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John L. Dilbeck's News Archive
John L. Dilbeck's Ramblings
Whatever strange and wonderful ideas tickle this big brain of mine.
ISSN: 1533-8193
Being a voracious reader, I go through lots of news and stories. When I find one of interest that I think will benefit you, I write about it here. Your feedback is always welcome.
News Archives
(See menu at left for the old archives.)
January 2004
Complete Money Making Site Setup Free
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, January 29 2004 at 12:12 PM
Category: affiliate_programs
Stone Evans is another SFI Marketing Group Top 100 affiliates. A few days ago, I was researching what he's doing that made him successful and I found his Plug In Profit Site website.
Stone has developed a system to help you promote several affiliate programs, including SFI.
He'll set you up -- for free -- with a website and autoresponders that are proven money makers and will customize it just for you. On top of that he offers several valuable bonuses.
There's no catch. He sets it up for you and offers support for free. However, he does require that you host your site at Host4Profit. The hosting fees are very reasonable and they come well recommended.
I took the plunge a couple of days ago and applied for Stone to set up a site for me. In a couple of days, it should be accessible at 21stCenturySales.com.
As with Jeff Mulligan's CBmall, Stone has created a marketing system to help you. If you're not an affiliate of the programs he markets in this system, you're given the opportunity to join.
With both of these sites, your job becomes one of driving traffic to the site, rather than spending all your time trying to develop a system of your own.
I figure I saved months of work this week by joining with Stone and Jeff in their marketing efforts and I know the systems they built will help me. It's a win-win situation and I love finding them.
I'm looking forward to seeing what develops at 21stCenturySales.com.
Stone has promptly responded to my requests for support and information, but I only had a couple of questions.
This website is highly recommended if you're wanting to market your affiliate programs and learn from someone who has created a very useful system.
15 Powerful Ways CBmall Makes You Money eCourse
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, January 29 2004 at 12:05 PM
Category: affiliate_programs
A few days ago, I was looking at the Top 100 sellers at SFI Marketing Group and wondering what they were doing to build their businesses and earn more money than most of the rest of us.
So, I started researching and learned some valuable lessons. Some of the top 10 affiliates have created systems to promote the products and opportunities, and they're willing to help others by plugging them into the system.
Jeff Mulligan created the CBmall, a system that promotes the top selling items at Click Bank and several other affiliate programs, including SFI. Some of the best selling ebooks are available through CBmall, and it even has a search engine to make it easier to find what you're looking for throughout Click Bank.
In fact, Jeff says there are at least 15 Powerful Ways CBmall Makes You Money and, by clicking on the preceding link, you can sign up for his free ecourse -- with no obligation -- and learn about what he's done to make the system easy to use for buyers and powerful for marketers.
The price is right, and Jeff has responded promptly to a couple of service questions. My site was up and running in less than 24 hours.
I recommend this site for persons looking for some of the best ebooks. I also recommend it for affiliate marketers who want to plug into a system that helps you build your business and increase your income.
Highly recommended website.
MyDoom.b variant identified
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, January 29 2004 at 12:00 PM
Category: internet
MyDoom Variant Blocks Fixes, Targets Microsoft. UPDATED: Russian anti-virus specialist Kaspersky Labs has identified a variant of MyDoom, the worm that has been spreading through the Internet at a furious pace since Monday. [eWEEK Technology News]
Art of the Day -- Lord of the Rings: Aragorn
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, January 29 2004 at 11:56 AM
Category: art_suggestions
Today Show - How to perk up your morning cup of coffee
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, January 29 2004 at 11:52 AM
Category: sfi
How to perk up your morning cup of coffee
[The Today Show recently featured a segment on great tasting coffees. One of the suggested coffees is PurJava liquid concentrate coffee...]
"PurJava was developed to offer coffee with a great coffee taste without the bitterness and acidity of regular brewed coffee. PurJava concentrate is produced in Nebraska using a cold-water process; water is filtered and then purified and then added to a coffee concentrate. The final step is pasteurization, producing a smooth coffee with less than half the caffeine of regular brewed coffee."[MSNBC]
Want to try some yourself? Click here to purchase PurJava liquid concentrate coffee.
For convenience and good taste, PurJava is ideal for the person on the go or for anyone who wants just one or two cups of great coffee.
Apple to Build Second Supercomputer
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, January 29 2004 at 11:45 AM
Category: macintosh
Apple to Build Second Supercomputer: "After building one of the world's fastest supercomputers on its first try, Apple Computer Inc. is again teaming with Virginia Tech to make another high performance machine using its new 64-bit Xserve G5 computer." [CBS MarketWatch]
Personal Update: Illness, doctors appointments, email overload, getting back on schedule
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 12:39 PM
Category: ramblings
Finally, things are starting to settle down around here.
Last week I caught a nasty bug and didn't feel much like doing anything for most of the week. I managed to take Mom to her doctor's appointments and keep both of us fed, but that's about all I managed until Saturday, when I started feeling better.
Mom had the same bug and we were a sorry crowd most of the week.
She finished her radiation therapy last week and the skin cancer on her nose looks much better. The doctors are convinced that the radiation therapy was a success and it doesn't look like any surgery will be necessary.
For the first time in weeks, we don't have to make a trip to a doctor or hospital every day, and only have one appointment for her this whole week. This means that I can start trying to whip my schedule back into shape and get back to doing what I need to be doing to grow my businesses.
Saturday morning, I downloaded over 2,000 email messages and over 1,500 of them were spam. This is getting to be horrible.
Because I'm involved in marketing and have wide ranging interests, creating filters for the spam hasn't been easy. What many people would prefer to block, I want to read. So, I filter my email into over 100 separate in-boxes and deal with each in-box based on its priority. I managed to get through all the most important messages by Saturday afternoon and caught up will all of them early this morning.
If you've been trying to reach me over the last few days, I should have responded by now. If I didn't, please email me and put something significant in the subject line.
Recently, I've stopped reading messages where the subject is blank or only says Hi or Hello. Many spam messages use these subjects. If you want to email me and get my attention, put something in the subject line that will stand out and which gives a good representation of what your message is about.
I should be back on schedule with my communications by tomorrow. Sorry about the delays last week.
I'm going to be opening several new websites in the next couple of weeks and I'll announce them here.
This evening, I'll be making the rounds of the discussion groups that I've been neglecting over the last few weeks and get caught up there.
It's going to be good having more time to get things done.
All the best,
JD
I succeed by helping you succeed
FBI Computer Security Expert Discusses PC Security
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 12:15 PM
Category: internet
A Visit from the FBI Scott Granneman has written "about the fact that most ordinary computer users have no idea about what security means", and as a result received a visit from Dave Thomas, a computer security expert with the FBI.
Dave had this to say: "I have spent a considerable amount in the computer underground and have seen many ways in which clever individuals trick unsuspecting users. I don't think most people have a clue just how bad things are."
If you use a Windows PC on the Internet, perhaps you should read his column.
Online reference site approaches milestone
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 12:04 PM
Category: websites
Wikipedia Shows Power of Cooperation. Sometime in the next few days or weeks, one of the world's most comprehensive online reference sites will publish its 200,000th article. More accurately, one of the site's contributors will publish the article.
Wikipedia, an encyclopedia created and operated by volunteers, is one of the most fascinating developments of the Digital Age. In just over three years of existence, it has become a valuable resource and an example of how the grass roots in today's interconnected world can do extraordinary things.
[Dan Gillmor's eJournal]
FCC's Abernathy Acknowledges Amateur Radio BPL Concerns
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 11:59 AM
Category: telecommunications
FCC's Abernathy Acknowledges Amateur Radio BPL Concerns
"FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy this week specifically cited Amateur Radio concerns about the interference potential of Broadband Over Power Line (BPL). In remarks prepared for delivery at her alma mater, the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law, Abernathy said BPL should not be widely deployed before dealing with ham radio's interference fears." [ARRLWeb]
FCC chief frowns on VoIP regulations
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 11:56 AM
Category: telecommunications
FCC chief frowns on VoIP regulations
"The top U.S. telecom regulator said Thursday that he has no intention of setting rules for Internet telephony, which he said could have a dramatic impact on voice communications. " [CNET News.com]
Search Engines: Getting In Eurekster
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 11:52 AM
Category: internet
Getting In Eurekster
"The Eurekster search engine launched recently with fanfare on all the search industry sites and a big article in Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Watch.
"The buzz surrounds Eurekster's method of delivering personalized search results." [WebProWorld]
Optimizing for Inktomi
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 11:48 AM
Category: webmaster_tools
(February 15, 2004. The article I originally pointed to is a reprint of another article written for a search engine optimization organization. I was contacted by the company and requested to point to their company and article, which is fair enough. However, that site requires registration before you can access the article, so I'm removing my quote from it. If I could have just pointed directly to the article, I would have been happy to do so. If you want to read the article, search on Google for 'How to Optimize for Inktomi in 2004'. -- JD)
The information in this article is a basic overview of creating search engine friendly websites and everyone who builds, manages, or owns a website should be familiar with the information in this article.
The information here, however, is only part of the story in how to create a website that sells. You MUST be listed in the search engines, but that's only one step.
Most sites are build so that they're doomed before they start. Many small business owners follow something similar to this model:
1. Create a product or service (or decide to sell an existing product or service online).
2. Create a site to sell the product or service.
3. Add payment and fulfillment solutions.
And then they...
4. Watch their sites die slow deaths of neglect, due to lack of traffic and willing buyers.
5. Wonder what went wrong.
If you want your website to have a chance for success, you must follow proven strategies. Fortunately, you don't have to invent these yourself.
You don't succeed by "putting up a site" and waiting. It is all about understanding how people really use the 'net and then building your site to deliver what they're looking for.
Your prospective visitor may or may not be interested in buying. They ARE looking for information. The more information you can provide, the more likely you are to create a relationship with them that may one day lead to selling your product or service. You must learn to give before you can expect to receive.
I've written many times about learning how others are successful in making their websites attractive to both humans and search engine spiders. I've learned much of what I know about this from Ken Evoy.
I learned today that Ken has just released a free, updated version of his Netwriting Masters Course, and this free course (available as a downloadable ebook in .pdf format) addresses the vital differences betwen selling and PREselling -- a concept that Ken identified several years ago. (He discusses this concept and much more in his free Affiliate Masters Course and Service Sellers Course.)
For any small business that wants to be successful online, the steps to success are exactly those that form the foundation of the highly successful SBI! product.
1. Write high quality content related to the theme or topic of your business or passion.
2. Use the quality content to draw free, targeted traffic from the search engines.
3. PREsell the traffic, use it to gain trust and confidence -- people buy from those they like and trust!
4. Convert your traffic into dollars -- whatever your business or monetization model. Once you've successfully completed steps 1 through 3, it is the time to start generating dollars from your Web site.
Sure, it takes more effort and time, but the investment in your site pays off in the long run.
These steps involve a different type of writing for your websites -- what can be called Netwriting. Write to deliver what humans want -- information. Write for two audiences -- humans and search engine spiders.
The Netwriting Masters Course is the first and only course that shows you how to get the whole process correct.
And it's free.
Download your free copy of the Netwriting Masters Course today.
Don't just download it. Study it. Learn from it. Implement it on your website and watch your traffic and income rise.
'Exploding' cell phone battery recalled
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 11:42 AM
Category: telecommunications
'Exploding' cell phone battery recalled - News - ZDNet
"This voluntary recall affects Kyocera Wireless model 7135 smart phones sold between September and December. The handsets use batteries manufactured by Coslight International Group of Hong Kong, and have a serial number on the underside that begins '-05'.
"San Diego-based Kyocera said on Friday that it is trying to reach all 40,000 people who bought the cell phone in order to arrange for delivery of a free replacement." [ZDNet]
Shocking the System -- Broadband over Power Lines
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 26 2004 at 11:27 AM
Category: telecommunications
Shocking the System
"The U.S. utility industry is considering whether to beam high-speed data over power lines, raising the prospect that the likes of Comcast Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. [~] the largest cable and phone company, respectively [~] will not be the only ones controlling the last mile of wires extending to homes." [Phone+ Magazine]
Wikipedia is a great resource
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 21 2004 at 5:27 AM
Category: websites
Wikipedia is getting so good its scary. A true resource. Very cool to watch it go from 0 to light speed in 2 short years. Suggestion for Google: dump the dmoz open directory project (which is branded by Google as the Google Web Directory) and replace it with Wikipedia.
The relationship between Google and dmoz is really strange for a company about to go public at ~$14 b +. Google has been very slow to update the directory and AOL/TW doesn't look like it is putting any resources into it. [John Robb's Weblog]
Pending legislation regarding VOIP
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 14 2004 at 5:41 AM
Category: telecommunications
Senator Preps Bill to Define VOIP, Curb FCC. N.H. Republican John E. Sununu told eWEEK.com he plans to introduce legislation that would attempt to define VOIP while blocking new regulations from the FCC. [eWEEK Technology News]
New security risks for VOIP
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 14 2004 at 5:36 AM
Category: telecommunications
VOIP, Video-Conferencing Apps Face Security Risk. Certain vendor implementations of the H.323 protocol could open multimedia applications to denial-of-service attacks and buffer overflows, U.K. security researchers reported on Tuesday. [eWEEK Technology News]
Free Business Plan Templates from SCORE
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 14 2004 at 5:31 AM
Category: home_business
Templates for your business. You've been told many times about the importance of having a written business plan, but how do you get started? SCORE offers several templates for creating your plan. There are templates for new and for existing businesses as well as several templates for providing further information. All are available as free downloads in .pdf format. They are also available in MS Word or MS Excel format, depending upon the type of template.
Researching nanotechnology health threats
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 14 2004 at 5:10 AM
Category: news
Keen Eye for the Nano Guys. Serious concerns exist over the health threats posed by nanotechnology, but now a new microscope allows scientists and doctors to see the impact for the first time. By Daithí Ó hAnluain. [Wired News]
Kodak continues transition to digital cameras
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 14 2004 at 5:01 AM
Category: news
Kodak Cuts 35mm Camera Sales. It's another watershed moment in the company's digital transition. [The Motley Fool]
Macs used for scientific research
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 14 2004 at 4:54 AM
Category: macintosh
Forbes profiles 'Apple's Supercomputing Scientists'. Virginia Tech's new G5-based supercomputing center isn't the only place that Macs are being used for scientific research, writes Matthew Herper. Herper's new Forbes.com article, Apple's Supercomputing Scientists, profiles some of the other uses for Macs in the scientific world. [MacCentral]
Adobe adds anti-counterfeiting technology to graphics software
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 12 2004 at 8:10 AM
Category: computers
Copy No, No: Adobe and Uncle Sam. Adobe Systems 'fesses up to adding an anti-counterfeiting technology to its graphics software on the QT. The company insists the secretive tech, requested by government and bankers, won't affect honest consumers. [Wired News]
Setting up my weblogs is complete
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, January 11 2004 at 4:32 PM
Category: rss_syndication
About two weeks ago, while working on one of my websites hosted by Site Build It!, I wanted to create a weblog for maintaining current information about telecommunications. While it is possible to create a weblog, of sorts, using Site Build It, it wasn't what I'd become accustomed to using Radio Userland or News Pro.
I decided it was time to investigate the state of the art concerning RSS and syndication, and that led me to the newest version of Radio Userland and the replacement for News Pro, Coranto. Both are heavily invested in RSS and XML and it was time to do some updating and building of new infrastructure before I could make progress on my original goal.
Now, I've installed Coranto on JohnDilbeck.com and DilbeckConsulting.com. I created a new weblog at blogger.com. I've updated some of the settings at johndilbeck.editthispage.com. I downloaded, installed, tested, and purchased a license for Radio Userland version 8. Now, I'm ready.
At this point, I create my weblogs (also called blogs) using Radio Userland, which automatically uploads to John L. Dilbeck's Radio Weblog and to John Dilbeck's Ramblings.
Then, it's a fairly quick procedure to copy the entries from my original Ramblings site to it's new host at http://JohnDilbeck.com/news/ where it's powered by Coranto, and to my blogger.com blog at John Dilbeck's Ruminations. I'm running most of the entries concurrently on all of the weblogs, and I don't know if I'll continue doing that or if each will take a direction of its own in the future.
Either way, the background work is completed. I have to add a few more pages to several sites where I'll use syndication via javascript to show portions of the blogs on pages that will be automatically updated with no extra effort on my part once they're in place.
In a couple of months, I'll know how this is working and how well it suits my original desires.
Now, it's time to turn my attention back to marketing and selling.
Consumers Becoming Producers, Again
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, January 11 2004 at 4:20 PM
Category: internet
Democratizing the Media, and More. The broadcast culture assumes that most of us are "consumers" of mass media. We are merely receptacles for what Hollywood, the music industry and even our local daily newspaper decide we should view, hear or read. The post-broadcast culture is a democratization of media, and it comes at things from the opposite stance. It says that anyone also can be a creator, not just a consumer. There's a world of difference. [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]
Trip to the ER
Posted by johndilbeck on Saturday, January 10 2004 at 6:41 AM
Category: ramblings
All day Friday, Mom was complaining of pain in her abdomen. After several calls to one of her doctors, she was advised to go to the emergency room, so about 4:00pm we headed off to the hospital where she was diagnosed with gall bladder trouble. It's been a rough couple of weeks for her, and this brings a new level of uncertainty to what's going to happen next week. She has an appointment with her surgeon on Monday for follow-up on the surgery from a couple of weeks ago and I'm sure he'll examine her for the gall bladder trouble at that point.
Last week, we were sure it was going to be her last week of radiation, but her doctor examined her nose and wanted to wait a few days before continuing treatment. So, we're scheduled to resume the last 5 radiation treatments starting on Monday.
While we were at the hospital, however, there was good news, too. We were checking Mom in to the ER when someone slapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see my friend, Bill Grove, standing there. He inquired about Mom and then told me his good news. His wife had delivered their twin daughters earlier in the day. Congratulations!
During the confusion, I didn't get their names, but Bill said Mom and girls were doing well.
FCC: Broadband top issue in 2004
Posted by johndilbeck on Saturday, January 10 2004 at 6:35 AM
Category: telecommunications
News.Com: FCC: Broadband top issue in 2004. Based on his comments Friday, Powell has apparently sided with broadband phone providers who say that their technology is anything but a telephone service and that they are still too young to survive the financial burden that fees create. [Tomalak's Realm]
Broadband over power lines?
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, January 8 2004 at 8:15 AM
Category: telecommunications
Interference questions dog broadband over power lines. Ham radio operators and at least one U.S. federal agency contend that broadband over power lines interferes with their radio signals, and if the radio operators have their way, the emerging technology that could offer Internet users another broadband service choice might not get off the ground in the U.S. [InfoWorld: Top News]
Fax.com Disconnected?
Posted by johndilbeck on Thursday, January 8 2004 at 8:12 AM
Category: telecommunications
Fax.com Disconnected?. Beset by lawsuits and now an FCC fine, Fax.com may close up shop, but perhaps not for long. [The Motley Fool]
New NC Mountain Made Website
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 6:40 AM
Category: western_nc
Yesterday, for the first time in a couple of months, I attended the monthly Heritage Tourism Roundtable meeting in Andrews, NC. This meeting is held the first Tuesday of each month from 10:00 am until approximately 2:00 pm at the St. Andrews Lutheran Church.
I enjoyed seeing friends and catching up on what's happening in the four western-most counties of North Carolina and on the progress we're making for promoting heritage tourism in our area.
One of the guests at the meeting was Ben Utley, a lifelong educator who is now residing in western North Carolina.
He annouced the upcoming debut of NCMtnMade.com, "A Heritage Database of authentic music, authors, storytellers, and handmade arts/crafts of Western North Carolina."
If you'd like to be informed of what's happening at this site, there is a preview page up and running and you can subscribe to their mailing list to be informed when it goes live.
Ben has some great ideas about promoting our heritage of fine art, crafts, toys, music and food, and I'd like to send my best wishes for success with this project.
12th Annual Culinary Showcase
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 6:29 AM
Category: western_nc
Received from David Trout: As the Chairperson of the Culinary Showcase Task Force, I would like to invite you to attend the Asheville Area Chamber's best event.
Enjoy the finest in food and beverage from 30 of the area's best restaurants, resorts and wineries this Thursday, January 8 from 5:30 - 8:00 pm at the Grove Park Inn.
And be sure to vote for the People's Choice BEST of SHOW.
For tickets and more information, see the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Events and Activities page.
Hoping to see you there
Dave Trout
Mutual of Omaha
Richard Stallman's GNU Project Turns 20
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 6:17 AM
Category: internet
The Birth of GNU, 20 Years Ago Today. Richard Stallman resigned from MIT 20 years ago today to launch the GNU Project. That was the free software effort that ultimately spawned the operating system known as Linux, building on a tradition that gave the world a host of other software, some of which is at the heart of the Internet and other things we take for granted today. [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]
Google: Search by Number
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 6:08 AM
Category: internet
Search By Number. Gary Price points out that in their quest to become the command line of the Internet, Google has added several new features: you can now enter UPS (1Z1234567891234567) and FedEx (fedex 999999999999), patent (patent 5123123), airplane (n199ua), and FCC equipment (fcc B4Z-34009-PIR) ID/tracking numbers. Fun stuff.... [Google Weblog]
Google Prepares for IPO
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 5:58 AM
Category: internet
Bloomberg: "Google Inc hired Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to arrange its initial public offering, a sale that may raise as much as $4 billion, a banker involved in the transaction said." [Scripting News]
Mac Founders Comment as Macintosh Turns 20
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 5:54 AM
Category: macintosh
Mac Founders Push for New Ideas. The crew that put together the first Mac is celebrating its 20th birthday, but some are disappointed over the apparent lack of innovation in personal computers. By Daniel Terdiman. [Wired News]
Bush Grabs New Power for FBI
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 5:49 AM
Category: ramblings
Bush Grabs New Power for FBI. As the nation sat transfixed by Saddam Hussein's capture last month, President Bush quietly passed legislation granting the government new and sweeping surveillance powers. By Kim Zetter. [Wired News]
Macworld Expo San Francisco 2004
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 5:44 AM
Category: macintosh
News.Com: "Apple CEO Steve Jobs kicked off Macworld Expo on Tuesday by announcing several new software packages, including an audio recording application called "GarageBand" and an updated version of Microsoft's Office software." [Scripting News]
Macs and Cell Phones
Posted by johndilbeck on Wednesday, January 7 2004 at 5:36 AM
Category: macintosh
New Report: Macs and Cell Phones. Readers offer a ton of tips about integrating Macs with cell phones, which isn't always an easy thing to do.... [MacInTouch]
Beyond Google: Narrow the Search
Posted by johndilbeck on Tuesday, January 6 2004 at 12:57 AM
Category: internet
Beyond Google: Narrow the Search. Too much information, no matter how fast it appears, may muddy the results of Internet searches. New technologies for mining the Web attempt to make the quest more efficient. [Wired News]
Adobe discontinues PageMaker
Posted by johndilbeck on Tuesday, January 6 2004 at 12:51 AM
Category: macintosh
Adobe discontinues PageMaker, offers plug-ins for InDesign. Adobe Systems Inc. will announce on Monday that the company is discontinuing ongoing development of PageMaker, Adobe's Mac OS 9 page layout application. However, Adobe is not leaving its PageMaker customers without a way to upgrade to InDesign and keep the same workflow they have become accustomed to in PageMaker. [MacCentral]
I remember how amazed I was when I first got my hands on PageMaker version 1 many, many years ago. I taught a Special Topics class showing how PageMaker and a LaserWriter could make a huge difference for small businesses. I still use PageMaker on a regular basis. Farewell, old friend.
Make Your Net Auction Sell! ebook is now free
Posted by johndilbeck on Tuesday, January 6 2004 at 12:46 AM
Category: craft_marketing_tips
One of the continuing successes I've had is selling handcrafted pewter and silver jewelry for Arch Avary in my Dilbeck Metalsmithing eBay store.
http://www.ebaystores.com/dilbeckmetalsmithing
At the moment, all the items available are store items because the auctions ended earlier this morning and I haven't had a chance to relist them. Two out of four auctioned items sold this week.
I also maintain his site at
http://ArchAvary.com/
We don't make a huge number of sales, but they're fairly consistent. Over the next few months, I'm going to be helping several other artisans in western North Carolina sell their products on eBay. I intended to get it done months ago, but I'm still playing catch up.
I originally got started with eBay after talking to my brother who was selling all kinds of drag racing memorabilia and being very successful at it.
I looked around for resources, and found an ebook called Make Your Net Auctions Sell!, published by Ken Evoy. I paid the $30 for the ebook, immediately downloaded it, and studied what was presented. A few days later, I opened my eBay account and it's been active ever since.
Recently, I learned that Make Your Net Auctions Sell! has been updated into what Ken calls one of his Masters Courses. His masters courses present quality, useful information, and he offers them free because he uses the opportunity to tell you about his outstanding service, Site Build It!
Now, you can download a copy of Make Your Net Auctions Sell at no cost at:
http://mynas.sitesell.com/sellmoreonline.html
If you have any interest in auctioning your products on eBay or other sites, then you may want to make some time this winter to read this book.
I recommend it highly.
Top selling movie posters and more
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 5 2004 at 8:33 AM
Category: art_suggestions
If you've been looking for some of the most popular posters showing characters from your favorite movies, including The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, then you should see the Art.com Top 100 listings. Some of these posters are currently discounted.
Fiber Optics Takes the Long Way Home
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 5 2004 at 12:48 AM
Category: telecommunications
Technology Review: Fiber Optics Takes the Long Way Home. An odd mix of public utilities, small telephone companies, and real estate developers are backing the new technology. Their resources are miniscule compared with those of the corporate behemoths that provide telephone and cable television service in urban and suburban America. Yet the giants are doing virtually nothing to bring fibers to homes... [Tomalak's Realm]
Five more radiation treatments to go
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, January 5 2004 at 12:45 AM
Category: ramblings
Mom has five more radiation treatments, so Friday should be the last day of this round. I'm sure both of us will be happy that she doesn't have to go for treatment every day. Hopefully, this round will be as successful as the last round was. (Different area, different type of cancer.)
I'd like to thank the folks at the radiation treatment center for all their help and kind care.
Hope you get completely well, Mom!
Earning an Income with Affiliate Marketing
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, January 4 2004 at 8:40 AM
Category: affiliate_programs
This morning, while following some discussions on the SFI discussion board, I read a message by an affiliate named Ann.
I replied to her message, and then came back to JohnDilbeck.com and expanded it into an article about some of my thoughts on Earning an Income with Affiliate Marketing.
SFI announces their new V-Store
Posted by johndilbeck on Saturday, January 3 2004 at 4:06 AM
Category: sfi
The opening of SFI's new V-Store on January 2nd, was somewhat marred by a DNS routing error that left their websites unavailable from Thursday evening until around 3:00 am on Saturday, January 3.
However, with the DNS problems settled, the spotlight can move over to the new store and the products that are available for immediate purchase.
The store opens with hundreds of products available for purchase, including several hundred magazines at good prices.
Their line of natural cleaning products are chosen by many organizations, including national parks, medical centers, studios, and others that don't want to use cleaning products with toxic chemicals in them.
Are you getting your nutritional needs met? Veriuni offers a line of nutritional supplements to help you get your daily nutrition requirements.
Would you like to save money on your telecommunications needs? Choose from MCI's Neighborhood plan for local and long distance phone services, and they've partnered with some of the biggest names in nationwide cell phone providers to bring you wireless communications at great prices.
Drop in and check out the new V-Store now.
How is your online store doing?
Posted by johndilbeck on Saturday, January 3 2004 at 3:03 AM
Category: marketing
Do you have an online store? How's it doing?
A couple of percent of the online stores are making great sales, but many are sitting there with no traffic, no sales, and no profits.
Perhaps you don't have an online store, yet, but you'd like to sell real products over the Internet. Whether you're an artist, artisan, small manufacturer, reseller, retailer, or someone else who wants to market products over the web, you are facing millions of competitors.
How can your site rise above the background to get noticed by a customer just when she is ready to purchase what you offer?
Would you like to learn how to sell more hard goods over the Internet?
Traffic is the key to successful websites, whether you are offering information or selling something. Without traffic, your site just isn't doing its job.
Site Build It! isn't just a webhosting service, it's a system of tools and training that will help you build a site that sells.
Don't want to sell hard goods? Find your business type and see how SBI can help you build a more-profitable online business.
It's results that count.
Is every successful site built using the Site Build It! method? No, of course not.
But many of them cost many thousands of dollars every year and have a staff building and maintaining the site. Some build traffic by spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for advertising. Site Build It! helps very small businesses and individuals compete with huge corporations with all their resources, at a tiny fraction of the cost.
While there is no guarantee that your site will immediately rise to the top of the heap, you stand a much better chance of success when you use a proven system that includes training and the tools to make your site successful for less cost and less effort.
There is one guarantee, however. There's no risk in trying Site Build It. If you decide that SBI does not exceed your expectations, you can get a full refund, and keep the domain name for use anywhere else. How many other webhosting services are sure enough of their system that they'll offer to refund your money if you're not happy with the results your site achieves?
Don't miss the 2-for-1 sale that will expire on January 5, at midnight. Get two years of Site Build It for the price of one year.
Check out that charity before donating
Posted by johndilbeck on Friday, January 2 2004 at 4:08 PM
Category: nonprofits
Charity Warning Signs. Don't get taken when you're trying to give. [The Motley Fool]
Site Build It 2-for-1 sale extended until January 5
Posted by johndilbeck on Friday, January 2 2004 at 4:22 AM
Category: sitesell
There are less than 5 days left in the 2-for-1 sale! Purchase a new Site Build It! account before midnight on January 5, 2004, and get two years for the price of one.
If you're planning to purchase SBI, don't let this opportunity pass you by.
Choose the right broker
Posted by johndilbeck on Friday, January 2 2004 at 4:19 AM
Category: home_business
Choose the Right Broker. What should you consider when comparing brokerages? [The Motley Fool]
Tim Berners-Lee to be knighted
Posted by johndilbeck on Friday, January 2 2004 at 4:17 AM
Category: internet
W3C head Berners-Lee to be knighted. Tim Berners-Lee, credited with inventing the World Wide Web and director of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), will be named a Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth of the U.K., the W3C announced Wednesday. The rank of Knight Commander is the second highest rank of the Order of the British Empire. [MacCentral]
Setting goals in the new year
Posted by johndilbeck on Friday, January 2 2004 at 4:13 AM
Category: (default)
Happy New Years!
I hope each of us has a healthy, prosperous, and happy 2004.
I'm not one for making lots of resolutions that will be broken within the first two weeks of January. What's the point?
However, I do like to re-examine my goals, evaluate my progress over the previous year, fine-tune my expectations, and create a new set of goals that I can work towards completing over the next 12 months.
Setting goals is as much an art as a science. It's easy to quantify a goal and set a date for its completion, but working through all the problems reaching that goal involves an unbreakable belief that the goal is worth accomplishing.
One of the ways I approach accomplishing a goal is to set aside a bit of time each week to daydream about having completed the goal and thinking about what I had to do to make it happen. This type of visualization is helpful when I come back to the present and use what I've imagined to move towards the future I've already envisioned.
Another criteria I consider when goal setting is whether or not I can create any passion for achieving the goal. If not, why bother?
I read a book nearly three decades ago that has set the standard for how I approach setting and achieving goals and I haven't found a better book since. I've read Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, several times over the years and each time I notice something I didn't catch before. I heartily recommend this book. Don't just buy it, read it and put what it teaches into practice.
Growing rich can mean a lot of things besides just acquiring money. Life experiences, friendship, getting better at some skill, doing something you've always wanted to do, or finding free time for relaxing are all parts of being richer.
Don't limit your thinking or your potential. It's a new year and the possibilities are limitless.
Working with Radio Userland version 8.
Posted by johndilbeck on Friday, January 2 2004 at 4:11 AM
Category: webmaster_tools
Yesterday morning, I was totally frustrated with trying to get the new version of Radio Userland to work for me as I expected.
That's not the best time to work or write about what you're doing.
After taking about 24 hours off, I was able to redo the five pre-set categories so that they were as they were before I started changing things. Now, I can go in and add a couple of dozen new categories for the things I'll be writing about, here.
I've been working with what is now Radio Userland since the days of Clay Basket, and I have to admit that if I were just encountering it for the first time and had no preconceived notions, the new version of RU is the best yet. I get into trouble when I try to force an old mindset onto a new tool.
Let's see how this works after another hour or two of prep work.
Even on this old 120 MHz 8500 Macintosh (nearly 10 years old), the performance is more than acceptable.
Experimenting with RSS and syndication
Posted by johndilbeck on Friday, January 2 2004 at 4:08 AM
Category: rss_syndication
I've been working on configuring my various sites so that I can edit one weblog with multiple categories and have it update my site at http://radio.weblogs.com/0133364/ which will be reflected to http://johndilbeck.editthispage.com/ and this site will update the blog entries on the home page and publish an XML file for RSS syndication.
The result of all of this can be seen on my test page at: http://dilbeckconsulting.com/news/jd-ramblings.html which uses a relatively simple syndication script at http://JohnDilbeck.com/ to read the XML file and create a javascript output file that can be included on any page on the Internet using a couple of lines of javascript. Still working on testing this at this time.
Most of it is working as I hoped it would, but the categories I select on my local Radio Userland Weblog page are not propagating to the other site or to the RSS file. I'll continue to work on this.
Eventually, I anticipate being able to edit one single weblog and have it publish to a variety of sites in different ways.
Today was a successful test of the concept. Now it needs refining. I'll be talking more about this as it develops.
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