No Option
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Leadville Trail 100
“The Race Across the Sky”
This is it. The race of all races.
One hundred miles across the high-altitude, extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies.
Created for only the most determined athletes.
Starting at 10,152 feet and climbing to 12,424 feet,
you’ll be challenged to catch your breath — while the views try to take it away.
The 100-mile out-and-back course is in the midst of the Colorado Rockies.
Low point, 9,200 feet; high point is Columbine Mine, 12,424 feet.
Majority is on forest trails with some mountain roads.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT step is your KEYWORD Research.
The SECOND is to make sure your BLOG is OPTIMIZED for your KEYWORDS.
A Key Part of that Optimization is “Pretty Permalinks” / Friendly URL’s.
Wordpress Admin> Settings > Permalinks > Custom Structure>
We originally set up the permalinks as Default: “Ugly”.
http://example.com/?p=1846
This structure is not optimized for SEO Domination.

Once we learned the importance of “Pretty Permalinks”
we changed the settings to Custom Structure>
/%year%/%category%/%postname%/
hoping to see
http://example.com/2010/category/postname
But instead all we saw, was 404 errors on every page.

DDF Zone Tip:
By adding the year at the beginning of the structure,
you drastically decrease the number of rewrite_rules
which increases the performance of your blog.
Optimize rewrite rule generation

What follows is the illustrated Roadmap on how our BLOG got “Pretty”.

In order for WordPress to create “Pretty Permalinks”
it uses an apache add-on called “mod_rewrite”.
If you are hosting your site on anything Windows, PROBLEM !
IIS (Internet Information Server ) doesn’t load apache mods.

SOLUTION !  
Helicon’s_ISAPI_Rewrite_3_Lite_Freeware Version
An Apache mod_rewrite URL rewriter for Microsoft IIS server.

We downloaded and installed following Kyle Caufields post:
Permalink for WordPress – IIS 6 mod_rewrite FIXED – Free
.
On Windows XP Pro, IIS  is accessed under Computer Management

.
The Default install location for ISAPI Remote is the Local Directory.
We installed the ISAPI_Rewrite3  Filter under the Default Web Directory.
If you plan on supporting multiple Web Sites, you will need  the Full Version.
Hit up the  ISAPI Rewrite Support Forums  for more detailed support

.
But we still had 404 errors.
We tried every configuration option we could find,
and almost gave up since almost every solution
was based on Windows Server 2003 and IIS 6
and none on our current system:
- OS Version:  Windows XP Pro SP 3
- Server Version:  Microsoft-IIS/5.1
- MySQL Version:  5.0.17
- PHP Version:  5.2.5
- WordPress Version:  3.0
So, it would be natural to assume that you
must run on a server platform for this to work.
NOT GIVING UP !
.
After more hours, articles and posts we discovered
Andy Stratton’s plugin for WP   that not only handles the rewrites for our
top-level pages but also the child pages under the drop down menus.
Get WordPress Permalinks Working with Windows, IIS, and ISAPI Rewrite

We installed and activated the plug in,
created and configured an .htaccess file that mirrored the ISAPI Rewrite http.conf file
and placed it in the root WordPress Directory.

.
404 ERRORS are still with us.  More Reading and Testing!

404’s on WordPress Permalinks (IIS with ISAPI Rewrite)
What was learned from Almeros’s Coding Blog was:
to pay attention where the 404 Error’s are coming from, WordPress or IIS.
and a way to get feedback from the system.
“This piece of code prints out the array of PHP server variables which are present
at the time of the HTTP request performed, including HTTP URL request parameters.”
You add the following code
inside {wordpress} /index.php just below the first define statement:
echo “<pre>”;
print_r($_SERVER);
echo “</pre>”;

.
Another useful Plugin for dealing with WordPress Apache Issues is:
AskApache RewriteRules Viewer

After reviewing the information and logs generated,
we started to go back and look for posts and comments
focusing on directory issues, since our blog is not in the root directory.

The SOLUTION was adding our actual “subdirectoryname” into the
ISAPI Rewrite http.conf file and the .htaccess file.

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /yoursubdirectoryname/
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . index.php [L]

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Not sure if we need the .htaccess file for the mod-rewrite
but we will need it for security measures later, SO WE WILL KEEP IT.

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We have found a lot of very valuable knowledge
and help in the numerous blog comment secctions.

One Possible Warning.
If you change the “permalink” settings you will break any links created.
Not sure if there is any way to Fix this if it happens.
Not a huge issue with our blog since it is so new and has few links.
But for someone who has a high number of links,
it may not be worth the broken links.

Hope you have found some useful knowledge
from you time spent in the DDF Zone Diaries.
Join the Conversation
And as Always
Lead, Follow and Share !

More Resources and Links

Using Permalinks – WordPress Codex

Dedicated Site for Everything IIS

But how do we keep track of them for easy and quick recall?
Maybe I am just slow and everyone else has figured this out,
but I have tried many methods that don’t quite cut it:
Using book marks in the browser.
Writing them down on paper.
Using Outlook to try to manage them by “Category”.
Using favorites in Twitter.

With all the talk about using Social Bookmarking for SEO,
what about using it to bookmark and manage your information?
The first three we experimented with did not seem to
provide what we were looking for:
1.  A quick and easy way to bookmark the source
2. The ability to create “categories” to index the information
3. The option to use any computer to access the links

So once again, Firefox and it’s Extensions lead us to the Solution.

delicious with the Firefox Add-On.
Internet Explorer also has an add-on for delicious.
.
.
The delicious extension helps you manage your links
By clicking on the Bookmarks Button in the Top Menu, you can
Toggle the Tags and Bookmarks section placed on the left side, ON and OFF.

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.
By clicking on the Tag Button in the Top Menu, you bring up the Tag menu
where you can create new tags to manage your bookmarks.
It will create a tag for EACH word unless you combine them.
DDF Zone Example:   Hardcore Truth = 2 Tags  vs  Hardcore_Truth = 1 Tag

.
.
Once you save the Tag, it will file the Bookmark in the proper Tag Category
and Create a new one if it doesn’t exist.

.
.
By clicking on the delicious Button in the Top Menu, you bring up the Main menu.
This gives you the “command center” for delicious.
Management of your profile, bookmarks, people, tags and much more.

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And just for FUN !
“Book ‘em Danno!”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Color Quiz: Name that Brand !

Just as companies use color to convey their brand attributes,
you can also harness the power of color to communicate
your personal brand.

But what are the attributes of your personal brand?
What is compelling and relevant about you ?
What is unique and valuable about you ?
What are you passionate about ?
What attracts people to you ?
You have to be authentic !

Review the Six Groups below and
choose the one or two that best
define the attributes of you and your brand.
Write down which groups you feel best fit,
be honest and be authentic.

Then watch the videos below presented by,
Personal Branding Guru, William Arruda.
The answers to which colors communicate which attributes,
are in the Video
Personal Branding – What Color is Your Brand
and also posted below the videos.
.
So, What Color is Your Brand?
.
Group One
Brand Attributes Communicate
Truth, Integrity, Loyalty, Trust, Security,
Authority, Power, Confidence, Reliability,
Intelligence, Wisdom, Peace,
Relax and calm people down.
.
Group Two
Brand Attributes Communicate
Energy, Strength, Force, Productivity,
Determination, Success, Potency,
Encouragement, Competition, Vitality,
Create warmth and comfort.
.
Group Three
Brand Attributes Communicate
Power, Energy, Action, Potency,
Desire, Love, Passion, Romance,
Determination, Courage, Danger, War
Get people excited, Compel them to action,
Grab their attention.
.
Group Four
Brand Attributes Communicate
Optimism, Growth, Youth, Healing, Luck
Spring, Fertility, Relaxation, Rebirth,
Nature, Environment,
Makes people feel secure.
.
Group Five
Brand Attributes Communicate
Happiness, Joy, Cheerfulness, Energy,
Warning, Caution, Intellect, Warmth,
Light, Sunshine, Vision, Creativity,
Associated with creating ideas.
.
Group Six
Brand Attributes Communicate
Royalty, Wealth, Ambition, Luxury,
Competition, Inspiration, Wisdom, Dignity
Mystery, Spirituality, Mysticism, Magic
.
Personal Branding Guru, William Arruda

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Make it a Colorful Day,
Dennis
Lead, Follow and Share !

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do you feel like screaming
We’re Not Going To Take It Anymore !
.

.
What’s Missing ?
The Answer has been around since the beginning of time !
Everything revolves around Relationships. PERIOD ! !
FOCUS on Mastering Your Relationships ON and OFF the Internet
Use Social Media as a TOOL to help you achieve that.
Use Books, Audio Book, The Internet, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs etc
to Follow and Learn from Leaders,  Past and Present like:

John Wooden – The Wizard of Westwood

John Maxwell – Everything rises and falls on leadership

Sharon L. Lechter and Greg S. Reid – Three Feet From Gold

And most important thing of all,
when you learn something of value,
pass it on, Share it with someone else.

All the New “Stuff” is great, But as TOOLS.
Don’t Forget the Basics.

The “Golden Rule” still applies to the Internet Age.
“Treat Others as You Would Like To Be Treated”
Enough Said

Lead, Follow and Share !

“Ordinary people,
contributing small innovations,
to collectively solve environmental problems”
R & D – I – Y  (Research and Develop It Yourself)
as quoted by Britta Riley from
The Window Farms Project

If they are doing this in Brooklyn, Boston, Toronto, Ohio,
LA, London, Hungary, San Francisco, Japan, Germany,
Saint Louis, Chicago, Tampa and many more locations,
why not where you live, why not your window ?
Check out the community at
our.windowfarms.org

Something to think about

Join the conversation !
Lead, Follow, and Share
.

What follows are some of the
Tips and Shortcuts we came across
while setting up the DDF Zone Brand.

Our wish is that what was learned
will help others to set up their Brand.

If others have more Tips and Shortcuts on this subject,
Please share them so that others may Benefit.

Lead, Follow and Share

To Create and Manage Avatars for your WordPress Blog go to
Gravatar and create your own account and Avatars.
DDF Zone Tip:
Make sure that the Email Address you use setting up your Gravatar
is the Email Address used for admin purposes in your WordPress Dashboard.
With Gravatar you can import any size file and it will scale and size it.
Watch Robert’s Great Video to get more detailed
Steps On Setting Up A Gravatar Account!

When Creating Your Twitter Profile Avatar
File path is:
Settings > Profile > Picture > Change image
Maximum size of 700k, JPG, GIF, PNG
Height to Width Ration should be Equal – Square
For any issues check out
The Twitter – Help Center

Why not Put the Finishing Touch on Your Twitter Brand and
Make a Good Impression with a Custom Twitter Background
Thanks to Hugh Bris from Twitter Image for writing this post.

Creating an Avatar for Google Friend Connect was a bit trickier.
The best way to access the image option is at the
Google Friend Connect Widget.
File path is:
Join this site > More options > Add a photo
Or if you already have a profile on the web? Use it instead

If you choose to upload a JPG, GIF or PNG file.
The “Crop this picture” feature is a nightmare
“You can drag the box to select the crop area, and use the handle to resize it.”
The Resize Handle does not work.
Best way to “crop” the image is to edit the image
with a canvas 4 times the image size.
The quickest option is to use an existing profile
Such as your Twitter Profile.

The One Branding Opportunity that many people miss is
the Favicon, a tiny custom icon that appears next to
your website’s URL in the address bar of a web browser.
They are 16 pixels by 16 pixels and
are a Windows Icon (.ico ) file.
They are usually called Favicon.ico and
reside in the main directory of your website.
In our WordPress Install the File path is:
wp > wp-content > themes > atahualpa > images > favicon
If you don’t find it in a similar location,
Just do a search for *.ico in your WP main folder.

Thanks to Jennifer Apple for a great post on the
Mysteries Of The Favicon.ico – How To Create A Favicon In Photoshop

If you don’t have Photoshop,
there are many free and GPL licensed software options
for creating favicon images.
Just Google -  Creating Favicon

Hope This Helps
and
Keep Branding

I have been clicking on a key board since the
Days of the Original IBM AT and XT Computers.
and still learning, still growing and still clicking.
The latest endeavor is learning and setting up
our first WordPress Blog.
So over the last few days, through my delirium,
a couple of songs that were
sent via email to me back in 1997
have kept popping into my head.

So after a bit of Google searching, I was happy to find
the author and master of these songs,
has actually done quite well for himself since 1997
and his days writing for MacWorld Magazine.

Tech Columnist for NY Times,
CNBC Tech Dude,
Missing Manuals Creator,
Dad of 3
1,318,073 Followers on Twitter
and Much, Much, More.
Who is it?
David Pogue

So for that smile that you need today,
Go Visit David’s Site
And Listen to some of his Song Spoofs:

Microsoft
Happily Addicted to The Web
The Bill Gates Song
I Write the Code
and
many, many more !

Enjoy
Make it a great day
and Remember
Lead, Follow and Share !