Internet And Business Online – Dealing With Entitlement Issues

By: Scott Lindsay

Let’s face it; the web is filled with entitlement issues. For a few dollars a month we gain access to the world via an Internet connection. We want sports scores and we don’t want to wait for the sports networks on television to scroll their list, so we log on and get the score. We missed a portion of a television show we like so we log on and often find the program available to watch on demand.

We gain free access to online encyclopedias and dictionaries.

We play along with game shows and sit at the computer to find the answers before the contestant does.

We want to know more about the weather and a few clicks later we know.

We want the ratings on a car we’re thinking about buying and we find it online.

There is often one underlying prerequisite to our online perusal. We do not want to have to pay to get the information. This information is typically thought to come at no cost when we pay to log onto the Internet.

The entitlement issues have largely been managed by websites competing with other forms of media for your attention. If a site is brokering knowledge they will typically offset the expense by infusing Google AdSense Ads or other PPC or banner ads into the site thus allowing the visitor to have access to the information without the concern of payment.

Even fee-based sites generally have a free tier of service for anyone. A perk-filled membership is generally available at a modest price. If a visitor gains significant value from the free tier they may be inclined to purchase a membership if they feel the extended value is worth it.

Interestingly many sites that are entirely fee-based may struggle more than those with at least a most basic free tier of service.

Whether the mentality is correct or not the Internet has accommodated those who may have a feeling that the world owes them something. Obviously businesses online can’t give product away, but they can and are infusing their sites with information and free downloads that add incredible value at no cost to consumers. This strategy has become a primary component to improving trust between online business and potential consumer.

Websites are filled with free podcasts, video streams, game downloads, teaching materials, recipes, home improvement tips, garden development plans and information on virtually any subject you can think of.

To online businesses it may seem unfair to have to find alternative ways to fund free information and advice, especially when you may be used to being paid for the information you can provide.

In most cases the information provided is designed to work as part of a marketing strategy pointing visitors to products and services you make available. The knowledge-based content provides information that coincides with something you can offer the customer.

Since face-to-face connections are not easily managed online this strategy not only tackles the entitlement issue, but it is useful in developing a trusting relationship with those who do not easily pass on their trust.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_4069.shtml

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5 Powerful And Free Methods That I Use To Speed Up My PC

By: Mehmet Onatli

Many of my friends say that I am obsessed with techniques on how I can speed up my PC.

Whether I’m doing some work with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign all running at the same time, or whether I’m playing Gears of War while World of Warcraft in windowed mode is minimized, I always want my PC to perform as fast as possible. Yes, I am a speed junkie. I easily get frustrated with the slightest hint of a load time.

Hence, I am always on the lookout for ways to speed up my PC.

Here are 5 such methods that I use to speed up my PC and to ensure that it will always run at optimum performance with very minimal hiccups.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 1: Download The Latest Drivers

The physical components of your PC stay the same, unless you remove and replace them. But the software they run? They constantly change. The programs sold today will fall pale in comparison with the programs that will be made available next week. The websites we visit will evolve based on the internet technology that will be introduced.

And how are our systems supposed to cope up?

When I want to speed up my PC, the first thing I do is to download the latest drivers for the physical components of my rig. Graphic card, motherboard, modem… you name it, I download it! I make sure that nothing but the latest driver is installed in my system.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 2: Keep Your Registry Squeaky Clean

Does it take forever to boot up your system? Chances are, your registry is bogged down by useless leftover files from the programs you have installed, even if you have already uninstalled them.

Whenever I want to speed up my PC, I open my favorite registry cleaner to scan my system for some redundant, and sometimes harmful, leftover files. Then I let it do its thing, deleting the non-essential files whenever it could.

Reg cleaners really help speed up my PC, and there is no reason why they can’t help you speed up yours.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 3: Your System May Have Been Infected By Spyware And/Or Adware

Sometimes, slow boot up time and slow processing speed are caused by the infestation of spyware and/or adware in your system. Spyware and adware are forms of malware that surreptitiously find their way into your PC, often through the websites you visit or the email attachments you open.

If I am infected by spyware and/or adware and I want to speed up my PC, I simply open my most trusted spyware remover – Search & Destroy – a free utility that is powerful enough to wipe out all the known spyware and adware variations today.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 4: Scan For Viruses And Kill Them

Slow PCs may also be caused by viruses, the most popular of which are Trojans – wicked programs that keep hammering our systems their evil deeds.

There is only one way to determine the existence of a virus in your system, that is, by running a complete diagnostic scan using an anti-virus software. The best anti-virus software I can recommend is AVG, a free, open source program that is regularly updated with the latest virus descriptions which allows the program to run a really comprehensive examination of your system.

Thereafter, the anti-virus program will eliminate the threat and I’d be able to speed up my PC with no hassle at all.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 5: Defragment Regularly

One of the really under-appreciated features of a Windows-based PC is the Disk Defragmenter. Basically, the Disk Defragmenter will eliminate useless and redundant files in your entire system, not just your registry.

I swear to God, defragmenting your disk is THE best way to speed up my PC. Defragmenting may take a couple of hours or more, but the end result is very much worth it.

To access the Disk Defragmenter, go to START, then ALL PROGRAMS, then ACCESSORIES, then SYSTEM TOOLS, and voila! You’d be able to speed up your PC as efficiently as I can speed up my PC!

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_4081.shtml

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Benefits Of One Way Link Building Services

By: Derek Rogers

How can one way link building services help you and your business? In the world of internet marketing you probably already know by now that it is a tough and very competitive world out there. There are millions of websites, literally, and each one of them are trying to get customers just as you are. While not all are trying to get the same customers as you are, they are all trying to get customers. Now, your customer base will be a competitive field as well. You have other competition and they do want the same customers.

What can you do? There is a method called search engine optimization. This method is a host of techniques that work together to boost your ranking on the search engine and get your website noticed by your customer base, people searching for your keyword. Now, the problem is that other websites are trying for good ranking on the same keyword, at the same time. They too are trying to implement a good search engine optimization plan.

One method of search engine optimization is using one way link building services. Google uses many different elements to determine page rank. Links are extremely important to Google and the more links you have pointing to your website the better off you are. However, it is not always as easy as that. One way links are very difficult to get and maintain.

There are certain criteria that need to be met. First, these links must be of high quality. The links cannot be placed on link farms; this can actually hurt your page rank. The higher the quality of the page your link sits on, the better it is for your ranking. The links must also be from different websites. This means that each website your link is on, must come from an IP address different from all of the others.

Furthermore, the links must be permanent and one way. At one point in time, reciprocal links were the most common. You link to an important website and they link back to you. However, now a days more importance is placed on one way links than any other type.

Because this is hard to achieve, you can take many advantages of one way link building services. These services are offered by individuals or companies that are experienced in building one way links. They have access to websites that are high quality and accept one way links. Using these services can get your links on websites with high ranks on Google, which is ultimately important.

Provided that you use one way link building services that are reputable and experienced, you will find that your own rank increases and your customers have a better ability to find you and your services. One way links are just one method of search engine optimization that can help increase your popularity in the search engines and ultimately increase your traffic, sales, and income all at the same time, which is important to any business.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_4114.shtml

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The 7 Most Common Mistakes Using Packet-Sniffers

By: Barry Koplowitz

This article is also covered in a "The Sniffer Guy" podcast–available at http://www.interpathtech.com –and–through iTunes.

1) Believing the “Intelligence” of the Software without understanding how it makes determinations.

Software default settings are very seldom correct for YOU. For example, a device may say that a SQL server should respond in 50ms. But, if that device is across a WAN with a 200ms ping time–that is highly unlikely. This causes false SLOW SQL messages. This is only an example, but there are many such alerts and messages based on default "thresholds" within this type of software tool's configuration.

Particulars of your environment may create false alerts or other messages. The definitions of what is an “excessive” delay–latency–broadcasts, etc, are up to you–not the tool.

It's important for you to know the default settings driving alerts and messages. Then, ignore or alter those alerts that are not set best–for your enterprise. Altering them to make the appropriate settings for your enterprise is the best strategy. Too many false flags or alerts numb you into ignoring important ones or–cause you to make serious errors and incorrect decisions that can be Very Very expensive.

Properly used, those features can save enormous amounts of time and show things your own eye would likely miss.

2) Not understanding the Protocols used, such as TCP, HTTP, etc.

What good is a tool that tells you information about how a protocol is behaving if you do not understand the underlying technology? By this I mean the RFC's for the protocols that are relevent to your concerns.

—What is the impact of various protocols working differently for the same application doing the same transaction–in different locations?

—What is expected according to specs–and how is your trace file showing different–or less optimal behavior?

—Why would there be 2 TCP connections from one location and 10 from another–for the same application doing the same transaction?

This short article cannot answer all these questions–but it can show you the types of information that you will need to understand in order to make sense out of the data a trace file will show you. Know the protocols well. Deep understanding of TCP is the basic price of admission. While you may consider this a matter of skill sets, my point is that attempting to troubleshooting a problem with a packet-sniffer while not understanding the protocols is a mistake–and a common one. If you add this point to the first one listed–about not believing all the standard settings on tools–you find that the tool cannot answer anything for you by itself. You need to know what you are looking at. You are the analyst–the tool is just an aid.

3) Not understanding the layer 1 and layer 2 aspects of the topology you are sniffing.

Ethernet and all other topologies have many different specifications, which are altered or outright ignored by many switch or other network device manufactures. You must know the specs and how the hardware you are working with applies those specs–or doesn’t apply them. A classic example is Spanning Tree. There are IEEE specifications for Spanning-Tree but those specifications are just a model…not a law. Each manufacturer has tweaked it in order to create some proprietary advancement to give them a competitive advantage. Sometimes, those advances become the new spec. However, you need to know what is standard and how your equipment varies on that theme. What good is seeing the BPDU's in a trace file if you don't understand what they contain or how it relates to the problem at hand? Again, this may be looked at as a skill set issue but–expecting to solve critical problems with a packet-sniffer while not knowing this about your network is a mistake.

4) Uni-directional SPANs or Port Mirroring & Single-sided trace files.

Often the switch port used by a server you need to monitor is incapable of providing a bi-directional SPAN (Port Mirror). If so, you cannot get answers from such a trace as it will miss critical information. It can be an oversight by the Engineer doing the trace but sometimes it is simply not understood to be such a critical concern–and ignored. Either way, when you have a situation like this you need to bite the bullet and put in a Change Order to get it moved to a fully bi-directionally mirror-able port before any serious analysis can be done.

Here is a good example of why this is so. Picture a Client and a Server. The Server wants to end a specific TCP connection and keeps sending FIN's. Yet, we never see the Client send back a FIN ACK. We do see other traffic between them and know that there is connectivity. So, here are the questions:

–Are the FINs not arriving at the Client–or–is the Client receiving them and appropriately sending back the FIN ACK–which are not getting back successfully?

—-If so, then it is most likely a network issue.

–Are the FINs arriving successfully–but being ignored by the Client?

—If so, then it is mostly likely a Server or OS or Data Center issue.

These questions can not be answered with a trace file that only sees one side of the conversation. Two traces, sychronized, are needed to determine the answer to these questions.

5) Incorrect filters–either Capture or Display

An important concept here is that filters add nothing–they only remove–they only filter out. When you say that you are "filtering for" what you mean is that you are "filtering out" everything else. This isn't just semantics as understanding this perspective is critical to success.

Capture Filters:

Capture Filters are irreversible. If you filtered out something that you need to see–you just aren't going to see it. There is no second chance without running the test again.

Capture Filters determine what is allowed in the Capture Buffer. If the data is there to see–great. If you filtered what you need out–you can't change the filter after the fact. A very experienced Protocol Analyst may notice the problem by seeing anomalies that amount to the shadow of the missing data–but most will not be able to tell. And, of course, even if you can tell–you still have to re-test.

This might lead you to think that you should not use Capture Filters–and that is half true. If you don't really need them–don't use them. However, if you are drinking your packets out of the Fire Hydrant–you have no choice. Under those conditions the data will fill up your Capture Buffer is less than a single second.

Another point is that they should be consistent within a Test Design. If they vary too much, they will create false differences that can easily lead the Network and Application Performance Analyst or Protocol Analyst astray.

Monitor Filters:

Monitor Filters are forgiving. They work the same way–in that they filter out, not in. However, you can change your mind. The data is in the can (trace file) and it is only a matter of changing the filter to see what was filtered out the last time. Many times I am stumped and then have an idea–go back and change my Capture Filters–and bam! There is the answer. The point is–incorrect Monitor Filters will just as easily lead you astray–but you still have the opportunity to find your way back since the data is still there.

Again, this might leave you thinking to avoid Monitor Filters. Don't even consider it. Removing irrelevant packets is required to properly measure distinct conversations and search for anomalies. In fact, understanding proper filtering is what using the packet-sniffer software is all about.

6) Lack of understanding the Packet-Sniffer’s CURRENT settings

Monday, you created a Capture Filter and left it as the default. Friday you need to capture a trace file and click on Capture. Various people perform their roles in the test and you save the trace file. Everyone goes home, back to their main job function or to bed. Then you look at it and discover that you didn't realize that the old Capture Filter was still in effect! Why? You altered the Default Capture File instead of creating a new one. Your Trace File is useless.

Always remember to review ALL settings before beginning a test. Additionally, run a practice test to make sure all filters and setting are as they should be.

Sometimes the error you discover is that you were given an incorrect IP address and that you never would find what you are looking for from the IP address from which you are capturing packets. That is a GOOD finding. It means someone's diagram is incorrect. It also means you prevented a useless round of testing.

7) Lack of test controls.

Like any proper experiment, a performance or application test requires a control group and controlled data for all groups. If it was a pharmaceutical test you might have a group with a placebo. In our field we need to create a "BESTline" first. A "Bestline" is not a baseline.

Here is an example.

You have a Client in Singapore and a Server in New York City. The client is Singapore takes 40 milliseconds to execute a transaction and European clients only need 30 milliseconds. Singapore, although farther away, has a faster connection and is expected to get it done in the same time as Europe. What now? Take a BESTline. Use a client in New York City running the same transaction in the same way on similar equipment on the same server as the other two tests. You may discover that it still takes 25 milliseconds! This may due to various issues in the Data Center, Server or PC itself, 25 milliseconds is the fastest it goes!

This means that the first 25 milliseconds have nothing to do with the transport distance or speed. It DOESN'T mean that you have to accept those 25 milliseconds. There is a great deal that can be done about it. However, it is not the network and you now know you have to focus on the Server, PC, Data Center and other components.

Such controls are easy to do–yet seldom done. That common error results in many false leads and false errors as well as lost time and money.

There are many more common mistakes……but they are the topic of different articles on http://www.InterpathTech.com.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_4039.shtml

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Notebook / Laptop Memory (RAM) Upgrade In 5 Minutes Or Less

By: Christophe Catesson

This article is set up in two parts, one part about RAM overview and a second part about RAM upgrade. If you are curious on how the RAM works, you will find a detail summary that should give you all the information that you need to know about RAM, organization and speed. If you just want to read the how to upgrade section, move on directly to part two Upgrade your laptop ram in 5 minutes or less.

1 – RAM Overview

There are two big categories of random access memories:

* Dynamic memories (DRAM, Dynamic Random Access Module), not very costly. They are in most cases used for the central memory of the computer

* Static memories (SRAM, Static Random Access Module), quick and expensive. SRAM is notably used for cache memories of the processor

Functioning of the random access memory

The random access memory is constituted of hundred of thousand small condensers storing charges. When it is loaded, the logical state of the condenser is equal to 1, otherwise it belongs to 0, what means that every condenser represents one bit of memory.

Given that condensers off-load, it is always necessary to recharge them in a space of regular time called cycle of refreshment. Memory DRAM requires cycles of refreshment for instance (Ns) is about 15 nanoseconds.

Every condenser is coupled with a transistor allowing to "recover « or to change the state of the condenser. These transistors are lined up in form of matrix, that is they achieve a hut memory (so called memory) by a line and a column.

So, for a memory of type DRAM, the time of access is of 60 nanoseconds (35ns of delay of cycle and 25 ns of time of latency). On a computer, the time of cycle corresponds contrary to the frequency of the clock, for instance for a computer pulsated in 200 MHz, the time of cycle is 5 ns (1 / (200*106)).

As a result a computer having a frequency well brought up and using memories the time of access of which is much longer than the time of cycle of the processor must perform cycles of wait to access to the memory. In the case of a computer pulsated in 200 MHz using memories of types DRAM (which the time of access is of 60ns), there are 11 cycles of wait as a cycle of transfer. The performances of the computer are of as much diminished as there are cycles

Formats of Random Access Memory (RAM)

There are numerous types of random access memories. These all come in the form of barrettes of memory attachable on the motherboard.

* SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module): it is about printed circuits among which one of the faces has fleas of memory. There are two types of barrettes SIMM, according to the number of connector cables (30 or 72)

* DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Modulates) are from memories 64 bits, what explains why it is not necessary to match them. Barrettes DIMM have fleas of memory on both sides of printed circuit and have also 84 connector cables on each side, what endows them with a total of 168 brooches. They have bigger dimensions than barrettes SIMM (130×25mm).

* RIMM (Rambus Inline Memory Module, conscripts also RD-RAM or DRD-RAM) are from memories 64 bits developed by the society Rambus. They have 184 brooches. These barrettes have two notches of location (détrompeurs), avoiding very risk of confusion with the previous modules. Considering their well brought up speed of transfer, barrettes RIMM have a thermal film made responsible for ameliorating the clearing up of warmth. As in the case of DIMM, there are modules of smaller size, called SO RIMM (Small Outline RIMM), intended for laptop computers. Barrettes SO RIMM include only 160 brooches.

* DRAM (Dynamic RAM, dynamic RAM) is the type of memo most spread at the beginning of the millennium. It is about a memory from which transistors are lined up in a matrix according to lines and of columns. A transistor, coupled with a condenser gives the information of a bit. 1 byte consisting of 8 bits, a barrette of memory 256 Mb DRAM will contain 256 therefore * 2^10 * 2^10 = 256 * on 1024 * on 1024 = 268 435 456 bytes = 268 435 456 * 8 = 2 147 483 648 bits = 2 147 483 648 transistors. A 256 Mb barrette has so in reality a capacity of 268 435 456 bytes, that is 268 Mb! These are memories from which the time of access is 60 ns. On the other hand, accesses memory are made in general on data lined up consecutively in memory. So the mode of access in gust (burst mode) allows to achieve the three successive data in the first one without time of additional latency.

* DRAM FPM to speed up accesses to DRAM, there is a technology, called pagination consisting in achieving data located on the same column by changing the address of the line only, what allows to avoid the repetition of the number of column between the reading of each of the lines. They speak then about DRAM FPM (Fast Page Mode). FPM allows to acquire time of access in the order of 70 - 80 nanoseconds for a frequency of functioning that can go from 25 to 33 Mhz.

* DRAM EDO (Extended Data Out, Goes out of data ameliorated sometimes also called "hyper-page") appears in 1995. The technology used with this type of memory consists in addressing the following column during the reading of the data of a column. It creates an overlapping of accesses allowing to save time on every cycle. The time of access to memory EDO is therefore about 50 - 60 nanoseconds for a frequency of functioning going 33 - 66 Mhz. So, RAM EDO, when it is used in mode gust allows to acquire cycles of form 5-2-2-2, that is a benefit of 4 cycles on the access to 4 data. As much as memory EDO did not accept the upper frequencies in 66 Mhz, it disappeared in aid of SDRAM.

* SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM, translate synchronous RAM), appeared in 1997, allows a reading of data synchronized with the bus of the card-mother, contrary to memories EDO and FPM (qualified as asynchronous) having their own clock. SDRAM allows therefore to free itself from time of wait owed to synchronization with the card-mother. This one allows to acquire a cycle in mode gust of form 5-1-1-1, that is to say benefit of 3 cycles in comparison with RAM EDO. In that way SDRAM is able of working with a cadenza going until 150 Mhz, allowing him to acquire from time of access about 10 ns.

* DR-SDRAM (Direct Rambus DRAM or else RDRAM) is a type of memory allowing to transfer data on a bus of 16 wide bits to a cadenza of 800Mhz, what confers on him a band passer-by of 1,6 Go / s. As SDRAM, this type of memory is synchronized with the clock of the bus to ameliorate exchanges of data.

* DDR-SDRAM (Double Dated Miss SDRAM) is a memory based on technology SDRAM, allowing to double the rate of transfer of SDRAM with equal frequency. Reading or writing of data in memory am accomplished on the basis of a clock. Standard memory DRAM uses a method conscript SDR (Single Data Fails) consisting in reading or writing data in every forehead going up. DDR allows to double the frequency of reading / writings, with a clock pulsated in the same frequency, by sending data in every forehead going up, as well as in every downward forehead. Memory DDR has in general a commercial appellation of type PCXXXX where "XXXX " represent the debit side in Mb / s.

* DDR2 (or DDR-II) allows to attain twice as well brought up debit sides as DDR with equal external frequency. They speak about QDR (Quadruple Dated Fail or quad-pumped) to indicate the method of reading and used writing. Memory DDR2 uses in effect two channels separated for reading and for writing, so it is able of sending or of accepting twice more data than DDR.

2 - Upgrading Your Laptop RAM

upgrading a notebook memory is a specific simple process pending that you have the right RAM and are somewhat delicate.

There are different types of RAM, and you must choose the one that is compatible with your notebook computer. Memory is also a fragile, so you need to be very cautious when installing it. You should ensure that the laptop is turned off and disconnected from any exterior power supply. No lights should be visible.

It is a lot easier to install RAM on a laptop versus a desktop PC. Access to the memory slots is via a panel generally located in the bottom of the laptop. Once you have opened this panel with a small screwdriver you can see the existing memory. you can check the exact type of memory that your Notebook currently uses, because it is usually shown on the front of the memory strips and will be evident when you open up the memory panel.

The memory strips are generally locked in with small clips on the ends of the strips. To take out existing memory, simply flip the clips and then remove the memory strips gently from their holding place. If you are simply adding memory, and there is space available, just add the new memory, gently pushing it in to ensure it is fully seated in the slots, and then push the clips to hold the new memory in place.

Once you have replaced or added your Notebook computer memory, replace the access panel, and then screw the panel back in place. Lastly, power up the notebook, When the PC starts up, it will count the memory and tell you how much RAM is loaded on your laptop.

As long as you have right memory, the whole operation should take less than 5 minutes, you can then enjoy your faster, less crash prone laptop.

Article Source:
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Using Crm Software To Gain And Keep Clients

By: Dave Roth

Not all companies use CRM software, and companies that do use it often find that surprising. They know the benefits of the CRM software and how much it can do for their companies. They find that they can get more clients – and keep the ones they have – when they use it, as well. Naturally, keeping clients is vital. However, getting new ones is also something that needs to be done. By using CRM software, clients can be reassured. They are treated well, and they feel as though their opinion matters. Because of this, they often tell others of their experiences with a particular company. In doing so, word of mouth advertising spreads quickly. Those who hear about the quality of the company may then try it, and more clients will be gained.

The way that CRM keeps customers feeling secure, and the way that it brings in new ones through word of mouth work together to allow for a lot of help for companies. It is remarkable how many companies are now moving toward using this software. Generally, it is larger companies. However, this is not because CRM software is not good for smaller companies. Instead, it is because larger companies simply have more difficulty keeping track of their clients. They usually have a larger client base, and they also have more people who may need access to that information. For smaller companies, however, getting and using CRM software can be very beneficial. It enables them to be ready when they grow and their client base expands.

This is highly important for companies that feel as though they must continue to build the number of clients that they have. These companies want to be ready for whatever comes next, and this is a good idea, especially for smaller companies. Larger ones can also benefit , though, because they still want to gain new clients. Just because someone has a good client base, he or she usually still wants more. Clients come and go, and getting a steady flow of new ones will not only help the client base grow, but will also help to replace clients who may leave for various reasons. Even a good company will lose clients. This is often through no fault of their own. Clients may relocate. Some may pass away. Still others may find a better deal, a company closer to home, or something that they feel better about.

CRM software can be used for many different things. Most commonly it is used to store names and dates. However, there are many other things it can do. Companies use it to keep track of their client’s purchases and returns. It is also often used to remind salespeople of important appointments and to ensure that they do not forget their clients. This can mean sending out anniversary and birthday cards, returning phone calls more promptly, and handling many other areas of life that are important to business interactions. Overall, using CRM software is one of the best choices that a company can make.

Article Source:
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Web 2.0 And Why You Shouldn\'t Fake Reviews

By: Simon Dance

The latest offering from Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares aired on Channel 4 last night, followed the somewhat disastrous adventures of ex-boxer Mike and his wife Caron Ciminera as they struggled to run the Fish & Anchor, a restaurant in Lampeter, West Wales. Whilst the couple's arguing appeared to better the food they were originally sending out (a mix of jarred sauces and home cook book trophy dishes) they did let slip on a fantastically poor bit of black hat optimisation, which I hope made all white hat SEOs laugh out loud.

If there was one lesson to take away from the show, it would be - Don't fake reviews!

In order to gauged the feeling of the local community for the failing restaurant come sports bar, Ramsay conducted a search on Google for the Fish & Anchor, to which he was presented with a range of reviews, two of which were rather suspiciously from a character calling himself Michael or Mike Burns.

On the Wales portal of the BBC website Burns had posted "Well i don't get excited about food too often, and having dined in Rick Stein's, and Gordon Ramsay's,I think i have found a better restaurant in West Wales". On the SugarVine website he also posted "what a fantastic restaurant for couples, and families. it seems to have everything, the food has to be the best i have eaten (home or abroad) this place will go far". Other online reviews echoed what has already been said, but with the dire state of the restaurant, its food, its reputation and its perception from both the local community and Ramsay itself, would it not be right to question who was telling the truth?

The restaurateur confessed to posting the reviews, his rational pointing to stimulating custom, however with any reactive strategy it requires a degree of foresight - and I am not sure he really thought through the wider ramification of posting these "inaccurate" reviews.

Firstly, a warning must be expressed. For example, if someone finds your restaurant or hotel via a positive (fake) review and they have a bad experience, there is a chance that they will post a true review to assist fellow users and generally have a rant. The initial seeding of this true review has the potential to lead to an onslaught of further reviews from other visitors who might not have otherwise posted. Don't forget the saying "people don't lead… they follow".

But how can you manage your reviews and ultimately what your customers are saying about you? Well first and foremost, address the problem(s)!

You wouldn't put a sticking plaster on a gun shot wound, so why think that a positive review about the quality of your food or the softest of your sheets is going to counteract the adversities of your customer service?

The customer is king, a point stressed by Ramsay, and one that should ring true for any business, after all, without them, where would we be?

By rectifying or at least making plans to manage any failings within your business, regardless of its size, will be the first step in managing your online reputation, but this is an area I will not going into comprehensive detail for this post. Instead, I will offer some simply pointers as to how to harness online reviews for good.

Sites like Trip Advisor, which boasts over 10,000,000 user generated reviews of various hotels, holidays and restaurants is gaining increasing weighting as an resource for honest and unbiased review and via its system of community recommendation it really has the power to drive custom, and in many instances, divert customer - the key factor being positive, and consistent reviews.

But if you do run a successful hotel or restaurant and wish to harness these social spaces, but wish to do so in a more ethical way than that demonstrated in Kitchen Nightmares than why not encourage your diners of hotel guests to post a review after their stay.

When the customer is paying their bill or even booking their hotel room why not take their email address, or even ask them to submit their business card in return for entry into a monthly prize draw for a free meal in the restaurant?

In addition to building up a client database by collecting this data - for use in promotional mailings including notifying customers of events, promotional and the launch of a new menu - you can also harness it to stimulate online reviews by dropping your customers a short email after their stay / meal, which might look something like the following example…

"Good afternoon Simon, and thank you very much for your booking at the Leapfrogg Restaurant, we hope you had an enjoyable meal.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our food and our attentive staff however we're always striving to enhance and improve what we do, and as such we would appreciate you taking two minutes of your time to write a review for us at Trip Advisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com), a free travel guide and research website that allows users to post review and ratings.

Your comments are important to us, and will be used to improve the Leapfrogg restaurant.

Thank you very much for your time and we look forward to welcoming you again to the Leapfrogg restaurant in the near future.

Sincerely,

A Restaurateur

Leapfrogg restaurant

Brighton

Tel: 01273 669 450"

Of course, many of your requests will be ignored, but providing you are personal in your emails (a point we at Leapfrogg have mentioned previously in this blog) then you are more likely to get a response, and even if you only have a 5% success rate, this is still 5% of valuable customer feedback.

A point to which I will conclude this article is one which has stuck with me from London's SMX, and one that I will most certainly be repeating from here on out is that "Yesterday's news no longer wraps today's fish and chips". Online news and online content, including user generated reviews do not simply get binned like a newspaper at the end of the day, but they remain live, and can even appear within the search results for a brand keyword search… so isn't it worth paying attention to what your customers are saying?

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_4129.shtml

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How to Clean your Mouse

By: Ray Geide

If your mouse is working sluggishly or not at all, don't go out and buy another cheap mouse. The cause is probably just a dirty mouse. A quick cleaning could fix the problem.

First, you need to identify which kind of mouse you have. If you turn your mouse over and part of a ball is showing, you have a ball mouse. If you see a lens, you have an optical or laser mouse. Each type of mouse requires a different type of cleaning.

The optical or laser mouse does not need to be cleaned near as often as the ball mouse, but it and the surface it runs on can still get dirty. If you do not clean the surface that the mouse moves on, it will soon turn black. So about once a month or so, wipe the surface off with a wet rag. The lens probably never will get dirty, but if it does, take a soft cloth, cotton swab, or q-tip wetted with window cleaner or alcohol and clean the lens.

The ball mouse may need cleaning quite often, so you should get well acquainted with the following cleaning procedure. The dirtier the ball mouse gets, the harder it is to get it to move the cursor on the screen smoothly. If you have to move the mouse across the mouse pad several times to get the cursor to move halfway across the screen, it needs to be cleaned.

The mouse does not need to be disconnected to clean it, but you should close all of the programs that are running, so that you don't accidentally click on something and mess it up. If you do decide to disconnect the mouse, be sure to turn off the computer first. The mouse cord should never be unplugged from the computer while it is running. Doing so could ruin your motherboard.

Turn the ball mouse over and find the cover that holds the ball in. Look for arrows on the cover to show which way it needs to be turned. Place two fingers on the cover and push in the direction of the arrows. Once the cover has been turned about an inch, cover it with your hand and turn the mouse back over to the upright position. The ball and cover should fall into your hand. If it doesn't, shake the mouse gently.

Wipe the ball off with a wet rag.

Now look in the ball well and find the three rollers. Start by cutting across the buildup on the rollers with your fingernail (a knife or steel dental pick may also be used gently), then turn the roller and remove the buildup as you go along. If you do this correctly, you will end up with one curled strip of buildup for each roller. Make sure to remove the buildup from the well. If it falls inside somewhere, blow and gently shake it until it comes out.

Take a wet rag and clean each of the rollers by wiping across it, then turning it and wiping again. Continue until the entire roller is cleaned. Put the ball back in the ball well and lock the cover back in place.

If the mouse still has problems once it is assembled, try cleaning it again. If that doesn't work, you may need to buy a new mouse.

It is a good idea to regularly clean the surface that the mouse is on because the cleaner the surface, the less dirt will get inside the mouse and the less often you will have to clean it.

If your mouse is shared by many people (especially if one of them is sick), you may want to disinfect the top of the mouse between users.

Follow these instructions and your mouse will be up and darting again in no time.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_4125.shtml

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The Battle of the Browsers – The History and the Future of Internet Browsers

By: Nicholas C Smith

With Internet Explorer 8 now available, can Microsoft hope to retain market dominance over fierce open source rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox or the feature packed Opera web browser. Can history give us a clue to what the future of web browsers/browsing might hold? How did Netscape Navigator go from having a dominant 89.36% market share of all web browsers in 1996 and yet only 3.76% by mid 1999?

Let us take a journey that will begin long before even the intellectual conception of Internet Explorer, that will glance at its long defeated rivals, examine the current browsers available and will end with a prediction of what the future of browsing will offer us – and which browser(s) will still be around to offer it.

People often think that Internet Explorer has been the dominant web browser since the golden age of the internet began. Well for a very long time now it has indeed been the most popular browser and at times been almost totally unrivalled. This was mainly a result of it being packaged free with Microsoft Windows, in what some would later call a brutal monopolisation attempt by Microsoft. The last few years however have heralded the arrival of new, possibly superior browsers. Mozilla's Firefox has been particularly successful at chipping away at Explorers market dominance. So where did it all begin, and why were Microsoft ever allowed to have a hundred percent market dominance?

Origins

The truth is they never did have total dominance, but at times they have come very close. Microsoft actually entered the Browser Battle quite late on. Infact a man named Neil Larson is credited to be one of the originators of internet browsers, when in 1977 he created a program – The TRS-80 - that allowed browsing between “sites” via hypertext jumps. This was a DOS program and the basis of much to come. Slowly other browsers powered by DOS and inspired by the TRS 80 were developed. Unfortunately they were often constricted by the limitations of the still fairly young internet itself.

In 1988, Peter Scott and Earle Fogel created a simple, fast browser called Hytelnet, which by 1990 offered users instant logon and access to the online catalogues of over five thousand libraries around the world – an exhilarating taste of what the internet, and web browsers, would soon be able to offer.

In 1989 the original World Wide Web was born. Using a NeXTcube computer, Tim Berners-Lee created a web browser that would change how people used the internet forever. He called his browser the WorldWideWeb(http://www., which is still likely to sound familiar to internet users today. It was a windowed browser capable of displaying simple style sheet, capable of editing sites and able to download and open any file type supported by the NeXTcube.

In 1993 the first popular graphical browser was released. Its name was Mosaic and it was created by Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina. Mosaic could be run on both Unix, and very importantly, on the highly popular Microsoft Windows operating system (incidentally it could also be used on Amiga and Apple computers). It was the first browser on Windows that could display graphics/pictures on a page where there was also textual content. It is often cited as being responsible for triggering the internet boom due to it making the internet bearable for the masses. (It should be noted that the web browser Cello was the first browser to be used on Windows – but it was non graphical and made very little impact compared to Mosaic).

The Browser Wars - Netscape Navigator versus Internet Explorer

Mosaic's decline began almost as soon as Netscape Navigator was released (1994). Netscape Navigator was a browser created by Marc Andreessen, one of the men behind Mosaic and co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation. Netscape was unrivalled in terms of features and usability at the time. For example, one major change from previous browsers was that it allowed surfers to see parts of a website before the whole site was downloaded. This meant that people did not have to wait for minutes simply to see if the site they were loading was the actual one the were after, whilst also allowing them to read information on the site as the rest of it downloaded. By 1996 Netscape had almost 90% market dominance, as shown below.

Market Share Comparisons of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer from 1996 to 1998

………………..Netscape…….IE

October 1998……….64%………32.2%

April 1998…………70%………22.7%

October 1997……….59.67%……15.13%

April 1997…………81.13%……12.13%

October 1996……….80.45%……12.18%

April 1996…………89.36%…….3.76%

In these two years Netscape clearly dominated the internet browser market, but a new browser named Internet Explorer was quickly gaining ground on it.

Microsoft released their own browser (ironically based on the earlier Mosaic browser which was created by one of the men now running Netscape), clearly worried about Netscape's dominance. It was not so much the worry that it would have a 100% market share of internet browsers on their Windows operating system, but more the worry that browsers would soon be capable of running all types programs on them. That would mean foregoing the need for an actual operating system, or at the most only a very basic one would be needed. This in turn would mean Netscape would soon be able to dictate terms to Microsoft, and Microsoft were not going to let that happen easily. Thus in August 1995, Internet Explorer was released.

By 1999 Internet explorer had captured an 89.03% market share, whilst Netscape was down to 10.47%. How could Internet Explorer make this much ground in just two years? Well this was down to two things really. The first, and by far the most important was that Microsoft bundled Internet Explorer in with every new copy of Windows, and as Windows was used by about 90% of the computer using population it clearly gave them a huge advantage. Internet Explorer had one other ace it held over Netscape – it was much better. Netscape Navigator was stagnant and had been for some time. The only new features it ever seemed to introduce were often perceived by the public as beneficial for Netscape's parent company rather than Netscape's user base. (i.e., features that would help it monopolise the market). Explorer, on the other hand, was given much attention by Microsoft. Regular updates and excellent usability plus a hundred million dollar investment would prove too much for Netscape Explorer.

2000 – 2005

These years were fairly quiet in the Battle of the Browsers. It seemed as if Internet Explorer had won the war and that nobody could even hope to compete with it. In 2002/2003 it had attained about 95% of the market share – about the time of IE 5/6. With over 1000 people working on it and millions of dollars being poured in, few people had the resources to compete. Then again, who wanted to compete? It was clearly a volatile market, and besides that everybody was content with Internet Explorer. Or were they? Some people saw faults with IE – security issues, incompatibility issues or simply bad programming. Not only that, it was being shoved down peoples throats. There was almost no competition to keep it in line or to turn to as an alternative. Something had to change. The only people with the ability and the power to compete with Microsoft took matters into their own hands.

Netscape was now supported by AOL. A few years prior, just after they had lost the Browser Wars to Microsoft, they had released the coding for Netscape into the public domain. This meant anybody could develop their own browser using the Netscape skeleton. And people did. Epiphany, Galeon and Camino, amongst others, were born out of Netscape's ashes. However the two most popular newcomers were called Mozilla and Firefox.

Mozilla was originally an open sourced project aimed to improve the Netscape browser. Eventually it was released as Netscape Navigator 7 and then 8. Later it was released as Mozilla 1.0.

Mozilla was almost an early version on another open source browser, Firefox. With it being an open source the public were able to contribute to it - adding in what features it needed, the programming it required and the support it deserved. The problems people saw in Internet Explorer were being fixed by members of the open sourced browser community via Firefox. For instance, the many security issues IE 6 had were almost entirely fixed in the very first release of Firefox. Microsoft had another fight on their hands.

2005 – Present

Firefox was the browser that grew and grew in these years. Every year capturing an even larger market share percentage than before. More user friendly than most of its rivals along with high security levels and arguably more intelligent programming helped its popularity. With such a large programming community behind it, updates have always been regular and add on programs/features are often released. It prides itself on being the peoples browser. It currently has a 28.38% market share.

Apple computers have had their own browser since the mid 1990's – Safari - complete with its own problems, such as (until recently) the inability to run Java scripts. However most Apple users seemed happy with it and a version capable of running on Windows has been released. It has had no major competitor on Apple Macs, and as such has largely been out of the Browser Wars. It currently holds a 2.54% market share and is slowly increasing.

Internet Explorer's market share has dropped from over 90% to around 75%, and is falling. It will be interesting to see what Microsoft will attempt to regain such a high market share.

Opera currently holds 1.07%.

Mozilla itself only has a 0.6% market share these days.

The Future of Web Browsing

Web browsers come and go. It is the nature of technology (if such a term can be used), to supplant inferior software in very short periods of time. It is almost impossible for a single company to stay ahead of the competition for long. Microsoft have the advantage of being able to release IE with any Windows using PC. That covers over 90% of the market. They also have the advantage of unprecedented resources. They can compete how they wish for as long as they wish. So there is no counting IE out of the future of web browsing.

Safari is in a similar position, being easily the most popular Mac web browser. Its long term survival is dependant upon Apple and the sale of their computers.

These are the only two browsers that are almost guaranteed another five years of life, at least. Firefox may seem like another candidate, but the public is fickle, and one bad release, or if it seriously lags behind the new Internet Explorer 8 for long, could easily see its popularity quickly descend into virtual oblivion.

However, it seems likely community driven browsers, such as Mozilla and Firefox, will be the only types of browser capable of competing with the wealthy internet arm of Microsoft in the near future.

As for web browsing itself, will it change any time soon? Well it already has for some online communities. For example, if you want to buy clothes you could try entering an online 'world' creating an online virtual You to go from 'shop to shop' with, looking at products and trying/buying what you see. Some 'worlds' allow you to recreate yourself accurately including weight and height and then try on things apparel such as jeans to give you an idea of how you would look in that particular item.

Will 'worlds' like this destroy normal web browsers such as IE ? - It seems unlikely. Traditional web browsers provide such freedom and ease of access that it is hard to see any other alternative taking over. However they are part of the new, 'thinking out of the box' wave of alternatives that some people will find attractive, and really who knows what the future will bring.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_4137.shtml

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Benefits Of One Way Link Building Services

By: Derek Rogers

How can one way link building services help you and your business? In the world of internet marketing you probably already know by now that it is a tough and very competitive world out there. There are millions of websites, literally, and each one of them are trying to get customers just as you are. While not all are trying to get the same customers as you are, they are all trying to get customers. Now, your customer base will be a competitive field as well. You have other competition and they do want the same customers.

What can you do? There is a method called search engine optimization. This method is a host of techniques that work together to boost your ranking on the search engine and get your website noticed by your customer base, people searching for your keyword. Now, the problem is that other websites are trying for good ranking on the same keyword, at the same time. They too are trying to implement a good search engine optimization plan.

One method of search engine optimization is using one way link building services. Google uses many different elements to determine page rank. Links are extremely important to Google and the more links you have pointing to your website the better off you are. However, it is not always as easy as that. One way links are very difficult to get and maintain.

There are certain criteria that need to be met. First, these links must be of high quality. The links cannot be placed on link farms; this can actually hurt your page rank. The higher the quality of the page your link sits on, the better it is for your ranking. The links must also be from different websites. This means that each website your link is on, must come from an IP address different from all of the others.

Furthermore, the links must be permanent and one way. At one point in time, reciprocal links were the most common. You link to an important website and they link back to you. However, now a days more importance is placed on one way links than any other type.

Because this is hard to achieve, you can take many advantages of one way link building services. These services are offered by individuals or companies that are experienced in building one way links. They have access to websites that are high quality and accept one way links. Using these services can get your links on websites with high ranks on Google, which is ultimately important.

Provided that you use one way link building services that are reputable and experienced, you will find that your own rank increases and your customers have a better ability to find you and your services. One way links are just one method of search engine optimization that can help increase your popularity in the search engines and ultimately increase your traffic, sales, and income all at the same time, which is important to any business.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/computers_and_internet/article_4114.shtml

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