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Password Unification

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Premise
“Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you have to be dumb.”First let me point out I’m one of those life-long students. Not because if love college, but because I can never make up my mind on what I want to do. After making some big life changes I decided to take a full year away from school. Yesterday I attempted to register for this coming spring semester to get back on track. Interestingly enough my account has been disabled… sort of... This is where the fun starts.I expected my account to be disabled, that isn’t the issue here. The problem is how it was disabled, and the messages which I received back from the University. First my account still worked to access class registration, and the University portal but my E-Mail had been completely locked out. This is the main point of my concern. If the university had a unified technology structure the login / password information would be centralized. An account disabled one place should be disabled across campus. Instead some departments disabled my account, and other left it running while I was gone. Worst some parts of the university left it partially running, but unusable.Strange isn’t it? Why not completely disable my account rather then just PRETEND it works only to give me a nasty permissions error when I attempt to USE the portal which I am already logged into.Rule #1“Never let the user see the nasty error.”Building an application or networked system on any level requires more then just getting the job done. A developer should take the additional time to build functionality for the unexpected. In my case there should have been two things.A friendly message explaining why my account was disabled and directions on how to re-enable my account. Rule #2“Avoid the circle of death; take personal responsibility for the problem.”First I talked to my counselor who said I should talk to computer services. Computer services told me to talk to the registration office. The registration office told me to talk to my counselor. FAIL, never ending loops are bad, not just in programming but in the real world.This could have been avoided at each step, but instead the problem was passed onto someone else. All someone had to do was research the problem, and they would have known the problem has come up in the past. The eventually solution was to force someone to register my classes over the phone rather then using my account on the Internet.Rule #3“Record problems and make proactive steps to resolve known issues.”I work in IT and I know how incredibility complicated things can get. But it’s important to always take steps to prevent the situation from coming up again. I am sure that I am not the first person to have their account disabled, and because no one is following rule three; I will likely not be the last. A few simple changes to the application would easily fix the problem, but no one cares enough to do anything about it. This means me, THE CUSTOMER, THE STUDENT, THE IDOIT, to run around trying to convenience people to do their job.Thanks for the warm welcome back akron,

Cabling Your Home For Computer Network - Still A Requirement?

Cabling your home for computer network - still a requirement?

With proliferation of wireless networking and communication equipment it is oh-so-tempting to cut the cord and save a significant sum of money in the process. But is everything that a regular computer networking user needs can be done using just wireless network? Let’s take a look at some pros and contras:

1. One important advantage of having a cabled network is the available bandwidth or simply speed. At the present point in time the speed of connection via a simple and inexpensive CAT5E cable can be 1000Mbit/sec, whereas the best that IEEE802.11g (one of the many flavors of Wi-Fi) can offer is only 54Mbit/sec. It may not seem so significant if you think you are only browsing Internet, and the DSL speed available to you is 1.5Mbit/sec. However, if you need to print via your network connection on a remote printer, you should realize that the print jobs, depending on the amount of graphic data in them, can easily reach dozens and even hundreds megabytes. Since 1Byte=8bit one 100MByte print job will take 15 seconds (and in reality this time can be much longer) to transmit via a Wi-Fi wireless connection, and this time shrinks to mere 1 sec or less on wired 1000MBit/s Ethernet connection. Same principal applies to transferring files, backing up files on other computers in the network etc.
2. It is not possible today and with all probability will not be possible in the future to transmit power needed for your networking device via the wireless link. Unless, of course, you would be willing to be subjected to very high levels of microwave radiation. Thus a device that was marketed to you as “un-tethered” will in fact be very much tethered via the power cord or will have to be re-charged every so often. The power requirements are increasingly important for devices that are expected to be always online, such as phone sets. Therefore it is best to have it connected via a cable that can deliver both power and the communication signal at the same time.
3. Wireless communications are very much proprietary and require whole gamut of conversion equipment to transmit multi-media signals. The same CAT5E cable can without any modification support phone, computer network, balanced line level audio signal, baseband video signal as well as host of other, more specialized, control applications’ signals. With inexpensive adapters called “baluns” the same cable can carry significant number of channels of broadband television or carry a baseband video, such as security camera output, through great distances. All of those applications, except the computer network of course, will require specialized expensive conversion equipment if they needed to be transmitted via a Wi-Fi link.
4. The cost benefit of not running wires around the house is not as simple as issue as it seems. Having installed a wireless network at home you have only eliminated the need to wire for a single application – computer network. A modern home, however, requires all kinds of wiring to run even without regard to computers. The power and phones are obvious examples, as well as thermostats and security systems. Pre-wired speakers are common and most homes today have intercom systems as a desirable option, and those also require extensive wiring. It is very likely that the same contractor running the intercom or security cables is qualified to run computer cables – CAT5E or better. If you are building a home, you should definitely check if computer cabling option is available in your new home, and our advice is to go ahead and purchase it before the walls close. It is going to be a pretty involved and expensive procedure to install the cables later. As an added cost benefit of a wired computer network you will find that all modern computers ship with wired Ethernet network interface card included, and the latest models ship with 1000MBit/sec cards that are essentially free for the computer’s owner.

There are multiple sources of information available on proper planning and design of a residential cabling for voice, data, audio, video and other applications. One of the best sources is the TIA/EIA-570B standard, most resent release of which has been published in 2004. The standard outlines recommended types of the cables, principals of cable distribution in a single- and multi-dwelling units as well as recommended amount of cables to be installed based on the size of the house.

In conclusion, cutting the wire seems like a step forward, some sort of liberation of computer from the bonds of the infrastructure. I would caution the reader, however, to take a more balanced and informed approach before joining the wireless revolution. There are still (and will remain in foreseen future) sound reasons to include properly designed cabling system into the list of your dream home options.

Wireless Networks: How Do They Work?

Wireless networks use radio waves instead of wires to transmit data between computers. Here's how:

The Binary Code: 1s and 0s

It's well known that computers transmit information digitally, using binary code: ones and zeros. This translates well to radio waves, since those 1s and 0s can be represented by different kinds of beeps. These beeps are so fast that they're outside the hearing range of humans.

Morse Code: Dots And Dashes

It works like Morse code, which is a way to transmit the alphabet over radio waves using dots (short beeps) and dashes (long beeps). Morse code was used manually for years via telegraph to get information from 1 place to another very quickly. More importantly for this example, though, it is a binary system, just as a computer system is.

Wireless networking, then, can be thought of as a Morse code for computers. You plug in a combined radio receiver and transmitter, and the computer is able to send out its equivalent of dots and dashes (bits, in computer-speak) to get your data from here to there.

Wavelengths And Frequencies

You might wonder how the computer can send and receive data at high speed without becoming garbled nonsense. The key to wireless networking is how it gets around this problem.

First, wireless transmissions are sent at very high frequencies, which allows more data to be sent per second. Most wireless connections use a frequency of 2.4 gigahertz (2.4 billion cycles per second) -- a frequency similar to mobile phones and microwave ovens. However, this high frequency produces a wavelength that is very short, which is why wireless networking is effective only over short distances.

Wireless networks also use a technique called "frequency hopping." They use dozens of frequencies, and constantly switch among them. This makes wireless networks more immune to interference from other radio signals than if they transmitted on a single frequency.

Internet Access Points

The final step for a wireless network is to provide internet access for every computer on the network. This is done by a special piece of wireless equipment called an access point. An access point is more expensive than a wireless card for 1 computer, because it contains radios capable of communicating with around 100 computers, sharing internet access among them. Dedicated access points are necessary only for larger networks. With only a few computers, it is possible to use 1 of them as the access point, or to use a wireless router.

Industry Standards

Wireless equipment from different manufacturers can work together to handle these complex communications because there are standards which guide the production of all wireless devices. These standards are technically called the 802.11. Because of industry compliance with these standards, wireless networking is both easy to use and affordable today.

Wireless Is Simple To Use

If all this talk of frequencies has you worried -- relax. Wireless networking hardware and software handle all of this automatically, without need for user intervention. Wireless networking, for all its complicated ability, is far simpler to use than you might expect.

How Do Wireless Networks Work?

Wireless networks work using radio waves instead of wires to transmit data between computers. That's the simple version. If you're curious to know what's going on in more detail, then it's all explained in this article.

Ones and Zeros.

I'm sure you know that computers transmit data digitally, using binary: ones and zeros. This is a way of communicating that translates very well to radio waves, since the computer can transmit ones and zeros as different kinds of beep. These beeps are so fast that they're outside a human's hearing range -- radio waves that you can't hear are, in fact, all around you all the time. That doesn't stop a computer from using them, though.

Morse Code.

The way it works is a lot like Morse code. You probably already know that Morse code is a way of representing the alphabet so that it can be transmitted over radio using a dot (short beep) and a dash (long dash). It was used manually for years, and became a great way of getting information from one place to another with the invention of the telegraph. More importantly for this example, though, it is a binary system, just like a computer's ones and zeros.

You might think of wireless networking, then, as being like Morse code for computers. You plug a combined radio receiver and transmitter in, and the computer is able to send out its equivalent of dots and dashes (bits, in computer-speak) to get your data from one place to another.

All About Frequencies.

You might wonder, though, how the computer could possibly transmit enough bits to send and receive data at the speed it does. After all, there must be a limit on how much can be sent in a second before it just becomes useless nonsense, right? Well, yes, but the key to wireless networking is that it gets around this problem.

First of all, wireless transmissions are sent at very high frequencies, meaning that more data can be sent per second. Most wireless connections use a frequency of 2.4 gigahertz (2.4 billion cycles per second) -- a similar frequency to mobile phones and microwave ovens. As you might know, though, a frequency this high means that the wavelength must be very short, which is why wireless networking only works over a limited area.

In addition, wireless networks make use of a technique known as 'frequency hopping'. They use dozens of frequencies in the range they are given, and constantly switch between them. This makes wireless networks more immune to interference from other radio signals than they would be if they only transmitted on one frequency.

Access Points.

The final step is when it comes to all the computers on a network sharing Internet access. This is done using a special piece of wireless equipment called an access point. Access points are more expensive than wireless cards for one computer, as they contain radios that are capable of talking to around 100 computers at the same time, and sharing out access to the Internet between them. Dedicated access points are only really essential for larger networks, though -- if you only have a few computers, it is possible to use one of them as the access point, or you could just get a wireless router.

They Understand Each Other.

That's all well and good, then, but how does wireless equipment made by entirely different companies manage to work together when this is all so complicated? Well, the answer is that there are standards that all wireless devices follow. These standards are technically called the 802.11 standards, and are set by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). It is thanks to people sticking to their standards that wireless networking is so easy and cheap to use today.

You Don't Need to Worry.

If all this talk of frequencies has you a little worried, you don't need to be -- wireless networking hardware and software handles all of this automatically, without you needing to do a thing. Don't think that you're going to have to tell one wireless device what frequency another is using, because it's just not going to happen, alright? Wireless networking, for all its complicated workings, is really far more simple to use than you'd ever expect.

Crime Fighting Computer Systems And Databases

As crime globalizes, so does crime fighting. Mobsters, serial killers, and terrorists cross state lines and borders effortlessly, making use of the latest advances in mass media, public transportation, telecommunications, and computer networks. The police - there are 16,000 law enforcement agencies in the Unites States alone - is never very far behind.

Quotes from the official Web pages of some of these databases:

National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC)

Its mission is to combine investigative and operational support functions, research, and training in order to provide assistance, without charge, to federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies investigating unusual or repetitive violent crimes. The NCAVC also provides support through expertise and consultation in non-violent matters such as national security, corruption, and white-collar crime investigations.

It comprises the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center (CASMIRC), and Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP).

VICAP is a nationwide data information center designed to collect, collate, and analyze crimes of violence - specifically murder. It collates and analyzes the significant characteristics of all murders, and other violent offenses.

Homicide Investigation Tracking System (HITS)

A program within the Washington state's Attorney General's Office that tracks and investigates homicides and rapes.

Violent Crime Linkage System (ViCLAS)

Canada-wide computer system that assists specially trained investigators to identify serial crimes and criminals by focusing on the linkages that exist among crimes by the same offender. This system was developed by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in the early 1990s.

UTAP, stands for The Utah Criminal Tracking and Analysis Project

Gathers experts from forensic science, crime scene analysis, psychiatry and other fields to screen unsolved cases for local law enforcement agencies.

International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) - Interpol's DNA Gateway

Provides for the transfer of profile data between two or more countries and for the comparison of profiles that conform to Interpol standards in a centralized database. Investigators can access the database via their Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) using Interpol's secure global police communications system, I-24/7.

Interpol's I-24/7

Global communication system to connect its member countries and provide them with user-friendly access to police information. Using this system, Interpol National Central Bureaus (NCBs) can search and cross-check data in a matter of seconds, with direct and immediate access to databases containing critical information (ASF Nominal database of international criminals, electronic notices, stolen motor vehicles, stolen/lost/counterfeit travel and ID documents, stolen works of art, payment cards, fingerprints and photographs, a terrorism watch list, a DNA database, disaster victim identification, international weapons tracking and trafficking in human beings-related information, etc).

Interpol Fingerprints

Provides information on the development and implementation of fingerprinting systems for the general public and international law enforcement entities.

Europol (European Union's criminal intelligence agency) Computer System (TECS)

Member States can directly input data into the information system in compliance with their national procedures, and Europol can directly input data supplied by non EU Member States and third bodies. Also provides analyses and indexing services.

Internet Services Now Available With Wi-fi Hotspot Software

The services that you had always wanted to provide to your cherished customers are now available at no extra cost. There are firms that allow you to provide free or paid for internet services on wi-fi hotspot gateway to your customers. These companies also allow you to make the wi-fi zone available to the customers with your own branding. On top of that they also allow you to provide these services without paying any money to the service provider. In fact there is no need to sign up for any revenue sharing or monthly charging schemes with the service provider.

All this has made the job of providing the internet services to your customers on the wi-fi hotspot gateway all the more easier and interesting. It doesn’t matter whether you are a small time coffee shop owner or running an internet café. Various kinds of wireless hotspot gateway services are available that would suit the kind of internet service you wish to provide to your customers. There are hotspot gateway services that take the visitor to the landing page on which your brand name is displayed and the customer is then provided with the free internet access for a limited or an unlimited duration.

There are wi-fi hotspot gateways available in which software is made available to the service provider that can store thousands of unique five letter codes that can be sold to the customers as internet access tickets. These kind of wi-fi hotspot gateways are used by the people who run internet cafes. Another type of wi-fi hotspot gateway that is used by many small time coffee shop owners is the one in which a single code is used by many visitors.

Depositphotos – Finding Great Royalty Free Photos

Sunday, October 16, 2011

A few months ago I wrote up an article on where to find royalty free images, and using Depositphotos. Since then, DP has done a complete web site redesign and continues to add to their selection of photos you can purchase from the web site. I actually just started up a new pet food review blog last month and have been using Depositphotos for nearly all of the the images I’m using on the site. The last thing I want to have a problem with is image and photo copyright, when I’m already putting so much time and effort into a new site.

Let’s take a look at the new Depositphotos site design:

Besides the great new visual look and feel to the web site, it’s actually ten times better the performance and you will also experience increased functionality and navigation. As an active user of the site, it makes a big difference to be able to speed through images and quickly download the ones I need without a hassle.

Outside of the new site design, you will also experience the following updates and changes to the site:

Search functionality improved
All image titles are included in search results
Search bar updated with image type filters
New site design is fit for all browsing dimensions
Now available in Italian, Portugal, Polish, Netherlands languages
Best viewing experience at 1024×728 or higher
Separate download and description for each file type
One click purchase / download

New DepositPhotos Search Area

If you’ve been an active user of Depositphotos, you will notice the image search is now faster and displays more accurate images. Once you find the image you want to use, simply click that image, it’s size and “Download”. The file will save directly to your computer and you are ready to go.

The main reason why I enjoy using Depositphotos over other royalty free image sites, is because they are much cheaper than the competition. You can see in the screenshot below, once you select an image, you will have the option to choose what size you would like to purchase. Since each credit at Depositphotos costs $1 each, grabbing the smallest image (which is fine for web sites), it is only .50 credits, which comes out to .50 cents. At DP I only have to pay .50 per image (smallest size), while at other sites I would have to pay $1-$10 each, which is crazy just from web site usage.

Whether you are looking for images for your new web site, or print work, Depositphotos is a great resource for you to use. You can also increase your business and revenue as a photographer by submitting your image portfolio to their web site. Depositphotos is currently holding a promotion for both bloggers and photographers, which offers a free trial subscription for site owners and special deals for high volume photographers.

Profiting with Content

Content helps drive traffic, boosts credibility and authority, and helps you build a community of followers. It can also help you increase your search engine ranking, and should provide valuable information for readers.

Content can also have an impact on your cash flow if done properly. Here are some simple ways you can profit with content.

1. Write reviews.

You can use content to generate affiliate commissions by writing good reviews on the products you’re promoting as an affiliate. Many people search online for quality reviews before they purchase a product. It helps them make an informed decision about the quality of the product and if it will be useful to them.

When people are reading reviews, they are already in a buying mode. They simply need compelling information to help them complete the sale. If you write a detailed review, from your personal perspective, they are more likely to purchase the product. Include your affiliate link so they can click through to buy the product.

There are several things to keep in mind when writing reviews. First of all, always be honest in your assessment of the product. Describe who the product is for, who it will benefit and also cover who it may not benefit. Also remember to mention anything negative about the product, things you didn’t like. Many people think that giving some negative points will hurt their review, but in truth it makes your review stronger. It shows you are being honest. The things you didn’t like may not even apply to the prospective buyer.

2. List Building.

Use email marketing as another avenue of making money. Give out a free report, an incentive for people to join your list. Make sure it is directly related to your content and the things you share and promote. This gives you another way to reach them and another way to promote affiliate products or your own products.

Never bombard your list with useless promotions or daily promotions. Only send out important content that you think they may find useful and valuable. However, you still need to be consistent with contacting your list. You can send out weekly tips or articles that you write specifically for your list. You do not need to attempt a sale in every email, but you do need to stay in touch with them. Show them you care and over deliver with valuable content.

When you do this, they are more likely to buy from you when you promote quality products.

3. Sell Ad Space

You can sell ad space on your blog or even in your newsletter. If you have a large list of followers, some advertisers will pay you so that they can reach your audience every week.

Make sure the ads are relevant to your list and your content. If you don’t have advertisers you can start with a Google ad and remove those as other sites start purchasing those ad slots.

4. Use Article Directories.

If you have your own product or service, you can use articles posted at directories to drive traffic to your sales page. Use the article as pre-sell material so when the prospect clicks the call to action in your bio, they are already wanting more information. This can increase your conversations from those click throughs.

5. Establish Authority with eBooks.

Ebooks are a great way to establish authority in your niche. If you’re extremely knowledgeable in a certain area, you can write an ebook for people to purchase.

You can sell your ebook from your own website, through Clickbank or you can even have it published on Kindle. This allows you to reach more people in your field.

Sales from ebooks not only boosts your income, but it can also increase traffic to your site which can give you future income, more prospects to reach out to and help you profit with content.

There are many ways to use content as a means to increase sales. Implementing just a few of them can increase your popularity, your bottom line and establish your credibility. Try some of these methods, give them time to work and see if they don’t increase your income.

Another great thing about content is it can work for you for many years. You do the work once and it keeps working for you.

How to Use Guest Blogging to Make Your Blog a Success

I can remember clearly when I just started my blog, on the second of April 2010. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing then, but I just knew, somehow, that my blog will grow to a stage where it is read by thousands of people every month. After a few months of blogging, I read a lot of articles giving tips on how to market a blog and drive traffic to it, I implemented as many tips as I came across, but none of them was as effective as guest blogging.

I discovered guest blogging around 2 months or so of starting my blog, and even though I expected it to be just like every other blog marketing tactic I’ve implemented, I was surprised to see my first guest post send me 50 visitors the week it went live. For a newbie, that was much, and I made up my mind to be using guest blogging to market my blog ever since.

8 months later, my blog got to a stage where it is getting 10,000 visitors monthly, and a stage where it is bringing me clients making me thousands of dollars monthly. It’s now 1 and a half years of starting my blog, and it is already getting over 30,000 visitors every month – Yes, that’s 30k monthly visitors, for a blog that is less than 2 years!

While that traffic isn’t that impressive to some bloggers, it is more than what most people achieve in 2 years of starting their blog. Mind you, I’m not trying to paint myself as a genius, because all that would have been impossible if not for guest blogging. Instead, I will be showing you how to use guest blogging to make your blog a success.

Determine Your Approach

I didn’t know much when I started blogging, so I didn’t have an approach. In fact, I hardly really knew what it meant to have an approach, but after guest blogging on blogs of all sizes in the last two years I have come to see how important having an approach can be.

If you want to achieve success with your guest posts, you need to have an approach. In other words, you need to know how you plan to use guest blogging to grow your blog, and how you want to go about it. It won’t be advisable to just start guest blogging on other blogs in your field without an end goal in mind.

For example, in my own opinion, there are two major approach you can follow. The first one is the approach of only guest blogging on big blogs in your niche. That way you will have prepared your blog to be able to convert your traffic in the best way possible. Since most big blogs send 100′s of visitors per guest post, if you are able to land 5 guest posts on 5 top blogs in your niche at an average of 400 visitors per guest post, that will be 2,000 visitors in one month. If you’re able to convert just 25% of the traffic you get from your guest posts on those 5 top blogs you will be able to get 400 subscribers every month. If you continue at that pace you will have at least 4,800 subscribers in the next one year, just from your guest posts.

The second approach is that of targeting small blogs. Since most small blogs will hardly send you any traffic, your main approach will be to focus your guest posts on sending high quality traffic to your blog on the long run. How can this be possible? You will be leveraging SEO.

Search engines value links from other blogs, and by effectively guest blogging on smaller blogs you can build quality backlinks to inner pages on your site. While this might not send you great traffic initially, it can lead to thousands of visitors to your blog monthly from the search engines in the next few months.

Prepare Your Blog for the Traffic to Come

While having the right approach is important, having an approach isn’t enough to make your guest blogging a success. You need to realize that people won’t just subscribe to an empty blog, and a poor blog is just like an empty blog.

You should work on creating your blog in such a way that you can effectively convert a large part of the traffic you will be getting to subscribers. This means you should work on having a nice conversion-focused design. You should work on having a consistent content schedule, and you should have a plan to monetize your blog in place.

The major mistake most people make with guest blogging isn’t the mistake of not writing the perfect guest post, it is the mistake of not preparing their blog for the traffic to come.

Make sure your blog is in the right state to capture the traffic from your guest posts, and you will be able to build your own community of raving fans over time.