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Choosing a Web Host Provider |
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Wednesday, 23 May 2007 14:06 |
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When choosing a web host provider, remember that you do get what you pay for. The more you pay the more features from web hosts offer. Remember to use a web host that has been around for a few years, indicating their proven background of success, rather than web hosts that seem to pop up in a day's time.
You should also put in a fair amount of research into choosing the web host provider for you web presence. Researching the web host provider and its accounts will aid you in choosing the right web host for your needs. Researching the web host would give you a good idea of how they work. Perhaps keeping you from the worry of hassles and having to find a new web host provider just a few short months down the road.
You should consider using one web host provider who will serve all your needs, rather than outsourcing different areas to different companies. Choose a web host provider who can provide web design, web development and updates for your web site, depending on your needs and resources.
How do you choose the best web host provider for your needs?
First, you want to look for quality service. To do this, you may want to call the web hosting support numbers, to see if you get an answer, or just a recording. If you get a recording, leave a message saying that you are interested in their web hosting service. Leave your number and ask for a call back. If you get an automated call or no call within 24 hours, go find another web host provider who does have quality service and technicians who are there to help you at anytime.
A few questions to ask when evaluating quality control would be who handles the billing? Does the billing department have a support number?
What are the payment methods and do you have any control over account options with a management program that lets you check past and current billing statements? In addition, what about credits for referring others to their hosting site?
All these questions should bring positive answers, if they do not, go look for a web host provider who will have these good qualities.
Quality Equipment is also necessary from a web host provider. You should find out where the physical company servers are and if they have a back up program that will be helpful in not loosing the hard work of web design that you will put in place on your web site. Is your data backed up, if so, how is the data backed up? What is the web host provider's policy if a server goes down? Is there a guarantee that the data will be brought back online? If the server is down past the guarantee time limit, will you receive a credit to your account?
Just to be on the safe side of not loosing your hard work, back up your own data to a CD.
Study your business requirements and plan for features that may be essential for your needs. Many web host providers have different package levels, which will enable you to grow or downsize. You can adjust the level features to control the cost to your account.
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Building data driven websites with PHP & MySQL |
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Tuesday, 22 May 2007 15:40 |
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Every business site needs good fresh content, which gives the customers something to learn about or enjoy while visiting your online business website.
Maintaining a content driven website can be very time consuming and very detailed in order to present the best impression of your web presence, products and service. Rewriting clusters of HTML files to present a fresh new look would take endless hours of hard work.
The answer to these problems is a website design that is database driven websites built with PHP and MySQL.
To appreciate data driven websites built with PHP & MySQL, you first must be familiar with the way in which a normal web page works. Standard non-database driven web pages will not change anytime the web page is loaded on a web browser. Nor will the standard web page change by use of clicking a graphic button. Normal web pages just load and unload. Standard web pages always look the same and their web content stay unchanged. Unless of course if there is new content or web designs manually uploaded to create a new version of the average web page.
Data driven websites built with PHP and MySQL perform oppositely, as they are able to change every time they upload with out you having to make changes by hand. Data driven websites built with the use of PHP and MySQL are also enabled to change the content based on the actions that a user might do while visiting your website, for instance clicking on text or an image, on the same page, without loading another web page.
PHP is a general purpose, scripting language that is widely used in web site building. PHP is overall quite nicely balancing for web design development. Use of PHP also gives you the ability of embedding features into the HTML. MySQL is a free to use, open source database that is universally engaged with nearly all of the current server-side scripting languages including PHP.
PHP & MySQL data driven websites are able to file and store information, and they are able to filter through their information and grab requested facts from their database, then insert that particular bit of info onto the web page every time it is loaded into a browser.
When the information that is stored in a data driven website built with PHP & MySQL changes, the web pages linked to those databases automatically change as well. Think for a moment of how an online banks website works. You are able to log in and check your bank balance. The account information is stored in the banks database that connects to a web page with data base programming, which lets you view your account information.
Server side programming is another name for database driven website programming such as those built by PHP & MySQL. The reasoning is that the actions available to the web pages to connect to a database takes place on a server. Therefore every time a data driven web page as those built by PHP & MySQL are in process of being sent to be uploaded by the browser, automatically the server builds the requested web page and then sends a traditional HTML page to be uploaded by the browser.
PHP & MySQL programmed data driven websites give the server instructions on how to build the web page request. |
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Monday, 21 May 2007 05:43 |
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Computer users have long been warned to be particularly cautious of any email that has come into their email box unsolicited. Computer users have always been encouraged to use firewall and anti-virus programs to protect themselves from being viciously attacked by spam.
Spam has been a nuisance since it was first employed by use of sales agents looking for quick commissions. Since that, time spam has turned in to a web surfer's nightmare. A good deal of spam is vulgar and insensitive asking users to open email and click links. These links hold a headache of trying to straighten out an infected computer as well as personal and business issues that are affected by a spammer's ploy.
There have been infected emails that carry images that secretly begin eating away at the now contaminated computer. The most recent of email spam involves the ploy of luring unsuspecting users to view an internet post card, or greeting card.
The spamming email seems sufficiently innocent; someone cares and wants to share a smile. However, when following the web link that is provided, the user is taken to a web based Trojan, downloadable executable file. Once the file has downloaded to the user's computer, the hacker is able to gain access to the computer and its internal intelligence easily. Currently the fabrication of web pages and emails are being used for attacking computers.
It seems that new variations of Sober worms are beginning to show back up in the computer world. These new Sober worms are sent through spam emails. For now, these infected emails carry a message that a company has received a query from the user. The query usually involves encouraging the computer user to click on a password attachment file in the email. The tainted worm attachment is usually called: Passw_Data, PDatan, or Mail_Data. Thus far, the attachments have been in zip file form.
Once the Sober worm malware downloads into a computer, the infected computer then begins to download any additional malicious code in meets while online.
Adware is also liable in many infected computers. Adware goes to work by tracking a computer user's comings and goings while online. When a computer has been infected by Adware, the hacker is able to view where the user has been while online.
Adware can reveal the words used in research and the web pages that the computer has tracked through while online. Once the hacker has this information, they create custom-made advertisement for instance hot links or pop-up and pop-under windows to web pages that are not connected to a page's code. Adware can also change your home page and your search engine, sending you to unfamiliar sites. Hackers are paid for leading computer users onto advertisement sites. If a new toolbar shows up on your computer, that you did not download yourself, it is a sign of being hacked by Adware software.
Trojans are responsible also for ruthless computer attacks. Trojan programs are the cross dresser in the spam family, as they claim they are one thing, yet they are something entirely different. Trojans can masquerade as an entertaining game; however, their true color shines through as they erase the hard disc from your computer.
What can we do in defense of spam traffic?
Use your firewall and anti-virus programs; do not open emails that are unexpected even if the say they are addressed from your best friend. Stay current in your computer's updates. Be sure to scan everything!
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Content Management Software |
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Monday, 21 May 2007 05:38 |
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Content Management Software is a system used for content management, which includes audio files, computer files, electronic documents, image media and web content. The purpose of content management software is that of making inter-office files available even while being online.
A content manager cuts down on the time it takes to manage web content. Without a content manager the steps of managing a site can be quite time consuming with opening files, making changes and then uploading the new content.
Use of content management software leads to faster and more efficient content management. When making adjustments, all you have to do is visit your web site, click on the link to the content you wish to manage then simply edit in the form that is provided and click the save button.
Some of the supporting features of a content management system would include:
CMS allows the creation of documents and multimedia material and importing those items into your web site.
All key users and their content management roles are identifiable.
Assigning responsibilities and roles to different content types and categories flow much easier.
The definition of the content workflow tasks, which is often connected with event messaging that, will alert the content managers of any changes in content.
Content management software gives you the capacity for tracking as well as managing multiple versions of your content.
Content managers also have a support repository which published content can be placed or archived. This serves for easier search and retrieval of your content.
Some content management software gives a bit more freedom of text content. For instance, they allow you to set your own default layout, fonts or colors to be used in your daily business.
Content Management Software makes it possible to manage a documents cycle of life from the time it is created through any revision, publication as well as archiving and destruction of a document.
One of the best content management software is Joomla!
Joomla is available for use and it is free. Joomla's CMS is suitable to be used with many different web applications and they are adding new features to their software with every new release. Joomla also offers a users forum that comes in quite handy, and there are always Joomla forum members who are happy to help anytime you need them.
So what else does Joomla have to offer?
Joomla is an award winning content management system that makes building your web presence easier and offers you many ways to use their software.
Joomla CMS is being used by people for the following reasons:
Non-profit and organizational websites
Online commerce
School and church web pages
Personal and family websites
Corporate portals and web presence
Small business web sites
Community-based portals
Government applications
And many more…
Joomla software is easy to install and use. Joomla also has ample support for its end users.
Joomla also has many useful extensions such as:
Blogging software
Calendars
Business and organizational directories
Data collection and reporting tools
Joomla has so much more to offer, go check them out for all your content management needs! |
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Thursday, 17 May 2007 10:37 |
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When designing a website always keep in mind that the appearance of your web presence is vital to your success. The appearance of your web page will set the stage for your services and products to be weighed and judged. It is crucial that you present a professional appearance to your website visitors.
A few things to keep in mind while designing your web site are as follows:
Stick to your chosen color scheme. Use only two or three colors throughout the entire site. Do not make the mistake of changing the color scheme on every page.
Make use of your computer's built in templates or search for web site design companies who specialize in creating templates.
Your web site navigation system should be simple to use & understood. Visitors enjoy spending time on a web site which has easy to use navigation.
Avoid the over use of special effects. Complicated animation and logos tend to slow your site down, which can lead to the premature exit of visitors who have no time for downloading slow sites.
Nothing can be more of a turn off when it comes to web presence than not being able to clearly see the text & navigation links with an ill chosen background and text color. A good web master will be sure to have properly colored backgrounds and colors of text. This tip goes for the visibility of link colors as well.
Speaking of links, learn the code for your external links to open into a separate window, this ensures that your visitor is not taken off your site onto another site.
Ensuring your visitors the ease of having a search feature and site map for finding what they want fast, is a very professional touch. Moreover, do not give navigation links at just the bottom of the web page, navigation links can also be added to the top and left side of your web presence pages.
Concentrate on good info and the facts when writing your web content. Good solid web content will increase visitors coming onto your site, which is always good for business.
Since most people listen to their own music if they choose to listen to music, do not add auto play while designing your web presence. Auto play music can be distracting to visitors.
Free hit counters and gaudy date stamps can lend in appearing as an unprofessional site, so try to stay from both of those type free programs.
Think about how frustrating pop boxes up or under can be while trying to enjoy your online self or while searching for a particular item. Customers feel the same way; some customers just click that close box and never come back when they see your URL.
In summary, when designing your website, give great thought to how it appears to others. Either visitor who were interested enough to come in search of your service or products can be enticed into buying. On the other hand, they can be very unimpressed that they run, and never return. |
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Spoofed Blue Mountain eCards |
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Friday, 04 May 2007 02:53 |
Be very careful if you receive an email that looks as if it is a Blue Mountain eCard. Unfortunately it is not an actual eCard from someone you know. It is a spoofed email sent from someone with malicious intent. When you click on the eCard it will try to install a virus. They named the file FlashPlayer_eCard.exe to make it look like you're downloading an eCard.
A screenshot of the fake ecard I received is below.
If you do receive an eCard there are some ways to determine if you are getting fooled:
1) If it is a real eCard it will normally have the recipient's name and/or email address as the FROM address, not blue mountain's
2) Viewing an eCard should not require you to download and run any installation files. The link should take you directly to Blue Mountains's website where you will view the card within your browser.
3) No other links work in the email. If you scroll to the bottom of the email message and the links such as "Terms of Service" & "Privacy Policy" don't actually work, then it's a fake!
Always be careful if your computer alerts you that you need to 'install' or 'run' a file. More times than none you shouldn't have to install or run additional programs to view the wide range of media on the net.
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