Bob: What should I blog about?  I want to make money off of my advice.

Fred: I don’t know, but what do you like?

Bob: I like playing golf.

Fred: Are you any good?

Bob: No.  I just started about 3 months ago.  My handicap is 38.

Fred: You shouldn’t blog about golf advice. Are you good at anything?

Bob: I’m a wizard at Excel.

Fred: Do you like it?

Bob: Kind of, but only when I have a challenging problem.

Fred: Why not do a blog about challenging excel problems?  You could also start a blog – more like a journal of learning to golf better.  I suspect the Excel blog will attract more people.

Bob: Two different blogs?

Fred: Yeah, I think that’s a great idea.  The point is: don’t do what you love, do what you like and are knowledgable about.  People out there are looking for GOOD information, so make sure you give it to them.

Bob: How do I make money off of it?

Fred: Wait until a few hundred people actually care about you and then come see me.

Bob: How will I know they care?

Fred: You’ll know.

Blogging Tip: Picking a Niche in Narrative is a post from: jtGraphic

I really like the Harlan Ellison thinks and expresses himself.  Sure he comes off as a dick a lot of the times, but he makes a lot of really great points too.  I think he’s just hit a point where he can express what he really thinks without any fear of repercussions.

I wonder if he got paid for this – or he’s pissed that its on YouTube?

“Do you think god is playing against the other team?”

We all think it.  We just don’t say it.  So say what you’re thinking in the comments below.

Harlan Ellison is a Genious. is a post from: jtGraphic

@LisaTickledPink gets slammed with new followers.

I’m watching TWiT Live (http://live.twit.tv/).

@kevinrose did a search for “I hate technology” and found a lady with 2 followers (@LisaTickledPink) and immediately more than 2000 people started following her.  The worst part is: she has email notifications on.  I bet she really hates technology now.

They’re offering a free iPad to anyone that followers her on Twitter.

This is a classic case of the power of the real influencers in an industry.  Some random luck for this lady, but I bet she has no idea what to do with all of the followers.

What do you think?

TWiT Live Slams a Lady That Hates Technology is a post from: jtGraphic

Microsoft vs. Apple

That’s a bold statement right?  Why do people prefer apple products over Microsoft? Let’s break it down by product:

Mac OS X vs. Windows

• Cost – sure, an apple computer might cost you more up front, but the average lifespan of an apple laptop for $1000 is about six to eight years. A PC of the same price is about 4 years.  When you also factor in additional costs like anti-virus and tech support, the cost of a PC goes even higher.  Now it’s probably important to know we’re comparing OS X and Windows, not Macs and PCs.  This means we shouldn’t forget Linux, which ALSO beat Microsoft on price.
• Stability – I’ll be the first to admit that Macs do crash, but for every twenty PCs that come through my business to be repaired, I get one Mac (and sadly no Linux machines).  Apple makes both the hardware and the software for their devices, so the operating system is extremely stable.  I leave my machine on for months, whereas a windows reboot at least every two days or so is a good idea.
• Features – iMovie, bundled with all Mac computers, is the best (bundled free) application out there for making movies.  When you also consider that all recent Mac computers come with a built in webcam, all iMacs come with built in Wifi, and in general, apple sets the bar for functionality, Apple wins by a landslide.
• Usability – It’s insane how much time apple puts into developing the GUI interfaces for programs.  Every application in OS X is drop dead simple to use.

iPod vs. Zune

• Cost – Both devices are comparable in price, but the iPod (especially the touch models) comes with SIGNIFICANTLY more features, driving the value of the iPod much higher than the Zune.
• Stability – The Zune software is just annoying to install – especially on older versions of Windows (XP 2002 and Before).  I don’t think I’ve ever experienced an iTunes installation going wrong on Windows and it’s bundles with OS X.
• Features – One of the best features of the iPod is the Wifi connection to other Mac based computers on the network for DJ voting, etc.  The iPod Touch was also an amazing upgrade from the original iPod.  It really set the bar for other devices, and nothing else has come close except the iPhone.
• Usability – I’d say the Zune and the iPod are equally usable – especially the older versions of the iPod.  The touch interface on the newer ones really makes things simple though.

iPhone vs. Windows Mobile

• Cost – The iPhone actually costs more than the cheaper Windows mobile devices, but in terms of value, if you consider the rest of the features and stability of the devices, the value in Apple’s product is much higher.
• Stability – I can’t speak directly for the stability of Windows mobile devices, but I do hear people complain about freezing / having to reboot their phones on a regular basis.  Once again, I believe that this has a lot to do with apple making both the hardware and the software as opposed to just the phone’s operating system.
• Features – the biggest feature for the iPhone is the app store, and Microsoft doesn’t really have a product or service that really competes.  This is where the iPhone really blows Windows Mobile out of the water.
• Usability – I think the large touch interface on the iPhone is much less clunky than the Windows Mobile interface, but I’d say that that is up to opinion.  I’d say they’re about even, depending on the Windows Mobile phone you have.

Apple is Better than Microsoft – Every Time. is a post from: jtGraphic

I put this site up a while ago, but I really want to get serious about it. It’s in it’s alpha stage, but let me know what you think. I’m really looking for bugs, etc. Let me know what your lead time is too.

http://ask-stuff.com/

Project Alpha: Ask-Stuff.com is a post from: jtGraphic

I don’t really work with MSSQL very much and was wondering how to do pagination similar to doing it in MySQL with the LIMIT command.  It’s MUCH harder in MSSQL, but here is how you do it:

SELECT * FROM
 (SELECT TOP [size_of_record_set] * FROM
 (SELECT TOP [end_record] * FROM [table] ORDER BY [field] ASC) AS tbl1 ORDER BY [field] DESC
 ) AS tbl2

Tidbit Tuesday: Paginating in MSSQL is a post from: jtGraphic

Ok, so I have done two other reviews here and here.  They sum up week one and then a recap in week 3.  There have also been a ton of comments with user feedback.  Thank you to everyone that commented.

Make money online with Shoemoney.

Unlike the first three weeks, I am VERY happy with how the last few weeks have turned out.  We went through the Arbitrage series, and I’ve been excited to be working on that.  I’ve had mixed results – especially with international people (especially from Nigeria) trying to phish my auctions.  I’ll probably cover that in a separate blog post.

I talked to Jeremy for a little while Monday about the issues I’ve been having with eBay as well as shooting the shit about some of the other stuff in the Shoemoney System.

The biggest improvement they’ve made over previous weeks is the addition of micro videos that act much like a glossary for new users.  They focused on core training and there are no longer “how to sign up for x” videos.  I think that added a lot of value to the product overall.

Changing the whole system like that makes a huge statement about their ability to change based on the input from the users – as well as attesting to the back end support that comes with the product.

Let me cover my points from previous posts now:

1. I still have no coupons – After talking with Jeremy, I understand that he’ll be rolling out coupons with each section that covers that particular coupon type.  If I’m not mistaken, Facebook will be first.  That makes sense.  He has agreements with the companies that provided the coupons that keep him from giving them all out at once.  Once again, that makes sense.
2. I received my sign up gift! – I got Crush It and a Shoemoney shirt.  I’m reading Crush It now.
3. The podcasts are still old – I really wish he’d either do more shows, or maybe pick out the irrelevant content.  I have heard – as of Friday’s webinar – that he’ll be making content available via podcast, but he needs to clear up some legal information regarding downloaded content vs. streaming.  I suppose he’ll need to work out some piracy protection as well.
4. The videos finally taught me some things I didn’t already know – I think this is the biggest point.  I knew the arbitrage stuff in concept, but wasn’t sure of the details to work it all out.  I’m glad I could see a specific example – even if results aren’t typical.  I know how to do Facebook ads as well, but after talking with Jeremy, I hear there will be some hidden diamonds in there.
5. Their support still isn’t very good, but I guess Jeremy isn’t very happy with them either.  He’s going to bring it in house like Shoemoney Tools, which should make responses MUCH better.

Overall, I’m very impressed this week – especially since I was able to work directly with Jeremy to solve some very specific problems.  I think everyone interested in making money online should try this product first – especially since it’s only $197 a month and has a 60 day money back guarantee.  Their return rate is also only 6% as of this post.  That’s amazing!

The Shoemoney System just opened up to new users again today, so if you want to sign up, check them out by clicking here.

Great Improvements to the Shoemoney System is a post from: jtGraphic

Cliffor Stoll is an astr0nomer and author.

Here is a Newsweek article published in 1995 by Clifford Stoll (<- Wikipedia). The original article is at Newsweek Here.  I’ve modified it to make more sense:

After two three and a half decades online, I’m perplexed. It’s not that I haven’t had a gas of a good time on the Internet. I’ve met great people and even caught a hacker spammer or two. But today, I’m uneasy about this most trendy and oversold community. Visionaries see a future of telecommuting workers (goToMeeting), interactive libraries and multimedia classrooms (Wikipedia). They speak of electronic town meetings and virtual communities (goToMeeting). Commerce and business will shift from offices and malls to networks and modems (eBay, Amazon, etc.). And the freedom of digital networks will make government more democratic (see: Obama and Twitter).

Baloney. Do our computer pundits lack all common sense? The truth in no online database will replace your daily newspaper (New York Times, Newsweek, Twitter, Facebook, etc.), no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher (College External Degree Programs and Online Degrees) and no computer network will change the way government works (Any .gov website makes getting info and forms a lot easier).

Consider today’s online world. The Usenet (Twitter), a worldwide bulletin board, allows anyone to post messages across the nation. Your word gets out, leapfrogging editors and publishers. Every voice can be heard cheaply and instantly (Twitter). The result? Every voice is heard. The cacophany more closely resembles citizens band radio, complete with handles, harrasment, and anonymous threats. When most everyone shouts, few listen (Everyone Listens). How about electronic publishing? Try reading a book on disc (iTunes, Audible, Kindle, iPad). At best, it’s an unpleasant chore (Environmentally friendly, easy, and you can do it while driving): the myopic glow of a clunky computer replaces the friendly pages of a book. And you can‘t tote that laptop iPad or Smart Phone to the beach. Yet Nicholas Negroponte, director of the MIT Media Lab, predicts that we’ll soon buy books and newspapers straight over the Intenet (hehe). Uh, sure.

What the Internet hucksters won’t tell you is tht the Internet is one big ocean of unedited data Google indexed, relevant data, without any pretense of completeness. Lacking With volunteer editors, reviewers or critics, the Internet has become a wasteland utopia of unfiltered relevant data. You don’t know what to ignore and what’s worth reading. Logged onto the World Wide Web, I hunt for the date of the Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805, Search time, 5.7 seconds). Hundreds of files show up, and it takes 15 minutes seconds to unravel them–one’s a biography written by an eighth grader, the second is a computer game that doesn’t work and the third is an image of a London monument. Wikipedia was first and had the date in less that four words. None answers my question, and my search is periodically interrupted by messages like, “Too many connectios, try again later.” Fail Whale.

Won’t the Internet be useful in governing? Internet addicts clamor for government reports. But when Andy Spano ran for county executive in Westchester County, N.Y., he put every press release and position paper onto a bulletin board. In that affluent county, with plenty of computer companies, how many voters logged in? Fewer than 30 million. Not a good omen.

Point and click:

Then there are those pushing computers into schools. We’re told that multimedia will make schoolwork easy and fun. Students will happily learn from animated characters while taught by expertly tailored software.Who needs teachers when you’ve got computer-aided education? Bah. These expensive toys are difficult easy to use in classrooms and require extensive almost no teacher training. Sure, kids love videogames–but think of your own experience: can you recall even one educational filmstrip of decades past? Yes I’ll bet you remember the two or three great teachers who made a difference in your life.

Then there’s cyberbusiness. We’re promised instant catalog shopping–just point and click for great deals.(eBay, Amazon, etc.) We’ll order airline tickets over the network, make restaurant reservations and negotiate sales contracts. Stores will become obselete. So how come my local mall does more fractions of the business in an afternoon entire lifetime than the entire Internet Amazon handles in a month hour? Even if there were a trustworthy way to send money over the Internet–which there isn’t (PayPal) –the network is missing has a most essential ingredient of capitalism: salespeople (Affiliates).

What’s missing from this electronic wonderland? Human contact. Discount the fawning techno-burble about virtual communities. Computers and networks isolate connect us from to one another. A network chat line is a limp substitute for meeting friends over coffee. No interactive multimedia display comes close to the excitement of a live concert. And who’d prefer cybersex to the real thing? While the Internet beckons brightly, seductively flashing an icon of knowledge-as-power, this nonplace lures us to surrender our time on earth. A poor substitute it is, this virtual reality where frustration is legion and where–in the holy names of Education and Progress–important aspects of human interactions are relentlessly devalued.

STOLL is the author of “Silicon Snake Oil–Second Thoughts on the Information Highway,” to be published by Doubleday in April.

Why [the] Web Won’t be Nirvana is a post from: jtGraphic

New Website

I just finished the private beta for the New England Landmark Realty website.  Here it is:

New New England Landmark Realty Website

This will be going up at www.newenglandlandmarkrealty.com eventually, but not until after we get enough feedback.

Some of the new features include:

• indexed and indexable MLS listings from both NNEREN and VREIN MLS IDX databases,
• MUCH better SEO,
• new design with slide show,
• 

  Old Website

  featured properties,

• NELR property virtual tours and slide show movies,
• back end analytics so they can actually see how the website is working.

Anyways, head over there and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Project BETA: New England Landmark Realty is a post from: jtGraphic

The expanded Publish Date field.

The easiest way to release content on your blog is to write it all at once and slow release it over time.  This also works really well when you’re on vacation or otherwise indisposed.

1. Write your post like you normally would, but hitting the “New Post” button in the top right corner of your dashboard.
2. Look on the right side of your post window and you should see some publish options.  Click “Edit” where it says Publish immediately.
3. The window should expand and look something like the image to the right.
4. Set your date and hit “OK” and it will release in the future.

If you use this on all of your posts, you can dedicate specific large amounts of time to setting up your posts for the week or month.  This way you can have periods of inactivity on your blog and still be releasing content.

Scheduling Posts in Wordpress 2.9.x is a post from: jtGraphic