Spam Fighting Strategies for Webmasters

Battling spam is just like fighting any other activity that is illegal and needs to be fought in many areas. There are some easy steps that you can take to minimize the impact of spam in your email, as discussed in Part I. However, the webmaster of your email service has many more tools they can use to fight spam.

The effort would be small if a spammer had to collect email addresses one by one. This is why they take advantage of programming that is automated, such as using a spambot. A spambot is a program that looks through Internet websites for legitimate email addresses. These addresses are then "harvested" and put into huge lists.

The best way to deal with spammers is by raising their cost without putting too much of your own effort into it. Some of the techniques described in Part I can also be used by a webmaster.

CAMOUFLAGE

A spambot will only do what it has been told to do through a program. Many times a spambot will pass you by simply if you've disguised your email address. This is because a spambot is usually programmed to search for character strings that look like this: Jane_email@emailaddressdomain.com. You can fool a spambot by changing the email to Jane_email_at_NOSPAMemailaddressdomain.com.

Should the disguised email address be harvested by a spambot it will still need to "scrubbed" before it can be used. A program for scrubbing can be difficult to write since there are many variations that are possible, such as NO_SPAM and no*spam. Try to be as creative as possible.

There is a disadvantage to the above method: you need to remember to take out the extra letters as well as put in th@ sign.

You can make an email address impossible to harvest by putting it into a graphic instead of plain text or mailto:. Not many spambots are smart enough to translate a graphic and understand the pixel pattern as text that is usable. This is particularly true since graphics can have many shapes. Again, this method can be inconvenient because you won't just be able to reply to this address or copy and paste it.

Another approach is to get rid of the accessbile and visible email address completely. You can use a form for feedback that stores data in areas where a spambot can't search. You can also store the data inside of easy to write code that is difficult to decipher due to encryption. An example of this would be javascript.

BARRIERS

Communication becomes more difficult between trusted sources when visible email addresses are hidden in graphics or banned from visibility. You want to hinder the spammer by putting a block on any spambots that are known.

Many times they will have a signature that is easily seen through an IP address that is well known or a process name (and sometimes both). Other times they can search for User-Agents that are a non-browser form.

Webmasters can easily block IP addresses as well as block any unwanted processes. The webmaster just needs to begin a cron job that will scan the network for the name of a process and then terminate any IDs that are associated with the process.

A more experienced webmaster will have a daemon that will sleep until that time when a process name is noticed. The daemon will then "wake up" and terminate the process before any spam harvesting can occur. Sample programs, which are only a bit harder to implement, can be used and are available online.

You can get traps for spambots that will block any request that is incoming simply based on search patterns and behaviors. This method to fight spam is slightly more difficult to set up and attend to because it needs certain patterns to define it, changing the pattern slightly for different spambots. How-to information and sample perl programs are available online.

RAISE THE PRICE

After time most spammers will tire of trying different variations in programming just to get email addresses, making the reward much less than the effort. This is what you want to do: make the spammer cost much higher than the reward which will make your reward much more than the effort.

A spammer won't give up until there is no profit in the effort. US legislation, such as CAN-SPAM, has only seemed to deter businesses that are legitimate and that were never the guilty ones to begin with.

There are, however, some things being done to reduce the problem of spam to just an annoyance: there are penalties for sending spam, filters for junk mail are becoming smarter, and there are proposals underway that include needing a mailer ID.

This is all bad news for the spammer while at the same time is great for the rest of us computer users.

Paul Wilcox writes about internet security solutions for the Internet Cyber Security website. Sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.internetcybersecurity.comAdelino Blog30151
Anil Blog11757

Rollback Rx The Enterprise Solution

Todays organizations, in their race against time, are dependant on efficient networks of computers that are trouble-free and function seamlessly. They do not want to worry about downtime as a result of having to fix computer problems. If theres an issue with systems, they want to restore computers back to their operational level as quickly as possible, simply because they cannot afford the time loss. Rollback Rx is system restore software is the ideal enterprise solution because it has all the advantages that a business needs to maintain continuity of work.

Enhancing Remote Management Of Computers

Rollback Rxs Enterprise version enables the organization to manage computer repairs remotely. This makes it possible to protect, restore computer settings and recover system files. The network management tools that Rollback Rx provides allow technical support personnel to maintain and manage PCs more efficiently, ensuring minimum or no downtime. This increases employee productivity. Rollback Rx can actually restore client systems to an operational state with just a reboot. It operates by taking snapshots for the client systems, so that system maintenance is made easy and less time consuming. No matter where a pc is located, Rollback Rx can perform a restore, restart or shut down remotely. The various capabilities of Rollback Rx can be scheduled as per client convenience so that disaster recovery becomes very easy.

Components Of The Rollback Rx Enterprise Solution

The Rollback Rx Enterprise comprises of three components the Rollback Rx Enterprise server, the service component, which is the connection between the clients and the administrator console which means the admin console, and clients first log onto a server to interact.

The Administrator console lets the administrators manage the clients who are connected to the server, performing all the maintenance, fixing computer problems, and recovering data, etc. for them. The Rollback Rx client is the client module of Rollback Rx Enterprise. This component resides on client computers, which means Rollback Rx client can be Rollback Rx Standard or Rollback Rx Professional.

The Rollback Rx server and administrator console can be on different computers or on the same computer. The console settings are quite configurable and you can choose user settings, change your password, manage group settings and adjust your console view, as in displaying clients in icons or detailed view, see all clients or just online clients.

All Rollback Rx system restore software comes with a detailed help file which guides you through installation, operation, tips on fixing computer problems and troubleshooting computer repair problems. Rollback Rx literally puts power in the hands of the administrator to restore computer settings within minutes, regardless of how big the problem is.

Jacob Henderson is the technical head of Horizon Data Systems and leading software development firm in the business of Desktop Security and PC performance enhancement software. During his more than 10 years of software development experience in various positions, Jacob Henderson has developed a large number of state of the art software and written numerous articles and reports. Jacob Henderson was one of the core team leaders, that is responsible for the development of user integration features of the flagship product of the Company-Rollback Rx Software.Andrea Blog68336
Anja Blog26960

How Safe Is Your Computer ?

Your computer can be open to attack from different types of spyware. Spyware constitutes those programs that are deliberately lodged in your computer without your approval or knowledge. The only way to escape spyware or at least minimize its effects is to install antispyware software on your pc.

If you surf the web, you can be sure that you face the ongoing risk of spyware or adware. It is time you updated your antispyware programs to keep your PC healthy. But first let us briefly examine the most common types of spyware.

Gone are the days when viruses were expected only via our email. Now we don't even have to click a link to be infected. All we have to do is browse the Internet, and it's an open invitation to spyware. Spyware constitutes those programs that are deliberately lodged in your computer without your approval or knowledge. You can never live without spyware and adware protection.

Types Of Spyware

Adware is the worst form of spyware. These programs lay in wait for you to connect to the Internet and then they send you popups that give you all kinds of offers. And while you are thinking how considerate those websites are, these fake popups are actually recording your viewing habits and smuggling them off to marketing companies who sell you junk.

Another irritating form of spyware is the browser hijacker. After installing themselves on your PC, they just change your default homepage and search engine. When you start your web browser, you'll find that you are flooded with ads, porn and other stuff you don't want. The scary part of this is that they mine data - which means they report your surfing habits to someone who uses the information unethically.

Keyboard loggers are thieves who steal your PIN number when you bank online. They get your passwords. This means, without spyware protection, your personal information and assets can be stolen. Then there are Diallers that enter your PC through a virus infection, adult websites, warez, or even MP3s. A dialler is software that dials numbers at premium rates when you are not around and you end up with bills for thousands of dollars.

If you use file-sharing programs, while installing it, spyware also gets installed, unless you read your end user agreements carefully or have antispyware software installed to keep these Trojans away. Imagine having every keystroke recorded, and your private instant messages, emails and other conversations being logged and reported elsewhere without you knowing about it! No - not the best situation to be in! So, never be without spyware protection.

Is There Freedom From Spyware?

The only way to escape spyware or at least minimize its effects is to install antispyware software on your pc. Some programs just remove the spyware but cannot prevent new spyware from coming into your pc. Get firewall software, if you use broadband or high-speed connections. Avoid clicking on links that promise you free movies, prizes, free software etc. Update your antispyware program and scan your PC regularly.

Arvind Singh is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter etc. More information can be found at http://www.pcmantra.comAngeles Blog30702
Amartya Blog58272

Antispyware Software Can Kill That Spy !

Antispyware programs and adware removal tools can detect and remove spyware ranging from browser parasites, data miners, to malware, adware, software you didn't ask for, homepage hijackers, Trojan horses to dialers, and also provide prevention measures.

The one way to get a severe headache is to have your computer infested with spyware and adware. But if you understand what spyware means and take the necessary steps to detect, remove and prevent it you can be free from this headache before it turns chronic.

Spyware can imply many things - it could be browser parasites, data miners, malware, adware, software you didn't ask for, homepage hijackers, Trojan horses, dialers etc. These thieves usually hit Microsoft Windows applications and Internet Explorer, since most people use them, leading to a system crash or some really strange behavior.

But how did spyware get into your system in the first place? If you visited a website or looked at an html email message or if you clicked a pop up window, you are 'it'. Your action would have automatically triggered off the download and installation of the spyware into your computer without your knowledge. Something you clicked would have been conveyed as 'I do' to the spyware vendor. After all, it cheats. This way of misleading you into getting that tracking software called spyware installed in your computer is referred to as a drive-by download. It is one of the commonest ways of tricking pc users to accept spyware if they do not have real-time antispyware protection installed.

Arresting The Damage With Antispyware

That spyware which sneaked into your computer can alter your browser and security settings. Some adware vendors just collect your browsing information so that they can bombard you with their product ads. Adware spyware usually tracks your Internet browsing actions in the machine where they install themselves. They then have a way of conveying the information they collect back to the people who installed the adware so they can use it for commercial gain. They use it themselves, or sell it to others. These people in turn assume what your interests are through the information they collect and display a barrage of ads through the computer where they install their adware.

Spyware vendors pay software vendors to bundle in their spyware software so that they can get into users system. Some spyware vendors get into your system through the low security settings in your Internet browser. For each spyware installation they mark it with a tracking number so that they can trace your information, helping them to update their database on an ongoing basis.

Antispyware has become an essential part of a computer just like antivirus software. The adware that installs itself in our systems without our approval usually come up as popup windows or sleazy banner advertisements integrated into some totally irrelevant program. Antispyware programs and adware removal tools can detect, remove and also provide prevention measures.

Arvind Singh is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter etc. More information can be found at http://www.pcmantra.comAndrea Blog71169
Alicea Blog65755

The Ultimate Email Marketing Guide: 15 tips to fast email marketing success!

A practical "how-to" list for email marketing success, from small to large business.

Email marketing is easy (--ponder--) if you know how to do it. Wow, you have heard that one before, I'm sure. Is that not always the case - with almost anything? So, why even say it?

Because - in this case it is really true.

However, so many small businesses make it more complex than it is; they don't fully understand or grasp the impact of list building, what tools, services and techniques are available, and don't recognize what a successful campaign and its results can and will mean for their businesses.

We believe that a) simplicity of application, b) knowledge - and c) immediate action are the first steps to success. And, everything done in an ethical way - you got permission based marketing. Full speed ahead!

1. Get the legalities out of the way.

Did you know that recent changes in the search engine algorithms now recognize a privacy policy page as an important metric in the total number of items that helps your ranking and visibility? In fact, Google has over 100 variables that make up the secret sauce of their algorithmic search engines. Only two engineers at Google know it. (Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google chose not to learn it himself).

So, you should write and always provide a link to your privacy page. Starter text can be obtained from links below - and always make sure to review with your legal counsel for a final review. You will then include a link to it from your outgoing email campaigns.

Here are some places to start:
a) http://www.truste.org/pdf/WriteAGreatPrivacyPolicy.pdf
b) http://www.marketingpower.com/content4740.php
c) http://www.microsaw.com/privacy_policy.htm

2. Your site must capture user via first name (last name) & email address.

Burn this into your head - make it your site requirement - day one. There are too many online businesses that forget this simple rule. It's a must. If you are reading this article, then you probably already realize the importance of mailing lists.
Your audience is looking for good (relevant!) materials to solve problems in their life and business. Capture these visitors, and continue to provide this information and free information, you can grow your business by 1000% or more almost overnight, in some cases in any future mailing. It's super-important to have - and build a quality mailing list.

On your 'landing page' (sometimes called a sales page, gateway page, squeeze page, splash page) you should try to include this capture form on the "top of the fold" of your webpage. (Think of this as single sheet of paper, folded in half. The visitors will read the top portion first, from left to right - almost in an F-shaped order).

Therefore, make sure you:
Place this input form in a strategic location, "above the fold"
Make this coding your first priority for implementation - don't make it the last - or never (which many companies do)

3. Example Signup forms.

Search the internet for example sign up forms. A great technique is to look for companies that have this in their URL. Try this in Google (type into search box): allinurl: "free newsletter" (it will search any site that has this contained in the TITLE of the page).

Some examples of successful forms:
http://www.microsaw.com/myform.htm
http://www.marketingtips.com/newsletters
http://www.redhotcopy.com/workshop.htm - using interesting "slanted" pop-under and image (a black/white banana)

Note that you should always apply "up selling" techniques: links to other complimentary tools, software, articles & e-books.

In other words, give something away for free.

This is the Stephen Covey "emotional bank-account" working at its best. Web surfers are getting smarter and not just links to privacy policies and terms of use are recognized, but easy to read pages that are brief and to the point, score high. (Ed note: An example can be seen on the right side at http://www.microsaw.com/myform.htm - the "free 5-day SEO email course").

4. Popups, popunders, popup blockers & search engines.

Traditional popups (yes, the annoying ones) are banned from search engines like Google.

Therefore, smart marketers have come up with other means. They are called "popunders".
They use specialized JavaScript to display a pop-up box, but it's not tracked or recognized by popup-blockers or the search engines (Ed. Note: this could change, as the search engines change their smarts all the time).

As of writing, you should use a pop-up box, and capture first name, last name & email. Don't make it an intrusive one though (it needs to follow your style sheet guidelines, in other words).
Another way to go is to use what's called 'house-banners' -- ads that display compelling graphics, text - and uses your own local advertising system (example: double-click).

Here's what to do to capture interested visitors:
Apply a page that "slides" onto your page, and have it appear after 5 seconds.
Display this email form capture on all pages.
Only show it once, and only repeat 2-3 days later (assuming they come back). Many of the email marketing systems include this feature for you.
Annoying, but it works. I went from 5% signups a day a 75% increase overnight - only a few weeks back.

Tip: Make a note that the popup is from your site- not a partner site. (sometimes popups are thought to be from sponsors, make a note to your visitor that it's from you).

5. Do you have a newsletter you are trying to promote? Up-sell is the answer!

If you are promoting a newsletter, outside of just getting visitors to sign up, there are 3rd parties vendors that can help you publish and sell your newsletter. Throughout all campaigns, you must make sure to provide useful, relevant and unique content.

Some options for you:
Coregcomplete.com - get signups on thank you pages of other subscription forms this is a great way to promote your wares
Getsubscribers.com
Partner with companies you find, and call them up. Search for 'newsletter publishers' in Google.
When you write articles (yes, you should) - make sure to make a note in the "About Author" that you publish or have newsletters available.

TIP/Warning: Beware of commercial co-regs -- they typically have poor quality names and offers.

6. Get the best and highest performing email service.

Don't skimp here. A few extra dollars a month can really save you a lot of headaches. We worked with one company that went from about 1,000 emails on their list, down to about 100 in 24 hours, (when they switched providers). They quickly realized that they had made a bad choice.

Here's what to consider initially:
ASP hosted solutions are now connected with ISPs to ensure uptime/deliverability
Desktop applications can work well for you, for example, Gamma Dyne Mailer: http://www.soft32.com/download_4469.html
Autoresponse Plus, GetResponse, Aweber are a good place to start reviewing options.

You can also add monitoring services to make sure that emails get delivered, and keep the highest integrity of your emails via tracking.

Here are a few companies that work with monitoring:
1. pipersoftware
2. returnpath.biz
3. edeliverability.com
4. deliverymonitor.com

Other email marketing services to review are:
Sparklist
Constantcontact
Topica
Global intellisystems
Got campaigner
Vertical response
1stshoppingcart (shopping cart, affiliate programs and autoresponder)
Proautoresponders

You also need to understand and read the updated laws about email marketing and spam. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2004 is FTC governed, and the they will pursue any SPAM artist to the fullest extent of the law.

Make sure you have:
Working unsubscribe
Be careful where you get the lists
Avoid fraudulent subject lines
Include postal address, phone, privacy policy
Porn must be identified in subject line (SEXUALLY EXPLICIT)
Opt-out lists, including 'double-opt-in' (user must click to approve the email)

Tip: It's important to have a strict and trusted email service. Reputable email marketing companies will upload a few emails from your list and test your list to verify. Then, they'll approve or deny you.

7. Test, test & track, track.

No MBA student, no computer scientist, web braniac or 30 year veteran of marketing, both online and off - can predict what visitors will click on, and why. We can all make really great educated guesses, but they are only that. So, you really need to test your campaigns. Online marketing compared to traditional marketing (print, media) is vastly different.

Here's how to do it:
Test the campaigns with A/B Split test tactics - specifically on subject line and ad copy, it can help improve newsletter and pages immensely. (A/B refers to capability of serving up different content or ads, or headlines, sections on your page and campaign - that can be tracked)
Tracking conversions from email blasts (cookies and JavaScript and beacons on landing pages, thank you pages, etc)
Got campaigner and topica are high-end products, aweber is doing split-testing now (we use this - with great success)
Good reporting and database segmentation to section off to demographics, recency, frequency, sales totals
Use relevant and powerful headlines. Use wordtracker.com and keyworddiscovery.com to get keywords to back up your headline in content. (Ed Note: The site http://los-angeles.microsaw.com is dedicated to copywriting for the Internet)

8. Formatting and send options.

Formatting is an important element of any newsletter or mailing. Unfortunately, a love of companies go wild on graphics, sound, multi-media to present "their" branding or look/feel. It's important to have a clean mailer.

What are the options? See a few below:
text only
html
combination of the above & multi-part MIME

Key facts to consider:

Text more easily can penetrate spam filters, gets thru company firewalls, but only preferred by 15% to 25%.

HTML has more advantages, will double or triple the click-thru on text, nicer, pretty graphics, tracking better. It can also track opens, click-thrus and conversions. If the email marketing system supports it (most do) - send both.

Tip 1: Send Multi-part MIME, not just straight HTML
Tip 2: Place a URL reference in email to actual content on your website
Tip 3: Microsoft Outlook "Preview" mode: make sure it looks ok. Many will have this "on" by default - and it may reflect your email poorly (try it!). MarketingSherpa.com has a great article on this and how it can affect "opens". Graphics are often blocked too, so your intended "pretty" newsletter may not look the way you planned under these circumstances.
Tip 4: Make sure font is large enough for "older" folks and the smaller monitors

9. How often to send? How about text size?

In company marketing strategy meetings, where all the 'masters' will create their online strategies -- do not seem to agree. We'll outline a few scenarios below.

Daily.
Daily if you have a good "alert" system (ex: Google alerts) - this will not make sense for most companies. CNN news alerts are ok though.

Once a week.
Weekly ok if you have a strong listener base, and compelling content.

Once a month.
Monthly probably best for most small businesses. Overall - you want to retain "mindshare" - so they don't forget you, but still not too much "in their face".

How long should the text be?
Short, with longer description on website. People "scan", not read
Keep it tight, focused on brief -- "read here for more" (link to full page)

Tip 1: Archive URL's on your site, and allow it to be searched later. It's "spider-food", and you get recognized as an expert as well.
Tip 2: Also, a link to "send to friend" ('found this article, thought you'd be interested')
Tip 3: Use personalization (Dear Bob, Hello Cathy, etc.) - increases opening and reading by 50-60%. Work on the relationship -- build trust and credibility. Note: Don't overuse in the newsletter! Better to be a little conservative, than too friendly.

10. Campaigns and newsletters take time. How-to get it done in your workweek.

Unless you have a dedicated staff, you must do this yourself. Add this task to your calendar (with a recurring reminder), and consider this your "must-do" work.

Tips that work well:
Allocate some time your calendar, book it - and execute, don't delay
Use it as a marketing expense, track it in the books
Hire a writer (guru.com, elance.com) - and use search for 'copywriters' (in your niche)
Test with innovative audio and video options, outsource if necessary
Make sure to include testimonials

11. Auto-responders.

Auto responders are a fantastic and simple way to turn your business on automated 24x7 attendance. Use them, learn them and build your list and responsiveness from this feature alone. Your list will grow, which you will use for future mailings and offers. Auto-responders are software systems that allow for total automation of messaging.

Here are another few tips for you to help build your list and credibility:

Follow up for an e-Book (example: 3 days after first mailing, send "did you get the email?" In that mailing, provide a link to a free download e-book, offers, etc)
Follow up to the subscription - 'thank you'
Training series ("5-day SEO email course") -- see example on www.microsaw.com seo email course
Create free email courses, courses send every 1-2 days for a short period (less than a week).

12. Isn't use of email as a business tool dead?

Answer: No it is not. It's part of our lives, and email is still very effective. It's accepted, and with filters and advanced software solutions, it is managed.

Here are some tips and tools:

Many programs use filtering (ISP)
Bounces can be recorded: soft, hard (to edit/maintenance your list)
SpamAssassin
Cloudmark Desktop (report spam) - helps the community at large
SpamArrest

Amazon does a lot of things with email. They have applied a cool system with personalization. They have supposedly as high as a 14% conversion rate!

Tip: Do you need to check your email for SPAM? Try sending your campaign or email to: sales-spamcheck@sitesell.net?subject=TEST -- you'll get an email response back with a rating of 0 thru 5.

13. Wave of the future - "white-listing".

Email marketing is not going away, as some have alluded to. The key is to stay within the form and function of the email marketing community. Newer options exist for creating "white lists" (universally accepted lists) - a few of these new services are listed here:

Sender Certification is an important change which has been used for a while already.

Here are a few companies:
Habeas
Sender Score Certified

Habeas is expensive at $15,000 a year, and only recommended for serious, large email marketing companies. Goodmailsystems (used by AOL and Yahoo) is also another high-end product. Search on Google for 'email sender certification'.

Tip: Definitely a "future" thing, and growing in use today. You get a (good) reputation for being an email sender, and can build a strong business around this as well.

14. What other technical issues should I review?

Check spelling, graphics, relative links, use the free software XENU to get amazingly detailed reports. The Webmaster reports at the bottom of one of their reports provide a lot of good detail, perfect for executive overview.

Other tips:
Make sure to use http://, not just www... in your LINK references. Your link may not work without it.
Research shows that Tue, Wed, Thu works well for B2B (but, make sure to test!)
Some B2C lists are better on the weekends (personal feeling about this)

15. Landing pages.

We've talked about this topic in several places in the article. It's so important, we dedicate a special section here.

A landing page is a strategically developed (content and visuals) page that you bring your potential customers to. It's a call-to-action page. Many just bring their prospective customers to a home page where other non-related items may appear, including no specific instructions. You only have a few seconds to get him or her to react.

If you are not great at writing, you can hire a copywriter, check elance.com and guru.com, sometimes as low as 30-40 bucks for a pretty good writer.

Test, test, test and location, location, location.

You must test and track (metrics) your pages and run A/B splits (change a few things like color, title, subhead, etc - and not too much at the same time). You can use a free service Google analytics to get started.

More expensive ones are clicktracks, omniture, hitbox, hitlens - and the ultimate wholly grail testing, tuning and tracking system is the taguchi models (multi-variant optimizers).

The human eye scans from top left to right in a downstream manner.

The call-to-action items (like "sign up for my newsletter") would get optimal viewing if placed here, in this F-shaped Golden Triangle. Also, as we mentioned - above the fold!

Make sure you have some free downloads and give-aways, surfers love quizzes and mini-tests, including email courses, using autoresponders for immediate follow-up and tracking.

Your email campaigns should take them to a landing page for more / better conversion.

Tip: Add a "Special Message" block on your page and in your email text and allow users to discuss on your forum or in your blog link.

Jon Rognerud is a recognized authority on the subject of SEO and Online Marketing, and has spent over 10 years developing websites and marketing solutions for companies like Overture, Yahoo and Expedia. Albano Blog19953
Alonso Blog42257

Finding The Right Computer Education

The computer industry has literally dominated the world for quite a few years now. Around 2 decades ago did anyone of even think that computers would become so vital that it would be difficult to function without them. So in todays world it has become absolutely essential to be a computer literate.

We use these systems in some or the other aspect today. If not at home for work, then to access the Internet we are using these inventions. These inventions are here to stay for a longer time and evolve year after year, so better to become computer literate in order to use the systems of the future.

Were you lucky enough to be imparted at least basic computer education in your high school? To be frank, Internet was up coming during my graduation days. I ventured into the world of computer education and modern technology during my college career. Soon I found that computer will be indispensable for any profession.

So I decided to take up a few extra computer courses so as to increase my knowledge about computers. Some excellent computer information at http://www.techiehut.com. Now, I can say I have learnt MS Office, hardware, software, viruses, creating presentations, working with charts and graphs etc. This are the basics that everyone should know to face up the competition. Every job I was interested in demanded some basic computer education and skills. I had the advantage because I had all the tools that a candidate was expected to know about.

Ever thought about how much time we spend on computers? Just think and I am sure you will be surprised! We have to interact with computers irrespective of our profession. Online facilities like online shopping, online booking, online reading have become very common these days because they save much of our time. If you have no basic computer education till date, its time that you get some now. This is not at all difficult.

Take a computer course offered at the college in your vicinity or instead take an online lesson! You can fully comprehend the intricacies of the various systems. If you are not a fan of the Internet, ask a friend to help you get hold of a good online course in computer education. This way you will secure and survive in the future.

Ron Eletrick enjoys: http://www.spideywebinfo.com http://www.commcloset.comAlighiero Blog48636
Andre Robert Blog77937

FOUND: An Alternative Business Career Using Online Search Skills

If you are getting tired of working for someone else or would like to explore how to make more money and develop an alternative career that can free you from your current job ... then please give this article a thorough read. It discusses how to take skills you may already possess and interest you may already have to help you start a brand new career or explore alternatives to what you are doing now.

Chances are that you are reading this article online or found it online and printed it out to read later. The internet has become a powerful and essential tool for many people for information, entertainment and education. But did you know that you can use a simple a tool as your web browser and internet access to make money from what you find online?

Yes, you can and this article will tell you how you can do it.

There are many industries that the concept we are going to discuss could be applied to but we are going to focus specifically on one: the Mergers & Acquisitions Industry (M&A).

The M&A business for many years was predominantly limited to insiders who had connections with each other (it was called, the old boys network). These insiders made millions of dollars by sharing information between themselves as to which companies were for sale and who wanted to buy them. As mergers and acquisitions matchmakers (also called finders), they brought the seller and buyer together and made their huge finders fees.

Now all that has changed; the Internet makes it possible for anyone using a computer to research and access business information that was previously hard to find and often available only to the ol boy insiders. And you can earn a finder or referral fee for introducing business buyers and sellers that result in a closed transaction.

Lets approach our discussion on this in the form of a Question & Answer session:

Is the Mergers and Acquisitions business really that profitable?

Absolutely. And being a finder for M&A deals can be a very lucrative home-based profession.

You can think of it like being a real estate broker, only you match buyers and sellers of businesses, instead of homes. As a real estate broker you can sell a house for $100,000 or you can sell a house for $1 million. The more expensive the house, the more commission you earn. M&A finder or referral fees can be a lot more, since businesses transactions can be quite larger than a residential real-estate transaction.

M&A Deal Finders do matchmaking with businesses that have at least $1 million in sales and go all the way up to $100 million in sales, on that basis alone; being a matchmaker in acquisitions and mergers is a much more profitable business than being a real estate broker.

You are an intelligent person, but you dont have an MBA degree or a law degree; will you be able to do Mergers and Acquisitions matchmaking?

To answer this question, lets take our example of being a real estate broker. You show a home for sale, the buyer either likes the home or they dont. If they dont like it, you take them to another home until they find the one they want. Mergers and Acquisitions works exactly the same way, only you use the power and information found on the internet to find what business buyers and investors are looking for and then find business owners and sellers that match what the buyers/investors are looking for and all of the research is done on the computer using the internet to find businesses. Obviously having specialized learning, education or training will be of help to you in any business but you do not have to be a lawyer, CPA or have an MBA in order to be a successful Finder.

One thing to keep in mind; being a Finder does not mean you are a broker. As a Finder you do not take on any fiduciary role or act as an agent on behalf of the buyer or seller; you are merely a matchmaker bringing the two parties together and for that you can earn a finder or referral fee.

Can I do this part-time and do I need to travel or have a fancy office for this type of business?

In the mergers and acquisition finder business you can search for and research businesses and buyers online and send and receive emails day or night, anywhere in the world. This way you can live in Oregon and be working on your computer at night (instead of watching TV) to sell a private business in Arizona to a public company located in Florida. The Florida Company will be closed when your email arrives that evening, but they can reply to you the next day. You can use email all over the world to send and receive business documents and its 100% free. Being a professional finder is perfectly suited for a home office. You can start out part-time spending as little as one hour per evening on your computer (the Internet is open 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, so you can set your own hours).

To demonstrate what is possible, I worked on selling a private telecommunications company in Brazil to a public company located in California, and most of the communication for the deal (specifically all of mine to the buyer and seller) was done by email. I will never meet in person the buyer, the seller, the executives of the business or ever see the actual company.

Best of all you dont have to know very much about the different businesses being sold. I dont know a lot about telecommunications, but the public company that is the buyer knows that business very well. I just forward the selling companys information by email to the buying company. The buying company evaluates the business deal and tells me if they want to proceed.

Why is the Mergers and Acquisitions finder business so much in demand?

Lets say there is a public company that distributes computer software to retail stores like CompUSA. The public company has sales of $5 million and they want to grow. The public company can hire more salesmen and try to get into additional stores. But this can take a long time. What is the solution? They work with an M&A matchmaker to find them a company in the same business they can buy or merge with. You find a private company in the software distribution business with $5 million in sales (using Internet search engines and online industry directories) and you contact them to see if they are interested to work with you to be introduced to the public company buyer. If they are, you send the public company a blind profile on the business and the public company will tell you if they want to proceed with interest in the business.

Finding suitable acquisitions to make is how a public company can double its sales very quickly. That is why this service is in such high demand.

The M&A business is worldwide and so huge you will have not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of business owners, buyers and sellers. This opportunity is almost unlimited because each year more than 2 million businesses are up for sale in the USA alone, internationally the opportunity is even greater and all you need is a computer and Internet access.

How would I get started at this business?

Buyers can be found online by using a search engine and entering business buyers and then looking to see what the buyers have posted online for businesses wanted. This is an important step to take first because you want to start your seller searches with a buyer in mind. When you find an active buyer, create a document in your word processing program that details what the buyer is looking for. That becomes the buyers profile for you to use when searching for businesses and sellers for them. Here are the important things to make note of:

1. What industry (type of business are they looking to buy or invest in)?

2. What size (does the buyer need the business to meet a minimum revenue or sales level before they would consider buying or investing in them)?

3. What level of profitability (does the buyer need the business to meet a minimum earnings or net income level before they would consider buying or investing in them)?

4. What location(s) is the buyer interested in (are they looking everywhere or just in a specific city/state/region)?

In our own network we have over two hundred business buyers, with their full acquisition criteria, we are currently working with and every month others contact us to assist them in finding business owners and sellers that would be interesting investments or acquisitions for them.

Here is an example: Recently, a public company CEO sent me an email and asked me to help him find a private business that he could acquire for his public company. I researched "businesses for sale" using a search engine and found a business seller that would be of interest to the public company. For my efforts the business seller and the buyer both agreed to pay me a Finder's Fee. My email box is almost always full with requests from business buyers and sellers who want to be 'matched up'.

Finding business owners and sellers is very easy. Through your own experience and contacts you may even know the owner of a business who might be interested in selling and if you do not directly know any business owners, then thousands of businesses can be found online. For example, use any search engine and enter business for sale. You will find thousands of web sites that list different businesses for sale. When you find the business you think will be of interest to a specific buyer, you contact the seller or business owner to see if they are interested to work with you and are willing to pay you a finder or referral fee to be introduced to buyer prospects.

When they reply with interest, you get your fee agreement in place with them and then fill-out a simple form describing the business for sale that shows the business matches what the buyer says they are looking for. You then forward that information to the buyer in what is called a blind profile so the buyer cannot contact the seller without getting back in touch with you. If the buyer doesnt like the deal, then just send them another business for sale that matches their criteria until they find what they are looking for.

When the buyer and seller each finds what they want, the deal goes into escrow. Before escrow closes the buyer (not you) makes a trip to inspect the business. The buyer meets with management and inspects their facility. If everything is acceptable, they present their offer, their professionals prepare the paperwork, set a closing date for the transaction and the buyer and seller tell the escrow company to proceed with the closing and your Finders Fee check is mailed to you or your fee is wired to you at the time of the closing of their transaction.

Does it really work?

We cannot make any earnings claims to you because success is up to an individuals effort, discipline and capabilities but many of the people we know in the M&A matchmaker business earn between $500,000 to over $3 million dollars each year. Again that does not mean that you will earn this much, or anything at all, since it all depends on your motivation, work habits and follow-up. Also keep in mind that this is not a get rich quick business, it takes time and effort on your part just like it does with any real business. This business takes research on your part to find the right seller and contact them to see if they are interested, for the business to be presented to buyers the seller matches to, for the lawyers to prepare the 'buy-sell agreements' and for escrow to close before you get your check.

But if you are looking for a great home-based business in an established industry with large income potential, then this is the best opportunity I know and certainly merits further study if you find it appealing to you as well.

Gerald Newman, attorney and businessman, has spent over 30 years buying/selling businesses and helping others to do so. He has condensed that experience into a program so that business people can learn his proven M&A Deal Finder methods. Visit http://www.GetPaidFinderFees.com for more information about the program and his site http://www.MergersLawyer.com for more information. Adella Blog5338
Alberto Blog30455

Antispyware Software Can Kill That Spy !

Antispyware programs and adware removal tools can detect and remove spyware ranging from browser parasites, data miners, to malware, adware, software you didn't ask for, homepage hijackers, Trojan horses to dialers, and also provide prevention measures.

The one way to get a severe headache is to have your computer infested with spyware and adware. But if you understand what spyware means and take the necessary steps to detect, remove and prevent it you can be free from this headache before it turns chronic.

Spyware can imply many things - it could be browser parasites, data miners, malware, adware, software you didn't ask for, homepage hijackers, Trojan horses, dialers etc. These thieves usually hit Microsoft Windows applications and Internet Explorer, since most people use them, leading to a system crash or some really strange behavior.

But how did spyware get into your system in the first place? If you visited a website or looked at an html email message or if you clicked a pop up window, you are 'it'. Your action would have automatically triggered off the download and installation of the spyware into your computer without your knowledge. Something you clicked would have been conveyed as 'I do' to the spyware vendor. After all, it cheats. This way of misleading you into getting that tracking software called spyware installed in your computer is referred to as a drive-by download. It is one of the commonest ways of tricking pc users to accept spyware if they do not have real-time antispyware protection installed.

Arresting The Damage With Antispyware

That spyware which sneaked into your computer can alter your browser and security settings. Some adware vendors just collect your browsing information so that they can bombard you with their product ads. Adware spyware usually tracks your Internet browsing actions in the machine where they install themselves. They then have a way of conveying the information they collect back to the people who installed the adware so they can use it for commercial gain. They use it themselves, or sell it to others. These people in turn assume what your interests are through the information they collect and display a barrage of ads through the computer where they install their adware.

Spyware vendors pay software vendors to bundle in their spyware software so that they can get into users system. Some spyware vendors get into your system through the low security settings in your Internet browser. For each spyware installation they mark it with a tracking number so that they can trace your information, helping them to update their database on an ongoing basis.

Antispyware has become an essential part of a computer just like antivirus software. The adware that installs itself in our systems without our approval usually come up as popup windows or sleazy banner advertisements integrated into some totally irrelevant program. Antispyware programs and adware removal tools can detect, remove and also provide prevention measures.

Arvind Singh is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter etc. More information can be found at http://www.pcmantra.comAngeliki Blog16903
Amelie Blog26852

10 Things You Should Do Before You Start Your Medical Billing Business

One time, I saw a newspaper ad saying they are hiring work-at-home medical billers. I called the number (just to find out what it is!), I found out that for you to be able to work as a Medical Biller, you have to purchase their software at a range of $800-1,500 (I thought, it is actually a packaged-medical billing business). They will then train you how to use their software, after (I think) 10 days of training, you will have an access to their so-called doctors database. They promised you can get your 1st client through their database.

Due to my curiosity, I started reading and researching packaged homebased medical billing business. But take note: the training you will get is NOT actually a medical billing training. The bottom line here? you simply purchase the business, pay for their software and start your business! But how realistic is this? I know some people who ended up with no clients at all after purchasing the software! And then later on, Ive read that the Federal Trade Commission warned us about these companies offering homebased medical billing business with their false claims on how you make a lot of money on this business.

Medical Billing is a legitimate business (either home-based or office-based) and you can make good money as long as you know how to do it, the right way. But before that, consider the 10 Things You Need To Do:

1. Try to gain actual work experience. Work as a Medical Biller in a doctors office (or even as a volunteer at your nearest hospital). Do this for at least a year.

2. You should be highly knowledgeable on HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) and how does your current work/practice place complies/follows its rules and regulations. I always emphasize this because it is very important in any health provider businesses

3. Learn the actual know-how on claims submission (paper billing & electronic billing)

4. Learn how you can deal with insurances, can you handle collections? denied/rejected claims? Learn how to file appeals for denied claims

5. Learn how to analyze and optimize proper coding (procedure and diagnosis codes) to avoid rejection & denials

6. Learn how to review and analyze the reasons for unbilled and or aged medical claims

7. Beside learning the medical terminologies, you should also know many medical billing terms and its meaning: (PCP, copay, co-insurance, deductibles, allowed amounts, predetermination, medical necessity, progress notes, prognosis, treatment plan, preauthorization, appeals, referrals, scripts, benefits and eligibility, capitations, HMOs, PPOs, POS, EPO, HIPAA)

8. Learn how to properly post: payments, deductibles, co-insurance, adjustments and write-offs (it is different when you are actually at work doing the postings than what you learned during your training)

9. Feel the medical billing scenario (how is the cash flow? what about the turn-around time of payments?)

10. And the last but not the least, feel the work--- do you like what you do? Do you have the ability and the managerial skill to run your business?

Pinky Mcbanon is an experienced Medical Biller and Coder based in New York. A graduate of Bachelor Science in Computer Engineering. A Medical Practice Billing Consultant. She shares her expertise and knowledge with http://www.medclaimsplus.com. Amani Blog2107
Alyssa Blog60154

The 10 Most Rampant Computer Viruses

Every day new computer viruses are created to annoy us and to wreak havoc on our computer systems. Below are ten viruses currently cited as being the most prevalent in terms of being seen the most or in their ability to potentially cause damage. New viruses are created daily. This is by no means an all inclusive list. The best thing you can do is to remain vigilant, keep your anti-virus software updated, and stay aware of the current computer virus threats.

Virus: Trojan.Lodear
A Trojan horse that attempts to download remote files. It will inject a .dll file into the EXPLORER.EXE process causing system instability.

Virus: W32.Beagle.CO@mm
A mass-mailing worm that lowers security settings. It can delete security-related registry sub keys and may block access to security-related websites.

Virus: Backdoor.Zagaban
A Trojan horse that allows the compromised computer to be used as a covert proxy and which may degrade network performance.

Virus: W32/Netsky-P
A mass-mailing worm which spreads by emailing itself to addresses produced from files on the local drives.

Virus: W32/Mytob-GH
A mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan for the Windows platform. Messages sent by this worm will have the subject chosen randomly from a list including titles such as: Notice of account limitation, Email Account Suspension, Security measures, Members Support, Important Notification.

Virus: W32/Mytob-EX
A mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan similar in nature to W32-Mytob-GH. W32/Mytob-EX runs continuously in the background, providing a backdoor server which allows a remote intruder to gain access and control over the computer via IRC channels. This virus spreads by sending itself to email attachments harvested from your email addresses.

Virus: W32/Mytob-AS, Mytob-BE, Mytob-C, and Mytob-ER
This family of worm variations possesses similar characteristics in terms of what they can do. They are mass-mailing worms with backdoor functionality that can be controlled through the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network. Additionally, they can spread through email and through various operating system vulnerabilities such as the LSASS (MS04-011).

Virus: Zafi-D
A mass mailing worm and a peer-to-peer worm which copies itself to the Windows system folder with the filename Norton Update.exe. It can then create a number of files in the Windows system folder with filenames consisting of 8 random characters and a DLL extension. W32/Zafi-D copies itself to folders with names containing share, upload, or music as ICQ 2005a new!.exe or winamp 5.7 new!.exe. W32/Zafi-D will also display a fake error message box with the caption "CRC: 04F6Bh" and the text "Error in packed file!".

Virus: W32/Netsky-D
A mass-mailing worm with IRC backdoor functionality which can also infect computers vulnerable to the LSASS (MS04-011) exploit.

Virus: W32/Zafi-B
A peer-to-peer (P2P) and email worm that will copy itself to the Windows system folder as a randomly named EXE file. This worm will test for the presence of an internet connection by attempting to connect to http://www.google.com or http://www.microsoft.com. A bilingual, worm with an attached Hungarian political text message box which translates to We demand that the government accommodates the homeless, tightens up the penal code and VOTES FOR THE DEATH PENALTY to cut down the increasing crime. Jun. 2004, Pcs (SNAF Team)

Anne Wolski has worked in the health and welfare industry for more than 30 years. She is the owner of http://www.mummansun.com, a discount retail outlet, and a co-director of http://www.betterhealthshoppe.com which is an information portal with many interesting medical articles. She is also an associate of http://www.timzbiz.com which features many articles on internet marketing and resources.Amanda Blog24049
Amr Blog29013

How to Choose Affiliate Programs

One of the easiest and most lucrative ways of making money online is to promote other peoples products by becoming their affiliates. The word affiliate is defined as a website that directs traffic to another website in exchange for a pre-determined fee. Most successful online merchants use affiliate programs to promote their sites.

Affiliate programs can be very profitable, but you must be careful, as there are a lot of scams. Considering the overwhelming number of affiliate programs available (just do an online search for *affiliate programs*), how can you choose legitimate ones that will work for you?

If you set some basic criteria, it will make it easier to find programs that suit your needs. Some helpful tips for setting those criteria are listed below.

COST FOR JOINING: Any affiliate program that you are interested in joining should have no start up fee. There are thousands of affiliate programs out there to choose from that are free.

COMMISSION PERCENTAGE: The affiliate program should have a generous payment structure, no less than 25% commission. Since you are doing the hard work of promoting someone elses product, your commission should be a substantial one.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT: You must feel comfortable and satisfied with the service and support you get from the program. A high-quality affiliate program appreciates its affiliates and the importance of its customers. Since you are sending prospective buyers to their site, you should be particular about the quality of their customer service.

TRACKING SYSTEM: Make sure you can access your sales statistics and are comfortable with the information presented. The system that is used should be well organized and provide up-to-the-minute tracking information.

BELIEVE IN THE PRODUCT: One of the fundamental rules of selling is that you must have confidence in the product you are selling. Do not waste your time trying to promote something that you are not interested in or have no knowledge of.

PRODUCT RELEVANCE: Before you join an affiliate program, identify who your customers are and what products they might buy. Once you identify your niche market, it will be much easier to find products and services to match it. For instance, if your site is all about arts and crafts, you should promote products and services related to arts and crafts.

When you have chosen the affiliate program you want to join, go to their website and fill out the online application to become a member. The application will ask you for personal information (name, address, phone, email address, payment method, etc.). It will also ask you for information about your website (URL, site name, description of content, etc.). Additionally, there will be a service agreement that you must agree to.

Once the affiliate network approves your application, you can start choosing the programs that you are interested in. After you have made your choices, the merchants in charge of the programs will review your site. If your site is approved, you will be shown how to post the appropriate links.

Once this is all set up, you can get to work on setting up your site, marketing it, and waiting for the money to come in. Remember, the key to start actually making money from your affiliate programs is to promote, promote, promote!

Chris Chenoweth writes articles pertaining to health and nutrition, budgeting, and online business. If you would like additional information on making money as an affiliate, the revolutionary new program, MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME, shows you how to start earning thousands of dollars from affiliate programs: http://www.ezniche.com/data/article.php?l=175Ahmet Blog79465
Alylia Blog50705

Antispyware Software Can Kill That Spy !

Antispyware programs and adware removal tools can detect and remove spyware ranging from browser parasites, data miners, to malware, adware, software you didn't ask for, homepage hijackers, Trojan horses to dialers, and also provide prevention measures.

The one way to get a severe headache is to have your computer infested with spyware and adware. But if you understand what spyware means and take the necessary steps to detect, remove and prevent it you can be free from this headache before it turns chronic.

Spyware can imply many things - it could be browser parasites, data miners, malware, adware, software you didn't ask for, homepage hijackers, Trojan horses, dialers etc. These thieves usually hit Microsoft Windows applications and Internet Explorer, since most people use them, leading to a system crash or some really strange behavior.

But how did spyware get into your system in the first place? If you visited a website or looked at an html email message or if you clicked a pop up window, you are 'it'. Your action would have automatically triggered off the download and installation of the spyware into your computer without your knowledge. Something you clicked would have been conveyed as 'I do' to the spyware vendor. After all, it cheats. This way of misleading you into getting that tracking software called spyware installed in your computer is referred to as a drive-by download. It is one of the commonest ways of tricking pc users to accept spyware if they do not have real-time antispyware protection installed.

Arresting The Damage With Antispyware

That spyware which sneaked into your computer can alter your browser and security settings. Some adware vendors just collect your browsing information so that they can bombard you with their product ads. Adware spyware usually tracks your Internet browsing actions in the machine where they install themselves. They then have a way of conveying the information they collect back to the people who installed the adware so they can use it for commercial gain. They use it themselves, or sell it to others. These people in turn assume what your interests are through the information they collect and display a barrage of ads through the computer where they install their adware.

Spyware vendors pay software vendors to bundle in their spyware software so that they can get into users system. Some spyware vendors get into your system through the low security settings in your Internet browser. For each spyware installation they mark it with a tracking number so that they can trace your information, helping them to update their database on an ongoing basis.

Antispyware has become an essential part of a computer just like antivirus software. The adware that installs itself in our systems without our approval usually come up as popup windows or sleazy banner advertisements integrated into some totally irrelevant program. Antispyware programs and adware removal tools can detect, remove and also provide prevention measures.

Arvind Singh is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter etc. More information can be found at http://www.pcmantra.comAmy Blog54148
Alain Blog37055

Viral Marketing Made Simple

A virus is the causative agent of an infectious disease. That doesnt sound good does it?

A cold virus spreads by self duplicating and spreading from person to person. A computer virus does the same thing. Your computer gets it, duplicates it and sends it on to the next computer. If bad things can spread virally, doesnt it seem obvious that good things could be spread the same way?

That is the idea behind viral marketing anyways.

Rather than create something sneaky that implants and duplicates in secret, a viral marketer creates something good. So good that others like it well enough to want to spread it around. If it is good enough, the item will get duplicated and shared so many times that it literally spreads like a virus around the internet.

What are some examples of viral marketing tools?

Videos, Audios, Special Reports and Tip Sheets are the most common items created for a viral campaign.

Usually, when you create something to give away for free, you require someone to opt into your mailing list in order to get the freebie. If youre trying to start a powerful marketing virus, you approach things differently. You send the viral tool out into the world without any strings attached and you invite others to do the same.

For example: You have a great shopping cart and site builder with website hosting services built in that you promote as an affiliate. You want to let as many people know about this service as possible, exposing everything to your affiliate link at the same time.

So you grab a free special report provided by the affiliate program owner. She has created the special report for just this purpose and has made it especially useful in that it compares and contrasts four popular shopping carts systems and highlights the important strengths of her own system. Her non-hype approach and common sense comparisons give the report heavy pass it along value.

You brand the report with your own affiliate link and then start to spread it around.

How do you spread it far and wide?

First, send it out as a freebie to your mailing list.
Post it as a free download on your website
Post it as a free download on your blog.
Link directly to it from your email signature.
Link to it from your forum signatures
Add a link to it from your related autoresponders.
Mention it when youre chatting and networking with others.

In every instance, you want to be sure to tell others that they should feel free to give the report away to others as is as much as they like, with your blessing.

If the viral tool is very special, you may want to use it to build up your mailing list. So instead of giving it away freely, you can ask people to opt into your mailing list to receive the item. Then follow the download up with a few short emails that refer to the special report and offer to answer any questions that they may have had about it.

Good affiliate programs will provide you with these kinds of marketing tools. A smart affiliate will take full advantage of the opportunity and do their part in spreading the marketing virus.

Michelle Waters helps Work At Home Moms take their home businesses ideas to reality with her ecommerce software and hosting services at http://www.ShopKitPlus.com. She offers support and business advice for her clients at http://www.waterswebshops.com.Alden Blog69921
Angeline Blog257

Healthy Dinner Recipes: Shopping Tips

We all know that when were doing some grocery shopping, it can be extremely hard to find the right food for your healthy dinner recipes. Here are some tips you can keep in mind the next time you find yourself in the grocery.

1. Shop in the Natural Health Food section of the supermarket to find better food choices. Always select the organic products whenever they are available.

2. Start in the fresh food section of the supermarket. In fact if you shop around the perimeter of the store you will end up making healthier food choices.

3. Because vegetables lose their vitamins and other nutrients very rapidly, buy only the freshest ones.

4. Quick frozen vegetables can be more nutritious than fresh ones that have been on the store shelves for a few days.

5. Stay away from the canned goods whose contents are preserved in brine, oil or syrup. Go with those packed in water, but pay attention to the amount of salt or sodium in them.

6. Learn to read the product labels. Be on the lookout for terms like "hydrogenated" and "partially hydrogenated". The earlier it appears on the list the higher the amount or portion of trans fatty acids there are in the product.

7. Try to buy skinless chicken and turkey. If you do buy one with skin, make sure that you remove the skin prior to cooking. If you are buying beef, only buy the leaner cuts.

8. Since calcium is essential for your body, consume adequate amounts of dairy products or go with calcium-enriched beverages.

9. Keep the sugar content low when selecting products, being especially careful with dairy and drinks.

10. Avoid white flour based products like bread, bagels and spaghetti. Instead introduce in your diet the whole grain versions of these products.

11. Finding healthy snacks can be difficult. Watch out for the partially hydrogenated oils and sugar used in the coatings. There are protein bars and healthy varieties of snacks available in the health food section.

12. Fruits are high in vitamin C. Eat more melons such as cantaloupe if you are trying to lower your calories. Cantaloupe is not only high in vitamin C, but has plenty of beta-carotene that helps defend against diseases such as cancer.

13. For frozen dinners, buy the ones with low cholesterol, sodium and fat.

14. Don't go to the grocery store without a list, or if you are hungry. Being prepared with a list of food items will help guarantee that youll end up with more healthy choices than if you buy on the impulses of a growling stomach.

Keep these tips in mind whenever you are shopping for food. Grocery stores are full of healthy products for your dinner recipes; you just need to know which ones they are, and make a conscious effort to avoid the unhealthy ones.

Copyright 2007, Deborah Prosser.Amira Blog18770
Amal Blog60829

Evading Censorship: Using a Proxy to Visit MySpace

Many school classrooms primarily use computers and the net to gather and save information. More and more colleges are offering entire learning environments via a web-based medium where no physical classroom is even necessary. Employers are also following suite and using the Internet as a mass communication tool for employers to interact electronically with one another with little cost. With this significant increase in the nets usefulness, there has come about stronger laws governing exactly what content is distributed.

One such very popular proxy (http://www.proxymy.com) has become notoriously popular for allowing students to access MySpace (a popular social networking website) from their school internet connection. Not only do proxies such as ProxyMy.com allow access to MySpace from school and colleges, but they are also almost necessary to use in the work environment. Employers are able to browse and track every single website their employees visits at work. An anonymous web based proxy can ensure privacy when surfing the web.

Access to otherwise filtered websites, and securing browsing privacy are two great benefits of a CGI based anonymizer proxy. Another great benefit, not to be overlooked, is also the security offered when browsing the net through a proxy. As great of an educational tool the internet has become, it is also a nefarious medium for advertisers to distribute all sorts of unwanted advertisement including: spam, pop ups, viruses, and predominantly spyware.

A CGI proxy allows anyone using it to block cookies that track browsing habits for these ads to ensure your computers safety, privacy, and right to browse the internet as it was meant to be seen: An uncensored medium.

John Dwine is a freelance author noted for topics such as: computer security, anonymity, internet privacy, and censorship free web browsing.Angelina Blog72060
Aiilyan Blog39936

Orange County and Microsoft Technology Voucher Program

What is Available

Vouchers will be issued in two categories: 1) General Purpose Vouchers and 2) Software Vouchers. General Purpose Vouchers may be used to purchase specific hardware (listed below), any non-custom software for that hardware, evaluation tools, information technology (IT) services, and professional development services. IT and professional development services must be obtained from approved providers in Orange County schools. Software Vouchers may only be utilized to purchase specific categories of software (listed below) that are published or sold by any software provider. Both the General Purpose and Software

Vouchers may be applied by Orange County schools in an amount no greater than the standard academic price, or if an academic price is not available, in an amount not to exceed the normal or standard price established by the manufacturer or vendor for such software. The following list gives examples of eligible goods and services that may be purchased with one or the other category of the vouchers:

Hardware available for Orange County schools: Any new laptop, desktop, or tablet computer for any operating system platform; Peripheral devices: printers, scanners, monitors, keyboards, pointing devices (e.g., mouse, trackball, etc.); Equipment needed for networking and infrastructure (e.g., routers, servers, wireless network cards, or wireless access points); Hardware for accessing the Internet through television sets and Internet access for such hardware for students' homes; Non-custom assistive technology devices for use by students with special needs

Software available for Orange County schools: Purchased with General Purpose Vouchers - Any non-custom software titles (any platform) that are designed for use on any qualifying hardware (see Hardware above); purchased with Software Vouchers - Specific categories of software offered by any software publisher or vendor, including: Operating system, Word processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Desktop relational database oriented towards single users and typically residing on a standard personal computer, Web-authoring, Productivity and/or Productivity Suite, Encyclopedia, Server, including client access licenses, Eligible software bundled with a computer purchased with the General Purpose Vouchers

IT Support Services available for Orange County schools: Services that primarily involve the maintenance of hardware procured through this Settlement and the installation and maintenance of software procured through this Settlement.

Professional Development Services available for Orange County schools: Professional development services directed solely at leadership development for school administrators in the use of education technology to improve learning at the site or district; Professional development services directed solely at general curriculum development and instructional strategies which utilize educational technology to improve instruction; Professional development services directed solely at the improvement of technology integration for any software title acquired through this Settlement; Training in the use of any hardware or software title acquired through this Settlement; Certification training for software and networking

What Schools are Eligible

Orange County Public school districts that have a state-approved technology plan may apply on behalf of their eligible schools. Orange County offices of education, direct-funded charter schools, and State Special Schools do not have to meet the state-approved technology plan requirement and can apply on their own behalf. "Eligible Schools," as defined in the Settlement Agreement, means all public kindergarten through twelfth grade schools at which at least 40 percent of the attending students are eligible to receive free or reduced price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). "Eligible Schools" also include all public high schools in Orange County California that serve students from public elementary, middle, and junior high schools at which at least 40 percent of the attending students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals through the NSLP.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more information on Orange County schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/California/Orange-County/index.htmlAlon Blog3397
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Weight Watchers. Their Life Story.

Weight Watchers was founded by Jean Nidetch in the middle of the 1960s and her goal was to offer service and assistance to those who were looking to lose weight. She therefore offered to these people different products which helped them when dieting and thus lose the weight. Her early success in this field has now turned into a successful world wide company which operates in more than 30 countries and goes by the trademark name of Weight Watchers; however this can be translated into the local language of any given country if required.

Weight Watchers is made up of two different programs that a dieter can follow being either the Core program or the Points program. Each program that a dieter chooses to follow is supported by a group that helps when needed most such as during group discussions and accountability (ensuring that the dieter is reaching their target weight).

The Points program is a program which puts a numerical value on a persons burning of energy and their actual calorie intake. Each serving of food that they consume is given a number of points and conversely different styles of exercise undertaken by a dieter will be given a negative point(s). So during a certain week each dieter will have a certain number of points that they must try to hit in accordance with the overall weight loss they wish to attain and their actual current weight.

Certainly is this respect this is where the Weight Watchers program is so very different from either the South Beach or Atkins Diets as a person on this program is not limited to what foods they can eat, but rather to how much of that food they are allowed to consume. For example, should someone wish to each more of one food that has a high points value, then they must carry out the appropriate exercise and watch the other foods that they eat throughout the rest of the week to counterbalance it. Certainly the amount of exercise that a person takes whilst on a Weight Watchers program is correlated to just how much exercise that person wants to do. So if they decide that they do not want to exercise or exercise only a little, then they can not eat as many points compared with someone who is exercising regularly, and such people can eat those foods which have a higher points value.

Unfortunately this type of diet is not to everyones liking as it makes the person accountable for what they are doing and does not allow any room for cheating. So if someone wishes to cheat on this diet, they will not be harming anyone else but themselves and their chance to lose the weight. The most annoying thing about this diet is the record keeping, a lot of people find this cumbersome as they have to make sure that they record every single food item they have eaten throughout the day and make sure that they give a point value to each item of food, if they do not then it means that they will not necessarily succeed in their overall goal of removing the unwanted weight.

Kerris Samson a work from home mum, living in Spain who with her husband Mark has set up a number of sites dedicated to all matters relating to living a more healthy lifestyle on such subjects as Wheatgrass, Detox Diets and Programs and now a site dedicated to Weight Loss and especially Weight Watchers. If you would like to learn more please visit http://www.recipes.kitchens101.info.Alec Blog98713
Alejandro Blog3741

Powerful Flexibility With Rollback Rx

PC maintenance is a challenge for businesses today. Most corporations spend millions every month to keep their computers operational and running, constantly fixing computer problems and recovering lost data. They constantly encounter new viruses getting into their systems in spite of seemingly adequate prevention measures. Every time they update with new software patches, they have to be careful and prepared to fix computer issues if it goes wrong. More than anything else, they must be prepared for disaster recovery if there are network intrusions and identity thefts causing computers to crash indefinitely. The IT support is sometimes unable to identify the cause for such repairs. One way to avoid all this is by installing Rollback Rx, system restore software and the complete PC maintenance solution.

Protection Against Disasters

Just as better solutions are on the rise, so are new viruses, spyware and Trojans. Every computer is in danger of being infected. When a corporate network is involved the risk is exponentially high. The Rollback Rx software works as a perfect mate with antivirus software, totally compatible with it, to repair computer problems. Together, the two make a strong defense against virus attacks. But there are times when spyware comes disguised and anti virus programs may not detect them. In such cases, Rollback Rx is particularly useful because it helps to rollback any system to an earlier operational state, totally cleaning the computer of the suspect spyware. What would otherwise have meant several hours of downtime for the system is now reduced to something like three minutes per system. Almost every bit of data is recovered, with the remote possibility of a five per cent loss. And even if some systems are remotely located, Rollback Rx can still trouble shoot over a network.

Boon To Beta Testers

It is always a tricky thing to test new applications. Theres the risk of causing total failure. But with Rollback Rx as a safety net to fall back on, IT administrators can securely test new applications. If the deployment fails, with Rollback Rx, the system can be quickly rolled back to the point before the test was begun. It might have taken hours without Rollback, but with Rollback it only takes seconds to do a pc restore. This makes the risk of new application deployment low, with Rollback Rx.

Maintenance becomes a smooth operation with Rollback Rx. Unwanted software and spyware can be easily removed by doing a pc restore, thus allowing minimum chances of damage to the corporate network. With instant system restore, Rollback Rx software strengthens the capability of every PC.

Jacob Henderson is the technical head of Horizon Data Systems and leading software development firm in the business of Desktop Security and PC performance enhancement software. During his more than 10 years of software development experience in various positions, Jacob Henderson has developed a large number of state of the art software and written numerous articles and reports. Jacob Henderson was one of the core team leaders, that is responsible for the development of user integration features of the flagship product of the Company-Rollback Rx Software.Amanda Blog43681
Alighiero Blog98265

Ensuring Data Protection

All of us require computers be it for personal use or work, or for some commercial purpose. For the same reason, it is important to take precautions because data is prone to leakage. The situation is most risky when you use the Internet as well.

Think about what you experience when you lose important data. You cannot even sleep properly if your data is lost. It is thus essential to have regular backups done.

Nobody wants their personal and confidential information to be disclosed over the Internet but unfortunately with the growing use of computers these days, data is no longer secure. The size of your organization or business is hardly a concern. It doesn't matter if you are using your computer at home or in office. The only concern is data protection. It is a great challenge in itself to protect confidential data. It is also important to be aware of what exactly are the reasons behind these data loss.

Various tools are available in the market these days in order to protect your valuable data. Some of these are backups, firewalls and various protection software packages for viruses.

Negligence by an employee is one of the other reasons for data leakage. Thus, it is considered therefore that employees can prevent a major portion of this data loss. If the employee is equipped with basic knowledge about computers and are honest while performing their tasks, lots of important data can be prevented from getting lost. If some strong security system is not implemented, employees generally take this for granted and work carelessly. This may mean that confidential data is lost.

Here are some methods that would help to protect your data:

Encryption: You can protect your data using a technique called encryption. In this technique, data is encrypted or is converted into some code, which can be decoded by only those who know the key or the related password. These days with the availability of so many data encryption software in the market, you can choose any one of them to ensure safe transaction of data.

Backups: Backing up your data is one of the tools that you should always use in order to avoid any sudden data loss. It is most effective in case of data loss due to a sudden power failure. If you are performing regular backups, these situations can easily be avoided. There is no specified interval during which you are expected to perform a backup. However, once in a week is the least limit, though thrice a week is normally advised to perform these backups. The best thing would be to ensure back up on a daily basis. Confidentiality of your data is the only criteria to set the limit for these backups.

Firewalls: A layered type of system is followed when it comes to security. An operating system may also serve as protector of data or else a firewall may be used. Through firewalls, nobody can access your system without your permission. This way, your data becomes much safer. It is recommended to update your computer at regular intervals to maintain security in a more consistent manner.

With this helpful information, you can ensure that your data is protected and not lost.

Scott Elliott owns and operates http://www.yourdataprotection.com Data ProtectionAnil Blog11757
Angelina Blog8243

Super Food: The Acai Palm Berry

The Acai (pronounced ah-SAH-ee) berry is the latest super antioxidant food sweeping the world. This small round fruit is produced by the Acai Palm which is native to Central and South America floodplains and swamps. The fruit is rich in anthocyanin / anthocyanidin phytonutrients which are members of the flavonoid class of antioxidants. The dark purple berry, which tastes something like a blend of berries and chocolate, supposedly contains 10 to 30 times the flavonoids contained in red wine. The pulp is also rich in B vitamins, minerals, protein, Vitamin E, caffeine, fiber and essential fatty acids (such as Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9). This wonder food is purported to fight cancer, control cholesterol, increase energy, improve your sex life and help you lose weight. The University of Florida is studying its cancer fighting properties and Dr. Nicholas Perricone has recommended it as one of his top 10 superfoods for age-defying beauty on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, and in an article in Oprah magazine and also in his book The Perricone Promise. This little berry has been touted as one of the most nutritious and healthy foods in the world.

The studies being conducted at the University of Florida have determined that the Brazilian berry destroys cultured leukemia cancer cells. This study was not intended to show whether acai berries could prevent leukemia in people as it was only a cell-culture model. This is not a unique effect as other fruits such as grapes, guavas and mangoes contained antioxidant products that also destroyed cultured cancer cells. A lot of claims are being made but research has just started on the acai berry. Another study is underway to investigate the effects of acai's antioxidants on human subjects.

The acai berry is a small dark blue fruit, similar in size to a blueberry or small grape but with less pulp, that grows in clusters or panicles of approximately 800 berries on Acai palm trees. The tribes of the Amazon knew of the health properties of this fruit for centuries and traditionally pulped it to make wine. The berries contain a thin layer of edible pulp surrounding a large seed. These palms are extremely prevalent in the floodplain areas of the Amazon River and are easy to cultivate as a replacement tree in areas where the rain forest has been destroyed. The slender palms grow from 40 to 80 feet tall and have leaves up to 10 feet long. Each palm can produce more than 50 pounds of berries annually. The harvesting of this powerful antioxidant rich product has become a major industry in Brazil and employs up to 30,000 people on a daily basis to harvest and process the product. Unfortunately the fruit deteriorates rapidly after harvesting (active properties can disappear after 24 hours) and so it is restricted to being eaten in the growing region or being processed and shipped as juice or frozen pulp. This industry has become an economic and environmentally-friendly alternative to unsustainable harvesting of hearts of palm, logging and conversion of the rain forest to farming or ranching. During the last decade in Brazil, acai has become a major food fad and Brazilians consume the frozen pulp alone or in yogurt, ice cream, smoothies, drinks, fruit or as a cereal topping. The frozen pulp tastes like a blueberry sorbet or ice cream with a hint of chocolate.

Acai can be difficult to find outside of South America although the frozen pulp and juices are starting to be imported into the US and Canada. Your best chance of finding the product is in health food stores or the health food section of your supermarket. Make sure that the acai berry is wild harvested and quickly frozen to retain its maximum nutrient value. Also in the US, acai is being sold as an ingredient in a number of beverages, and as frozen fruit that can be added to home-made smoothies as well as in health food extracts and supplements.

Mark Ransome is a contributing editor and writer for the popular new website Benefits of Antioxidants. Visitors to http://www.benefits-of-antioxidants.com will have access to a new free diet and weight loss program The Psychiatrists Weight Loss Program. Alexia Blog84998
Ambuj Blog37175

Backend Products Your Key To Long Term Wealth In Internet Marketing

Do you know what separates the average internet marketer to the rich internet marketer? The rich internet marketer has a line of related products to market to their subscribers. The average internet marketer believes that they will hit the jackpot with one product.

Its great if you have that one miracle product that can give you instant money, but thats the problem, its only instant and one time. Imagine for moment that you have a list of 1,000 subscribers and all of them buy your awesome product at $50 a piece.

Congratulations! Youve just made $50,000!

Okay now what? Wheres the additional source of income going to come from? Sure you can promote the same product over and over, month after month.

But unless you have new customers, your bank account will eventually dry up! Imagine what would happen if you plan ahead and you line up 5 products (related to your market of course) to your list of 1,000. Your profits will soar!

Lets say you are selling an e-book on how to lose fat and get fit for $50. What other products can you sell to this targeted subscribers you have?

You may want to recommend an online coaching program for $1500, motivational music download for $30, a fitness instructional video for $30, the possibilities are endless, just be creative!

So instead of making the one time profit of $50, you can sell your already-interested (and more likely to buy) customers over and over again with related items. If just 10% of your list takes you up on all of the additional bonuses, youll triple your income and make $156,000!

Another way in which you can have a continuous flow of income from your internet marketing business is to have a continuity program. A continuity program is like a magazine subscription, you pay yearly in order to have the magazines be continually sent to you.

You can create a membership site that requires a monthly access fee to your platinum members site. Or you can have a software program that requires your customers to pay a monthly fee to continue using it.

If you have a physical product you can set them up for automatic renewal to be sent at specific time intervals when they need to replenish their supply.

For example, of your customers supply of hair regenerationi juice runs out in a month, you can automatically ship the product and at the same time automatically charge their card until they request to cancel.

These are just some ideas Ive slapped together and I hope these ideas have helped you understand the importance of having multiple products in your arsenal so that you have a constant flow of income.

So stop having your one miracle product and start finding multiple products to sell to you niche market and make some real money!

Alan Quan is a certified Internet Coaching Empire coach and specializes in helping people build their own successful internet marketing business. Visit his website at http://e-bizcoachalan.com/success.htm and find out how he can help you to quickly accomplish your goals and boost your internet profits.Amanda Blog96542
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