Why Auto blogs aren't the way to make Money!

Image via Wikipedia

What is an Auto Blog?

Autoblog is a neologism and misnomer used to describe a particular type of website which uses software designed to automatically add content in a blog format.[1] The owner of an autoblog is generally referred to as an autoblogger. Engaging in this practice is called autoblogging.
Autoblogging does not require a site owner to create original web content. An autoblogger merely installs the necessary software, and configures its settings to collect the type of content desired. The automated software handles the rest.

[Via Wikipedia]

Autoblogs are basically just programs designed to publish other people's stuff. Now I am not going to explain some stuff that you might not know. Plugins for Wordpress like WordPress Magic, WP Robot, MultiPress Content, Commission Cheat, and  other autoblogging software are sometimes considered Auto Content Stealing programs. I know more about this then people who are just starting off.  I'm here today to talk about these programs in detail.

Make Money While You  are Sleeping!

You've probably heard that one a lot or Hidden Secrets to commissions in advertising. Most of them do somewhat what they say. I was using one in particular for almost over a year and I didn't see any noticeable amount of money coming in from having that run day in and day out.

I've even seen those advertisements on YouTube and other video places claiming that you could make Millions and not do anything more than install a plugin that takes just 10 minutes install.   These programs however most of the time cost money and that is where the catch is.   I have no problem paying for something that works but most of the time if you claim I can set it and forget about it, I just say no thanks.

Does these work?

I know most of you who are asking this question, and probably saw something on another website and you are quite curious as to if these work or not.  I will give you the short answer "NO", they aren't really a scam because you make money but you really don't make money like you've seen on the advertisements.   You basically just make enough commissions to pay for the product in one year.   I may have made more but you get the gist of that.   You also have to remember that you have to have a really high Google PR to even get the traffic that is needed to make any kind of money.

Just creating a new domain, will not help you because it will have no Google Juice for quite some time and that is if you get any at all.   Most of the time, Google looks down on this type of stuff and stops you before you even get going.

Is this Stealing content?

Most of the time you aren't really taking anything that you shouldn't but that doesn't mean you could be doing that.   Most Auto Blog plugins will allow to you pick what you want to use as content and it will publish what you tell it.  The content that you will most like get are from like Amazon, Clickbank, Commission Junction, and other such Affiliate programs.   They usually allow you to use their content for your website and thus you can use them on your site.   The Kicker to this is, Google and other SEO, they will rank you lower just because of that.   They consider scraper sites to be nothing more than spam and thus you might go down in ranking if your not careful.

How do I know?

I created a Website called "unlocked cell phones blog" trying to test this out.  I created that last year about this time and set up using WP Robot, as my autoblog plugin.   After that year was up, I checked my Amazon Account tracking ID and guess what.   I only made "$56.45".   As you can tell I pretty much made what I put into it, I bought the software for $75 and I got half that back.   I made a little more money on my other Domain Tech-linkblog.com but I couldn't tell you for sure if it was all the plugin or if some of those was because of my old content.

Recommendations!

Here is what I recommend, if your really wanting to do this, do as much research as you can and know this.   There are websites that are specifically designed to waste your time to prevent you from finding your answers.   I know if you look on Google and others you will see that you find all these Glowing reviews and people who are just posting Videos of this type of stuff so they can make a little money.   You really have to go 3 to 4 pages in to find some truth in these AutoBlogging software.   You will find your answers if you ask the right questions and search for what makes sense.   I will not say I am totally against Auto Blogs, but I am not going to waste my money on another one of those in the future.  I now know that making money overnight isn't always going to be possible without at least working for it.

It's not how you do it but what you do that can make your blog a success.  You never know if your going to write the best article in your life or the worst article but until you try.  This I hope has told given you what you have been wondering or asking.   I'd love to hear your comments and your experiences, I might be the only one who hasn't done so good but I'm willing to bet there are others out there.

Paul Sylvester

 

Related articles

• Blog or Bot? (dave-lucas.blogspot.com)


• CB Autoblog (preciseinternetmarketing.com)


• Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #260 LIVE (autoblog.com)


• Update to WP Robot Autoblogging Software for Wordpress Adds New Features And Refinements (prweb.com)


• How to AutoBlog the RIGHT Way (williecrawford.com)


• Why I am not making money online (aaronchua.com)

Affiliate Marketing - changing the scene!

Image via Wikipedia

Doing a 160, isn't easy!

You've seen that the last few weeks, I've become more honest about my Affiliate Links, this is the one approach that seems to be working best with what I am intending to do. I however am feeling that You probably are getting tired of just seeing affiliate links.  I have been reading about how to do it better affiliate marketing!  Even Though I've not been as successful as I would like to be, I will be working a that in the next few weeks but first we need to fix some common errors in the webpage design!

In the coming weeks, I will find a more professional template that I can use for my blog.  I haven't found one just yet but I will be looking.   I also am wondering what the tagline should be.   I've been looking around for ideas but I thought I would ask my readers what they think the tagline should be!

Does All this really Matter?

I've been thinking about this aspect of the blogging and I wanted to share with you some of the key points that I've come to realize and retain from my experiences.   I'd like to share some of them with you and help others who are asking the questions about Affiliate Marketing conundrum.

There isn't really any way to be successful if you don't at least try.

Learn from your mistakes and change accordingly.

Don't keep doing what you've been doing, think outside the box!

Without risks there isn't any loses, so step out and take a chance!

Keep in contact with your affiliates and they can help you!

Research the product or service before you post.

Try to give away a free product/service this helps from time to time!

Be Honest about your Affiliate links! It just makes good cents!

 I've come to realize these eight points but I am sure I will be reading even more in the coming weeks.  I'm going to sit down and start reading even more about how to do it right.   I'm tired of making little to nothing with my blog and thus I will be working really hard at changing that.  I'm unsure of how I will accomplish this but it does make even more sense to me that if I don't change I will only be hurting you the reader and in the long run, I will also be hurting myself because of the possible money that I could be making.   I'm you want to support me, you can always visit my Support Affiliate page and find something that will help you.  I will of course be changing my approach, but I won't stop doing blogging about products or services that I think you may be interested in.

Before you go!

Tax deadline is coming up in the few months, you only have like 12 weeks to file your taxes.   If your expecting a large return you should consider buying yourself some stylish and better quality Prescription Glasses from Glasses USA (Affiliate Link) then you could buy at any Walmart Store.  I simply love to go their every year to see what Styles they have and what I might want to buy.  This year, I'm really interested in iSee 2004 Gunmetal  (Affiliate Link).  I'll be getting these sometime in next few weeks and probably do a nice review of the Glasses themself.  I strongly recommend you go check these and other glasses, that way you can be prepared to buy them when you get your refund back from taxes.

Paul Sylvester

 

 

Related articles

• Being more Honest with my Affiliate Links! (paulstechtalk.com)


• How Do You Earn Money From Affiliate Programs? (myinvestingblog.com)


• Is There Any Money in Affiliate Marketing Internet Business? (yepthatsme.com)


• What is Affiliate Marketing? (imoneyservices.wordpress.com)


• Do You Really Need Your Own Website To Make Money With Affiliate Programs? (blogpronews.wordpress.com)

Look back at the past: Friday!

Image via Wikipedia

Looking back is always good to do!

Having had a really unusual past, I do sometimes wonder if you could look back at your past. What would you do differently or would you do anything differently?  We've all had our little problems in the past and not to mention having to deal with stress along the way.   Everything we do weather it be going to work to family problems can cause regrets and even me being a blogger get those questions that we can't really answer.   Although answering the question isn't really the point it is the part of the journey of discovery, as some would say.   We can always come up with excuses to why we do things we do but until we accept our past and say I forgive myself then we may never see the future or get the future that we may want or need.

I'm not saying that we should air our dirty laundry per say but to see it in a different light.   We can learn from our mistakes and make something good come from it.    Sometimes though people often don't learn from their past mistakes but those are people who refuse to be truthful with themselves.   We really can't help those who don't want to help themselves, but we can help ourselves help others.   A few weeks ago I did a blog post, Pay it forward: Friday, and this time we are taking a time to look at our past and admit to ourselves that we may need a little more help then we really would like to admit.   I must admit this blog post was brought on by two different posts, one was Dolphin Tales and the other one was "Unchain the Name" blog post.   I want to discuss some of what I am feeling in this blog post.

Are you Second?

I've really been think about my priorities this month and why I haven't been successful like I know God wants me to be.   I finally realized that I haven't really put God first and I've decided in the coming months to work on making my blog more friendly to Christians.  I'm going to start calling myself a Christian Tech blogger, but I am not sure how you would classify it.   I've seen some people talking about that same topic but can we actually define it or do we need to come up with something really new.

Our Past defines us!

Now we all have some kind of past that really has impacted us somewhere or somehow.   It really has been something of a working struggle to define my past.   I've got so many things that I have yet to forgive myself over that I may not be a perfect christian but I do like to think of it as a continual journey.   I can't really say where I'd end up but I do know that ever since I was a small boy, I have always like technology and I know in todays churches we are always going to see Ipads, Iphones, and other tablets that are used in looking up Bible  (Affiliate Link)passages and thus will always be in need of Christian Tech support.

Our Present is Upon us!

When I ask myself what I am expecting to do in the coming years, I always am looking at what I am doing now.   It doesn't matter what I am doing but it is something that will affect me tomorrow and the next day.   I know I will never be perfect but I'm not going to create a post that no one will want to read but it will be a interesting journey to what I have learned over the years.   I also feel like I want to be a writer but am unsure of how to better accomplish this.   I guess God is calling me to do something but I have yet to figure out all the details but I do know this blog will be a big step in the right direction.

Our Future is yet determined!

I really don't know what the future will hold but I am going to take it as it comes.   I can't say anything else but that.   Do you know your future?  Are you ready for it? These are all questions that we are constantly asking.

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• My Friday . . . Xpression Of The Day! (xpressionsofxman.wordpress.com)


• Flashback Friday: Buried's Ryan Reynolds Talks to His Hot Self, Flexes His Butt, and Goes Shirtless! (popsugar.com)


• Friday Basics - Marketing Local Business - The Difference (lorriebrown.wordpress.com)


• A Past (awakeninspiration.wordpress.com)


• Quotes to Ponder. (socyberty.com)


• What Do You Mean "Forgive And Forget?" (aaronrking.wordpress.com)


• Pay it forward Friday (January)! (paulstechtalk.com)


• Pay it forward - February sign up list (celebs.gather.com)

Being more Honest with my Affiliate Links!

Google Affiliate Network Summit 035 (Photo credit: Affiliate

Testing the Waters!

A friend told me, a couple days ago that I should be telling my readers when I have affiliate links.  He said I would would get even more sales if I were to be a little more honest with which ones are actually the ones that I make money off of!   It would better help those decide if your going to be a a good blog or not.   I really didn't have much to say on the matter because I didn't know what to say. I am sure there will always be those who will not tell you.   I thought it was quite obvious when I didn't tell you but then I forgot I was hiding my affiliate links, not to be dishonest but to prevent programs and virus from taking away from all the work I have done.   I know there will always be people who will got the site directly and not give the site the credit.  I understand that, and somewhat expect that.

Honesty is the best Policy!

That being said, if you ever come to one of my posts and you see the (Affiliate links) or (Affiliate link) then it will be linked to this post.   So you can read about my honesty and understand that I am working really hard at changing.   Here is how this will work:

• Reviews -- I promise to my readers that I believe in the review of the product and that it is a recommendation from me.


• Reimbursement -- Hosting isn't cheap now a days, that is I put up my Affiliate links and also to try supplement my working income.


• If Gifted to me -- I will clearly state that in my post and my review will no be swayed by the free gift of the item.  If it sucks, you will know about it and if it is something useful then you will also know about it.  I may however have affiliate links for the item.


• Nicer URLS -- even though I have hidden the urls and you have to click the URL to go the affiliate site in question, it is because the URL aren't really neat and tidy.   If you feel offended because you can't see URL then please feel free not to click those links.  (I wouldn't want to see http://www.amazon.com/blah/blah/blah/blah/etc, anyways and I bet you don't either)


• Gift Cards -- If you are wanting me to review a certain item and it is on Amazon or some other place then I will gladly accept a gift card through email(First name @ this domain).  However if it is something else please don't hesitate to email me.


• Review UNITS -- Same as Gifted cards, if your wanting me to review an item but don't know where to send it.   Please email me and I'll discuss with you where to send it.  (First Name @ this domain)  Please bear in mind that I may not give a nice review, so I make no PROMISES and there are no expectations.

Prove to me!

I've done the unthinkable and stopped hiding all my links on this site.   So if you want me to continue to do it this way,  I will need to see a positive out come.   I was making money hiding sites links and not telling people about them being affiliate links.   Now I don't want to see a drop in sales and money by being honest.   Help support my love to blog and being able to read about the stuff that matters to you.   Just like Glasses USA (Affiliate link) matters to me because I have to wear glasses everyday and I can't afford to go buy some really expensive pairs of glasses.   They have been the one source for me, when I need to buy new glasses.  If you find a post that you really think is good, then don't be afraid to share it on Facebook or Twitter.   Those are one ways to show your support of my blog.

Nothing shows support like sharing a post!

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• The Best Way to Monetize Your Blog with Affiliate Programs (leccoworkshop.com)


• Eight Ways to Make More Money as an Affiliate (blogworld.com)


• An app provides Amazon affiliates with quick access to earnings reports (intomobile.com)


• Is Affiliate Marketing Right for Your Business? (openforum.com)


• Serious About Affiliate Marketing? Then Don't Miss These Tips (famousbloggers.net)

How to recover you blog posts!

Source: singingthroughtherain.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

If I'd Only backed up!

That's probably what you are thinking right now. Most hosting providers like Hostgator will allow you to backup your content for free but do we ever really do that every week. I've learned my lesson on this because of what happened last week. Let's go back in time shall we!

The Back story.

After some really hard considerations with both my tech-linkblog site and this site, I recently decided I need to merge them into one BIG site because I felt that the ones who were coming to my old site were not really seeing the potential of my new site. So After searching bing on how to merge two domains, I found some articles that would help me do that!

I started off merging!

Yep you guessed it, I thought why would I need to worry about having backups when all I am going to do is merge two different databases into one. The Problem with that is that you never quite understand that doing that is a risky situation and thus you won't know how to fix it until it is too late. That is where we come to this article for. I lost like 100 articles that were REALLY important I don't say that lightly, people who have websites for SEO traffic know all to well the importance of some BIG articles. I'm no exception because it helps your ranking and Authority.  These articles actually are the ones that bring in some good links and even helps support my blog.  So you can imagine how I felt and my horror when I found out some of my blog entries were GONE and couldn't get them back!!

How did I get my blog posts back?

You're probably wondering how I got some of my really important blog posts back.   I know your really curious as to how I got them back without a backup.    In this article I will give you two or three sites that can help you get your blog posts back, but remember it is going to be a long process.   If you had a lot of blog posts then you may never get all the back but you can at lease get some of them back.     Before i begin though, I must tell you that if you are worried about your hard drive you should try Crashplan [Affiliate Link], they give a free trial and can run on Windows/Mac's/and Linux. I don't want anyone loosing their Photos, Videos, or Anything else that is important to you.

Google Cache

If you can grab the cache page before it gets erased then you can use that to replace the content that you've lost.  You'll have to search for it then once you find it, just click the Cached link.   It however isn't going to be a good solution if everything get's removed.   Nothing in the article will prevent that unless you do a complete restore and thus you need to keep backups.



Now this is good to point, if you use the Internet Archive, but remember they will not index all your pages and if you only have excerpts on your home page then you really can't use this service but it is something to consider if your do have one or two posts that might need to be replaced.



I however think if your are smart, to have your web hosting provider like Hostgator to keep backups.   That is why I like Hostgator when the next time I have a problem with my SQL database it will be backed up with Hostgator and all is good!

If you don't have a backup, you should start backing up and if you have a back up then you need to come up with a good restoration plan for when you need it.   I've begun to do that with this site and I hope this helps others with the problem I have had!

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• Backing up Microsoft SQL (edugeek.net)


• This week in Mozilla Databases (sheeri.com)


• How to recover a single InnoDB table from a Full Backup (mysqlperformanceblog.com)


• Why We're All Suddenly Obsessed With Pinterest (lovetoreadlovetolearn.wordpress.com)


• Enable, Disable and Delete Posts Revisions in WordPress (techmadly.com)

A Friday Night Movie Pick! (Dolphin Tale)

Amazon (Affiliate links): [Demand= $3.99 and $14.99] [DVD] [Blue Ray]
Target (Affiliate links): [DVD Widscreen] [Bluray 2 Disk + Digital Copy]
Other Sites: [Youtube]

Synopsis

Inspired by the incredible true story of Winter, a dolphin who was rescued off the Florida coast after her tail became caught in a crab trap, this uplifting family-oriented adventure from director/co-screenwriter Charles Martin Smith details the unique bond between an injured dolphin and a young boy. When Winter loses her tail in a tragic accident, her young friend convinces the locals to build her a prosthetic replacement, inspiring hope and courage in handicapped people across the globe. Nathan Gamble, Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, and Kris Kristofferson star.

Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes
Release year: 2011
Studio: Warner Bros.

Necessity is the mother of invention. -- Plato

This movie was one that I didn't expect to be so fascinating and also quite educational.   I loved this movie in all aspects of sense, nothing was left out.  I recently talked about the aspects of technology and this movie does a really good job of demonstrating it.  I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.   I even got teared eyed at the end, seeing all the good was done and making me feel like going to Clearwater, Florida to see this Dolphin in action.   Something that was really nice was that they even used said their website on the movie, seewinter.com.   I was curious so I decided to put that in the URL to see if that was a REAL website.

It's all Family Friendly!

I didn't expect to see something that was so family friendly.   I didn't hear any cussing or see anything that wasn't appropriate for all ages.   Although some people have complained about the first part of the movie where we find Winter showing blood and him being tangled up in ropes.   I didn't see anything else that  was  questionable.   I think my kids actually learned something of value in movie.

I'd recommend this movie to anyone who wants to have a Family Movie Night.   This is one of those that I really respect what they did to the movie and I feel this is a great way to bond with your kids and sit down and watch the movie together. Dolphin Tale (Affiliate link) is a thumbs up in my book and I strongly recommend it to anyone who might want to see this movie!

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• Clearwater Marine Aquarium Opens Winter's Dolphin Tale Adventure in Clearwater, Florida (prnewswire.com)


• A dolphin tale [videorecording] (alleganylibrarycollections.wordpress.com)


• Dolphin Tale-the movie! (traceyhuguley.wordpress.com)


• Dolphins Are Multilingual? (uniquedaily.com)


• 'Dolphin Tale' surfaces at No. 1 at box office (sfgate.com)


• 'Dolphin' Deposes 'Lion' With $14.2M to Grab No. 1 (abcnews.go.com)


• Dolphin Tale a surprise hit at the top of the U.S. box office (hollywood.com)

How to fight text message spam on your cell phone!

Fighting Spam is a Never Ending process!

I got a text message on my phone and it said:

Need a little extra $ today? Bills past due? We can help, visit www.24hrquickfunds.com, takes 5 minutes or less 0.9122046

After Doing some research, I found a pastbin file:

From: 7605147163
Sent: Jan 16 5:45pm
Message:
In need of some quick $? We offer up to $1200 instantly.
Its easy and takes 5 minutes, www.24hrloanvip.com

www.24hrloanvip.com,60.190.222.136

Announced By
Origin AS Announcement Description
AS4134 60.176.0.0/12 CHINANETZhejiang province network

The following A records are set to 60.190.222.136:
1000atmcash.com,60.190.222.136
1500atmcash.com,60.190.222.136
1minuteloan.org,60.190.222.136
1stcashplace.com,60.190.222.136
1stcashspot.com,60.190.222.136
1stcashstop.com,60.190.222.136
1stdollarsite.com,60.190.222.136
1stdollarspot.com,60.190.222.136
1stdollarstop.com,60.190.222.136
1stmoneyplace.com,60.190.222.136
1stmoneysite.com,60.190.222.136
24hrcashquick.com,60.190.222.136
24hrfastcash.com,60.190.222.136
24hrfastloan.com,60.190.222.136
24hrfundsquick.com,60.190.222.136
24hrhelpcash.com,60.190.222.136
24hrlendatm.com,60.190.222.136
24hrlendcash.com,60.190.222.136
24hrlendvip.com,60.190.222.136
24hrloanvip.com,60.190.222.136
24hrquickfund.com,60.190.222.136
24hrquickfunds.com,60.190.222.136
24hrrushfunds.com,60.190.222.136
24hrvipatm.com,60.190.222.136
aidota.com,60.190.222.136
atmcashholiday.com,205.189.71.207
atmcashrush.com,60.190.222.136
atmforholidays.com,205.189.71.207
atmfundssafe.com,60.190.222.136
atmfundstoday.com,60.190.222.136
atmholidayvip.com,60.190.222.136
atmviprush.com,60.190.222.136
bestcashsite.com,60.190.222.136
cash24hrsite.com,60.190.222.136
cashadvanceholiday.com,205.189.71.207
cashatmloan.com,60.190.222.136
cashhloanholiday.com,205.189.71.207
cashholidayatm.com,205.189.71.207
cashholidayfunds.com,60.190.222.136
cashholidaysnow.com,205.189.71.207
cashsitetoday.com,60.190.222.136
dollarsitenow.com,60.190.222.136
ecashsholiday.com,205.189.71.207
eholidayfunds.com,60.190.222.136
eholidayloan.com,205.189.71.207
eholidaysfund.com,205.189.71.207
eholidaysfunds.com,60.190.222.136
eloanholiday.com,60.190.222.136
eloanholidays.com,60.190.222.136
fastsafeatm.com,60.190.222.136
getholidayscash.com,60.190.222.136
holidaycashseason.com,205.189.71.207
holidayloanvip.com,60.190.222.136
holidayvipatm.com,60.190.222.136
loancashholiday.com,205.189.71.207
myholidayfunds.com,60.190.222.136
quickatmfunds.com,60.190.222.136
recordlf11.com,60.190.222.136
recordpw11.com,60.190.222.136
recordspdp11.com,60.190.222.136
rushfundssite.com,60.190.222.136
safefundssite.com,60.190.222.136
vipatmrush.com,60.190.222.136
vipholidayloan.com,205.189.71.207
fastatmlend.com,60.190.222.136
fastviplend.com,60.190.222.136
getholidaysfunds.com,60.190.222.136
holidayfundsvip.com,60.190.222.136
holidayscashquick.com,205.189.71.207
holidayvipcash.com,60.190.222.136
loancashholidays.com,205.189.71.207
myholidayloans.com,60.190.222.136
quickhelpcash.com,60.190.222.136
recordlf12.com,60.190.222.136
recordpw12.com,60.190.222.136
recordspdp31.com,60.190.222.136
rushholidaycash.com,205.189.71.207
safeholidayatm.com,205.189.71.207
vipcashrush.com,60.190.222.136
vipholidaypay.com,60.190.222.136
fastcashlend.com,60.190.222.136
funds24hrsite.com,60.190.222.136
getholidaysloan.com,60.190.222.136
holidayloancash.com,60.190.222.136
holidaysloannow.com,60.190.222.136
lendcashtoday.com,60.190.222.136
loanforholidays.com,205.189.71.207
myholidaysatm.com,205.189.71.207
quickhelpfunds.com,60.190.222.136
recordln11.com,60.190.222.136
recordslf11.com,60.190.222.136
recordspw11.com,60.190.222.136
rushholidayfunds.com,60.190.222.136
secureholidaycash.com,60.190.222.136
vipfundstoday.com,60.190.222.136
vipholidaysatm.com,205.189.71.207
fastfundsatm.com,60.190.222.136
funds4today.com,60.190.222.136
helprushcash.com,60.190.222.136
holidayloanfast.com,60.190.222.136
holidaysloanseason.com,205.189.71.207
lendsafesite.com,60.190.222.136
loansafesite.com,60.190.222.136
quickatmcash.com,60.190.222.136
quickvipcash.com,60.190.222.136
recordln12.com,60.190.222.136
recordslf12.com,60.190.222.136
recordspw12.com,60.190.222.136
rushholidayloan.com,60.190.222.136
secureholidaysfunds.com,60.190.222.136
vipholidaycash.com,205.189.71.207
vipholidaysfunds.com,60.190.222.136
fastlendtoday.com,60.190.222.136
fundsforholiday.com,60.190.222.136
helprushloan.com,60.190.222.136
loan24hrsite.com,60.190.222.136
moneysitenow.com,60.190.222.136
quickatmfund.com,60.190.222.136
quickvipfunds.com,60.190.222.136
recordpdp11.com,60.190.222.136
recordsln11.com,60.190.222.136
rkwh.com,60.190.222.136
safecashholiday.com,205.189.71.207
shabiao.com,60.190.222.136
vipholidayfunds.com,60.190.222.136
wanbar.net,60.190.222.136
recordpdp31.com,60.190.222.136
recordsln12.com,60.190.222.136
rushfundssafe.com,60.190.222.136

Contacting Straight Talk was a Waste of time!

I tried to call Straight Talk wireless since I am using their prepaid service.   So I was told they couldn't block it or do anything about it.  I decided enough was enough.  Since they weren't going to help me, I'd help myself.

The First step is of course finding the carrier that spammer sent the text message from.  This however will not help you since it requires you to have access to the phone in question.   So I thought I would help you find it another way.

If your looking for the spammers cell phone network, then you can do a reverse cell phone look up. I found a great little widget to find the network:

The widget searches public and premium listings. White Pages APIs are used for locating numbers. Unpublished and mobile numbers can be viewed via specialized directories while landline numbers are traced via public databases.

Now it is time to Email!

Once you know which network they are on, you can simply email the abuse department and have them investigate the text messages that are spam. Most companies have a NO Tolerance to spam with emails and thus have the same tolerance to spam as text messages. It is merely letting the right network know that it is going on. Here are a Few email address that can help you:

• AT&T and Cingular Wireless -- abuse@att.net, although I have read calling them can sometimes get you the help you need. It is however very difficult to speak to someone who can do anything about it. This way you can be sure that when you send it to the abuse department that it is being documented somewhere and somehow. You also retain a copy of the sent email for later on.


• Verizon -- Abuse@verizon.net, you may
  also email them using their website. There isn't an abuse subject like but you can always select other and then put the information down there.


• Sprint -- abuse@sprint.net, that seems to be the best approach. Although if your a sprint customer, you can simply block them from what I understand. If you have questions on that though. Please refer to sprint because they know what they can and can't do.


• T-Mobile -- forward message to 7726 (which spells “SPAM” on most phone keypads) if you have a T-mobile account with them. if not you will have to call 1-877-453-1304 and report the abuse that way. I am sure there is an email address but unsure as to where to send it.

There are probably other providers that you need to talk to but these are my top 4 that will most likely be the culprits of the sending the spam text messages. If you have any other suggestions feel free to leave a comment, I'm sure others are fascinated as to how to stop some of these types of abuses with getting spam SMS messages and not knowing how to fight for your rights.

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• Crackdown on Spam Text Messaging (5min.com)


• VIDEO: Crackdown on spam text messaging (bbc.co.uk)


• Nokia Fined for Spam Texting in Australia (devicemag.com)


• Send SMS (text messages) via PHP script (mt-soft.com.ar)

Aspects of Technology in Today's Society!

Who'd of thunk it!

Having spent the last few years as technology had developed, I for one have seen where we didn't have anything small.   We now have a lot in common with our past.   I am not saying that we are exactly like our past but we have developed something of a reoccurring theme.  I don't know why I love to talk about Technology but I do think it is the way I have developed a certain love of the simplicity of it.   We've even come to the part of giving Technology as gifts, but when is technology more than technology?  That is the questions that we must ask ourselves.

 

 

We're we are at now!

Many people have probably said we can't go any further now in technology but I don't think we are going to know for sure until it has happened.   Some technology is just not being used and others is used on a daily basis.   I would say that I user my personal laptop everyday and even have a few extra ways to be on the internet.  I know technology isn't going as fast as we might think it but it is something that will forever be ingrained in our lives.  We've got people who can get the internet just on their phones and do not always need a computer.   I'm really loving how 20 years ago we couldn't do that.  I shouldn't say we couldn't but I didn't see it as a possibility.

Were are we heading?

I don't know if  I can actually tell you that.   Technology isn't always going to be in your face but we will do know it will be a change from what is going to happen. I will say only time will tell. I am quite curious as to what technology will do next but that is the future. I'd like to hear your ideas on the matter. Your more than welcomed to leave a comment and tell me what you think about technology today!

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• Mansoor Altaf And Technology Love (hanselandpateltest.wordpress.com)


• The Technology Gap (citizeneconomists.com)


• Technology Tutorials (jcdickerson.wordpress.com)


• How can old media cope up with the new technology (mywella.wordpress.com)


• Technology Literacy (stem110t.wordpress.com)

Techniques to remove malware from your domain!

Image by Sam Howzit via Flickr

Websites and domains!

I recently had to help my favorite club remove some malware off their website.   My club, Starfleet-command Quadrant One website, was one of those sites that didn't see this coming.   As a website owner, I've seen many of things come and go but experience has taught me that it will always come back.  I will be watching for this again in the near future but hopefully it won't come back!

The back story was something that I have to at least talk about because this is how the site got infected.

One reason that this site got infected was by being hosted with the same hosting server.  They were both using the Goddady shared hosting account to display their webpages or forums on the internet.   Thus Godaddy, with their infinite wisdom tried to explain it away as that.    I don't know if I buy that reason or if there was something else that might of been the culprit but I do know this website had urls redirects and such to malware sites.  I much rather keep with Hostgator, then have Godaddy anyways.

Another Reason is that it was probably some kind of key logger, or something that was sending back the important password information to a Command and control server and thus the website owner was infected or someone in the organization that had access to the account was unintentionally allowing a hacker to gain access to the website.

Removing the Malware off your Site!

Nothing in the world is ever going to be easy, but it is necessary to get into the guts of the website.   Your probably thinking, websites don't have guts.   You'd be wrong, when I thought about having to go through each part of the code and remove the html malware redirects that is what I mean by guts.      Many people will come to understand that as a programming language but I like to think of it as a doctor who does surgery to remove an infectedc limb or something like that.

So I'm going to give you a few areas to look at if your having this problem with Malware being on your site or domain.   It won't always be the same place for the same infection but it will at least help you find it and remove it.

.htaccess -- This is one place where they will first make changes to redirect traffic to the domain that they want your visitor to. If you have had much experience with what it does.   It is a good time to learn what they do and how to use them.

index.php or index.html-- This is something that the hackers have learned to use but most often is over looked.   This is something that I haven't seen before until now.   Certain browser will display the virus or malware warnings and others will not even see it or have any problems!   See example for more information, because I couldn't do a better job then them!

Check Subdomains and subdirectories --   This is something that is also needs to be looked at.   even if they aren't showing the signs of being being infected it is always a good idea to at least make sure they stay uninfected.   Check them for the .htaccess and index code and remove what you need or change it to where it should be going to in the first place.   I found the .htaccess redirect code all in subdomains and sub directories on the one that I helped to remove the infection from.

Change ALL passwords -- This is a MUST, if you've been infected then your passwords are at risk of being the source of the infections.   Change your FTP Password, your log in information password, and anything associated with the site in question and possibility the subdomains passwords.

Limit the number of people with the new passwords -- if your like me, you don't want to many people to have the ftp password and thus you should consider only allowing a select number of people having it.   Like the organization I have, they have people left and right who use it to upload files and stuff that is needed.   It also might be required to just have a server that is used for nothing else but to upload files for publications and other things like that.

Disclaimer

Nothing in the article is a must do or will get rid of your site being blocked by Google and other such search engines but it will at least give you a place to start looking to find culprit and maybe get your site running again quicker.   I will not make any guarantees that this will fix the problem or that it will solve your problem 100% but this is to be used as a tutorial on where to look and what you should do to prevent re-infections with malware.

 Paul Sylvester

SUPERAntiSpyware

Related articles

• Using your domain name as a marketing tool (marketing.yell.com)


• Never ever search for a domain name at Network Solutions! (xemion.com)


• Malware Analysis Quant: The Malware Profile (securosis.com)


• Dangerous Malware Link Spreading Through Facebook Chat System (techie-buzz.com)


• 75 Million Unique Malware Samples By 2012 (homesecuritysource.com)


• Getting rid of Malware - Stop the Spy who enjoys your Information and Information (microphone-film.net)

No SOPA for me thanks!

Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr

Stop Online Piracy Act!

If you've been living under a rock lately, then your probably haven't heard about SOPA(Stop Online Piracy Act) and it just worries me.   It is like we would be living in China and that would mean less liberty for us bloggers and people who are the ones who may accidently infringe on copyrights.

SOPA(Stop Online Piracy Act) expands the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods.

[Wikipedia]

I don't like that you will not be "Innocent until proven guilty" but you will be "Guilty" with having a chance to fix the problem.

I will be Protesting January 18th!

On the 18th, I will be blacking out my website, and you will see a screen on how you can help.  This is an attempt to show Congress that I am not happy with this bill.   I will support any website that wants to join me in t his.  I believe this bill will not make piracy go away and thus this bill will do more damage then good.   Some of the websites that will be doing this are:

• Reddit


• Cheezburger sites


• MLG(majorleaguegaming.com)


• and more

What will you do on the 18th?

I am showing my support and would love to hear what you i will do on the eighteenth.   Will you do your site like others and black it out or will be talking about it all day?

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• Resistance is Victory: SOPA And PIPA Sponsors Caving In To Opposition (mountainrepublic.net)


• WRUP: Bowl of SOPA (joystiq.com)


• SOPA Shelved, for Now (davidscommonplacebook.wordpress.com)


• Rupert Murdoch critical of White House stance on SOPA (digitaltrends.com)


• SOPA Blackout (mentalitysmind.co.uk)

 

Progressive Commercials : How about giving me a new Car!

Progressive Free Parking!

We've all seen those commercials where he is either paying to help people park or giving out free gas!  I'm not sure how I feel about these commercials.   What about people who might need a new car?  Have they not thought about that?   Are they not going to offer to help someone who might need a new car, with the amount of money they are supposedly saving they can afford a decent used car!

We are still in a recession some would say and I honestly think that we are still in that and that someone needs to help low income families with finding a car.   I know I am a low income family and the car I have isn't very good.

Donating your Car!

I know most of you are wondering where you can donate your car.  I suggest organizations like American Red Cross , The Salvation Army or United Way .   You can actually write off that on your next years taxes.   It won't be an instant money but then if your not looking for money as far as needing it for now.  This is a great alternative for people who might need a car who can't afford to pay for one because of being low income.

I know I will probably never get a free car but It would be something cool if not very nice.    I am so tired of having really old cars and would love to have a new model car.

Single Family Dad!

I'm basically a single dad working anywhere I can, so I can support my family.  it isn't something that is always going to be something that I will look back on and say that was a good year.  It is however something that makes me feel really good at the end of the day.  I don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow hasn't come yet.   I try to only worry about what is today.   I however have become increasingly worried about the car that I am driving because of the way it acts each and every day.

Hey Progressive how about help me out!

That is basically what I wanted to say about I am constantly worried about the car breaking down and not having any way to get to my job or anything else that I might need.   Sometimes old cars may get more to repair than to the cost of the car.   You will however have to consider cost verses repairs.   I believe once the repairs are more than the car, you should consider buying another car and junking the car or selling it for parts.

How are you going to help someone today?

What are you going to do to help someone in need today?  I'd like to hear your comments on what you did today.

 

Paul Sylvester

Need Glasses? Try GlassesUSA!

Related articles

• Commercial car insurance holders 'could go for a Kia' (premierlinedirect.co.uk)


• Sonic is in this Progressive commercial (joystiq.com)


• Paying for Parking (marginalrevolution.com)

Pay it forward Friday (January)!

Image via Wikipedia

Pay it forward Friday!

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

Walt Disney

It is times like this that I am really feeling blessed.  I thought this would be something that I wanted to inspire people.   If you'e not heard the saying, I'll explain it to you.

"Pay it Forward" used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead.

Wikipedia

It really is something that I would like to explain why I am asking people to help make someones day a little nicer.   I'll explain why later on in this post.   I thought this was a good idea when I had something that just made me believe there are good people in the world after all.

 Acts of Random Kindness

Those of us who have fallen on hard times know how hard it is to get some of the basic things in life.   I am not saying that it isn't always going to be easy but I do know that a lot has happened in my last few months and if it wasn't for the support of my family, I don't know where I'd be or what I would be doing.    That be said, I do have a small story I'd like to share with you to demonstrate just how much people need to help others right now.

Driving along in my small car, nothing says economy like a manual transmission car, I happen to stop to get a hair cut.   After 3 months of not having a hair cut, I knew it was about time.   My hair was constantly in my face and nothing I could do to it was to get it out of my way.  I decided to go to a nice little out of the way Barber shop and get my hair cut, but unbeknownst to me was the price of the hair cut.    I really thought I had enough money for the hair cut but when I walked into the shop, I found that I only had ten dollars and the hair cut was twelve dollars.

I tell the owner I don't have enough money to pay him the twelve dollars, after all this out of the way shop doesn't accept anything but cash.   One of the patrons told me relax and sit down, he'd probably not take the whole ten dollars.   I didn't know if I could believe him but I sat down.   After the patron that told me to sit down was done, I was next and the next thing I knew he gave me a ten dollar bill, saying here this will help you today with your hair cut.

I only had to pay two dollars for the hair cut directly.   I know I'm blessed but I also believe that others should profit in his actions.   So I thought about asking people to do something good for a friend or relative.

Have you done something Good Today?

If you feel like sharing this post, I made it really easy to share. Just tell them to go to:

http://bit.ly/pttpiff

Paul Sylvester

 

 

Related articles

• Woman who helps others gets $500 in return from Pay It Forward (abclocal.go.com)


• Pay It Forward... (abledis.com)


• Pay It Forward gives away $500 for scholarship (abclocal.go.com)

Finding your voice in sea of echo's!

Image by arneheijenga via Flickr

"Nothing ventured is nothing gained!"

If anything I have learned is that sometimes it doesn't always come easily.   I've had my share of up's and downs and that to say is something that I will always struggle with.    If your wondering if you can start blogging but aren't sure if any one will hear you.   You'll first want to answer a few questions and thus will help you understand your passion just that much more.   Blogging is somewhat of an art and thus everybody will have a difference of opinion and that can make a better blog than not!

We've all seen people talking about Technology but that doesn't mean that I don't have a unique perspective of it or that someone else could do a better job.   Blogging isn't just about blogging, it is the desire to fill people's lives by sharing my experiences and techniques.   I may not know everything about blog, I could use more college class time to learn write but that will only go so far.

It takes time!

If your wondering about those make money blogging promotions and hearing how you can earn money overnight, you might as well not even start blogging.   I've heard my share of making money overnight or those one click button software's.  I have learned that writing isn't always about being about money but about the people and the community.   If you care about your community and be loyal to them then you are more likely to succeed then if your just making money.   Blogging for money is hard and can result in some cash but I have learned that nothing comes easily.

It takes effort!

Writing isn't always going to be easy or even sometimes you can have writers block other's call it blog block.  I admit it, I occasionally have a hard time thinking of my next blog topic and thus can be hard to sit down and write.   I will say it has grown easier and I've learned techniques that let me get past that but it doesn't always work.   Knowing your strengths can help you become a better writer but that doesn't make your blog content better.   The only way you can make it better is engaging your audience and making them want to come to read your next post.

A blog is a tiny book!

My blog is really just a tiny book and if you think about that you will be much better off.   I never think if my blog as anything else because that is essentially what a blog is.   I like to write but also like to see how it does on the long run.   I'd hate to have to wait till the book is done to see what people say or who actually buys it.   This way I know everyday what people are thinking or doing and I can tweak how I do my blog accordingly.   This is why I love blogging, nothing is ever going to stay the same and thus I can always go off on tangents when I find something that really makes my blood flow.  These are just why I like to blog.   Others could have their reasons but mine is simple!  Community is the Key!

Paul Sylvester

Don't forget to Backup! I do!

 

Related articles

• Your Blog Stinks! You Should Quit! (socmedsean.com)


• Reclaiming My Voice (communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com)


• Economic blogs have not cheapened but enriched the global conversation (nextlevelofnews.com)


• Economics blogs: A less dismal debate (economist.com)


• 20 Bloggers to Watch in 2012 (problogger.net)


• Make Money From Blogging! (webupon.com)


• You are a blogger; but are you there? (blogavenues.blogspot.com)

Finding out which network carrier you are using with Pre-paid Cellular Companies!

Image by radiofabrik via Flickr

Not all Carriers are the Same!

Hey Let's face it, you thought it would be so simple to have a prepaid cell phone account. You just can't figure out why your signal or speed is just so terrible. If your like me, when you create an account with Tracfone, Straight Talk, Jitterbug, Movidas, MetroPC and Cricket Wireless.

Although you might of thought it wasn't going to be all that hard to figure out why.   It  could just be simply your wireless network that you are being leased or rented from.   Those prepaid companies don't really have any actually networks, some of them might work different in each region and you will only know by trying.

Finding out your Network

If your in a hurry, you can always go to whoismycarrier.com and have them text you your carrier information.   I however feel that might not be the best approach because of Privacy and there is no way to know what they do with the number once they have it in their database.   I prefer to find it out myself.   Here is How I find out which carrier I am on when I need to know!

Create an Account with Google Voice

 

After Setting up a Phone Number!

Tell Google Voice which number you want to forward to!

Once you Verify Cellular Phone Number.

Go into your Setup!

Just Click on the Sprocket and Settings!

Go to the Phones Tab

Edit Phone Number

Click check operator!

Once you update that, You will see which Carrier you are using!

That's It!

If you follow this tutorial, you will find out which network you are on.   You won't have to worry about spam from unwanted companies and thus.   It will however cost you minutes but if you don't mind spending a few minutes on your phone you will find out just as quickly as anyone else.   You may have to wait an hour or two before you can find out the carrier but mine was instant.   It will be different from carrier to carrier.

If you are using Straight Talk, please feel free to visit my other post and tell people what phone your using and which network you are using to better help others find out what to expect.

Paul Sylvester

Need Glassess? Try GlassesUSA!

Related articles

• How to get the most out of Straight Talk phones (Tips and Tricks) (paulstechtalk.com)


• Four Phones/Devices that Straight Talk might release in 2012! (paulstechtalk.com)


• First Impressions of the Samsung T404g (paulstechtalk.com)

 

My Top Five Favorite Posts for 2011

Image via Wikipedia

It's that time again!

I know this blog has been up and down this year and thus I want to discuss some of my more popular and ones that I am really proud of.   We all know that is isn't going to be easy for me but I thought we could at least talk about some of more favorite posts and let people who just found my blog see some of my other posts!

We've all seen those post each year on different blogs and I am sure I am not the only one who does this but it is something that I like to do.   It after all is about community and sharing with my friends.  I know I consider my readers like close family because I am always thinking what I can do to better my life and yours.   This is my biggest reason for blogging, to make life better for everyone and make it much more enjoyable for me also.   You don't know how nice it is just to sit down and write to my family(readers) and not have to feel like there is pressure to post.   This is my goal every time I write a post to share and hope it makes people think about how to work smarter and not hard.

Top Five Favorite Posts!

I will start off with my Five favorite posts and discuss them in length.   You can always feel free to look around and click any article on my site without worries.

1. How to Get a Free VPN for Ubuntu/Kubuntu! --This is was one of those that I did because it was essential for me to find a free VPN for when I go to hotspots and not have to pay.   When you are on a limited income and trying to get to your next paycheck, then you know why I couldn't afford to pay for a VPN service.  Also I use Kubuntu and thus couldn't use the Windows only free VPNS that were available.


2. Three ways on how to NOT waste your Money! --  This one is a supposedly a recruiting job from (crmglobalresources.com) but after doing my research it looks to be like my other post "Why do I need to pay for recruitment?" So I was really proud of this one to tell people about it! So don't always think there will be easy money.4


3. Apple Needs to Worry about Security and Virus! --  This one was of my favorite post also because I am always tell people that there will always be Apple viruses and that their advertisements in the past will always haunt them because Apple can and will be targeted now and in the future for virus attacks because they are getting a larger share in the Marketplace.


4. My Reasons why Amazon will make an Android Tablet!  --  This is another one of my favorites because it was one of those that came true.   Just look at the the Kindle Fire to verify it, that is after all an Android tablet.   I think they have more to come in the future but only time will tell!


5. Android Malware, Ridiculous! --   Let's face it, most people think that Androids can't get virus or have malware.   I discuss this in length and tell you that even Linux can have viruses and you should count your eggs before they are hatched.  I am not going to say that they will or will not but I discuss why hackers and virus writers would love to do it.   Once the market gets saturated enough with Android devices they will start to develop viruses and malware for them, I am sure it.

As you can see that there were some really good posts in 2011 and I hope to get even more post done in 2012. I am going to be resolute to doing a better job of posting but that could be a futile effort.

Paul Sylvester

Need Glasses? Try GlassesUSA!

Related articles

• Looking Back at Post a Day 2011 - How'd You Do? (dailypost.wordpress.com)


• 2011: My year in blog posts, presentations and other resourcees (janeknight.typepad.com)


• Most popular non-technical posts of 2011 (johndcook.com)


• Meet Our 2011 Bloggers: Marcus Taylor (stateofsearch.com)


• Time to Post (hearhearhere.wordpress.com)

Three ways on how to NOT waste your Money!

Another Job email!

I know it can be hard to find a job but this email from crmglobalresources.com was one of those that I thought I would talk about even more.

Here is what she said in the email:

Are you still available and looking for a new position? We were forwarded your resume and based upon your background and geographic location it may be a good match. Our Human Resources Department is currently scheduling company overviews this week for several of positions that we have open. I would like you to consider what we have to offer as a company.

We've recently launched a new Consulting Division and need individuals for Human Resources, Marketing, Recruitment, and Business Development. Experience is not required, although having a background in any of the above mentioned is helpful.

they also tried to have me join this web conference of there's.   I didn't want to  say this is a scam but every time I get these types of emails something just sounds the sirens.   I thought it would be nice for a change to tell you how to find out if a website is trust worthy or not.

Checking out the Business!

Having done this several times, I have come to use Whois.net to check out the background of the domain in question.   The site in question has only been made in the last few months.   No mater where your from you will always want to check out if a site is brand new or has been in business for quite some time.

While looking at Whois, I also see something quite interesting about domain.   Having been around the block and knowing about proxy security.   You get to wonder why this business would be proxying their address and number.

Let Google be your friend!

Never have a once not used a KEYWORD to find out more about company then when I am looking to find out more information about a company.   Never be afraid to ask words such as scam, pay, and whois.  Although these are just a few good keywords there are a ton of ways to find out information that you otherwise would never of found had you only searched for a certain term.

Nothing you put in search is ever going to be 100% right but it will give your more of an idea of what people and news are saying about this.   You can find out everything you might want to know about a business or website just by adding those to your search terms.

Check the website out!

Having been making my websites in the past, I know all to well that there are going to be people who may want a site template and just use that as their website and not change anything else.   You'll have to check out the site and make your own determination about if it looks like a template website with stock photos and words or if they actually put a lot of effort and time into the website.   The more questions you ask about the website and find out the more you can avoid being scammed.

After doing my research for the site in questions I must say that according to others, you will have to pay them money 199$.   That really isn't a deal in my mind and I suggest people go someplace else so as to not get ripped off by this so called company.

Paul Sylvester

 

Playing with the Apple iPad 2, My Experiences!

The Apple Tax is something that isn't desired!

Although playing with this tablet has been something of a dream for me. I thought it would be good to talk about how they charge higher than normal prices for their products. My sister let me play around with her Apple iPad 2 Tablet(64GB, Wifi, Black). After playing around with the tablet, I must say I like this little portable Netflix player. I got to watch movies and play games like Angry Birds Freeand it seems to hold it's own. I even am tempted to buy Amazon Prime because I could now watch all the Star Trek Episodes ever made.

I'm not saying that it isn't nice but it is something to consider when you do decide if you want to buy this tablet. So I have been playing around with it from time to time and I thought this would be a great time to talk about the advantages and disadvantages.

It's sleek design is nice!

Even though I commented about the price, I really do like the way it feels and handle and how intuitive it is. I like the fact that it has 64 Gigabytes of storage for like movies and tv shows that you can take with you on long rides and watch or listen to. It even has a well placed speaker that does really well for the size of the tablet. It seems to be just heavy enough and fast enough to be a very useful portable computer. I even had no major problem with the way the keyboard when chatting with people on Facebook and other social media sites. I could possibly even blog with this tablet if I really wanted to but that would not be very effective in my line of blogging.

It is easily smudged!

This is a down side of using the tablet. You will see smudges from fingers and everything imaginable and there is no way around it. There are several types of screen protectors that would probably do the job but have yet to invest in one to see if there is going to be a noticeable difference. I will investigate this even more and probably do another report on those who might want to buy one. If you have and want to tell me about your experiences then feel free to leave a comment. I welcome in input anyone has on this, since I am really new at this.

Very touchy screen!

I'm really not saying it is a big problem because it isn't. You however have a choice to be gentle to this and not have to worry about how hard you press. The slightest touch can do what you want. I have however know how hard it is to keep kids from touch the screen so that can be an issue. This however is something that can be good and bad in the same process.

Keep the Kids happy!

Hey I don't mean to say this is going to be the best possible way to keep the kids from screaming in the car but this is however a great option as to watching videos and other such things in the car while traveling. They can even play Angry birds, If your worried about them destroying the Ipad and you want something that does do videos and other games, you could invest in an Ipod and let them play games or watch videos with it.

All in All, I like it!

It isn't like I am biased against Apple but I do think they have their issues. For one thing the idea that their systems will never get a Virus is something that I have preached in the past and will always preach. Their Operating Systems will never be secure and that is something they have yet to learn.

I talk about it more later!

Paul Sylvester

Hostgator is best by far!

My experiences with Hostgator!

If you know anything about me, I've had several different hosting accounts with different companies like Justhost and Godaddy and I even talked about the websites that not really legitimate sites and are using affiliate links to make money off of people. So I do know several different things that most people might or might not know off. I thought this would be a good time to at least talk about some of them and share with you my coupons to help you save even more money! It is however a personal preference but I will discuss with you in length why I like Hostgator and have been with them for over a year without much a problem.

Reliability is my Priority!

If you are like me, you make your living off people coming to your site. This isn't always easy for me because I do have 3 different sites all on one server. This is something that helps with me because I have been online for 99.9% of the time since I have been on Hostgator with my 3 domains. Very reliable is great resource. I remember when Justhost wasn't as reliable and Godaddy was just slow loading, which made people not even try to visit my site.

No Credit Card Required!

This is something that has helped me because of my situation. I don't have to worry about having a credit card and I can pay with Pay Pal which is something that has been a great value for me. I can go get a Pay Pal Gift card, which is available in several different stores and even in Wal-mart. So I can reload my Pay Pal account every 2 months and not have to worry about fraud with Pay Pal. This is definitely a great resource for those who don't have credit cards or don't want credit cards.

Great Customer Service!

I don't say this lightly because I have my share of problems with my hosting account from problems with redirect and problems with speed. Each time I contacted them they were eager to fix the problem or help me upgrade my server. I even like the possibility to get help almost instantly with just typing to the customer service rep through a chat window. I even had to do some service tickets with them and it didn't even take 24 hours for a answer from Hostgator. It was really a good experience with Hostgator, some of the reply emails were less than an hour. So I am glad that it didn't take long to get stuff fixed if it was something that had to be done on the server side.

I could go on but I am really satisfied with Hostgator to the point of wanting to give out some of my domain coupons:

Hostgator Coupons:

Here are the Coupons that you can use to try Hostgator for yourself:

• paulstechtalk25 -- Get 25% off your purchase of an Hosting account using this coupon!
• paulstechtalk994 -- get 9.94$ off first months of hosting!
• paulstechtalkr2494 -- Save 24.94$ of a reseller package.

If I find out more you can bet I will post them so you can get the maximum savings on hosting.

Thanks Hostgator

Paul Sylvester

Change is never easy, but sometime is required!

A Fork in the Road!

Imagine that you are on the long winding road where there is nothing but problems and hardship. Each step you take is nothing but effort and you don't see any end in site. I feel like I have walked in hail, rain, sleet, and snow barefooted and no umbrella. I've worked past few months but nothing really seemed to help. I've done everything in my power but it seems that nothing could of change the out come. I'm at a fork in the road and when I look right I see nothing but road that is hot and no cover, the left side I see a lush forest which will protect you from all the elements of the world. This is how I feel, the impossible choice that will make me stronger or destroy me forever.

A Once in a lifetime chance!

Would you take the once in a lifetime chance to be happy or would you be so scared of change that you wouldn't do it? This is the ever ending question in today’s society. Most people would not want to get out of their comfort zones. I am like that also because I hate stepping out and making a change that is necessary, which will in my case make me a better person to everyone involved. Being a dad has been nothing but a dream with me and now I have three fantastic children who I do cherish and love every day. Today is Father's Day and I am glad my children is safe and that I have been a father to them. Have you hugged your child today? Have they wished you a happy Father's Day? These are somethings you should expect today.

It's not to late to give your father a Gift?

IT isn't like you have much chance of doing anything wrong but you should give your father something this year and even a kiss on the cheek will go long ways to brightening his spirit and making him smile. Why not give your dad a great Gift card from Amazon, at least then he can find what he might of really wanted and you can show him your love him.

Happy Father's Day Everyone,

Paul Sylvester

Five Essential Packages for Ubuntu/Kubuntu!

Why do I need these packages?

There is no right or wrong answer but when I say it is needed, it is because us as a community should be ready. I know I already talked about people getting a Virus on Linux, and that some people think you can't get a Virus. In all aspects, the Linux community is in a holding when it comes to security and viruses. I will not discuss this enough but for today we will discuss what packages you should have already installed when you first start using Linux. Even the Ubuntu developers have talked about viruses on their main website, so it isn't something that I am not a little worried about when people start to use Linux.

The Packages I have installed!

While there is no right or wrong package for your Linux system, I thought I would at least recommend the ones that I did install not just for security but also for convenience. It will be your decision on which ones you will be install and which ones you think you'll need. This list is for those who are serious about security and want to avoid any chances of being compromised.

• VLC Media Player -- Although this has nothing to do with security it is something that will prevent those nasty attempts, claiming your don't have the right Codex to play this streaming Video. At least, if you have this installed you are one step closer to and knowing that this is a fake because I have found to be very affective having all the codex I will ever need.
• AVG Antivirus -- I have personally installed means I am a little more safer but not out of the woods just yet. Although, I am much safer having installed there is a long way to go before there is a good enough Antivirus program for linux and that I hope that changes in the future.
• Firewall -- Although this is your choice, I picked arno-iptables-firewall, which seems to be what I need right now. It however is something of a personal choice and probably even an OS choice.
• Password Manager -- Yes you heard it right, if you have a good Password manager then you are less likely to give out your password to sites that look like the real thing, which is called phishing attacks. With a good Password manager, you can go to right the right site with a click of the manager. I personally recommend Lastpass, but it is all up to your which one you want to use. I really don't know if there are more linux based password manager but I am sure you can find them.
• VPN -- Although this isn't really a package per say, but one that talked about in the past. How to get a VPN on Ubuntu/Kubuntu. I am sure there are others out on the internet. I just don't want to make it to complicated for beginners, so I did make my own tutorial on getting a free VPN. You really don't want anyone listening in while at a public hotspot do you?

Your one step closer!

As you can see these are what I call essential because of most of these will make you a little more security conscience and that in turn will make you a better Linux user. for the most part your be more ready than a lot of Linux user but that doesn't mean your invulnerable, just more educated the rest. If you have a recommendation, I encourage you to leave a comment and let others know, but for the time being these are just what I have installed on my Kubuntu 11.04 right now and I'm really happy.

See you on the Flip Side

Paul Sylvester