drag it onto this window. The file will upload and then you will be all set!
Uploading and downloading may seem confusing if you are a beginner, but once you have a better under- standing of what they actually mean, getting the hang of doing it is much easier!
First of all, let me explain the difference. A download is when you "pick up" an ebook, program, etc. from another computer and bring it "down" to your computer.
An upload is just the opposite. You are sending something from your computer "up" to your host's computer. It will then appear on your website.
To download, all you do is click on the download link and save the file/program to your desktop or wherever you want to save it.
When you click on the link a box will pop up. This box will have a Save & a Cancel & an Open button. If you want to Save the program, click the Save button. A Save As box will then pop-up. This is where you can change the file name if you want to. Also, this is when you tell your computer where you want to put the file.
I save everything to my desktop until I can take a look at it and decide where to go from there.
For a PDF file, you want to right click on the download link and then click "Save Target As".
Also, some files will be downloaded as a compressed "zip" file. Compressed files can be downloaded faster and more efficiently. To "unzip" or separate these files once you have them downloaded, you will need an Unzip Wizard. You can find a good one at: http://newbieclub.com/wizard/?web_success
The first step to uploading is to open your FTP site via Internet Explorer. FTP or File Transfer Protocol, is a set of instructions for the computers to use to transfer files. To do this, you simply type "ftp://" (without the quotes) followed by your username (provided by your web host company) then a ":" (without the quotes) and then your password (also provided by your host company). After all this, place an "@" followed by your host address.
Here is an example FTP site: "ftp://MOE:mypass@ftp.myhost.com"
Once this site loads, you should see a list of files and folders. These files and folders represent your webpages. To upload your file, simply locate it on your hard drive and then drag it onto this window. The file will upload and then you will be all set!
Uploading and downloading may seem confusing if you are a beginner, but once you have a better under- standing of what they actually mean, getting the hang of doing it is much easier!
Monday, May 8, 2006
PC owners - the largest criminal gang ever?
The year is 1981. IBM has just released the Personal Computer; a low cost machine it hopes will create a winning brand. Several models are produced in quick succession accompanied by an ad campaign featuring a Charlie Chaplin figure. The message is clear: It’s cheap and it’s cheerful.
The growth vector for the product turns out to be a software application called a spreadsheet. Its many early forms - VisiCalc, Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, along with WordStar word-processing and of course games all help drive hardware sales.
Nobody seems to question the rapid and promiscuous spread of these programs by copying onto 5.25” floppy disks and passing them from person to person.
That was then. This is now. Harsh fines and jail sentences are threatened to anyone involved in doing what came naturally back in the early ‘80s. It’s a Very Bad Thing to copy software without having a license to do so. They say ‘this stuff is ours, we want to be paid for it’, and of course they’re right.
But here is a problem. Software’s binary information is a kind of digital DNA, always wanting to replicate. It’s what has made and sustained the digital revolution. When transmitting information, whether from one disk to another or over the Internet, errors can be corrected, faint signals regenerated as new, and even lost portions of messages recreated. This is the essence of the digital world, and replication is its big trick.
One of the things most of us did with our first computer was to copy something. In our early PC vocabulary COPY was the most popular word. Doing it was so easy and so immediately rewarding. It did nobody any harm – did it? The user got the software and the manufacturer got their product widely distributed.
But a company has to make money, not just gain market share, and at some point in time a shift occurred. It’s as if the manufacturers decided to play the soccer off-side rule and grab the high moral ground at the same time - nearly every PC owner in the world was suddenly wrong-footed. And no one after all can disagree with their position. But how will they play catch-up on their lost revenues? How can they now make all their customers compliant?
A London analyst who specialises in intellectual rights issues says "the paradigm we have at present where the license chases the product doesn't seem to be an effective mechanism for compliance by itself."
In other words trying to push a license into everywhere the software has gone without the ease with which the software got there in the first place will prove difficult. But that’s not all.
An account manager for a hardware firm in the US says "It can be difficult to keep the licensing nailed down. The hardware changes, the software moves on, departments, even companies, merge. The picture is always changing"
Demand has always fuelled innovation in Information Technology. Fluid, dynamic, competitive, the elements of IT constantly move. Suppliers apply different strategies at different times for different reasons: Market share, volume shipments, profit. Licensing is a big weapon in their arsenal. Then new technologies emerge, legislation changes, big players go bust and others are created. It’s hard to see how a static and legalistic document can cover all this.
There are also the licensing arrangements that software manufacturers employ. Licenses may be priced according to whether they are academic, charity, large volume, product upgrade, competitive upgrade, client server, thin-client, or one of several other types. On top of that there are the popular service add-ons of maintenance and technical support.
Of course if we all started afresh that would make things easier. But as that’s impossible we must do two things; look at new software in terms of correct quantity and correct type of license. That’s the easy part. The not so easy part is to look at what your company already has and see what licenses, if any, are missing or incorrect.
‘The biggest criminal gang in history’ is about to be disbanded.
The growth vector for the product turns out to be a software application called a spreadsheet. Its many early forms - VisiCalc, Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, along with WordStar word-processing and of course games all help drive hardware sales.
Nobody seems to question the rapid and promiscuous spread of these programs by copying onto 5.25” floppy disks and passing them from person to person.
That was then. This is now. Harsh fines and jail sentences are threatened to anyone involved in doing what came naturally back in the early ‘80s. It’s a Very Bad Thing to copy software without having a license to do so. They say ‘this stuff is ours, we want to be paid for it’, and of course they’re right.
But here is a problem. Software’s binary information is a kind of digital DNA, always wanting to replicate. It’s what has made and sustained the digital revolution. When transmitting information, whether from one disk to another or over the Internet, errors can be corrected, faint signals regenerated as new, and even lost portions of messages recreated. This is the essence of the digital world, and replication is its big trick.
One of the things most of us did with our first computer was to copy something. In our early PC vocabulary COPY was the most popular word. Doing it was so easy and so immediately rewarding. It did nobody any harm – did it? The user got the software and the manufacturer got their product widely distributed.
But a company has to make money, not just gain market share, and at some point in time a shift occurred. It’s as if the manufacturers decided to play the soccer off-side rule and grab the high moral ground at the same time - nearly every PC owner in the world was suddenly wrong-footed. And no one after all can disagree with their position. But how will they play catch-up on their lost revenues? How can they now make all their customers compliant?
A London analyst who specialises in intellectual rights issues says "the paradigm we have at present where the license chases the product doesn't seem to be an effective mechanism for compliance by itself."
In other words trying to push a license into everywhere the software has gone without the ease with which the software got there in the first place will prove difficult. But that’s not all.
An account manager for a hardware firm in the US says "It can be difficult to keep the licensing nailed down. The hardware changes, the software moves on, departments, even companies, merge. The picture is always changing"
Demand has always fuelled innovation in Information Technology. Fluid, dynamic, competitive, the elements of IT constantly move. Suppliers apply different strategies at different times for different reasons: Market share, volume shipments, profit. Licensing is a big weapon in their arsenal. Then new technologies emerge, legislation changes, big players go bust and others are created. It’s hard to see how a static and legalistic document can cover all this.
There are also the licensing arrangements that software manufacturers employ. Licenses may be priced according to whether they are academic, charity, large volume, product upgrade, competitive upgrade, client server, thin-client, or one of several other types. On top of that there are the popular service add-ons of maintenance and technical support.
Of course if we all started afresh that would make things easier. But as that’s impossible we must do two things; look at new software in terms of correct quantity and correct type of license. That’s the easy part. The not so easy part is to look at what your company already has and see what licenses, if any, are missing or incorrect.
‘The biggest criminal gang in history’ is about to be disbanded.
Saturday, May 6, 2006
Checklist For Reviving A Dead Computer
It's not something we like to think about but your computer will fail, if you keep it long enough.It may be a simple problem,such as the floppy drive not reading the disk to a major system crash.
Because computers are run by operators,User Error is the most common cause of computer malfunction.When the user is at the computer,he or she may add or delete certain files.Or he/she may remove or exchange certain hardware features.
When we look at user error,we must remember that since we're human,the user error may be easy to solve by simply asking the last user if he/she installed any software,re-configured any software or hardware settings,etc.
A large percentage of computer malfunctions are due to environmental factors such as power surges caused by lightning, resulting in overvoltage.
Another cause for failure may be room temperature being too high or low,as well as dust,dirt,or sunlight.
If you're in business and heavily dependent on your computers,such fators as room temperature,sunlight and protection against power surges is of the utmost importance and simply cannot be overlooked.
The most common pc problem is when you can't access your PC at all.When you turn on the power switch,and nothing happens,your computing will be put on hold.
Here is a quick checklist of troublshooting procedures you should follow if you encounter this problem . Download or view the short videos that show you how to perform these procedures:
Try the Power Switch a second or third time.If nothing happens..
* Check the wall outlet for power.If the outlet has power.
* Check the power cord itself from wall to computer. Copy and paste the below videos into your web browser to download. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/outlet.mpg
* Check the Power Supply inside the System Unit. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/powt.mpg
* Replace the Power Supply rather than trying to repair it. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/inspower.mpg
* If the system make those click noises,but the screen is blank, check the Monitor. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/mont.mpg
* If the monitor proves to be good,check the Video Card, even in a new system. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/vid4.mpg
Another big headache you will most likely encounter if you're a regular user of your computer system,is the fact that Windows will fail to load or the system's POST will fail to run.Preventive maintenance procedures that can be done to keep your PC running at peek performance.
Running such Windows ultilities as Scandisk,Disk Defragment,and Disk Cleanup will help your computer performing at its best.Using a can of compressed air removes dust that could build to the point of causing a short.
If you get the computer to boot but it does not want to read from the hard drive'the Master Boot Record on the hard drive may be corrupted or even missing. To verify that the master boot record has not been damaged...
Boot from the floppy disk that contains the FDISK program and type the command " fdisk mbr " to restore the master boot record onto your hard drive.
Because computers are run by operators,User Error is the most common cause of computer malfunction.When the user is at the computer,he or she may add or delete certain files.Or he/she may remove or exchange certain hardware features.
When we look at user error,we must remember that since we're human,the user error may be easy to solve by simply asking the last user if he/she installed any software,re-configured any software or hardware settings,etc.
A large percentage of computer malfunctions are due to environmental factors such as power surges caused by lightning, resulting in overvoltage.
Another cause for failure may be room temperature being too high or low,as well as dust,dirt,or sunlight.
If you're in business and heavily dependent on your computers,such fators as room temperature,sunlight and protection against power surges is of the utmost importance and simply cannot be overlooked.
The most common pc problem is when you can't access your PC at all.When you turn on the power switch,and nothing happens,your computing will be put on hold.
Here is a quick checklist of troublshooting procedures you should follow if you encounter this problem . Download or view the short videos that show you how to perform these procedures:
Try the Power Switch a second or third time.If nothing happens..
* Check the wall outlet for power.If the outlet has power.
* Check the power cord itself from wall to computer. Copy and paste the below videos into your web browser to download. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/outlet.mpg
* Check the Power Supply inside the System Unit. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/powt.mpg
* Replace the Power Supply rather than trying to repair it. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/inspower.mpg
* If the system make those click noises,but the screen is blank, check the Monitor. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/mont.mpg
* If the monitor proves to be good,check the Video Card, even in a new system. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/files/vid4.mpg
Another big headache you will most likely encounter if you're a regular user of your computer system,is the fact that Windows will fail to load or the system's POST will fail to run.Preventive maintenance procedures that can be done to keep your PC running at peek performance.
Running such Windows ultilities as Scandisk,Disk Defragment,and Disk Cleanup will help your computer performing at its best.Using a can of compressed air removes dust that could build to the point of causing a short.
If you get the computer to boot but it does not want to read from the hard drive'the Master Boot Record on the hard drive may be corrupted or even missing. To verify that the master boot record has not been damaged...
Boot from the floppy disk that contains the FDISK program and type the command " fdisk mbr " to restore the master boot record onto your hard drive.
Thursday, May 4, 2006
Gotta Know Now Software Watches Web Pages For You
Too many days I found myself constantly checking the same financial news web pages for any news about the companies I was currently invested in. Between clicking on these web pages and constantly clicking on other financial web pages to obtain stock quotes, I was driving myself crazy and wasting a lot of time that belonged to my employer. After all he does not pay me to surf the web. But if I didn't keep track of investment information, I could loose too much money. I thought there had to be a solution other than taking Vallium. Why should I watch web pages for stuff when my computer should be able to do this for me? This is when I discovered a software program called Gotta Know Now.
As their home page explains, "Gotta Know Now watches HTML web pages for your information by continuously downloading and inspecting each web page you specify for the text you specify. A web page is just a file containing HTML text, therefore Gotta Know Now is really downloading and reading an HTML file looking for your text".
I came to understand that this program could only detect changes that are part of the HTML text, but that was all I needed. Most of the web pages I wanted to watch were pure HTML pages (no Java etc. involved).
After seeing a seal of approval from PC Magazine, I decided to try this software. The first pleasant surprise was that the program was immediately easy to use. A toolbar with eight large buttons provided all the user interface I needed. One button allowed me to enter web pages and another button allowed me to enter text such as my stock names and dollar amounts. I realized that this was probably a limited user interface, but the fact that it got the job done without wasting my energy on a learning curve was all I cared about.
The program worked as advertised. I was alerted with an audible alarm when my stocks appeared in a press release at Yahoo's financial web site. I soon discovered that the program could also email you these alerts. This was great because now I could run the program on my home PC using my full time broadband internet. My employer could not accuse me in any way of constantly being on the internet at work.
Another one of those large toolbar buttons allows you to change the watch mode to "Just Tell Me If The Web Pages I Specify Change". As their home page explains "Gotta Know Now can also be set up to notify you when any changes or updates occur on the web pages you specify. It does this by continuously downloading and comparing the HTML file with the initial HTML file recorded at the start of the watch session. If the HTML file changes Gotta Know Now notifys you". I soon had a use for this operating mode, I could now watch my Web Site's HTML log file for visitors. I subscribe to one of those services that provide you with an HTML log file that updates with visitor information everytime someone clicks on one of your web pages. Instead of constantly checking this HTML log file with my internet browser, I let Gotta Know Now watch it for updates. It is a lot of fun to know immediately when someone visits your site.
As their home page explains, "Gotta Know Now watches HTML web pages for your information by continuously downloading and inspecting each web page you specify for the text you specify. A web page is just a file containing HTML text, therefore Gotta Know Now is really downloading and reading an HTML file looking for your text".
I came to understand that this program could only detect changes that are part of the HTML text, but that was all I needed. Most of the web pages I wanted to watch were pure HTML pages (no Java etc. involved).
After seeing a seal of approval from PC Magazine, I decided to try this software. The first pleasant surprise was that the program was immediately easy to use. A toolbar with eight large buttons provided all the user interface I needed. One button allowed me to enter web pages and another button allowed me to enter text such as my stock names and dollar amounts. I realized that this was probably a limited user interface, but the fact that it got the job done without wasting my energy on a learning curve was all I cared about.
The program worked as advertised. I was alerted with an audible alarm when my stocks appeared in a press release at Yahoo's financial web site. I soon discovered that the program could also email you these alerts. This was great because now I could run the program on my home PC using my full time broadband internet. My employer could not accuse me in any way of constantly being on the internet at work.
Another one of those large toolbar buttons allows you to change the watch mode to "Just Tell Me If The Web Pages I Specify Change". As their home page explains "Gotta Know Now can also be set up to notify you when any changes or updates occur on the web pages you specify. It does this by continuously downloading and comparing the HTML file with the initial HTML file recorded at the start of the watch session. If the HTML file changes Gotta Know Now notifys you". I soon had a use for this operating mode, I could now watch my Web Site's HTML log file for visitors. I subscribe to one of those services that provide you with an HTML log file that updates with visitor information everytime someone clicks on one of your web pages. Instead of constantly checking this HTML log file with my internet browser, I let Gotta Know Now watch it for updates. It is a lot of fun to know immediately when someone visits your site.
Monday, May 1, 2006
Ethics
Ethics - in a profession or trade - is that branch of philosophy which studies the principles of right and wrong in human conduct.
Is your business ethical?
What I mean is "Does your business do the right thing when faced with that decision?" It's a simple question, which many businesses struggle with. I just don't understand the struggle part?
I have worked for companies that believed they were ethical, and really have no clue. Meaning the decisions they make everyday towards their customers and employees does not advocate ethics. So, what is it? When someone in business gives you their word and then reneges, that is unethical. Your word is your promise. Even if it is your business making the statement. Doing good business and being a good employer is more than your product or people, it is the guidelines in which you do that good business. I'm disappointed in how many unethical businesses exist today. I have worked for some of them and they just don't get it... they 'talk tough' but when the decisions are made I can't fathom what motivated them come to their decision? It was not necessarily 'doing the right thing'.
Yes, I know profits are pinnacle to most, but that IS NOT the bottom line! The bottom line is how your customer, partner, client or prospect walked away from their experience. What's so hard to get? It also helps you feel good about yourself and your business, and you should sleep better too!
Treat them the way you want to be treated... I mean it!
Don't say something you have no intention of backing up with your action. Keep your word in business, in compensation promises, in client promises, in doing good business. This is pinnacle!
I don't want to ramble here, but some businesses need a wake-up-call (yesterday). What puzzles me is why? When you do good business, you get more good business. I'm not just talking about the Enron's or Arthur Anderson's of the World, I'm talking about every type of business out there, in every industry.
If each one of us refused to do business with these unethical companies - we would have a lot fewer of them.
Be one of the ethical ones. Do good business, keep your word, don't venture into gray areas, and do the right thing! Sure, it will occasionally cost you something, but it will pay you back, and it won't cost you your dignity or pride or any client worth having. Isn't your business worth it? Or how about your personal reputation?
Try this: The next few times you're faced with 'doing the right thing'? Well, when you 'do it' - do it with extreme pleasure! *
* This will pay you and your business back ten-fold. Why? Because that person (customer, employee, client, etc.) is going to tell at least 3-12 other people (potential customers who like to be treated well too). Remember, you did it with extreme pleasure, they're not just going to say they received a refund, or a promotion, - they're going to be jumping up and down at how well their situation was handled!
- Make someone else's day! - you'll be surprised at how well your day goes.
I look forward to running into more good business out there - hopefully yours.
Remember - Doing good business rewards your business with more of it... we're all here seeking to do business with reputable firms, let's do just that.
The upside? If your business does good ethical business? Then you are already ahead of a good chunk of your competitors! There's opportunity here. Keep up the good work, partner with other 'like types' and only do your personal business with other more ethical companies, like yours. We could see a decrease in our unethical competition very soon.
Thank you for allowing me to voice my thoughts and encourage the type of business that helped this Country, it's people, and every business - Grow.
Good luck in your business!
Is your business ethical?
What I mean is "Does your business do the right thing when faced with that decision?" It's a simple question, which many businesses struggle with. I just don't understand the struggle part?
I have worked for companies that believed they were ethical, and really have no clue. Meaning the decisions they make everyday towards their customers and employees does not advocate ethics. So, what is it? When someone in business gives you their word and then reneges, that is unethical. Your word is your promise. Even if it is your business making the statement. Doing good business and being a good employer is more than your product or people, it is the guidelines in which you do that good business. I'm disappointed in how many unethical businesses exist today. I have worked for some of them and they just don't get it... they 'talk tough' but when the decisions are made I can't fathom what motivated them come to their decision? It was not necessarily 'doing the right thing'.
Yes, I know profits are pinnacle to most, but that IS NOT the bottom line! The bottom line is how your customer, partner, client or prospect walked away from their experience. What's so hard to get? It also helps you feel good about yourself and your business, and you should sleep better too!
Treat them the way you want to be treated... I mean it!
Don't say something you have no intention of backing up with your action. Keep your word in business, in compensation promises, in client promises, in doing good business. This is pinnacle!
I don't want to ramble here, but some businesses need a wake-up-call (yesterday). What puzzles me is why? When you do good business, you get more good business. I'm not just talking about the Enron's or Arthur Anderson's of the World, I'm talking about every type of business out there, in every industry.
If each one of us refused to do business with these unethical companies - we would have a lot fewer of them.
Be one of the ethical ones. Do good business, keep your word, don't venture into gray areas, and do the right thing! Sure, it will occasionally cost you something, but it will pay you back, and it won't cost you your dignity or pride or any client worth having. Isn't your business worth it? Or how about your personal reputation?
Try this: The next few times you're faced with 'doing the right thing'? Well, when you 'do it' - do it with extreme pleasure! *
* This will pay you and your business back ten-fold. Why? Because that person (customer, employee, client, etc.) is going to tell at least 3-12 other people (potential customers who like to be treated well too). Remember, you did it with extreme pleasure, they're not just going to say they received a refund, or a promotion, - they're going to be jumping up and down at how well their situation was handled!
- Make someone else's day! - you'll be surprised at how well your day goes.
I look forward to running into more good business out there - hopefully yours.
Remember - Doing good business rewards your business with more of it... we're all here seeking to do business with reputable firms, let's do just that.
The upside? If your business does good ethical business? Then you are already ahead of a good chunk of your competitors! There's opportunity here. Keep up the good work, partner with other 'like types' and only do your personal business with other more ethical companies, like yours. We could see a decrease in our unethical competition very soon.
Thank you for allowing me to voice my thoughts and encourage the type of business that helped this Country, it's people, and every business - Grow.
Good luck in your business!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
