tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-471718938928198692024-03-13T14:10:16.325-07:00Stephanie YangWorking with ComputersStephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-42347828091501953002014-01-06T08:47:00.001-08:002014-03-25T02:52:13.061-07:00Your Turn to Make $1,000/month with Each Program!<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="text-align: center; width: 600px;">
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Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0United States37.996162679728116 -104.414062512.474128179728115 -145.7226565 63.518197179728119 -63.1054685tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-51351916707042452722009-10-13T02:57:00.000-07:002009-10-13T03:23:37.271-07:00100% Free GiveAway Internet Marketing eBooks<center><br /><font face="Tahoma" color="#000000" size="4"><strong>"Stop Paying For Information!.."<br />..Especially When You Can Get It Here For <u>FREE</u>!!</strong></font><br /><br /><a href="http://khattiyasurin.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/ssustemplate_01.jpg" height="100%" width="100%" /><br /><br /><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/package_large.gif" height="100%" width="100%" /></a></center><br /><br /><p><font face="Georgia" color="#000000" size="2"><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/tick_red.gif" /> Advanced SEO Techniques (Currently selling for $27!)<br /><br /><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/tick_red.gif" /> Maximum Profits With Private Label Rights (Currently selling for $27!)<br /><br /><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/tick_red.gif" /> Become An Affiliate Marketing Master (Currently selling for $27!)<br /><br /><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/tick_red.gif" /> Viral Traffic Generation (Currently selling for $27!)<br /><br /><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/tick_red.gif" /> Dominate The Web 2.0 Market (Currently selling for $27!)<br /><br /><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/tick_red.gif" /> Super Joint Venture Secrets (Currently selling for $27!)<br /><br /><img src="http://khattiyasurin.com/images/tick_red.gif" /> Blogging For Cash (Currently selling for $27!)</font></p><br /><center><a href="http://khattiyasurin.com/" target="_blank"><font face="Tahoma" color="red" size="4"><u>ALL ARE FREE!! Click Here</u></font></a></center><br /><p> </p>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-32176414715422671732009-06-29T21:40:00.001-07:002009-06-29T21:40:59.283-07:00Creating A Work Home Business Internet OnlineWithin this article today, we're going to look at creating a work at home business that focuses on the Internet and online. There are many different businesses that you can focus on and we will look at what you should look for within a particular business that you want to do.<br /><br />There are great many opportunities for you in creating a work at home business that focus on the Internet and online. One of the best resources for you to find information about this is at www.affiliateprograms.com. You'll want to spend a great deal of time visiting this website because you can find many different affiliate programs that you can market in many different categories. Some of the categories that they have that you can market include finance and investment, food and beverage, automotive, and health and fitness. Take the time to read because each affiliate program will list their website as well as a small description on what they do and you will want to visit the website as well. If you are going to be spending a great deal of your time promoting a particular website and program, you'll want to make sure that this is worth your while. Also, with each of these particular programs, you should look at how much money you would be making by selling each of these. You'll probably find several programs that seem interesting to you so see which one peaks your interest and pays well and head for that opportunity.<br /><br />As far as fair warning for what seems to be opportunities on the Web for other things, there are many different websites that promise that you can make money through either taking surveys or through posting on free forums for several hours day. This sounded good and many people have signed up and found that they have wasted a great deal of time and money in the end when trying out these so-called "opportunities. Remember to listen to your gut when you're thinking about this. There are many work-at-home scams out there so make sure to take your time in reading about what the different websites have to offer.<br /><br />Another great work home business that has an online focus can be eBay. This is stressed throughout some articles on this website but it is a great tool for you to begin your career. You can learn how to write sales copy for your auctions as well as how to properly promote yourself. If you take the lessons to be learned on eBay and apply them to other Internet marketing areas, you will find yourself ready to tackle almost anything out there.<br /><br />Hopefully this article on creating a work at home business that focuses on the Internet and online has been beneficial to you. When we designed this article and wrote it, we want you to know what to look for within a particular business as well as what to do for it. It is important to know what to look for as well as what to avoid.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-51024370385576986082009-06-22T10:19:00.000-07:002009-06-22T10:21:16.244-07:00Blogging on a Social NetworkBlogging is becoming increasingly popular and social networks are also becoming more and more popular as well. Social networks include popular websites such as MySpace.com where users can create personal websites and interact with other users. These websites may include a wide range of components including text, images, audio, video and blogs. Here system users can voice their opinions, provided updates on their life, offer insight into current events or accomplish a number of other goals. However, bloggers who utilize a social network to maintain their blog should consider a few different factors. This article will discuss some of these factors including whether to make the blogs available to the public or keep the private, considering the audience of the blog and dealing with harassment through the blog.<br /><br />Making Blogs Private or Public<br /><br />Most social networks enable users to make their website either private or public. Private websites are only available to the user and other users he specifically approves to view his website while public websites are available to all users of the system. These same capabilities also apply to the blogs which are maintained on a social network. For this reason bloggers must determine whether or not they wish to make their blog posts available to the entire social network or to only a fraction of this network.<br /><br />This decision will be largely based on a matter of personal preference. Social networks can be quite extensive and some bloggers may be apprehensive about their blog being available to such a large audience while other bloggers may have no apprehensions about the size of the potential audience. Bloggers should carefully consider this option before staring a blog but always have the option to change these settings after the blog has been established if they change their mind about the choice they originally made.<br /><br />Considering the Blog Audience<br /><br />Bloggers who utilize a social network to maintain a blog should also carefully consider the potential audience for the blog. Most social networks include a broad cross section of the general public. Therefore bloggers should be aware of this audience when posting a blog and should consider how the blog entries will be interpreted by blog audience members. While it will never be possible to avoid offending all potential audience members some bloggers may wish to consider at least attempting to ensure the blog entries they post are appropriate for all members of the social network. If this is not possible the blogger may consider making the blog private. <br /><br />Dealing with Harassment through the Blog<br /><br />Another aspect bloggers who use a social network to publish their blog should be aware of includes the potential for harassment from other members through the blog. This can be in the form of offensive comments posted in response to blog entries. Depending on the degree of the harassment the blogger may choose to ignore these comments or take stronger actions. Bloggers should review the policies of the social network and solicit their assistance in dealing with harassment from other users. In most cases dealing with the problem may be as simple as blocking the user from making comments on the blog but in some cases it may be necessary to contact the social network administrators in an attempt to get the user banned from the system. In this situation the administrators will review the situation and make a judgment regarding whether or not the user has violated the terms of service.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-72343024969349487842009-06-19T21:53:00.000-07:002009-06-19T21:55:00.336-07:005 Qualities For Affiliate MarketingMore and more people these days are turning to one<br />of the most popular businesses around - the business<br />of affiliate marketing. In this business, there are<br />no bosses, deadlines to meet, or piles of work that<br />have to be finished by the end of the day. In<br />order to succeed, you only need the necessary<br />tools.<br /><br />There are basically five things you can't do without<br />if you want to make it in the business of affiliate<br />marketing. Below, you'll find each quality you'll<br />need.<br /><br />1. Desire to learn<br />The first quality you must possess is the desire<br />to learn, coupled with the willingness to be<br />trained. Treading through unfamiliar territory<br />is tough indeed, especially if your lacking the<br />right knowledge. This is a combination of the right<br />frame of mind, coupled with a strong work ethic.<br /><br />When starting out, you'll need to be willing to<br />keep your eyes and ears open, using the experience<br />of others to learn more as you go.<br /><br />2. Invest time and effort<br />The second quality you must have is the willingness<br />to invest time and effort in helping your business<br />grow, even if you don't see immediate results. Even<br />though weeks may pass without hearing good news,<br />it's very important for anyone who wants to get<br />their foot in the business world.<br /><br />3. Determination<br />The third quality you'll need is determination. If<br />you want to make it in the world of affiliate<br />marketing, you must possess to push yourself<br />forward. The ability to push yourself to greater<br />heights will determine what type of future you have.<br /><br />4. Discipline<br />The fourth quality is self discipline. If you<br />teach yourself to work everyday with all of your<br />heart and soul, you'll be that much closer to<br />reaching your goals and making your dreams come true.<br /><br />5. Optimism<br />The last quality you must have is optimism. Bad<br />attitudes should never discourage an affiliate<br />marketer from pursuing their dreams in order to<br />make life better for themselves or anyone around<br />them.<br /><br />The attitude you have towards the business should<br />always be good, because you'll have to realize that<br />you're the captain of your ship and your the one<br />steering it towards destiny.<br /><br />If you put the above tips to good use, you'll go<br />farther than you ever thought possible in the world<br />of affiliate marketing. You'll need these qualities<br />to succeed, as affiliate marketing can be a cutting<br />edge career. With the above qualities, you'll do<br />just fine in the industry.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-64566314039006034122009-06-10T09:52:00.000-07:002009-06-10T09:56:25.144-07:00Are You Already Marketing On The Internet?Take a moment to think about how you would really answer this question. If given enough thought just about any business owner who utilizes the Internet for any purpose will likely find that whether or not they intentionally organized an Internet marketing campaign, they may already be marketing their products and services on the Internet. This article will examine some subtle ways business owners may already be marketing their business on the Internet.<br /><br />Do you have a website for your business? Business owners who answer yes to this question are already marketing their products or services online just by virtue of the fact that they have a website online. Having a live website means there is the potential for curious Internet users to access your website. You may not be actively promoting your website but you may still find that your website generates interest in your products despite the lack of promotional endeavors; this is a form of passive marketing.<br /><br />Do you participate in message boards and include a link to your website in your signature? Again business owners who answer yes to this question are already marketing their website online. Savvy business owners realize the importance of participation in industry related message boards to create an interest in their products and services, establish themselves as knowledgeable about the industry and offer a link to their own website even if it is in the signature line of their posts. However, even business owners who do not realize this may already be inadvertently enjoying the benefits of Internet marketing which result from message board participation just by doing something they enjoy and may be doing as a form of leisure activity.<br /><br />Do you include keywords which are relevant to your business in the content of your website? Business owners who answer yes to this question are also already marketing on the Internet by optimizing their website for these keywords. These search engine optimization (SEO) affects the websites whether or not they were even aware of the concept of keyword density and how it can help to SEO a website. Business owners will likely use certain words often depending on the type of products and services they offer just because it is natural and logical to do so. This tendency, however, can result in search engines boosting your website rankings for these particular keywords. The concept of SEO is much more involved and complex than simply using keywords frequently but business owners can gain some benefit just by naturally applying relevant keywords to their website.<br /><br />Do you solicit feedback from your customers online? This is yet another example of how business owners may be accidentally marketing their business on the Internet. Most business owners realize the importance of soliciting feedback from customers for business purposes and business owners who offer products online might solicit feedback in the form of online surveys. Although the business owners may be doing this simply for a business purpose the fact that it is done online makes it fall into the category of Internet marketing.<br /><br />We have already discussed several ways in which business owners may already be marketing online but what about business owners who want to have an increased online presence? Business owners who may already be marketing online accidentally may wish to launch a full scale Internet marketing campaign. The best way to do this is to hire a consultant with experience in Internet marketing to assist you in creating a campaign which is effective for your target audience.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-57835155015131648872009-05-30T23:18:00.000-07:002009-05-30T23:19:25.337-07:005 Ways Auto Navigation Systems and GPS Technology Improve LivesGlobal positioning technology is used in most of today's GPS and auto navigation systems. The truth of the matter is that this technology while once reserved for the wealthy is now trickling into mainstream America. We are seeing this technology in cell phones in order to assist with 911 calls. We are seeing this technology in automobiles in order to track and possibly retrieve them if they are stolen. We are also seeing this technology used to help lost animals find their way back to the homes of their families. The truth of the matter is that there are many ways in which GPS technology is currently making our lives easier.<br /><br />Below you will find a great number of uses for GPS and auto navigation system technology that currently exist. Even more amazing is the fact that new discoveries for these technologies are being made every day and over time there will be an even greater variety of methods to utilize this technology for the benefit of society.<br /><br />1) Keep track of teens and children by using services such as uLocate Communications. This technology allows you to track members of your family by their cell phones. With the click of a button on your cell phone or simply tracking from home via the Internet you can find all members of your family that are carrying their cell phones. The benefits of this feature to your peace of mind alone are well worth the monthly subscription fee, which can be as low of $4 a month depending on which service you choose.<br /><br />2) Keeping track of the elderly. This is especially useful if you have a loved one that suffers from Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. Technologies are improving continuously and will hopefully reach a point very soon where ID bracelets much like the medic alert bracelets will allow GPS tracking that is even more reliable for the elderly. The relief of knowing that you can find your loved one even if he or she has wondered off and forgotten how to get home is something that you really can't put a price tag on.<br /><br />3) Lost pets. I mentioned this earlier but it is worth repeating. The technology exists to have your pets implanted with chips or even to have chips placed in collars that allow you to readily locate your precious pet without spending endless hours of searching and whistling. The real beauty of this is that you won't have to spend hours comforting sad children; you can take them to the computer and let them help you track Fido.<br /><br />4) Finding shortcuts along your route to work, job interviews, important meetings, conventions, and personal appointments. This is great if you are running into a time crunch or worse need an alternate route as the result of a traffic jam or road closure.<br /><br />5) GPS technology allows security and safety in many cars that utilize On Star technology as well. This technology cannot only track the location of your car but also be used to call for help in emergency situations. This device is activated by the push of a button and can even be used by small children in emergency situations.<br /><br />There are many great ways that GPS and auto navigation systems and technology are being used each and every day to improve our lives and provide peace of mind. The methods mentioned above are simply icing on the cake.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-83194262253826425052009-05-24T21:41:00.000-07:002009-05-24T21:44:45.748-07:005 Reasons Why Blogging is the New Internet Marketing Tool<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://khattiyasurin.com/blog">Start Blogging toThe Bank 3.0</a></span><br /><br />Blogging is a concept that started in late 90s. It used to be a way to comment an existing webpage, an opportunity for visitors and readers to react or voice out one’s opinion on the said page. What started as a single-sentence commentary has evolved into pages of personal take on just about anything and everything under the sun. As it continues to move forward, online advertising has tapped into the blog’s potential. Here are 5 reasons why you should use blogging as an Internet marketing tool. <br /><br />1.Blogging is simple. The simplest way to get your piece on the net is through blogging. No skills are necessary… an average adult can read and type, or at least click a mouse. It’s like having a virtual piece of paper and you just write your ideas, experiences, new products, and hope that the truth behind your articles comes out and entice your reader to also try your product. If you have a PC and an Internet connection (who doesn’t?) then you can blog and advertise.<br /><br />2. Blogging is authentic. In this day and age where advertising saturate our lives, we question the credibility of promoters’ claims. However, in blogs, real people share their real-life experiences, unscathed by paid advertising. Reading blogs about first-hand product use is like talking to people about their first-hand experience. You definitely want to buy a tried and tested product.<br /><br />3. Blogging is free. Because blogging is yet to be proven as a mainstream online advertising media, most sites see it as something to augment current marketing tools and thus offer it for free. Any opportunity for free webtime is definitely a bonus especially to businesses that are starting up. Needless to say, paid blog pages can generate more income for your seriously growing business.<br /><br />4. Blogging builds credibility. As you get more and more into writing your experiences on a particular product or industry, your readers come to realize that they can depend on your posts for their own information needs. As such, you become an expert on it; as a consequence, more readers visit your site and more bloggers link to your blogs. As companies and professional organizations notice the growth of your readership base, they may soon get in touch with you for advertising on your blog page, or make you an affiliate, which pays for every referral generated from your blog site.<br /><br />5. Blogging builds your market. Unless you are a Hollywood star, chances are, only your Mom reads your posts. Mom has a lot of friends, so she lets her friends know how interesting your blog site is. But you need not depend on Mom to increase your readership base. Look into the following ways to build your market through blogging:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://khattiyasurin.com/blog">Start Blogging toThe Bank 3.0</a></span><br /><br />-By using your e-mail. Today, blogging is overcoming the e-mail’s popularity in quickly and effectively reaching and expanding a market. In this age of speed and quick access, logging in and downloading e-mail is simply taking longer than clicking into a blog site. Let them explore your site by using a short e-mail message as teaser to your blog site. If your e-mail is on an entirely different subject, use your e-mail signature to give a link to the site.<br /><br />-By using subscription. An easy way to get your readers e-mail is to give them an opportunity to subscribe to your blogsite. Keep some exclusive information for your subscribers to entice readers to subscribe and give their e-mail address. Just be responsible in using their e-mail address, as the last thing you want is a comment on your blog that you are a spammer.<br /><br />-By understanding your readers. Conduct a simple survey for your readers to understand their profile and advertising preferences. Ask consumers to give you feedback on a post, an ad link, or a trial that you shared. In this way, it is like interviewing your readers without the commitment and intrusion of a face-to-face interview.<br /><br />-By joining a blog network –A network of blogs maybe a collection of blog sites that share the same industry, interest, readership base, payment mode, etc. Consumers find credibility and convenience in clicking one link to several real bloggers about a single subject. Clearly, more bloggers are better than one.<br /><br />-By using RSS. RSS is the fastest growing technology on the Internet today. As such, having RSS feeds to your blog is definitely another means of generating awareness for your readership base. Having a variety of feeds can add interest to your blog site. <br /><br />Give your business a boost by effectively using blogging as an Internet marketing tool.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://khattiyasurin.com/blog">Start Blogging toThe Bank 3.0</a></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-50850422975430548442009-05-15T10:58:00.001-07:002009-05-15T10:58:58.961-07:00Blogging: Free Internet Marketing MethodIt's been years since blogging has been practiced. But it's just recently that it has been considered as one of the addicting fads. Many teenagers have resorted to blogging as an outlet for their emotions, a little online nook where they can blurt out whatever just bugs them or whatever makes them feel elated. Savvy marketers have discovered that blogging is one of the best Internet marketing methods that won't cost you a cent. <br /><br />What exactly is blogging? Blog is the widely used term that refers to web log. Basically, a blog is an online journal. A blog could be set up to no cost at all, and can be used for just for the fun of it or for business reasons.<br /><br />Blogging for your Internet business is one surefire way to boost the visibility of your products and services. Here are a few ways to boost your internet advertising with the help of a blog:<br /><br />1. Make your clients or customers abreast on your website's alterations. Your new products and affiliate websites could also be announced through your blog.<br /><br />2. Keep track of your business objectives and plans through open writing. Your blog content can be easily stored through archives. What could be better than searchable information that could be easily accessed by anyone browsing the web, right?<br /><br />3. Air your opinions, advice or reviews on specific services or products that are related to your business. Publishing is a very easy process with blogging. <br /><br />4. Include links that will fetch back links and subsequently improve your ranking on search engines. This could be better executed through putting well-written articles in your website. Affiliate links could also be included in your blog to earn more extra income.<br /><br />5. Collect response through the ability of blogs to fetch comments from your blog readers. You can learn and improve your products and services through with the feedback from your readers.<br /><br />6. Connect easily with other bloggers. When other bloggers notice that you have something good in your blog, they will put you in their favorite lists that will automatically link you to their blogs. <br /><br />So, how do you set up a blog? Here are some of the options you can make use of to take advantage of this fun way to advertise your Internet business.<br /><br />Either you load a blogging software or let a blogging hosting service do it for you. Host services such as LiveJournal and Blogger.com are the most popular in this field. Those hosts will provide you with easy instructions on how to put up your blog.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-37726439040289596612009-05-15T10:53:00.000-07:002009-05-15T10:55:28.488-07:00"Pay-Per Click" Ad Campaign: Earn More by Spending LessWhat is "Pay-Per Click"? "Pay-Per Click", is an easy to understand advertising strategy. There are around 300 million searches at major search engines everyday. This causes 80% of internet traffic. Placing your websites on these search engines is very important in reaching as many potential customers as possible. But in order to be seen and clicked most frequently, your website should be viewed at the top most of the search list. Most people only reach up to the third page of a search engine so the lower your rank, the lesser the chance you will be clicked. In "Pay-Per Click" advertising, you pay to be always visible on the internet. You select keywords or key phrases about your website, and the highest bidder ranks the best. There is no upfront cost. You only pay after a visitor clicks your link. This is why it is called "Pay-Per Click". <br /><br />Everyday millions of people around the world click on Pay-Per Click Advertising Campaign. With the booming internet industry and the ever growing online business, an ad of virtually anybody on the planet can be seen on the internet anywhere in the world. <br /><br />The "Pay-Per Click" advertising campaign is the premier growth area in online marketing. Last year, an estimated $741.2 million was spent on "Pay-Per Click" advertising. The usual search engine optimization can take weeks or even months to produce results. "Pay-Per Click" advertising can attract customers at an instant. Why? Because, this cutting edge ad campaign can be placed on any website and can be viewed by potential online customers, anywhere, anytime and all the time. The only challenge is placing the ads on proper websites that will attract possible customers for a specific product or services. <br /><br />"Pay-Per Click" advertising campaign attracts the right consumers at the shortest possible time. This is the most cost effective way of marketing products or services. You can also monitor the customers who visit your site, what they are looking for and what they are buying. With the right creativity on using the right search-phrases, we can direct the right people who are willing to do business with us. <br />"Pay-Per Click" advertising can easily be managed 24 hours per day and 7 days a week through the internet. This allows you improve the campaign strategy by effectively responding to the activities of both customers and competitors.<br /><br />So what are you waiting for? "Pay-Per Click" now and let your business take the fast route to success.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-72322658428886244902009-05-13T10:51:00.000-07:002009-05-13T10:56:56.574-07:00PayDotCom<div align="center"><br /> <p><br /> <object width="425" height="355"><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1xjQ7QjcxjU&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&hl=en"><br /> </param><br /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /> </param><br /> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1xjQ7QjcxjU&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed><br /> </object><br /> </p><br /> <p><a href="http://paydotcom.net/?affiliate=582333" target="_blank">Click Here to Sell Your Products or Become a Super Affiliate</a></p><br /></div>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-89706781842960523832009-05-11T10:33:00.000-07:002009-05-12T12:03:16.526-07:00Best Selling Products<div valign="top"><table style="width: 360px; height: 480px;" border="0"><br /><tbody><tr><!-- Row 1 --> <br /> <td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=seatheint05-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00127RAJY&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></td><!-- Col 1 --><br /> <td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=seatheint05-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001AQR3LC&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></td><!-- Col 2 --><br /> <td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=seatheint05-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001FB4W0W&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></td><!-- Col 3 --><br /> </tr><br /><tr><!-- Row 2 --><br /> <td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=seatheint05-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001P5HRMI&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></td><!-- Col 1 --> <br /> <td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=seatheint05-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001GCUNYO&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></td><!-- Col 2 --><br /> <td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=seatheint05-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001HN697M&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></td><!-- Col 3 --><br /> </tr><br /></tbody></table><br /></div>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-19853946269152256122009-05-07T13:43:00.000-07:002009-05-07T13:45:51.154-07:00A Day In The Life Of An Affiliate MarketerBeing in the affiliate marketing business is not that hard now with the internet at your disposable. It is much easier now compared to the days when people have to make use of the telephones and other mediums of information just to get the latest updates on the way their program is coming along. <br /><br />So with technology at hand, and assuming that the affiliate is working from home, a day in his or her life would sound something like this…<br /><br />Upon waking up and after having breakfast, the computer is turned on to check out new developments in the network. As far as the marketer is concerned there might be new things to update and statistics to keep track on. <br /><br />The site design has to be revised. The marketer knows that a well-designed site can increase sign ups from visitors. It can also help in the affiliate’s conversion rates.<br /><br />That done, it is time to submit the affiliate program to directories that lists affiliate programs. These directories are means to attract people in joining your affiliate program. A sure way of promoting the affiliate program. <br /><br />Time to track down the sales you are getting from your affiliates fairly and accurately. There are phone orders and mails to track down. See if they are new clients checking the products out. Noting down the contact information that might be a viable source in the future.<br /><br />There are lots of resources to sort out. Ads, banners, button ads and sample recommendations to give out because the marketer knows that this is one way of ensuring more sales. Best to stay visible and accessible too.<br /><br />The affiliate marketer remembered that there are questions to answer from the visitors. This has to be done quickly. Nothing can turn off a customer than an unanswered email. <br /><br />To prove that the affiliate is working effectively and efficiently, inquiries would have to be paid more attention on. Nobody wants to be ignored and customers are not always the most patient of all people. Quick answer that should appear professional yet friendly too.<br /><br />In the process of doing all the necessities, the marketer is logged on to a chat room where he or she interacts with other affiliates and those under that same program. This is where they can discuss things on how to best promote their products. <br /><br />There are things to be learned and it is a continuous process. Sharing tips and advices is a good way of showing support. There may be others out there wanting to join and may be enticed by the discussion that is going on. There is no harm in assuming what opportunities ahead. <br /><br />The newsletters and ezines were updated days ago, so it is time for the affiliate marketer to see if there are some new things happening in the market. This will be written about in the marketer’s publication to be distributed to the old and new customers. <br /><br />These same publications are also an important tool in keeping up to date with the newly introduced products. The marketer has put up a sale and promotion that customers may want to know about. Besides, they have to keep up with the deadline of these sales written in the publications.<br /><br />It is that time to show some appreciation to those who have helped the marketer in the promotions and sale increase. Nothing like mentioning the persons, their sites and the process they have done that made everything worked.<br /><br />Of course, this will be published in the newsletters. Among the more important information that have been written already.<br /><br />The marketer still has time to write out recommendations to those who want credible sources for the products being promoted. There is also time to post some comments on how to be a successful affiliate marketer on a site where there are lots of wannabees.<br /><br />Two objectives done at the same time. The marketer gets to promote the product as well as the program they are in. Who knows, someone may be inclined to join. <br /><br />Time flies. Missed lunch but is quite contented with the tasks done. Bed time….<br /><br />Ok, so this may not be all done in a day. But then, this gives you an idea of how an affiliate marketer, a dedicated one that is, spends the marketing day. <br /><br />Is that success looming in the distance or what?Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-37998936636354663632009-05-06T04:53:00.000-07:002009-05-06T04:56:01.036-07:00How to write Business-to-Business AdvertisementBusiness-to-business firms are those firms that sell products and services among themselves. The selling is done to a client of other company, who might use the product for intermediate purposes or so. The advertisements relating to B2B companies should not only generate interest but it should also be simply out standing despite the tough competition. In the market, there are several firms who produce the same stuff and they reach out for clients with whom they want to do business. So finding the right client isn’t a big deal, but actually getting hold of them is.<br /><br />In written content, use the name of the company in the first sentence; preferably first word. It is not pleasing to start with ‘we’. Following it, give a brief introduction about the company. In todays busy world people don’t have time to waste so deliver the message right away. Using catchy adjectives will do the trick. The sentence should be framed so that the client knows about the company, what it does and how it is unique from others. Pose questions before creating the writing material, like what is that the customer will expect and do they demand high quality. Don’t hesitate to use ‘you ’ very often. The reader will feel that he is directly being referenced and it will be easier for him to relate to. <br /><br />Play with customer’s psychology. Understand the difficulties faced by them and then show them how the company or the company’s product can solve it. Call of action can be given then and offer to clear their doubts. It should be more than just a helpline. The action should be really immediate. Simply don’t let the client slip away. <br /><br />After the initial writing, write in detail about the product or service provided. This is in-dept information for those concerned about your company’s product. Point out the advantages of using them. Write them in a hierarchical form with numbering or bullets. If writing short paragraphs, strong sub-titles can be used as heading of individual paragraphs. Again, using adjectives will be good. <br /><br />A good amount of entertainment factor should be added. This will retain the interest of the customer and will not distract him. But if lots of it is used, it will simply become shabby. It’s a nice idea to use product noun as a verb along with other adjectives. <br /><br />Submit website and advertisements to search engines. Millions of people use it everyday to find what they need. If the website is search engine optimized, it will surely get lots of traffic. The name of the company and keywords should densely populate the website content. Make it a compulsion for the visitor to go through the advertisement before moving on to the registration or payment process. Some B2B websites don’t allow adding an email address or URL in the advertisement. They can be tracked in by actually spelling out dot or at in the email address or website link. <br /><br />Once the customer is lured, they should be maintained. Product should be delivered on time. Quality should be maintained. Once it is done, not only will they start trusting the company but also at the same time they will spread the word about the company. They will advertise for free. Their experience with the company will motivate others to join the bandwagon.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-47298474661202940872009-05-01T09:33:00.000-07:002009-05-01T09:38:27.376-07:00Your Own Virtual WorldPart of the appeal of video games is the visual eye-candy that splashes across the television screen. But even the addictive imagery is only half of the equation. The remaining half is the magic bestowed upon our eyes when this imagery comes to life. Animation that's controlled by a gamer is all it takes to escape into a different time and place - a time and place brought to you by virtual reality.<br /><br />As you can imagine, virtual reality is a hypothetical three-dimensional visual world created by a computer. Players can enter and move about in this world and interact with objects as if inside it.1 Some of the games that are already on the market give a pretty good idea of what virtual reality is and can do. Video games like Zelda, Halo, or Harry Potter allow players to enter into an environment and interact with objects, but they don't allow the player to create an environment and that's what virtual worlds are all about.<br /><br />Without a single ounce of programming experience, anyone can create a virtual world and have loads of fun doing so. All one needs is an idea.<br /><br />To begin, you'll want to construct a plan that maps your idea of the perfect world, the craziest world, or the oddest world that you can imagine. Some virtual world software will give you a template of sorts (a "starter" world) that lets you make additions and ultimately build a world that you've always dreamed of. A good example of template use is inside Maxis' SimCity or SimTown games. Both games provide pre-designed environments that provide plenty of space and opportunity to shape them into one that you prefer.<br /><br />Of course, you could always start from scratch. The only problem with starting with scratch is that it takes more time and knowledge to add some of the features that virtual worlds provide. Either way (from scratch or from a template), most users build a world by adding objects and scenarios - even deleting some until they've reached the perfect balance.<br /><br />A good place to find examples of what you could build in virtual world gaming is online. Every virtual world program available offers sample environments that players can download and install into their own system. Some manufacturers of these games even hold contests and award winners with free upgrades. Other suitable places to find ideas are from fiction books: -historical, -fantasy, -futuristic, you name it. Science fiction movies are a good resource for ideas as well.<br /><br />Just understand that virtual gaming takes time. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your virtual world. There's no rush and this is a relaxing hobby. Take your time and have fun. Don't fret over not knowing how to build an object or lay down a map - you can learn how to do these kinds of things in due time. Your goal is to create a world of enjoyment and it won't help if you find yourself frustrated all the time.<br /><br />When ready, you can add characters with their own unique histories, habits, strengths and weaknesses. You can even give them goals or small tasks to perform throughout the game. Giving your characters goals and tasks will help you give the game a plot.<br /><br />To get started, look for RAD (Rapid Application Development) Tools. RAD tools will help you bang a virtual reality game together in no time and with little difficulty.Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-66235539057305196822009-04-22T09:13:00.000-07:002009-04-22T09:18:36.119-07:00Working With Computers<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">In Today’s Society, There’s No Escape</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Well, we’ve been warned that this time would come – probably from the earlier eighties on. Yes, computers have finally taken over and if you doubt it, we’re here to convince you - but not because we want to or because we can. We want to convince you that if you don’t take the necessary steps to control that reign, you’re going to be left behind further than you could have ever imagined.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Computers are everywhere. Take a moment to try and think of a place a business where you didn’t see a computer in use. From the small local corner store to the largest hospital, computers are in every gas station, grocery store, bank, restaurant, beauty shop, and doctor’s office around. From a consumer’s point of view – you may not think that’s much to worry about. But along with computers, we’ve also been infiltrated with a little thing called “self-service.” Today, there are more self-serviced resources than ever and in an effort to synchronize them with headquarter databases, they’re provided via your inescapable computer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here are some examples. Banking is self-serviced through the desktop-clad ATM machine. Gas stations are self-serviced through a menu-clad touch screen kiosk. Most cash registers are Windows XP or Vista machines that send purchase details back to headquarters via the Internet (or a small Intranet). Having your weight, blood pressure, and heart rate measured and recorded is now a digitized process. Even ordering a pizza is now a simple matter of dialing from a wireless cell phone and making a few selections from series of pre-programmed menus!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The important thing to realize here is that this phenomenon isn’t a new convenience – it’s a new requirement. And if you haven't jumped onto the binary wagon, you’re going to face a few problems. For just as this new lifestyle was once predicted, we’re going to predict that “the old ways” will slowly disappear.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">We’re going to predict that all paper-based transactions (checks, money orders, etc.) and documentation (think of the old filing cabinet system) will disappear. We’re going to predict that chips will replace everything that was once transported from one location to another through the trusty post office. And we’re going to predict that homes will become less cluttered with stacks of paper and that our natural resources will flourish as a result of it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">This all sounds fine and dandy of course, but if you’re not computer savvy, you’re going to feel a little lost once the choice has past and the revolution is 100% complete. Fortunately, computer systems are designed in a way that even a child can manipulate them. In fact, if you can remember that most systems are designed along the line of menus and the selections of a few options on these menus, you’ll do just fine no matter how many buttons there are to push. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">For example, when you’re faced with an electronic system, look for a main menu. Most main menus display themselves as soon as a device is turned on, so chances are that if you’re standing before a device that shows a bunch of choices to do something, you’re looking at a main menu. The buttons on these main menus of course take you to additional menus, which in turn give you even more choices to make. And all of those choices will eventually bring you to the service that you need. One very important choice you’ll want to keep your eye on is the option to return to the main menu. This way, you can return to the beginning of a system and start over in case you get lost among the way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another important choice that you want to keep your eye on is the choice to get help! This option may not be available on every device that you encounter, but when it is available, be sure to use it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">There’s just no way around it. Computers and computerized systems are here to stay. There’s no need to fear them – but you surely can’t avoid them. Just remember the menu system and you’ll soon discover that you can approach and use these things as if you designed them yourself.</span><br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-87825846540668908702009-04-22T09:11:00.000-07:002009-04-22T09:13:23.616-07:00When Less Is More<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clean Your Disk Drive of Unnecessary Files and Your Computer’s Performance Will Improve</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">When it comes to maintaining your computer, you’ve probably heard it all before. “Run Defrag!” “Scan Your Disk for Errors!” Although these two activities are important, there’s more you can do to extend the life of your computer beyond today’s predicted two-year span. In fact, by following the simple advice below, you can enjoy the use of your computer to up to five years or more – reserving expenses to simple software upgrades rather then complete and costly hardware upgrades.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >One of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to extend the life of your computer is to get rid of unnecessary programs, folders, and files.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> A disk drive that’s clogged with unnecessary and unused files is disk drive that works harder than it has to. Although Window’s defrag system can ease some of the stress that these files place onto the drive, it doesn’t do much to get rid of the problem in the first place. This is because the defrag program simply organizes the files in a system that makes it easier for the computer to access. (Thus cutting down on the work required to find and load them). But this method merely “relieves” the symptoms that these files induce – it doesn’t attack the cause. These files need to be deleted – not “organized!”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Of course, deleting files can be a scary adventure to most users. Most computer users don’t know which files are safe to delete and which aren’t. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The worst thing anyone could do is snoop around crucial Window directories and haphazardly delete files that don’t look familiar. Doing so could render important programs inoperable, corrupt the Windows operating system, and possibly prevent the computer from even starting. That’s why using special deletion software is so important. Deletion programs will analyze a computer’s operating system and installed programs to determine which files are crucial to computer function versus which files are safe to delete.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">You already have such a program on your computer and it’s Windows’ Add/Remove Programs (available from the Control Panel). This software will assist you with deleting programs that you not only no longer want, but additional files that these program use as well (dynamic link libraries, database files, registry references, shortcut icons, etc.). </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >But sometimes Windows’ Add/Remove Programs isn’t enough.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Although this software does a pretty good job of removing unwanted programs, it can leave some files behind even after a complete uninstall – files which become orphan files. And it’s these orphan files that can really clutter up a hard drive and shorten the life of an otherwise, young and robust PC. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Orphans are usually files that contain temporary data created by a program, files created by the user, partial files left over from a computer crash, or any other kind of miscellaneous files created for almost any other reason. The problem is that an uninstall program doesn’t delete the orphan files it leaves behind because they were never part of the program when it was first installed. An uninstall program can remove only the files it placed onto a hard drive during its install routine. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">So while Windows’ Add/Remove Programs can remove an entire program, you’ll need to get rid of those pesky little things with a more advance file cleaner like CleanSweep for example. CleanSweep is a unique program that will specifically seek out files that are no longer associated with a program, and then ask if you want to delete them. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The only time that you wouldn’t want to delete an orphan file is if the file were an actual document that you created before deleting a program. If you were to say, uninstall Microsoft Word, all the documents that you created with Word would then turn into orphan files. Or if you were to uninstall a graphics-editing program, all the pictures you made with the program would become orphan files. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >The smart thing to do when you don’t want to lose the data that you created with an unwanted program is to:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">1. Save or convert your documents to a format that will work with different program first (that is, a program that you intend to keep)</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">2. Archive them onto a floppy disk, flash drive, or CD-ROM</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">3. Proceed with a program like CleanSweep. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Using CleanSweep or any other similar type of utility could delete anywhere from less than a megabyte of hard drive space to over five megabytes and up. That may seem like a small amount of “clog material” to you, but to your computer, it’s a lot less to process!</span><br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-68277480298853084962009-04-22T09:09:00.000-07:002009-04-22T09:11:25.459-07:00What’s That File?<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">An Introduction to File Extensions</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In an effort to be “user-friendly,” Windows (and perhaps some other operating systems) hides the most important part of a file name from new computer users: the extension. Okay – we’re assuming that the reasoning behind hiding extensions is a “user-friendly” one because we just can’t come up with any other reason for hiding them. No harm could ever come from seeing an extension, but plenty could be learned from it. Fortunately you have this article to guide you through some of the most common extensions that you’ll run into.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">But before you can see file extensions, you need to turn them on. From Windows Explorer, click on the “Tools” menu, and select “File Options.” Click the “View” tab and then uncheck the box next to “Hide file extensions for known file types.” Click “OK” and you’ll notice that the files in Windows Explorer show a dot and group of three letters after their names. That dot and group of three letters is known as an “extension,” and the extension explains what kind of file it is.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">A file could be a plain text file, an image, a sound, a video, or program. But without seeing the extension, you wouldn’t know it unless you double-clicked on it. The following list defines some of the most common extensions that you’ll find on your computer. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.au</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> – This extension indicates a sound file. Most sound players will load up and play this kind of file.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.art</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates an image file that was compressed with AOL (America Online) technology. Both Internet Explorer and the AOL service software can display this kind of file, however if you don’t have AOL installed on your system, Internet Explorer will display it. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.avi</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates a video file playable by most multimedia viewers including Microsoft’s Media Player.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.bmp</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates another image file that might have originated from Windows Paint program. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.dll </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- This extension indicates a Dynamic Link Library which may contain additional programming code for software. Many different programs often share Dynamic Link Libraries and you’ll find a bunch of them in the Windows/System directory (but don’t ever delete them)!</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.exe </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- This extension indicates a program or an application like Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer, or Outlook Express. Use extreme caution when downloading .exe files from the Internet since malicious programmers like to hide viruses in these types of files. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.gif </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- This extension indicates another image file and it stands for “Graphics Interchange Format.” .Gif files are often smaller than .bmp files (described earlier) and they’re commonly found on Internet web pages.</span><br /><br /></span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.jpg</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates yet another image file and it stands for “Joint Photographers Experts Group.“ Like the .gif file, it’s commonly found on Internet web pages, however it’s much smaller than both the .gif image and the .bmp image.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.mid</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates a sound file created with a Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Windows Media Player will open and run these files, however they don’t sound like normal .wav or .mp3 files (described later). .Mid files are designed to product synthetic sounds using a computer’s sound card.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.mp3</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates a sound file that authentically reproduces voice and/or music. Windows Media Player will open and run this kind of file.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.scr </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates a screen saver file.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.sit </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- This extension indicates a Macintosh archive StuffIt file. They will not open on a Windows system without a special utility. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.ttf </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates a font especially designed for use on a Windows system. It stands for “True Type Font.”</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.txt </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">- This extension indicates a plain text file that can be opened with Notepad.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.wav</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates a sound file that like the .mp3 file, can be opened with Windows Media Player or Windows Sound Recorder. .Wav files are much larger than .mp3 files.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >.zip</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - This extension indicates a Windows archive WinZip file. They will not open on a Macintosh system without a special utility.</span><br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-89510534233158782792009-04-22T09:06:00.000-07:002009-04-22T09:09:42.137-07:00Viruses<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">What They Are And One Reason Why People Make Them</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Over recent years, computers have become synonymous with viruses and viruses don’t show any signs of disappearing any time soon. In recent news, LiveScience.com reported that “Before the month is even done, April has set a record for virus e-mails.” In the past, we would be comfortable in telling new computer users not to worry about viruses and that catching a computer virus is rare. Today, that would be some of the worst advice we could give anyone. As reported in countless news reports, computer viruses are rampant and they’re extremely worrisome. This article will describe what viruses are and then point you in the direction of some rather unique protection and prevention.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In short, a computer virus is a software program designed to destroy or steal data. It attacks computers via distribution – often unknowingly – through email attachments, software downloads, and even some types of advanced web scripting. Viruses that destroy data are known as Trojan horses, viruses that explode their attacks are called bombs, and viruses that duplicate themselves are called worms. Some viruses are a combination of each, however they can be further identified according to where they’re located on a computer.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >A virus originating from the boot sector of a computer is a boot-sector virus and this nasty devil does its dirty work the moment a computer is turned on.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> A virus that attaches itself to (infects) other programs is a file virus and activates the moment that an infected program starts. File viruses may also be referred to as parasitic viruses, however should a virus work from both the boot-sector and from an infected program, the virus is then known as a multipartite virus.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Why viruses exist remains a mystery, however we had privy access to the mind behind a virus programmer who explained his motivation behind his destructive inclinations. Apparently, this person had a deep grudge against a popular online service which shall remain unnamed. In this hacker’s mind, the online service failed to do a quality job in protecting children from online smut and as retaliation, he created and distributed a virus to as many file libraries of this service as he could. His intentions were to disable the computers of the online service’s users so much that they wouldn’t be able to connect for days. In his mind, the loss of connection meant loss of revenue for the online service.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Although the malicious code that this person generated may have worked for a small percentage of users, sufficed to say, the online service continued on and still exists today. Despite his motivation or intention, his efforts were null.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">We wouldn’t be surprised to learn if other motivations behind spreading viruses were similar to this person’s, but that doesn’t justify the damage that viruses do. Innocent people become pawns for the evil plans of others who’ve convinced themselves they’re doing the “right” thing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">To protect a computer from getting a virus, or clean a virus from a computer system once infected requires the use of an antivirus utility. But may be something else we can do. Perhaps we could make an effort to educate the people who want put viruses into the public about ways to display dissatisfaction with a service or product that don’t involve harming innocent parties. In doing so, we just might reduce the number of virus news stories and protect our own investments at the same time.</span><br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-78350253050712189932009-04-22T08:59:00.000-07:002009-04-22T09:06:18.425-07:00Using Computers<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >It’s Not Rocket Science</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">These days it’s strange to hear people say, “I’m just not computer literate,” as computers have evolved from archaic scientific calculators to simple point-and-click type machines. We suspect that today’s “computer illiterates” are people who haven’t taken the time to experiment with such a machine. And we strongly believe that spending just twenty minutes with one could turn the most adamant technological caveman into any one of those who have fun wreaking chatroom havoc on the Internet today.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today, one only needs to learn how to manipulate a mouse, punch a few buttons on a keyboard, or really just turn the thing on to use a computer. It’s hard for some folks to believe, but the computers of this generation almost run themselves! For fun, let’s investigate just how little knowledge these thousand-dollar machines actually require.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Can an absolute newbie operate a computer without knowing how to use a mouse or keyboard?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Assuming that a computer is set up to operate on voice command – sure! Voice command software allows users to tell a computer what to do and the computer responds by fulfilling the user’s commands. Although it’s pretty new and still under development, voice directed technology has already infiltrated consumer service related systems. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Think back to the last time that you paid a bill over the phone. Instead of speaking to a human being, chances are that you spoke to a computer that not only responded to what you said and followed the commands that you gave it, it also asked you for more information such as your full name or credit card number. In this case, a person (such as yourself) operated a computer without even knowing it!</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Can an absolute newbie sit down at a computer without knowing how to use one?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Assuming that a computer is set up to operate on touch command – the answer is again, yes! Touch command software allows users to literally touch objects on a monitor and tell the computer what to do with a finger. Known as “kiosks,” these programs are already in use world wide at ATM machines, employment centers, and in health monitoring systems.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Neither a mouse nor a keyboard is required. A computer user only needs to touch various boxes on a screen to control a computer. Sure, the programming behind such technology is extensive and advanced, but to the end user, it makes computer use less intimidating and plain easy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Of course when we talk about operating a computer, we envision more involvement than speaking on the phone or touching things on a screen. The above illustrations were just a couple of examples of how far computer technology has grown, and how far we’ve pushed “user-friendliness” to its limit. Eventually, the keyboard and mouse will have to play a role when computer newbies have to work with one as a cash register, as a hotel booking program, or as a library’s catalog system.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">These requirements don’t make computers any less easier to operate, but they don’t make them that much harder either. So much of today’s software is designed to accommodate the experience of a new user that anyone could get connected to the Internet, send an email message, and download an MP3 file within the first five hours of purchasing a personal PC.</span><br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-68372924730813841272009-04-22T08:57:00.000-07:002009-04-22T08:59:45.586-07:00Understanding Operating Systems<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Every new computer that’s brought home from the store has an operating system installed onto it.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> But what most new computer users don’t realize, is that without an operating system, that computer would be a simple shell of possibilities. A powered computer lacking an operating system wouldn’t display anything more than a bunch of confusing text messages that describe the computer’s boot process. At the very end of this process, the computer looks for an operating system and if not found, it will prompt the user to tell it where it is.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Earlier computers didn’t have an operating system</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and if you have experience with the computers of the early eighties, you’ll remember that most to them didn’t even have a hard drive! These old computers booted an MS-DOS type operating system from drivers stored onto a floppy disk, and in order to use a program, users would remove the boot floppy and then insert a new floppy that contained the program. The floppy not only stored the program (word processor, spreadsheet, etc.), it also stored the drivers that the program needed to communicate with the computer’s hardware. As you can imagine, the cumbersome process of switching from floppy to floppy prompted the birth of the operating system. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >An operating system is a software program that controls how the computer’s hardware</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> (and installed software) </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >works.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> It manages the activity of every component and then displays that activity as a user-friendly interface (GUI). It keeps track of where things exist on a computer’s hard drive as well. But perhaps most importantly for the end-user, the operating system is responsible for translating commands issued with a keyboard and mouse into binary code (010110101 stuff) that can communicate with a set of speakers, a printer, a scanner, and more.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >With an operating system installed onto a computer’s hard drive</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">, users no longer need to boot a computer with a floppy disk, nor do they need to run programs from a floppy disk. All the drivers of a program are stored onto the computer and used whenever a program is started.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Apple’s Macintosh computer was among the first of a couple systems to establish a user-to-hardware relationship through a user-friendly interface.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Today, we have quite a few operating systems. Some of the more popular ones are Windows Vista, Mac OS X, ZETA, IBM, Unix, and Linux. But even still, operating systems have extended onto to non-computer devices such as game consoles, portable music players, and PDAs. Regardless of the device, the operating system installed onto it serves the same purpose across the board: to enable user-to-hardware communication.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >When you think about upgrading your computer to a new operating system</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">, be careful to make sure that you have the necessary hardware components. We tried to upgrade one of our Windows 98 machines to Windows XP, but we were cautioned that the former may not be hardware compatible with XP technology. Apparently, the Windows XP operating system requires components that weren’t developed at the time Windows 98 was distributed and if we were to install Windows XP on this machine anyway, the new operating system would look for hardware that the computer didn’t have. And that would be an instant recipe for failure.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Also be careful about installing operating systems that are incompatible with existing hardware.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> The hardware of Macintosh computers is extremely different from the hardware of Windows computers and under no circumstances will a Windows operating system work on a Macintosh machine! </span><br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-27903640540567359202009-04-22T07:51:00.000-07:002009-04-22T08:46:18.893-07:00Understanding Compression<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">What It Is and What’s Involved</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Downloading files from the Internet has always been one of the most popular activities on the Internet</span> – third to sending email and browsing the web. We download files from software libraries, ftp directories, YouTube and Google Video, MP3 sites, and we download files sent to us as email attachments.<br /><br />Being so popular an activity, it’s imperative that you compress the files destined for another computer. File compression combines a number of different files into one file, and it can also significantly reduce a very large file to a smaller one. As a result, the transmission of a compressed file across the Internet is faster and smoother. This article looks at compressed files a little closer and it describes how to compress and decompress them using two of the most popular archiving programs.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Identifying Compressed Files</span></span><br /><br />Most files are compressed in .zip format (if you’re using Windows) or .sit format (if you’re using a Mac). The two most popular software programs used to compress and decompress files are Winzip and StuffIt respectively. There are other programs that do the same thing and there are even programs that can compress and decompress files for both the Windows and the Mac system. However since Winzip and StuffIt are the most popular, we will assume you will use either one to compress and decompress your own files.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you download a compressed file from a website or file library that ends in an .exe extension</span>, take note that although the file is compressed, it’s typically a file that will install a program onto a computer. .Zip or .Sit files don’t install software – they merely archive a collection of them into one, or they significantly reduce the size of a larger one.<br /><br />Decompressing Files<br /><br />Assuming that you have Winzip or StuffIt installed on your computer, you can access the files archived inside a .zip or .sit file by simply double-clicking the archive (a file ending in a .zip or .sit extension). Double-clicking one of these kinds of files will open up a window that displays the contents of the archive. In most cases, you can double click a file inside this window to use it, or you can select it and drag the file to a folder to view later.<br /><br />Depending on how you elected to install Winzip or StuffIt, you may be able to right-click a .zip or .sit file and have the program extract its contents into a new folder for you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Compressing Files</span></span><br /><br />When you want to upload a file or email a collection of files to a friend, it’s best to archive it as a .zip or .sit file first. This will decrease the time it takes for your computer to send it elsewhere, and it will also decrease the time it takes for someone else to download it.<br /><br />To create your own .zip or .sit file, you can select a single file or a group of files from within Explorer, and right-click the selection. Again, depending on how you installed Winzip or StuffIt, you can click the “Add to Zip” or “Add to Sit” option and have these programs automatically archive the file(s) into one.<br /><br />Some files compress better than others and in some instances, you may not notice that much of a difference. The files that compress the best are images, documents, and multimedia files. Executable files (files that end in an .exe extension) don’t compress that well, however when they’re archived with a sizable number of other files, they compress rather well. Go figure!Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-4253116215372237902009-04-22T07:17:00.000-07:002009-04-22T07:51:23.619-07:00Software Piracy<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >It’s Best To Avoid It At All Costs</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Like electronic identity theft, computer viruses, and the spread of other computer crimes, software piracy is on the rise.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> The problem with software piracy is that software costs make this illegal activity appealing to the end user. After all, who is it going to hurt? Rich software companies?? This article investigates software piracy as a whole and the impact that it has on the computer using industry.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >The most vulnerable victims of software piracy are software businesses or independent programmers who create and distribute commercial software or shareware.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> We described shareware in another article, but because both commercial software and shareware require payment, they’re the target of pirates who seek to make these kinds of programs free to use. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Depending on their binding legal agreements, licensing typically allows the use of a single program on a single computer.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> This set up is usually fine for a user who uses software at home on one computer. But in an environment where there are five, ten, twenty or more computers, buying a license for each computer can be down-right costly. So costly that the temptation to pirate a little software here and there can be pretty tempting.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Co-workers are familiar with this temptation</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> and they’re often the ones who “share” purchased software among those who need it. However the same temptation also prompts others to knowingly or unknowingly buy bootleg copies of commercial software or registered shareware. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >As tempting as it is, it’s still illegal and the punishments/fines for sharing commercial or registered software is too much for one to bear.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> In recent news, “Yahoo China loses music piracy case (AP via Yahoo! News) A court has ordered Yahoo Inc.'s China subsidiary to pay $27,000 for aiding music piracy, the company and a music industry group said Tuesday.“ Additionally, “EU lawmakers approve prison terms, fines for major commercial piracy (International Herald Tribune) EU lawmakers voted Wednesday for legislation that would set prison sentences and fines for large-scale commercial piracy, but exempt patents and copying carried out for personal use.” </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Fortunately, there are alternatives.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Schools can research student versions of commercial software or ask for a school discount. Just because school rates aren’t advertised, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t available. Freeware or open source software (also described in another one of our articles) is another alternative to pirating commercial-ware, as well as shareware. And using older versions of programs could additionally reduce the costs associated with commercial versions.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Up until recently, public opinion held little faith in freeware or open source software</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> – often regarding it as low-quality knock-off’s of better known commercial products. But if you take a good look at what’s being offered at no cost, you may be in for a big surprise. The quality of today’s freeware and open source software created a strong rift among the commercial community and it’s literally driving the competition bananas! So much so, that even some well known software development corporations have joined the cause and built a few freeware open source products of their own!</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >If you can remember that there are hoards of alternatives to costly commercial software</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> (and you make the effort to get it), you’ll discover that you can keep up with the rest of the computer industry at a significantly cheaper cost than if you attempted to pay your way down the software aisle. Software piracy just isn’t the answer. </span><br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-74867885746885150492009-04-22T07:13:00.000-07:002009-04-22T07:16:35.171-07:00Smartphones<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >What’s the craze all about?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >If you haven’t heard of smartphones, we’d like to learn where you’ve been hiding all this time.</span> Smartphones have been all over the news and chances are, you do know what they are – only you know them under a different name. Smartphones are mobile phones with computer like capabilities. <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >What’s that? Aha! Yes, you’ve not only heard of them, you’ve probably seen them as well.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Packed with Internet access, email capabilities, address books, and a whole lot more, cell phones have come a long way since their first debut. But be careful not to confuse these newest toys with sandbox devices. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Sandbox devices are tools</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> that come pre-loaded with things like calendars, calculators, and a notepad. What differentiates them from smartphones is that users can add (download and install) additional programs to smartphones and they seemingly become mini portable computers for the people who use them. That – and the ability to edit the content that sits on them - is what makes these phones “smart.” </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Some of the more popular brand names</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> include the Blackberry, PalmSource, Nokia, and Windows CE. Yet the craze is extending to even some off-brand company names. Today, it’s hard to find a cell phone that doesn’t offer some sort of “smart” technology because it’s in such a high demand. The convenience of having information at our immediate access is phenomenal – so much so that thousands of programmers have jumped on the opportunity to build unique applications specific to these small machines. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >As a result,</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> you can find tons of games, databases, GPA systems, weather reporting programs, and even small encyclopedias on these things – each accessible not at the click of a mouse – but at a few presses of a free thumb. Of course a mini keyboard is available for the text-messaging fan or for the poor fellow who can’t seem to get away from the office. In the latter case, don’t be surprised if you find the entire Microsoft Office suite displayed within a screen no bigger than a matchbook. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Is this a phase? That’s highly doubtful.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> The market for these devices extends from the highly technical and professional all the way to the pre-teen socialite. The product crosses all demographics and thanks to decreasing costs – it sees no economic boundaries as well. The Wikipedia encyclopedia claims that “Out of 1 billion camera phones to be shipped in 2008, Smartphones, the higher end of the market with full email support, will represent about 10% of the market or about 100 million units.”</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >But what is it that makes smartphones so appealing?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> As mentioned, smartphones give us the ability to not only carry our data around with us where ever we go, it also gives us the ability to edit that data any place – any time. In today’s “reality” based generation, we’re always looking for the opportunity to capture and relive a moment. And we want to share that moment with others. At best, smart phones give us the opportunity to express ourselves impromptu with entertaining results.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Attempting to do the same with a bulky desktop computer or laptop is to cumbersome.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Even some of the smallest peripherals (digicams, digital cameras, etc.) don’t give us the same opportunities that smart phones do. Being able to carry around a device for communication, creation, recording, and editing simply compliments the need for today’s generation to do more and then do it, faster!</span><br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47171893892819869.post-76450982795485465232009-04-22T07:10:00.000-07:002009-04-22T07:13:34.786-07:00Selling Your Computer<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Looking At Alternatives</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >At some point, your needs are going to outgrow the capabilities of your computer.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" > You may find yourself in need of more hard drive space for all those videos and mp3s that you download, for example. Or maybe that cool new programming language you’ve been dying to try requires more memory than what your computer currently has. Unless the activities on your computer are restricted to pure textual output (plain text files), your computer is going to get filled with a lot of “stuff” – stuff that can overfill a PC’s capacity too much for the computer to function well.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >The problem is that while upgrading a computer is always an option, technology advances so fast that newer products </span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >(such as memory chips, new drives, etc.) </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >aren’t always compatible with the machines that we own. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >This is a common occurrence when newer pieces of hardware require the programming of a newer operating system. Sure, one could upgrade the operating system to accommodate the demands of a new piece of hardware, but trouble starts when that new operating system requires new hardware in return. If we’re not careful, we could end up replacing almost every hard and soft part of a computer that we own – all in an effort to upgrade! Upgrading in this fashion is not only silly to do so, it’s also costly – more costly than simply buying a new computer.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >But once the decision to buy a computer is set in stone, what can be done with the old one?</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" > There are alternatives to selling a computer and this article is going to introduce a few of them.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >1. Give it to the kids. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >This is of course, assuming the kids are too young to whine about not having enough SDRAM or less than a 160GB hard drive. Today’s “older” computers are perfectly capable of accommodating the needs of young PC users, and they’re excellent machines for playing educational CDs, small multimedia files, or games downloaded from the Internet. And don’t forget the most important role they play in a child’s homework-clad life: A simple encyclopedia CD on a used computer makes excellent research tool (not to mention a rather fancy calculator!).<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >2. Donate it to a less-fortunate or less-literate family member. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >We often joke around the office about the “grandma” who refuses to use a computer until she can afford the “latest” one. Chances are, Grandma isn’t ever going to shell out the bucks to buy the latest computer on the market, nor is she going to know how to use it once she gets it. What Grandma doesn’t realize however is that a used computer is an excellent training tool that she can use to prepare herself for something “better” in the future. We always say, “’Tis better to screw up something on an old, used machine than to screw up everything on a brand new one!” A couple of errors on an old, used machine are easier to fix because someone is going to have the experience and knowledge to fix it. Errors on a new machine however can be a beast to fix because we’re all knocking at Microsoft’s door looking for answers.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >3. Convert the machine into a storage area. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >As another alternative to selling that machine, we suggest that people disconnect it from the Internet and use it to store personal documents, records, or files. This way, personal data (such as bank statements, store receipts, health records, etc.) is protected from prying viruses or hackers, while the newer machine is used to surf the net.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >As you can see, old computers still serve a purpose either for you or for someone else.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" > And although selling an old computer is always an option, there are a number of things that you can do with an old computer. All that’s required is a little “out of the box” thinking and a grateful recipient.<br /></span>Stephanie A. Yanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332605679790966273noreply@blogger.com0