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Exodus Follows Facebook's Beacon Roll-Out; Outrage at Privacy Violations
NEW YORK, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Capazoo (www.capazoo.com), the newest and most unique social networking and online entertainment Web site, today issued an open letter to disgruntled Facebook members offering free VIP membership and a privacy guarantee that rivals Facebook's Beacon function.
Tens of thousands of Facebook consumers expressed outrage when their online holiday shopping became part of their Facebook news feed. Purchases were exposed, surprises were spoiled and an element of online privacy was violated in front of hundreds of thousands of Facebook members.
"Joining a social network doesn't automatically open your life like a book," said Grant Carter, president of Capazoo. "Members should determine what's private and what's public, not a social network's owners."
Facebook's Beacon reveals the purchases of Facebook members even when they are not visiting the site. The function was designed to attract additional advertisers but instead outraged their membership.
Capazoo issued an open letter to disgruntled Facebook members earlier today via their website and offered free VIP memberships by using the promo code "facebook" on their registration page.
Capazoo members earn real cash through Member-to-Member Tipping, advertising revenue sharing, corporate profit sharing and revenue earned through the referral of friends.
For a copy of the Open Letter to All Facebook Members, please contact kmercuri@5wpr.com
About Capazoo.com
Capazoo.com is a brand new Social Network and Entertainment site that finally provides real value for your online content. The site blends videos, photos, music and blogging with the ability to Tip and get Tipped for content. This unique, Member-driven economy empowers Members like you to gain personal recognition and to generate real money through your participation. You can also earn money by referring friends who join Capazoo. Members convert Zoops, our micro-currency, into real cash - and cash out their earnings onto the Capazoodebit card. For more information, visit www.capazoo.com.
Source: Capazoo
Web site: http://www.capazoo.com/
Are You Spending More Time with YouTube than with Humans
by Jaci Rae
Instant messaging, text messaging, blogs, vlogs, podcasts and widgets. With technology moving faster than a broadband connection, every day brings another way to keep in touch without actually having to show up in person. "It seems that the more connected we are, the more disconnected we become to real people," says Jaci Rae, who appears regularly on radio and television and whose love advice is featured on a number of relationship websites.
"Increasingly, being wired is replacing true bonds between human beings. Men and women are actually losing their ability to communicate with each other on a meaningful level."
Jaci says that vast numbers of people are searching for real relationships, but trying to find one through a 'smart' phone is not smart. "Technology is great for helping people stay in touch, but for so many people it's the only way they know how to connect."
Jaci cites an example she observed recently at a coffeehouse. "Many people were either on their laptops, text messaging, talking on their cell phones or listening to their iPod's. Only two people in the entire cafe were having an actual face-to-face conversation. I'd wager many of what I term the "wired wounded" were lonely but didn't know what to do about it. I felt like telling them 'put down your defenses, stop hiding behind your "connection" and let me teach you how to have a conversation with a real person and not a computer!'"
Jaci says that while online dating sites, chat rooms and "communities" such as www.facebook.com, www.youtube.com and www.myspace.com can be a great way to start a conversation with a potential new friend; many people lack the interpersonal skills to take their Internet connection into a lasting, in the flesh, connection.
With the world becoming more and more dependent on their computers, wireless methods of communication, and their Internet addiction, it's no wonder there are computer games that allow users to build and have a "relationship" with their idea of a perfect family or mate.
"As the world becomes more connected, their social skills go out the door," says Jaci. "People need to be taught how to have an actual conversation with another person that does not involve hardware or software as an intervening third party. Technology is not the enemy; it's the uncontrolled use of technology that's ruining our society and our relationships." Here are some of Jaci's tips for turning yourself into a more user-friendly human being:
SHORT BIO: Jaci Rae uses her lifetime of experience from the school of relationship hard knocks, as well as professional training in therapy and psychology, to help men and women connect deeply and find the love they deserve.
Jaci is on the dating team of www.savvymiss.com, the relationship expert for www.lovingyou.com, and a relationship advisor for www.loveisgreat.com and www.singlescafe.com. She has written hundreds of articles and several books on connecting, relationships and how to find and build lasting love. She is also an award-winning singer who has toured around the world. For more information, go to Jaci Rae.com
The Year Without Cyberspace
The hustle and bustle was all around;
All the creatures were stirring with deafening sound.
With years of Cyberspace at the touch of their fingers;
No one could foresee the dangers that lingered.
Faster and faster each year they would go;
Till the fastest connection seemed way too slow.
No longer did anyone need company around;
Who needs a friend when there's so much to be found?
With the children all snug away alone in their beds;
Happily playing with visions of death scenes filling their heads.
Laptops, television and computer game boxes at hand;
Parents don't need a babysitter, there is no demand.
No longer are they children, but miniature adults;
Being thrust into a world filled with lust and cults.
The family table holds nothing but dust;
And the living room center is no longer a must;
In a house that no longer holds family traditions.
Sharing family stories isn't an appealing addition;
A night with a storybook, who needs to read out loud;
With books that read for you, two is a crowd;
Social skills are lacking in a solitary world of confinement;
Manners aren't necessary, no need to refine them.
Then suddenly one year Cyberspace disappeared;
And the roar from the crowd could be heard far and near.
Suddenly people didn't know what to do;
And sitting alone, they each cried boo hoo.
As each day passed the crowd thought the end was here;
But Cyberspace was lost, and didn't reappear.
Slowly the isolated crowd came together;
To share their thoughts, not talk of the weather.
Having not seen a human in quite a long time;
They struggled to find at least a few ties that bind.
The elders came out of their bedrooms with care;
To share how it used to be and to compare.
How the family unit was today versus then;
And what fun they would have with just paper and pen.
A time when the family played games on a board;
And the family table held more than power chords.
When camping meant fires, guitars and no phones;
And being on vacation didn't mean faxes and ring tones.
When family and friends were cherished, not a commodity;
And talking with your neighbor was more than an oddity.
With Cyberspace gone everyone decided to give it a try;
This old-fashioned way, when the Internet didn't apply.
At first it was hard, no one knew what to say;
But soon it caught on and for more than a day!
Suddenly the violence so often on the street;
Calmed down to a hush and thuggery saw defeat.
No longer was it necessary to lock all your doors;
Visiting with family was no longer a chore.
Family and friends now gathered all the time;
To share special moments without any crime.
When Cyberspace was restored and crept back inside;
The parents cried no, you could hear it worldwide!
So with careful discretion they allowed its use;
But with strict supervision and no way to abuse.
And so without all the clamor or deafening cries;
The world became better, no one could deny.
Cyberspace is an asset to that I confess;
But without limitations, it leads to a mess.
Peace on Earth -- Good Will To Men
Copyright 2006 Jaci Rae and North Shore Records, Inc.
Jaci Rae s grit and determination have brought her from an impoverished childhood to a career as an award-winning singer, No. 1 best-selling author and entrepreneur who has toured around the world. Jaci shares her down-to-earth advice as the relationship advisor/expert/dating coach for igniteromance.com, savvymiss.com, lovingyou.com, loveisgreat.com and singlescafe.net.
Jaci Rae's latest books are, Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae How to Get Almost Anything for Free or Next to It and Collista's Search for the True Meaning of Christmas. Other books are Winning Points With The Woman In Your Life One Touchdown At A Time and The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money. For more information http://www.shopforaday.com , http://www.grannysnaturalpopcorn.com , http://www.winningromance.com http://www.christmaswithlove.com or http://www.jacirae.com
About.com Dating Guide lists Jaci's book, Winning Points With The Woman In Your Life One Touchdown At A Time in the top six of all time dating / relationship books. http://dating.about.com/od/datingadvice/ss/RelateBooks_6.htmJaci Rae may be contacted at http://www.jacirae.com
How Social Networking Sites Can Derail Your Job Search
by Surranna Sandy
For many, the start of a new year means the start of a new job search using the internet to research employers. For up coming college graduates in particular, it is opportunity to get a head start in getting their careers off the ground using online resources. At the same time, many employers are also researching potential job candidates through Google, Myspace.com and Facebook.com and what they are finding could be used as reasons not to hire you.
A recent poll conducted for Careerbuilder.com showed that 26 percent of hiring managers admitted to using the Internet to perform background checks on job candidates. A further 12 percent admitted to using social networking sites such as MySpace.com and Facebook.com as a screening tool.
For many college students, social networking sites such as Facebook.com and Myspace.com are a core part of their cyber profile used for networking. However, many students are surprised to learn that their candid and sometimes sexually explicit photos and the details of their drinking and dating lives in their profiles can negatively affect their job search. Those disparaging comments, risqué photos, inappropriate language and lewd jokes posted on their profiles could be viewed as a reflection of their character by a potential employer.
According to an HR director, people should carefully consider their potential audience and the impression they may have based on your pictures, personal opinions, and ideas posted online. We were in the process of extending an offer to a great candidate, until his myspace.com page was brought to our attention. He had a great resume, went to an elite school and had impeccable references. However, our review of his myspace profile highlighted his recreational drug use. This made us immediately reconsider hiring him, says an HR Director for a financial services company in Toronto, Ontario. Our company is very conscious of client relations and our public image and we could not risk this candidate s background being taken as a reflection of our organization.
A recent poll of Resume Solutions student clients showed that over 60% of the respondents were unaware that their profiles on social networking websites could be viewed by potential employers. This is surprising, despite the increased media attention focused on employers reviewing Myspace and Facebook prior to making hiring decisions. Prior to starting a new job search, it is recommended that job seekers perform a Google search on their names to find out what a potential employer may read or see about them online. If any questionable content is discovered, content you would not feel comfortable if an employer or your parents view, then request that the site s webmaster remove it immediately. Questionable content may include nude photos, slanderous comments or photographs that show you in inappropriate situations. Keep in mind you may encounter resistance in getting the content removed, however, you can let them know that they may be affecting your future job prospects and you may have no choice but to seek legal recourse. For that information, that you absolutely cannot have removed due to lack of control, construct a plausible answer to counter or explain away to a hiring manager. We are not advocating that social networking sites are to be used solely for job searching or building a web portfolio of your resume and job skills, but it makes sense to remove as much of the negative content about yourself as is possible. You should be smart and discreet in your online communications and consider creating private profiles for just your family members and friends. There are many ways to create a positive cyber profile that does not affect your career prospects. College students can create personal web pages and profiles at social networking sites that include their resumes, hobbies and interests, details on leadership activities or academic successes. You can also include photos of yourself but ensure they do not include explicit materials. Job seekers can use their online profiles to demonstrate their excellent communication skills, establish a professional image of themselves prior to an in-person meeting, demonstrate their creativity and diverse interest things that can set them apart from other job seekers.
As more and more users flock to social networking sites, the affect these sites have on the job search and candidate screening may include employers going even deeper into candidate s personal and professional lives. It is therefore advisable to put nothing online that have the potential to hurt your future job prospects and include anything that would help you in landing a new job. Use common sense when creating an online profile. Remember that employers who do online searches are looking for reasons not to hire you.
Résumé Solutions offers advanced resume writing and interview coaching services from entry level, mid-career through to executive clientele in the global marketplace. The President of the company is Surranna Sandy, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer and Certified Employment Interview Coach and former Human Resources Management Professional who launched resumesolutions.com 5 years ago. She directs a client focused team of resume writers and career coaches helping thousands of job seekers meet their career goals.Surranna Sandy may be contacted at http://www.resumesolutions.ca or news@resumesolutions.ca
Social Networking on Your Mobile Phone
by - -
In 2007, it s a MySpace world. Everywhere you go and everything you hear about is MySpace this, and MySpace that. 80 million or so registered users have a way of wielding their power. It s no wonder that this social networking juggernaut is now teaming up with the wireless companies.
MySpace officially partnered with Cingular Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile-phone service provider in April 2006. If you have a MySpace account, you can get short text messages sent to you when new comments or friend requests get posted to your MySpace profile.
MySpace is planning to make its mobile features available through all major U.S. carriers soon. Wireless startup Helio began offering phones preloaded with MySpace capabilities. Users can view profiles of friends and post comments and photos directly onto MySpace. The goal of MySpace? To make its mobile applications a preloaded feature on all mobile phones in the world.
In fact, cell phones everywhere are dialing in to the top social networking sites.
Here s what some of the other top social networking sites are doing:
§ð Social networks such as Rabble, CoolTalk, and The Facebook are also being hosted by Cingular.
" Dodgeball, owned by Google, allows users to text their location and are notified of friends or hotspot venues close by. How do they pull this one off? Through the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) that most phones have.
" Flickr has partnered with Nokia, allowing users to post photos shot with their Nokia mobile multimedia phones onto the Flickr site instantly.
Other important details:
" Cingular wants to host as many social networks as they can.
§ð Mobile phone service providers will make out well with wireless social networking. Why? They charge $5 or more a month for Web time. 200+ minutes a month is the average time MySpace users spend.
" What about the good old personal computer? Well, for the socially networked twenty something, its all about the cell phone. They are moving, busy doing things, out and about. The cell phone is easier to use with a fast paced lifestyle. Use a cell phone to send pictures, videos and email in a flash.
§ð Over 30% of young Americans are already using their mobile phones to post photos to the web sites.
For those who think that this new trend is a perfect storm, guess again. Mobile social networks aren t problem free yet. It s hard to type on mobile phones. Plus, there aren t a lot of features to use yet. But, that will change in time.
How big could mobile social networking become? Very big.
The time has come and the market is ready.
Robin Meyer is Web Manager of Your Wireless Source, a company that specializes in portable wireless products and accessories including accessories for Cingular phones. Visit them online today at http://www.yourwirelesssource.com or contact them at 1-866-837-7265 to learn more. - - may be contacted at
Create and Sell Your Own Info Products on eBay
by Thomas Hunter
If you are looking for the perfect eBay business you have found it. For good reason, information products are among the hottest categories right now on eBay. There are hundreds of eBay sellers currently making a full time living just selling information products. Here's why you need to be one of them.
You can run your business from anywhere&
You can set your eBay auctions to begin and end any time that you want. After your auction ends, your customer pays and the product is automatically delivered to them by instant download. It's truly "automatic income". You no longer need to "surf the net" to make an income, now you can make money while "surfing the waves".
Unlimited product to sell&
The hardest part of selling on eBay is coming up with a unique physical product that people are interested in buying. Many times you are at the mercy of a drophsipper, or bulk wholesaler to fulfill your orders. With your own information product you now have an unlimited amount of products to sell.
You can avoid the dreaded USPS&
Digital items are delivered electronically and automatically. You will no longer have to stand in long lines, (remember the Christmas rush), or rely on the USPS for your livelihood.
You have no competition&
When you create your own information product you will have a unique item that no one else will be selling on eBay. When people want your item, they must purchase it from you. The first rule of business is to "Eliminate the Competition".
Unlimited backend sales&
Once someone buys a product from you and likes what you offer, they are much more likely to purchase additional items as well. A single customer can be worth many hundreds of dollars over a lifetime and you will be able to create complimentary products to sell them on the backend. Sell them a "bass fishing" book and follow it up with a "fly tying" book, sell a "fitness book" and follow it up with a "healthy recipe" book. The opportunities are endless.
Creating and selling your own information products is an effective way to build a lucrative business on eBay. Research "how to write an e-book", "publishing your own e-book" and "public domain books" for further information.
Learn how to harness the Money Making Power of eBay from a Real eBay Powerseller. Visit our daily blog "The Auction Profit Tips News", get a FREE gift and find dozens of Money Making tips, tricks, secrets and strategies. bzh45qrThomas Hunter may be contacted at http://AuctionProfitTips.NET
How to make money with eBay
by Justin Vander Ploeg
Do whish that you had more money? If you become an affiliate with eBay you can make a lot of extra money. I mean think about it, eBay is one of the most popular websites that sells things. People trust eBay and don't think that they are getting scammed. When people see the eBay logo they pay more attention then if they just saw some ad for a website that they have never heard of. A lot of money is made on eBay by the elite, and if you want then you can be one of the few make serious money. Many people try to make money on eBay but fail because they do not know how to do it. If you know how the system works then you will save yourself much time and frustration. You will make the most money as an affiliate for eBay if you concentrate on niche markets. But you don't have to have just one website on a niche market. You can get another website and another and another; I mean you can have a hundred websites. And think about it if each website makes just $50 each month and you have a hundred websites then that is $5,000 dollars a month! Now let me talk real quick about how to maximize your sales. The best way that I have found is to submit articles to various articles directories. If you write an article and then put the link to your site at the bottom the people who read it will see the link and they will click on it and go to your site. This is a proven way to get people to your site so that you can make more sales. Just remember people respect eBay and will not be suspicious so you should get a lot of people buying from your website.
If you want to learn how to make some serious money with a website from eBay then please visit EBay Niche Markets! Justin Vander Ploeg may be contacted at
Banned Items on Ebay
by Hazel Leo
E-bay may seem to have everything a buyer would need or want. However, not all things are provided on E-bay for sale. There are things that are prohibited in being displayed in E-bay due to infringement of some existing laws.
This list of prohibited items should be strictly noted unless it's okay for the seller to be banned from the E-bay listing or his or her account suspended. He or she may even face some criminal charges relative to the violation of the law. Learn about Ebay Selling from the Pros!
These prohibited items are as follows:
1. School-related software.
This refers to any kind of school-related software that is being sold to students or researchers at marked down amounts.
2. Law-related items like brand names misused just for personal gain; copyrighted materials, unauthorized recording or footage of a live show; beta software or software that are used to test and assess a software's over-all performance; any software or hardware used to extract different audio and video files in a CD, VCD, or DVD; or items that a seller cannot provide proof of authenticity.
3. Wildlife creatures and animals.
Any kind of animals being sold in E-bay is strictly prohibited. There are certain laws that govern the illegality of selling wildlife animals especially those that are classified as extinct or nearly extinct.
4. Tickets or contracts of concerts, shows, or any kind of performances.
Selling of these items is strictly prohibited unless the seller is permitted to do so by an approving officer. Sale of such legal agreements may result to breach or violation of the law.
5. Fake items such as counterfeited currencies. These are not only prohibited in E-bay but are highly punishable by law.
6. Any downloadable media.
These refer to any kind of software that was only made available for certain people. If the seller is not the sole owner of the rights of said downloads, E-bay will not accept such items for sale. In such cases, these items will only be allowed provided that the seller can provide proofs of copyright ownership and that this must be stated when posting the item for sale.
7. Goods that were prohibited from other countries.
8. Signatures, faces, or names of people without the owner's permission.
9. Any kind of ammunition or weapon.
10. Government licenses, identification cards, or any pertinent document related to the government.
Usually, E-bay updates or modifies this list of prohibited items. And so, it's important for every buyer and seller to get hold of an updated copy of the list of prohibited items on E-bay.
As a final note, it is stressed that the buyer if subject to liability if he or she purchases an illegal item. It is still the responsibility of the buyers and sellers to monitor the legality of their transactions since eBay is merely a facilitator in the market process.
When searching eBay listings and categories, it can become very tiresome because there is so much out there. If you re just browsing for stuff to buy, then select a category, and select Ending Today. Items ending in the next 24 hours will be highlighted in red. Here's a tip to find great bargains. Look for items ending after midnight. There aren't as many people up after midnight and those auctions tend to get fewer bids. If you don't want to stay up that late, use BidSlammer to bid for you.
Hazel Leo has been a professional writer specializing in Dieting, Health and Fitness topics. She has had more than 10 years of experience and has worked for various health organizations.Hazel Leo may be contacted at www.ewhy.info or leong44@streamyx.com
Local Yahoo Groups taking over eBay
by Kerry Mann
With eBay fee hikes the cost of selling goods online has forced many eBayers to search for other means to sell there items. This has spurred a recent growth in local Yahoo groups. These groups can be found anywhere around the world, by searching yahoo groups.
One of the most popular groups is called free-cycle. Free-cycle is a Yahoo group where users can post items that they no longer want or items that they might need. No money is involved. It s local pickup so no shipping costs. Its a great idea and great for the enviroment (less waste). A Yahoo group that I think will eventually be able to compete with eBay is Barter/Sales/Trade Groups. With these groups you can post items that you have for sale or items that you are looking for, or that you want to trade. This is a good way to make some extra money. These Yahoo groups overcome the major issues that most people have with buying or selling on eBay:
1. Shipping-costs
2. Selling Fees (of which have become a boiling point of ebayers to do the recent increase)
3. Trust (many people are hesitant to buy on eBay because they don t trust they will receive there item)
This is NOT the case with similar Yahoo groups because you pick the items up locally.
Some other benefits:
* Sales are made locally so you can interact with your community and meet your neighbors * These sales are immediate so you don t have to wait 7 days like an online auction * Its great for the environment, you are selling it or free-cycling it. * Its a fun and easy way to make money
eBay s biggest advantage is their selection, but with the increasing popularity of local groups, I think people are going to find it an easier way to sell things online.
This article is brought to you by http://makemoneyideasblog.com. Our goal is to deliver cutting edge, innovative and creative money making ideas to you daily. We are now offering our acclaimed "Blog Marketing and Revenue Plan" as a FREE Download. If you have a website or blog you need to read this. Just visit our "Behind the Scenes" category. http://makemoneyideasblog.com
This article is brought to you by http://makemoneyideasblog.com. Our goal is to deliver cutting edge, innovative and creative money making ideas to you daily. We are now offering our acclaimed "Blog Marketing and Revenue Plan" as a FREE Download. If you have a website or blog you need to read this. Just visit our "Behind the Scenes" category. http://makemoneyideasblog.com
Kerry Mann may be contacted at http://www.makemoneyideasblog.com/ or mannj24@yahoo.com
Google s New Patent Application Digital Billboards
by Halstatt Pires
Always looking for a new potential marketing forum, Google is thinking outside of the box again. It recently filed a patent application for digital billboards.
This past December, Google really showed how far it is envisioning the digital advertising world going. It filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office seeking to create an entirely new marketing forum. The patent is for technology and a business model for placing digital advertising on billboards and kiosks. The apparent idea is you would be able to buy advertising space through Google Adwords or a new Google service and blast your advertisement out to malls and other retail locations.
The patent process is a long one, so nobody knows if Google will be successful with its application. The very nature of the application, however, should give one pause. If Google is successful, it will give online advertisers an entirely new platform to consider. Ah, but there is a more important thing to consider.
Let s assume Google is successful and obtains the patent. It would be a monstrous victory with all kinds of implications. Google would essentially control the advertising on kiosks and retail outlets across the United States. In bottom line terms, it would be a huge revenue producer. How many advertisers would pay to be blasted all over a mall during Christmas? The malls are so packed, people can barely move.
A secondary factor to consider is the direction Google is going. Brick and mortar marketing has often been a separate genre when compared to online marketing. Everyone and their brother have forecasted a future where these two platforms merge. Google s proposed patent, however, seems to be the first legitimate global step in this approach.
At the end of the day, the question of whether Google succeeds with this patent is almost irrelevant. What is clear is the company is far and above any other online company in thinking of ways to expand its reach. Would anyone really expect Yahoo or MSN to come up with this idea and follow it through? Not likely. With such an out of the box way of thinking, Google stands to dominate online marketing now and long into the future.
Halstatt Pires is with MarketingTitan.com - an internet marketing firm. Halstatt Pires may be contacted at http://www.marketingtitan.com
Yahoo 360! Blog Review
by Elizabeth Marks
Yahoo is one of the internet s largest search provider who offers a blogging tool called Yahoo 360! Before you dive in by visiting http://360.yahoo.com/, learn from my experience with this tool. You might save some time and avoid problems I ran into.
Setup To start a Yahoo blog, it s pretty easy like most of blog options. Create an account, setup your profile and start posting. However, Yahoo 360 offers a lot of other features, such as your own website, a friends list, email, etc. For the purpose of this article, I ll be attempting to focus on just the blog feature. However, I apologize as I describe the features as I m not sure whether they are part of the blog or webpage features. In Yahoo 360 the features are so integrated it s sometimes hard to tell.
Layout Yahoo offers already made blog templates to choose from. There are a lot to choose from, so you don t have to be stuck with a bland looking blog. It s also very easy to change designs, if you decide you want a different look. As a side note, I personally liked how easy it was to change the theme without loosing my content or having to reformat it.
Publishing I typically write in Microsoft Word and copy/paste my content to the blog. Most of blogs required some reformatting to make it look good. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find not much extra formatting was needed to post. They also have the email-to-post function, so you can send your post to your blog via a simple email. That s a time saving convenience!
Comments There s at least three types of comments in Yahoo 360! As you would expect, there are regular comments that readers can post regarding your blog posts. You can also send/receive IM messages from others. There s also a Quick Comment feature, where visitors can post a short message that s not specific to a particular post. All of these are nice features.
Search Like Microsoft Spaces Live, Google Blogger and others, Yahoo uses the things you put in your profile as keywords for search. If you say you like writing and you click on the word writing in your profile, you ll get a list of other people you like writing too. The list provides details like the person s name, how many friends they have and when they last posted something. But just like the other blogs, it can be very time consuming clicking on each one, reading, and posting a comment. Especially, if all you want to do is let people know about your blog.
I guess that s why Yahoo 360 offers a feature called Create a Blast . It s kind of like a quick recommendation, news clip or anything else you want to say about your blog. Apparently, this is visible somewhere for searching. I never had much luck using this feature, though.
Statistics There is a basic visitor counter to let you know how many times your blog has be viewed. That s handy being part of the standard package with no extra programming needed to make it work.
Linking Linking was something, I just couldn t figure out with Yahoo 360. I was very surprised that it wasn t easy. In order to link with someone, you first have to find someone. As I previously mentioned, this can take some time. Once you find someone, you need to invite them to be your friend. This can take some time, as you wait for them to check their messages and respond to you. I didn t find this Friends list to be as easy to use as other blog s features like bookmarks or blogs I like . This was disappointing. If you want a personal website you can personalize it with content from all over the web, want a place to share your life experiences and you re not concerned with generating traffic to your blog site, Yahoo 360 may be an okay choice.
To find out more about blog options, see my other article How to Choose the Right Blog for You posted at http://www.ideamarketers.com.
Copyright Elizabeth Marks, author of ThinkOnIt Devotions, has a heart for helping others grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you need encouragement? Visit http://www.ThinkOnitDevotions.com today for daily devotions, book reviews, favorite websites and more!
Elizabeth Marks was born and raised in Southern California. After being married for 10 years with a five year old son, her and her husband were on the brink of divorce in late 1999. During that dark time, they both came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through Saddleback Church s Celebrate Recovery program. From that moment on, everything changed. Life was new again! Now filled with the God s love, their hearts are renewed, their marriage restored and they were blessed with a second son in 2004! Now grateful for God s second chance, Elizabeth and husband, Steve, have celebrated 18 years of marriage in 2006. Elizabeth has a heart full of passion for encouraging and strengthening fellow believers through her words. Need some hope? Go to www.ThinkOnItDevotions.com for daily renewal from God s Word. Elizabeth Marks may be contacted at http://www.ThinkOnItDevotions.com
Getting Into Google and Yahoo News
by Kim Roach
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 50 million Americans get news online on any given day. In comparison, only 27 million Americans watch network TV news on a typical evening. The Internet is quickly becoming the preferred news source over television, magazines, and trade publications.
News web sites like Yahoo News, Google News and MSNBC Searchbot receive millions of visitors every day. If fact, Yahoo News ranks ahead of MSNBC.com and even CNN.com, while Google News ranks ahead of USAToday.com and the NYTimes.com.
You can tap into these massive traffic sources through the use of press releases. Additional benefits of distributing your press release include possible media exposure, pickup of your release in online publications, increased link popularity to your web site, additional search engine rankings on your target keywords, and increased traffic to your web site.
However, there's much more to press release marketing than simply whipping up an article and sending it out to the world. You must take time to optimize your press release properly.
Press releases should be optimized in much the same way that search engine optimization specialists optimize ordinary web pages to achieve higher rankings. In doing so, you will receive much higher visibility.
For example, one press release from MarketingExperiments.com resulted in 2,200 visitors and 5 interview requests by journalists. This is the power of a highly optimized press release.
Listed below is an outline of how to create an optimized press release for your own website and how to distribute it for maximum exposure.
The first and most important element is to search for keywords and phrases that are likely to deliver qualified leads to your website. A good press release combines targeted keywords with creative writing that makes for a compelling read.
To find these lucrative keyword phrases, begin brainstorming what people would search for when looking for your products. If your products or services are targeted to a particular geographic area, you might want to include these locations in your keyword phrases as well. It is best to target up to 3 keyword phrases.
Once you have done this, you can head on over to http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/ to do some additional keyword research. Simply type in your list of potential keyword phrases and this tool will give you a list of related keywords and how many times they are searched for per day. This information can aid you in choosing which keyword phrases will bring your press release the highest amount of exposure.
Now that you have chosen the best possible keywords, it's time to integrate these targeted keyword phrases into your press release. You should include your keywords in the headline, the title, sub-headings and the first two paragraphs. Search engines place much of their emphasis on the title and the beginning paragraphs.
Your title should reflect your strongest keywords, not the name of the company. Include local modifiers if possible. Although it's often nice to see your company's name in print, it's unlikely to bring you the exposure you deserve. Instead, use targeted search phrases that are likely to be used by your potential customers.
You should also optimize your press release by integrating targeted links within the content. Many press release distribution services and news wires now offer the option of purchasing a hyperlink. You simply convert a keyword phrase within the release into an active hyperlink. This will increase search engine visibility for that keyword phrase and also drive additional traffic back to your website.
Where to Send Your Press Release
There are a wide variety of places that will allow you to syndicate your press release. However, there are only a select few that you really need to focus on. Here are some distributors that will help you get the exposure you deserve.
http://www.prweb.com http://www.businesswire.com http://www.internet.com http://www.prnewswire.com
In addition to press releases, you can also get your content into Google and Yahoo news directly. If you publish frequent news and articles, your site may very well qualify as a news source.
You can submit your site for inclusion to Google News at http://www.google.com/support/news/bin/request.py . However, keep in mind that Google is looking for sites with an editorial review process and multiple contributors. If you are accepted, Google Newsbot will hit your site very frequently and you will receive an extra stream of quality traffic to your web site.
You can also suggest your news site be added to the Yahoo News index. Simply go to http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/us/news/cgi_submitsource and fill out the form.
Besides syndicating your press releases online, you should also seek exposure offline. You do this by building a media list of local newspapers, trade journals, magazines, web sites, radio and television shows.
If you want media coverage, you must identify target publications and their editorial calendars. Send journalists and editors personal emails with pitches on your story.
You can begin building your own media list at http://www.mediapost.com, http://www.afr.com, and http://www.abyznewslinks.com.
I have one last tip on getting into Google News. To quickly get your articles into the Google News search engine simply perform a search on Google News for relevant keywords, take note of the sites that are getting picked up and find out if any of them allow you to submit articles or press releases. If so, you have found a direct pathway to getting your content into Google News.
One of these places can be found at http://www.americanchronicle.com. Simply visit the site and scroll down to the very bottom of the page and click on the link that says "submit work". From there you can sign up to be a contributor.
If accepted as a contributor, you will then be able to submit articles along with your picture. Many of their articles are syndicated on Google News and are available to the millions of searchers who go to Google News each and every day.
Now that you know how to optimize your press releases and articles for maximum exposure, I urge you to begin an aggressive press campaign to increase exposure to your brand, gain quality inbound links, and increase your website traffic.
Kim Roach is a staff writer and editor for the SiteProNews and SEO-News newsletters. You can also find additional tips and news on webmaster and SEO topics by Kim at the SiteProNews blog (http://blog.sitepronews.com/). Kim s email is: kim @ seo-news.com
Kim Roach is a staff writer and editor for the
SiteProNews &
SEO-News newsletters. You can contact Kim at: kim@seo-news.com
This article may be freely distributed without modification and provided that the copyright notice and author information remain intact.
Kim Roach may be contacted at http://www.sitepronews.com or kim@seo-news.com
Wiki - What SEOs can learn from it
by Jarrod Hunt
I ve been actively researching ways to quickly and effectively build content to websites. And while blogs tend to be near the top of the list, there are other opportunities out there.
One such opportunity is a Wiki. And while a Wiki won t suit all sites, there are those that can use a Wiki effectively. If you think you are one of those sites, take a look at this article.
What is a Wiki?
Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and links between internal pages on the fly.
Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself.
Like many simple concepts, open editing has some profound and subtle effects on Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site is exciting in that it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by nontechnical users.
A History of Wiki
The first ever Wiki site was created for the Portland Pattern Repository in 1995. That site now hosts tens of thousands of pages. Since then they have grown to become one of the most popular community and web based applications available.
One of the most well known and popular Wiki projects is the Wikipedia.
Why Use a Wiki?
Wikis are growing at a phenomenal pace. This is because, at their core, they are about as simple as can be. That simplicity means that people find them easy to use, just like e-mail and blogs and like e-mail and blogs, Wikis also perform a very useful service in a simple way. A Wiki allows a group of people to enter and communally add or edit entries. These entries can be viewed and edited by anyone who visits the Wiki.
What this means is that, when you come to a Wiki, you are able to read what the Wiki s community has written. By clicking an edit button on an article, you are able to edit the article s text. You can add or change anything you like in the article you are reading.
This simplicity and the utter openness of a Wiki cause many people to instantly reject the idea. They assume that because anyone can edit a Wiki at any time, the Wiki must be flawed. But Wiki supporters claim this is an incorrect assumption.
This is because users involved in Wikis tend to be self policing. They check and re-check facts entered by themselves and others. Much like bloggers who can spot a spam blog quickly, Wiki users also know when a Wiki looks fraudulent.
Also, while not many Wiki employ it, there is the ability to have editorial control over the Wiki. That means that the Wiki owner can hold approval rights to all entries. Plus many Wikis require a simple registration before allowing entry or editing of articles.
SEM Benefits of Wiki
The biggest benefit of a Wiki likes in its use of heavy interlinking between pages. As a Wiki grows to become a resource it refers to itself more and more often through these links. For example, look at this wikipedia page about Wikis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
One would think that such heavy interlinking would cause the search engine to review the site more closely, potentially marking the site as spam. However, provided the site is useful, and because of the fact that it is a Wiki, search engines tend to let this type of heavy interlinking pass their usually rigorous spam tests.
Also, because it is community based, the Wiki provides an almost endless supply of new and fresh content to the website.
Wiki Resources
If you are interested in Wiki projects and how you could perhaps use one on your site, take a look at these resources.
http://phpwiki.org/ http://tikiwiki.org/ http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wiki.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wiki_software
About the author: Rob Sullivan is a SEO Consultant and Writer for http://www.textlinkbrokers.com
Jarrod Hunt is the CEO of http://www.textlinkbrokers.com. Please do place an active link when publishing this article.
Jarrod Hunt may be contacted at or jarrodhunt2006@gmail.com
What is Wiki?
by Sharon Housley
What is Wiki? Wiki is web server software that allows users to contribute content. Collaboration is the key to Wiki, which is designed as a powerful system for online communities to build web pages and web sites. Unlike blogs and forums, all users are allowed to contribute and edit existing content. Wiki is derived from the Hawaiian term "wiki wiki" meaning "quick". The concept behind a Wiki is that collaboration on projects will move it along quicker.
Wikis generally allow web pages to be written, edited and created collectively in a web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and simple text. Most Wikis are open, and allow any user the ability to edit the contents of a Wiki web page. While some say this opens the concept to abuse, Wiki moderators and self-policing in the Wiki sector appear to be taking hold. Wiki supporters generally feel that it is generally easier to correct mistakes than create the content from scratch. Wikipedia is a standing symbol of what many would consider a succesful Wiki.
Wikipedia - Wikipedia is a popular content encyclopedia that anyone can edit. http://www.wikipedia.com
Other topic-specific Wikis like Robin Good's RSS Wiki are proving that collaborative efforts in niche markets can work.
RSS Wiki - http://www.masternewmedia.org/reports/newsmasterstoolkit/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
It is true that Wikis are open to abuse, but by design, it is very easy for a Wiki moderator or other editor to revert the Wiki to how it appeared prior to edits, essentially rolling back the Wiki and removing any content deemed inappropriate or unrelated. Many Wikis track the IP address of visitors and editors, making it easy to track changes and roll back any edits from individuals that appear to be abusing their privileges. In rare cases Wiki operators can protect pages, making them read-only, which restricts any edits from occurring. While such actions are against the true Wiki philosophy, restrictions can be used to preserve the structure of fully-developed Wikis and protect pages from abuse.
What can Wikis be used for? Wikis have spawned some interesting uses, including the development of knowledge bases on both intranets and the Internet. Product documentation, tutorials and online FAQs are increasingly created using Wiki collaboration. Other collaborative Wiki projects that have been spawned include a Wiki dictionary and directory of famous quotes.
Wikitionary - Wikitionary, a collaborative project to produce a free multilingual dictionary in every language, with definitions, etymologies, pronunciations and quotations. - http://en.wiktionary.org
Wiki Quote - Wikiquote, a free online compendium of quotations in every language, including sources (where known), and translations of non-English quotes. - http://en.wikiquote.org
Ultimately, Wikis are ideally suited for internal corporate projects or committee groups, when all individuals participating have the same goals in mind. Potential exists for significant abuse when Wikis remain open in competitive areas.
Overall, Wikis are influential, shaping collaborative online content development, and are likely to become increasingly popular. Sadly, as a Wiki's popularity grows, it is likely Wiki abuse will grow.
About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company.
Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net and FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com . Sharon also manages the Software Marketing Resource at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com
Sharon Housley may be contacted at http://www.notepage.net or sharon@notepage.com
The Web 2.0 Phenomenon: Another Internet Trend?
by Maria Markella
I bet you've heard the term web2.0 but do you actually know what web2.0 means? Let me get you in on the action. In my opinion, web2.0 is a revolutionary concept, it's the next generation of internet allowing web users to take active part to the development of a webpage's content and history. Using sophisticated dynamic applications a website can do some really cool things!
Web2.0 gives web users the ability and the freedom to do what they want, enhance and control their experience. Web2.0 websites are not just static or dynamic web pages. They are web based applications that you can use anywhere.
There are thousands of developers working on web2.0 websites as we speak. Many will say that web2.0 is another Internet trend that will go away in a few months. But web2.0 is here to stay and there are so many reasons for that. The most important reason is that web2.0 technologies allows a website to connect with millions of users and makes the Internet a really cool place to be.
It's not a coincidence that very well known websites like YouTube.com or Myspace.com are implementing this exact web2.0 concept to reach users and succeed with their goals. Should I remind you that YouTube owners recently sold their company for over 2 billion dollars to Google? Should I mention that MySpace.com has become one of the top-5 most popular websites in the entire web?
How about Social Bookmarking websites like Digg.com or Furl.com? Why have they've become so amazingly popular?
These websites are a cool place to be that's why they are so popular. They allow web users to take part and customize their online experience in an easy, fun and free way! Users decide whether they want to upload their own videos or talk about their favorite interests or hobbies and even share their favorite websites. Users can create their own friends lists, share them and thus leave their mark in the website's history.
All these remarkably popular websites are active web based applications utilizing the ideas of web2.0 concept. And they make tons of money every single day relying solely on advertising. They will never charge you for using their website.
Another great example of a web2.0 website is the infamous wikipedia. The first free online encyclopedia where users can edit it's contents. Wonder why wikipedia has become so popular? It's not only because it's free and provides tons of great info. What makes wikipedia stand from the crowd is the ability/option to edit it's contents. Isn't it so simply amazing?
So what this have to do with you? If you are a webmaster or an internet marketer or a coder then you better take advantage of the web2.0 idea while you can. It's so easy to get into that and conquer it effectively. How many niches do you know of that has a real web2.0 project established in it? I bet there are thousands of niches waiting for web developers to take the next step and conquer them.
In a few months from now you will not be able to avoid the web2.0 concept. It happens all the time. Good ideas just appear, it takes some time before they become accepted and gain some popularity and then everyone wants a piece of the action. Web2.0 is already gaining popularity in an unimaginable way.
Here's your chance to build the next dot.com empire before someone else does. A web2.0 business guide that will teach you everything you need to know about the web2.0 concept and how you can take advantage of the new Internet world and create the next popular web2.0 website. This is one of the first step-by-step guides about the web2.0 phenomenon. I strongly recommend you join the free web2.0 E-letter with insider secrets and tips about web2.0.
Maria Markella is a young ghostwriter and head webmaster of DigitalStarProducts Directory of Products.
Maria Markella may be contacted at http://www.digitalstarproducts.com or webmaster@digitalstarproducts.com
Why Web 2.0 is a big deal
by Vinod Sukumaran
Why Web 2.0 is a Big Deal
From the time the internet started it has been touted as the one of the greatest inventions of all times. What started off as a network of machines has grown into a phenomenon and continues to do so at the speed of thought .
The web which started off serving customers with purely static pages has been continuously moving to a more dynamic and interactive environment. The recent transition has been in moving from a website owner driven web to a user driven one. More and more power is being given to the user to drive things the way he/she wants on the web.
The current wave which we are witnessing although not intentional has been aptly called Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 is the name given to the array of new age websites which are popping up that are more focussed on bringing people together to one place and allowing them to them to share, discuss, post, vote, form communities etc. basically be able to express themselves on the web like they have never been able to do so before.
If you have to go by definitions, Wikipedia one of the leading new age Web 2.0 site defines the term Web 2.0 as:
Web 2.0, a phrase coined by O'Reilly Media in 2004, refers to a supposed second-generation of Internet-based services such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies that let people collaborate and share information online in previously unavailable ways. O'Reilly Media, in collaboration with MediaLive International, used the phrase as a title for a series of conferences and since then it has become a popular (though ill-defined and often criticized) buzzword amongst certain technical and marketing communities.
Well, then again Web 2.0 might mean different things to different people. Most of the dedicated techies can be heard saying a plain social networking site alone is not good enough, it has to support AJAX as well for it to qualify to be a Web 2.0 site. Although AJAX was a starting point of the newer web sites, I think the social networking and collaboration bit is the key differentiator.
Although O Reilly coined the term Web 2.0 , the intention was not to suggest a newer version of the web instead this term was formed to be a part of the core attractive punch-line to be used in of one of the conferences they were going to organize about the web.
Let s talk about some of the Web 2.0 sites that s changing the way we use the web right now. This would ideally give a better understanding of what s being done on the web in the Web2.0 paradigm.
Web 2.0 top sites
1. Wikipedia.com Wikipedia is a web based encyclopedia which is free. Well the surprising part is not that it is free. It can be edited by anyone not necessarily a registered user, which means absolutely anyone. Please try it.
This really epitomizes the beauty of the web. With multiple users editing this site all the time, it only makes us wonder how on earth does this site provide accurate information. Its just like life, the good over evil theory. Works on the web too. There are the good people working tirelessly towards making sure content on Wikipedia is latest and accurate. So even if you enter the wrong data, in some time or worst case in a couple of days you will see the information corrected. The magic of user driven content.
The concept of wikipedia has become so popular that the term wiki is now used to refer to any website the visitors can edit the content of the site. 2. digg.com This is one of my personal favourites. Just a site which allows you to pull news from anywhere on the web and the digg community can vote for the news posted. The greater the number of posts the higher the chances of it getting listed on the front page of digg.com. Simple, concise to-the-point and well thought out site. But I still can t relate the site design to the traffic digg has managed to generate. Digg.com has millions of viewers.
3. youtube.com Iam quite sure by now everyone has heard about this one. Basically a video sharing website where users can upload videos, view other videos and share videos with other users. Just started in Feb 2005 has managed to create such a huge user base that Google has decided to buy them out for $1.6 billion
4. flickr.com What youtube is to videos, flickr is to photos. By the way this is now a Yahoo company.
5. myspace.com This is a social networking site where you can create your own space, add friends, share music, videos, photos etc. You can post personal profiles and also blog using myspace. They claim to have 106 million accounts. In July 2005 Rupert Murdoch s News Corporation bought out myspace.com for $580 million.
6. del.icio.us A social bookmarking site which organizes content based on user defined tags. Once registered a user can bookmark any site and tag and share bookmarks with the del.icio.us user community.
New Web 2.0 terms
Wiki A term given to any website which allows users to directly edit the content of the website and in some cases sometimes without even being a registered user.
Voting digg.com gave a new meaning to this word in the Web2.0 world. These days users can vote to show their like or dislike for a specific content on a website. It is an important way for a user to exercise his views on the web.
Tagging Users can now submit a posting and associate tags or keywords with them. Users can define their own tags. Other users who search for a tag and find all relevant postings with that specific tag. Again a user driven way of labelling and searching. This is basically metadata. If the author wants to reclassify the page at a later time, this can easily be done by changing the list of tags. This process is also referred to as Folksonomy. This concept has been popularised by sites like del.icio.us and technorati.com.
With so many new websites coming up and more and more users flocking to them basking in the new found freedom and power to throw their views, this looks like only the beginning of the very many innovative ways in which users are going to play a bigger role in developing the future of the web.
The arena is open for anyone to network, share views or even start a social networking website and who knows maybe get bought out someday.
( I have used this article purely to put across my thoughts and to share knowledge)
Vinod is a IT professional who has worked with the software industry for more than 12 years. Has expertise in areas of web and internet technologies.
Vinod Sukumaran may be contacted at or vintoos@rediffmail.com
How can online communities benefit musicians?
by Jason Cole
With the rise of sites like Myspace.com, SectionZ.com, and http://www.DFJams.com, musicians have never had it better on the internet. These sites give you the ability to do things that once would have cost you tons of money. As a musician, how do online communities benefit me?
1. Hosting music MP3s and music videos When you sign up for one of these site, most of them give you the ability to post your free mp3 downloads, and music videos on their free web hosting plans. You get a website address where you can post a bio, some band photos, show dates, and mp3s/videos. This allows you to distribute your band s music for free! All you need to do is create business cards or stickers with your band s website URL on it, pass them out, and there you go. You can also use message board forums to promote your band s website, which will get your music MP3s and music videos to even more people.
2. Gaining experience from others You may not know a lot about music promotion or the whole industry based around it. But there are tons of people out there that do, and a lot of those people are active in online musician communities. Take time and sign up for one of these communities, become active in the discussions held on their message boards. You stand to gain a lot of experience and knowledge by joining and participating in these communities.
3. Networking/Promotion In addition to being places where you can store / distribute MP3s / download free music, and learn from other people. Musician communities are great places to network and promote your band. Need to find a band to open at your next show? These websites often list their bands by region, making it easy for you to get familiar with local bands. Also, many music industry people hang out looking for the next big band to sign. Yours could be next!
These 3 examples do not fully cover all the different reasons for participating in these musicians communities, but should give you a little bit more insight on how they can benefit your band. From free MP3 music downloads, music video downloads, message board conversations and free web hosting, there s a lot that online musician communities can do to help you out.
Jason Cole and http://www.DiskFaktoryJams.com offer great tools and a cool place to hang out for musicians. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.diskfaktoryjams.com
Jason Cole and DiskFaktory offer great tips and information regarding CD DVD Duplication Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.diskfaktory.com/tips/CD-duplication-tutorials.asp
Jason Cole may be contacted at http://www.diskfaktory.com or jason@diskfaktory.com
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