How to Choose a Good Web Host
Not everyone who is new to the internet knows what hosting is so I will assume no knowledge of hosting on your part. Bear with me if you have some experience in this area.
Hosting is usually renting an area on a server or large computer or rack of computers on a hard drive. Most hosting is shared or sharing space on a single hard drive. Dedicated hosting is where a whole drive or computer is dedicated to one customer’s website and files.
Everyone of the websites you see on the internet is stored somewhere on a host computer and it is displayed using html and CSS so that a person’s browser will display the page you see.
Choosing a good host is one of the most important things you need to do.
I could write a separate article on choosing a domain name but I think the two are so related in nature as to be better dealt with together in this article.
Choosing a domain name is nothing more than picking a name by which your URL or web address is known by on the internet. For example, one of my sites is called www.healyourselfnow.net. This is a domain name. I could say that the domain name is important, and so it is, but you need to know more than that.
You should normally choose a domain name that is a keyword for your site. For example, if you are targeting computers as your main keyword, you could use Cheapcomputers.com or Greatcomputers.com. This is just an example, but you get the general idea. Many people use hyphens in the name, but I don’t recommend them as the search engines don’t like them.
Security is another issue. How secure is your site? If you are selling the host should offer SSL certificates at a reasonable price of less than 30.00 so that your transactions are secure. Also, do you have a virus scanner and does your host offer leech protection to protect your images and to prevent other members from giving out passwords to restricted areas of your site.
Does your host support Fantastico or one click access to important scripts like a CMS or content management system like JOOMLA or MAMBO that allows editing or updating of your web site content with the ease of using a word processor. No knowledge of html or css is needed. So anyone in your office can contribute to website content with minimal training! Also, you can add a learning managment system like Moodle, or a live chat program or forum and instantly make your website interactive.
An interactive website is considered “sticky” or a site that will attract and keep visitors coming back to, over and over again.
The last and most important issue in choosing a good web host is customer support. Does your host offer 24 live chat support? There are things that can affect your site and you need the security and peace of mind that comes from knowing that you get competent friendly advice even at 3 am. Live chat is interactive like using Microsoft Messenger except that you are talking on a secure line for the express purpose of customer support. Live ticketed support uses a ticket and email based support system that is not as interactive as live chat but sometimes is necessary to solve a more complex problem with your site.
So to summarize, does your host offer tutorials on your site for cpanel or whm if you are hosting more than one site? Does your host offer scripts with one click installation?
Does your host offer excellent chat based and ticket based customer support? How fast is their turn around time on that support? After all, it does you no good to have 24 hour support if no one answers your call. Does your web host offer competitive prices? I would be remiss if I did not mention that bargain prices are not at all important if your host offers web design with your hosting or some other extras that are not available at other hosts. If you are new to the net, and don’t have much experience you will need a lot of support at first to help you get to know that you are doing.
For example ebooks, templates, and software that you can re sell for money with master resale rights. It is acceptable for your host to charge up to 30.00 per month if they offer web design assistance and offer ebooks, software, and templates, and a template based site builder that can put up a decent site in less than an hour. Economy hosting does not measure up for newbies.
If your host can answer “yes!” to all of these questions then you can rest assured that you have chosen a good host.
Your host determines your success on the internet as much as your efforts do, so choose wisely.
Ibusa (igbuzo) People
Ibusa people predominantly speak Igbo, although English which is national language is also spoken within the area. Ibusa is a place notable for many houses, shops, stores and now Banks. The name “Ibusa†pronounced (“Igbo-Uzoâ€) is very much controversial as it is an Anglicization perhaps as a result of the inability of the British to effectively give it a native pronunciation. But for sure no one has been able to prove the exact name in consideration of the controversy surrounding the original name.
Ibusa is believed to be the first settlement among the Asaba-Ibusa-Ogwashi-uku axis thus the other version “Ibuzo†(Were you first to settle within this axis?) but it interesting to note that the indigenes refer to themselves as “Igbuzo†(Igbos that live along the road) Ibusa. Ibusa is also known as Isunambogwu because of their military prowess in the olden times.
Geography
Ibusa is located west of the Niger Basin, six miles west of Asaba in Oshimili North Local Government Area, Delta State of Nigeria. Ibusa is one of the 55% of Igbo towns and villages that constitute Delta state.
History
Ibusa is a classic example of bipartite social structure formed by two different settlement histories occurring at fairly close intervals. Ibusa thus is a federation of two autonomous communities that have different origins. Oral tradition of the town has it that Umejei, “Nwa Eze†(the Prince of) Isu near present day Awka killed his opponent in a wrestling bout, an action considered an abomination and punishable with death but rather than hanging himself, he was forced to go on exile. Specially prepared by his father he was given a pot of charm and other items by his father who was said to have strictly instructed him to settle wherever the pot dropped. Umejei was also accompanied by his sister, Omoha. The pot however dropped at a place called “Ani ohe†in present Ibusa.
However, the exact place Isu where the progenitor hails is still shrouded in mystery as there are several Isu in existence in Igboland today. Isu exists in Njaaba, Okigwe, Obosi, Awka, Nnewi, Mbaise, etc. It is however noteworthy that all of these different Isu have at one time or the laid claims to the original home town of Umejei. This is worsened by the particular absence of evidence either in Ibusa or any of these Isu towns and villages to suggest the very Isu. The most recent claim is that asserted in “Isu Factor in Nnewi†written by Ugochukwu where it is alleged that evidences abound in Nnewi to prove that Umejei was from that very place. It is the opinion of Historian that the Isu may be located in present day Anambra state since the state has the closest Isu to Ibusa.
Oral tradition links the second settlement to Obodo who had two sons, Odaigbo and Edini. Odaigbo the second son was to sleep with one of his father’s wives an act considered as abomination or what was better known “Aluâ€. The penalty therefore was death but Odaigbo was forced on exile together with his mother, father and Edini his brother. The Monarch, Eze Nshi (Nri) gave Odaigbo and Edini two small pots of charms which they carried on their heads with instruction to settle where the pots dropped. The pot of Edini was to drop at “Ani Udo†where his parents decided to live with them because he was the younger son. The other had his drop at the present Ogwashi-uku (Ogwa-Nshi-Uku)
The friend of the sons of Umjei and those of Ogboli became cordial and Ogboli moved closer to Ibusa where he settled. The two settlements became one. (Ibusa) Recently Historians are pointing out that some migrants with Chima the progenitor of Ubulu-uku, Onicha-olona, Issele-uku, Issele-Mkpitime and others who became tired along the way may have either settled or taken refuge in Ibusa since the town (Ibusa) is located along the road.
Pre-colonial life
According to Victoria Oluomachukwu Ibewuike in her work African Women and Change; a Study of the Western Igbo Nigeria with special focus on Asaba town.
“In Igboland, there are two types of political systems practiced by the Igbo on both side of the Niger. The first is the democratic village republic type of government found among the Igbo living west of the Niger and by the second is the constitutional village monarchy, which is practiced by the Igbo of the west of Niger and the riverine of Igbo of Onitsha and Ossomali… This system of administration is derived from Benin from where most of the titles comeâ€
Ibusa once practiced monarchical system but this was jettisoned over time. This system of administration as seen above was borrowed from Benin considering the proximity that exists between the town and Benin and the fact that the synonym “Obi†is close to “Oba†which is still the traditional and official title of the Benin monarch.
Isidore Okpewho in Research in African Literatures, Volume 29, No.1 states thus:
“A second issue concerns the history of paramount rulership in this traditionally republican polity. A man (Ezechi) from the Isu segment of the town, a hunter who had led a heroic defense of the town against a Benin invasion, was rewarded with the kingship (obi). Unfortunately, he had a self-assertive wife who insisted on participating in the king’s councils (contrary to tradition) and dominating the proceedings. One day, one of the councillors made bold to defile her with obscene language, forcing Ezechi not only to abdicate the throne but to exile himself and his family to a village some 25 miles away called Ejime (Twins). For a long time Igbuzo did not have any more paramount rulersâ€.
It is therefore safe to conclude that Ibusa has practiced both systems of administration i.e. the democratic village republic type and the constitutional monarchy.
Ibusa was to return to an arrangement in which three main hierarchies of Umunna (Idimu), Ogbe and the Ibusa exists. This arrangement recognizes “Diokpa†(The oldest living man) as the Head. The Diokpa of Idimu is assisted by Diokpa in Council comprising of Ndi-Eze, Ndi-Ichie or Nkpalor, Mgba-Nkpisi and Omu. The political arrangement of the Ogbe rests with the Diokpa-Ogbe-in-Council. The government of the entire town rests with the oldest man, otherwise called the “Senior Diokpa†He is neither elected nor selected but has to meet up certain criteria.
Colonial period
The arrival of the British in 1870s led to the identification of Ibusa people with their Enu-Ani (Anioma) towns and villages. This especially decreased distinctions dissimilarities between Ibusa and Anioma and the Ekwumekwu movement or wars helped to realize this very much.
In the years of Ekwumekwu when the western Igbos carried out series of agitations against the British who threatened their commercial stronghold with colonial policies, the Ibusa people played prominent roles in this agitation. Ekwumekwu was the war of resistance fought by the western Igbos against the British for some thirty years. The British 1883 carried out a surprising attack on Ibusa in which they inflicted heavy casualty on the people. The people soon retreated only to reinforce and attack back the British. Ibusa people held fought the British to a standstill until the British resorted to the clearing and burning down of the farmlands of Ibusa people, a situation that created hunger in the town and Ibusa surrendered to the British. The act gave Ibusa prominence as Ibusa was debated in the British parliament with the parliament trying to resolve on what punitive measure to mete to Ibusa.
What Ibusa might have lost to Ekwumekwu it gained with western education and Christianity, for not long after Ekwumekwu war ended the British established St. Thomas’ teachers Training College, St. Thomas’ Catholic and St. Augustine’s Catholic Churches from here they spread their education and gospel to the other parts of Anioma. The discovery of River Niger made this feat a success because it brought the missionaries close to Ibusa. Father J. B. Germaneti, a Frenchman and a Missionary is reputed have worked tirelessly in Etsako, Ibusa and Asaba in 1902 until he returned to Lokoja in 1918 (see African Women and Change; a Study of the Western Igbo Nigeria with special focus on Asaba town, Victoria Oluomachukwu Ibewuike pg146)
It is particularly sad that the authorities in Ibusa allowed the original construction of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church to be demolished on a flimsy excuse that the building was near the stage of self-collapse. It is more particularly sad that Historians and Archaeologists from this town in allowing this denied the town what could have remained one of the few oldest structures in the town capable of standing as a tourist attraction for the Natives and non Natives if it was rebuilt to retain its historic structure. Perhaps one day the town Hall would be demolished as well. In Asaba today the Holy Trinity Church built by the CMS in 1875, the building that housed the SMA fathers in 1888 and others alike still stand.
Ibusa music
Ibusa people appear typically attached to traditional form of music but are also known to enjoy Igbo melodic style as well. The typical Ibusa music could be Agbalani, Ekobe, Imanokwa, Oduko etc with Okanga, Aguba (for funeral ceremonies) strictly speaking, the common Ibusa music is a fusion of jazz and traditional music quite popular among the other Anioma towns.
Religion
The traditional Ibusa religion is known as Odinani and is wide spread. Ibusa offers an example of an Anioma town where traditional religion is still wide spread particularly in time of funerals but today majority of the people are Christians, a religion that impacted on the town. Many churches of other denominations have however sprung up in the town.
Culture
It amounts to an act of taboo to eat or bring a Rabbit (Eyi) anywhere around an Ibusa indigene as it is considered a totemic animal but Ibusa people never venerate the animal. (Nnewi people also do not eat rabbit. For this reason among several others, however, Ugochukwu in his work, Isu Factor in Nnewi believes Nnewi to be the original homeland of Umejei)
Festivals
By far the most popular festival in the entire Ibusa is the Iwu Festival celebrated in just two quarters of the town (Umuodafe and Ogbeowelle) That of Umuadafe is considered particularly more attractive in that its celebration coincides around the Christmas season. This occasion attractively draws indigenes and non indigenes from afar that come to watch this Festival. There are still other Festivals in the town.
Sports
Ibusa Annual football tournament is usually played in December at Ibusa sports Pavilion (Umejei Primary School). This involves the indigenes of the town and attracts football lovers including foreign scouts from far and wide. The final of the competition is usually played in December 31 or sometimes new year day (January 1). 2007 winners are Umueze who defeated their Ezeukwu/Achalla counterparts. This marked the first time Umueze would lift the silverware. Umuidinisagba and Umuekea came second and third respectively.
People like Emmanuel Olisedebe, Michael Ochei, Kingsley Obiekwu have featured in the tournament at one time or the other.
Tourist attractions
Ibusa is blessed with Okpuzu Falls which continues to attract visitors from far and wide but it is a tourist centre that requires either the efforts of the state or federal governments for full scale transformation like the Olumo rock and others.
Present day
Ibusa has emerged as one of the fastest growing towns in Delta North which has resulted in the teeming population of the town. This is not unconnected with the town’s proximity to Asaba of which large numbers of persons with businesses in Asaba dwell in the town. Another reason is that the town offers a haven of peace and serenity away from the bustle of Asaba, the people highly accommodating to foreign visitors and settlers as well and the environment having good conditions that allow things to grow. Indeed the town is blessed with hospital climate.
In 1996, the number of local government areas in the state was increased from 19 to 26 and Ibusa lost the opportunity of gaining the headquarters of the newly created Oshimili Local Government to a much Akwukwu-Igbo. This has since remained so.
Delta state has no Airport at the moment but it is hoped that when one is completed in the state in Asaba within 24 months as announced sometime ago by the Governor of the state His Excellency, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan at the cost of N6.8 Billion Naira (see Daily sun Newspaper, Friday, February 22, 2008) it will be of immense benefit to Ibusa considering the nearness of the two towns.
Ibusa is an example of a self-developing town of which if the presence of government is seen in the town with lots of infrasstructures put by the indigenes of the town, the town will become a large commercial centre. It is for this purpose that a has often gone to the State Government to encourage the setting up of Government Establishments in the town since the town is closer to Asaba as this will commercialise the town and help to reduce unemployment in the town and state.
Similar calls have also often gone to the indigenes of the town to consider seeting up firms in this town as aginst moving to other places for only this will guarrantee everyone’s safety in the town.
Ibusa today finds its leadership under a Monarch, the Obuzor assisted by the Obuzor-in-Council. This is currently generating controversy but it is believed that stakeholders in the town will find soon find a permanent solution to this.
Quarters/Ogbes that makes up Ibusa are:
1. Umuekea
2. Umuodafe
3. Ogbeowelle
4. Umuidi
5. Umueze
6. Umuehea
7. Ogboli
8. Ezeukwu/Achalla
9. Umuezeagwu
10. Umuisagba
Public Primary Schools in Ibusa:
1. Umejei Primay School
2. Isunambogwu Primary School
3. Onu Primary School
4. Ani-Oboshi Primary School
5. Ani-Oshi Primary School
Public Secondary Schools are:
1. St Thomas College
2. Ibusa Girls College
3. St. Augustine’s College
4. Federal Girls Government Girls College
Markets in Ibusa
1. Ashia-Eke
2. Ashia-Nta
3. Ashai-Okpulukpu
Major Hotels
1. Gordon Hotel
2. Apple Club
Some musicians of Ibusa origin are:
1. Ogbogu Okonji
2. Socromojo Okonji
3. Etiti Okonji
4. Ifeanyi Nwalama
5. Isioma Nwalama
6. Agility Okonji
Some prominent Ibusa indigenes are:
1. Prof Augustine O. Esogbue
2. Prof Buchi Emecheta
3. Obi (Prof) Louis Cheluno Nwaoboshi
4. Prof Pat Utomi
5. Obi (Prof) Chike Onwuachi
6. Chief Peter Okocha
7. Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi
8. Ambassador Ignatius Olisemeka
9. Obi (Senator) Nosike Ikpo
10. Chief (Barr) Fred Ajudua
11. Mr. Frank Odita
12. Barr. Princess Ajudua
13. Chief Peter Pan O. Okeze
14. Chief Victor Edo Onwordi
15. Chief Willy F. Ikolodo
16. Chief sabastine Adigwe
17. Chief Augustine Izagbo
18. Mr Frank Atuche
19. Chief Tony Azuya
20. Chief Jude Okonma
Drupal,x-cart Development,joomla Development
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Years of industry experience has given us a unique perspective into the deprecated processes and systems still in place at many contemporary software companies. This perspective led us to conclusions that were polar opposites of those reached by our contemporaries. While they try to avoid change or flexibility during the execution of the process or solution, we accept changing requirements and clients needs as the norm and not the exception. Using agile programming practices together with organized high level planning, business analysis and regular customer feedback we are able to deliver solutions that are cost effective and relevant to their time and place.
S-Axxis Software solutions is highly professional software Development Company, one that exceeds its goals and makes you look good, which is really important. I bet that you are much more interested in smooth work flow, easy access to Development team and project. The most important of all being the project completed on-time and, preferably under your budget.
S-Axxis Software solutions focus on full life cycle software projects and have developed Numerous E-commerce/Web Application projects for our clients. We are working on Internet Technologies. Whether a personalized e-commerce solution or a scalable Internet portal, or database application.
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How to become an expert in content management systems (CMS)
As corporations expand, so does their internal data. There are more employee files, more client records, and more paperwork in general. Fortunately, however, recent technological advances have allowed organizations to transfer their documentation onto electronic content management systems. A virtual online database allows easy access to a plethora of information, and saves both employees and employers valuable time and money.
Most electronic content management systems are typically overseen by an Information Technology department within an organization, and more specifically, by individual IT professionals who have expertise in designing, maintaining, or managing others on specific systems.
Because these software databases are often loaded with valuable, sensitive, and even confidential information, it is crucial that IT divisions designate specific content managers, who usually fall under the broader title of Information Security. Since the highly sensitive material can be edited, content managers are normally required to designate differing levels of security access in a hierarchical manner. Experts in content management systems are usually responsible for setting up an organization’s security preferences and the like through the coding languages found in the software programming.
Individuals who wish to become experts in content management systems must first recognize that many software companies offer varied systems. Do some research and familiarize yourself with the systems available on the market. Many of these systems require (at least) basic knowledge of different coding language perquisites prior to use.
Overall, having a profound understanding of your employer organization’s content management system will not only prevent the outsourcing of your job, as upper management typically seeks to retain individuals who have extensive technical expertise in a crucial organization-wide application or system. Ask your employer if any training courses or programs are available for you to take. Generally speaking, managers will encourage IT professionals to expand their knowledge base and expertise through certification programs. However, be careful not to pigeon hole yourself into becoming a responsible party for a sole system or application, this situation can become complicated as technology advances and software is updated or newer versions are released.
Medical Billing From Home – A Legitimate Business Opportunity?
Are you looking for a home-based business opportunity in which you can not only earn a living but also make a different in the process? If so, consider medical billing.
Perhaps you’ve seen television spots advertising medical billing opportunities and have questioned whether they are “for real.†After all, what exactly is medical billing? And is it really possible to earn a living by starting a home-based medical billing business?
There is no doubt that healthcare is a booming industry in developed countries throughout the world. And while many people automatically imagine that that a career in this field requires years of medical schooling, advanced degrees, and 16-hour work days, the fact is that the industry offers unique opportunities for people just like you to earn an income while working from the comfort of their own homes.
So what exactly is medical billing? Quite simply, it is a service that helps doctors get paid. According to Entrepreneur.com, “most doctors and other health-care providers have no idea how to get themselves paid quickly and efficiently, if at all, by either insurers or patients who are also waiting for that check to arrive in the mail.â€
You see, in medical school, while physicians-in-training learn the intricacies of modern medicine, they do not learn the science of effectively running a business, which involves billing and receiving payment for services rendered. Medical billing services are the supports that allow doctors and healthcare providers to get paid so they can continue to do their jobs.
In fact, because of their value within the medical profession, medical billing businesses have won a spot in the top three work-from-home business opportunities.
Are you ready to jump on board?
WHY A MEDICAL BILLING BUSINESS?
One of the best aspects of owning your own medical billing business is that you have options. You can choose whether you want to service one medical specialty – such as pediatrics – or many. Additionally, you can target healthcare provider groups, nursing homes, medical device manufacturers, and more.
Let’s take a look at the basics that are required to start a successful home-based medical billing business.
As Entrepreneur.com points out, start-up costs for a medical billing business are relatively low, making this type of opportunity ideal for individuals who do not wish to make a hefty initial investment. Additionally, inventory requirements are also minimal, making the business easy to operate from your home. Entrepreneur.com has compiled the following list of everything you will need to launch your own medical billing business.
* Computer system with a modem and a printer
* Fax machine
* Medical billing software and/or business opportunity fee
* Clearinghouse
* Reference materials
* CMS 1500 forms (previously known as an HCFA 1500 form)*
* Phone
* Voice mail or answering machine
* Stationary and office supplies
* Postage
* A CMS 1500 form is simply a billing form maintained by the National Uniform Billing Committee.
The low start-up costs coupled with this limited inventory make it easy to see why medical billing from home is growing in popularity among entrepreneurs.
Medical Billing Software: The Most Important Tool for Your Business. Once you’ve decided to start a home-based medical billing business, you will need to purchase appropriate computer program to manage your business.
Many people will tell you that selecting the right software is one of the most important business decisions you will make, as your software will serve as the core of all your business operations. While it is true that the program you select is vital, there are alternatives available that are internet-based and require no software installation at all.
USA FOR HEALTHCLAIMS
This comprehensive business opportunity is a medical billing service business … and more. In fact, USA for Healthclaims is a full-service marketing firm. What does this mean for you? It means that not only does the company provide the software that you need to run your business, but it also helps you market your services to medical professionals.
When you begin with USA for Healthclaims, the company will actually provide you with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of up to 250 potential clients in your area. However, you are not limited to servicing healthcare providers only in your area, and with USA for Healthclaims, you can process claims for clients anywhere in the country.
This is truly a unique business opportunity, providing great income potential as well as the ability to work from home. For more information on how you can join this growing industry, click here.
AMERICAN BILLING SYSTEMS, INC.
American Billing Systems is more than a home-based business opportunity. It is an anywhere-based business opportunity. That’s right. With American Billing Systems, you can carry out your business from any location; all you need is a computer and an Internet connection.
The reason is that American Billing Systems does not offer medical billing software; rather, it offers an Application Service Provider (ASP) which allows you to process claims 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any Internet-connected computer.
Additionally, because of this unique feature, you have the option of allowing doctors’ staff to have limited access to patient records. The benefit of this is that the staff can enter claims directly from their offices. Then, all you need to do is process the claims from the comfort of your own home – or from an Internet café anywhere in the world!
If you’d like to receive more information on American Billing Systems, simply click here and fill out the information request form.
As the healthcare industry continues to grow, healthcare providers will continue to need topnotch medical billing services. Get started today, and become a part of this exciting industry.
What Customers for my Business Are on MySpace – Part 1
Social Networking sites like those of MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube are the latest trend out there. Ebay and Google are no longer the sites that get the most visits on a daily basis. Using the features on a site like MySpace can be daunting though. MySpace has shut down several US based third party developers of MySpace Bots.
The most basic function on MySpace is the ability to invite friends to be your friends. MySpace will allow you to request 50 friends per day without having to bypass CAPTCHA. A good friend adder can be just one of those sites that allow you too add 1,000’s of friends at a time.
I just tried to use the profile updater on MySpace the other day. All I wanted to do was use it to add my graduating high school information. I tried doing this on MySpace 4 times and each time after clicking on save and update I would then click on home and I would see that my main page of my profile was still asking me to add my high school information. How many times must I enter this information in on MySpace for the change to actually take affect?
MySpace now allows every profile to have their own blog. With the introduction of Web 2.0 a blog has been one of the fastest growing trends. I have used Wordpress, Drupal, and Google’s Blogger to create blogs in but being able to have one on your MySpace profile is awesome. To stay with the latest trends you need to find a MySpace Bot that has a blog poster function.
Does your local community have a group like one for new businesses in the area? If each business had their own MySpace profile and all the members of this group wanted to send out an invitation then each member would have to log into their account and send out a message to all of their friends on MySpace. If your group has 50 members do you realize how long it would take for each member to log into MySpace especially if each member does not have their own computer to use at your group meetings. If you had a Bot that had the feature of account chaining then the sending of messages to everybody’s MySpace friends would only take up less than maybe an hour at the most.
Have you ever tried doing a search on Google for MySpace Layouts? Look at all the matches that this search pulls up. Some sites offer these for free and others want you to pay for these. A Profile Grabber on a MySpace Bot might be what you need then. Some of these Bots use what is called Multi threading which vastly improves the speed of the function they are performing like that of a Profile Grabber.
If you want to do any marketing on MySpace or you are a member of a large group then you might want to look for an account creator. Now I am a man and I can create a profile with my picture on it but unless I have a resemblance to somebody like Brad Pitt then I will not get a large network of friends. If you want a profile thats going to get a lot of attention then you need to get an account creator to create account of these young college girls. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and if your profile has a picture of a great looking lady in a Bikini then that picture is worth more like several thousand words.
If you have like 50 accounts and want to send a message to all of the friends for these 50 profiles then you need to make sure that each profile sends out a different message otherwise your profile may get deleted by MySpace. A message randomize can be a great tool because you will never have to worry about the same message being sent out over and over again.
A lot of sites nowadays have what is called a CAPTCHA code for things like account creating, message sending, etc. Most software that is out there is very limited in its ability to bypass CAPTCHA. A lot of MySpace Bots used to have this feature but with what MySpace has done lately pretty much most of the MySpace Bots no longer offer this. The ones that do charge a premium price for CAPTCHA Bypass.
If you are a member of a band and all you want to do on MySpace is have one profile and add friends that like your music then you may only need to use a Bot that has a friend adder. If you are a marketer and have 10 profiles on MySpace each with 10,000 friends then do you realize how easy it will be to send a message to those 100,000 as opposed to sending out a newsletter to 100,000? You can get one Bot for each different tool you may need but wouldn’t it be a lot easier if you could find something out there that was an all in one suite?
What You Need to Start a Paid Membership Website Business
Tired of spending days searching the web for the exact, specialized information you need? Tired of finding incomplete or poor quality information? A lot of people are. And many of these frustrated web surfers are willing to spend a little money to gain access to a single website that holds a variety of content targeted to their specific needs – content they can view and download as often as they want. That’s why members-only websites have become so popular. Setting up a membership website doesn’t take much more effort than setting up any other e-commerce website, but there are a few differences and a few pointers you’ll want to keep in mind.
At a minimum, your membership website will need to include a protected area accessible to only those who have paid for a username and password. This is achieved by having one or more protected folders (directories) on your website. Any web hosting service that includes a membership option or package will set up such a folder structure for your site.
Your membership area needs to be able to hold all of the different types of content that work for your business model. That means at the minimum the required protected area of your site has to have the ability to display viewable content, such as a blog or web pages that display online documents. That’s a relatively easy requirement to meet. If your website is driven by a website builder (more technically referred to as a content management system, or CMS), then it already provides you with an easy way to add, update and edit basic web pages. The only difference between membership area web pages and web pages that don’t belong to a membership area is the folder in which these web pages are held on the server which hosts your website – the membership area web pages reside in a more secure folder.
To keep your members satisfied with your service you’ll want a large amount of content, and a variety of content. That means your membership area should be able to display videos to watch and audio files to listen to – if either of those features supply useful content to your paying members. Video or audio interviews of experts in your field of interest and short training or “How To” videos are examples of interesting and useful multimedia content that will make a membership to your website more appealing. Your site will of course need to include a way to easily add this video or audio content to the members-only area. That simply means that the system you use to upload text and images to your site (again, usually a CMS) also has the power to allow you to upload a variety of multimedia files.
In addition to allowing members to view special content such as a blog, “Top Ten” lists, daily or monthly tips and techniques, and videos, your members area should include files that members can freely download. If someone pays for content, they are likely to be most satisfied if they can not only view information, but also download and own formatted information such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF files. That means your site needs functionality that allows you to upload digital files and, of course, functionality that allows members to download those same files. Members have already paid for access to your site, so you don’t need any complicated download system – a member should be able to simply click a button located by a file name and description, and the download begins.
With your membership area set up and populated with content, you’re ready to start registering members. You’ll typically want to provide a few registration options, such as monthly, quarterly, and yearly memberships, with a price break for longer-term subscriptions to entice visitors to pay you more money now, up-front. This means you’ll need a shopping cart and payment system so visitors to your site can select a registration option, pay by credit card, debit card, or PayPal, and so those funds go directly in your own merchant account or PayPal account. If you already have a website that sells products, you can most likely use whatever payment system you are already using. If you’re starting from scratch, many web hosting businesses provide an e-commerce option that can take care of payment processing.
Your efforts will be in creating and obtaining content to place in your membership area. You don’t want your efforts to go into constantly monitoring when a registration has taken place and then emailing the subscriber membership access information. That part of the business should be automated. When a visitor registers and pays, the payment system should be able to generate a unique username and password and automatically email this information to the new member to provide that member with instant access.
A membership website isn’t difficult to create, and it can be a great source of extra revenue. If you’re well-versed in a topic – whether through your profession or a hobby – you’d be wise to consider distributing your knowledge by way of a members-only site.
Qualities of a Good Web Designer
Many “web designers†these days are actually graphic designers far more proficient in print media than web media. Sure, they will tell you that they are well versed in web design, and might even tell you that there is little difference between graphic design and web design. Sadly, most of them actually believe this. And therein lies the problem.
Web design is a wholly unique thing unto itself. The resolutions, color pallets, sizes, and layouts are entirely different between print and web. And the construction methods are completely different.
When dealing with print media, it is heavily graphic oriented. Often event the content of the print material is embedded in graphics, or special fonts. On the web of course, the exact opposite is true. A skilled web designer will know the idiosyncrasies of different operating systems and browsers versions. How the page code is built is the primary art when building a web page. It takes true skill, experience, and knowledge to build a page that looks attractive, is coded properly to load quickly and to be indexed well by search engines, and to display well on different browsers and OSs.
So what should you look for when trying to find a good web designer? To the uninformed this can be a rather tricky proposition. But with a little education and a few things to look for, you can minimize your risk.
In order to help you identify what to look for in a web designer, I have created the top 5 things to look for when searching for a web designer.
1. Ask to see examples of their past work (their portfolio). This is probably the most important. If the web designer in question cannot produce any past work, cannot produce any work that they did entirely on their own, or produce work that is questionably their own, then don’t be the guinea pig for this designer to cut their teeth on. When you look at their portfolio, do you like what you see? Do the designs look clean and professional? Is the layout effective? Is it easy to navigate and use the site? These are important qualities to look for.
2. Ask them how updates to the site will be made. For the most part you’ll be better off if you have the ability to update the website yourself through some sort of Content Management System (CMS), or other control panel type interface that you have access to. This will allow you to make changes to static content. If you will need to pay the designer every time you want to update some copy on the site, it will not only be more expensive for you, but you will most likely not be able to update your website in a timely manner.
3. A good web designer will be able to build the site using modern HTML and cascading style sheet techniques. Most people seeking out a good web designer will not have any real knowledge of these things. But if you ask them how they generate their HTML, and they tell you they are using some sort of software package to do it, then you’re probably not going to get very efficient HTML. This may or may not be a huge deal for your website, but it does separate the good designers from the rest of the crowd. Additionally, you will want to be sure that your designer is using cascading style sheets (CSS). If you ask them if they are using CSS and you get back a stare like a deer in the headlights, then you’re probably not dealing with someone who has a good grasp of how to properly build a web page. CSS allows a good designer to quickly make system-wide changes to a site by simply making a single change. This is critical to a professional, modern web design. Ideally you will find someone who is well versed in the most current web design standards and creates good HTML that will work in all modern browsers.
4. This criteria depends heavily upon what you are trying to accomplish with your website. These days you really don’t have a website if it doesn’t serve some sort of purpose, and actually DO something. The days of brochureware are long gone. So you need to determine what sort of features you want on your site. Do you need highly interactive features that might require Flash? Do you have highly specialized needs that will require custom programming? Will you be tracking or providing any information that will require a database? Will there be any users or security features? Will you require any e-commerce? This list could go on nearly forever. This is something you should have a good feel for going into your project. When you discuss your project with your web designer, is he or she able to give you the features you need? Can they recommend additional features, or offer interesting ways to solve your problems? If you’re looking to make your website functional and effective, you will want to work with someone who knows a thing or two about building designs for dynamic websites. If you need someone who can also provide the programming and development for your site, you will need to go through a whole new set of questions. But even if you’re simply looking for a design, if your site is dynamic and interactive, you will want to find a web designer that has knowledge and experience building good designs for these types of websites.
5. Lastly, you will want to make sure your website performs well. For the purposes of this discussion that will include page load time and search engine indexing. If you are visiting sites in your prospective web designer’s portfolio, and it seems to take longer than the average website does to load, that should raise some warning flags. This indicates that they probably aren’t using good HTML coding techniques, and even worse have given no consideration to the performance and user experience. It should be obvious to the designer that the page loads slowly. Perhaps they have overloaded it with graphics, or don’t understand how to properly prepare graphics for presentation on a web site. Additionally, tied to this, is how well the site is indexed. A good web designer will code the page in such a manner as to maximize the website’s content for search engine indexing. An experienced person could simply look at the web page source and determine this. But if you are not comfortable with that, you could try doing a few simple searches in some search engines. Are you able to find the website in a web search? Of course this varies based upon keyword competitiveness, how much marketing they have put into their site, the site’s age, etc. But that’s a whole new topic in itself.
These are just 5 guidelines that I would recommend to take into consideration when trying to find a good professional web designer. These are by no means the only criteria to consider, but as a web developer I find it appalling that some people claim to be a web designer just because they can create a good looking print document in Quark. I’m sure these people are very skilled at doing that. They just don’t understand the specifics of building a good web design. And I’ve had too many customers come to me with websites they overpaid for and were under delivered on.
So don’t be fooled by some graphic designer posing as a web designer. Even those that think they are a web designer because they have graphic design skills. Those are the most dangerous breed. And they will kill your website and your budget long before you even realize it.
Improve SEO for Joomla Using Link Building
Looking for a directory component or a reciprocal link exchange component for Joomla? JV-SE can act as both a directory and/or a link exchange component. Improve your SEO, rankings and mutually exchange traffic with link partners using JV-SE. Compatible with all major SEF components, JV-SE is template based and be configured to fit your website. JV-SE comes packed with 7 modules, 1 plugin and 1 component and can even help you in tracking outbound and incoming traffic between you and your link partners!
JV-ContentLinks is a link management Joomla extension using which can dynamically establish and draw links for key words or phrases in articles and blogs. Use this extension to manage all internal and external links in articles and blog posts in a central location, and also advertise keyword phrases in frontend articles and blogs and thus earn money from it. It provides subscriptions and payment options for your users and is integrated with paypal payment processing.
JV-LinkExchanger Basic Edition (JV-BE) is the entry level, non-commercial edition of JV-LinkExchanger, released under GNU GPLÂ and is absolutely FREE to download and use. This edition has all the elements required for a basic and successful link and banner exchange and is more of a working evaluation or showcase of what is in store in the more powerful and versatile JV-SE (Standard Edition).
Some of the significant features provided by the basic edition are, Link and banner exchange, reciprocal checks, one-way links, two-way exchanges, basic compatibility with almost all Joomla SEF extensions, directory organization, multiple directory layouts, approvals, notifications, reminders, link rating systems, image security for forms, website thumbnails, directory monetization, directory search, pagination, scheduled reciprocal link checks, highly configurable backend options etc…
JV-BE is also compatible with centralized link exchange (JV-CLE) service offered at JV-Extensions. The product can be dynamically integrated with centralized link exchange service at JV-Extensions with a subscription and a simple configuration.
All changes and new releases to the basic edition will be “Maintenance Releases” only. They will predominantly be bug fix releases, security releases, minor enhancements and minor version releases. The Basic edition will not be enhanced with new features, major enhancements or developments. All such major new features will be incorporated in the Standard Edition only.
V-LinkExchanger Standard Edition (JV-SE), is an advanced, professional and commercial edition of JV-LinkExchanger. Though named as a link exchange tool, this product can act both as a DIRECTORY or a LINK/BANNER EXCHANGE product. It is a very comprehensive product that provides directory features and link/banner exchange features for Joomla (1.0.x and 1.5.x legacy mode) powered websites.
It is very difficult to compare the Basic Edition and Standard Edition. Born out of the concept of basic edition, JV-SE has come such a long way with a huge number of major features added to it, that we feel the basic edition is just not at the same level to be compared with the Standard Edition. On a rough scale, JV-SE has more than 50+ features compared to JV-BE.
The Standard Edition provides the greatest number of features of any link/banner exchange and directory components for Joomla in the industry today and has always exceeded the expectations of all it’s users. JV-SE supports all SEF components and thus your directory will have user friendly URLs! JV-SE also comes packed with set of 7 modules and other supported extensions. So just place these module at the required places in your website and impress your visitors!
Niranjan, Managing Director
JV-Extensions, www.jv-extensions.com
Joomla link exchange simplified
Great Plains Development: Dexterity, Vba, Econnect, Sql – Highlights
Microsoft Dynamics GP, current version 10.0 as of June 2008 is pretty flexible platform if you are looking for modifications, custom modules programming, add-ons and extensions. As many mid-size ERP GP has multiple customizing tools and you have to get some excurse into each one of them to select the best in your situation. Before rushing into modifications overview, please think through the fact, that GP is owned and supported by Microsoft Dynamics subdivision (former Microsoft Business Solutions) and as such you should expect it to be tightly linked with such Microsoft technologies as .Net, MS SQL Server, MS Office, Sharepoint, SRS (or SQL Server Reporting Services). Plus, you should know the history of GP design – it was originally designed by Great Plains Software in earlier 1990th with popular shell IDE and programming language approach: Great Plains Dexterity (compare to SAP ABAP or Navision C/Side – shells were believed to resolve computer platform dependence). Now is the time to review:
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1.      Microsoft Dexterity. As we already mentioned this IDE was written in C programming language and so it is theoretically portable to any computer platform, however in practice Great Plains tried it one or couple of times (to translate Dexterity from Watcom C to Microsoft Visual C) 1998. Dexterity is virtually all-mighty in GP customization and programming, however it is not really simple language and tool to learn, if you do not have previous experience. We recommend Dex programming if your customization needs to be tightly integrated with GP interface and security realm. If this is not a concern, and what you are designing is rather integration with third database or product, then consider eConnect
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2.      eConnect. This is SDK with encrypted stored procedures and it has exposure to various development tools: SQL developer (obviously can call stored procs directly), MS Visual Studio C# or VB – you should do your pleasant research as programmer
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3.      VBA.  This customization option typically comes together with Modifier Module. In essence Modifier exposes GP screens as old-good-days OLE server. Modifier uses Dex forms, however it is not obvious to VBA developer, until he or she has to refer to GP objects descriptions: tables, forms, variables
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4.      SQL Stored Procedures. Theoretically SQL can do everything on the database level (obviously it is lacking user interface, comparing to GP fat client or Dexterity). If your objective is just integration routine, then, please review first GP Integration Manager and you do not find relevant functionality there (which is very unlikely event), go down to SQL scripting
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