Some people are worried about their information being taken away, or copied of the Internet. However, most of us know that no matter what you do, your picture can still be copied. Anyway, to put up the first barrier, go to http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/dhtml/article.php/3470591
Hope this is useful..:)
Friday, May 18, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Flash Plugin
Problem Scenario
Basically, i was working on a client's site. We have incorporated a flash banner into the site. Though we were able to see in IE, we saw that it was missing from Fire Fox. Feeling something wrong, my client called me. i was shocked though cos the project was handled by my colleague.
Nonetheless, when i looked through the quote, i didn't understand why but saw what happened.
Solution
Well, I couldn't put the script here... guess i am still a dummy in IT. So just go to www.grain-shipping.com to see the script.
Well, at least thats the way i did it...:)
Basically, i was working on a client's site. We have incorporated a flash banner into the site. Though we were able to see in IE, we saw that it was missing from Fire Fox. Feeling something wrong, my client called me. i was shocked though cos the project was handled by my colleague.
Nonetheless, when i looked through the quote, i didn't understand why but saw what happened.
Solution
Well, I couldn't put the script here... guess i am still a dummy in IT. So just go to www.grain-shipping.com to see the script.
Well, at least thats the way i did it...:)
Monday, April 9, 2007
The Information Business
The business of information is all around you. You might not even be aware of all the different forms of information that are being sold every minute of every day. All the self help books from dieting to spiritual enlightenment are an information product. Many CD’s, DVD’s and even TV shows are information products. The gardening shows and home remodeling programs on TV are info products. As you can see, the information business is big business. It’s also one of the easiest businesses a person could start.
Starting an information business is a way to provide economic security in a world full of uncertainties. One of the most common obstacles to starting a new business is cost. The information business offers a low cost way to start a business that may grow into a multimillion dollar empire.
The information business is more about business than it is about the information. The way the business of information works is the same as most businesses, by trying to make a customer into a lifelong customer by offering them a great product at a fair price. The product is what makes starting a business of information so attractive. The product is a book of information that can be free to produce and can be sold over and over in many different formats and for many years.
The key is in the marketing.
If writing is not your forte you could find the information and compile it yourself and sell the information as a book compiled by you. The internet is so full of junk it is hard to find useful information. If you do this for the customer you will have built a book with value to the customer without ever having to write a word of it. There are many books on the market that are compilations. A book of quotations or an interview are both compilations.
If you are willing to invest a bit more into your company you may buy the reseller rights to many books. Authors are often eager to license their works for a royalty or sell them outright for a flat fee. These authors are clearly more interested in writing than in running an information business. If you are one of these authors here are companies online that will sell your books for you for either a small monthly fee or will take a small percentage of total sales. So you have an option of being an author or a business owner.
The book you write, buy or compile is the start of a lifelong project so be sure you have an interest about the subject manner. Later on you may write another book of a similar topic that you can also build into your business. You may decide to offer classes and seminars. Or develop software or a CD/ROM that will mesh nicely with your project. All of this potential is at your disposal once you write your first book.
Starting an information business is a way to provide economic security in a world full of uncertainties. One of the most common obstacles to starting a new business is cost. The information business offers a low cost way to start a business that may grow into a multimillion dollar empire.
The information business is more about business than it is about the information. The way the business of information works is the same as most businesses, by trying to make a customer into a lifelong customer by offering them a great product at a fair price. The product is what makes starting a business of information so attractive. The product is a book of information that can be free to produce and can be sold over and over in many different formats and for many years.
The key is in the marketing.
If writing is not your forte you could find the information and compile it yourself and sell the information as a book compiled by you. The internet is so full of junk it is hard to find useful information. If you do this for the customer you will have built a book with value to the customer without ever having to write a word of it. There are many books on the market that are compilations. A book of quotations or an interview are both compilations.
If you are willing to invest a bit more into your company you may buy the reseller rights to many books. Authors are often eager to license their works for a royalty or sell them outright for a flat fee. These authors are clearly more interested in writing than in running an information business. If you are one of these authors here are companies online that will sell your books for you for either a small monthly fee or will take a small percentage of total sales. So you have an option of being an author or a business owner.
The book you write, buy or compile is the start of a lifelong project so be sure you have an interest about the subject manner. Later on you may write another book of a similar topic that you can also build into your business. You may decide to offer classes and seminars. Or develop software or a CD/ROM that will mesh nicely with your project. All of this potential is at your disposal once you write your first book.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
What is IT?
IT, aka, Information Technology, is what I think the technology that is invented or created to share information.
What do I mean? Well, since very very long ago, our ancestors have already started the evolution of IT. The cavemen for example, they have use stones and other sharp materials, using the cave interior as a canvas, to carve out interesting chain of thoughts or happenings to dictate what happened during their era. Though unable to communicate using what commonly known as words, they transfered information using what they could do. To them, using sharp objects to carve on walls, was a technology in itself.
Then came other forms of interesting technologies. Such using bamboos, rocks, cloth, wood plank, sand, granite, etc as canvas, and inventing different types of writing materials to curve, chip or carve out symbols and pictorial equivalents to demonstrate a point.
And after so much evolution, we are using computers over Internet, to share our vital information. We are a lucky bunch of people, I feel, at least if we really want to write something, we do not have to look for chipping tools to share them. IT, it is GREAT.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
When using Adwords.
Today, when I tried to log into my Google Adwords account, I found that my ads has stopped delivery. Puzzled, I went to the MCC learning center and click help to go through what happened.
To my surprise, this was due to my credit card being declined. I am very surprised and went to see how much did I owe that I was not able to pay via my card. interestingly, it was only 10 bucks. and the non payment was for an invoice that Google was supposed to give me to credit back the $10 for my activation. So, becos Google cannot credit my credit card, it gave the standard answer - Credit Card declined. Ad delivery Stopped.
Hence, i emailed the help people and waited. After 1 day, everything went to normal, but no email from Google. Anyway, it auto solved.
I think this problem was caused becos I didn't spend more than $10, activation fee, hence when Google wanted to correct the balance amount, it couldn't and that somewhat caused their system to malfunction.
Bottomline, start your ads immediately after you have activated your account. :)
To my surprise, this was due to my credit card being declined. I am very surprised and went to see how much did I owe that I was not able to pay via my card. interestingly, it was only 10 bucks. and the non payment was for an invoice that Google was supposed to give me to credit back the $10 for my activation. So, becos Google cannot credit my credit card, it gave the standard answer - Credit Card declined. Ad delivery Stopped.
Hence, i emailed the help people and waited. After 1 day, everything went to normal, but no email from Google. Anyway, it auto solved.
I think this problem was caused becos I didn't spend more than $10, activation fee, hence when Google wanted to correct the balance amount, it couldn't and that somewhat caused their system to malfunction.
Bottomline, start your ads immediately after you have activated your account. :)
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Basics of Basics on Website design
Remember when I started on doing web design for people, I am rather baffled or rather stunned by the so many different types of websites that are available in the world. For any keyword search in Yahoo, or Google, you will see more than a few million sites, or URLs.
It was like a million different things that appear in front of me per hit. Talk about information overload.
Then, gradually, after looking through tons of sites and doing a few on my own, I come to understand that there are 3 general categories of Website.
1. Informative websites
Informative websites are the most boring sites in the Internet. With only a goal of transfer information to it users, this type of websites do little interaction with its users. At most, it has an enquiry form that captures users' data for enewsletter or feedback. Other than that, it is just a large book online for people to know more about a certain company. some examples would be: www.gov.sg or www.nlb.gov.sg
2. eCommerce websites
Yes, most websites are for commerce, and hence ecommerce sites. But the sites I mean here actually means, websites that has a shopping cart that allows the users to buy from the site. www.ebay.com.sg maybe one of such sort. This type of site is more interesting than informative sites as it allows users to interact with the site. And it provides information for the users to make decision online too. So in a way, it encomposes the functions of informative websites and empowers it with a transaction module.
3. eCommunity Websites
These sites are interesting sites to build communities. Forums and sorts, can be one of them. Full interactions are available on such sites. People connect to each other while connecting to the website. People can buy and sell to each other or people can buy from the website. Such interesting sites maybe www.amazon.com
4. Search Engines
These type of websites are the prime sites currently in the market. Google and Yahoo, the major players in the market are reaping in millions basing on a search engine platform. Other than these, msn.com and a few thousand more are found around the world.
Well, I think that is about it. Do remember if you need to do any of the above sites, you need to know their variations, how it suits your needs and your budget.
It was like a million different things that appear in front of me per hit. Talk about information overload.
Then, gradually, after looking through tons of sites and doing a few on my own, I come to understand that there are 3 general categories of Website.
1. Informative websites
Informative websites are the most boring sites in the Internet. With only a goal of transfer information to it users, this type of websites do little interaction with its users. At most, it has an enquiry form that captures users' data for enewsletter or feedback. Other than that, it is just a large book online for people to know more about a certain company. some examples would be: www.gov.sg or www.nlb.gov.sg
2. eCommerce websites
Yes, most websites are for commerce, and hence ecommerce sites. But the sites I mean here actually means, websites that has a shopping cart that allows the users to buy from the site. www.ebay.com.sg maybe one of such sort. This type of site is more interesting than informative sites as it allows users to interact with the site. And it provides information for the users to make decision online too. So in a way, it encomposes the functions of informative websites and empowers it with a transaction module.
3. eCommunity Websites
These sites are interesting sites to build communities. Forums and sorts, can be one of them. Full interactions are available on such sites. People connect to each other while connecting to the website. People can buy and sell to each other or people can buy from the website. Such interesting sites maybe www.amazon.com
4. Search Engines
These type of websites are the prime sites currently in the market. Google and Yahoo, the major players in the market are reaping in millions basing on a search engine platform. Other than these, msn.com and a few thousand more are found around the world.
Well, I think that is about it. Do remember if you need to do any of the above sites, you need to know their variations, how it suits your needs and your budget.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Search Engine Optimization
There have been people asking if I am able to help them optimize their website for them. And the numbers seems to increasing by the month especially this year. This set me thinking what is so great about search engine optimization?
What is search engine optimization anyway? one might ask.
Well search engine optimization, by my definition, is a way for designing your website such that it can be easily search via the search engines. And when I say search engines, it does not mean the big names like Yahoo or Googles. It can be for smaller, unheard of search engines that are gathered in the world too. So, after optimization, the sites ranking may be high in one search engine but not in another.
Anyway, back to the point of what is so great about search engine optimization? To me, it is a good avenue for making money, no doubt. As each SEO project might cost between 3k to 10k, depending on the coding that the website is written and what are the keywords that the clients might want. But don't jump into this market because I said that it is good money.
To me, SEO is interesting and letting websites have higher ranking does poses its challenge and gives a certain satisfaction. However, to be honest, I rejected quite a few people who wants to do SEO. Not because they don't have the budget, but because they don't know what they want for their site and they demanded traceable results.
Some people will now be screaming, "then show them the results", but other than showing high ranked search results for certain keywords, what can be shown? Higher Alexa ranking? Better Hit counters? Is that it? No no, the client wants a certain ROI. Which honestly speaking, I do not know how to provide. SEO is a better coding of the website, which the web designer should have already done when the client was going through the website with them.
Us, being second hand, can only do so much. and when the results cannot be clearly stated, I rather not earn the money but go into more traceable methods...
Sorry if I do not sound straight thoughts today, cos I am not feeling well and just want to get this off my chest...:)
What is search engine optimization anyway? one might ask.
Well search engine optimization, by my definition, is a way for designing your website such that it can be easily search via the search engines. And when I say search engines, it does not mean the big names like Yahoo or Googles. It can be for smaller, unheard of search engines that are gathered in the world too. So, after optimization, the sites ranking may be high in one search engine but not in another.
Anyway, back to the point of what is so great about search engine optimization? To me, it is a good avenue for making money, no doubt. As each SEO project might cost between 3k to 10k, depending on the coding that the website is written and what are the keywords that the clients might want. But don't jump into this market because I said that it is good money.
To me, SEO is interesting and letting websites have higher ranking does poses its challenge and gives a certain satisfaction. However, to be honest, I rejected quite a few people who wants to do SEO. Not because they don't have the budget, but because they don't know what they want for their site and they demanded traceable results.
Some people will now be screaming, "then show them the results", but other than showing high ranked search results for certain keywords, what can be shown? Higher Alexa ranking? Better Hit counters? Is that it? No no, the client wants a certain ROI. Which honestly speaking, I do not know how to provide. SEO is a better coding of the website, which the web designer should have already done when the client was going through the website with them.
Us, being second hand, can only do so much. and when the results cannot be clearly stated, I rather not earn the money but go into more traceable methods...
Sorry if I do not sound straight thoughts today, cos I am not feeling well and just want to get this off my chest...:)
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Firefox Can "See" What IE Cannot
Problem Scenario
A client called me the other day and started to panic as he was not able to see his website on his Mac. I thought, well another mac user... anyway, it was a big deal as the entire website was unable to load! only the background can be seen. I immediately turned on my PC and went to the site... strangely, I could see the site and told him so... and he was not really willing to accept my reasoning. So in between his sentences, i launched firefox to see the website, and to my horror, there really isn't anything there?! I quickly told him that I will look into it, put down the phone and tested the files in the local PC....
Yup, IE can see every word fine... nothing wrong with the site... but nothing can be seen on firefox. So first I tried to save all the files again and check if it is ANSI types... instead of Unicode... since my text.css is ANSI... then i launch, still nothing.. hmmm strange... this went on for another hour...
Solution Scenario
I went to the text.css file and looked through the codings.. then i noticed that under td, it was color: "#ffffff", with the "" .... I felt that it was strange and removed all the "", then everything could be seen, even in firefox... interesting...:)
Anyway, I went to my guru, who told me that IE could oversee any minor mistakes in coding but other browsers would go strictly by the book... so well, which one is the clever browser now?? At least, I think for developers, Firefox should be used...:)
A client called me the other day and started to panic as he was not able to see his website on his Mac. I thought, well another mac user... anyway, it was a big deal as the entire website was unable to load! only the background can be seen. I immediately turned on my PC and went to the site... strangely, I could see the site and told him so... and he was not really willing to accept my reasoning. So in between his sentences, i launched firefox to see the website, and to my horror, there really isn't anything there?! I quickly told him that I will look into it, put down the phone and tested the files in the local PC....
Yup, IE can see every word fine... nothing wrong with the site... but nothing can be seen on firefox. So first I tried to save all the files again and check if it is ANSI types... instead of Unicode... since my text.css is ANSI... then i launch, still nothing.. hmmm strange... this went on for another hour...
Solution Scenario
I went to the text.css file and looked through the codings.. then i noticed that under td, it was color: "#ffffff", with the "" .... I felt that it was strange and removed all the "", then everything could be seen, even in firefox... interesting...:)
Anyway, I went to my guru, who told me that IE could oversee any minor mistakes in coding but other browsers would go strictly by the book... so well, which one is the clever browser now?? At least, I think for developers, Firefox should be used...:)
Saturday, March 24, 2007
About SingPass Log in with IE
Problem Scenario
Yesterday night, I went to my cousin's place as she wanted me to help her to fix up her PC. She had a problem of not able to use IE 7 to log into the DBS Internet Banking facility. In addition, she was not able to log into her SingPass to do her taxes.
I went to check through the websites of iras.gov.sg and dbs.com.sg for assistance to how to solve it but to no avail, as they only support up to IE 6. I then went to j2ee.com to see if I can download something to make the java scripts work. However, I was quite stunned as there were many softwares available.
I also checked through her add/remove programs and found that she has the latest updates for j2ee... I was at my wits end....
Solution
Download and install Firefox if you do not have it. After installation, open up the firefox browser to the sites you need. You will find that you can use the java environment thingy... dunno what happened, but this is how I solved it...:)
Yesterday night, I went to my cousin's place as she wanted me to help her to fix up her PC. She had a problem of not able to use IE 7 to log into the DBS Internet Banking facility. In addition, she was not able to log into her SingPass to do her taxes.
I went to check through the websites of iras.gov.sg and dbs.com.sg for assistance to how to solve it but to no avail, as they only support up to IE 6. I then went to j2ee.com to see if I can download something to make the java scripts work. However, I was quite stunned as there were many softwares available.
I also checked through her add/remove programs and found that she has the latest updates for j2ee... I was at my wits end....
Solution
Download and install Firefox if you do not have it. After installation, open up the firefox browser to the sites you need. You will find that you can use the java environment thingy... dunno what happened, but this is how I solved it...:)
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