Category Archives: Technology

When to Stop Blogging

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More and more people have websites and some people even have many websites. It is not uncommon for some people to have a dozen websites of their own. I think that it is great that someone has many websites, but it is important to keep some things in mind. Basically, I would recommend not to start too many websites if you do not have time to update them from time to time. There are millions of websites on the Internet, but only those are popular which have interesting content and are regularly updated. That is why it might be better to have less sites, but simply update them more often.

Another question many bloggers keep asking themselves is when to stop blogging. They keep wondering whether they are successful as bloggers or not. They do not know that being a beginner blogger is not always easy. Since people do not know you and your work yet, they do not know if they should keep visiting your blog. You need to prove to them that your blog is worth visiting. This might take you some time, but it can be a rewarding process during which you are going to have a chance to make new friends and learn many interesting facts about blogging and other aspects of life. If you choose to give up on blogging to early, you risk losing all those readers you encouraged to keep visiting your blog.

The Effectiveness of Your Internal Link Structure

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If you are really determined to focus on search engine optimization, then you may want to put some effort into determining the effectiveness of your internal link structure. This would answer the question whether you are utilizing your PageRank the most effective way by passing it from your home page to other pages on your site. Internal link structure depends on how you link to your own pages. Take into account the following points:

  • First of all, you can use Google Webmaster Tools to show your internal link counts to different pages. This way you will be able to analyze which pages should be linked to more often. Such pages could be those that receive little traffic or have some important content. Basically, it depends on your priorities.
  • If you have pages with high PageRank consider linking to your other integral pages, instead of linking to other websites. It might be a good idea to have a dedicated link page that will not have a very high PageRank, so that you will not worry about passing too much authority to other sites. That is because you want to pass your PR to your own integral pages. This is why there are some websites with so many pages with high PR, while other sites have only PR on their homepage.

Overall, it is important for every webmaster to have a well-organized link structure. Only this way will your website have many pages with high Page Rank.

Which Emails To Ignore?

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I do not know about you, but I receive tons of emails in my inbox every day. I delete most of those emails, but I also read some of them.

Since I know more or less how to know a scam when I see one, I know which emails should be ignored or even reported as spam. Emails that ask me for some passwords or my pin numbers always should be regarded with suspicion. It is sad for me to even think how many people usually fall victim to such emails that obviously look like a scam to me. I feel sorry for them and I would like them to know that there are simple ways to make sure that nobody has to be a victim of such scams anymore if he is really careful and alert at all times.

Different File Types

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Working in front of your computer might not be an easy task, but if you know a lot about computers and the Internet, it should not be that hard for you. There are very helpful people on the Internet who are always willing to help you in case you have any questions or doubts. There might be situations in your life when you want to open a program, but you are not be able to do it. What you probably have difficulties with is an extension file like, for example, �dat�. The best thing that you can do if this is the case is to go on the Internet and find the type of file you are not familiar with.

The Dangers of Social Networking

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There are many social networking sites like MySpace that are a wonderful place to meet friends that share the same interests as you. However, social sites pose a threat to you if you are not careful enough to use with caution. Here are some of the possible dangers:

1. Very often, people will not be who they claim to be. People in general tend to overemphasize their achievements, and make their lives appear to be more successful than they might be in reality. After all, nobody on the Internet knows who they really are. There is nothing which prohibits them from pretending to be somebody else.

2. Belonging to a social network might be addictive. Be careful not to start neglecting your family, friends, or work. On the other hand, if you simply like to participate in a social network a lot it doesn�t have to mean that there is a problem. It is good to have a hobby.

3. I know that people like sharing their personal information on the Net. However, if you are not careful, you risk being spammed, scammed, or even stalked. Do not give out your address to anyone, unless there is really a need for it. I also recommend not giving out your email details until you know that you can trust a particular person.

4. Stay alert if somebody asks you for your personal details such as passwords, bank account etc. If that happens, stop the conversation as soon as possible, as many predators and scammers are involved in social networks in order to find potential victims.

Overall, participating in social networking can be a great way to spend your time, but it is important to recognize potential dangers and be prepared for them.

Brains and Computers

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Ever wondered how brains are different from computers? This article shows how. Read on to find out.

Brains consist of cells called neurons and they connect with millions of other neurons and information gets transferred across connection gaps called synapses. Inside the cells data are processed which gives rise to an idea, concept or understanding.

Computers are built of hardware chips and the central processing unit (CPU) processes data after receiving them from the other chips. How it processes data consists of several steps but the main outline is that software programs are fed into the CPU and processed. They provide end result information depending on how the programs are furnished with data and what the query is that is fed into the system. If some information is asked that is outside the scope of the software programs, the computer gets limited in functioning.

Brains, however, are limitless. From childhood until adulthood, the brain gets more and more developed and mature. It can process unknown data or abstract data as well and provide insights and knowledge.

The brain is more complex than the CPU and therefore, with neurons and synaptic connections, it is possible to process all kinds of information. It uses the five senses: touch, smell, hearing, taste and sight and takes in information and produces knowledge.

On the other hand, the CPU of computers takes in data from the typing of the keyboard and processes it, which is very limited. However, it is only human beings feeding data, writing software programs and making the computer behave like a brain although not quite so.

The brain is still more intelligent than the CPU of computers and has yet to train the computer to behave like the brain of a human being.

Yes, computers will be able to take over many tasks of human beings but without human beings, they are lifeless because humans have to give life to these computers, operate on them and have regular updating, monitoring and maintenance on them.

Just as a brain needs to rest and relax, computers will also need that from time to time but they can operate longer times than the average brain. While the brain sleeps, the computer can carry on with its duties of processing data and converting them to knowledge and information.

Summing up, although the CPU is sometimes called the brain of the computer, it is actually a misnomer because as I have outlined in this article, the brain is definitely different from the computer in varying ways and the brain has yet to teach the computer to behave 100% like a brain.

Beware of Dangers on the Internet

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I am a person that surfs the Internet every day and that is because I simply enjoy it. I have been doing it for many years and will keep doing so. However, I am also aware of many dangers on the Internet. Dangers on the Internet are real and they are not just something that parents should warn their children about. The Internet can cause some harm in adult people�s lives too. If you keep this in mind and take some precautions, then you will enjoy surfing the Web even more. Here is what you should watch for:
-Phishing Scams. Such scams are a deception in order to steal a person�s personal information. Such information might include a credit card number, social security number, online banking password, and many other details. Losing such data can often result in monetary loss and that is why they are dangerous. It is important not to access important websites by clicking their link in an email as there are many phishing emails that try to steal your data.
-Spyware and virus infections can be dangerous as well. The main reason Internet users get their computer infected is that they download files from untrusted sites.It is safer to visit websites that you trust. If you want to be visiting completely random pages, then you can use a Firefox browser plug-in that blocks all scripts unless you manually allow them. This prevents viruses from being downloaded to your computer just by visiting a site.
-Another danger on the Internet is that you never know who you are talking to. You might receive an email from a Nigerian �prince�, but he may not be who he claims to be. A boy on a chatroom may want to meet with your children, but in reality it might be a grown man. You may be looking for a date online, but you may talk to someone who is using someone�s picture.
I gave you a few examples of what you should watch out for. While it may seem that the Internet is a dangerous place, the truth is that if you know what the dangers are you are a lot less likely to fall for any tricks. I hope that now you will even more enjoy surfing the Web.

Reading Digitally

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Has the title question ever struck you? What do you think? Read on for lovely highlights.

It is a subtle question. Since our childhood we have studied books in print when the digital devices for reading were nonexistent. We had no other option other than to read in print.

Now that the digital age is here, how has digital reading changed things for us? We like to read fictions or self-help eBooks or any other eBook in another niche in kindle devices, iPads, tabs, notebooks and laptops where the reading format of the eBook needs to match the particular reading device. It’s more complex now. But have all the new digital devices made things really easier for us?

In fact, yes. You choose an eBook format and its compatible reading device and get habituated to it. They are easier to concentrate and we can go on reading for hours. All the same if the body of the eBook is too concise and full of information in lengthy paragraphs, you will naturally want to skim and lose your patience.

How about books in print? We are more comfortable with print in concise form full of information. We cannot disagree with this fact. We are able to take in more information by reading in print.

On the other hand, kindle devices, tabs, iPads, notebooks and laptops all need to have their batteries recharged from time to time. Sometimes it becomes an added burden for us to recharge these devices just because we want to read something.

However, reading in print is convenient anytime. We just have to open the required books and novels when we are in a mood to read. We don’t have the additional task of recharging our digital devices. They are free open reads for us whenever we want wherever we like.

Summing up, while digital devices have the upper advantage of making digital reading more convenient for us, they do have their downsides that I have just mentioned, which reading in print doesn’t have.

All the same, this is the digital era and we cannot stay backdated. We need to familiarize ourselves with the various digital reading devices and their corresponding reading formats.

For example, ePub format is an open format designed by the Open eBook Forum and developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum. Devices that can open this file include the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and the Nook from Barnes & Noble. The e-book format MOBI used by the MobiPocket Reader can be opened by Kindle for PC and Mac.

The Portable Document Format (PDF) was created by Adobe for its Acrobat products. This is a very popular e-book format since software support for this format exists for a lot of devices including notebooks, laptops and PC’s.

Once we have become accustomed to the eBook reading formats and their corresponding digital reading devices, only then we are able to cherish life fully.

Skill for Every IT Professional

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In this day and age, our clients rely on us more than ever before and have much larger demands. After all, we’re the IT people, the experts. We must provide a one-stop shop for all of our clients. If clients had the technical know-how, we wouldn’t be needed. We must not only possess the technical skills, but the skills to effectively communicate with our clients, both internal and external. Why must we have great communication skills in our arsenal? We didn’t go into IT to deal with customer service concerns. The reality of today’s IT market is that we’re not only expected to be on top of the latest technological advances, but we must also be able to clearly convey the 5 “W’s” for our customers to perceive that we’ve not only addressed their concerns; but to make them feel as if they’ve received some value-added benefit. Let’s face it, while we all have different skill sets and talents, at the end of the day the result is tantamount to any developer.

What sets one IT company apart from another is in the how we present the information to the client, and if they feel that the benefit they’re receiving is worth writing our paycheck. Delivering results is no longer what impresses a client, anyone can do that, it’s the expectation, not a luxury.

This article will reveal several tips that are incredibly easy to implement and will not only earn a client’s business but retain it throughout the years. With little to no expense, you can wow your clients and cut down on unnecessary time spent making corrections.

We hope you enjoy these tips and will consider implementing them into your daily routine to make a positive impact.

How does this affect me?

If you’re not getting great reviews from your clients and repeat business, something’s getting lost in translation.

A Harris Poll of hiring managers shows that 77 percent of employers consider soft skills to be as important as technical skills.

Now that we’ve properly identified the issues it’s time to find a solution. What skills exactly are we needing to work on?

It’s no secret that IT professionals embrace jargon. After all speaking in “code” keeps us relevant and makes us sound intelligent. The problem is that we sometimes forget that we need to put away the jargon. Translate the information into “plain” language. If this seems to be quite a challenge, consider re-evaluating the information as if you were going to teach it to a high school or junior college class. Check for understanding. Ask your client if he or she is following what you’re saying. Another great way to check for understanding is to ask the client what he or she thinks or how it sounds so far. This tip will go a long way. If they don’t understand, they’ll most likely tell you, after all, they’re paying you a generous fee for your services, not to hear the alphabet in incorrect order. “The people who will thrive are the strong technologists who are capable of translating their expertise into terms that nontechnical people can understand.” -Ben Gaucherin, Harvard University

Role play meetings and presentations with co-workers

You wouldn’t state that a project was complete without testing it, right? It’s a great idea to do a “dry run” with co-workers or even your family if permitted. Have them ask questions you may anticipate, or if they have any questions. Choose the most brutally honest co-worker to throw you some questions or concerns, also ask them what they liked about the presentation.

Take a public speaking class and join a meetup group

Chances are you’re not the only person that is interested in personal and professional growth. Classes and groups provide a great opportunity to brainstorm with other professionals groups will often provide you with a wealth of networking opportunities and are localized and even specialized, so you can discuss any matters relevant to the area you work in.

Keep your skills sharp

We’ve established that communication can be a problem in the IT world. Communicating outdated information ineffectively can only lead to impending doom. Be certain to stay ahead of the curve to avoid the pitfall(s) of being (or becoming) irreverent.

Drones

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While drones are constructed for recreational purposes, you can also use them for professional aerial photography and videography, to inspect bridges, cargo carrying, wildlife tracking, and a wide range of other drone-related activities.

People who should consider investing in a drone

There is no harm in anyone owning a drone but you should highly consider investing in one if you love conventional remote controlled machines. These can be cars, boats, helicopters and many other units. You also should consider the units if you are into photography and videography. Do you have a deep interest in drone technology? You also should highly consider getting the units.

Factors to consider when buying a drone

For you to get the most from the unit you need to consider a number of factors. Some of these factors include:

Camera type: While most of the units come with their own cameras, there are others that have GoPro cameras attached to them. When making a purchase, go for one with a built-in camera. You should consider the number of megapixels that the camera has, video resolution, a method of camera control and distance of the camera.

Battery life: This is important as it determines how long you will enjoy having the drone. Consider the charging time of the unit, battery life, and whether you will need replacement batteries in your work.

Height and speed: There is no specific height and speed that your unit should have-it’s all dependent on your preferences that are guided by your needs. If looking for a unit to take live video action during a game, go for one that can reach up to 300 feet. This is to make it possible for you to easily capture the entire event.

Tips to remember when using the drone

When you buy the unit you need to consider a number of tips before you start flying it. When you make the purchase consider a number of terms such as RTF, BNF, ARF and any other that might be in the user manual. RTF means that you have to install a propeller before you fly, BNF means that the drone is completely assembled but you have to buy the controller separately.

While the unit might seem like a toy, you have to register it with the federal aviation administration. You should note that to make a registration you should be at least 13 years old. After making the registration you will be given a unit identification number that will be displayed in your unit. The registration can last for up to 3 years.