So it began when I got a Google alert that a few of my blog posts has been picked up by Google’s search bots. “Great”, I thought but wait…those posts looks a bit strange. On closer inspection, they were spam posts for sex performance drugs and using pictures of scantily clad women on my blog!

“How did this happen??” I gasped! The links are coming directly from my blog and the posts uses the same theme as my blog!

Well after much research, I found that there’s quite a few security holes that needed to be plugged by the WordPress updates as well as a common plugin called “Timthumb”. The scary thing is that this plugin can be exploited even if its in a theme that is not active!

Wow! So I updated my WordPress installation using the “automatic update”, and that got me a fatal error with one of my plugins. A double-whammy in one morning! After almost 2-hours of trouble shooting, things are back to normal. I thought that at the very least, I’d make a blog post out of it in case it helps any of you.

So here are the solutions in case any you encounter such a horror one day:

If you encounter a fatal error after upgrading to the latest WordPress build, chances are, its caused by a plugin incompatibility. This effectively locks you out of the admin panel and is quite alarming. But don’t panic! The solution is to identify the offending plugin and deactivate it.

In my case, the culprit causing the fatal error in WordPress was the popular “Popup Domination” plugin.

When WordPress can’t find the plugin (because you renamed it), all it does is deactivate it. This allows you access back into the WordPress admin panel. Then you reactive them one-by-one until you find the plugin that causes the error! When you know which plugin is the offending plugin, you can either delete it or replace it with an updated version if it exists.

Now, about how to fix the “Timthumb” vulnerability. I found a simple solution on this post:

http://ravidreams.com/fix-timthumb-security-issue/

Basically, its just a mater of locating the “timthumb.php” file, and replacing it with this one:

http://timthumb.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/timthumb.php

Now, I can’t say if this has permanently fixed the issue but so far, the offending SPAM posts has been removed and everything seems to be back to normal.

From now on, I will definitely make sure to keep WordPress updated – especially if any vulnerabilities have been found and fixed!

It tells the story of the company from its almost accidental beginnings to where it is now with over 800 million users and also explores what may be for the future of the company.

I also like the way that is explores the story from very diverse points of views. In other words, you get to hear directly from Mark Zuckerberg but also from users, VCs, his dorm buddy, advertising companies and even a lady who does Facebook marketing as a consulting business for other businesses.

All in all, it s great piece to give you a inside look into Facebook. After all, when Facebook goes public on its planned IPO next year, there will be a lot more changes that will impact us either directly as one of the 800 million users or indirectly.

Its meant to say when “less (<)” “equals (=)” “more (>)”. Its a concept that I am slowly growing to love.

The idea is not new but one that I am newly embracing. With the challenges we face in the “information age”, I believe its an idea that can only continue to receive greater acceptance. Our time, attention and resources are limited by nature. And the rate of growth of distractions and messages to consume is insatiable. So its a matter of time when something has got to give.

You know what I’m talking about right?

Today, we struggle with unprecedented volumes of information and messages that fights for our precious attention and causes us to accumulate more “stuff” and leave a bigger environmental footprint on our planet.

Ever have trouble managing your email? I do. And also with status updates from Facebook, Twitter and the litany of other social media sites. Even when we are on the move, we’re distracted with mobile devices that beep, vibrate and blink at us at all times of the day.

Do you have everything you need to live? I’m pretty sure you already do. So if you think about it, for most businesses to exist today, they HAVE to convince us to buy stuff we don’t need. On the television and news, theres an endless barrage of advertisements and messages that fight for our attention. The objective and outcome is that it pushes us towards consuming more, buy more stuff, do more activities, multi-task, always more more more!

So when is less equal to more? For example:

• Is it better to have 500 “friends” on Facebook or just 2 or 3 really good friends you actually like to spend time with?
• Is it better to work 14- hour days or earn less and spend more time with your children or your spouse?
• Is it better to have a closet full of clothes you will never wear or just 5 pieces of clothing you love wearing?

These are just a couple of random examples. But at the core of the minimalist philosophy, its all about limiting all areas of life so that you enjoy a better quality of life. Its a very powerful tool. The simple act of limiting a particular area of your life, causes you to immediately value it more and get more out of it.

Listen, I’m no expert in this area. It sounds absurd initially to put any limits on our life choices but the benefits to our mind, body and spirit is tremendous. Not to mention the potential benefits to those around us like our family and friends and ultimately for the planet.

I’m taking baby steps. Here’s 2 initiatives that I’ve already started:

1. I only check email once at 7am (before my running) and once at 5pm.
2. I labelled all my clothes from 1 to 10. 1 being stuff I always pick and wear and 10 being items I have not worn in years. I then donated all my clothes ranked 4 or more. (that was a tough one, but very beneficial to my appreciation of minimalism)
3. I only single-task meaning I make a list of things I want to get done on a particular project and I only work on one task at a time and not move on to the next until the previous one is completed.

Like a real baby – I’m stumbling and falling every so often. Especially since a big part of my business involves social media! But I’m excited. I’m motivated by  even the little benefits as I begin to feel less stress, gain more time and actually get more productive.

I hope to get better at this and continue finding more ways to accomplish more by doing less and experiencing more joy out of life by having less “stuff” and distractions.

I also feel that we as a modern society is heading for imminent disaster as we continue to pollute the world and destroy our bodies in the name of progress. But I won’t get into all that here.

The question that has been on my mind is, what is the solution? What is the alternative?

Today, I stumbled upon an amazing story of hope and success. There is a movement in India where over the last 42 years, an amazing man named Bunker Roy, has been pioneering a school that is dedicated to practical education. More importantly, this system is not adulterated with concepts from modern education system. Its totally “home-grown” so to speak.

The ultimate goal is not to get a piece of paper certificate but to deliver real practical eduction and confidence in the students. And not surprisingly, a big themes of their success center around sustainable development and sustainable energy. Arguably, some of the most important knowledge we need as a society.

This is a story you must watch. It is one of the best Ted talks I have seen to date. Please share with others if you agree with this approach.

On Sept 29, Facebook will release a new interface for your profile page called “timeline”. As the name suggests, this will display your entire life as a timeline. It will show updates, checkins, photos, videos and almost everything you have posted on Facebook all the way to your…well, birth!

Here’s a video to show what it’s all about:

Why Facebook Timeline?

First Facebook succeeded in letting you connect with friends…lots of them. Next, they allowed you to like objects like sites, news stories, pictures, videos and so on. Now Facebook is adding a new dimension where you can add any “verb” to anything on the web!

This allows many web 2.0 apps that a lot of people are using to become more “social”. Here’s an intro to the “new” social apps on Facebook:

Finally, if you want to get familiar with your timeline before the official launch, I made a quick video to show you how to get it right now:

Here’s what my timeline looks like at the moment. I do think this is a great feature because:

1. The design is clean and quite stylish (like a personal blog)
2. It allows you full control over of what is published
3. It allows you full control over who gets to see what you publish
4. There are new tools to share significant life events
5. Many apps that I use like Nike+ apps and music or movie apps can be integrated directly and passively

Anyway, check it out for yourself and see if you like it. :)

These inventors created a light weight robot that flies like a bird. Not only that, in the two real time demonstrations, the bird came back exactly to the launch point.

Such innovations excite me on tomorrow’s future. It was only in my parent’s generation that they saw the growth of color TV, the internet, fax, computers, tablets, high speed trains and flight. So I am real eager to see what comes in my generation that my kids will take for granted!

From my personal experience, I tend to agree to with Derek’s view. I’ve always kept my biggest goals over the last 10 years to myself. Not because I knew about these psychology studies but because one of my fears is being ridiculed about them.

I’ve also experienced what Derek talked about in his video. For example, there was a few times when I shared a tweet or posted on Facebook that I’m going to work on something that I was excited about. To which some friends would reply with accolades and encouragement as friends do. And then the motivation I feel is diminished because the social “reward” albeit undeserved has already been had. Has this ever happened to you?

My conclusion is that this is actually pretty darn good advice. I do think that if you have big goals, write them down, live them everyday in your mind but don’t ever, ever tell people about them until AFTER you’ve achieved them.

This blueprint below shows how I use Twitter to drive traffic to one of my niche websites that produces about $300 to $500 of spare cash each month. This particular site has been producing consistent income for me for more than 8 months and its one of several such sites that I have*.

I tried to keep the video to under 15 minutes so that it will fit on Youtube and there are a couple of other useful tools I would have liked to discuss. In any case, these are the tools that I use to create this income stream:

Finding Niche Markets:
Market Samurai (Free Trial Available)

WP Theme for Creating Niche Blogs Fast:
Socrates Theme

Automating Twitter Traffic:
Tweet Adder Software
20% Discount Code: BRI20

Lastly, if you have questions or if you would like to give me some tips to do this better or if you just wanna say “hi” then please leave a comment on below.

*Earnings Disclaimer: I’ve been actively learning and applying Internet marketing strategies since 2006. There are many factors that affect income potential such as the market you select, copywriting, conversion of affiliate products you promote and many more. So your income results may be below or above my own experience.

I thought this idea was worth expanding and sharing because it can have a profound impact on your personal level of success in all areas of your life.

Personally, the idea resonated with me because I have been writing down long-term goals (almost daily) for as long as I can remember. Keeping my mind focussed on my long-term goals have helped me to make daily decisions that move me towards my goals rather than away from them.

I made this short 4 minute video to explain the idea more clearly. I hope you find it useful:

Facebook is awesome. Its hard to deny that. I use it (like most people) to connect with friends and family near and far. But I also use it for my business connections and for networking. Its a good idea to keep these two groups separate. Here’s a blog post I wrote some time back about why to keep your personal and business Facebook activity separate.

So if you’re going to create a fan page, how do you make a Facebook Page that your fans will like (literally)? Here are 5 essential “best-practice” tips I can offer to you to make a Facebook fan page that actually works:

Tip #1: The Facebook Page Profile Picture

• Include a profile picture that gives your visitors information about what you are about. Tell your visitors what they will get by connecting with your page.
• The largest size possible for a profile picture is 200 pixels wide and 600 pixels tall. So make full use of that space.
• You could also use a QR Code in your profile picture so your fans can add you to their contact list easily. Here’s a blog post about how to make use of QR codes.
• Finally, you can crop your larger profile picture so that the thumbnail that appears in your status updates appears like a normal head shot. This option automatically appears after you upload a new profile picture. But if you need to access it, just go to “edit page” then click on the “profile picture” option then click on “Edit Thumbnai”

Tip #2: The Facebook Landing Page (Static HTML Version)

• By default, you landing page is your fan page wall. But in the “Manage Permissions” section, you can select a page to use as a welcome page for your visitors. You can use this page to tell them why they should join your page.

• You could also add free apps like: Static HTML: iframe tabs app to your page. With this app, you can show non-fans a different page and send them to another HTML page after they click on the like button. This tool allows you to create incentives like give away free reports, or have your fans sign up to an autoresponder newsletter.

• For my own fan page – I kept it simple by creating a cheeky graphic asking “are you awesome?” and if you click on the “like” button, the next graphic shows “Yes, you are awesome!” page. You can check out my fan page here: http://facebook.com/brianwong.tv

Tip #3: Use Facebook as Your Fan Page (Instead of Your Profile Page)

• When you log in as the admin of your page, you can click on the option on the right sidebar to use Facebook as your fan page. This allows you to tag photos, leave wall posts, likes and other Facebook actions on other pages that lead back to your page.
• So use this option to tag photos you have with other people who already have a lot of friends or famous people with a lot of fans. You can also interact by adding valuable content on wall posts or useful links and videos on other Facebook pages. This will show a little bit about what you are about, and lead traffic back to your fan page.
• Don’t worry – you can switch back and forth between using FB as your fan page and as your own personal profile anytime and as often as you wish.

Tip #4: Use the Facebook Page Photo Wall to You Advantage

• Facebook displays your 5 most recent photos on the front page of your fan page. Instead of randomly allowing Facebook to select the photos, you could upload and select photos that best reflect what your page is about. You do this by putting your mouse over the top right of any photo you want removed and click on the “x” to remove it. Repeat this until you are left with just the photos that you want to display. If you make a mistake, then go to “edit page” and click on the “profile picture” option. Below it, you will see an option to “unhide” all those photos you removed earlier.
• How to use the photo wall? For example, you could include product images, photos of your facilities and any other photos that would tell your fans what your page is about. On the description of each of those photos, you should add a link or marketing information.
• You could also create separate fan pages for each of your key products and tag them from your main page.

Tip #5: Make Use of the Left Sidebar Elements

• On the left sidebar of your page, you can add a short paragraph to describe what your fan page is about. Don’t leave that blank.
• Also you could add apps that link to your other social media sites like YouTube, Twitter of your blog if you have one (you should have one).
• You could add other useful apps like slideshare app that allows you to include your presentation slides from Slideshare.net for example.
• In any case, the goal here is to show that your fan page is content rich so your visitor will be happy to become a fan.

Tip #6: Grab Your Preferred Facebook Page Name

• I know I said 5 tips but I left out the most important one – grab a nickname for your page URL.
• Facebook requires your page to have at least 25 fans before you can do this.
• So as soon as you reach 25 fans (get your buddies to fan it) – go to http://facebook.com/username and select a name for your page.