Watermark Multiple Images Quickly with WatermarkV2
When publishing articles and images on your blog or website, its good to watermark images if you are the owner of the image. This helps in getting proper credit for your images. If you are using Windows Live Writer, it has a built in option to watermark images, but this can be done only for [...]
When publishing articles and images on your blog or website, its good to watermark images if you are the owner of the image. This helps in getting proper credit for your images. If you are using Windows Live Writer, it has a built in option to watermark images, but this can be done only for one image at a time. WatermarkV2 is a free utility for watermarking multiple images at the same time. With WatermarkV2, you can even add images as watermark. The interface of watermarkV2 is pretty much clear.
The utility has an image explorer which shows the image available in each folder. You can either add only selected images or a folder as a whole. Click on the add button next to the explorer to add images or folder into the bottom window which is called the image list. To add a text or image as watermark, click in the profile on the top and add a new one.
You can either add a text or an image or a combination of both as watermark. Once you have created a watermark profile, save and close it. In the main application window, you can select the position of watermark on the image. The preview window allows you to see the effect of watermark before actually doing it. You can also select the transparency of watermark, so that the actual image is not rendered poorly.
Once you are dome with the settings, you can start the watermarking. There is an option to create new images while watermarking preserving the old images. This is a good option since you can get back the image in case of a poor watermarking.
Copyright � 2008 Life Rocks! 2.0. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact us, so we can take legal action immediately.
Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder – The Molotovs Interview.
“Hills” by The Molotovs “One Up On Me” By The Molotovs First things first, The Molotovs are not, as the name may allude, a band who deliver a crude, noisy incendiary racket. They are in fact a band who create a sophisticated cocktail full of doomed grandeur, delicious debauchery and “sweaty little tragedies,” residing somewhere between Noel [...]
“Hills” by The Molotovs
“One Up On Me” By The Molotovs
First things first, The Molotovs are not, as the name may allude, a band who deliver a crude, noisy incendiary racket. They are in fact a band who create a sophisticated cocktail full of doomed grandeur, delicious debauchery and “sweaty little tragedies,” residing somewhere between Noel Coward and Jamie T, Neil Hannon and Muse, Serge Gainsborough and Alex Turner. Explosive? Possibly, but without being in your face and obvious, in fact they seemed to have developed a sound that one imagines, would fit as comfortably into a chichi Parisian wine bar, circa 1920, as it does within 21st century Britain. Their songs convey a sense of elegant heartbreak conjuring up smoky cafes, absinthe, secret assignations in the shadow of Le Pont Neuf, covert gatherings in French brassieres, whilst the drunken squalor of Zola’s “L’Assommoir” is never far way. It’s the sort of music that could persuade one to wear a smoking jacket, drink four star brandy and embark on a doomed love affair with a delightful young thing from Les Folies Bergère, and to hell with the consequences!! The Molotovs on one hand can convey, musically, an atmosphere of seductive, faded glamour, whilst lyrically they deal in reality, and, amongst other things, the consequences of betrayal within relationships. Sex, drink, regret, drink, bitterness, drink, the guilty emptiness of the deceived and the deceiver, the cold grey ashtray fingers of dawn invading the soft fug of illicit post coital slumber, heralded only by the hollow clink of empty wine bottles, ….but enough about my weekend 
…..The Molotovs are currently recording their debut single, which, as their recent demos would suggest, should be nothing short of spectacular. We managed to catch Will in between fittings for a new smoking jacket and the warding off the attention of showgirls to find out where he, and indeed his head, is at…
VP: Let’s start with the obligatory how did you meet question. How did you meet?
WILL: Four of us went to school together. We were bored. My brother gave me a guitar, and there was an old room on campus which had brown carpet on the walls. We made a racket there, then all went to study in different cities. We then re-met at the end of last year, and tried to make a better racket in a room which is weirdly similar to the one at school, but considerably more expensive.
VP: Where did the name come from? Whose idea was it?
WILL: Our guitarist came up with it. For some reason we were obsessed with being an ‘explosive’ band when we first started tinkering about, and since Molotov cocktails are explosive, we called ourselves The Molotovs. It has nothing to do with the Molotov - Ribbentrop pact, in case that’s what you were thinking.
VP: You’re currently recording your debut single? What’s the name of the track?, when will it be released and what plans for an album?
WILL: Indeed. We’re off to mix ‘I Told You Before’ next week. A friend of ours, who does a lot of production in the studio below our rehearsal rooms in Old Street offered to do it, so we avoided the whole wandering into the studio with someone you may really dislike thing. It’s been fun - he’s got a real ear for harmony and structure, and has been involved in sorting the songs out, as well as recording them.
VP: So where did this decadent 1920’s French torch song vibe, that seems to laconically lurk within a number of your songs come from?
WILL: We all have pretty varied taste in music, and I think, alongside trying to orchestrate five of us without sounding muddled, that led to some sounds and ideas which allowed us to be inventive without being overbearing. “I Told You Before” is deliberately very stripped down, and you can only really get away with that if there’s something slightly different going on. Why that something different is persistently a touch French, I have no idea.
VP: A few of your songs seem to dwell on failed relationships, regret and alcohol. Anything you’d like to share with us on this subject?
WILL: I think regret and failed relationships are pretty universally experienced. But then again, so is missing the bus.
VP: What have been your highlights of your time together thus far?
WILL: Spending a lot of time in the studio has been great, as it allows you to really get to grips with your own songs. Playing Astoria 2 was good - we had a guy who came and shouted ‘let’s walk’ into our dressing room before we got on stage.
VP: What’s your take on the current music scene? Good, bad, ugly?
WILL: Some of the stuff which is going on at the minute is really exciting. The whole Brooklyn revival, with Yeasayer and Vampire Weekend is interesting, as is the fact that folk bands, like The Cave Singers, have come back into the lime light. The only ugly thing is that whole South London trash punk thing, where a bunch of kids who should know better don tight black clothes and make a right noise, all in the name of being trendy. Get yourself a guitar tuner girls and boys.
VP: Given that trite horse flop such as Kid Rock can get to number one, and given the small amount of sales needed to generate a number 1 single, should we scrap the singles chart? Is it still relevant? (Was it ever?)
WILL: I haven’t paid any attention to it for years. Although I do like that Kanye West tune ‘Take me to the beach, I want to see LA’, which was number 1 for a while right?
VP: Who was the last band/artist you all saw live that made you feel all aglow?
WILL: I saw Sigur Ros at Latitude, and their mix of theatre, music and atmospherics was pretty astounding.
VP: Five things you’d like to see happen in 2009?
WILL: A Molotovs number 1 in the meaningless singles chart.
The routemaster (come on Boris, you PROMISED)
Obama’s inauguration
A new Radiohead record
The return of the baggy jean
Links
Wallpaper
Video
“An Acre Of Glass” Live By The Molotovs
Winster Organizes and Cleans your Windows Start Menu
If you have installed lots of software on Vista, then obviously your start menu would be congested and it would be difficult to find a software although there is the search functionality. Winstep Start Menu Organizer is a freeware application which helps you to organize and clean your Vista start menu and then group it [...]
If you have installed lots of software on Vista, then obviously your start menu would be congested and it would be difficult to find a software although there is the search functionality. Winstep Start Menu Organizer is a freeware application which helps you to organize and clean your Vista start menu and then group it into various categories. The simple interface of Start Menu Organizer makes it easy to use.
The application has 3 panels, the left most panel has the default folders with which you can arrange all the applications in the start menu. The categories defined are Games, Graphics, Internet, Media, Misc, Office, Programming, Security, System and Utilities. This helps you to group the applications, for eg you can group all the browsers installed into Internet category.
The center panel has all the applications which are grouped under the selected category. All the installed applications are shown in the right hand side panel and you can add applications into a category using the “Add Selected Items to Category” button below.
Once you have arranged all the applications into groups, you can see the effect on Start menu similar to the one shown above. It becomes easy to select any program based on the grouping. This application also has a PRO version where in you can create your own custom folders.
Features of Start Menu Organizer;
- Organizes your Windows Start Menu.
- Extremely easy to use with intuitive interface.
- Full Drag & Drop support.
- Multi item selection and handling.
- Unlimited Undo and Redo levels.
- Start Menu Backup and Restore support.
- Automatic backup of the Start Menu contents on first run.
- Support for single click removal of irrelevant shortcuts.
- Ability to search for and remove dead shortcuts.
- Ten standard categories available in the free version.
Copyright � 2008 Life Rocks! 2.0. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact us, so we can take legal action immediately.
Desktop Confessional-Camera Obscura Interview
“Let’s Get Out Of This Country” By Camera Obscura “Anti-Western” By Camera Obscura Every time I go to Scotland it rains, it even seems to rain in between showers up there. So when Travis posed the question “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” The answer was patently obvious, “it’s ‘cos you’re from Scotland mate!” It truly [...]
“Let’s Get Out Of This Country” By Camera Obscura
“Anti-Western” By Camera Obscura
Every time I go to Scotland it rains, it even seems to rain in between showers up there. So when Travis posed the question “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” The answer was patently obvious, “it’s ‘cos you’re from Scotland mate!” It truly has been for me, at least, the land of “ High Land Hard Rain.” Yet for a country that has such a chilly climate, and famed thistles that look almost circumcisional in aspect, you would reflect that it would possibly be the last place on earth a kilt would be deemed an appropriate form of attire. However, despite the weather, I’m quite fond of Scotland ; it is the home not only of my forefathers and whiskey but also of some of my favourite music and Glasgow ’s Camera Obscura certainly meet the “fave band” criteria.
Their wonderfully dreamy, swirling 60’s tinged, tear-stained tunes, relating tales of heartbreak and disappointment never fail to lift my mood, despite the subject matter (savouring the schadenfreude no doubt! ) Camera Obscura’s lyrics often deal with failed relationships and the emotional wreckage thereafter, a world where heartbreak is an inevitable consequence of love, and longing, regret plus the occasional dash of bitterness take centre stage. Yet often the melodies sound so carefree, so jaunty, that one imagines they could even elicit a few dance moves from The Duke of Dour himself, Gordon Brown, as their sound truly does provide, honey to the lemon, so to speak. The slower less upbeat numbers are haunting, reflective and strangely comforting, like a big cup of musical hot chocolate served by a buxom lass called Morag beside a roaring log fire on a cold winter’s night. Then of course there is the voice, very much like an actual Camera Obscura, which involves drawing light into a dark place, Tracyanne Campbell’s gorgeous mellifluous vocals could illuminate the most tenebrous of atmospheres, at times so melancholic it can move you to tears, yet at the same time, provide a warm comforting glow (I think the word I’m looking for here is bitter-sweet!) The band’s philosophy is possibly best encapsulated by Tracyanne, who, when asked what makes her happy, responded thus; “Listening to music . . . but usually when it makes me feel sad.”…Of course extremes of emotion so often provide the fuel for great music and indeed art. I can’t think of many songwriters who have based a successful career on writing songs with reference to having a “fair to middling day”, being on “an even keel” or DJ’s naming their remix the “Pretty Average, Slightly Bland Mix”
Since the bands formation in 1996 they have gained many loyal fans, including their late, great, mate, John Peel (appearing regularly in his “Festive 50” and performing at his 65th Birthday party, just months before his death.) Rather fittingly there is a Doctor Who novel called “Camera Obscura” which involves one of the Doctors hearts being captured, this is something I can definitely relate to, as when it comes to this band they captured mine some time ago. I spoke to Camera Obscura’s Carey Lander to find out if the band have a special vault type thing used to store this huge collection of captured hearts gathered on their travels…..erm…or something…
VP: So the band originally formed around 1996, how did you all meet up?
CAREY: Gavin and Tracyanne are the two original members, the rest of us have been ensnared along the way. Glasgow ’s a pretty small place so I guess we just bumped into each other at some point.
VP: Was there a collective idea of what sort of sound you wanted to produce and who would you say your musical influences are?
CAREY: I think it’s important that individual band members have some kind of shared love of music and an idea about how they’d like to sound but it maybe isn’t as considered as some people think. I think we’re all very respectful of music from the 50s and 60s and the love of that sound is a big part of the music we make but we’ve also got our own particular weaknesses. Gav loves Joy Division and New Order with an unquenchable enthusiasm, Lee has a more punk past, Tracyanne is deeply sympathetic to 80s music. It hopefully stops us becoming a predictable pastiche.
VP: It’s been a while since your last album “Let’s Get Out Of This Country” but apparently you have a new one recorded, any news on a release date and tour?
CAREY: The new album is finished, mixed and mastered but it won’t be out till next year. There lots of stuff that needs to be done first but we’re really pleased with it can’t wait for people to hear it and to play the songs live.
VP: “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” it could be said is one of your most popular songs and is in response to Lloyd Coles “Are You ready To Be Heartbroken” how did the song come about?
CAREY: I guess the question from Lloyd Cole’s song has just been reverberating around in Tracyanne’s head for a couple of decades and popped up when she was writing. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t something she set out to purposefully address. I’m still quite amazed by that song and how well it turned out because I remember thinking it was really odd and that no one would like it when we were just starting work on it.
VP: You are among the great bands that have emerged from Scotland over the last few decades, who are your favourite artists from Scotland, past and present?
CAREY: Ah well…thanks. We love Cocteau Twins, Orange Juice, The Pastels, Teenage Fanclub, Arab Strap, The Vaselines and tons of others.
VP: How has 2008 been? A year to remember?
CAREY: I hope so. It’s intentionally been a fairly quiet year for the band in terms of touring but that’s because we’ve been working on the new record. We’re also about to do our first trip to Asia which ought to be fairly special. It’s been quite nice for us to have a bit of time off and a stab at a normal life this year. I’ve enjoyed the break and I’m looking forward to next year which is bound to be pretty mental with a new album to promote.
VP: In your time together as a band what have been the highlights so far, and what have been your weirdest experiences ?
CAREY: Actually recording the albums is always a brilliant experience. It’s intense and scary and challenging but when you’re proud of something it’s a good feeling. A lot of the touring has been great too. I would never have seen much of the world without getting to tour with the band. Playing in Mexico City was a highlight for all of us. As was playing at John Peel’s birthday party for his 65th.
I think maybe the weirdest thing is just the lifestyle in general. It’s strange spending so much time away from home with the same small bunch of people. It’s also weird how you can spend days travelling to get to somewhere to play a show for 45 minutes and then spending days travelling back again. It’s also odd trying to fit back into normal life when you get home. Touring sort of spoils you. I think I’ll feel restless forever.
VP: What’s been the biggest single change you’ve noticed in the music biz since you started? The internet? I-tunes? MySpace?
CAREY: A lot’s happened in the last ten years. I think Myspace has been an interesting thing for us because it’s a nice easy way to have contact with fans and for people to hear your music, but its probably digital music that’s been the most important development. That’s been a positive and a negative. Music piracy seems to be a bigger problem than ever because illegal downloading has become the norm, but the internet has also been the making of us in many ways.
VP: What’s are the worst and best aspects of touring?
CAREY: Probably all the obvious ones you can imagine. Actually travelling to different places and meeting lovely or interesting people who also happen to like your music is pretty great. Playing live at its best is amazing. Packing is a bit of a bummer. As is running out of clean underwear and forgetting your best shoes. Loading and unloading the van, setting up and soundchecks are a tedious part of the job. Missing home, people, birthdays, pets, cooking are tough. And when you’re away for ages you can’t wait to be home and when you get home you can’t wait to go away again.
VP: Personally I think radio play lists are the work of Satan and his foul legions, do you have any ideas of how the music biz could be improved?
CAREY: I think there is some argument for radio play lists in that it does at least encourage an emphasis on new music, though it is inherently limited. I haven’t got much idea how to sort out the music business. I get depressed if I think about it too much.
Links
Wallpapers
Videos
“Lloyd, I’m ready To Be Heartbroken” By Camera Obscura
“If Looks Could Kill” By Camera Obscura
“I Love My Jean” By Camera Obscura
“Let’s Get Out Of This Country”By Camera Obscura
Batch Rename Files Quickly with Rename Master
Rename Master is a free tool for renaming files quickly and easily. Free Rename Master is a powerful batch file rename tool which is small, yet fast and easy to use. With Rename Master you can rename files using patterns. For example rename ABC_123_XYZ.htm to ABC_XYZ.htm by using the filename patterns. You can select the drive [...]
Rename Master is a free tool for renaming files quickly and easily. Free Rename Master is a powerful batch file rename tool which is small, yet fast and easy to use. With Rename Master you can rename files using patterns. For example rename ABC_123_XYZ.htm to ABC_XYZ.htm by using the filename patterns.
You can select the drive where the files are located, then enter the old pattern and new pattern and click execute. Rename Master renames the files within seconds. This is quite a useful tool for renaming files.
Copyright � 2008 Life Rocks! 2.0. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact us, so we can take legal action immediately.
Flock 2.0 is Out of Beta- Download Now
Flock 2.0, the social browser is out of beta and ready for download. Flock 2.0 has the current Mozilla engine and loaded with features like support for webmail, social networking etc. Flock 2.0 has been through 3 round of beta cycles before the final version was out. Flock 2.0 is built on the latest Firefox [...]
Flock 2.0, the social browser is out of beta and ready for download. Flock 2.0 has the current Mozilla engine and loaded with features like support for webmail, social networking etc. Flock 2.0 has been through 3 round of beta cycles before the final version was out. Flock 2.0 is built on the latest Firefox 3 technology from Mozilla, so its safe and easy to use as well.
Flock does a lot more than a browser. It integrates social networking media feeds from MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. You can get updates from your friends, across all your networks, in the sidebar. You can also view photos and videos from sites like Revver, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, and so on.
Flock 2 also incorporates Media RSS (MRSS) detection capability so that you can subscribe to media streams being made available by websites, even if the site isn’t one of the 23 integrated with Flock. Once you’ve subscribed to a media stream via Media RSS, you will be notified about the arrival of new photos and videos posted by your favorite sites and they will flow right into your MyWorld page in Flock, so you never miss out on updates to your favorite media streams.
Another addition to Flock 2.0 is the support for theme, you can check out more themes from Flock Extensions.
We have already mentioned on this site, the advantages of using Flock. Flock is a good browser with loads of feature for blogging and social networking and the fact that most of the Firefox add-ons are compatible with Flock makes it more usable.
Copyright � 2008 Life Rocks! 2.0. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact us, so we can take legal action immediately.
Get Notified when Someone unfollow you on Twitter- Qwitter
Twitter is a great micro blogging service and if you have large number of followers on Twitter, you never know when someone decides to unfollow you. Qwitter is a new web service which allows you to get notified when someone unfollows you in Twitter. Qwitter will send an email notification when your account loses a [...]
Twitter is a great micro blogging service and if you have large number of followers on Twitter, you never know when someone decides to unfollow you. Qwitter is a new web service which allows you to get notified when someone unfollows you in Twitter. Qwitter will send an email notification when your account loses a follower.
Another good thing about Qwitter is that it gives email notification along with your last tweet when some body has decided to unfollow you. Qwitter does not require your Twitter password for sending the notification, it only need your Twitter username and the email address where the notifications are sent.
In case you wish to stop using the service, you can do it by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the notification mail sent out from Qwitter.
Copyright � 2008 Life Rocks! 2.0. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact us, so we can take legal action immediately.
Search Flickr Images from Desktop- Flickr Desktop Search
Flickr Desktop Search is an Adobe AIR based utility which helps you to search Flickr images right from your desktop. The application is very easy and simple to use and basically has three tabs, one is for photo search, second one for groups and the last one for people. All you need is to enter [...]
Flickr Desktop Search is an Adobe AIR based utility which helps you to search Flickr images right from your desktop. The application is very easy and simple to use and basically has three tabs, one is for photo search, second one for groups and the last one for people. All you need is to enter the keyword and select the appropriate tab and click the search button.
The application opens the results in full screen window and the results are shown similar to the one in browser, in fact this application acts as browser. You can navigate other photos directly from the application.
Flickr Desktop Search is a pretty good AIR based app, but the speed is searching is something which needs to be improved, as some searches takes time to display the results.
Download Flickr Desktop Search
Copyright � 2008 Life Rocks! 2.0. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact us, so we can take legal action immediately.
Forbidden Fruit - Katie Herzig Interview
Original photography by Caleb Chancey “Hologram” By Katie Herzig “I Will Follow” By Katie Herzig Billy Bragg’s guitar apparently said“sorry,” Woody Guthrie had “this machine says kills fascists” emblazoned on the side of his guitar whilst Nigel Blackwell of Half Man Half Biscuit had a another slightly more domestic for his guitar which had “this machine [...]
Original photography by Caleb Chancey
“Hologram” By Katie Herzig
“I Will Follow” By Katie Herzig
Billy Bragg’s guitar apparently said“sorry,” Woody Guthrie had “this machine says kills fascists” emblazoned on the side of his guitar whilst Nigel Blackwell of Half Man Half Biscuit had a another slightly more domestic for his guitar which had “this machine kills wasps” scrawled across it. Meanwhile George Harrison claimed his guitar “gently wept,” Paul Anka’s idea of a romantic date was simply “A Steel Guitar and a Glass of Wine,” whilst over-s*xed, under sized love-god, P*ince took it a step further and seemed to allude to the fact he would actually be quite happy making love to his guitar!! One very talented young singer songwriter calls her guitar“The Caterpillar” (Lucy and The Caterpillar) and Slash from Guns N Roses is rumoured to have officially baptised his favourite guitar “Clive” in a bizarre ceremony in Vegas earlier this year. Aye, a strange lot are musicians! Attributing a personality to their guitars, scrawling slogans across them, or giving them pet-names and the like is fairly normal in their world; however in the real world such behaviour could well cause some eyebrows to be raised. Imagine if other occupations employed nicknames or attributed personalities to their tools of the trade, I mean would you hire a plumber who introduced you to “Darren” his favourite monkey wrench? Or the carpenter who found his “Wet & Dry Bench Grinder” a source of erotisism? Would the office worker who paints “This machine punches holes” with liquid paper on his paper (hole) punch be considered cool, or maybe just a little bit sad?
The truth is no matter how talented you are at “stapling” if you pick up a stapler, its still a stapler, it staples… that’s it! Yet in the right hands a guitar becomes transformed from an inanimate object to an instrument that can move the stoniest of hearts and can magically transport the listener to another world. American singer songwriter Katie Herzig is one such example, armed with a guitar and a stunning voice, she has won plaudits around the world and even picked up a Grammy nomination on the way. Her music is playful yet reflective, possibly somewhere between Shawn Colvin, Liz Phair, Laura Marling and Michelle Branch. She has recently released an album “Apple Tree” which can be downloaded for whatever you feel like paying, or for free if you email a few friends, from http://www.katieherzig.com/ whilst her music has been featured on hit TV shows “Smallville,” “Greys Anatomy” and “One Tree Hill”….. We caught up with Katie and asked her about free music, Willie Nelson’s tour bus ( Oh the fumes, the fumes! ) and on-line nudity!!!
VP: For those who are quite new to your music in the UK , how did you start out playing and performing?
KATIE: I participated in choir, band, orchestra and music theater in the public schools growing up. I played drums and percussion, made up songs on piano and sang. By the time I graduated from high school, i had a guitar i didn’t know how to play an went off to college. It was there that I really started to play guitar and write songs. Sophomore year I started a band with some friends and we fumbled our way into doing it professionally over the course of 8 years– band called Newcomers Home..
VP: You’ve spoken in the past that when your first band Newcomers Home decided to call it a day you felt a sense of relief, was it a case of it not being fun anymore?
KATIE : I was very surprised to feel relief because for so many years I worked so hard to keep the band together, as we all did. It was the first and quite a successful foundation we built. But I have since come to think the relief came because when something is no longer meant to be, there is tension in trying to make it last. So that tension came out in the tangible things like talking about money, scheduling tours, just how much to invest and give up and plan for in the future. Being in a band is such a commitment to the people you’re in the band with, when you’re not all on the same page anymore, you have to do whatever you can to get on that page or end it. We ended it. Luckily for me I’d already dipped my toes into being a solo artist and knew I could do that.
VP:Your latest album “Apple Tree” is available in a Radiohead style, pay what like offer, what was the thinking behind that?
KATIE: Well, honestly, friends of mine started the company Noise Trade (dot com) and I was one of the artists they asked to be apart of the testing phase. The idea is a follow up to my friend Derek Webb giving away his album a couple years ago and expanding his fan base completely. Because with the Free option, people are asked to recommend it to a few friends. My hope and experience is that the record becomes a bit more viral. At this point in my career, giving this record away for awhile … I have nothing to lose. It’s more of an investment in my long-term career. You hope that by giving something away (that isn’t junk) that you’ll get back. And I have completely! So many new people have found me by way of this.
VP: I don’t really like genres and labels, but alas without them the music press as we know it would surely collapse….sooooo….your music has been described variously as Pop, Indie, Alt.country, folk, bluegrass, but how would you describe it and who are your influences
KATIE: It’s a difficult question. I come from an acoustic, folky singer/songwriter background. But my songs have always had some sort of edge/darkness/quirk to them that pushes them around a bit, not knowing quite where that makes me. I’m lately pushed more into categories of pop, but I don’t even really know what that means. My influences have changed over the years. Artists i love… Shawn Colvin, Andrew Bird, Enya, Radiohead, Fiona Apple…. but honestly it’s songs and production I latch onto, so that has me attached to fewer songs from a wide variety of artists, which makes me vaguely familiar with artists stuff and not so much their whole catalogue.
VP: What have you been up to in 2008 ?
KATIE: I finished and put out Apple Tree on my own in May. I’ve toured off and on, about to tour lots more…. apart of the Ten out of Tenn tour, Hotel Cafe Tour…. and a bunch of opener stuff. I also have gotten more into writing and recording more specifically for some film and TV stuff. I also bought a house so i like to spend bits of time making it more homey.
VP: The “Ten out of Tenn tour??” Was there really ten artists all crammed together on Willie Nelsons old tour bus? ( hope he didnt leave anything behind ;))
KATIE: There really was. Most people I’ve ever toured with. Unfortunately Willie’s old bus has a problem spewing oil out the back of it but we made it! It was so much fun. The artists involved are some of my very favorite people in town. Anytime you bring that many talented people together magical things happen, and that’s what did.
VP: What’s all this about “nude email pictures” being sent to you ??
KATIE: Spam, spam, spam. I wrote a frustrated blog about it recently, so I assume that’s what you’re referring to. There was a couple weeks there that i was getting several emails a day with naked photos of Paris Hilton. It has nothing to do with who i am, just the fact i have an email address…
VP: What was the last CD you bought
KATIE: Actually it was a Talking Heads live cd and a Tom Waits CD. We were on tour and at an indie record store in Atlanta and I happened upon those in the used bin, thinking, I should know these. Like many, I’ve turned to itunes in recent years, so it was nice to a real record store and purchase real albums by really classic quirky artists.
VP: Do you have any gulity pleasures you could share with us ?
KATIE: Lifetime Television for Women movies.
VP: Five words to desrcibe your week ?
KATIE: Refreshing, tiring, yummy, inspiring, full
Links
Official Site
Wallpaper
Video
“Hologram” Live By Katie Herzig
The Way It Is -Nicole Atkins Interview
“Love Surreal” By Nicole Atkins And The Sea “Together We’re Both Alone” By Nicole Atkins And The Sea New York based chanteuse, Nicole Atkins’ full length debut“Neptune City” is a luscious, brooding album that challenges your expectations, and takes the listener on a breathtaking musical journey, stopping at some unexpected places en route. Literally, in my case! [...]
“Love Surreal” By Nicole Atkins And The Sea
“Together We’re Both Alone” By Nicole Atkins And The Sea
New York based chanteuse, Nicole Atkins’ full length debut“Neptune City” is a luscious, brooding album that challenges your expectations, and takes the listener on a breathtaking musical journey, stopping at some unexpected places en route. Literally, in my case! Whilst enjoying the myriad of delights on offer within “Neptune City ” via my trusty I-pod, I inadvertently missed my bus stop, the result being, I found myself on “the wrong side of the tracks.” I surveyed this bleak, desolate landscape with much trepidation, the risk of attack by the local banjo-playing savages seemed imminent as I discerned within their hostile eyes, an empty, dead malice of a kind that I’d only previously experienced within the realms of a George A. Romero movie. I beat a hasty retreat as demented shrieks of “I bet you can squeal like a pig, boyyyyy” rang in my ears….. But I digress.
” Neptune City ” is a wondrous album, full of lush strings, swoonsome vocals, and heralds the arrival of a major new musical talent; Atkins has been likened to a female Roy Orbison, and has also been compared to the likes of Amy Winehouse, Jenny Lewis, Chrissie Hynde, Janis Joplin and Regina Spektor. Yet while there are elements of truth in such comparisons, she remains very much her own person with her own distinct style. Unlike Winehouse, Nicole’s music isn’t suffocated by her influences, nor does she indulge in the bonkers “other worldly kookiness” of Spektor, what she does do, is to take her influences and use them to construct something incredibly innovative and fresh sounding. The debut album is described by Atkins as “the history of my town; it’s the history of my family and friends in this town.” It’s certainly not what you’d call a “genre specific” work as it encompasses many elements and styles, which in a sense, perhaps truly mirror the eclectic nature of her home town. “Spectorian Goth” is one phrase that popped into my head whilst playing the album, which is a hugely atmospheric affair. Yes it doffs its cap with the right amount of deference to its many influences, but it does not define itself by these influences alone, and is imbued with a truly timeless quality. Whilst you may on occasion detect the spectre of..um..Spector,(Phil) and whilst it may occasionally invoke the spirit of girl-groups past, it also manages to sound unlike anything else you’re likely to hear this year.
As youngster music was always a factor and Nicole’s musical diet (the Atkins Diet?) consisted of a healthy mix of The Ronettes, Johnny Cash, and the Big O, whilst she states her first musical purchase was “John Barleymow Must Die” By Traffic. Sundays’ songstress Harriet Wheeler’s vocal style was an early influence on developing her own singing style and Nicole claims her love of all things musical led her to build a huge shrine to Robert Plant out of hair, biscuits and an old mop-head. She has cited David Lynch as major influence which is no surprise; one could imagine a number of songs on “ Neptune City ” appearing on a Lynchian soundtrack, as Atkins sound definitely contains a sweeping, cinematic quality. “The Way It Is” is almost Bond-esque and is a far superior number than the not so golden, misfiring gun, that is the Jack White/Alicia Keys “howl-athon/warble-fest,” whilst title track “Neptune City” has a distinct “Twin Peaks” vibe. It’s also a track that could well be a gothic noir, 21st century flipside to “Old Cape Cod.” Where as Patti Page asked “If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air.” Nicole tries to make sense of her hometown with “I’m sitting over Neptune City / I used to love it / It used to be pretty“ and laments “Our hearts are singing out just for you/ a cemetery song for summer.”
Nicole has played alongside the likes of The Raveonettes, The Pipettes, The Long Blondes, Clap Your Hand Say Yeah and Chris Isaack and her music has been steadily gaining an enthusiastic army of fans, which include in its number, David Letterman. After performing “The Way It Is” on his show, the toothsome host asked Atkins, “Wanna get some steak?” to which she could well have responded “Maybe?…. Tonight?” However the offer bore neither fruit, nor seared bovine flesh and Nicole later joked that she wondered if “getting a steak” meant something entirely different from what she’d envisaged!! As well as Letterman she’s appeared on the Conan O’Brien show, The Late, Late Show and recently gave a fabulous live performance in the UK on “Later with Jools Holland” alongside The Kings Of Leon, Metallica, and Carla Bruni. (One hopes there were no more misinterpreted remarks and Jools didn’t invite any guests for a spot of after show goose!) While she was in the UK we had a chat with Nicole about New Jersey mobsters, turning into Jack Torrance and hanging with “The Boss.”
VP: When did you first start writing music?
NICOLE: I’ve been in bands since I was twelve singing and playing guitar but I started writing my own songs after I graduated from university. I moved home to New Jersey and there was nobody left around so I started writing songs to have something to do.
VP: You’ve been described as anything from Janis Joplin to Tony Soprano but who would you say where your major musical influences?
NICOLE: Tony Soprano? Hahahaha! That’s a new one! My biggest influences if I had to cut them down to seven would be Arthur Lee from Love, Traffic, the Mamas and the Pappas, Angelo Badalamente, Roy Orbison, 1960’s musicals from Jones and Shmidt, and Wilco.
VP: You’ve said your sound is “pop noir.” Can you expand on that definition?
NICOLE: I thought my songs sounded pretty poppy or catchy but they were all about really dark things. So it just means, dark pop. Songs about dying that you can dance to!
VP: How did you find working with Tore Johansson on your album ” Neptune City “?
NICOLE: He was great to work with. He is a very abstract type that speaks in dreams rather than logic. He pushed me to take my arrangements even further than I thought I could. The only thing I didn’t like about working with him was being out in the Swedish winter, alone. I felt like Jack in “The Shining”. Just the isolation, not the murderous impulses, ya know?
VP: You recently appeared on “Later with Jools Holland” along side the likes of The Kings Of Leon and Metallica. What was that experience like?
NICOLE: That was the best night ever!!! I’m a huge Metallica fan. I met them that night and they were seriously the nicest rock stars I ever met. So down to earth and humble and encouraging. Carla Bruni was mad sweet too! We played with a string section that night, ughhh, I wish we could do that every night.
VP: You went to college to study illustration, is it something you still do, or don’t you have time these days?
NICOLE: I still do it, but mostly comics on the road. Any bigger illustrations and paintings are strewn around my apartment, unfinished.
VP: Has the internet had a big effect on your career so far?
NICOLE: Of course. The internet is a great way people can discover any music.
VP: What have been the highlights of 2008?
NICOLE: Hmmm, there seems to be a lot for me. I went on my first headlining tour, played the Conan and Ferguson shows in the states, Jools in the UK, recorded a song with David Byrne!, played all the major festivals in the U.S. like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo and the like, did my first European tour and played Wireless O2 in the UK.. Did some TV in the Netherlands (3am! ew) I met and had a good couple hangs with Bruce Springsteen in my hometown (we live in the same hood), and meeting Metallica and Dennis Hopper was a highlight for sure! I also sang backup vocals on AC Newman (the New Pornographers) new solo record. It’s awesome!
VP. ……and what are your plans for 2009?
NICOLE: I’m making a new record!!!
VP: Five words to sum up your week?
NICOLE: English, metal, procrastination, hospitals, Asbury.
Links
-Neptune City In Stores Now!
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Nicole Atkins Digs Other People’s Songs Online Now!
Wallpapers
Videos
“Neptune City” By Nicole Atkins & the Sea
“Maybe Tonight” Live on Later With Jools-Nicole Atkins & The Sea
“The Way It Is” Live on Letterman-Nicole Atkins & The Sea
Stumble It!
4:56 PM | |
@kupuk Have you seen one in pe…
@kupuk Have you seen one in person– used it? Is the glass much different from the plastic used in all other laptops?
@kupuk Have you seen one in person– used it? Is the glass much different from the plastic used in all other laptops?
@MorgansDead I’m not really fa…
@MorgansDead I’m not really familiar with Pogo.com — what’s it about? You “follow” people like on Twitter?
@MorgansDead I’m not really familiar with Pogo.com — what’s it about? You “follow” people like on Twitter?
@jarhead1857 Robert Reich is a…
@jarhead1857 Robert Reich is a dumb economist. The $700+ billion bailout does not help the common person.
@jarhead1857 Robert Reich is a dumb economist. The $700+ billion bailout does not help the common person.
Quick video about the USC chap…
Quick video about the USC chapter of UPE, the Computer Science Honor Society - http://tinyurl.com/6ee2c5
Quick video about the USC chapter of UPE, the Computer Science Honor Society - http://tinyurl.com/6ee2c5
Bailout: 450 pages. $850 billi…
Bailout: 450 pages. $850 billion, but may cost us $5 trillion. http://tinyurl.com/6dac84
Bailout: 450 pages. $850 billion, but may cost us $5 trillion. http://tinyurl.com/6dac84
@nprpolitics The President sho…
@nprpolitics The President should not have power over the economy. Where does the Constitution give them that authority?
@nprpolitics The President should not have power over the economy. Where does the Constitution give them that authority?
Greg Koukl on Proposition 8: h…
Greg Koukl on Proposition 8: http://tinyurl.com/6xveoa - We’re very vulnerable to manipulation! People are swayed by ads.
Greg Koukl on Proposition 8: http://tinyurl.com/6xveoa - We’re very vulnerable to manipulation! People are swayed by ads.
Elliot’s Short Updates for 2008-10-17 via Twitter
Watched an interview with Lew Rockwell - http://tinyurl.com/5kthht - of http://www.lewrockwell.com/ # Should the government interfere with the housing market? Think about the meaning of “market price.” http://tinyurl.com/57kr5l # Where’s the McCain campaign commercial featuring Joe the Plumber? http://tinyurl.com/6leptm # Interview w/Joe the Plumber. http://tinyurl.com/457rxa - Still don’t think there’s significant difference between McCain/Obama. # Found the ad I [...]
- Watched an interview with Lew Rockwell - http://tinyurl.com/5kthht - of http://www.lewrockwell.com/ #
- Should the government interfere with the housing market? Think about the meaning of “market price.” http://tinyurl.com/57kr5l #
- Where’s the McCain campaign commercial featuring Joe the Plumber? http://tinyurl.com/6leptm #
- Interview w/Joe the Plumber. http://tinyurl.com/457rxa - Still don’t think there’s significant difference between McCain/Obama. #
- Found the ad I asked about earlier. http://tinyurl.com/5ermtk - I don’t like it. Weird film grain effect. Not a great point #
- I’m on YouTube: brief thoughts on Tonchidot world camera - http://tinyurl.com/5aazse #
- I read a letter from the Campaign for Liberty on YouTube - http://tinyurl.com/55yl6f #
- Quick video about the USC chapter of UPE, the Computer Science Honor Society - http://tinyurl.com/6ee2c5 #
- Bailout: 450 pages. $850 billion, but may cost us $5 trillion. http://tinyurl.com/6dac84 #
- Greg Koukl on Proposition 8: http://tinyurl.com/6xveoa - We’re very vulnerable to manipulation! People are swayed by ads. #
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@andrewbarnett Wow, you have *…
@andrewbarnett Wow, you have *exactly* 1000 followers.
@andrewbarnett Wow, you have *exactly* 1000 followers.
@jfsellsius Good point. Both O…
@jfsellsius Good point. Both Obama/McCain supported the bailout. The differences between them are insignificant. Vote third party.
@jfsellsius Good point. Both Obama/McCain supported the bailout. The differences between them are insignificant. Vote third party.
4:56 PM | |
Faisons de la politique dignement.
La campagne pour le premier tour des élections municipales se termine ce soir. Je tiens à remercier toutes celles et tous ceux, colistiers, militants, sympathisants, soutiens qui ont apporté leur contribution au cours de cette période. Nous avons grâce à...
La campagne pour le premier tour des élections municipales se termine ce soir. Je tiens à remercier toutes celles et tous ceux, colistiers, militants, sympathisants, soutiens qui ont apporté leur contribution au cours de cette période.
Nous avons grâce à tous mené une campagne efficace, à l’écoute des habitants, mais aussi une campagne joyeuse et dynamique.
Depuis le début nous nous sommes situés sur le terrain des propositions et du projet d’avenir pour Colombes, jamais sur celui des attaques personnelles.
Nous avons entretenu avec les membres des listes du MODEM comme de la Gauche Citoyenne des rapports toujours courtois ; la concurrence n’exclut pas la courtoisie.
Malheureusement la droite UMP a entaché cette campagne de comportements peu dignes
- Utilisation du sigle du Parti Socialiste sur le site de Mme Goueta pour essayer de faire croire que des socialistes la soutenaient.
- Affirmations mensongères écrites sur le fait que la gauche supprimerait la police municipale et la vidéo surveillance, ce qui est contraire à ce que nous avons écrit dans notre programme.
- Propos qui nous sont prêtés sur l’avenir des tours Audra, alors que nous n’avons jamais dit qu’elles devaient être démolies.
- Tract écrit en arabe que nous trouvons sur le site de Mme Goueta que nous n’avons jamais écrit -contrairement à ce qu’avait fait M. Bauer en 2001…
- Attaque inacceptable et non fondée de Rama Yade contre les militants de gauche à qui elle prête des propos racistes.
- Pressions inadmissibles sur les personnels communaux qui sont mis à l’écart quand ils sont suspects de sympathie pour la gauche.
- Affirmations mensongères -et absurdes- sur le fait que l’Etat retirerait les 265 millions engagés pour la rénovation urbaine (comme si le préfet retirait sa signature en cas de changement de majorité…).
- Attaques nominales et caricature de notre liste -pourtant renouvelée à 80% et ne comptant, contrairement à la liste UMP que des colombiennes et des colombiens-
Octrois et promesses de logements dans les dernières semaines ; de nombreuses personnes reçues ont eu droit à un « URGENT » marqué en rouge sur leur dossier…. Ce vendredi après midi aux Grèves le Maire en personne demandait aux jeunes leurs CV pour leur fournir de l’emploi !
- Des tracts d’un niveau lamentable tentant de faire peur et annonçant aux électeurs du MODEM une alliance du parti de leur choix avec les « socialo-communistes ».
- Et pour finir un tract distribué par des militants de droite dans le quartier du plateau et appelant à voter Lutte Ouvrière en dénonçant les militants communistes -avec leurs photos- sous prétexte qu'ils habitent des pavillons et mettent leurs enfants à l'école privée.
Tout cela est bien triste et révèle une conception archaïque et datée de la politique.
Toutes ces méthodes montrent bien peu de respect pour la démocratie et pour les électeurs. Nous sommes fiers d’être restés sur une campagne digne. C’est notre conception de la politique ; c’est celle que nous ferons prévaloir jusqu’au soir du 16 mars et au-delà si vous nous faites confiance.
Merci à tous nos lecteurs et rendez-vous le 9 mars dans les bureaux de vote !
Ce blog sera fermé, y compris aux commentaires jusqu’à dimanche soir, conformément à la loi.
Un accueil enthousiasme
Pour vivre en direct la venue de François HOLLANDE et Ségolène ROYAL à Colombes cliquez sur http://www.colombes2008.com/ vous pourrez voir les deux films réalisés par Didier Fassio. Venus apporter leur soutien à la liste que je conduis, François Hollande et...
Pour vivre en direct la venue de François HOLLANDE et Ségolène ROYAL à Colombes cliquez sur http://www.colombes2008.com/ vous pourrez voir les deux films réalisés par Didier Fassio.
Venus apporter leur soutien à la liste que je conduis, François Hollande et Ségolène Royal ont reçu un accueil chaleureux par des colombiens venus nombreux du Petit Colombes aux Fossés Jean.
Toutes les informations sur la campagne... Allez sur http://www.colombes2008.typepad.fr/
Toutes les informations sur la campagne...
Allez sur http://www.colombes2008.typepad.fr/
COMMUNIQUE de PRESSE de Philippe SARRE Tête de liste de « Colombes Rassemblée » Accord MODEM-UMP à Colombes « Ni à droite, ni à gauche… mais surtout à droite. » A Colombes, les responsables du Modem ont signé un accord...
COMMUNIQUE de PRESSE
de Philippe SARRE
Tête de liste de « Colombes Rassemblée »
Accord MODEM-UMP à Colombes
« Ni à droite, ni à gauche… mais surtout à droite. »
A Colombes, les responsables du Modem ont signé un accord avec l’UMP. Cet accord permet à des femmes et à des hommes, qui ont parfois été insultés par le maire sortant durant la campagne, d’oublier le passé récent contre quelques postes d’élus.
En agissant ainsi, ces responsables abandonnent les électeurs qui avaient tenu par leur vote à sanctionner la politique autoritaire et peu démocratique de Nicole Goueta.
En faisant le choix de cette droite, au mépris des valeurs qu’ils prétendaient incarner, ils sacrifient le projet qu’ils disaient vouloir défendre.
Le choix de ces responsables ne nous surprend pas. Ils étaient décidés à marchander leur soutien. Pour notre part, nous n’étions pas prêts à entrer dans cette logique. Nous l’avions clairement exprimé dès avant les résultats du premier tour, nous pensons que la recherche de la victoire ne justifie pas tous les compromis.
Nous appelons les militants, les électeurs à désapprouver cette attitude et à soutenir la liste « Colombes Rassemblée ».
Colombes, le 10 Mars 2008
Traditional TV
Last night was the first time I have watched traditional TV in almost 4 months. I had some thoughts while I was watching. First, TV helped me accomplish my goal of wasting time, and having nothing to show for it second, I really hate commercials Third, I really really hate drama! ������
Last night was the first time I have watched traditional TV in almost 4 months. I had some thoughts while I was watching.
First, TV helped me accomplish my goal of wasting time, and having nothing to show for it
second, I really hate commercials
Third, I really really hate drama!
������
Venez à notre rencontre ...
Nos points de rencontre pour les jours à venir ... Venez dialoguer avec nous et poser vos questions.
Nos points de rencontre pour les jours à venir ...
Venez dialoguer avec nous et poser vos questions.
DISCOURS de la soirée d'élection
Vous trouverez ci-dessous le texte du discours que j'ai prononcé le soir de l'élection du maire et des adjoints, au Conseil municipal du 21 Mars. Chers collègues, mesdames, messieurs, C’est avec beaucoup d’émotion, vous le comprendrez, que je m’adresse à...
Vous trouverez ci-dessous le texte du discours que j'ai prononcé le soir de l'élection du maire et des adjoints, au Conseil municipal du 21 Mars.
Chers collègues, mesdames, messieurs,
C’est avec beaucoup d’émotion, vous le comprendrez, que je m’adresse à vous ce soir en tant que Maire de notre Ville.
Une émotion très personnelle liée à un engagement déjà ancien dans la vie publique à laquelle je me suis consacré sans relâche, tant dans le cadre de ma vie professionnelle que sur le plan citoyen et politique.
Une émotion liée aussi à la confiance, au soutien, à l’amitié qui se sont exprimés, avec une force que je n’aurais pas soupçonnée, tout au long de la campagne et avec un enthousiasme renforcé depuis les résultats et la victoire de dimanche soir.
Une émotion enfin dûe à la charge qui m’a été confiée et dont je mesure la responsabilité.
* * *
Je tiens, pour commencer, à féliciter très sincèrement l’ensemble des élus, ceux de la majorité comme ceux de l’opposition. Au-delà des clivages politiques je veux les féliciter pour leur élection, mais surtout pour leur engagement dans la vie publique, pour le travail qu’ils ont accompli, qu’ils accomplissent ou qu’ils accompliront au service de nos concitoyens.
L’électeur, l’habitant, le citoyen ont le droit et même le devoir de critiquer, de juger et de sanctionner les élus. Ils doivent faire entendre leurs demandes, porter leurs exigences en direction de leurs élus, mais ces élus, et particulièrement les élus de proximité que sont les conseillers municipaux, doivent être reconnus et respectés dans leur fonction, qu’ils assument le plus souvent avec enthousiasme et désintéressement.
* * *
Je veux aussi, en ce début de propos, adresser mes remerciements les plus chaleureux à l’ensemble de ceux qui m’ont accompagné tout au long de ces six derniers mois.
Mes 48 colistiers, bien évidemment, qui forment une équipe dont la cohérence et même souvent la connivence s’est raffermie tout au long de cette campagne.
Les équipes techniques et de communication qui ont fait un travail remarquable à partir de nos ressources locales.
Les militantes et militants qui ont parcouru la ville avec une ardeur sans répit.
Et aussi les sympathisants, toutes celles et tous ceux qui nous ont apporté leur aide financière, leur soutien, leurs encouragements, et qui ont par leur action créé cette dynamique de campagne que nous sentions croître de jour en jour.
Je veux remercier l’ensemble des électeurs qui ont participé nombreux au scrutin du 16 Mars et qui ont, en se rendant aux urnes à plus de 66%, placé Colombes parmi les villes où le taux d’abstention est le plus faible.
Je tiens à remercier enfin plus particulièrement les 15 805 électrices et électeurs qui ont permis à la liste de gauche « Colombes Rassemblée » de gagner avec un score sans appel de 53, 6% des suffrages.
* * *
Les électeurs ont fait entendre leur voix ; ils ont été nombreux à exprimer leur joie, dès dimanche soir, en se rendant nombreux dans les rues et aux abords de la mairie. Cette manifestation qui s’est déroulée dans un climat de liesse n’a connu aucun incident.
Il m’a toutefois été rapporté que quelques élus de la précédente majorité avaient eu à subir des quolibets et des insultes au sortir de la Mairie. Si tel est le cas, je le regrette. Je condamne bien entendu ces comportements comme je condamne les termes de racaille, de voyous dont ont été affublés certains d’entre nous par des sympathisant ou des colistiers de droite ce même jour.
J’ai pour ma part appelé au calme et au respect tout au long de la soirée de dimanche et je renouvelle cet appel aujourd’hui.
J’ai conduit une campagne marqué du double signe du respect et de la dignité ; j’entends que cet état d’esprit prévale dans les rapports politiques au sein de notre commune.
Mon équipe et moi-même ne sommes animés d’aucun esprit d’humiliation ou de revanche.
Je suis conscient, pour avoir connu des défaites électorales, de la tristesse que ressentent ceux qui sont battus. Je ne me réjouis pas de leur douleur, je la respecte et je souhaite que ce soir encore aucun débordement d’aucune sorte ne vienne ternir le début de ce nouveau mandat.
* * *
Cette élection, je l’ai souligné, a fait se lever une joie collective, mais aussi des espoirs, des attentes, auxquelles notre programme et notre action devront répondre.
Nous ne partons pas de rien. Mes prédécesseurs ont, avec l’aide des services municipaux, fait évoluer la ville de Colombes vers ce qu’elle est aujourd’hui.
Je veux rendre un hommage particulier à Dominique FRELAUT à qui l’on doit d’avoir bâti, au cours de ses 36 ans de mandat, une ville bien équipée, riche de sa diversité, dynamique et respectueuse de ses zones pavillonnaires.
Je ne veux pas, contrairement aux comportements de certains de nos opposants, faire preuve de caricature à l’égard du passé. Nous avons reconnu et nous l’avons écrit que dans certains domaines la gestion de ces sept dernières années a connu des aspects positifs.
Pour autant lors de ce dernier mandat trois domaines essentiels de la vie locale ont été négligés : ce sont ceux qui ont servi de socle à notre programme et autour desquels nous allons agir le plus rapidement possible.
· Il s’agit de redonner à notre ville le sens de la solidarité, de réaffirmer très fortement notre intention de faire évoluer Colombes, sans en changer la population, mais en apportant à tous ses habitants les améliorations qu’ils attendent.
Je reprendrai donc, avec mon équipe, la construction de logements adaptés pour tous (personnes âgées, jeunes étudiants et jeunes travailleurs, familles à revenus modestes ou moyens, personnes handicapées).
Je serai particulièrement attentif au cadre de vie de certains quartiers qui ont été oubliés et pour lesquels nous mobiliserons des moyens dans les délais les plus brefs.
Je rencontrerai dès la semaine prochaine le commissaire de Colombes et le service de la police municipale pour que soient redéfinies clairement les missions de chacun et les collaborations ; j’entends que le service de la police municipale concentre son action sur la tranquillité dans les quartiers, aux abords des établissements scolaires et des commerces et sur le contact de proximité avec les habitants.
Je reprendrai avec les adjoints et les services concernés les barêmes de tarifs des activités municipales pour les jeunes et je remettrai en place une commission sociale qui étudiera au cas par cas les situations afin que pas un seul enfant ne soit empêché de participer à ces activités pour des raisons financières.
· Il s’agit par ailleurs de donner à notre ville un visage écologique :
Nous allons mettre en place dans les meilleurs délais une direction de l’Ecologie Urbaine et du Développement Durable qui aura en particulier en charge le suivi de l’Agenda 21.
Je lancerai immédiatement le travail pour la réalisation d’un plan de déplacement et de stationnement à l’échelle de la commune et je me rapprocherai des villes voisines pour la mise en place d’un dispositif intercommunal de vélos en libre service.
Avant la fin de l’année seront organisées les Assises pour une Ville Ecologique qui déboucheront, en lien avec les habitants et les associations, sur un programme d’actions pour la mandature.
· Sur le plan enfin de la démocratie locale, je porterai avec mon équipe des changements profonds et rapides.
A titre personnel, je me rendrai disponible le plus possible pour recevoir les colombiens, les écouter, les rencontrer dans tous les quartiers de la ville. Pour garantir au mieux cette disponibilité je démissionnerai, pendant les vacances d’été, de mon mandat de conseiller général du canton nord-ouest.
Les grands dossiers d’aménagement et d’urbanisme seront repris en concertation avec les populations concernées.
Dès le prochain exercice budgétaire, les structures de quartier qui auront été relancées, seront dotées de budgets participatifs.
Des commissions extra-municipales permettant un travail approfondi avec les partenaires associatifs seront définies dès le mois de septembre.
Je proposerai à l’opposition trois membres au lieu de deux dans les commissions du conseil et, ce qui nous a toujours été refusé : la présence d’un membre de l’opposition au conseil d’administration de l’OPAC et de la CODEVAM.
Une certaine inquiétude, semble-t-il savamment entretenue, semblait courir ces derniers jours dans les rangs du personnel communal. Je veux très solennellement dire à l’ensemble des agents ma confiance dans leur capacité à faire en sorte que la continuité du service public s’effectue dans les meilleures conditions. Nul ne sera inquiété en raison de ses convictions politiques. L’administration et ses agents doivent être tenus à l’écart de ces considérations politiciennes afin de se concentrer sur l’aspect professionnel qui, seul, doit être considéré. Je veux qu’on en finisse avec des méthodes héritées d’un autre âge et que nos agents communaux soient des citoyens libres et responsables, traités avec confiance et respect.
Ces trois axes -solidarité, écologie, démocratie- illustrés à grands traits ne peuvent résumer l’étendue des chantiers qui nous attendent. Nous aurons à accompagner l’arrivée du tramway T2, à poursuivre les programmes de rénovation urbaine de l’Ile marante et des Grèves, à reprendre celui des Fossés-Jean comme l’a demandé le Préfet.
Je souhaite engager avec les communes voisines des discussions pour voir comment il est possible de mettre en place des intercommunalités de projet, voire une structure intercommunale sur la boucle nord des Hauts de Seine.
La Ville de Colombes doit continuer à se moderniser ; son tissu économique doit être développé. Les jeunes doivent se sentir associés à ce mouvement et les personnes âgées doivent trouver leur place et faire bénéficier leur ville de leur expérience et de leur compétence. Nous ne regarderons pas passer les grands chantiers conduits par le Conseil Général -le projet sur le Stade Y. du Manoir et la rénovation du Parc Lagravère- doivent être l’occasion pour la ville de faire valoir son point de vue et ses demandes dans l’intérêt des colombiens.
Dans les jours qui viennent, je demanderai à la Cour Régionale des Comptes d’effectuer un audit de la CODEVAM.
Dès le mois de septembre, sur la base de la réalité des finances communales, je préciserai aux colombiens le plan de travail qui sera le nôtre assorti d’un calendrier.
Je veux engager cette mandature avec la ferme volonté d’associer les habitants et de travailler pour tous les colombiens quel qu’ait été leur vote ce dimanche 16 Mars.
Sans esprit de revanche, sans esprit partisan, mais avec détermination et tourné vers l’avenir, j’engage mon équipe dans l’écriture de cette nouvelle page de l’histoire de notre ville.
Notre dernière affiche de campagne
Conseil Municipal vendredi 21 à 19h30
C'est vendredi à 19h30 que le Conseil Municipal procédera à l'élection du Maire et de son équipe. Vous pouvez continuer à voir les films, les vidéos et lire les articles sur la campagne et l'élection en cliquant sur: http://www.colombes2008.com/
C'est vendredi à 19h30 que le Conseil Municipal procédera à l'élection du Maire et de son équipe.
Vous pouvez continuer à voir les films, les vidéos et lire les articles sur la campagne et l'élection en cliquant sur: http://www.colombes2008.com/
3:38 PM | |
Some recent Anime I quite liked
For the past months, I have gone to see a couple of animated movies which were released. Wall-E, the e romantic movie, Kung Fu Panda the hilarious ninja comedy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, animated version of Star Wars’ epic battle of the clones. If you would ask me, which to watch from these [...]
For the past months, I have gone to see a couple of animated movies which were released. Wall-E, the e romantic movie, Kung Fu Panda the hilarious ninja comedy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, animated version of Star Wars’ epic battle of the clones.
If you would ask me, which to watch from these three, I’ll definitely tell you to have a go for Kung Fu Panda. It makes you laugh without having to understand the movie, but if you understood it, more laughing for you.
I was a bit disappointed with Wall-e, not that it wasn’t good. But I hoped for better. It got a lot of publicity, the robots cleaning earth, etc… and it really intrigued me in the sense that I wanted to know what happened next, which should be something that is extraodinary, mind blowing, etc. It went on like Wall-e fell in love with another robot searching for some plant which will give to some fat people in a spaceship the way to go back home, to earth. Yes, it’s not boring since it keeps you in the movie but I thought there might be some kind of more interesting events.
As for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it kinda of make me feel, I should go see Star Wars episode One or Two again. Infact the story takes place between these 2 episodes so that you know of some important things that took place during the Clone Wars. Nothing that might change the end though with Anakin becoming Dark Vader.
There is some more to come with the Space Chimps, definitely promising. Hope it stands by its promise.
Try ScreenToaster, might be a better alternative to Jing
I’ve been under the sunshine of Jing ever since I’ve known about this jewel. It’s a free application allowing you to make screenshots or video capture of whatever is going on your computer screen, with sound of course if it’s a video capture. It’s easy to use and really practical. You’ve got something like a [...]
I’ve been under the sunshine of Jing ever since I’ve known about this jewel. It’s a free application allowing you to make screenshots or video capture of whatever is going on your computer screen, with sound of course if it’s a video capture. It’s easy to use and really practical. You’ve got something like a sun sitting on top of your screen and you just point to it whenever you need some capturing need.
When it comes to screenshot, Jing is ultimately the best. Why? Because it really makes things easier. You can resize your screenshots while making it and when you’re sure you want it, you can save it on your computer, send it to your Flickr’s account or Screencast’s account with a click. You’re offered a Screencast account for free to store your Jing captures online.
The thing is when it comes to video, it gets a bit tricky. The other day, I was trying to film a Mario footage on YouTube. The video capture process went on smoothly but when it came to host this video online, it got complicated. First, the video capture output was in swf format, bulky in size and I could read it only with Jing on my computer. Nonetheless, I didn’t give up, I took the bulky video and decided to put it online. But YouTube wouldn’t accept it for I don’t know what reasons so I put it on my Screencast’s account. Finally, I gave up when I saw that it wouldn’t embed in the blog article I was writing.
Today, while strolling on Delicious, I met ScreenToaster. A quick visit on its site and its demo video convinced me that it might be up to something useful. Not to completely replace Jing, but perhaps take up the work of video capture when it comes to it. It’s free so why not try it, you too.
3:38 PM | |
About a month ago, our friend David Prager introduced us to Kevin Pereira, host of the AOS on the G4 network.� After viewing a Squarespace demo, Kevin decided to move his blog over to Squarespace, and with a little help from Senior Designer Krystyn Heide, Kevin created quite an impressive blog.� In fact, Kevin was such a fan of the Squarespace experience that we were featured on his show as an accessible and optimal alternative to coding or hiring a designer.� The spot premiered last Friday at 7:21pm G4 networks Attack Of The Show! As Squarespace powers so many sites from behind the scenes, it was awesome to see the system fully displayed up on the medium screen. Big screen here we come…
Our First Billion Dollar Client Site
We’re insanely excited to announce the first billion dollar company using the Squarespace platform for their website — a big welcome Marc Ecko Enterprises (the global fashion/clothing brand). Check out:
http://www.marceckoenterprises.com/
Which is a Squarespace site just like ours and yours, using the same technologies, on the same platform. And for those interested, here’s how dead on we were with respect to keeping the design of the original non-Squarespace implementation:
http://stage-marceckoenterprises.ecko.mp.advection.net/
It’s of course more functional and scalable on our service than the hacked-CMS that ran it prior.
Another very interesting point: There was no cheating in this conversion — and by that I mean this conversion was done with absolutely no modifications to our base XHTML templates, no special Javascript or hosting, and no special backend code. That’s right. No rewriting of our core code — not even a single line, and the site matches up that closely. This is what V5 is all about.
Squarespace Offices: Update 2
The office is coming along nicely, the crew has been working around the clock to help us get ready for our meetup (more info coming soon!) The floors are being sanded and refinished, the bathrooms are being framed out and the steel wall is beginning to get it’s structural pieces.
Squarespace at the Next Web Meetup Tonight in NYC
Squarespace is presenting Version 5 at the Web 2 meetup in New York City tonight at Webster Hall. If you’re around, stop in!
Squarespace Shirts
Shirts are in! They look amazing, Ape Do Good Printing in San Francisco did a phenomenal job, I couldn’t be happier. We be hopefully selling a few shirts once we get through with our meetup in the new office. Stay tuned to this blog for shirt availability and the meetup dates!
11:06 AM | |
This is the final issue of the Daily Grind.
- Google Safe Browsing Library for .NET Beta 2 - Using Google to detect naughty people on the net.
- CodeRush and Refactor! Pro 3.0 Released - Good news from Developer Express.
- ASProxy: Surf in the web invisibly using ASP.NET power - Proxy server built with ASP.NET.
- Strongly typed custom configuration sections using XML serialization - Custom configuration is the text editor of .NET; everyone writes a solution.
- Using managed code to detect what .NET Framework versions and service packs are installed� - Some potentially-useful code.
- December 2007 Web Server Survey - Almost 50 million more sites on the web than a year ago, according to Netcraft.
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The Daily Grind 1291
Facing a new week with fresh code. What could be better?
- TimeSnapper 2.6: Hook It Up - Now with better connectivity to external timesheet systems.
- Syncro SVN Client - Cross-platform GUI SVN client. (via Programmers Heaven)
- SSMS Tools Pack 0.9.5 add-in for SQL Server Management Studio is out - With a few new features.
- MonoRail Quickly - Screencast - In case this MVC stuff interests you and you want to see the alternative to the house brand. (via DotNetKicks)
- DataGridviewAutoFilter sample updated - Making effective use of this complex control. (via Greg Duncan)
Sponsors
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BUG TRACKING A solid bug tracker is part of any smart strategy to ship software on time. And Axosoft's OnTime 2007 is more than a bug tracker...it's the leading software for enabling development teams to ship software on time. Download Axosoft OnTime 2007! |
The Daily Grind 1295
And the week winds down quietly. Just a reminder: The Daily Grind itself will be winding down at the end of the year.
- DataRoamer - Nice-looking viewer for exploring the structure of databases.
- Easily extend post-commit hook in Subversion using NAnt - email anyone? - From Jeffrey Palermo. I've certainly seen harder ways to do it.
- Natural Sorting in C# - IanG codes a response to Jeff Atwood.
- Inside Microsoft - Running the IT Infrastructure at Microsoft - You probably have a smaller problem to deal with.
Sponsors
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The Daily Grind 1304
Not much happening. Back for my swan song on Monday.
- Sending Free SMS - A database solution to figuring things out.
- Edit (Add/Remove/Modify) ARP Table - I've had times when I needed to do this; here's .NET code to handle it.
- Are you a problem solver or a developer? - The end of the year is a good time to step back to think about your real job.
Sponsors
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HELPDESK SOFTWAREWouldn't it be nice if your support team's help desk software:
OnTime 2008 helpdesk software makes all of this and more possible! Download Axosoft OnTime 2008! |
The Daily Grind 1294
Snow in the forecast. What fun.
- SpreadsheetGear for .NET 2007 3.1.0 - Visual Studio 2008 Support and miscellaneous other changes.
- Microsoft Sync Framework CTP1 Refresh - New bits for Microsoft's synchronization platform.
- Object oriented JavaScript class library in C#/.NET style - In case you want your JavaScript to look like C#.
- CaseComplete 2008 - Fancy requirements management tool.
- Stylus Studio 2008 - Refresh of this high-end XML editor.
- Rhino Mocks Quick Reference - To get you going with this mock objects framework. (via dotnetkicks)
Sponsors
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The Daily Grind 1298
Even when the kids sleep, the big dog wants to wake up early. Can't win.
- Smart FieldPackEditor.Net 1.1 beta is available - Another round of this high-end replacement for DateTimePicker and other constrained edit controls.
- Sorting Strings for Humans with IComparer - A stab at properly sorting strings. (via Greg Duncan)
- What makes Boo a great language - PR from Oren Eini.
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The Daily Grind 1297
A few Tuesday links. Things are slowing down for the holidays.
- A New Task Scheduler Class Library for .NET - For handling scheduled tasks, of course.
- Exult Professional Edition for SQL Server - XML data importer.
- The Boo Language - A quick overview.
- Working outside the box with Unity - Cool new stuff coming from VMware.
- Debugging Ruby with the ’Cylon’ Debugger - Yummy debugging goodness for Ruby users on Windows.
- Custom configuration Data from DataSets: Less is More - A simpler way to handle configuration for .NET apps.
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DEFECT TRACKING A solid defect tracker is part of any smart strategy to ship software on time. And Axosoft's OnTime 2008 is more than a bug tracker...that's why it's the leading software for enabling development teams to ship software on time. Download Axosoft OnTime 2008! |
The Daily Grind 1299
Things are still slow for the end of the year.
- Linkify Add-in for Visual Studio 2005 - Add-in to create hyperlinks in your source code.
- OnTime 2008 - Bug tracker now features integrated project wiki.
- Spec# for Visual Studio 2005 - New build of Microsoft's design-by-contract tool.
- Why Use Continuous Integration - Beginner's Overview - An answer from Scott C. Reynolds.
- Internet Explorer Favorites, deconstructed - An exploration of the binary format.
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The Daily Grind 1293
Feels like Monday again. Lack of sleep will do that.
- Iris Syntax Highlighter - Online tool with a ton of language options.
- Color Picker with Color Wheel and Eye Dropper - Nice looking little control.
- Dates, Time Zones, and .NET - Always a nuisance.
- Using Microsoft Transact-SQL Correlated Query to Clean Up Duplicate Records - A useful technique.
- Paint.NET v3.20 … soon! And updated licensing details - The things that a free app has to do to avoid getting ripped off.
- SQL Server 2005 September BOL Refresh Available - A bit delayed, but it's out there.
- Ruby In Steel License, A Change (For The Better) - They've moved to the "treat the software like a book" model. How refreshing.
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The Daily Grind 1301
Just a reminder, there will be no Daily Grind tomorrow. Merry Christmas!
- BlogEngine.NET 1.3 has arrived - This may be the most active .NET blogging project these days.
- Code Signing – It’s Cheaper and Easier than You Thought - John Robbins walks through the details. (via Greg Duncan)
- Incomplete Scenarios: They don't know everything that's up with number sorting - Michael Kaplan points out that sorting is a less trivial problem than most recent "solutions" assume.
- Using Amazon FPS (WinForms, ASP.Net and C#) - That's the Flexible Payments Service.
- Google Safe Browsing Library for .NET Beta 1 - For tapping into Google's malware protection.
- Disabling an ASP.NET Button when Clicked - Not as simple as you might think.
Sponsors
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9:16 AM | |
YES I WANT IT
If you are reading this , it means that you are a user of internet which is spreading like fire all over the world as a tool and friend which no one can live without.
Currently, The Internet is going through a transformation from just being a medium of information to being a tool for everything.. i.e. Networking for personal or business needs, for businesses by selling their products online or promoting them. It has widened the reach of every business and now even a small business can go global using the power of internet.
People are starting to realize this power and moving forward to use it for their benefits.
Just looking at INDIA.
According to Information released by Internet and Mobile Association of India few months back There are 38.5 million ( 3.85 Million) Indians Online Today. The Internet offers an audience that will grow to a 100 million ( 10 Million) users by 2007-08. That’s almost 10 percent of India’s population.
Also, according to the figures E-commerce Transactions during 2006-2007 crossed 2000 Million rupees to almost 2300 Million.
Source : http://iamai.in/IAMAI_ECommerce.html
In a couple of years this should cross 20,000 Million rupees.
There are two keys to doing business and earning online.
1) Product or Service
In order to sell you must have a product or service which is in demand. Once you have this you can be assured of sales if you know how to sell.
2) Network or Team
We all have a network but we do not know how to get it in one place and grow it to be a big team which will work and earn you rich rewards for life. Not only will the network work for benefiting everyone in the network but for you who initiated the network it will be a source of income for life.
Questions that everyone asks :
a) I don’t have a product or service to offer ? How can I earn online ?
b) I have many contacts and friends online but I don’t know how to bring them at one place and make a structured network.
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We all have contacts online on our Email Contacts, Messenger Contacts, our Website Members. You can now use our Tools to invite them to join your network and see it grow as they invite their contacts to join their network.
Your 100 contacts can be equal to 100000 team members once they start creating their networks too. We give you all the tools to do this. Also, we teach you how to get new members for your network by providing you with access to latest tips and techniques for growing your network.
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Getting Approved by Adsense in a Jiffy…
Getting Approved by Adsense in a Jiffy…
By: Anik Singal
What we found is that Google is not nearly as picky as they make themselves sound to be. The trick is to make your site in such a way that you are just providing content; we have found that the less selling you do on your approval site, the better.
Don’t worry, once you’re approved you can use that code wherever you want – so put it on other sites that sell later. But for the purposes of getting approved, try to limit to just content, content and more content!
Now, for the disclaimer before we start talking about how to get your site approved for Google Adsense. I am not a member of Google at all, everything I am about to say is all speculation and experience. I have helped over 50 clients get approved for Google Adsense without having even 1 of them not get approved – we have 100% approval rate on FIRST try.
All I am going to teach you is exactly what I do for them.
There are three main elements that I focus on when getting a client approved:
1. Site look and feel – Not that Google wants a $10,000 professionally designed website, but they also don’t want some piece of junk. Make sure to at LEAST have a presentable website – even if it is just a few tables and a solid background color. Avoid using tacky backgrounds or unprofessional color contrasts.
2. Content – The most important – Google believes in content. If you try to get a website with just a few pages approved, I don’t think you will have any luck. You need to have at least 15-20 pages, preferably, 15-20 pages of articles/resources, a.k.a. content.
3. Traffic – Many "experts" say that Google looks to see what kind of traffic you have and that they do not approve new sites with no traffic. My experience says that these experts are FULL of it. BUT, just to be safe, before you submit your site for approval – try to get your site some traffic.
Here are useful tips you need to make the entire approval process easier and quicker:
• Get content from article directories like www.goarticles.com – just put those articles in your site, getting 15-20 is easy.
• Before you submit your site for approval, post at some forums with your website’s link in the signature file – this will help you get some immediate traffic.
• Make a very simple website with 15-20 articles, a contact us page, a privacy policy and the typical disclaimer.
That’s it – you’re ready to get approved for Google Adsense. I know I made it sound too easy, but honestly, we have a track record that proves it. And remember, if you do not get approved, you can always fix things and try again.
So, stop waiting – apply now – Google Adsense is a great source of income.
About The Author
This article is written by Anik Singal, founder of AffiliateClassroom.com. Anik Singal has developed his own affiliate system that helped him earn well over $10,000 in just 60 days. Now, he's looking for a few students to train one step at a time.
http://www.AffiliateClassroom.com
DISCOUNTCLICK
There are a number of ways in which people can promote their website and in this article I am going to be describing a few of them. If you are new to the world of internet marketing firstly you have to be willing to work hard and secondly you need to have some patience.
If you want your web site to be a success, your web site marketing strategies must keep up with the changes made by various search engines. Search engine marketing is constantly evolving, and webmasters need to evolve with it. Search engine marketing is an incredibly lucrative and incredibly under-utilized aspect of any online marketing campaign. Now if you go to this link you can check out what DiscountClick has to offer Internet Marketing Consultant, SEO Consulting .
Web content is one of the most important factors that search engines look for in a website. The search engines are in constant search for fresh quality web content. Because of this, webmasters and website owners must equip their websites with updated and fresh content regularly. Web marketing experts advise webmasters and website owners to add new content on their website whenever they can. Web content is beneficial to webmasters and website owners because it helps them get higher search engine ranking. Other than that, new content is also beneficial to online users because they provide new source of information.
When the internet was in its infancy, those companies who managed to get to the top of search engine rankings naturally were rewarded by high numbers of clicks and sales. As a result of this, massive numbers of webmasters tried to outwit the search engines and their competition by discovering the formulas for site search engine rankings, and created methods to circumvent the natural and honest method of search engine optimization.
Link Exchanging is the process of exchanging text links or banner links between websites. The use of link exchanges helps improve traffic, through numerous inbound links so users on other websites can click through. Exchanging links is normally a free process, which makes link exchanges cost effective. Another benefit of exchanging links is that it helps improve placement in the search engines. Check out what DiscountClick provides at Link Building Services,
Another safe and sound way to promote your website is through safe-lists. One of the built in and primary benefits of using the safe-lists is that those who have opted in to join the safe-lists, are usually fellow marketers and online business people looking for other profitable ventures and also the obvious fact that with a safe-list submitter your reach is extended and instantly increased to over a million targeted subscribers that can build your list quickly.
Now this might sound like a daunting task, but imagine some one else doing all this for you. Makes life really easy. But you need to find the right company. Searching for the right company is again another task because again we have hundreds of people offering the same kind of service. But if you are reading this article it means you have found the right company. DISCOUNTCLICK. Check them out at DISCOUNTCLICK
Now if you have a website and wondering how to promote it, you don't have to worry further. Just go to DiscountClick and let them take care of your Internet marketing needs. Hope after reading this article making your decision will make it simple and easy.
9:16 AM | |
Tips for New Bloggers: Submit Blog to Search Engines
Tips for New Bloggers: Submit Blog to Search Engines
RSS Hugger
Anyone who is into blogging will know 'traffic' = 'money'. There is no point in having a blog full of wonderful content if people do not get to see it! And there are so many ways to bring in the traffic. In my blog i have explained all the ways i have learned so far. SEO, Social bookmarking, articles, traffic sites etc etc anything that will put your blog 'out there'
RSS is one more wonderful way to bring in the 'money'. now for people who just started blogging if RSS sounds alien no issues...i will try my best to explain as much as possible and if you are going to come back of course you will get to learn a lot more! I 'learn' and then 'teach'
So lets see what the definition of RSS is well here is what i found which sounded as simple as possible
RSS (formally "RDF Site Summary", known colloquially as "Really Simple Syndication") is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed", "web feed", or "channel", contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.
RSS content can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader" or an "aggregator". The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.
Now if you are still not clear as what it all means help is on the way! Join RSSHugger and like every other program on my blog - its FREE.
Once you put your blog there you will get 'targeted' traffic - people who are just like you - BLOGGERS. So happy blogging and 'sharing' through RssHuggerYou will find me here on RssHugger. Go ahead and get your blog/website hugged by RssHugger and watch traffic pouring in on your site.
9:14 AM | |
Out This Week
Ben Folds - Way to Normal Murs - Murs For President Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight Willoughby - I Know What You're Up To Chairlift - Does You Inspire You The Western States Motel - Painted Birds Flying in the...
Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
Willoughby - I Know What You're Up To
Chairlift - Does You Inspire You
The Western States Motel - Painted Birds Flying in the Orange Mirror Sun
Session Round-Up
Rounding up in-studio sessions this week, we have just about anything your musical taste desires. If you're in a feminine singer-songwriter mood, check out Meiko at Daytrotter or Duffy over at NPR. If you're looking for a little rock in...
Rounding up in-studio sessions this week, we have just about anything your musical taste desires. If you're in a feminine singer-songwriter mood, check out Meiko at Daytrotter or Duffy over at NPR. If you're looking for a little rock in your step, cruise on over to Baeble to hear the Black Lips or Elbow at NPR. Whatever it is, tell 'em Filter sent ya.
@ Daytrotter
Nik Freitas
Meiko
Of Montreal
@ NPR's World Cafe
Duffy
Elbow
@ MPR's The Current
Rachael Yamagata
Ray Lamontagne
@ KCRW's MBE
The Broken West
Emily Wells
The Dandy Warhols
Calexico
Chrissie Hynde
Cold War Kids
@ NPR's Live Concert Series
Rachael Yamagata
Liz Phair
Session Round-Up
In the studio this week, we have buzz band Ra Ra Riot taking over the Daytrotter lounge, Conor Oberst and his Mystic Valley Band visit NPR's World Cafe, and head on over to KCRW to hear the eclectic sounds of...
In the studio this week, we have buzz band Ra Ra Riot taking over the Daytrotter lounge, Conor Oberst and his Mystic Valley Band visit NPR's World Cafe, and head on over to KCRW to hear the eclectic sounds of DeVotchKa unplugged.
@ Baeble
Radio On The TV
A lot of big names taking over the late night circuit this week. Remember to set your DVRs tonight for TV on the Radio's performance on David Letterman and Hot Chip's Carson Daly takover. Kings of Leon are also stopping...
A lot of big names taking over the late night circuit this week. Remember to set your DVRs tonight for TV on the Radio's performance on David Letterman and Hot Chip's Carson Daly takover. Kings of Leon are also stopping by the Letterman set tomorrow night and don't miss a rare appearance from Gorillaz mastermind, Damon Albarn, on George Stroumboulopoulos this Thursday.
Monday, September 22
David Letterman: TV on the Radio
Jay Leno: My Morning Jacket
Last Call: Hot Chip
Tuesday, September 23
David Letterman: Kings of Leon
Jimmy Kimmel: Atmosphere
Wednesday, September 24
Late Late Show: Jamie Lidell
Conan O'Brien: Lenka
Jimmy Kimmel: Foals
Thursday, September 25
David Letterman: Morningwood
Conan O'Brien: Jakob Dylan
George Stroumboulopoulos: Damon Albarn
Friday, September 19
Conan O'Brien: Amos Lee
Session Round-Up
Rounding out in-studio sessions this week, NY orchestral poppers Ra Ra Riot will be taking over your eyes and ears at NPR, synthpop outfit Magnetic Fields perform in the Twin Cities, and listen to some unplugged Black Kids over at...
Rounding out in-studio sessions this week, NY orchestral poppers Ra Ra Riot will be taking over your eyes and ears at NPR, synthpop outfit Magnetic Fields perform in the Twin Cities, and listen to some unplugged Black Kids over at the Daytrotter studio.
Radio On The TV
Yesterday, folk femme fatale Jenny Lewis took to the Conan stage, tomorrow Black Kids will storm through Jimmy Kimmel, and check out Rachael Yamagata's raspy chops on Leno Thursday night. Monday, October 6David Letterman: The PretendersConan O'Brien: Jenny Lewis Tuesday,...
Yesterday, folk femme fatale Jenny Lewis took to the Conan stage, tomorrow Black Kids will storm through Jimmy Kimmel, and check out Rachael Yamagata's raspy chops on Leno Thursday night.
Monday, October 6
David Letterman: The Pretenders
Conan O'Brien: Jenny Lewis
Tuesday, October 7
Conan O'Brien: Death Cab for Cutie
Jimmy Kimmel: Black Kids
Thursday, October 9
David Letterman: Beck
Jay Leno: Rachael Yamagata
Jimmy Kimmel: Foals
Last Call: Nas
Friday, October 10
David Letterman: Lou Reed
Jimmy Kimmel: Atmosphere
Radio On The TV
This week, late night TV makes way for the Cold War Kids debuting their new material on the Jimmy Kimmel set, Cat Power purrs with Carson Daly, and don't miss Rufus' dad on Conan.Monday, September 15Late Late Show: The Ting...
This week, late night TV makes way for the Cold War Kids debuting their new material on the Jimmy Kimmel set, Cat Power purrs with Carson Daly, and don't miss Rufus' dad on Conan.
Monday, September 15
Late Late Show: The Ting Tings
Tuesday, September 16
Late Late Show: Tally Hall
Last Call: Cat Power
Wednesday, September 17
Conan O'Brien: Loudon Wainwright III
Thursday, September 18
David Letterman: Fleet Foxes
Friday, September 19
David Letterman: Duffy
Jimmy Kimmel: Cold War Kids
Session Round-Up
This week's Session Round-Up is dominated by female singer-songwriters. New York songbird Jaymay visits the Daytrotter studio, the insanely talented (and young) Laura Marling brings her guitar to MPR's The Current, and watch Russian anti-folk songstress, Regina Spektor, slamming keys...
This week's Session Round-Up is dominated by female singer-songwriters. New York songbird Jaymay visits the Daytrotter studio, the insanely talented (and young) Laura Marling brings her guitar to MPR's The Current, and watch Russian anti-folk songstress, Regina Spektor, slamming keys live from Mountain Stage over at NPR.
@ WOXY
9:14 AM | |
Media alert/Photo opportunity - Zune Canada presents fan favourite - CNW Group
Live performance in downtown Toronto celebrates the Canadian launch of the Zune digital music player TORONTO, June 12 /CNW/ - On Friday, June 13, 2008, Zune digital music players will hit retail locations across Canada. To celebrate the Canadian >>> Read more President of Microsoft s Entertainment & Devices Group [...]
Live performance in downtown Toronto celebrates the Canadian launch of the Zune digital music player TORONTO, June 12 /CNW/ - On Friday, June 13, 2008, Zune digital music players will hit retail locations across Canada. To celebrate the Canadian >>> Read more
President of Microsoft s Entertainment & Devices Group Robbie Bach has called Zune a more compelling gaming proposition than Apple s iPod. Apple CEO Steve Jobs this week revealed a slate of new games for iPod and iPhone, whilst Microsoft >>> Read more
Sponsored by: how to turn your favorite photos into desktop wallpaper
Microsoft will not produce a Zune phone - PC Authority
We are not Apple copy cats, says senior Microsoft executive, putting down suggestion of an MS version of the iPhone. a href=”/Find/Microsoft.aspx”>Microsoft says it does not want to copy Apple and produce a Zune smart phone to rival the Iphone >>> Read more The question: Might iPods and [...]
We are not Apple copy cats, says senior Microsoft executive, putting down suggestion of an MS version of the iPhone. a href=”/Find/Microsoft.aspx”>Microsoft says it does not want to copy Apple and produce a Zune smart phone to rival the Iphone >>> Read more
The question: Might iPods and similar digital music players dangerously interfere with the ability of a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator to regulate the heart’s rhythm? This study involved 51 people, most in their 20s, who had a pacemaker >>> Read more
Harvard dropout and Microsoft visionary preparing to give up day-to-day involvement in company he cofounded 32 years ago to spend more time focused on his philanthropic endeavors. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation manages $33 billion, donates to causes >>> Read more
Aglare FLV to MP4 WMV iPod 3GP AVI Zune Converter is powerful software that can help you convert FLV files to popular video formats including AVI, MP4, WMV, MPEG, 3GP, iPod, iPhone, Zune, MOV. It also provides the function of downloading videos from >>> Read more
Sponsored by: confessions and tips from a top web hosting salesman
Microsoft to make Zune touchscreen player - MacNN
Microsoft ultimately expects its Zune media player line to receive a touchscreen, the company’s Entertainment and Devices chief Robbie Bach says . Without committing to a specific product, the executive describes the addition as near-certain and >>> Read more The question: Might iPods and similar digital music players [...]
Microsoft ultimately expects its Zune media player line to receive a touchscreen, the company’s Entertainment and Devices chief Robbie Bach says . Without committing to a specific product, the executive describes the addition as near-certain and >>> Read more
The question: Might iPods and similar digital music players dangerously interfere with the ability of a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator to regulate the heart’s rhythm? This study involved 51 people, most in their 20s, who had a pacemaker >>> Read more
Sponsored by: internet tutorials are the teachers of the future
Interview with Microsoft s Robbie Bach, part 1, on Zune - Industry Standard
Robbie Bach is the president of the multibillion-dollar Entertainment & Devices Group at Microsoft. The group is closing in on a big fiscal year end on June 30. The company has projected that the group will be profitable this year for the first time >>> Read more The Los Angeles Times reports [...]
Robbie Bach is the president of the multibillion-dollar Entertainment & Devices Group at Microsoft. The group is closing in on a big fiscal year end on June 30. The company has projected that the group will be profitable this year for the first time >>> Read more
The Los Angeles Times reports that Microsoft has signed a three-year lease for a former photographer’s studio near Beverly Hills, and has opened a Zune-themed space there. It sounds like it’s more of a gathering place for corporate events than a >>> Read more
Live performance in downtown Toronto celebrates the Canadian launch of the Zune digital music player TORONTO, June 12 /CNW/ - On Friday, June 13, 2008, Zune digital music players will hit retail locations across Canada. To celebrate the Canadian >>> Read more
XBLA’s Review-Based Delisting? The Developer Perspective [06.13.08] Following Microsoft’s announcement that it would delist some Xbox Live Arcade games with a MetaCritic score lower than 65%, Gamasutra sister site Gamerbytes asked XBLA developers >>> Read more
We are not Apple copy cats, says senior Microsoft executive, putting down suggestion of an MS version of the iPhone. a href=”/Find/Microsoft.aspx”>Microsoft says it does not want to copy Apple and produce a Zune smart phone to rival the Iphone >>> Read more
Sponsored by: free up memory ram in windows
8:01 AM | |
cat quotation
Here is one of my favorite cat quotations: "You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very longcat. You pull his tail in New York and his head ismeowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radiooperates...
Here is one of my favorite cat quotations:
"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long
cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is
meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio
operates exactly the same way: you send signals here,
they receive them there. The only difference is that
there is no cat."
-- Albert Einstein, when asked to describe radio
Lauren Merryfield
http://www.catliness.com
Cat Laws
All black cats wear bells on Friday the 13th in French Lick Springs, Indiana. Cats can only be taken on to the street on leads in Lorinc, Hungary.ÊOfficials say the measure will protect the public from the "dangerous menace of...
| All black cats wear bells on Friday the 13th in French Lick Springs, Indiana. |
 Cats can only be taken on to the street on leads in Lorinc, Hungary.ÊOfficials say the measure will protect the public from the "dangerous menace of free range cats." |
| Joint custody of a family pet, including cats, is not allowed when a couple divorces in Madison Wisconsin. The feline is legally awarded to whoever happens to have possession of it at the time of the initial separation. |
| Cats in International Falls, Minnesota are not allowed to chase dogs up telephone poles. |
| Fights between cats and dogs are prohibited by statute in Barber, North Carolina. |
| Pet cats to run loose without a taillight in Sterling, Colorado. |
| Ventura County, California, cats are not allowed to have sex without a permit. |
| Cats living in Cresskill, New Jersey must wear three bells to warn birds of their whereabouts. |
| Duluth, Minnesota felines may not sleep in a bakery. |
| California bans cats from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship. |
| In Zion, Illinois, it is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to cats. |
| Cats may not yowl after 9 pm in Columbus, Georgia. |
| In Topeka, Kansas, you may not own more than five cats at a time. In Shorewood, Wisconsin, however, no more than two cats can be owned by the same family. |
| You may not keep a pet cat and a pet bird on the same premises in Reed City, Michigan. |
| Dogcatchers in Virginia are prohibited from bothering cats while he or she is looking for dogs. |
| |
cat humor
How did the cat feel after the dog chased it through a screen door? ^,,^ Strained. Lauren Merryfield, Editor/Publisher, CATLINES http://www.catliness.com How did the cat feel after the dog chased it through a screen door? ^,,^ Strained. Lauren Merryfield, Editor/Publisher, CATLINES http://www.catliness.com
6:56 AM | |
The State of Affairs in Music
The value of music is a complicated issue. Different music has a different personal value to people, and even then, different values at different points in a persons life. The personal value of a song varies. To a songwriter, a song’s value is not exclusively a paycheck. To perform in front of an audience, to have your song felt and understood, is often something less tangible than money.
There is a lot of talk these days about how the record industry is losing money because of pirating and illegal file sharing. I am a songwriter who has spent thousands of dollars of my own money, to recoup very little, and I have downloaded plenty of music illegally. I don’t think it is hurting the artists; it is hurting the labels. That is from the industries inability to adapt.
The value of music is a complicated issue. Different music has a different personal value to people, and even then, different values at different points in a persons life. The personal value of a song varies. To a songwriter, a song’s value is not exclusively a paycheck. To perform in front of an audience, to have your song felt and understood, is often something less tangible than money. Yet there are those who say that dropping the price of music, or moving away from the fixed price model, is going to devalue music. The truth is that music has been undergoing a devaluing by major record labels for many years.
The monetary value of a song should be derived from its personal value.
Ultimately, there has got to be a standardized price for music. I don’t feel the tip jar mentality is entirely practical. The drawback to fixed pricing is that it creates the concept of average personal value. For years, the labels have been diminishing the average personal value by releasing disposable songs, formulaic music, and laughable attempts at songwriting. The labels have convinced themselves that the monetary value of music is static and have neglected the personal value from which the monetary value is derived.
Not only has the value of music dropped, but so has the value of recordings.
The first reason has to do with manufacturing, distribution, and product quality. Anyone with a little knowledge of the record industry knows that the record labels have made music worse with their endless quest to reach the lowest common denominator. The idea that labels are pocketing the money they don’t have to spend on manufacturing and distribution is generally considered to be detestable. The new method of distribution represents a significant step backwards in terms of the quality and flexibility of the product. Are we supposed to pay just as much for music that you don’t have to manufacture or distribute, that is significantly lower quality, and is crippled in terms of usability? I can only hypothesize that songs are being sold in such unnecessarily low quality so that the labels can upgrade later and charge us for the music all over again in the form of collectible box sets, or enhanced mixes.
Secondly, another reason the value of recordings has dropped is storage space has transformed the way we access music.
To own a recording no longer necessarily involves listening to the song regularly but to have it available.
iPods and MP3 players have created a world of 24/7 music. People listen to different music more often. Pirating is rampant, because the price of the song is too high. Mp3 players have expanded the market tremendously but the industry won’t take advantage of that because they’re still overvaluing music.
The dropping of the value of music and the value of recordings are closely related.
When music has little or no personal value it takes more to find satisfaction. But as stated, because of easier accessibilty and storage, people will strive to have the largest collection possible. It is different from the days of vinyl, tapes and compact discs.
This is why people illegally download music. It’s not worth 1 dollar per song.
The labels think that the alternative to illegal downloading is purchasing it for $1 per song.
The alternative to illegally downloading music is to ignore music all together.
Until the price reflects the new value of the music, the music will continue to be stolen illegally online. Lawsuits are not going to change this. The labels are simply spending money that they’re never going to make back. The only way to change the current state is to match the price to the correct value; whether it’s 50 cents a song, a quarter a song, or a nickel a song. We will never know until the price starts dropping.
The bottom line is that the price of music is contingent upon personal value, NOT the other way around. A drop in price does not make music less valuable just as a price spike would not make it any more valuable. However, when the value of music drops, the price has to drop. The saddest part is that the labels have missed out on the biggest opportunity in the history of music. Had they been early adapters, they could have made a a fortune filling up these mp3 players for even a nickel per song and illegal file sharing would not even be a problem.
Social Media in Blogging
At Problogger, Darren posted a pretty good article relating to how he uses social media sites to help build his business. [ read post ]. Without getting too heavy in to the article, it basically describes how he uses social media to drive traffic back towards his blog, and a beneficial byproduct of this have [...]
At Problogger, Darren posted a pretty good article relating to how he uses social media sites to help build his business. [ read post ]. Without getting too heavy in to the article, it basically describes how he uses social media to drive traffic back towards his blog, and a beneficial byproduct of this have been mini communities starting up within these social media outlets.
It got me thinking about the last 5 years of social media networking and how I have applied them towards building my music career, and more recently, my web businesses. Social media is a confusing and ever-changing monster. The first time I saw the benefit from social media was when my band was playing Iowa City in 2003. We needed a way to reach out to people in that area. The website HotOrNot.com had a huge buzz, so we created some profiles and started sending messages to college age people in Iowa City.
We were shocked to see that several of the people we messaged showed up at the venue.
This was 2003 and before MySpace changed the game. But the principals worked then and they work now. If you have something to offer that is of quality, taking time to promote and reach out will do nothing but benefit and grow your business. In the online world, that involves building quality social media profiles. Many people neglect this part of the process. They never participate in communities, and never follow through with the people they have met through social media. Quickly, the people who took interest in you will disappear and you will be left with a nearly dormant blog and dormant social media profiles.
If you take the time to update your profile and nurture your mini communities, you will see the traffic continue to build to your website as those people spread your profiles and links around the web.
6:56 AM | |
Benefits of Affiliate Programs
Author: Scott Fugate Benefits of Affiliate Programs Looking for a great way to work at home and make money? Well, it is actually quite simple. Get involved in affiliate marketing! Affiliate marketing is simply just selling other internet site’s and company’s goods. You get a profit of every product you share, every sign up they get through you, [...]
Author: Scott Fugate
Benefits of Affiliate Programs
Looking for a great way to work at home and make money? Well, it is actually quite simple. Get involved in affiliate marketing!
Affiliate marketing is simply just selling other internet site’s and company’s goods. You get a profit of every product you share, every sign up they get through you, or every click they receive off of your website. Affiliate programs are one of the booming online business opportunities.
Affiliate programs are great because it is a winning situation for you and the producer of the product. They need more sales, and you need some cash. They only want to pay for results and you want to sell something that you do not have to produce yourself. See, the perfect work at home relationship. Therefore you do not have to produce anything but can still make a lot of profit. The producer does not have to pay for your work until it actually leads to a sale. Everyone is working hard and getting the money they want.
So how exactly do you sell other people’s products if you work at home, you may want to know. It is simple. The best way to succeed in this one of a kind home based opportunity is to get the word out and about. Start a website or a blog. Write articles and post them to websites. Grow a readership and tell them all about the products in your affiliate marketing. You can also write reviews of your products and post them on other sites and message boards. Do not forget to tell your family and friends about these products too. The options are endless.
Scott Fugate is a work from home author who writes articles about subjects of personal interest and things that can help other people earn money online. If you are interested in online businesses that don’t require high set up fees, he suggests you visit www.castyourdreams.com.
5:51 AM | |
Advices to a friend ragrading job search
Hey XXX, Here are my tips regarding your job search saga. What I am writing here consists of my own personal experiences and what others with greater experience have told me. First of all landing your dream job is always...
GMAT cheaters.. a step to far?
Zanat0s strikes again. This is a quite relevant topic for MBA applicants! The GMAT is a very difficult test that gets more and more competitive every year due to competition. Personally I only know a 800 GMAT holder. The GMAT...
How consumers think...
How Customer Think a book by Gerald Zaltman. I guess everybody would like ot now how customers think. Wouldn???t it be a great if one could know how his/her opponent/date/counterpart/teammate/friend thinks? It will give an unfair advantage to the overseer....
5:51 AM | |
USA TODAY’s Backing of Bloggers & Podcasters
The USA TODAY is one mainstream media company that “gets it.” Here’s an example of why: Back in December Blogger & Podcaster Magazine teamed up with USA TODAY to launch The Blogger & Podcaster Guide (think TV Guide for blogs/podcasts to a mainstream audience). The motivation was for us both to make some money ($49.95 per [...]
The USA TODAY is one mainstream media company that “gets it.” Here’s an example of why:
Back in December Blogger & Podcaster Magazine teamed up with USA TODAY to launch The Blogger & Podcaster Guide (think TV Guide for blogs/podcasts to a mainstream audience). The motivation was for us both to make some money ($49.95 per month) while helping bloggers/podcasters to build their audiences by tapping into the 10,000,000+ mainstream consumer readers of USA TODAY.
After 2 months it became clear that while we had hundreds of paying customers, our $49.95 price point (a bargain by traditional USA TODAY standards) was too high for most of our industry to be able to participate.
What happened next has truly amazed me.
USA TODAY has figuratively “torn up” our original agreement and has voluntarily agreed to do the following for us:
1) Given us permission to reduce the price of from $49.95 per month to just $5 per month. They told me that they hope that this new price point will make The Blogger & Podcaster Guide accessible for everyone, no matter how niche or new to the industry. (If you’re already a customer of the guide no worries, the new pricing will happen automatically at your next billing cycle. You don’t need to do anything.)
2) Their going to help drive even more traffic into the Blogger & Podcaster Guide (beyond the franchise spot on the home page of USA TODAY.com they’ve already given us) by giving us 2,000,000 premium placed advertisements (leader boards, skyscrapers etc.) each month. That equates to just shy of 67,000 ads per day. We’re going to be all over USATODAY.com.
3) Perhaps most significantly and selfless of all, USA TODAY has given us permission to work with other media partners beyond themselves. Our agreement was originally an exclusive arrangement for them. This generous act has allowed me to already work out partnerships with 15 additional magazines/publishers with a combined audience of many more millions of pageviews per month. So now if you get a listing in the Blogger & Podcaster Guide you get The USA TODAY and ALL of the new publications for that same $5 per month rate.
I’m having conversations many other publishers and expect to add new ones to our network every month. You’ll be able to keep tabs on the complete list to date at www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/register.
When the mainstream media does something right, I think it’s important to acknowledge. Thank you USA TODAY, you’re helping the little guys, and we appreciate it.
- Larry
Publisher
Blogger & Podcaster
TechCrunch Reports Launch of Blogger & Podcaster Network
This morning TechCrunch reported our plans for the creation of The Blogger & Podcaster Media Network (BPN). I’ve been getting a bunch of questions, so let me share some of the specifics: 1) USA Today- Blogger & Podcaster Guide. There’s been a big development with USA Today. Thanks to their support of our industry we can [...]
This morning TechCrunch reported our plans for the creation of The Blogger & Podcaster Media Network (BPN). I’ve been getting a bunch of questions, so let me share some of the specifics:
1) USA Today- Blogger & Podcaster Guide. There’s been a big development with USA Today. Thanks to their support of our industry we can now offer inclusion in the USA Today Blogger & Podcaster Guide (think TV Guide for blogs and podcasts to a mainstream audience) for just $5 per month…it was $49.95 monthly. In addition, beyond the position on the homepage of usatoday.com they have also committed to 2,000,000 premium placed ads each month, driving even more traffic to the guide. Perhaps most importantly, they’ve given us their permission to include other media partners in the Blogger & Podcaster Guide. Later today we’ll be announcing 15 new media partners beyond USA Today, making the $5 per month value proposition even stronger. Based on initial interest I anticipate having deals with over 100 media partners within the next few months. This will, for the first time, allow bloggers and podcasters to promote their content to a significant mainstream audience cost effectively. All current members will automatically be switched to the new pricing, you don’t need to do anything. If you are intersted in being included you can register at www.bloggerandpodcater.com/register (the page may not be live until later today, so check back if it’s not up when you go there.)
2) Eligibility. All bloggers and podcasters are eligible to join The Blogger & Podcaster Network. We make no requirements as to subscriber count, unique visitors or any other such restrictions. And, we don’t require exclusivity. You can be part of The Blogger & Podcaster Network at the same time you’re a member of another network, if that’s what makes sense for your business.
3) Healthcare. We are working hard on a group healthcare plan. We know healthcare (especially in the US) is a big issue for those looking to leave their “day jobs” and blog/podcast full time, so we are actively working on a group plan solution that will eliminate this obstacle. As you might imagine, this is a complicated endeavor, however I’m confident that we’re going to be able to work this out.
4) Earning You Money. This summer we will be rolling out the advertising portion of our program. We’ll provide members with the option of including useful content widgets (that can be simply installed on your web page) such as: polls of the day, video players (on topics of interest to your audience), news feeds, etc. The content widgets will have advertising embedded in them and we will share revenues from these ads with you. We prefer this approach, in contrast to a program like Google AdSense, where you schlock up your site by having ads stacked on each on top of each other. When all is said and done between this advertising and our affiliate program bloggers & podcasters will be able to earn a living from being a full-time blogger/podcaster.
There’s even more exciting news still to come, but I’m going to try and keep those details under wraps for now. Hopefully Scoble, Jason Kottke, Michael Arrington or some other intrepid journalist won’t scoop us when the time comes.
- Larry
Publisher
Blogger & Podcaster
Coming to Macworld Expo? Join us at the MacMingle
Blogger & Podcaster is a sponsor of the second annual Mac Mingle, a party open to all Macworld Expo badge holders. You’ll meet famous Mac podcasters, and a whole lot of other very cool people, and enjoy snacks and a cash bar. Save Thursday, January 17, 8 PM for us on your calendar. Right before the [...]
Blogger & Podcaster is a sponsor of the second annual Mac Mingle, a party open to all Macworld Expo badge holders. You’ll meet famous Mac podcasters, and a whole lot of other very cool people, and enjoy snacks and a cash bar. Save Thursday, January 17, 8 PM for us on your calendar.
Right before the mingle, at 6 PM, Adam Christianson of The Maccast will host a Mac podcaster meetup, featuring some leading Mac talkers. Both events happen at Jillian’s Restaurant, just across from the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. If you can make it the the Mac Mingle and Mac Podcaster Meetup, please say hello. ‘ll be the one in the stylin’ Blogger & Podcaster shirt.
Podcasters Wanted: Will Work for Show Promotion?
Are you a podcaster looking to promote your show? If so, we’ve got an interesting opportunity for you. This month we thought it would be a fun experiment (and would save a few dollars) to give our readers the chance to help create the podcast edition of Blogger & Podcaster Magazine (each story is turned [...]
Are you a podcaster looking to promote your show? If so, we’ve got an interesting opportunity for you. This month we thought it would be a fun experiment (and would save a few dollars) to give our readers the chance to help create the podcast edition of Blogger & Podcaster Magazine (each story is turned into an audio podcast, so it can be listened to instead of read.) Here’s the deal:
* You agree to record your reading of one story from the magazine and send us the mp3 file;
* You can jazz it up any way you’d like;
* We’ll allow you to plug your own podcast or service;
* If selected you’ll also get 1/4 page ad in Blogger & Podcaster to be used as you see fit.
If you’re interested in recording an article for us please send me an email (lgenkin [at] larstan dot net) with no more than 1 paragraph as to why you should be selected and how quickly you can turn around the recording. We’ll let you know if you made it and then give you the details, including which story to produce.
~ Larry Genkin
Publisher
lgenkin [at] larstan dot net
Blogger & Podcaster Magazine
www.bloggerandpodcaster.com
Billions and Billions
Well OK, it’s just one billion actually. Just one billion? Wizzard Media announced today that the company’s podcast hosting units had delivered 1 billion downloads in 2007. That’s a whole lot of episodes, but what does it mean for the future of podcasters and podcast networks, and who gets the credit for moving all those bits? Wizzard’s [...]
Well OK, it’s just one billion actually.
Just one billion?
Wizzard Media announced today that the company’s podcast hosting units had delivered 1 billion downloads in 2007. That’s a whole lot of episodes, but what does it mean for the future of podcasters and podcast networks, and who gets the credit for moving all those bits?
Wizzard’s Libsyn and Switchpod subsidiaries are podcast hosting companies. They began by selling hosting services to podcasters, and that is still a large part of their business/. Libsyn, in particular, provides an inexpensive, easy-to-use service that’s almost always recommended to podcast newbies, and those faced with sudden spikes in subscribership. That’s because Libsyn charges based on how much storage you use, not for bandwidth. Wizard/Libsyn hosts some of the most popular shows around, but for $5 a month, it can host your grandmother’s podcast, too.
In 2007, the company began inking deals with ad brokers and content providers in a very public way: it had launched a business-focused podcasting service in 2006. suddenly, their press releases started to resemble those of companies who marketed themselves primarily as podcast aggregators or networks.
I think it’s fair to say that credit for the sheer number of podcast downloads delivered by Wizzard companies in 2007 (I personally accounted for several thousand of them) goes to their hosting customers. The Libsyn service, which has been plagued by intermittent service outages and other growing pains, has been a boon to anyone wanting to publish a podcast without worrying about how a popularity spike would affect their personal bandwidth costs. And the company’s participation in the podcasting community, and its DIY spirit, have kept many users loyal, even in the face of hiccups.
It’s also an encouraging sign for podcasting that Wizzard’s announcement was picked up by ReadWriteWeb, then by TechMeme. Podcasting companies and happenings don’t tend to get the attention of the big tech blogs. The 1 billion number may be more of a mile marker than a real turning point in the industry, but so what?
Tell Us About Your 2008 Blogging and Podcasting Events
As you probably know, we run a calendar of events in each issue of B&P. In addition, I want to do a news story for the next issue that will round up important conferences, trade shows, gatherings, meet-ups and other events that bloggers and podcasters should know about. The idea is to help readers [...]
As you probably know, we run a calendar of events in each issue of B&P. In addition, I want to do a news story for the next issue that will round up important conferences, trade shows, gatherings, meet-ups and other events that bloggers and podcasters should know about. The idea is to help readers plan their travel schedules for the year, and pick the best opportunities for learning, networking and general pod/blogging goodness.
If you know of an important blogger and podcasting event that will occur in calendar year 2008, please let us know. You can add your event to the comments for this post, or drop us an email at feedback at bloggerandpodcaster dott comm.
Guest Blogger Lorelle VanFossen: The Scoop on Woopra
We are very pleased to have an on-the-scene report about the announcement of Woopra, from last weekend’s WordCamp Dallas. Frequent B&P contributor, and WordCamp Dallas speaker Lorelle VanFossen gives us the details. The hottest topic, other than the release of WordPress 2.5, coming out of WordCamp Dallas this past weekend was Woopra. Woopra developer John Pozadzides [...]
We are very pleased to have an on-the-scene report about the announcement of Woopra, from last weekend’s WordCamp Dallas. Frequent B&P contributor, and WordCamp Dallas speaker Lorelle VanFossen gives us the details.
The hottest topic, other than the release of WordPress 2.5, coming out of WordCamp Dallas this past weekend was Woopra.
Woopra developer John Pozadzides of One Man’s Blog, originally intended only to offer a demo and give away a few invitations to this real-time Web analytic program. Attendees knew within a few minutes that this was a program that would literally change the face, content, and interaction of their blogs.
Currently in beta testing, Woopra offers real-time statistics on your blog’s traffic and activity. It tells you what is happening on your blog right now, this very second. John asked those in the audience with laptops or iPhones to go to his blog. Displayed live on the two large screens before us, we watched the numbers in Woopra jump from 48 down to 36, and then soar up to 68 then into the 90s as participants brought up his blog.
Woopra is not a Web application, though it does monitor Web site traffic and activity. It installs directly on your computer and then accesses the blog through a Javascript within the blog code. There is a Woopra plugin for WordPress users that helps with the Javascript insertion, and the program features an extensive API for building future apps.
As visitors arrive on a blog, Woopra displays basic information within its stats panels on the visitor such as their geographic location, computer type, browser type, and basic statistics. If a visitor has commented or is registered on the blog, the anonymous name is replaced with the name they provided, as long as the user hasn’t cleared his or her cookies.
A powerful feature of the program is a map displaying radiating radar points of where the visitor lives geographically. Hover over a blinking dot and a balloon tip pops up with the place name. The radiating dots grew dramatically over Dallas as more and more participants landed on his blog. It looked like an animation of a nuclear strike over the heart of Texas.
As I logged into his blog, John explained about the most exciting feature of Woopra, interaction with visitors. On the overhead displays, the audience saw me “arrive”, with my name on the screen, showing that I was in Dallas. Then he initiated a conversation with me through the interface, which I accepted from my computer. We “chatted” live via Woopra’s built-in chat feature. I did not have Woopra installed on my machine. Woopra chat does not require that both parties have the software installed, breaking a barrier that prevents many online communications tools from working.
The WordCamp participants went nuts. This breaks all the standards of blog participation. Imagine watching someone dig around your blog looking for specific information, tracking the keywords that brought them to the site and the pages they are viewing in real time. Bloggers can create a filter trigger that will pop up an announcement on their computer screen if someone visits the page that matches that filter’s keywords and criteria. For example, you could choose to get a notice announcing visitors from a specific country, using a certain language, or hunting for a specific subject. Why not offer to help them directly live by initiating a chat window and asking, “May I help you?” Think of what this will mean for businesses to help them directly serve their customers. The potential is endless.
Cali and Neal of GeekBrief.TV videoed Woopra in action, then blogged about it with glee featuring an in-depth interview with John. TechCrunch jumped on this new blog stats toy immediately, as did Mashable, bringing a storm of sign ups and demands for access. Woopra developers are working overtime to try to meet the demand the best they can, but this is still in the testing stages.
Here are some more exciting features of Woopra, with more coming as it continues to grow and develop:
- Graphics: Woopra offers clear, easy-to-read, and colorful animated graphics for viewing the various data sets such as maps, charts, graphs, and more.
- Data Explored Thoroughly: The analytic package in Woopra offers a wide variety of ways to view your blog’s various data sets, from the broadest details to the finite, with charts and graphics, by the numbers and popularity. With the dynamic API, there are myriad ways the data could be manipulated for sorting and reporting for various needs.
- Ability to Export Data: Your blog’s data isn’t locked within Woopra. There is an export feature to CVS, so you can move your data into a spreadsheet or database for more concentrated analysis and reporting.
- Logs Historical and Current Data: When you install Woopra on your computer and connect it with your blog, it picks up historical data from the server files as well as current, so your statistics aren’t limited to when you start using Woopra. It looks back into the past to help you understand how your blog traffic and visitors work, and what isn’t working.
- Visitor Tagging: The ability to “tag” your visitors through filters and tags improves tracking and identification of your regular readers, turning the numbers into people.
- Instant Messaging: The chat feature is a great way to connect directly with readers. The recipient can deny the request, but it’s a great way to give personal support and communicate directly with your readers, breaking the comment box barriers.
- Information Now - Real Time: Some statistics and analytics programs update hourly or once a day. Woopra gives you real-time information on what is happening on your blog right now, allowing you to respond to the statistics and events on your blog in the moment, not later after the numbers come in.
- Notifications: The notification area is an “on-demand” component that provides popup announcements of events, actions, and matches visitor criteria, which improves visitor tracking, but also helps make the data actionable, helping you respond to the needs when they happen.
- Developer Tools: Woopra offers a full featured API and plugin hook system for plugins and add-ons to encourage further data analysis and features.
This program could revolutionize the way we gather information about our visitors and interact with them. Imagine being able to communicate with your visitors without any extra software or hardware. Imagine getting information you need in a way you can really use it to focus your blog’s content to better server your readership. The possibilities are endless.
It works on Windows, Linux, and Mac. Once you site up with a Woopra account, the admin panels allow you to add your sites and download an optional WordPress plugin to make the process of adding the Javascript to your blog easier from the Administration panels. If you cannot add a plugin to your blog, or want to add the Javascript manually in a text widget or in some other fashion, you can choose the manual installation method.
Woopra is in beta testing, restricted to invites only and first come first serve registration. To get an invitation to try Woopra, sign up and register your blog, even if you are on WordPress.com. They will send you an invitation when they can. They are working with Layered Technologies and 3Tera, which has graciously offered 100 servers to accommodate this unexpected interest and enthusiasm.
Matt Mullenweg and his Automattic team of WordPress developers were seriously impressed by Woopra, and there is some discussion going on about including it within the WordPress Community. There is a post on the WordPress.com Forum requesting access to Woopra for WordPress.com bloggers.
A Facebook “Cause” That Rings Hollow
Another year, another reason to talk about Facebook. And about Robert Scoble. Sigh. Seems that Mr. Scoble, blogger and serial friend-collector, is on the wrong side of Facebook and has gotten his account suspended. His crime? He used a script to extract his Facebook contacts list from the service. That is a violation of the [...]
Another year, another reason to talk about Facebook. And about Robert Scoble. Sigh.
Seems that Mr. Scoble, blogger and serial friend-collector, is on the wrong side of Facebook and has gotten his account suspended. His crime? He used a script to extract his Facebook contacts list from the service. That is a violation of the social network’s terms of service, according to an email Scoble reprinted.
Those in the blogosphere who have engaged in the ensuing debate are arguing over whether Scoble has the right to control his data: his social graph, versus Facebook’s right to prevent automated scripts from scraping its property.
But are Scoble’s contacts (he famously accepts every one of the thousands of friend requests he receives) really his to do with as he pleases? Or is the information, voluntarily shared with him by his friends, but understood to be within the structure of Facebook, actually the property of those who gave it to Scoble? The way I see it, the question is not whether Scoble or Facebook has the right to control friend data, but whether the people whose information actually forms the social graph should have a say.
Facebook members agree to (whether they read them or not) terms of service under which the information they provide can be used or disseminated. But if you friend Robert Scoble, he doesn’t offer you a TOS. You know that your information is indirectly available through his public friends list–again, within the confines of Facebook–but you haven’t authorized him to repurpose, blog with, sell, or generate social graphs with your data, now have you?
Leaving aside whether you specifically trust Robert Scoble or not, data scraping, which allows him to use or deliver that data in ways decided by him, potentially compromises the privacy of his friends without giving them options. His most recent post describes how he intended to use the data: to compare his Facebook database with that of Plaxo, whose tool he was alpha testing.
If Scoble succeeds in mining his Facebook profile, we’ll need to add one more to the long list of warnings to Internet users: if you value your privacy, and don’t wish to be socially graphed, much less sold to, or munched into a company’s database of potential customers, don’t friend people who know how to scrape data from social networks.
Help Us Interview Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
I’m very excited to announce that Blogger & Podcaster will be interviewing basketball legend, and now blogger, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the March issue of the magazine. And I want you to help me choose the questions. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is, as you sports fans know, the all-time leading NBA scorer, and the creator of the skyhook. His [...]
I’m very excited to announce that Blogger & Podcaster will be interviewing basketball legend, and now blogger, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the March issue of the magazine. And I want you to help me choose the questions.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is, as you sports fans know, the all-time leading NBA scorer, and the creator of the skyhook. His pro career spanned 20 years and two teams, the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He now writes a daily blog for the Los Angeles Times.
If you’re not a sports fan, resist the temptation to skip Kareem’s blog. This is not simply a jock’s recollections of past glory, or his thoughts on the sport he loves. At the Kareem blog, you’ll find stories about the b-ball legend’s interactions with famous friends like Grammy winner Herbie Hancock, his role in the recent “Yes I Can!” music video produced by will.i.am for Barrack Obama’s presidential campaign, and profiles of unsung African-Americans, just in time for Black History Month. Oh, and you can learn how to shoot a skyhook after age 50.
My interview with Kareem will focus on his decision to begin blogging, how he approaches his new blog, and his interest in new media in general. If you have questions for Kareem, please post them in the comments to this entry, and I’ll choose several of the best ones. You’ve got until 9 AM PT/noon ET tomorrow to add your suggestions.
Look for excerpts of the interview in text and podcast form very soon, and the full version in our next issue.
5:45 AM | |
sparkle someone else's eyes
Who needs fireworks or a Stewart-preempting (grrrr) Lil' Bush marathon to remind me of the land of the free, when I can come home to this: Now everyone I pass in the foyer, I think "Was is you?" I try...
Who needs fireworks or a Stewart-preempting (grrrr) Lil' Bush marathon to remind me of the land of the free, when I can come home to this:
Now everyone I pass in the foyer, I think "Was is you?" I try not to speak too loud, lest my telltale accent be overheard.
I don't blame people for hating America, but yeah -- the personalized racism gets a bit hard to take some days. Especially considering my own political leanings.
So -- homesick yet? I'm not sure. But it will be strange to be back in Boston in 7 weeks time. (All things considered, I think I'm glad it's just for a visit.)
5:45 AM | |
S is for Swap
So I joined my first swap... I've watched you all doing it but wasn't sure how to get involved. Eventually I chose the 'Back To School Swap' hosted by Friday Prize, mainly because dometicali said it was a good idea!...
So I joined my first swap... I've watched you all doing it but wasn't sure how to get involved. Eventually I chose the 'Back To School Swap' hosted by Friday Prize, mainly because dometicali said it was a good idea! The plan was to make a tote bag and fill with a sketch book and any other inspirational crafty bits or projects in preparation for the new school year.
My partner listed Lily Pullitzer prints among her inspirations, (which I'd never heard of before), so I had a look at the website which was in pink and green and features some really funky, bold retro style prints. 
Amy Butler's Lotus fabric immediately came to mind as I'd lusted after a bolt at the Festival of Quilts and here was the perfect excuse to buy some! And I noticed from her blog that Emily likes knitting so I had to send these perfectly co-ordinating candy twist needles.
Being a newcomer to swaps I'm not entirely familiar with swap etiquette. Am I allowed to post photos before my partner's received her package? (I did warn her not to look!) Should I even post photos at all or is that just horribly egotistical in a 'look at what I made' kind of way? It's a nerve wracking affair, like a vast minefield of pitfalls, the biggest of which being: I like what I sent.. but will she?!
PS My next post will be my 100th, so in good old blogging tradition there will be a give-away!
Moving
I've moved- you can find me over at the pesky bombolino now. Be a sweetpea and update your bloglines/links xxx.
I've moved- you can find me over at the pesky bombolino now. Be a sweetpea and update your bloglines/links xxx.
4:43 AM | |
About
Northwest Territorial Mint is a full service mint, a precious metals dealer, and a minted products retailer: one company with three hats. We have the physical facility, all necessary equipment, and the human resources and expertise to undertake your project and produce the highest quality minted product for you. The Northwest Territorial Mint is situated [...]
Northwest Territorial Mint is a full service mint, a precious metals dealer, and a minted products retailer: one company with three hats. We have the physical facility, all necessary equipment, and the human resources and expertise to undertake your project and produce the highest quality minted product for you. The Northwest Territorial Mint is situated in Auburn and is the official mint for the Northwest. It is licensed to produce all kinds of precious metals items as well as being a dealer for Canadian Maple Leaf and American Gold Eagle coins. In addition, it is a gold and silver bullion dealer
Northwest Territorial Mint
Contact Us By Phone: 800-344-6468
By Fax: 253-735-2210
By E-mail: customerservice@nwtmint.com
About Oscar Lama
Hello I’m Oscar Lama Seliman and this is my personal blog. I mostly blogs about my interests a long with guest posts from my brother Carlos Lama. I’m a man of principals and my belief about life is that Ethics cannot be based upon our obligations toward people, but they are complete and natural only [...]
Hello I’m Oscar Lama Seliman and this is my personal blog. I mostly blogs about my interests a long with guest posts from my brother Carlos Lama.
I’m a man of principals and my belief about life is that Ethics cannot be based upon our obligations toward people, but they are complete and natural only when we feel this Reverence for Life and the desire to have compassion for and to help all creatures insofar as it is in our power. I think that this ethic will become more and more recognized because of its great naturalness and because it is the foundation of a true humanism toward which we must strive if our culture is to become truly ethical.
Hope you enjoy reading my blog.
About
This is an example of a WordPress page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many pages like this one or sub-pages as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress.
This is an example of a WordPress page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many pages like this one or sub-pages as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress.
4:43 AM | |
DirecTV Streams DVR Content To PC (LAN)
DirecTV subscribers will soon be able to stream recorded shows to PCs within the home. While the DirecTV2PC documentation is light and the beta download is broken, it’s probably safe to assume this requires a HR20, HR21 or HR22 DVR receiver and applies to Windows only… As DirecTV2PC is powered by PC video company Cyberlink. [...]
DirecTV subscribers will soon be able to stream recorded shows to PCs within the home. While the DirecTV2PC documentation is light and the beta download is broken, it’s probably safe to assume this requires a HR20, HR21 or HR22 DVR receiver and applies to Windows only… As DirecTV2PC is powered by PC video company Cyberlink. And this isn’t their first foray into placeshifting - they’ve offered Cyberlink Live, an Orb-esque service, for some time now. This solution’s obviously not nearly as powerful as the upcoming DirecTV Vista Media Center integration (whenever it finally arrives…), but it’s a nice perk if DirecTV keeps the “free” beta pricing in effect once DirecTV2PC officially launches. Interestingly, since about April, I’ve been hearing whispers that DISH Network would provide something like this - so either folks got their wires crossed, or both satellite television providers have embraced the PC as a TV. (via GizmoLovers)
Marketing with Respect
I just returned from Las Vegas and the Affiliate Summit West (which was phenomenal again - thanks to the founders Shawn and Missy and all of their staff!) - and actually was able to take a couple days vacation directly following in order to wind down and reflect on all the business that occurred during the week...
One of my first priorities was to listen to the keynote speech, as it had generated so much publicity and feedback - and I wanted to hear the complete speech for myself. Even though I am familiar with some speeches that Jason Calacanis had made in the past, I thought it important to listen before making any judgements.
So .... here are some thoughts:
1. Before you judge the speech by the snippets - listen to the whole thing. A lot of quotes have been re-distributed out of context, and posted as standalone lines with new meaning... So I encourage you to listen to the whole presentation before forming an opinion. It is worth the time - go here to listen:
http://blog.affiliatetip.com/archives/jason-calacanis-keynote-at-affiliate-summit/
2. I'd like to add my opinion on what affiliate marketing is into the ring as I don't believe he addressed all facets of this industry - and I believe that most of the negative comments made during the speech aren't applicable to the people with whom I work everyday.
The points he made are definitely spot-on regarding spam, thin sites, etc.... The reality is that we all already knew that. He referred to everyone as "you people", "affiliate people", "thin affiliate site people", etc... but I don't know too many people who were in attendance that fit into his grouping and labels.
As I said - his points regarding those sites are accurate. As Scott Jangro pointed out at http://www.jangro.com/a/2008/02/26/thank-you-jason-calacanis/ - it is certainly true that there are many internet marketers who are out there polluting the web, and making our jobs all much harder.
However, the people that I know who were at Affiliate Summit are building quality sites and communities and hate spam sites just as much as Jason does. He did mention that he was only referring to a smaller portion of the group in attendance - but honestly, I don't know that he realizes how many sites utilize Affiliate Marketing as a true revenue channel - and I don't believe he understands how broad the range of quality is out there. To his credit, Jason did (in my opinion) admit that he knows little about the industry that we have been defending since his speech - and asked for help in identifying what we all considered to be quality sites. His blog asks for sites here if you wish to participate: http://www.calacanis.com/2008/03/03/affiiate-marketing-done-right
Further, there is a significant difference between a site that intentionally "games" the system, and a site that one simply does not care for or like, etc ... There are going to be large volumes of sites on the internet that aren't necessarily the "best" or the "top 20" sites - but this is a POSITIVE product of the internet era. People going out and making sites that fit their eye, or fit their perspective is a key feature of the internet and one that shouldn't be lumped in with "spamming". Listen to this episode of "the show with ze frank" to get an idea of the power of "ugly freedom" - which is similar to what I am referring to here. http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2006/07/071406.html
(While you are at it ... I highly recommend listening to a few more of "the show" ... it is a really well done series which is both intellectual and entertaining. )
So ... what I am saying is that sure, a spammy site with yellow bolded text that goes on for hours with keyword stuffing is certainly bad for the industry and bad for the internet .... But be careful not to judge every site you come across as "thin affiliate spam" just because you don't like the site. There are going to be a zillion sites out there that are "ugly", but they cannot be considered spam simply because the intent behind their creation is not to take advantage of the system - they are just people expressing themselves on the internet the way that they want to. This isn't all bad - it is the internet - and in some ways it goes back to the basic internet principle of freedom. Unless I am reading Jason wrong, we disagree on this point - as he has mentioned that he only wants the "best" sites listed in his directory ... and that users "don't want diversity". My opinion is different ... I think that one of the reasons the internet has grown as fast as it has is the strong desire for users to see something different - something innovative. The ability to stop reading news from only 3 sources, and suddenly get it from 100, etc ... If he were to ever ask my advice concerning Mahalo, I would urge him not to turn away from sites just because he doesn't see them as "the best" - but to consider this point above.
I do agree with Scott Jangro that Jason's keynote is important because it indicates a point of view and a perception of our industry from the outside. This is our challenge and everyone should be in on it. Scott, Haiko, Carolyn, Shawn, Missy, Wayne, Pat, Jeff, Scott, Lisa, Tim, Todd, Dan, Larry - just a short list of people who know who they are that have talked with me about this ... we all know that there are bad apples out there that are causing our industry to look bad to the outside observer. I thank Jason for pointing this out to us because I think it is beneficial for everyone to know that despite what we see on the inside (positive growth, innovation, quality) ... it is also important how other sectors of the overall internet industry view us. My reason for the list of people above is hopefully to let everyone know that there are definitely people who recognize the problem and have been working to try to correct it ...
3. I disagree with Jason's statement that "affiliate companies" (which we refer to as Networks) don't "police stuff" in his words. Each of the major networks with which I am familiar has numerous folks dedicated to quality issues. SPAM, Adware, Malware ... etc... these are all things that we continually stamp out on a regular basis. Daily. Hourly. We are not ("affiliate companies") all stupid enough to allow our own well to be poisoned without putting up a fight against those who poison. As many people are aware, ShareASale operates in a "no-software" environment which would include things like Adware, Toolbars, Spyware, Malware, etc... We spend an enormous amount in terms of people power and money as well keeping our network clean. However - it isn't just us. I get emails and phone calls from my friends in many of the "affiliate companies" who share info with me or ask for help in some cases because they are all trying to do the same thing. At the end of the day, they might have different definitions of exactly what "clean" is - but the point is that we are all doing much more than was suggested in the keynote speech.
Jason likely doesn't think too much of our "affiliate company", which is fine... but I would guess if the two of us got a chance to talk we would agree on quite a few things regarding the pollution of the internet, the fact that it needs to be cleaned, the power of clean information, and disclosure. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that he didn't do too much research into what Affiliate Marketing is prior to giving his speech. I wish that he had contacted a few people in the industry for some information because the speech could have been even more powerful (and I do believe it was powerful) without being so off-putting if his use of examples was more accurate to the group in attendance.
4. As mentioned above... his points on thin sites and spam are entirely accurate. It is junk and we are all smarter than to get stuck making junk. I wholeheartedly agree with him that everyone should think big and ignore the fear of failure. These portions of his speech I found to be quite inspirational and are worth a listen. I don't think everyone needs to be a Silicon Valley bigwig- nor does everyone want to - but you can all find your own balance while thinking big and setting forward thinking goals.
5. I struggled with the thought of whether or not to bring this up - but since it leads to my next big portion of the blog, I thought I shouldn't leave it out.
I found it ironic that in a speech that was designed to point out internet marketers who were "poisoning the well" there could be such blatant disrespect for certain members of the audience and our industry in general. There is, in this one man's opinion, no need for the language that was used which was off-putting for many people in attendance. I also found it extremely disrespectful that Jason could not even be bothered to learn the terms and titles that we have given ourselves. Referring to people as "you people", "those affiliate companies", "affiliate people" ... these are disrespectful and in my opinion do just as much damage to the "internet well" as somebody creating a thin affiliate spam site. It comes down to respect in my opinion. Respect for the user, respect for the consumer, and respect for the people in the same room in which you were invited to speak. The lack of respect show for everyone in the room was detrimental to the speech and, in my opinion took away from many of the valuable messages that were in it.
That brings me to my overall point of "Marketing with Respect" ... the title of the blog post. This is perhaps the furthest down the page where someone has ever finally gotten to the point.
This Affiliate Summit was unique for me, as it presented me with multiple occasions where I thought to myself ... "Where is the respect in this industry?" Luckily there were dozens of wonderful moments to tide me over ... but I've put together a little mini-list of things that I think we could all do to improve the overall stature of our industry.
1. Respect for the consumer.
I'll echo Jason's comments here and suggest that tricking the consumer is not a good long term plan. Be honest, upfront, and you will benefit not only yourself but everyone in the long run. What is a good example of this that does apply to Affiliate Marketing? Coupon sites that advertise non-existent coupons. Sorry to pick you out of a crowd, but this practice is deceptive, and extremely detrimental to our industry in general. The practice is used to rank highly on search engines for general search terms, and I understand that you can't necessarily control where search engines rank sites - but you should be fully disclosing yourself that you have no actual coupon (if one doesn't exist). Another example? Adware. As most of you know, ShareASale is an Adware free network and we spend a ton of time policing and ensuring quality and cleanliness. Adware is deceptive to the consumer - and the distribution tactics are even worse. Using children to download new "Smiley" packages, only to hide an install of something else is not a long term business strategy. Everyone knows who the major Adware players are out there (note: I am making a distinction between Adware and Loyaltyware) - and I call on all major Affiliate Networks, as well as each CPA network out there to start stepping up to the plate and stamping this stuff out. Thank you to Dan and Larry for being with me on this and sharing the info that they have. Also - if you have a strong desire to clean up your individual network but don't know where to start, visit http://www.affiliatefairplay.com or contact me and I will get you in touch with the right people who can help you.
2. Respect for your industry
Competition is great - and welcomed in this industry because it signifies the growth that we all see. That being said, there is a respectful way to compete, and a disrespectful way to compete.
Example: Stop copying other user's content and claiming it as your own. One of the best moments of Jason's speech was when I heard a sentence that I know I have said myself nearly word for word. The internet is full of folks who believe that just because they can technically do something, that means that they can or should. Jason was spot on on this point. Just because you can write a spider that goes out and grabs content from somewhere else and aggregates it on your site for your own benefit is not an excuse to do it. Do you have users who post content on your site that belongs to someone else? Own up to it - those users are your responsibility. Creating a site that simply aggregates other people's work (without their permission) is not a long term business plan and it is harmful to the industry.
While we are on the subject, robots.txt is not an excuse. If you run a spider, that spider is your responsibility. Be respectful. Be reasonable. Be ethical. Again, as Jason pointed out ... just because you can technically do it doesn't mean it is right.
3. Respect for individuals.
Going over any example here is just going to make this sound like a sermon - which is not my goal .... So I will keep this really simple and suggest that everyone simply think before they speak or act. Our industry it small - and news travels fast. Don't put yourself behind the 8-ball or use message board anonymity to hide personal attacks or disrespectful comments. It doesn't make our industry look good and can't possibly help you in the long term. When at an event such as Affiliate Summit ... think about your actions! Every one of the companies and individuals in attendance are making an investment with their involvement - be respectful of that and your long term success in this industry will be much easier to achieve.
A few "thank yous" to round out the post - I'd like to thank Shawn and Missy for putting on another wonderful conference, and for introducing our industry to an outsider's perspective which has led to a wonderful discussion on where we should go. I'd also like to thank Jason Calacanis for putting himself out there and being a target because sometimes it is the only way to get others to think. I realize I've been critical of Jason at times on this blog but I certainly respect his work and his accomplishments and would welcome any chance I got to convince him that Affiliate Marketing is not entirely a big ugly spam world - but can instead add enormous value to a consumer experience.
If you missed the Affiliate Summit this time round, I think the amount of conversation going on afterwards should convince you that you shouldn't miss the next one. See http://www.affiliatesummit.com and register for Boston in the Summer.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Just a quick note to let everyone know that we will be closed on Monday in celebration of MLK Jr. Day.... Payments will be processed and paid on Teusday Jan 22.
ZNF ‘Round The Web
Leaving comments across the blogosphere… Bad Economy Hitting HDTV Sales? Yah, I think the DTV transition should keep HDTV sales moving along. Though perhaps at a slower pace. The government isn’t doing the shut off though, they’ve mandated that broadcasters stop broadcasting over-the-air on those frequencies (which they’ve licensed). Given the early NC experiment, I assume outreach [...]
Leaving comments across the blogosphere…
Bad Economy Hitting HDTV Sales?
Yah, I think the DTV transition should keep HDTV sales moving along. Though perhaps at a slower pace. The government isn’t doing the shut off though, they’ve mandated that broadcasters stop broadcasting over-the-air on those frequencies (which they’ve licensed). Given the early NC experiment, I assume outreach will pick up closer to the holidays through Feb which will confuse cable subscribers into buying new TVs they don’t need.
Real Launches DVD Copying, Files Suit
Guess their marketing push of being part of the DVD Copy Control Association as a sign of legitimacy was BS misdirection, since they’re now filing suit against them. Does anyone even care about this software package, anyway? I tend to agree with you - it’s a move designed to attract attention.
The new Macs have landed
The new MacBook looks pretty hot. But given the economic conditions heading into the holidays, Apple needed to come in with lower prices. The 24″ LCD is interesting since it’s essentially a docking station - something Apple hasn’t offered in this decade. Wish they’d also offer a 21″ model for a couple hundred less. And I wonder if they’ll provide some sort of miniport->DVI adapter. I still think the MSI Wind is the small OS X laptop for me… if only they didn’t colorize the ports on the side - it drives me batty.
Redfly drops to under $200, but only until Halloween
I was pretty harsh on the RedFly as well. Saw it in action at CTIA last spring. At this lower price point, it becomes a much more interesting product - as a budget netbook (replacement). I’m wondering how usable it is powering a remote desktop (LogMeIn, etc) and how the browsing experience is via PocketIE or Opera. If they work well, either of those would make it a reasonable alternative for me. Still waiting to hear back from Celio if my Blackjack 2 6.1 WinMo build is supported.
Call of Duty World at War in Beta
Over the weekend, Activision began emailing CallofDuty.com members beta invitations to World at War, the latest Call of Duty installment. World at War trades in CoD4’s modern warfare for a return to a World War II backdrop. The beta is currently limited to Xbox 360 online play, with PC beta invites to follow. PS3 owners [...]
Over the weekend, Activision began emailing CallofDuty.com members beta invitations to World at War, the latest Call of Duty installment. World at War trades in CoD4’s modern warfare for a return to a World War II backdrop. The beta is currently limited to Xbox 360 online play, with PC beta invites to follow. PS3 owners will just have to wait for the official launch next month. Which is partially why I corrected a recent error in judgment… and picked up a replacement Xbox.
CoD4 veterans will have no problem picking up the World at War controls - muscle memory will serve you, as it did me. Though developed by Treyarch, WaW utilizes the engine introduced by Infinity Ward with CoD4. So, essentially, the gameplay and controls are quite similar. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
While only a few maps are available thus far, I really like what I see. In fact, visuals look somewhat better… including shimmering water you can wade through, weaponized flame effects, and graphic fatalities. (This isn’t for children.) Artillery strikes replace bombing runs at five kills and packs of dogs (?!) replace the seven kill helicopter support of CoD4. While the dogs seemed a bit odd at first, they force combatants to continue moving - compared to camping out helicopter fire. Though the biggest change, taking a page from the Battlefield franchise, are drivable vehicles. It’s not yet clear how this will impact multiplayer balance… It requires several strikes from explosive weapons to take out a tank, though they’re unable to steamroll soldiers.
Call of Duty 4 was one of my all-time favorites games, and World at War looks to be more of the same good stuff. Check out the beta manual (PDF), watch the videos at IGN, and if Activision happens to provide any shareable invites, I’ll be sure to offer them up.
Comcast Launches Tru2Way With Panasonic
The first Tru2way cable services and retail devices are now available, allowing consumers to dump their cable boxes.
My new pals at the NCTA recently briefed me that Comcast was nearing launch of tru2way in select markets in conjunction with the release of tru2way-capable Panasonic televisions. And, now that the release has hit the wires, I can break my silence. Comcast head-ends in Denver and Chicago are providing tru2way services to retail devices - initially, to new Panasonic plasmas available later this month. Unlike the first generation of one-way retail CableCARD devices, the tru2way platform enables bidirectional communication with the cable company - taking on their interface, offering VOD, and handling switched programming. Panasonic’s initial lineup doesn’t include DVR capabilities, though TWICE indicates recording “functionality is [...] in the planning stages for future [...] models.”
As MZ notes, the major cable-cos intend to fully deploy tru2way nationwide by next summer. However, this is a gentleman’s agreement and not a mandate. Meaning, I doubt it’ll roll out exactly as pitched. Leaving a smaller company with limited resources like TiVo waiting and watching from the sidelines. Though, the biggest challenge the cable industry and their CE partners will face is in educating customers. (We can all probably agree that consumer-initiated CableCARD adoption has been “abysmal.”) Having said that, I do have high hopes for tru2way and I give Panasonic credit for getting on-board early - manufacturing sets to (initially) sell in just two markets is unheard of.
Panasonic’s first tru2way enabled VIERA Plasma HDTVs will be offered in 42-inch class and 50-inch class sizes with integrated tru2way cable receiver capability within the set’s chassis. The TH-42PZ80Q and TH-50PZ80Q will be extensions of Panasonic’s critically acclaimed VIERA PZ80 series of 1080p Plasma HDTVs. The TH-42PZ80Q will have an SRP of $1,599.95 and the TH-50PZ80Q will have an SRP of $2,299.95. These tru2way HDTVs will allow consumers to access all digital cable services such as electronic program guides and the full range of interactive and video-on-demand programming – all accessible directly via the television’s remote control - without the costs or clutter associated with a traditional external cable set-top box. The tru2way VIERA HDTVs will be available in the Chicago area at Abt Electronics in Glenview and at Circuit City locations and at Ultimate Electronics and Circuit City stores in the Denver area.
3:41 AM | |
yicrosoft directory project. competitor list.
SEOnoobs.com has been comfirm list of seocontest competitor. In 1st day have 18 competitors in yicrosoft directory project List from SEONoobs.com 1. yicrosoftdirectory.com 2. yicrosoft-directory-th.com <-- It's me!!! 3. yicrosoft-directory101.blogspot.com 4. yicrosoft-directory.net 5. yicrosoftdir.com 6. theyicrosoftdirectory.com 7. YicrosoftDirectoryBlog.com 8. yicrosoftdirectoryblog.wordpress.com 9. yicrosoftdirectory1.blogspot.com 10. YicrosoftDirectorywinner.blogspot.com 11. yicrosoftdirectorynoob.wordpress.com 12. yicrosoft-directory.info 13. the-yicrosoft-directory.com 14. yicrosoft-directory-online.com 15. directory-yicrosoft.blogspot.com 16. yicrosoft-directory.biz 17. yicrosoft.info 18. gh-yicrosoft.info Yesterday my site indexed and 1st rank in google ...
Yicrosoft directory Update.
Today, number of indexed (yicrosoft directory) change every day. 1st day index = 10 2nd day index = 200 -300 Oh!!! i think, today indexed = 500+ 5555+ Hello yicrosoft directory competitor.
Yicrosoft directory logo.
This Funny logo for Yicrosoft Directory Project. If Microsoft takeover Yahoo! Technorati Profile
Yicrosoft directory News:Yahoo Board To Determine Fate Of Company Today
Yes! News update about Microsoft and Yahoo. Thank you News from techcrunch. Sources have indicated to us that Yahoo has scheduled a special board of directors meeting on Friday to determine, effectively, the fate of the company. After a week of hectic negotiating, it’s clear that no one is going to ...
Yicrosoft Directory Poll #1
About Microsoft + Yahoo, What's name do you like?
Yicrosoft directory in Last day.
Yicrosoft directory in last day. my site is come back in 1st page of google. but not 1st ranking because i dont have a time for this project. T_T
3:41 AM | |
More Visitors = More Sales
More Vistors = More Sales Affiliate program participants rely on sales to make money with affiliate programs. The only thing is that many new participants forget that they also need to rely on website traffic. After all, without traffic, no one will be able to see your affiliate products, let alone buy them. That is why, if you are in an [...]
More Vistors = More Sales
Affiliate program participants rely on sales to make money with
affiliate programs. The only thing is that many new
participants forget that they also need to rely on website
traffic. After all, without traffic, no one will be able to see
your affiliate products, let alone buy them. That is why, if
you are in an affiliate program, you need to work on increasing
your traffic. There are a number of steps that you can take to
increase your traffic. Just three of these steps are outlined
below.
STEP # 1 SEO
If you are an established webmaster, you likely already know
what SEO is. If not, you need to familiarize yourself with it
right away. SEO, which is also known as search engine
optimization, may have an important impact on the success of
your website, even its failure.
The goal of search engine optimization (SEO) is to increase your
search engine ranking. Having a high search engine ranking
increases your chances of seeing traffic from search engines.
Search engine optimization encompasses a number of different
methods, but one of the most important is content. You need to
have content on your website; it is what search engines pickup.
You will also want to use keyword tracking tools; they enable
you to determine what keyword phrases internet users are
searching with. Using those keyword phrases on your website is
sure to increase your website traffic.
STEP # 2 Article Distribution
Have you heard of article directories before? Article
directories are websites that act as hosts for collections of
articles. They often contain a large collection of articles,
sometimes even millions of articles. In exchange for providing
your content free of charge, article directories will allow you
to insert a link at the end of your article. This link should
direct readers to your online website, namely the page that
outlines the affiliate products that you are selling. Not only
will it help to increase your website traffic, but your sales
may also increase.
When it comes to submitting to article directories, which is
often referred to as articles distribution, you are advised to
create yourself a schedule. To effectively use article
distribution, you need to submit multiple articles. In fact,
the more articles the better. You should create a goal for
yourself, like submitting at least five articles a month. It is
also important that you create content that is relevant to your
website. If it is not, your readers might not click on your
link; thus defeating the purpose of submitting to article
directories.
STEP #3 Blogging
Over the past few years, the popularity of blogging has
skyrocketed. In addition to personal blogs, a large number of
online businesses are now relying on blogs to help increase
their website traffic, and you can too. Blogs are nice because
you are given choices. You can create your own, free blog or
you can pay to have your blog hosted on your own domain name.
When creating a blog, you can create your own content, which may
include product reviews or recommendations. In fact, you don’t
even have to write your own content. You can use content from
many free article directories; many will give you free usage
rights. Speaking of article directories, if you submitted your
own articles, you can even use them for your blog. The only
thing you need to remember is to link back to your original
webpage. Doing so in each blog post will help to increase your
traffic.
The above mentioned three traffic increasing steps are just a
few of the many that you can take. These three; however, are a
few of the easiest ways that you can go about increasing your
website traffic. With a small amount of effort, you can easily
see an increase in traffic, in what seems like no time at all.
In fact, you will not only see an increase in traffic, but you
may also see an increase in your affiliate sales.
To your success,
Tommy Linsley.
Tommy@NetWorth4U.com
P.S. Increasing your website traffic will not only look good for
your website, but it may also help your pockets, money wise.
******************************
If you Reprint this article, it must be in its entirety
with included resources. Including this box.
Direct any questions to Tommy@NetWorth4U.com
(owns the rights to this article.)
www.NetWorth4U.com - Helping the ‘regular’ guy make it on the Net.
Automation = Less Work, More Money, More Success. www.e-BizSoftware4U.com
______________________________________________________________
How do I build my list?
One of the most frequently asked questions in the online marketing scene that comes especially from people who haven’t created their own products yet, is how do I build my list. Everyone has grasped the concept of building your own media outlet, that you can promote to again and again without having to pay a penny, [...]
One of the most frequently asked questions in the online marketing scene that comes especially from people who haven’t created their own products yet, is how do I build my list. Everyone has grasped the concept of building your own media outlet, that you can promote to again and again without having to pay a penny, that usually consists of the most targeted people, and those who are going to buy your products on the grounds of trust and the quality of your previous work.
And right there, that is the key to it all. By the time you have your own list that stretches over the five thousand mark, you should at least have one product, and the majority of people should have come from the promotion of that product. Avoid anything that asks you for cash to put subscribers on your list, because, if you haven’t tried them already, let me assure you that compared to what you can achieve through joint ventures and other means, the quality of the list will suffer although not necessarily it’s size. As we talked about above however, it’s the quality that matters for both your current promotion and your future promotion. Size is definitely not everything here.
The ways in which we’re building your list don’t involve direct methods. Something that you can plug money into to, wake up in the morning and suddenly have a massive responsive list to promote to. Agreed you might end up with a massive list but they’ll be far from responsive. Concentrate your efforts on promoting your products and at the same time, whatever action someone takes through your sites, make sure that they end up on one of your lists. If we look at things this way, all it takes is for them to either buy something, signup for something, jump into some follow-up, join your affiliate program and so on.
Never create anything that allows customers to go through the sales process on your site, or any process at all for that matter, and then lose contact with them. This is not the way to do things. Of course, speed is also an issue for many people out there. I’m sure you don’t want to be hanging around only to find a few years later that your list has only reached two or three thousand subscribers. You want a lot, you want a big list and you want it quickly. I understand how it is and I hate waiting for things to build up over time too. This is exactly why we make sure that everything you do, related to your site, involves collecting names and email addresses for your list at some point or another.
Let’s look at some numbers starting off with the simple joint ventures. Say for example you score a joint venture that brings you two thousand visits from someone’s personal list. Now with standard e-zines I can understand how you might not see this as being much, as the number of people who subscribe, compared to the number of people that visit, can indeed be lower than you expect. But through joint ventures, with these quality lists, I’ve seen subscription rates top one in three, and it’s not unusual for at least 25% of your visitors to subscribe to something if your sales copy is doing its job.
That may not seem like a lot right now, but let’s say you take ten joint ventures and manage to pull in a list of 5k, which shouldn’t be too much of a problem if the quality of your JV’s is nice and high and you get a good number of visits. A 5k list is all great, and you’ll also be making money through sales on those joint ventures. Although when you start to couple in your affiliate commissions that you make sure are real high, in fact, so high that you may not even be making a direct profit, the resources will sail in.
This is your profit. Not the money from the sales, but the resources that you’re building. This is why you gave up $50 per sale, and it’s your affiliates coupled with joint ventures that are going to, if you’ll excuse the cliche’, set your list building on fire, not just numbers wise, but speed wise. Every single time you release a new product, you’re going to be adding more and more people to your lists that you can promote to and have promote for you. It’s another snowball effect, which is great because this means that you know the more you put in, the more you’re going to get out, and every single product that you release will increase your resources, your list size included, and will add to your promotion power for future products. Thus you’ll make a whole load more cash than you would have done by other means and methods.
Before we move on I want to make one hundred percent sure that you understand how this works. People create their own list building sites that are geared directly to building their lists. This is great, it works, but when guides tell you that you should concentrate all your efforts on building your list, it kind of makes me a little bit angry sometimes, for the simple reason that they’re not giving you the whole story by far. It’s ok to look at list building as one of your main priorities, and indeed it should be, along with building affiliates, customers, long term customers and joint venture prospects, but for it to be successful, you have to integrate it into your other marketing methods, and this is what most fail to tell you.
Once you’ve mastered this and understand, again, how each of these resources tie into each other, and cannot be seen as separate entities, you’ll start to see bigger and better results, and they will come more quickly too. Now if you think about what I’ve just told you, and step back, you should be able to see immediately how this isn’t a case of go out and get as big a list as possible, as quickly as possible, on your own. This is what many guides teach, but as with the success of the whole system it’s tying resources in together through the launch of your own products.
******************************
If you Reprint this article, it must be in its entirety
with included resources. Including this box.
Direct any questions to Tommy@NetWorth4U.com
(owns the rights to this article.)
www.NetWorth4U.com - “Helping the ‘regular’ guy make it on the Net.”
Automation = Less Work, More Money - www.e-BizSoftware4U.com
______________________________________________________________
Prism, AIR and TechCrunch Groupies
TechCrunch is running a guest post of mine about the exciting new field of site-specific browsers. Needless to say, it’s a honor to be on TechCrunch, and I hope my article will help to increase awareness of what SSBs are and why they’re important. Personally I’m convinced that they represent the future of web apps. I [...]
TechCrunch is running a guest post of mine about the exciting new field of site-specific browsers. Needless to say, it’s a honor to be on TechCrunch, and I hope my article will help to increase awareness of what SSBs are and why they’re important. Personally I’m convinced that they represent the future of web apps.
I haven’t seen any sign yet of the “gaggles of groupies” that Mike promises in the post’s comments, but I’m sneaking out the back door to pick up a sombrero and some wraparound sunglasses, just in case.
To Err is Human, Thorough Error Reporting Divine
Update: Eric Shepherd already has some great documentation of the new JavaScript error reporting regime up on MDC. Update: Note also that most errors will be reported by default, so the pref only turns on a few additional cases. Read the MDC article for full details. I’ve been doing a lot of JavaScript development as part [...]
Update: Eric Shepherd already has some great documentation of the new JavaScript error reporting regime up on MDC.
Update: Note also that most errors will be reported by default, so the pref only turns on a few additional cases. Read the MDC article for full details.
I’ve been doing a lot of JavaScript development as part of my work on Prism, and I noticed a few weeks ago that a lot of errors I was used to seeing in the console weren’t showing up anymore. Unsure of the cause, I first took the expedient route of sprinkling my code with dump() statements whenever I had to track down a problem. This is tedious and time-consuming, however, and after a while I got fed up and (with Shaver’s prodding) spent some time trawling through the JS error reporting code trying to figure out what had broken.
Luckily for me, Sergey Yanovich noticed my incessant whinging on IRC and pointed me at bug 393627. It seems that some changes had been made to a JavaScript component that threw an exception that was expected, caught and managed in C++ code. Nonetheless, an error was being displayed in the console by XPConnect, so a patch was committed to suppress reporting of exceptions in these circumstances. Unfortunately this had the side effect of turning off useful and desirable reporting for a huge swath of errors.
A few weeks and 21871 bugs later found us embroiled in a heated discussion in the comments of bug 415498. The problem, it transpires, is a tricky one, as Ben Turner explained:
Ok, so here’s our basic problem: Some folks think that throwing exceptions is a perfectly valid way to communicate with C++, others try to avoid any unhandled exceptions and want to know if any make it back to C++. There is no way to consolidate those opinions, and we’ve argued back and forth about it many times already. A functional Components.resultCode might make this situation better, but that’s been broken for far too long to hope we’ll see it fixed in the next week.
Ben’s solution was to implement a preference, dom.report_all_js_exceptions, that turns on the verbose error reporting so vital to JavaScript developers. So even if you just skimmed the last few paragraphs, please pay attention because if you code in JavaScript in Firefox 3 you want to know this. Grab yourself a recent trunk (Ben says the fix landed last Wednesday or so). Set that preference. Watch your error reporting woes vanish before your eyes. There should be real documentation on this soon, but in the meantime hopefully this information will be of use to some.
Can Your Trust Your Software?
I’ve just come across this horror story about G-Archiver, a windows shareware which backs up your gmail account to your local hard drive but also emails your username and password to the creator! When we initially launched AllPeers, the client was not open-source but we always said our goal was to do it. At the time, [...]
I’ve just come across this horror story about G-Archiver, a windows shareware which backs up your gmail account to your local hard drive but also emails your username and password to the creator!
When we initially launched AllPeers, the client was not open-source but we always said our goal was to do it. At the time, the source code was not clean enough to open but we knew this was the only way for us to prove we were genuine and not planning on spying on our users.
When we finally opened the code, some people saw it as a desperate move on our part. It was not. It was a way for us to be transparent and to say “if you don’t trust us, just look at our code”.
There are a lot of advantages about developing open-source software but trust and security are certainly high on the list.
Now forget about open-source software and think about all these websites who ask you for your login credentials in order to “import your contacts”. Can you really trust them and if so how? How paranoiac are you about this? I usually tend to trust the sites but is a nice design and a groovy name enough to earn my trust when it comes to my email credentials?
I’ve got all this information, but where do I start?
An understandable question, as when you’re presented with new information, it’s sometimes hard to find a clear starting point. Not because anyone is thick, but because this is natural with new information, no matter what it is. Getting started is the hardest part. So, how do you get started? Well, the simple answer is, by asking [...]
An understandable question, as when you’re presented with new information, it’s sometimes hard to find a clear starting point. Not because anyone is thick, but because this is natural with new information, no matter what it is. Getting started is the hardest part.
So, how do you get started? Well, the simple answer is, by asking that question, you’ve started already. People often don’t even realize that they have done so. Congrats on taking your first steps towards where you want to be.
With regard to online marketing, no matter where you are in your career, the starting place is always the same. No matter if you have a stash of affiliates or a big list and previous customers already, in fact that’s great. Whatever you do, don’t feel like you have to ditch everything and start all over again. This is not the case. I would say that all businesses start with five things:
1. An idea and a desire to develop that idea,
2. The tools you need to do so, ( I Highly Recommend you go here: TurboMembership. You will get the best possible tools and hosting.)
3. The preparation and groundwork to make it all possible,
4. A budget, and
5. A market for your product.
Without an idea you’re going nowhere. With a good idea, on the other hand, you’re on your way to multiple products that you can create and sell at different prices that will no doubt spawn other ideas. If you want to take things further, you need to keep your mind open, and always look at ways of developing and evolving that original idea into the best possible form for the people who are going to be buying it and spawning more ideas from your original plan.
Before you get started you’re also going to need the tools that will form the basis of your business. There really isn’t much out there that you literally need to be successful. The only things that you’ll really need to shell out for are, an affiliate script or membership, access to tracking tools, autoresponders to maintain your list, and hosting for your websites/salespages. (Once again, these tools are readily available at TurboMembership. TurboMembership is run by John Delavera, one of the best top online marketers and he’s been around for quite some time.) That’s really very little compared to the earning potential that they bring you. What’s more, they’re all one off purchases that you won’t have to spend money on over and over again. This is a pretty good deal when you consider in most peoples eyes you need to shell out for promotion on top of that. We now know that this is not the case at all. This is also relevant to your budget, which doesn’t have to be huge.
Once those tools are set up, that’s most of your preparation and groundwork done. All you need to do is slot a product into your sales system each time and off you go.
Finally, a target market, someone to sell your products to. Unless you’re super brainy and come up with a totally original idea, it’s likely there are other products out there already trying to solve the same problems for customers. Do some research to check out the competition, but don’t be overwhelmed by it all. There’s plenty of space for everyone. And hey, competition for your brand new idea is a good thing, because this means there’s already a market for your product, and people with access to the customers that you need to be getting in touch with to sell it. This should put your mind at ease right away.
Lastly, and most importantly, where ever you decide to start, please do start. I’m here giving you all this information but you must do something with it. Ask yourself, in the last six months, how far has my business moved forward? Then ask yourself how far do you want to move forward in the next six months. Do you really want to repeat everything at the same speed, or could you knuckle down and get double, triple or even quadruple the amount of work done through eliminating distractions and focusing on the solution not the problem. That’s totally in your hands now, but do start. Start today.
******************************
If you Reprint this article, it must be in its entirety
with included resources. Including this box.
Direct any questions to Tommy@NetWorth4U.com
(owns the rights to this article.)
www.NetWorth4U.com - “Helping the ‘regular’ guy make it on the Net.”
Automation = Less Work, More Money - www.e-BizSoftware4U.com
______________________________________________________________
3:33 AM | |
The Underground’s Short Casts for 2008-10-13
Ian Rutter catching Brookies, and I’m pretty sure he posted a picture just to taunt me about it: http://tinyurl.com/4y6ym3 # Powered by Twitter Tools.
- Ian Rutter catching Brookies, and I’m pretty sure he posted a picture just to taunt me about it: http://tinyurl.com/4y6ym3 #
Powered by Twitter Tools.
Internet Marketing Product Creation and Sales
Selling your own products online remains to be the most profitable ways to make money over the World Wide Web. The only challenge in this endeavor is getting an assurance that your products will sell
The Underground’s Short Casts for 2008-10-10
All About Indonesian Fly Fishing Blog looks interesting, but I can’t read it. Damn. http://allaboutindonesiaflyfishing.blogspot.com/ # “Fishing and Thinking” chases smallmouth in nicely written post: http://tinyurl.com/4hqsdd # Wildlife “watchers” generated $122.6 Billion in “industrial output”, Fly Fishermen suddenly look cheap. http://tinyurl.com/4dglpm # The endless search for odd fly tying materials continues at Singlebarbed: http://tinyurl.com/3nf3ts # Powered by Twitter Tools.
- All About Indonesian Fly Fishing Blog looks interesting, but I can’t read it. Damn. http://allaboutindonesiaflyfishing.blogspot.com/ #
- “Fishing and Thinking” chases smallmouth in nicely written post: http://tinyurl.com/4hqsdd #
- Wildlife “watchers” generated $122.6 Billion in “industrial output”, Fly Fishermen suddenly look cheap. http://tinyurl.com/4dglpm #
- The endless search for odd fly tying materials continues at Singlebarbed: http://tinyurl.com/3nf3ts #
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Trout Unlimited Clears Out Gear Closet, Trades Swag For Donations
It seems the Trout Unlimited (the other, less-famous TU) gear closet looks a lot like the Underground’s (the handsomer, better-written TU); they’re clearing it out and inviting you to donate to the cause in return for some high-quality swag. Bargain hunters with a conscience might find this claim interesting: “Here’s your chance to support TU’s coldwater fisheries [...]
It seems the Trout Unlimited (the other, less-famous TU) gear closet looks a lot like the Underground’s (the handsomer, better-written TU); they’re clearing it out and inviting you to donate to the cause in return for some high-quality swag.
Bargain hunters with a conscience might find this claim interesting:
“Here’s your chance to support TU’s coldwater fisheries conservation
work, help TU clear out our warehouse, and get a great gift worth close
to -�or perhaps even more than -�the value of your contribution.
See you online, Tom Chandler.
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The Underground’s Short Casts for 2008-10-14
Cutthroat Stalker blog explore the “Extreminization of Fly Fishing”: http://scarles.org/blog/?p=384 # Trico fall a “dream, nightmare to anglers.” Really? Any thoughts from the Undergrounders? http://tinyurl.com/4sslpr # Gas is high and economy’s down, so what do you do with your SUV? Burn it: http://tinyurl.com/4g2efz # Ariculture using 83% of water in California, most of which goes to… cattle feed?? [...]
- Cutthroat Stalker blog explore the “Extreminization of Fly Fishing”: http://scarles.org/blog/?p=384 #
- Trico fall a “dream, nightmare to anglers.” Really? Any thoughts from the Undergrounders? http://tinyurl.com/4sslpr #
- Gas is high and economy’s down, so what do you do with your SUV? Burn it: http://tinyurl.com/4g2efz #
- Ariculture using 83% of water in California, most of which goes to… cattle feed?? http://tinyurl.com/3e7oh4 #
- Chile Underground designs Tomato-Lemon trout recipe just for the Undergrounders! http://tinyurl.com/3o2shb #
- Finished my “Top Six Reasons Why We Can’t Trust Nestle Waters” series on StopNestle blog: http://tinyurl.com/4bywun #
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Distribute Your Press Release Here (Stainless steel kitchen table)
PRWeb - Miracle Method, the leader in the refinishing industry, provides a cost effective makeover solution for people who don’t want to disrupt their kitchen and bath with removal and replacement of countertops and bathtubs. - 2006-09-12 Traineo.com Continue PRWeb - Round Table Pizza and others Slice Costs and Turnover JobFlash, the [...]
PRWeb - Miracle Method, the leader in the refinishing industry, provides a cost effective makeover solution for people who don’t want to disrupt their kitchen and bath with removal and replacement of countertops and bathtubs. - 2006-09-12 Traineo.com Continue
PRWeb - Round Table Pizza and others Slice Costs and Turnover JobFlash, the award winning pioneer of Voice Recruiting, today announced Mad Cow and Cattle Mutilations Meet the War on Terror in Brad Steel’s New Book Mute In MUTE, author Brad Steel has created a Continue
Herald Tribune - so he had to adjust his attitude when the results of the National Kitchen and Bath line of sinks some of which are very contemporary. One is a stainless-steel film shows Rudolph debating the shape and placement of the chapel s altar table Continue
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CA1: something was properly admitted
US v. Vasquez, No. 07-2796 (10/8/08). This is really strange. The First seems not be taking any of this appeal seriously, and is almost mocking of the defense. Apparently the defendant is making an argument that something should be suppressed....