Jonamerica.com http://www.jonamerica.com Technology, Web, and Social Media Blog by Jonathan Eggers Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:59:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Gallery: Practicing my stock photography http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/cHTrt0BCsgQ/ http://www.jonamerica.com/photography/gallery-practicing-my-stock-photography/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:52:27 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=899 I’ve been taking a lot of pictures for my wife’s blog, LogiticallyLeah.com. It’s given me the opportunity to practice some of the finer points of stock photography, close-ups, and lighting. I’ve really enjoyed taking the pictures, although it can sometimes be difficult to come up with an image that associates specifically with a blog post. [...]]]> TelephoneI’ve been taking a lot of pictures for my wife’s blog, LogiticallyLeah.com. It’s given me the opportunity to practice some of the finer points of stock photography, close-ups, and lighting. I’ve really enjoyed taking the pictures, although it can sometimes be difficult to come up with an image that associates specifically with a blog post. But, the challenge has allowed me to “think outside the box” and has encouraged photographic growth. Here is a collection of my favorites from the site. You can view more of my photography on my RedBubble page.

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]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/photography/gallery-practicing-my-stock-photography/feed/ 0 http://www.jonamerica.com/photography/gallery-practicing-my-stock-photography/ Getting the most out of Twitter http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/nksV1b02ZEo/ http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/getting-the-most-out-of-twitter/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:06:32 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=896 Twitter is a great tool for finding information, meeting new people, building social networks (both personal and professional), sharing your knowledge, website, expertise with others, and so much more. However, getting useful information out of Twitter can be surprisingly difficult, which may explain why 60% of new Twitter users quit within the first month.

As I [...]]]> TwitterTwitter is a great tool for finding information, meeting new people, building social networks (both personal and professional), sharing your knowledge, website, expertise with others, and so much more. However, getting useful information out of Twitter can be surprisingly difficult, which may explain why 60% of new Twitter users quit within the first month.

As I wrote previously, I use Twitter for the wealth of information readily available. But sometimes finding and sifting through that information is daunting. The following is my personal setup and method for getting the most out of Twitter.

Finding people to follow

Often, the biggest stumbling block for new tweeters is finding people to follow. Twitter is a social network, but it doesn’t follow the social network norm of networking mostly with people you know well or have met in real life.™ I encourage all Twitter users to find and reach out to new people on a daily basis. To start finding new tweeple, try checking out wefollow.com and Twibes.com. Both sites have active directories where you can find large lists of people to follow.

However, don’t just focus on the celebs and top accounts. Some of the most interesting people I follow have less than 300 followers. Just because someone has a huge following doesn’t mean they have the best feed, or that you should automatically follow them.

Once you’re following a good number of people you can use sites like MrTweet.com and WhoFollowsWhom.com to find the more hidden users you might be missing. WhoFollowsWhom is particularly interesting, as it can expose the hidden inner networks of your favorite tweeple.

Other tweeple’s lists are also a great resource for finding new people to follow.

The power of the list

Now, you may notice that some people are following 10’s of thousands of people, and you’re probably thinking to yourself, “there is no way they are paying attention to what all those people are saying.” Well, you’re right, they aren’t. Even after a few hundred people your twitter feed can become quite an active waterfall of information. This is what makes lists so powerful!

Sort the people you’re following into 2-3 public or private lists, based on subject matter. For instance, I’m following a lot of IT, social media, Wordpress and photography tweeple. I have many of them sorted into different lists. I regularly scan those lists for interesting information on those topics. When you do this you start to see trends emerge from the chatter. Ripples of information that pass across the Twitter ocean. (A bit poetic, don’t you think.)

I also keep a “favs” list, where I stick some of my favorite Twitter accounts. This is a common practice, but be aware that it’s all too easy to focus entirely on the few accounts in your “fav” list and ignore the rest. This is a bad idea. Not only are you not building your network, you’re ignoring a vast ocean of information. For this reason I am constantly adding to and pruning the “fav” list.

Numbers vs Engagement

There seems to be two prevalent theories, or methods, practiced by Twitter users. One is to get as many followers as possible. The other is to interact with a network of active tweeple. The reason you see accounts following 20,000+ people is because it’s an effortless way of building followers. There are a lot of Twitter users who auto-follow those following them. So, if you want to build a huge following you simply follow a few hundred random accounts a day. After a day unfollow anyone not following back. Rise, repeat.

I do not recommend this method – in fact I am strongly apposed to it! So why do people do it? The only reasons I can fathom are either ego or sales. Most people following 20,000+ accounts are selling something. They want as many followers as possible so they can push their links to a wide audience, hoping that 1-4% of their followers visit the link. I am always skeptical whenever I see an account of this nature.

I strongly recommend engagement over numbers, even if you have something to sell. By engaging with your followers and those who are following you, you will build a strong network of interested followers. Simply adding followers to your account en masse has nothing to gain. In contrast, the end result of an established and engaging network is trust – and that is an incredibly valuable asset.

Managing Your Followers

Possibly the greatest tool for managing followers is Refollow.com. This site allows you to quickly look at all of your followers and sort them based on followers, friends, how long since their last tweet, whether or not they’re following you, etc.

My favorite Refollow feature is the lock. By using the lock feature you can “lock” the people you follow or people following you and prevent yourself from accidentally unfollowing or blocking the wrong accounts. The lock won’t prevent you from unfollowing or blocking from within Twitter or any other tool – it works only from within Refollow.

Once I decide that I want to follow someone, or allow someone to follow me, I lock them. I check back frequently to see new people following me who aren’t locked. I then decide whether to follow or block them, then I lock the ones I follow or don’t block.

Why Block Followers?

I think it’s important to block spam and bot accounts. These accounts annoy me greatly, but more importantly, they provide nothing of value to the Twitter-sphere. Many think that it’s fine to allow these accounts to add to their follower count, but I don’t. I don’t want them re-tweeting my links or “borrowing” my tweets. I don’t want to be associated with spammers or botters in any way. There’s no love lost for these accounts. Trust me, allowing them to follow hurts more than it helps.

HootSuite

The most powerful tool in my Twitter arsenal is HootSuite. It allows me interact with multiple social media accounts – seeing streams of information from all of them. It also allows me to send the same messages to those multiple accounts, which is a major time saver. I can also schedule messages to be sent later.

The biggest benefit to HootSuite is that, with its tabbed setup, I can create any number of tabs, with any number of columns, for searches and lists. This is in addition to the standard view of my Twitter account, which includes the main stream, mentions, and direct messages.

Here’s my breakdown: I have my account tab, which has my standard Twitter account columns. I have a search tab with a column for each search term that I’m tracking (ie #socialmedia, #tech, #photography, computer AND help, etc.). I have a tab for my tech lists, one for social media lists, one for photography lists, and one for Wordpress lists.

Each tab gives me insight into the trends and activities of the Tweeters in those areas of interest. And, as I said before, finding the patterns of thought and activity, the ripples of information, in a specific segment of Twitter users can be surprisingly fun, interesting, and rewarding.

Of course, I strongly recommend running HootSuite as a stand-alone ap.

Take Away

The key elements I hope you take away from this post are the following:

  1. Always be looking for new, interesting people to follow. Take time prune your network. Never let it become stagnant.
  2. Organize the people you’re following into lists so that you can find useful information from all of your followers, not just your favorites.
  3. Don’t worry about the size of your network. Instead, think of Captain Kirk: ENGAGE! (Oh, so nerdy)
  4. Use a tool like HootSuite to sift through the information from your followers, lists, and searches.

Doing these 4 things will help you get the most out of Twitter.

]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/getting-the-most-out-of-twitter/feed/ 0 http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/getting-the-most-out-of-twitter/ The importance of establishing a personal brand http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/cKb8kpVGyyg/ http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/the-importance-of-establishing-a-personal-brand/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:52:50 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=893 Developing a personal brand is essential to differentiating yourself and establishing a reputation. Personal brands are developed over time, but can be honed, shaped, and changed at a moment’s notice. Personal brands are good for any professional, but are absolutely essential if your business is you.

A personal brand is more than just subject matter, interest, [...]]]> Developing a personal brand is essential to differentiating yourself and establishing a reputation. Personal brands are developed over time, but can be honed, shaped, and changed at a moment’s notice. Personal brands are good for any professional, but are absolutely essential if your business is you.

A personal brand is more than just subject matter, interest, or task. If your passion is fish, you should be talking about fish as often as possible. You should be reading stories about fish, posting comments on fish-related websites, joining social groups devoted to fish, and otherwise networking with like-minded “fishies.” But, while fish may be your subject matter, it isn’t your brand. Coca-Cola is a soft-drink, but the Coca-Cola brand is so much more. So, what is a personal brand? Ultimately, a personal brand is how you would, or would like to, be described by others. If people think you’re funny, cool, or talented – that’s your brand.

The three part personal brand

In my experience there are three areas for personal branding – social, professional, and technical. Social is the most personal of the personal brand – it is how your family and closest friends would describe you. Professional is how you would be described in a professional setting – work, school, professional associations, etc. The technical brand has more of a categorical purpose, as it describes the subject matter relevant to your brand.

If you take a business, let’s say Coca-Cola, and think about these three areas, you might break them down in the following way: Social/Personal: traditional, sweet, American; Professional: profitable, ubiquitous, corporation; Technically: soft drink, unhealthy, fizzy. Now, these might not be the terms Coca-Cola wants, or tries to have, associated with their brand, but they are what came to my mind as I thought about the product and company.

Discover your personal brand

Here’s a simple exercise to help you determine your brand.

  1. Pick three words or phrases that you would use to describe yourself, socially/personally.
    (For myself I’d say direct, kind, and honest.)
  2. Pick three words or phrases that you would use to describe yourself, professionally.
    (For myself I’d say leader, hard-working, intelligent)
  3. Pick three words or phrases that you would use to describe yourself technically.
    (For myself I’d say technology, social media, web)

Try to get at the core elements that make you, you.

Use these terms to maintain your personal brand

Once you have your terms, start letting them influence your social and professional habits. If you are trying to build a personal brand of being kind and honest, don’t bully and hard-sell – it’s too easy to replace your personal brand with one that you might not want.

Next time you interact with someone, write an e-mail, or send a tweet take the time to think, “Is this interaction direct, kind, honest, intelligent? Does it express qualities of leadership, or a good work ethic? Is it within the technical scope of my brand?” If the interaction can be described by a good number of your terms, then it’s “on message,” or “brand appropriate.” If there’s even a single element that it is opposite of what you’re building your brand to be, then rework the interaction.

There is a little leeway with the technical descriptive terms – not everything I write is about technology, social media, or the web. But, if I spend most of my time talking about fish, I can’t really claim that I’m building a “tech” brand, can I?

However, with the personal and profession part of the brand there is little or no leeway. The biggest story of personal branding this year is Tiger Woods’ story. Tiger’s character was a major part of his personal brand; his brand was more than “golfer.” Tiger’s infidelity has greatly diminished his personal brand – although, to what extent is still unclear. This should be a lesson to all – a single misstep can be disastrous to a personal brand. Maintaining your personal and professional character is essential. We can’t all hire lawyers and PR firms to manage our indiscretions.

Building a personal brand takes time and effort, but it’s time well spent. An established brand is an essential part of any business, organization, or person.

]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/the-importance-of-establishing-a-personal-brand/feed/ 0 http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/the-importance-of-establishing-a-personal-brand/ How to build a computer http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/E2X8QTaUe5U/ http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/how-to-build-a-computer/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:45:00 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=879 Recently I explained my reasons why you should build their own computer. I figure, if I’m going to tell you that you should, then at the very least I aught to tell you how. It’s actually much easier than you may believe. I think it’s safe to say that the component manufacturers do their best [...]]]> Recently I explained my reasons why you should build their own computer. I figure, if I’m going to tell you that you should, then at the very least I aught to tell you how. It’s actually much easier than you may believe. I think it’s safe to say that the component manufacturers do their best to make it easy – it is in their best interest to sell parts, after all. If you take on a computer building endevour, you’ll find that in the end, you’ll have a new, well-built, and cost-effective computer that you can be proud of.

The hardest part of this process is the shopping. There are hundreds of different models with different features for the parts you’re going to need — and they don’t all work together. If you’re not someone who keeps up with all of the technology trends it can quickly feel like you’re drowning in an ocean of PC parts. Luckily there are some very helpful websites that review and offer suggestions on parts. They even produce parts lists tailored to specific computing purposes. I’ve always been a fan of AnandTech and their Buyer’s Guides. AnandTech is a great place to get your feet wet in the sea of computer parts.

Whatever you computer needs may be, the basics of the system remain the same. At the very least, you will need:

  • Computer Case
  • Power Supply
  • Motherboard
  • Memory
  • CPU (and cooling fan)
  • Video
  • Hard drive
  • Input devices (keyboard & mouse are the usual suspects)
  • Monitor
  • Sound
  • Network
  • CD/DVD Burner

In every computer system there is a “weakest link.” Often, this is the motherboard because builders sink all of their money into a really fast CPU, huge hard drive, and powerful video card, but skimp on the motherboard. I typically find that I have better results with a slightly slower CPU and a higher quality board. After all, the board in the backbone of the system.

It’s sometime helpful to think of a computer as a car (it’s sometimes confusing). The chassis is the case, the power supply the gas, the CPU is the engine and the cabin and trunk the hard drive. I’m not sure where the memory fits in to this example, but the motherboard is the key – it is what brings everything together. It allows the gas to run to the engine and the engine to turn the drive-shaft, and the drive-shaft to turn the wheels. Sure, you could get a Ferrari engine and put it in the body of a Hyundai, but would you expect the same performance?

Putting it all together

Your parts have arrived, and you’ve got them all lined up, ready to be put into place. Before you begin you’ll also need to assemble your work-space. You’ll need a screw driver set, a handy reaching tool (for when you inevitably lose a screw in the case), and rubbing alcohol.

Before you unpack anything you need to wash your hands thoroughly. The oil on your hands can cause computer components to overheat and come to an untimely demise. You may also want to use a little rubbing alcohol to really remove the oil from your hands – but I think soap should suffice. It’s important not to touch any of the exposed components or metals on any computer part. Be sure (as much as humanly possible) to hold elements by the side – specifically the motherboard, memory, and CPU. The hard drives and DVD drives are easier to handle.

Start by unpacking and opening up the case. Take the side panel off to expose the inside cabin. Remove any removable hard drive mounting bays or anything else that may get in the way of putting the motherboard in place. Find the parts kit with the screws and risers. Sort out the screws and risers – be sure to put them somewhere they won’t be knocked to the floor. Determine which screws appropriately fit the motherboard risers.

Inside the case, on the mounting surface, where the motherboard will be mounted, you will see letters (A,B, etc). The ATX form factor is the most common, and probably what you’ll be dealing with. It should be signified with the letter A or ATX. If you’re not sure, check the manual that came with the case. With your fingers, screw in the gold colored motherboard risers in the appropriate holes.

If you not sure which mounting holes to use, carefully slide the motherboard into place and see which holes in the case line up with the holes on the motherboard. Be sure to put the risers where ever there is a hole in the motherboard.

In the motherboard box is a panel for the input area of the motherboard. Pop out the panel that came with the case and pop the panel that came with the motherboard in its place.

Mounting the CPU

In the motherboard box, along with a bunch of cables, there may be a foam cushion. Place the motherboard on this cushion to protect the contacts on the underside of the board. If there is no foam cushion place the motherboard on some clean cardboard. Do not work on a hard surface. We will be putting some pressure on the motherboard and a hard surface could damage the underside.

Lift up the release for the CPU block (instructions for your specific motherboard should be in your manual.

Unpack the CPU from it’s box. Again, be careful not to touch and of the pins or the top of the CPU. Align the pins on the CPU with the CPU block on the motherboard. There is only one way a CPU can fin in a motherboard. The CPU should drop right into place. Never force a CPU into place. If it’s not going in, it’s not aligned properly. Lock the CPU into place.

Wipe away any visible fingerprints left where you touched the CPU with a clean cloth that has a little rubbing alcohol on it. Remove the CPU cooling fan from it’s packaging. Read the directions for mounting the fan in the fan manual and motherboard manual.

If the fan came with the CPU it probably has coolant paste on it. Some choose to use that coolant past, others choose to purchase “performance” coolant paste. If you are planning on replacing the stock paste with your own, wipe the bottom of the fan clean using a clean rag with rubbing alcohol. Apply the “performance” cooling paste to the bottom of the fan. Be aware: adding too little or too much paste can cause a CPU to opperate at a higher temperature, thereby decreasing its lifespan.

I have found that mounting the CPU fan can be the most frustrating part of building a computer. Fans used to require you to put great force on the motherboard and use a screwdriver to push the fan clip into place. More than once in my experience did a screwdriver slip and pierce a motherboard! Since then, fan design has gotten much better, but it’s still a pain.

Install the memory

The memory is a snap – literally. Read in the motherboard manual which of the 4-6 memory slots is the first, usually numbered slot 0. Install your first memory stick there. If you have a second, or more, install them into the appropriate slots. Some systems require that memory be installed in pairs.

Memory can only be installed one way, so look at the “tooth” or notch in the middle of the memory chip. One side of the memory is longer than the other. Look at the memory slot on the motherboard and align the memory stick appropriately.

Put one corner of the memory into the slot and fasten the clip. Push down the other side until it snaps into pace – the clip should close itself. You will need to push down with some force. Be sure to push carefully and straight down. Pushing down at an angle could break the memory or motherboard.

Repeat for each memory stick.

Putting it all in the box

It’s now time to mount the motherboard in the case. Carefully slide the motherboard onto the risers in the case. Be sure the input panel at the back of the motherboard is aligned with the rear plate. It may be necessary to bend some parts of the plate out of the way of the motherboard. Once in place start tightening down the motherboard with the appropriate screws.

Next, unpack and install the power supply. Then unpack and install the hard drive and optical drive(s) – be sure to use the correct screws that came with the case. If you have any cards to install (video, network, sound, etc). Remove the appropriate slot cover from the back of the case and slide the expansion card into the appropriate slot. Tighten down the card with the appropriate screw.

Cables

Now it’s time to wire everything together. First, run the power lines from the power supply to the motherboard, drives, and if necessary the video card. Then connect the drives to the motherboard with the cables that came with the motherboard.

Next, you’ll need to hookup the front panel of the case to the motherboard. This may include hookups for sound, USB, and firewire. Your motherboard may not support all of these hookups. Refer to the motherboard manual for where and how these wires are connected.

The most difficult part is connecting the case power and reset buttons, power and hard drive LED, and PC speaker. There is an emerging standard where all of these are included in one single block hookup – but not every case or motherboard supports this yet. Typically these hookups are tiny little two wire jumpers that are a pain to get in place – even with the slightest fingers. Some form of needle-nose pliers can come in handy here.

Check the motherboard manual to determine orientation of each connection. All of these connections should be oriented the same way. Each wire has a positive and a negative and should be appropriately marked as such. If the wires or blocks are not marked, the colored wire is usually the active (+) and the white wire is usually the passive (-). If you get everything connected and plugged in, but the power button, reset button, or hard drive/power LEDs don’t work – that usually means they’re not connected properly and should be flipped 180°.

Lastly, connect any case fans, the CPU fan, and the power supply fan (if applicable) to the motherboard. Check the manual for connection locations.

Power

At this point every internal part should be connected, installed, and tightened down. You’re now ready to connect your peripherals and power on the computer.

If your computer doesn’t power on properly check the power button connection and be sure the power supply is correctly connected to the motherboard. There may also be a power switch on the back of the power supply that needs to be flipped for power to be sent to the motherboard.

Your computer should now be booting up. All that’s left is to configure the bios (which may not be necessary. The motherboard should pick up all of the correct CPU settings and you should be able to use the system immediately, without any bios changes) and install an operating system (you may need to change the boot order in the bios to get the system to boot off the DVD drive).

Conclusion

It sounds like a lot of work – but believe me, it’s well worth it. You can usually build a high-end computer for half of what it would cost to purchase from a major retailer. It’s a fun project, and helps you learn exactly what makes a PC tick. When the computer starts slowing down or needs more storage space, you’ll now exactly how to install more memory or add another hard drive. Building your own computer is a very rewarding experience.

]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/how-to-build-a-computer/feed/ 0 http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/how-to-build-a-computer/ Must Have Wordpress Plugins http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/BZSjg0zLruU/ http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/must-have-wordpress-plugins/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:13:08 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=890 There are so many plugins for Wordpress it’s hard to know where to begin. I’ve spent years researching, testing, and using a variety of plugins and have compiled here my list of what I consider to be the best.

Must Haves:

All in One SEO Pack (more on SEO later) – This plugin will help you make [...]]]> There are so many plugins for Wordpress it’s hard to know where to begin. I’ve spent years researching, testing, and using a variety of plugins and have compiled here my list of what I consider to be the best.

Must Haves:

Additional Recommended Plugins

]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/must-have-wordpress-plugins/feed/ 0 http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/must-have-wordpress-plugins/ Comment spam – These people are none too bright http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/AuzgIosZMTQ/ http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/comment-spam/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:23:03 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=888 The comment spam that is left on this site is absolutely ridiculous. Links surrounded by incoherent drivel that sometimes hardly passes for any language, whatsoever. Now, I’m not against anyone promoting their own site in a comment, so long as the comment adds value to the conversation. What I don’t understand is why some people [...]]]> The comment spam that is left on this site is absolutely ridiculous. Links surrounded by incoherent drivel that sometimes hardly passes for any language, whatsoever. Now, I’m not against anyone promoting their own site in a comment, so long as the comment adds value to the conversation. What I don’t understand is why some people believe that they can generate value-added comments, that will properly promote their website, through automated commenting systems. It is impossible to come up with a comment that is relevant to the topic being discussed, and actually adds value, when you haven’t read the actual post. Comment spam is a tool for fools!

I recently received this comment on my article, The importance of having a good registrar, in which I discuss being held hostage by a nefarious domain registrar.

Ellie25: You have to know that I from time to time buy an essayand buy term papers using essay writing service and students order custom essays close to this good topic . Thus, thanks a lot for the very important knowledge!

Considering that my article is about domain registration and the importance of dealing with a reputable company, this comment really has no place being on that post – or my blog for that matter. I’ve never written anything about buying essays, nor do I think my readers have any interest in buying essays. This comment is completely irrelevant to my post and blog,

There’s absolutely no reason why this should have been posted to my site. My guess is that whoever is running the comment software widened the search parameters to include the word “registrar,” thinking that would catch posts about college. I think the person promoting this site would have better results focusing on a few specific college websites and hand posting relevant comments on those sites.

Here are three spam comments from my recent article, The failure of social media games, which discusses how current social media games are failing to be truly social.

Serita Vanmiddleswor: Oh my god. This freaking is just awesome. I just found a new mafia wars cheat. They really do work unlike 99% of the other crud out there! It’s really cool too… Check my website for it ..

Annis Brackman: grrr, i want to play my farmville!! what’s up with all of these issues??

Bella Nugan: Facebook is quite fun, but its not much fun when its blocked at school. Jump on a free Facebook Proxy and you can unblock it straight away.

At least these comments are on the topic of social media and social media games – that’s an improvement. However, none of them are actually relevant to the article, nor add anything to the discussion. Serita’s name links to a site with mafia war cheats, Annis’s name links to a site with Farmville cheats, and Bella’s to a proxy service.

Bella’s comment is surprisingly well written, and could actually be considered good ad copy – it’s just completely irrelevant. Aren’t there plenty of sites, forums, and chatrooms where people are already discussing cheats and proxy services? These comments would be totally appropriate there, and would actually add value to those  conversations. Well, except for Annis, who is trying to hide his spam link with a “legitimate” comment. Annis would be much better off openly promoting their site on a forum discussing cheats, rather than trying to hide it on my blog.

While the automated comment software did a better job finding a relevant post, it still isn’t able to create comments that add value to the post – that can’t be done successfully by software. Again, building a network on sites specific to the site you’re promoting is much more effectually that trying to blanket sites with worthless posts.

Lastly, here’s a comment from an ancient post:

National lottery: Sorry to be upfront but do you mind telling your readers about my blog as it covers a similar topic? If so, for how much? :) Thanks!

I don’t think my blog EVER covered the topic of lottery. If this person was truly asking for a link exchange, or to purchase a review, they could have easily used my contact form – not that I would have actually sold a review, especially for a site that has no relevance to my areas of discussion, so my guess it this is an attempt as using bulk comment software to try to get site reviews… maybe. What an odd model of self-promotion.

I understand how important it is to get you site out there and to generate traffic. However, dumping irrelevant comments into blogs is not the answer. Adding value through a meaningful comment is ALWAYS welcome on any site – and is a good promotional practice. But, unless you add value, your comment isn’t going to generate any traffic, even if it isn’t considered spam.

I’m going to post every spam comment this site receives into the comments of this page. I think it would be interesting for people to see what kind of junk comes in. Of course, I’ll remove all links.

]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/comment-spam/feed/ 64 http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/comment-spam/ Search Engine Optimization Basics – What you should know http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/2zW2ZtXHyc8/ http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/search-engine-optimization-basics/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:00:32 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=883 One of the most important topics of our day (for website admins, anyway) is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. This is the practice of optimizing a website for search engine results. There is much to say about this – and, frankly, much that is unknown. Exactly how search engines work is a tightly guarded secret. [...]]]> One of the most important topics of our day (for website admins, anyway) is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. This is the practice of optimizing a website for search engine results. There is much to say about this – and, frankly, much that is unknown. Exactly how search engines work is a tightly guarded secret. In fact, Google has been known to make changes to their algorithm if crucial information is ever discovered.

That said, there are some things that we do know, and some important, basic steps that you can take to improve your search engine results.

Links

Links from others sites are essential – possibly the most important factor – in boosting your search engine results. But more than just getting links, the word being used to link to your site is also relevant. Here’s an example. “Check out a funny site on burgers here” vs. “Check out this funny site on burgers.” In the first example the site that is linked will be associated with the word “here,” while the second with “burgers.”

You can use this to your advantage by linking to yourself with important keywords. When you write a new post about something, in this case burgers, do a quick search for other sites that discuss the same topic and comment on those posts. Don’t be spammy, you should always add some value, but be sure to add a link to your site using the keyword you want to capture. “I absolutely LOVE their burgers. In fact I just finished a review of these delicious burgers on my site.”

You can also use “deep links” – links on your own site to older articles – to target keywords. Deep links won’t raise your “page rank,” but do help with keyword association. Here’s an good usage example. “I recently wrote about burgers, fries, and shakes. In today’s post on junk food I look at Potato Chips.

Bold and Italics

In the last example I bolded the term “potato chips.” That’s because search engines give more weight to bolded and italic words,  figuring if they’re important enough to bold then they must be a key part of the post.

The unfortunate thing is that people often write how they speak. Learn to write for search engines. Example: You may say, “This is important: always backup your database!” – you would likely naturally emphasize “this is important” because you want the person you’re speaking with to pay attention to what is said after it. However, in the world of SEO you want that sentence to be, “This is important: always backup your database!”

Keyword Density

The more often a word appears on the site overall, or within a post, the more your site, or that post, will be related to that keyword in search results. However, don’t just add the word 1000 times to the end of each page. That’s a sure-fire way to get ignored by search engines. If you want to come up in search results for “burgers” then you should simply talk about burgers, a lot. Just like I’m talking a lot about search engine optimization, today. After all, search engine optimization is an important topic.

Titles and Headings

More than word repetition and bolding, the titles and headings have a powerful effect on search engine optimization. The title of a page is the text between the <title> tag in the code, and appears on the top of the web browser window. On my site it’s always “The title of the post/page being viewed – Category – Jonamerica.com” Other common examples are, “title by author on site” Or title in category – site” etc. However you title your page, always have the most important keywords in the title.

Headings are used within the page. The main title of the post on the site should always be an H1 tag (Wordpress, and other CMS systems, are designed to do this automatically). This helps reinforce the keywords for that page. Then, use other heading tags (H2-H6) appropriately through the rest of the site. Nothing should be as important as H1. Again, all headings should include important keywords.

Meta Keywords

A Meta tag is a tag that allows you to tell search engines additional information. The keyword meta is where you can specifically tell search engines what you think are the keywords for a post. While it’s pretty clear that search engines don’t give these meta keywords much weight, it’s good practice to use them to reinforce keywords.

One of the most important topics of our day (for website admins, anyway) is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. This is the practice of optimizing a website for search engine results. There is much to say about this – and much that is unknown. How search engines work is only known by the programmers who make them. Google’s algorithms for determining which pages are listed fist, and which last, when a specific term is searched is a tightly kept secret.

That said, there are some things that we do know. Here’s the breakdown of what’s important.

Link – Links from others sites are essential for getting a good rep with a search engine. The more links to your site, the higher your site is ranked. More importantly is what word is used to link to your site. Here’s an example. “Check out a funny site on burgers here” vs. “Check out this funny site on burgers.” In the first example the site that is linked will be associated with the word “here,” while the second with “burgers.”

You can use this to your advantage. Go forth and comment! When you write a new post about something, let’s say burgers, do a quick search for other sites that talk about the same topic (burgers) and comment on those posts. Don’t be spammy, add some value, but be sure to add a link to your site using the keyword you want to capture. “I absolutely LOVE their burgers. In fact I just finished a review of these delicious burgers on my site.”

Don’t forget “deep links,” those are links on your own site to older articles. Here’s an example. “I recently wrote about burgers, fries, and shakes. In today’s post on junk food I look at Potato Chips.

Bold and Italics – You see what I did there; I bolded the term “potato chips.” That’s because search engines give more weight to bolded and italic words – they figure if they’re important enough to bold then they must be a key part of the post.

The unfortunate thing is that people often write how they speak. Learn to write for search engines. Example: “This is important: always backup your database!” Think about how you would say that sentence – you would naturally emphasized “this is important” because you want the person you’re speaking to, to pay attention. However, in the world of SEO you want that sentence to be, “This is important: always backup your database!”

Word repitition – The more often a word appears on the site overall, or within a post will have some effect on the search term results. However, don’t just add the word 1000 times to the end of each page. That’s a sure-fire way to get kicked off the search engines. If you want to come up in search results for “burgers” then you should simply talk about burgers a lot.

Titles and Headings – More than word repetition and bolding, the titles and headings have a powerful effect on keywords. The title tag of a page is the title that appears on the top of the web browser window. On my site it’s always “<The title of the post/page being viewed> – Jonamerica.com” If you use the All In One SEO Wordpress plugin you can configure this for any number of options. Other common examples are, “<title> by <author> on <site>” Or <title> in <category> – <site>.”

I always recommend putting the post title first because search engines only show the first 65 characters or so of a title. I’ve seen some sites to <site> – <category> – <title>. This is a flawed method, because if you have a long site name you can end up losing your title on search results, which isn’t good. For example: “The Best Blog on the Whole Planet – Funny Stuff – My weekend at home.” Would show up as “The Best Blog About Really Stuff on the Whole Planet – Funny Stuff –” The title would be lost!

Headings are used within the site. The title of the post on the site should always be an H1 (Wordpress is designed to do this automatically). Then, use subheads appropriately through the rest of the site. Nothing should be as important as H1. Subtitles should include important keywords “Why I love burgers” and use the H2 tag.

Meta Keywords – A Meta tag is a tag that allows you to tell search engine additional information. The keyword meta is where you can specifically tell search engines what you think are the keywords for a post. The All-In-One SEO Pack allows you to add your post tags and categories to the meta keywords automatically, so use tags and categories wisely!

]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/search-engine-optimization-basics/feed/ 0 http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/search-engine-optimization-basics/ Learn from your mistakes (and backup /home) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/nnpYo8_RybY/ http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/learn-from-your-mistakes/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:20:46 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=880 I’ve been running Ubuntu since this summer, and have been very pleased. I hadn’t used Ubuntu as my primary desktop environment before, although I was familiar with it in a server and HTPC environment. It’s very intuitive, and has a great support community. I haven’t felt like I’ve been lacking anything. Even the free photo-editing [...]]]> I’ve been running Ubuntu since this summer, and have been very pleased. I hadn’t used Ubuntu as my primary desktop environment before, although I was familiar with it in a server and HTPC environment. It’s very intuitive, and has a great support community. I haven’t felt like I’ve been lacking anything. Even the free photo-editing software has been surprisingly good. That said, there were a few issues that had been plaguing me since my initial install. So over the weekend I formatted and re-installed – and didn’t lose any data. I’m incredibly happy with how easy it was to start over, and am glad I did.

My primary complaint is that the 64bit version of Ubuntu isn’t as well supported as it’s i386, or 32bit, counterpart. I had quite a difficult time getting everything to work correctly in the 64bit environment. The base system was fine, as were most major applications. The biggest sticking point was the flash plugin in Firefox, which I could never get to fully work. For example, I could watch YouTube videos, but couldn’t pause, change volume, skip around the playback, or use any other controls. Problems like this weren’t limited to YouTube or video playback. Google Analytics and any other flash based web apps were equally effected.

It actually wasn’t a huge deal. In every situation I could manage, it was simply annoying. However, the final straw was that the update from Ubuntu 9.04 to 9.10 started causing me huge DNS resolution delays. The update also installed incorrect drivers for my network cards, and Network Manager stop working entirely. I was able to resolve the driver issue, but the DNS delays never ceased, and Network Manager remained useless.

Thankfully all of the account and application settings are stored in the ‘/home’ directory. With a good backup of ‘/home/username’ you can format and reinstall an entire system and immediately be back to where you were before the install, simply by restoring your backup of ‘/home.’

My ‘/home’ folder was about 150 GB due to my large photography collection, so to speed things up with the restore I first moved my image files to the MythTV box, which also acts as a NAS. After slimming the directory down to about 30 GB, I made my backup to an external drive and booted off the alternative Ubuntu install disk – this time installing the 32bit version.

Like before, I was going to setup the system with a RAID1, for the data redundancy. However, this time I decided to make three partitions rather than two – root (‘/’), ‘/home,’ and swap space. This way, if I ever need to reinstall again, I can simply format the root partition and keep my home directory intact.

The install was smooth, and after logging in for the first time I copied over my directory, then rebooted. I ran the updates and installed missing software. The entire process took about 2 hours, including the data transfers. The best part, of course, was that all the settings for the Gnome desktop, Firefox (with plugins), and all my other applications were ready to go. There was literally one other configuration necessary after install, and that was adding two network drives to fstab for automatic mounting. It is as if nothing changed. Well, except now everything is working as it should be.

]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/learn-from-your-mistakes/feed/ 2 http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/learn-from-your-mistakes/ Why you should build your own computer http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/e1a9g4Old8M/ http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/build-your-own-computer/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:32:07 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=874 I first began tinkering with computers when an 80/88 was top of the line and the most memory you needed was 256KB. My most recent building project put together a very speedy, and very cost effective system based on an Intel Core2 Quad (that’s 4 processing cores in one CPU) and 4,194,3044KB (4GB) of [...]]]> I first began tinkering with computers when an 80/88 was top of the line and the most memory you needed was 256KB. My most recent building project put together a very speedy, and very cost effective system based on an Intel Core2 Quad (that’s 4 processing cores in one CPU) and 4,194,3044KB (4GB) of memory. Computer technology has come a long way, and building a system has become easier, more cost effective, and remains as satisfying as ever. However, why I’ve long recommended building computers is for these two reasons: quality and sustainability.

The truth is, computers from manufacturer’s are cheap… really cheap. Some desktop models run around $300. I could never build a computer for $300, the case and power supply could run that much – not to mention some operating systems. Manufacturer’s are able to achieve these low low prices because they get a volume discount for buying parts in bulk. They also buy really cheap parts.

Most very inexpensive computers have very limited warranties. Some as short as 90 days. This is extraordinarily ridiculous. 90% of the computer parts available on the open market come with a 3 year warranty, and all system memory comes with a lifetime warranty. So why are the manufacturer’s offering such short warranty periods? Because they’re building cheap junk. It isn’t until you get into the $1,000 range that you start finding computers with 2+ years on the warranty. The system I recently built cost a few hundred less, and all the components have 3 or more years on their warranties.

Then there’s sustainability. Upgrading a computer you build yourself is infinitely easier. Many times the systems you buy from manufacturers don’t even have room for expansion. One system I recently bought for work is completely void of all expansion slots for PCI or PCI-E cards, and the two SATA ports are taken up by the 120gB hard drive and DVD burner. (4-6 SATA ports is typically standard, but not when you buy cheap!)

Most systems I build easily last 5+ years, and are usually replaced because I’m ready for something faster, not because they’ve stopped working. For example, a personal computer I originally build in 1998 and gave a memory and processor upgrade in 2002 was still operating as a Linux-based (small) business web and e-mail server in 2007.

Of course the real benefit to building your computer, and what makes it truly sustainable, is the fact that there are certain parts that you can reuse for many year, which cuts costs on future systems. For instance, I had the same CD Burner in 3 systems, and only replaced it when dual-layer DVD burners dropped in price to $35. My current case is now encasing its second system, and is already 5 years old. The previous system is now a HTPC running MythTV. (I got rid of my old case because I tired of the Plexiglas window and bass-driven blinking lights. And yes, my cable management is very poor.)

Geek-tastic

Building a computer is easier than ever. I’ve always said, if you can play with building blocks and aren’t afraid of a screwdriver then you can build a computer. Besides being cost effective and sustainable, building your own system is a fun and rewarding experience. One that I recommend for everyone.

]]> http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/build-your-own-computer/feed/ 1 http://www.jonamerica.com/technology/build-your-own-computer/ The importance of having a good registrar http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Jonamerica/~3/BEbZnGluWyE/ http://www.jonamerica.com/strategy/the-importance-of-having-a-good-registrar/#comments Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:32:13 +0000 Jonathan http://www.jonamerica.com/?p=873 I was recently reminded of an experience that I had gone through during the “wild west” days of the Internet – when this domain was held hostage by an unscrupulous company – before I had found GoDaddy.

When I first got the bright idea of registering Jonamerica.com, I did a quick search of domain registration pricing [...]]]> I was recently reminded of an experience that I had gone through during the “wild west” days of the Internet – when this domain was held hostage by an unscrupulous company – before I had found GoDaddy.

When I first got the bright idea of registering Jonamerica.com, I did a quick search of domain registration pricing and found several companies offering domains for less than $30. The Network Solutions’ monopoly on domain names had been broken up, and the cost of registering a domain had recently dropped from $100. I found a company that was offering a “total” registrar solution, and for only $9.99 / year, per domain.

Well, they neglected to mention that the price was only good for the first year. The second year it would cost $39.99 to renew the domain.

If you let a registration lapse, your domain name become available for purchase by others. There are whole business models based on purchasing lapsed domain names in the hopes of capturing the established traffic for ad revenue – or in the hopes that the owner will want it back and be willing to pay a hefty price.

Not wanting to lose my domain, I quickly looked into what it would take to transfer the domain to another registrar. This should be easily done – you simply make a transfer request and the domain is moved. However, my registrar had locked my domain, and it couldn’t be moved.

Before I go any further, I want to be clear that it is recommended that everyone lock their domains. It is good practice. During the “wild west” days of the Internet, domain “slamming” – where a registrar would submit a false transfer request to gain control of a domain – happened more regularly that it should, largely because the organization that oversees domain rules, ICANN, had rules that required all registrars to comply with a transfer request, unless the domain was locked.

Unfortunately for me my registrar automatically locked all domains and didn’t make it possible to unlock them.

According to the company, the unlock procedure had to be initiated 60 days before renewal, and couldn’t be initiated until 60 days after renewal. They required that you fill out a form and mail it to their company in Australia.

There were countless online reports of people sending in forms, but being told by the registrar that they never arrived. Forms sent by registered mail returned unopened because the registrar didn’t accept any registered or certified mail. The mailing address was a PO Box – the company’s address turned out to be an alleyway in Sydney.

I sent countless e-mails to the registrar and ICANN, posted angry messages on forums, but nothing could be done. I had to pay $39.99 each year or lose the domain.

Eventually there was a class-action lawsuit. Shortly thereafter ICANN made a change to the rules, requiring that all registrars to provide an easy way to lock and unlock a domain online.

The company was forced to comply with the new rule and I was able to unlock my domain and start a transfer. If the company didn’t transfer my domain they would be in violation of the rules and could lose their ICANN accreditation. My transfer went through – I had found a new registrar home with GoDaddy and was pleased to be freed from a company who would rely on such practices for earnings.

That experience taught me two thing:

1. If not thought out, rules can be misused and abused. ICANN should have thought more carefully about the system they had created- and when that system failed, they should have moved more quickly to correct it.

2. The value of an established brand should not be discarded in favor of a scheme.

The company I was registered with would have had better results if they had acted reasonably. Offering a low introductory cost is a common business practice, and most wouldn’t have minded if the registration cost went up by a few dollars the next year. The registrar, which was a fairly big player at the time, lost almost all of their customers and had to change the name of their business because it had become synonymous with the scam. This change meant a loss of all of the money and time invested on marketing, branding, and trafficking efforts that went into building up the company.

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