Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » blogging

Life Blogging and the Web 2.0

Art — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:27:36 +0000

In today’s connected world, words like “blog,” “LiveJournal” and “Twitter” bombard us. They are featured prominently in the news. Co-workers, family members and friends are eager to give each other their blog address as a way of keeping up with what is going on with them in their daily lives. Even social networking sites like FaceBook now offer to syndicate your blog to your wall or like MySpace just come with one. We are becoming fast a world of “life bloggers” where our actions are made available to be seen by the world at large through the hundreds of thousands of bytes of information about our day that we record in one web application or social network or another. Rules that many of us had growing up such as “Family issues stay in the family” and “Don’t involve strangers in your drama” have become obsolete as people of all ages, children barely entering puberty and grandparents learning how to use the Internet become fascinated with keeping up to date wither their interests twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

In the Beginning:

It all began with Usenet and the creation of “threaded” conversations held on bulletin board services. This allowed people to have interactive conversations and keep them organized so that information was easier to find and easier to understand. To this day, Usenet still exists and is blooming with hundreds of thousands of new messages every day. Usually grouped by interest, a Usenet group would be listed as, for example, rec.games.computer.quake for discussion of the PC game Quake. There are Usenet groups on just about any topic you can imagine from fan groups for Janet Jackson to discussion groups about knitting.

Fast forward a few years to 1998/99 and the introduction of Open Diary and LiveJournal. Open Diary was the first to recognize that there were many people out there who were using word processing software to make online diaries for themselves, which at the time was difficult and often expensive, as web hosting was comparatively more expensive than it is now. With this knowledge, the founder who goes by the handle “TheDiaryMaster” created a service wherein users would sign up for an account, choose a template and start publishing from the services interface. It streamlined the process and also added on many other features that would have been difficult, if not impossible, for those who were publishing on their own. Open Diary introduced security levels so that posts could be friends only or public as well as options for changing fonts and allowing visitors to leave comments on your posts, something that until this service was not available anywhere. Also available on the service was the ability to add friends, so that you would have a type of reading list to keep up with your favorite diary writers. In fact, Open Diary can be seen as the first step that the world took towards social networking.

In 1999, a newer service came to the forefront with even more options available to users called LiveJournal. At its inception, it was an exclusive club: you needed to know someone to get an invite to sign up. There was a point where people were selling their invite codes for $25-30 apiece! LiveJournal offered much in the way of customization of your individual space, ability to host photographs and other multi-media creations as well as also having a friends list and commenting abilities. The biggest draw to LiveJournal in the beginning was their new “community” feature which allowed a user to create a group journal where ongoing conversations could be held by multiple users (up to 500 at a time).

The dawn of Web 2.0

While it is a hotly disputed topic of when “Web 2.0” became a reality, it is well known that the term was coined at the 2004 O’Reilly Mass Media Web 2.0 convention in late 2004. What the term has come to mean however, in everyday terms is that the web instead of being a place where a person seeks out information, like in a library catalogue, it has become interactive. People have real experiences through virtual worlds and text-based chat rooms, and even now through video conferencing. Thanks to file sharing sites and services, people are trading music and books and any other type of media imaginable. The experience of Web 2.0 has moved to also take place on our cell phones where the new Android, iPhone and other devices are allowing for remote access to email, websites, navigation and news all at the tip of your fingers wherever you happen to be.

Of course, with the invention of ever greater technologies we come face to face with some of the problems of these opportunities. More than ever, privacy and identity protection are at the forefront of everyone’s minds as they use credit cards to purchase items for themselves and their loved ones, subscriptions to online video games and even use online services to send and receive faxes and attend university. This concern is a very real one as sensitive and private identifying information is shared over the network of the Internet and opens users up to identity theft and fraud like never before. While the Web 2.0 has made life simpler and more streamlined for the legitimate users, it has also made life simpler and more streamlined for those who would steal your information to use for their own ends. This had led to a rise in the creation of privacy, anti-virus and other security software. This has become a thriving occupation all on its own from websites offering virus protection scanning and programs to fix problems found to people who have taken the time to get training to do it manually and will come to your home and fix your computer for a fee.

What you see is what you get:

Thanks to the introduction of Web 2.0, the life blogging that has come with it, we are now seeing the Internet open up to new users at an amazing rate. Anyone who wants a website can pay a few dollars for a domain name of their choice and the majority of web hosts have a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that requires no programming knowledge whatsoever. This brings the world of website building to the newest computer user and for fans of the most obscure hobbies. As time goes by, the World Wide Web looks to become more and more interactive. Eventually one day, perhaps, a person will not need to leave their homes at all to conduct their daily business. It is an exciting and uncertain time for people everywhere as regulations are imposed and new ways of communicating are built. Pull up a chair, dear reader and come along for the ride!

To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question

Art — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:16:53 +0000

Having been in web design for a while, I’ve learned that most people want one of two kinds of website: Either they want a full-featured page with heaps of content, or they’ll want just a simple blog to post their daily thoughts, news, or complaints—mostly the latter.

With that in mind, the real question when choosing a web host, a web design, or even a content management system (like WordPress) is: What exactly am I going to do with this chunk of the Internet? Whether or not you want a full site or just a basic blog-style interface will even determine if you need a registered domain name or not. To help you move along the Deciding Path, use the guide below.

First Off, What is A Blog And What’s a Website?

Seems like an obvious difference, but what really is a blog, and what’s a website? I mean, what are they really?

A blog is a tool designed to make it easy to provide constant content updates. These could be anything from news articles to essays on proper ways to cook a turkey. This website, for instance, is a blog, because it provides periodically updated content pieces. A website on the other hand, is a more static chunk of code. It’s not likely to change as much, and provides a different function: It might serve as a digital business card, or it might contain an artist’s portfolio. It’s less focused on being updated, and more focused on being relevant.

So Which One do I Need?

The best way to think about it is this: What will you really be doing with your site? If you need a place where customers can go to view your products, or learn a bit more about your business, a plain website will suffice. Think of your site as a billboard for the information you want to get out. With that in mind, focus on a web host that delivers a lot of storage space and high bandwidth, as you’ll need both, especially if your site is a portfolio.

However, if you’re just going to use the Internet space to vent news, thoughts, or emotions, go with a blog instead. Not only will it be easier to facilitate your content, but you can focus on simplicity, too. Likewise, a simple .blogspot domain will be good, unless you’d like to create a specific brand for yourself.

How to Get Hottest Web Hosting News

Art — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:45:05 +0000

Being a website-owner, it is important for you to keep yourself updated with the latest happenings in the online world. Some areas of prime importance, such as web hosting industry news and search engine policies just cannot be ignored. The following write-up will discuss the ways you can utilize to stay updated with hot web hosting news.

Web Hosting Blogs: Blogging has witnessed a great rise in its popularity in the last several years. There are innumerable blogs on almost every niche. Web hosting is among the hot favorite niches of bloggers. You can get detailed information on web-hosting topics and current affairs from trusted news blogs, such as WebHostingGeeks.com!

Search Engines like Google and Yahoo: You can search news directly from search engines. You just have to type in the keyword ‘Web hosting news’ and you will get a plethora websites to choose from. However, it is advisable to go for the news websites on the top page, as they have a reputable status and you can only garner genuine news on web hosting from trusted sources.

Magazines and Newspapers: Print media is another easy and feasible way to keep you updated. You can avail daily or weekly magazines that offer highly useful news.

Books: Of course, some books provide you with the latest news in the world of web hosting. However, there is a drawback. They do not update the content on a regular basis. Hence, they are not the best source of obtaining updates. Thus, you need to make sure that you hone in on a good book or resource that offers timeless information, most often utilized for education rather than news reports.

Social Media: This is the best way to obtain web hosting news. There are many news communities on Facebook. You can join them. There are also pages and groups that are run by the members themselves. You can gain knowledge and at the same time contribute to the groups by sharing good ideas and viewpoints. Social media has come up to be the most preferred way of gaining knowledge by the people.

These are only some of the ways to obtain news. All you need to do is devote some time and bookmark good websites and blogs. Before you know it, these resources would bear the role of your companions on the road of success for your website.

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Art — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:05:23 +0000

Social media is becoming an integral part of the 21^st century. Customers expect business owners to use social media marketing tools such as blogs to promote products and services. In fact, 50% of global companies implement blogs into corporate communication and about 12% of larger Fortune 500 companies blog. While there are many advantages of blogging, business owners must have the time and energy required to maintain a blog, otherwise it’s a lost cause.

Blogging is an increasingly popular way of maintaining relationships with existing customers and attracting new sale leads. Perhaps the greatest advantage of blogging is being able to keep customers in the loop of the daily operations of a specific company. Whether providing important customer updates, details on special promotions for first time buyers, discount information for existing customers or just random ramblings too read for enjoyment, everyone with a garnered interest appreciates being kept informed. Companies that open their doors and share experiences via blogging are more often than not repaid with customer loyalty.

Blogs are also a great tool for building and strengthening business relationships. Not only do blogs allow customers an insight, but also encourage them to participate in blogging by leaving comments and feedback regarding specific products or services. Many blog administrators find it helpful to enable the comment feature on blogs to allow visitors to post comments and replies. This is especially helpful when soliciting customer feedback. Although most feedback is extremely positive or negative, each individual feedback response is vital for continuous improvements of product quality or services

Blogs also help to generate traffic to a particular website. An increase in blog activity is typically a good indicator of increased traffic; thus more traffic means an increase in potential sells. While it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone visiting a blog will make a purchase; however, blogs are a great marketing tool to fish for new sale leads.

Disadvantages of Blogging

The greatest drawback of blogging is the time it requires. Depending on how often a blog is updated dictates how much effort is involved with maintenance. If a blog is only updated once a month, bi-weekly, or weekly, the time required isn’t too demanding; however, for those requiring everyday entries, the task may become daunting. It’s important to post scheduled blogging entries; old and out-of-date entries are a sure way to tarnish one’s reputation.

For blogs requiring daily entries, often the task of posting entries is outsourced to a third party. While smaller companies may not have the resources to hire someone responsible for blogging, larger ventures find that having someone to handle the blog a worthwhile investment.

Spam is another disadvantage of hosting a blog. While it’s not nearly as much of a nuisance as it was just a few years before, robots and malicious users continue to thrive on posting spam and other annoying posts. The good news is that blog administrators have more control over blogs, especially when it comes to thwarting spam attacks.

Conclusion

The decision whether or not to blog depends on the size of the company and available resources. Even though most blog web hosting packages include a free blog, the amount of time and effort required to maintain a functional blog is often too much of a strain on smaller ventures. Mid to large-scale companies with a sizeable customer base, however, reap the most benefits from blogging.

New Social Media Website Announced

Art — Wed, 04 May 2011 21:52:15 +0000

On Thursday, April 7^th, 2011, Spling.com was made available to the public and recorded an unprecedented amount of traffic throughout the entire launch weekend. Spling.com searches, collects, sorts and assembles a collection of media from numerous sources across the Internet thus eliminating the need for minor status updates on a regular basis. This is all accomplished in a fun and social atmosphere.

The Amazing Numbers Following Launch

Within the first four days following launch, the site generated over 1 million hits, boasting 5,000 unique visitors and 125,000 page views. As a result, Spling.com was tagged as one of the fastest growing social media websites to ever launch. This is quite the honor considering the competition like YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and social bookmarking sites.

The Goal of Spling.com

The primary goal of the CEO and Founder was to launch a different experience. Spling.com’s idea of sharing a variety of popular media content is straightforward and simple. Once a user joins, they become media broadcasters by creating their own virtual channel utilizing the Spling system to collect the best and most relevant media from across the Internet. This content will then be sorted onto a personalized page as a microblog.

The First Real Social Networking System

Spling.com claims to be the first true social networking system utilized solely for entertainment and media. The experience is a hybrid website, an intersection between social networking and microblogging with the goal of entertainment. Their motto is, “We are new, we are different, and most importantly we capture the Internet users’ thirst for entertainment.”

The 2011 Venture Plan Competition

The founders of Sling.com recently took first place in the 2011 Venture Plan Competition sponsored by the Greater Susquehanna Keystone Innovation Zone, Bloomsburg University, Bucknell University and Susquehanna University. Spling.com was initially launched on 19 college campuses simultaneously and is currently being promoted by 35 campus representatives to advertise the service.

Innovation at its Best

Spling.com appears to be an innovative, fun and different way of communicating with friends the latest happenings in the news and entertainment gathered from across the Internet. Each account seems to be fully customizable to the tastes of each user. Therefore, other users can search for specific types of media in various categories to display the virtual channel of users in that group. This is definitely much different from Facebook, Twitter and other popular social media websites.

Are you Ready to Move to Multiple Domain Hosting?

Art — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:18:24 +0000

If you are a webmaster, you must be aware of shared hosting plans which are the least expensive method of hosting your site. Web hosting providers offer this service because you are only using a small amount of disc space and bandwidth shared with others. One issue with shared hosting is they typically only allow one domain under one account.

For those with only one website, this is not a problem. However, if you plan to expand and create a network of websites, this will be an issue. Instead of opening a new account for each site (which can become quite expensive), web hosting providers offer packages that allow you to host all websites under the same account. This is known as multiple domain hosting.

This will save you a great deal of money by allowing more flexibility with your sites without the extra fees. The types of websites you build are up to your discretion but generally the content should be related in some manner. That way it is much smoother when linking to your other sites and they will achieve a higher page rank.

Many multiple domain hosting providers offer Fantastico. This allows you to easily develop different types of websites including:

Classified ads
Blogs
Online directories

To keep the process as inexpensive as possible, you can register additional domain names through GoDaddy.com. They are among the cheapest on the internet. Once registered, acquire your DNS address and click on the “add-on domain” in your control panel. Then fill in the blanks with the new domains. Once complete, it takes approximately 48 hours for new websites to be recognized on the internet.

Other attributes you will want to setup in your new host include specific email addresses, databases, FTP accounts and subdirectories for each of your domains. Multiple domain name hosting plans usually start around $10 per month which is significantly cheaper than hosting each domain on a different account.

Multiple domain hosting is a wonderful option if you plan to expand your website to a network of sites. This is the cheapest, most efficient option available to those with growing needs. All major web hosting providers offer multiple domain hosting plans. It is always beneficial to conduct research and comparison shop prior to selecting a provider. This will ensure you will receive the best possible service to fulfill all of your business needs.

The Basics of Starting a Blog

Art — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 05:07:21 +0000

In order to host your first blog, you must plan thoroughly as there are so many different options available. Some bloggers host their own site, while others host from their computer. The latter method saves money and allows for complete customization and control. Despite these few advantages, web hosting has become inexpensive so it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

Free Blogging Software

The majority of blog owners choose WordPress for their blogging software. WordPress provides endless features and is free. The program is resource-intensive but usually isn’t an issue unless the site receives a high volume of traffic.

The installation of WordPress is a breeze, even for a newbie to the blogging industry. If this proves to be too difficult, there are free blogging services offered at WordPress.com and Blogger.com. A major advantage of these two sites is they are easily indexed by search engines so all information is available during a search very quickly.

Make it an Experience

The whole process of blog creation and hosting is an experience. You take different steps and build on those that precede them. Nothing in the blogging process is permanent so feel free to experiment with different combinations of features. Also, adding high-quality content is the key to having your blog be viewed by many visitors.

Treat your blog as something that’s important but not complex. Little technical knowledge is needed to start a blog; you just need an idea, commitment and a computer. Once you have the site running, it’s up to you where you want to take it. Many individuals blog to release frustrations, discuss an important topic or monetize their site in an attempt to make money.

Once you acquire your first reader and begin to build a subscriber base, you’ll be on the right path toward achieving your goals. As traffic increases, consider upgrading your hosting plan to accommodate.

An Overview of the Steps

To get started, register your own domain name, and don’t use a free service. This allows for complete control over every aspect of your blog. There is a free tool called pcnames.com that allows unlimited domain availability checks instantly.

Begin with a shared hosting plan. As traffic increases, inquire with your provider the hosting plan to switch too and take it from there. Our Best Blog Web Hosting is WebHostingHub.com. They offer unlimited web hosting with one-click installation of WordPress. The price is only $3.95 per month.

Luckily there are numerous sources available on the internet that can answer almost any question you have. It’s advantageous to register at blogging forums like on WordPress.com because there are many advanced bloggers that can further assist you. Whichever decision you make, blogs generate an exorbitant amount of traffic so your ideas will be viewed by thousands of visitors.

Content Management Systems for Multi-User Blogs

Art — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 01:25:44 +0000

Multi-user blogs have become incredibly popular as more webmasters are realizing the countless benefits of creating and administrating a multi-user blog. A multi-use blog is basically a web site that lets people become authors and have their own section of the site. These authors make contributions to the site by blogging their opinions, having discussions and staking their piece of the internet.

Fortunately for the owner o the multi-user blog, all of this content helps their search engine ranking, and it is absolutely free. Advertisements then generate profits for the owner of the blog, and are placed above, under, beside and even in the middle of article sand posts made by the guest bloggers.

Controlling Authors with a CMS

The abilities of the bloggers to edit content on the site can be limited by setting preferential restrictions and author permissions within content management systems. In fact, content management systems are an integral part of the development and management of multi-user blogs. If you’re interested in building your own multi-user blog then you may want to consider the following information about relevant content management systems.

WordPress MU (Multi-User)

WordPress is generally the most popular multi-user blogging platform, which is not surprising considering its ease of use, non existent cost, and overall flexibility. The WordPress plugin library is perhaps its most appealing aspect, with thousands of plugins available for easy install. WordPress MU supports unlimited users, domain name mapping, supportive administrative functions, and a plethora of other features. WordPress also has a lot of compatible themes available, which will help you design your site quickly and efficiently.

Movable Type Multi-User

For webmasters that want a more ‘professional’ (read: ‘paid’) solution there is movable type multi-user, which is a $1300 software that has a user limit of only 50, but comes with integrated robust features that can be utilized on an unlimited amount of blogs. Unlike WordPress, Movable Type publishes actual static HTML pages, which are considered to be much better for search engine optimization. Movable Type also lets the user manage and build hundreds of blogs from a singular interface, and all of these blogs can be maintained within the same control panel. Although the installation is somewhat difficult, and the cost is undeniably high, the software comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and comes with unlimited tech support.

Conclusion

Aside from WordPress and Movable Type there are many blogging content management systems available that can help you manage multiple blogs and multiple authors. In fact, any open source content management system can be amended to support multiple users if you have the right development assistance or expertise. If you’re a novice webmaster looking to establish your first multi user blog, then you may want to consider a solution like WordPress MU or Drupal MU.

How to Obtain a Free Web Domain

Art — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:32:14 +0000

Although registering domain names is a cheap and easy process, many people simply don’t want to make an investment until they are sure they know what they are doing. Thus, the search for free domain names seems to be ever-present, and there are frequently new providers springing up that offer free web hosting and domain registration service. Unfortunately, many of these “free” service providers are far from free, and almost all of them have a monetary motive. However, there are ways to get websites, and even web hosting for free. The following information should help you get a free domain, or sub domain for free.

Free Sub Domains

Perhaps the easiest way to get your own domain is to register a free subdomain of a larger site such as WordPress.com or webs.com. These sites let you have a domain that is not only free, but also bears their reputable name. For example, a free sub domain at webs.com would look like – freesubdomain.web.com. There are also free hosting companies that offer sub domains like this as well, such as awardspace.com. These free subdomains will register as a real site with Google, and technically it is your domain.

Earning Domain Names

Another way that you can get access to a free domain name is through a rewards based system in which you fill out surveys in exchange for rewards points. There are sites that will let you fill out several surveys in exchange for a domain name. This works because the site that gives you the domain is not a registrar, but rather an affiliate marketer that earns a commission from every survey that you fill out. Thus, after you’ve filled out the survey the affiliate site then has enough to purchase you a domain as the middle man of the transaction. Nonetheless, it is a viable way to get a free domain name.

Using Web 2.0 To Get Free Domains

You can also use web 2.0 sites like blogger.com to get a free subdomains. Blogger.com will give you a blogpsot domain, that in fact will rank quite well in Google in many cases. For example, if you register your blog with blogger.com, your domain would appear as mybloggerdomain.blogspot.com. Since there are so many web 2.0 sites out there, it can be very easy to build a substantial network of web 2.0 properties in a relatively short period of time. Using these free domains you can create a network of sites used to funnel web traffic efficiently within targeted niches.

.Info Domains

Although .info domains are not free, they only cost around a dollar, and provide all of the advantages of a .com site without the higher cost. Surprisingly, many times .info domains can rank just as highly as their .com counterparts. If you purchase a .com domain with Godaddy you will receive a .info domain for free, so it is possible to get free .info domains. You can also get free domains from many web hosts, as many hosts include free domains with their plans.

WordPress and Search Engine Optimization – Facts to Consider

Art — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:05:42 +0000

Practicing proper search engine optimization can be difficult for a busy online business owner, especially one that does not have extensive knowledge in internet technology. Search engines use very complex algorithms to index content and judge it’s usefulness. Although these algorithms are complex, their main functions can be summed up fairly easily. Search engines look for specific patterns and then base their results on these patterns. The patterns they search for are located within the sites content, both on-page and internally. Everything from anchor text to meta tags gets indexed in a very short period of time and then used to determine the sites page ranking. Manually keeping up with all of this information can be almost impossible for the average site owner. For this reason there are tools that can be used to automate the process of properly optimizing the internal structure of a website.

WordPress and Search Engine Optimization

If you know anything about content management systems then I am sure you are familiar with WordPress by now. WordPress was originally a blogging platform but is now the world’s most popular content management system. The entire process of building and maintaining a website can be simplified within WordPress. It is not surprising then that WordPress can also assist you in proper search engine optimization. WordPress itself cannot optimize you site for the search engines, but with the help of plugins and a few preferential adjustments, you can have your site’s internal content automatically structured for maximum benefit.

Custom Link Structure

One of the ways you can get more search engine traffic to your site or blog within WordPress is by changing the link structure in the permalink section of your WordPress admin. Once you’re in the permalinks section select the bubble that says “Custom Structure.” Here you can enter a variety of commands that will dictate how the URL of your pages will look. It is important to note that the structure of a URL is very important to the search engines, as it affects the result of a search query.

If you’re naming your posts based on keywords, then you are wasting your time unless your URL structure shows your post name. In order to get the most out of your search engine optimization efforts you need to change the link structure to /%postname%/. Now if your post name is “ Post Name” then the URL for that post will be “Yourdomain.com/postname.” This way one someone searches for the keyword “Post Name” your site stands a better chance of showing up at the top of the search engines.

SEO Plugins

Another way to enhance your search engine optimization efforts in WordPress is to use that plugins that automatically optimize your sites tags, meta tags, anchor texts, link structure, site maps, and other aspects. A good plugin to have which is free is the Platinum SEO pack. This plugin will automatically optimize each page and post to give it a maximum impact on the search engines.

Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » blogging

Life Blogging and the Web 2.0

Related posts:

To Blog Or Not To Blog: That is The Question

Related posts:

How to Get Hottest Web Hosting News

Related posts:

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Related posts:

New Social Media Website Announced

Related posts:

Are you Ready to Move to Multiple Domain Hosting?

Related posts:

The Basics of Starting a Blog

Related posts:

Content Management Systems for Multi-User Blogs

Related posts:

How to Obtain a Free Web Domain

Related posts:

WordPress and Search Engine Optimization – Facts to Consider

Related posts: