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The Gazette ... Issue: 205 (09-29-2003)
Peer (to Peer) PressureBalancing between what's required of you, what's expected of you, what works, what doesn't, and more importantly... what YOU want to do, can make for some very long nights for we Web masters. |
| Johnny's Ramblings |
|
Standards schmandards. Who needs 'em? Apparently, we all do. There are standards for everything nowadays. Some are etched in stone, such as XML, XSLT, and RSS, which are solidly backed, supported, and accepted. Some are everlasting "proposals" (see: w3.org), where compliance is recommended, but optional. Some are simply expected, for example, advertisers expect to have their banners shown "above the fold," and users expect Web site navigation to be on the left and clear. Where do we stand in 2003 with all of this, and more importantly, is it a good thing or a bad thing? Does conforming to a rigid standard make your Web site run any faster or better? Does conforming to expected standards really translate into better click-through rates for advertisers and more sales for you? Or, are we all turning our Web sites into bubble cars, differentiated only by our domain names and colors?
If you asked me that question two months ago, I would most certainly have fired back quickly, stating confidently that we're all a bunch of mindless drones, conforming to "standards," and eliminating our creativity. Good Web sites essentially all look the same some have better graphics than others, but all follow a similar "mold:" logo top left, banner top center, navigation on the left side, content in the middle. Boooooorrrrriiiiiinnnnngggg. I would have called on everyone to add some identity, something unique, something "you" to your Web sites. The Internet should be exciting, not routine. Asking myself that same question today reveals a different answer. I've always been a proponent of conforming to coding standards (HTML, XHTML, XML) as well as programming standards for PHP and Perl, but only recently have I come on board to believe that the expected standards placed upon us by our Web site visitors have merit too. Having something as commonplace as a discussion forum, but making it work differently than people are used to (how they "expect" it to be) might be cool and fun, but it doesn't inspire activity. Having a Web site that is kick-butt cool with DHTML effects and alternate navigation might be fun to code, but it's not going to translate into sales, and it's more likely to translate into a frustrated buyer a buyer that just might buy from someone else. So, while I'm not yet 100% on board with the cookie-cutter mentality, I am coming around. Where do you stand on this issue? Share your thoughts with us here: http://www.jimworld.com/apps/searchengine.forums/action::thread/forum::gazette/thread::1064860522/ |
| In the Crosshairs |
|
First, let me apologize for the delay between Gazette issues. I had originally intended to follow up our 9/11 special edition with a normal Gazette that weekend, but time slipped away from me. As I got to thinking about putting this issue together, and in looking at the "schedule" for the next few issues (an advertiser asked me when the next one was coming out), I realized that we don't really have a schedule. The Gazette seems to just go out whenever the mood hits. Not very newsletter-like (or standardized) is it? So, I've made an "executive decision" (which really amounts to a sticky pad on my monitor) to put out the Gazette every single Sunday, to add some more interesting sections to it, to keep it shorter yet still packed full of useful, compelling information, and to link every Gazette article to a discussion in the forums. Essentially, I'm setting my own standard, one of better organization (so that you, as the user, get what you expect where you expect it), and one of more consistent timing (so that you get it when you expect to get it). No more "lone gunman" syndrome here The Gazette is going to be more reliable, more dependable, and more of what you expect, while still having just enough "John" in there to make it a good read each week. Hope you like it.
Discuss this article: http://www.jimworld.com/apps/searchengine.forums/action::thread/forum::gazette/thread::1064860589/ |
| A Word from Our Sponsor |
|
Turning your Web Site into a Profitable Online Business
When the Internet was first launched back in the early 1970s, it included only a few computers and was used mainly by researchers. Today, more than 30 years later, the Internet has evolved into a global network connecting over a hundred million computers used by people and companies all over the world. While the Internet started out as a technical research project with few, if any, commercial applications, it is now quickly becoming the single largest market in the world. The number of users is expected to reach one billion within the next few years, and online sales will probably approach or surpass offline sales by the end of the decade. One of things that makes the Internet such as interesting market is the fact that it is open to anyone. While offline sales often requires a large organization and costly marketing efforts in order to be successful, Internet users can easily find their way to any Web site with only a few clicks. Because a majority of all Web pages are not created by companies or manufacturers, a new market that is growing very rapidly is the online affiliate market. By selling third party products, any Web site with a large number of visitors can quickly be turned into a profitable online business. All you need to do to become a successful affiliate is to find a product that matches your visitors' interests and an affiliate program that offers a good commission per sold unit. There are affiliate programs for almost anything from computers to books to antivirus software. Electronically delivered products such as software do offer some considerable advantages though. Because software and other electronic products can easily be copied there are no production costs per sold unit. This usually results in very high commission rates for affiliates. Electronic products are also easier to sell online than other products, resulting in much larger sales volumes. Because more and more software vendors are now launching affiliate programs, the software affiliate market is growing rapidly. With millions of new Internet users connecting every month, this niche is expected to grow even more quickly in the future, and affiliate programs could easily become the most important source of income for many Web site owners. Although there are all kinds of software available to affiliates through affiliate programs, most Web site visitors are intermediate computer users not looking for a particular product. These visitors, like all computer users, are often interested in improving their computers in general and protecting their files and data from viruses and other disasters. Consequently, one product category that most visitors will find interesting is performance and security related software. Windows utilities are also among the most profitable affiliate products available today, and computer-related Web sites can often sell large quantities of these products without spending any resources on expensive marketing efforts. LI Utilities, Inc. is a Swedish software company that offers a line of utilities suited for home users as well professionals. Our products range from SpeedUpMyPC, which is a performance optimization tool for home users, to WinBackup, which offers fully automatic backups to CD or network folders while being incredibly easy to use. Our affiliate program gives anyone with a good Web site the opportunity to take advantage of our award-winning products and turn their site into a profitable online business. Because we prefer having a smaller number of very successful affiliates, our marketing staff will work closely with all affiliates to develop an efficient marketing strategy for each site, resulting in larger sales volumes per site and higher commission rates. Because of our close cooperation with all affiliates and resellers, our products are quickly becoming among the most profitable affiliate products available. To get new affiliates started as quickly as possible, we also offer ready-to-use marketing materials and personal assistance to affiliate sites within days of signing up for our partner program. If you have a medium-sized or large-sized site with a few thousand visitors per month, this is your opportunity to turn your Web site into a profitable business, and your time into money. Join our affiliate program now, and you will be contacted by our marketing professionals within the next few days. Visit us at: http://www.jimworld.com/go/to.cgi?l=liutilities Special opportunity for JimWorld subscribers! LI Utilities, Inc. usually offers a 30% commission to new affiliates, but we are happy to announce that all JimWorld subscribers have the opportunity to get a 40% commission right from the start. To take advantage of this offer, send an email message to busdev@liutilities.com after signing up. |
| Forum Watch |
|
Earlier this year, the forums at JimWorld underwent some radical changes as we moved to a new, custom software package. While the new forums provided us with the back-end functionality that we needed, we've found that there are quite a few front-end usability issues that keep popping up.
Despite John's constant work to update the features and make them more user friendly, we realize that we're still not meeting the expectations of our membership when it comes to creating forums that are fast and easy to use. With so many pre-packed forum software options, we should have realized that forum users have (to quote John...) certain "expected standards" when it comes to posting, reading, and using forums. To this end, we admit it we screwed up. So, we've committed ourselves to working on the front-end of the forums to make them more user friendly. We're working on a better navigation system, a more intuitive posting interface, and an overall look and feel that matches the "look" that our members are used to when visiting online forums. Sure, John isn't exactly a "let's comform" kinda guy, but he understands that our members are what make JimWorld great, and that giving them an environment that they are comfortable in is the most important thing we can do. So, the JimWorld staff has been hard at work giving John a To-Do list on making the forums more useful. We are more than happy to have you take a sneak-peek at the in-progress redesign. You can view the new layout here: http://www.jimworld.com/forums/new/ We'd love to hear your feedback on the changes, including any suggestions or requests that you have on making it even better. You can share your thoughts here.... http://www.jimworld.com/apps/searchengine.forums/action::thread/forum::members-lounge/thread::1064860690/ |
| The Guide Post |
|
One of the most misunderstood industries on The Internet is that of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It's complete voodoo to most webmasters, and even to the self proclaimed experts. SEOs spend their days and nights trying to figure out strategies to achieve high results in the search engines ... by learning how the search engines work, and then designing and coding pages that are "Search Engine Friendly", to increase the likelihood that on the next "big crawl", the Web site will be well represented near the top of the search results for specifically targeted keywords.
There's been lots and lots of talk, about the adoption of an agreed upon Standard of Ethics for SEOs to follow. With the search engines themselves changing their algorithm and techniques daily, it's nearly impossible to define a rigid set of standards. What is allowed today may not be tomorrow, and similarly, a technique that will get you banned today, might be perfectly "legal" the next. In such an environment, can there actually be a hard and fast rule set laid out, that "ethical" SEO's can follow? First, I think we have to define what is an "Ethical SEO", and secondly, what, if any standards can be legitimately asked of an SEO Firm or Individual to follow. In my opinion, ethics in SEO take on 2 different tracks. First, as an SEO, you have an ethical obligation to be honest and above board with your clients. If you're going to promise something, deliver. If you're getting paid, deliver on what you've been paid to do. If you fail, ethically you should be required to refund monies earned under any "guarantee". If you're going to use "tactics" that might possibly achieve your goal or guarantee that may have the undesired result of your client becoming banned from the search engines, you must ethically disclose that possibility to your client, and allow them to opt-out of your service, with no financial obligation. The second ethical track that an SEO must travel is that of what is "ethical practice" to achieve results. Again, since there are no etched in stone regulations, or consistency between the search engines, this is next to impossible. What we can do, perhaps, is begin with a set of basics ... things that we know the search engines will not allow or tolerate, and build and modify that list as FACTS become evident. An SEO whose business is driven by their desire to "achieve results ethically" and therefore "do right" by their clients should agree, voluntarily to follow these guidelines. Ultimately, it's up to the clients to decide which SEO firm and tactics are right for them. Thus far, there's been no formally adopted model for ethical SEO. There have been various articles and discussions about the topic, and even a few organizations that have been formed to (perhaps) try and do this (SEMPO, for one). Is it time that we get together and put up a basic set of guidelines, and have SEOs that are "on board" with the concept agree to them ... or is this the type of industry that's simply not able to be regulated, even by a self-governing system? Bruce Clay's SEO Code of Web Ethics Proposal: http://www.bruceclay.com/web_ethics.htm Where do you stand on this issue? Share your thoughts with us here: http://www.jimworld.com/apps/searchengine.forums/action::thread/forum::seo-professional/thread::1064860918/ |
| Coders Corner |
|
One of the simplest standards in the world of SEO to grasp is one that many Web masters can't seem to understand: search engines index TEXT. In general, they do not index FLASH (or at least don't do it very well). So, if you use Flash to make your Web site (or a client's Web site) really cool, you've done a few things wrong. Dead wrong. The search engines do a bad job of indexing your content, unless you create a secondary HTML version of the entire thing and "doorway page" your way into it. Also, from a user's perspective, not only do you run the risk of eliminating a large set of potential visitors by simply having your site be Flash driven, but Flash is neither inherently easy to navigate, nor is it as eye-pleasing to the visitor as it is to the designer.
Let's explore a quick and dirty way to make your Web site LOOK and act like Flash, but still be search engine friendly and somewhat more easy to use by your visitor. Start by creating a bunch of " " tags that hold your articles/content. Each of them should be hidden via CSS so that they don't show up on the page, but are still there. I usually put these at the bottom of my page.
<div id='home' style='height:1px; width:1px; visibility:hidden; overflow:hidden'>
Home page text in here
</div>
<div id='about' style='height:1px; width:1px; visibility:hidden; overflow:hidden'>
About page text in here
</div>
Then, within your HTML code, create a "container" for this content, and some links that use JavaScript to show your content.
<table width='95%' align='center'>
<tr>
<td valign='top'>
Navigational Menu<br />
<a href='#' onClick='show("home")'>Home</a><br />
<a href='#' onClick='show("about")'>About</a><br />
</td>
<td valign='top' style='padding:10px'>
<div id='content_container'></div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
Finally, we need to add the actual JavaScript that's going to make this work, so when the "Home" link is clicked, your "Home page" content is shown. Now, do the same for the "About pages" or any other content areas that you created.
<script language='javascript'>
function show( div_to_show ) {
// Detect Browser
var IE = (document.all) ? 1 : 0;
var DOM = 0;
if (parseInt(navigator.appVersion) >=5) {DOM=1};
// Grab the content from the requested "div" and show it in the "container"
if (DOM) {
var selected = document.getElementById(div_to_show)
var viewer = document.getElementById("content_container")
var text = selected.innerHTML;
viewer.visibility = "hide";
viewer.innerHTML=text
viewer.visibility = "show";
}
else if(IE) {
var text = document.all[div_to_show].innerHTML;
document.all["content_container"].style.visibility = "hidden";
document.all["content_container"].innerHTML=text
document.all["content_container"].style.visibility = "visible";
}
}
</script>
What you have now is a single Web page with all of your content in it. Just like Flash, the content areas are shown to the user without having to go back to the server to get the next page, and therefore, they load really fast. Unlike Flash, however, the search engines can actually index this page (although not perfectly ... they will not be able to index specific content areas, just the whole page). So, while it's not a perfect solution, it ranks pretty high on the cool factor meter for you Flash junkies, yet doesn't completely make the SEOs out there want to lose their lunch. 100% standards compliant? Not by a long shot, but at least it's a starting point to get everyone de-Flashed. Note that I have presented this article to Google for review, and they have assured me that currently, this technique for "coolness" is compliant with their detection system for Hidden Text (which is what these divs are) ... they're concerned with what human eyes can see.
Check out a live sample with some "whiz bang" features added: http://beta.iwebsoftware.com Talk about this idea, or others in the Programming Forum: http://www.jimworld.com/apps/searchengine.forums/action::thread/forum::webmaster-101/thread::1064861215/ |
| Diamond in the Rough |
|
Here's one of those weird things that you can spend a few hours on and accomplish nothing. (exactly what the Internet is for ;)). The GIF-2-TXT and TXT-2-GIF converters at Degraeve.com are cool applications that allow you turn any image on your Web site into ASCII art, or turn any ASCII art that you have lying around into an image. I'm a lover of ASCII art. As a complete non-artist, it amazes me how cool some of the pictures that people create are. I use ASCII art in the copyright section of my applications as my "stamp" on them. So for me, this little tool is actually useful, more so than "Figlet," with which I also have a lot of fun.
Degrave ASCII art tools: http://www.degraeve.com/gif2txt.shtml Figlet: http://www.figlet.org/ |
| Hosting Hotsheet |
|
Nowhere is the lack of standards more evident than in the Web hosting arena. Hosting companies use various versions and releases of Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Windows, MacOS, and so forth. Similarly, no two hosting companies have the same versions of Perl, PHP, mySQL, ASP, or anything else for that matter. You can't always be assured that what you're running on is stable, bug free, security protected, or even monitored in the same way. It's such a crap shoot, that unless you're tech-savvy and know both what you're looking for and the proper questions to ask, you could be in for a world of hurt when you finally make your decision.
I suggest, strongly, that before you make a hosting decision, whether it's for a new Web site or for the possible moving of your current one, that you work with the folks at SimpleNet. They work under a conservative premise, using the latest STABLE releases of the applications and systems that you'll need. For security reasons, they rely on FreeBSD 4, mySQL 4, and the latest release of PHP. They consistently patch their systems with security updates as they are released, and consistently upgrade their application/scripting systems to keep you current. 24x7 monitoring and support ensure that you have someone at hand when you need them. When looking into hosting, and standards, make sure that, like SimpleNet, your hosting company keeps up to date with security, keep up to date with only stable application releases, runs the system behind a secured firewall, has the latest bandwidth monitoring systems, and has a standardized means of contact. Don't make a mistake based on a great Web site, big-time claims, and a low price Go with a noted expert. Go with SimpleNet. SimpleNet: http://www.jimworld.com/go/to.cgi?l=simplenet Talk about hosting standards in the Forums: http://www.jimworld.com/apps/searchengine.forums/action::thread/forum::webmaster-101/thread::1064861236/ |
| One on One |
|
Let's examine an industry, Pay Per Click Search Engines (PPCs), where a little bit of regulation/standards/ethics might change not only the public perception of the industry, but actually improve the overall profitability from the perspective of both the PPCs themselves as well as their advertisers.
PPC is an industry that's a target for quite a bit of fraud. Affiliates (partners) will use automated programs to artificially boost their earnings through the PPCs ... advertisers will very often spend a lot of time (and money) trying to click-down their competition ... and then theres the group that just wants to cause havoc and click on every paid link just for the fun of it. In an effort to provide PPC advertisers, both present, and those contemplating a jump into the fray, with some measure of security and basic expectations, we pose the following questions to the entire PPC industry, and follow these up with our commitment here at JimWorld to begin laying the groundwork to actually set up some of the backend to provide some motion to the ideas. 1. Knowing that there is fraud in the PPC industry .... Would you be in favor of having an RFC and/or guidelines drafted by other PPC operators that would ensure to the advertisers that should they advertise with a "Compliant PPC" that they could be assured of at least a minimal set of fraud screening standards? 2. What are your thoughts in the creation of a shared code base or knowledge base between the PPCs for the purpose of disclosing (privately) findings of abusive individuals, ips, apps, bots, and so forth, so that these standards could be more easily met ? 3. If there was to be erected a "Better Business Bureau" for the PPC industry, with the ability for advertisers and affiliates to have a common community where they could post grievances and for the PPCs to post defenses, would this be a good thing or a bad thing for an industry that of late has come under heavy fire from both advertisers and affiliates? 4. Should all PPC engines consider adopting a common outbound XML structural format to make affiliate integration easier? Currently, there are about 500 PPC engines and 500 different feed formats out there, making the programming and compliance task for affiliate partners a nightmare. 5. Similarly, would you support a common data exchange format for larger partnerships among the PPCs to more easily exchange paid listings among themselves, more easily facilitating integration on a larger scale? What do you think? http://www.jimworld.com/apps/searchengine.forums/action::thread/forum::ppc-search-engines/thread::1064861312/ |
| Scumbag of the Week |
|
This week's Scumbag award goes out to two people: Myself for putting too much faith in humanity, and TopSurfer, for destroying that faith and making me even more (if that's possible) jaded. As you know, a large part of JimWorld is our FreeSiteTemplates.com service, wherein we allow designers to upload their templates to add to our own designs, and let you download them for free, with no strings. We don't allow the developers to require copyrights or link backs. The premise of the site is that the templates are there, free, so that beginning Webmasters can have a nice starting point, and so that designers who are in a bind can find something to start from, quickly. Within the templates, we do allow for designers to include a "readme" file so that people downloading their templates can contact them for more work or assistance. In the end, Webmasters get good templates with no strings, designers get exposure and maybe some business, and JimWorld gets lots of traffic, plus due to the way that we distribute the templates, we get more subscribers to The Gazette.
We're also getting screwed. Apparently, the folks at TopSurfer thought it would be a good idea to download all of our templates (for free, using our bandwidth) and sell them as a part of their "service." This was done without our permission and without the permission of the designers whose templates they stole. In addition to this, TopSurfer, after having gotten their copy of The Gazette (everyone that downloads a template is automatically subscribed to receive at least one issue), they thought it would be a good idea to report us to SpamCop. So, not only have they stolen our free material for retail sale, they've taken steps to make sure that The Gazette cannot be sent out to our loyal subscribers. As a result of this, until I can put some more rigid controls on the downloading of templates, I've had to take the freesitetemplates.com download area offline. This is hurting everyone. I'm taking this one personally, folks. Evidence: http://www.topsurfer.com/getws.cgi Vent about this Scumbag .... http://www.jimworld.com/apps/searchengine.forums/action::thread/forum::gazette/thread::1064861489/ |
| Payment Due Notice |
|
The Gazette is not free.
It is 'Helpware.' This means that you are granted the right to participate, read, and learn from us, if you agree to contribute. Learn something, from here or anywhere else, and pass it on. If you see a Webmaster who's struggling, help them up. If you see someone making a mistake, offer some fix-it advice. In short, you get out of JimWorld, and the Internet, what you put into it. The more you give, the more you get. Even if you get nothing in return, it's important that you share. Karma always comes back around. Trust me, this will make you feel better, and will help a lot of people get their sites running better. OK, you're on your honor. |
| Summing It All Up |
|
The opinions expressed here are purely those of the editor, John Cokos. All other small print clauses apply. Such as: Use at your own risk. Nothing in life is guaranteed. Let the buyer beware. A stitch in time gathers no moss.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without the express written consent of the author. Feel free to send this document in its entirety to as many of your friends as you want. We appreciate that and thank you. Our sites are generously hosted by the Hosting Experts at SimpleNet: http://jimworld.com/go/to.cgi?l=simplenet For information on advertising in the Gazette or any of the JimWorld properties, please refer to our advertiser information page: http://jimworld.com/go/to.cgi?l=advertise ** This publication is registered with the Library of Congress, Washington DC - ISSN: 1099-8438 To unsubscribe, simply click this link: Gazette Subscription Manager You will be removed and will not ever be resubscribed again. |
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