Friday, December 29, 2006

Best Blogging Software

Best Blogging Software

by: Miles Evans

The blogging platform wars are getting really interesting and much of the discussion I find myself in lately revolves around what is happening with various CMS systems. The market can essentially be defined into 3 major camps: remotely hosted, self hosted, and community based systems. I have used pretty much every blogging platform available and each of them has its ups and downs. In this article I will cover the best options for each area taking into account price, usability, market share and of course SEO potential.

All of these products are either open source, completely free or have a functional free version.

Remotely Hosted Blogging Software

(Note: I cannot really recommend any of these from an SEO stand point as optimizing a domain you do not own or control is obviously not a good marketing plan.)

Blogger

Blogger is completely free and currently owns the majority of the remotely hosted user base, but not by a land slide . Bought out by Google in 1999, Blogger essentially fired up the blogging trend we see today. It is by far the easiest overall solution to use and if you are a novice user looking to throw up some recipes or poetry, this is for you. Blogger is completely free and includes some great features like comments, photo blogging, and a basic community feel with user profiles. Because it is so dumbed down there are some features you may not find with Blogger that are only available through 3rd party add-ons. As a side note Blogger weblogs do quite well in the search engines and this was recently exploited with it being the first choice for spam blogs or splogs. A splog is a weblog used for the sole purpose of gaining inbound links or generating thousands of keyword stuffed pages with Adsense and the like. The recent Google Jagger update cleared a large portion of this up. Free.

Typepad

Released in 2003 Typepad is a product of Sixapart, the makers of Movable Type. it is largely based on MT but there are some major enhancements and differences. Your blog can accomodate one or more photo albums with auto thumbnail generation. You can easily add music, books, and other media to Typelists, which grab a thumbnail from Amazon and other retailers for easily displaying in your sidebar. Typepad is also a great deal more technical than Blogger so a bit of HTML know how is recommended. On that note editing your blog to look the way you want it also quite easy and Typepad blogs are known for being very eye pleasing, intuitive and easy to navigate. In Sixapart's business model Typepad is aimed at regular home and small business users while Movable Type is targeted at larger businesses or for internal intranets. Price: Basic, $4.95 a month; premium, $8.95 to $14.95 a month.

Xanga

These guys originated back in 1999 as a site for sharing book, music and movie reviews. Although it quickly morphed into a full blown blogging tool Xanga still maintains the ability to run a powerful review site. Xanga pulls data from several retailers like Amazon.com including thumbnails, pricing and a cover. The software also is very usable by novices with a powerful WYSIWYG editor allowing for easy HTML editing, adding smilies, links, and other symbols. By using Blog rings it is also easy to interface with Xanga's other 3 million users to share interests, ideas, and of course traffic. Xanga comes in a free and $25 flavor.

Mentions: Blogsome, Blogster, MindSay, Multiply,

Self Hosted Blogging Software

WordPress

WordPress originally began as a mod of an older open source package known as B2. WP is MT's biggest competition and is often the bain of endless Wordpress vs Movabletype style threads around the internet. Although launched just over a year or so ago WP has really taken the blogosphere by storm. And with good reason - Wordpress is completely free under GNU licensing and is packed with many featured you will not find anywhere else. It is also much easier to install and get blogging for novice users and has a very large and helpful community. WP runs on PHP/mySQL and is quite scalable judging from some of the very large and trafficked sites I see using it. It also sports utilities to import files from Movable Type, Textpattern, Greymatter, Blogger, and b2. Wordpress recently upped the ante when Yahoo recently included them on their hosting packages, in addition to MT. I have to admit I am finding myself more and more digging WP and will likely convert Profitpapers to WP as I get time (it can be a biznitch). Wordpress is free.

Movable Type

Aside from maybe Greymatter (the original open source blogging tool), Movabletype dominated the blogging market share in 2002-2004. Released in late 2001, Perl based Movable Type by Sixapart has maintained a large portion of the blogging market share, due mainly to the fact that there is a free version (supporting up to 3 weblogs) and that it is incredibly powerful, intuitive and easy to customize. Template driven Movable Type also sports one of the largest communities of developers and blogging enthusiasts around, meaning lots of support, idea sharing, and of course plugins. Movable Type can be configured to dynamically generate HTML, PHP or any other kind of pages you like, meaning it is incredibly scalable, fast, and loved by spiders. It is perhaps the most well known blogging software for SEO purposes and it what currently powers Profitpapers and several of my other projects. Moveabletype is either Free with 3 authors, 1 weblog, and no support or $69.95 with unlimited weblogs, authors and full support.

Textpattern

Textpattern is the brainchild of Dean Allen and was written to ease publishing of content for those not inclined to learn HTML. Like WP and MT Textpattern runs on PHP and mySQL for easy administration, backups, and power. What really sets textpattern apart from the others is the integration of Textile. Textile is a tool for easily formatting content for those who do not know HTML. WP & MT have modules for textile as well but it is native to the Textpattern system. Another bonus of the app is its superior handling of comment spam due to its smaller market share. On a blogs I maintain running WP and MT I often find myself clearing out spam every day, whereas on some very busy textpattern sites I receive only manual comment spam (not bot driven). TP is open source.

Mentions: Blosxom, LifeType, Serendipity.

Community based Blogging Software

Slash

Waaaaay back in 1997, Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda launched a website known as Chips & Dips, supplied via his student account at Hope College in Michigan. In 1999 Andover.net acquired Slashdot. Shortly after, the underlying code was released as open source software called Slash. Like Movable Type and Greymatter, Slash runs on Perl, but it also has established hooks into MySQL and a very strong track record of scaling to enormous traffic levels. To give you an idea, the term 'slashdotted' originated from acquiring a link on this now infamous and very popular tech news website – and consequently watching your servers melt. If you have never messed around with Slash, you really should as it is quite a powerful platform. Slash is open source.

Scoop

Another well known Perl based community blogging software is Scoop. Scoop is the software that powers Kuro5shin, DailyKos and many other busy community weblogs. Scoop took the Slashdot idea and expanded on it, making the discussion rather than the news the focus of the application. Where Slashdot entries tend to have a link with added commentary pointing readers off the site, Scoop points to stories written by members of the community keeping the reader within your own weblog. Scoop is also well known for handling large volumes of traffic and a large very technical community. Scoop is free .

Drupal

Drupal is a well known open source community blogging platform with a very large community of users and developers. Not only is Drupal free but it is damn powerful. Instead of Perl, which is quite hard to decode at times, even if you are a fluent coder, Drupal uses a PHP/mySQL platform. Drupal is also a very community focused application with a built in forum, download area, and hundreds of other home brewed mods and hacks. If you are looking for a lot of functionality give Drupal a check - the project has become quite mature. It is also much easier to use and customize than either Scoop or Slash. Drupal is also another open source project.

Mentions: LiveJournal, PHP Nuke.

About The Author

Miles Evans writes for Profit Papers where he writes essays on organic SEO, SEM, development and other equally fascinating subjects.

profitpapers@gmail.com

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

5 Questions To Ask About Every Article Idea

5 Questions To Ask About Every Article Idea
By: Mridu Khullar

I know a good idea when I see one. So should you. Dump those time-tested ideas you’re sending off to editors every other day, and find ideas that will get you the assignment each time, every time.

How do you know whether your brilliant idea will strike a chord and get you the assignment or land your neatly crafted query in the slush pile? Use the following checklist to find out whether you have a winner or another stale idea that the editor’s been rejecting since she set foot in her editorial office.

Here are some of the questions an editor will ask of each article idea:

What’s new?

If you’re writing for a pregnancy magazine, chances are the editor has already covered topics such as exercises and diet regulation. What are you going to say that stands apart? Can you provide a unique spin to these topics? If yes, you’re in the door.

Think different

Instead of talking about diet issues, list twenty food items that are to be avoided throughout pregnancy. Be innovative. Come up with topics you’ve never seen featured before. Are there any negative feelings, unresolved issues or body changes that might not be so great that would-be mothers need to know more about?

Will the reader connect?

You may have the most innovative, brilliant and mind-blowing idea. Yet, it may lead to a rejection if you’re targeting the wrong market. Send an idea about getting over broken live-in relationships to a magazine in India, and don’t expect anything but a rejection. But send it over to a singles magazine in England, and you may have a chance. The first thing the editor wants to know when she lays eyes on your query is whether her readers will value your subject matter. If her readers won’t take to it, she won’t either.

Will it keep my reader captivated?

Picture this: I come home from a long day at work. While I relax on my couch, I could flick channels on the remote or pick up the magazine and leaf through the articles. My eyes rest on your piece. Is your piece intriguing and interesting enough to make me stay with you, or would I prefer to watch what’s on TV?

It’s every editor’s fear—that her loyal reader will ditch reading the magazine for something more interesting. And with the number of entertainment avenues available today, that won’t be a problem. In order to keep the reader (and the editor) keen on your idea, you’ve got to suggest something that will keep them wanting more. Does your idea have that virtue?

Is there a surprise element?

The more unexpected, the better. Readers love surprises. That’s why, editors do too. Surprise doesn’t always have to mean an anti-climax or a situation of complete irony. Surprises can be subtle, yet effective. Add a little known statistic or a funny anecdote in your article. Go out of your way to find an amazing fact or figure. Don’t go out of context though. There’s nothing worse than getting sidetracked from the theme of the article.

What’s in it for me?

What does the reader take home with her once she’s closed the magazine and gone her own way? Has she learnt a lesson? Will she take with her an experience? Will she be a better mother, daughter, wife or friend because of it? In every article that you write, this question should have the utmost importance. What can you give to your reader?

Making an impact is very important. The article idea that won’t sell is the one in which the editor will read through your query and not have any unanswered questions. You have to give your reader that something extra. Something she can think about on her way to work. Something she’ll remember as she rests her head on the pillow and falls asleep.

Regardless of the kind of writer you are, your ideas are what make you a success. A good editor can fix the holes in your writing, but cannot flesh out your idea. That is something only you can do.

Editors love writers who consistently come up with fresh and innovative ideas. Being swamped with a dozen queries every day, most of them containing the same old angles, they’re always on the lookout for writers who can provide a unique twist.

Keep a steady stream of ideas coming, run them through this checklist, and send them off. That’s all there really is to it.

About the Author:

Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of Writers' Crossing, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at Writers' Crossing

Read more articles by: Mridu Khullar

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Easy Ways To Make Extra Cash Online

Easy Ways To Make Extra Cash Online
by: Lydia Quinn

There are numerous simple and easy ways to make some extra cash online. This article will give you some ideas.

Surveys

One of the best ways to earn some extra cash online is by taking surveys. There are many companies that need consumer opinions on a wide range of topics, and many of them will pay you money or with points you can redeem for cash or prizes. It's easy and free to signup and the more surveys you take, the more money and prizes you will get. It just takes a small investment of your time.

Writing

If you have decent writing skills, there are many publishers and content distributors who need content for their websites. Two such sites are AssociatedContent.com and Helium.com, they will pay you for each article you write. You don't have to be a fantastic writer either, just have a good grasp of English and be able to write something of interest on a given topic.

Blogging

Blogging is fun and easy and, again, you don't need great writing skills. You just need to be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas well. You can get your own customizable blog by getting a domain and hosting package that includes the Fantastico module. This module allows you to install the blogging software, WordPress, with 1 simple click. It's super fast and easy and you'll be blogging in no time. Once you have some visitors, you can add Adsense ads or affiliate ads to leverage your visitors and make money from them. Remember, the more interesting your topic, the more people will be interested, and the more readers you get, the more money you will make from your advertising. Blogs can be about anything, what do you have a passion for? What is your interest? Blog about it!

Affiliate Marketing

Many online companies have affiliate programs. Amazon.com, for instance, has a great affiliate program that allows you to sign up and get a customized URL to any page or area of their site. Then you can send this URL to your friends and family and encourage them to buy gifts from Amazon.com. With every purchase from your affiliate link, you get a commission! There are thousands of other affiliate programs out there, in addition to Amazon's program.

Sell Your Extra Stuff

We all have extra stuff laying around our houses or garages. Why not get rid of it and make some money too? Get your stuff and take a picture, write a description and put it up on eBay. You may find that something you thought that wasn't worth anything, is actually worth something!

Contests, Sweepstakes and Instant Win Games

Everyday there are new contests, sweepstakes and instant win games launching. If you are vigilant and spend an hour or a few a day entering contests and playing these games, you will win something eventually. Playing these games and contests is often fun anyway, so why not take a chance? Check out sweeps.ws for a great list of contests, sweepstakes and instant win games.

Free Lottos

You know how you go to the convenience store every week and spend a few bucks on lottery tickets? Well, there are also online lotteries where you can get tickets and win cash prizes. The difference is, these lotteries are free! Yes, free! You can find a list of free lottos at sweeps.ws.

Online Casinos

There are hundreds of different online casinos on the web. I bet you thought that you needed money to play at them and win? Well, you were wrong. You can signup for free poker tournaments that have cash prizes. There are also slot, roulette and blackjack tournaments that you can play that have real money prizes. All for free! Check out freerolls.net and gambling.com for listings.

There you go, 8 fun and easy ideas to make some extra cash online!

About The Author
Lydia Quinn writes for PaidSurvey24.com, a free and comprehensive paid survey directory list. Visit us at: Paid Survey 24

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Peta BULLSHIT!

Penn and Tellers show BULLSHIT! covers the two faced foundation PETA.


Video added as a test for a reader of Testsing Blogger Beta

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Stavanger modified Denim 3 column template for posting large photos, scrollboxes, tables, etc

Stavanger of Blogcrowd Forum (close new window/tab to get back to this page) has provided a number of Blogger beta templates, especially 3 column templates.

Here is the template of Stavanger modified 3 column Denim Blogger beta template which is suitable for posting large photos, scrollboxes, tables, etc., without the sidebar or main column sliding to the bottom of the page, or having part of the photo, scrollbox, table, etc hidden by the sidebar (with Stavanger's permission). This is also a post to demonstrate what happen when you post a wide scrollbox into a blog with such a template.

If you want to use the template for your blog, highlight all the codes in the scrollbox, or click your mouse inside the scrollbox and press ctrl+A, then copy and paste into the template editor of your blog.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'
xmlns:b='http://www.google.com/2005/gml/b'
xmlns:data='http://www.google.com/2005/gml/data'
xmlns:expr='http://www.google.com/2005/gml/expr'>
<head>
<b:include data='blog' name='all-head-content'/>
<title><data:blog.pageTitle/></title>
<b:skin><![CDATA[/*
-----------------------------------------------
Blogger Template Style
Name: Denim
Designer: Darren Delaye
URL: www.DarrenDelaye.com
Date: 11 Jul 2006

Modified By
Designer: Charlemagne Stavanger
URL: http://www.blogcrowds.com/
Support: http://www.blogcrowds.com/
-----------------------------------------------
*/

/* Variable definitions
====================
<Variable name="bgColor" description="Page Background Color"
type="color" default="#efefef" value="#efefef">
<Variable name="textColor" description="Text Color"
type="color" default="#333333" value="#333333">
<Variable name="linkColor" description="Link Color"
type="color" default="#336699" value="#336699">

<Variable name="headerBgColor" description="Page Header Background
Color"
type="color" default="#336699" value="#336699">
<Variable name="headerTextColor" description="Page Header Text Color"
type="color" default="#ffffff" value="#ffffff">
<Variable name="headerCornersColor" description="Page Header Corners
Color"
type="color" default="#528bc5" value="#528bc5">

<Variable name="mainBgColor" description="Main Background Color"
type="color" default="#ffffff" value="#ffffff">
<Variable name="borderColor" description="Border Color"
type="color" default="#cccccc" value="#cccccc">
<Variable name="dateHeaderColor" description="Date Header Color"
type="color" default="#999999" value="#999999">

<Variable name="sidebarTitleBgColor" description="Sidebar Title
Background Color"
type="color" default="#ffd595" value="#ffd595">
<Variable name="sidebarTitleTextColor" description="Sidebar Title Text
Color"
type="color" default="#333333" value="#333333">

<Variable name="bodyFont" description="Text Font"
type="font" default="normal normal 100% Verdana, Arial,
Sans-serif;" value="normal normal 100% Verdana, Arial, Sans-serif;">
<Variable name="headerFont" description="Page Header Font"
type="font" default="normal normal 210% Verdana, Arial,
Sans-serif;" value="normal normal 210% Verdana, Arial, Sans-serif;">

*/

body {
background: #fff;
margin: 0px;
padding: 0px;
font: x-small Verdana, Arial;
text-align: center;
color: $textColor;
font-size/* */:/**/small;
font-size: /**/small;
}
a:link {
color: $linkColor;
}
a:visited {
color: $linkColor;
}
a img {
border-width: 0;
}

#outer-wrapper {
font: $bodyFont;
}

/* Header
----------------------------------------------- */
#header-wrapper {
margin:0;
padding: 0;
background-color: $headerCornersColor;
text-align: left;
}

#header {
margin: 0 auto;
background-color: $headerBgColor;
border: 1px solid $headerBgColor;
color: $headerTextColor;
padding: 0;
font: $headerFont;
}

h1.title {
padding-top: 38px;
margin: 0 14px .1em;
line-height: 1.2em;
font-size: 100%;
}

h1.title a {
color: $headerTextColor;
text-decoration: none;
}

#header .description {
display: block;
margin: 0 14px;
padding: 0 0 40px;
line-height: 1.4em;
font-size: 50%;
}

/* Content
----------------------------------------------- */

.clear {
clear: both;
}


#content-wrapper {
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 0 0 15px;
text-align: left;
background-color: #fff;
border: 0px solid $borderColor;
border-top: 0;
}
#main-wrapper {
position:absolute;
top:180px;
left:400px;
margin:0 50px 0 0;
float: left;
background-color: $mainBgColor;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in
IE */
}
.sidebar-wrapper {
margin-right: 14px;
width: 160px;
float: left;
background-color: $mainBgColor;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in
IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE
sidebar float */
}

/* Headings
----------------------------------------------- */
h2, h3 {
margin: 0;
}

/* Posts
----------------------------------------------- */
.date-header {
margin: 1.5em 0 0;
font-weight: normal;
color: $dateHeaderColor;
font-size: 100%;
}
.post {
margin: 0 0 1.5em;
padding-bottom: 1.5em;
}
.post-title {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
font-size: 125%;
font-weight: bold;
line-height: 1.1em;
}
.post-title a, .post-title a:visited, .post-title strong {
text-decoration: none;
color: $textColor;
font-weight: bold;
}
.post div {
margin: 0 0 .75em;
line-height: 1.3em;
}
p.post-footer {
margin: -.25em 0 0;
color: $mainBgColor;
font-size: 83%;
}

.post-footer .span {
margin-right: .3em;
}
.comment-link {
margin-left: .3em;
}
.post img {
padding: 4px;
border: 1px solid $borderColor;
}
.post blockquote {
margin: 1em 20px;
}
.post blockquote p {
margin: .75em 0;
}

/* Comments
----------------------------------------------- */
#comments h4 {
margin: 1em 0;
color: $dateHeaderColor;
}
#comments h4 strong {
font-size: 110%;
}
#comments-block {
margin: 1em 0 1.5em;
line-height: 1.3em;
}
#comments-block dt {
margin: .5em 0;
}
#comments-block dd {
margin: .25em 0 0;
}
#comments-block dd.comment-footer {
margin: -.25em 0 2em;
line-height: 1.4em;
font-size: 78%;
}
#comments-block dd p {
margin: 0 0 .75em;
}

.deleted-comment {
font-style:italic;
color:gray;
}

.feed-links {
clear: both;
line-height: 2.5em;
}

#blog-pager-newer-link {
float: left;
}

#blog-pager-older-link {
float: right;
}

#blog-pager {
text-align: center;
}

/* Sidebar Content
----------------------------------------------- */
.sidebar h2 {
margin: 1.6em 0 .5em;
padding: 4px 5px;
background-color: $sidebarTitleBgColor;
font-size: 100%;
color: $sidebarTitleTextColor;
}

.sidebar ul {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
list-style: none;
}
.sidebar li {
margin: 0;
padding: 0 0 .5em 15px;
text-indent: -15px;
line-height: 1.5em;
}
.sidebar {
color: $textColor;
line-height:1.3em;
}
.sidebar .widget {
margin-bottom: 1em;
}

.sidebar .widget-content {
margin: 0 5px;
}

/* Profile
----------------------------------------------- */
.profile-img {
float: left;
margin: 0 5px 5px 0;
padding: 4px;
border: 1px solid $borderColor;
}

.profile-data {
margin:0;
text-transform:uppercase;
letter-spacing:.1em;
font-weight: bold;
line-height: 1.6em;
font-size: 78%;
}

.profile-datablock {
margin:.5em 0 .5em;
}

.profile-textblock {
margin: 0.5em 0;
line-height: 1.6em;
}


/* Footer
----------------------------------------------- */
#footer {
clear: both;
text-align: center;
color: $textColor;
}

#footer .widget {
margin:.5em;
padding-top: 20px;
font-size: 85%;
line-height: 1.5em;
text-align: left;
}
]]></b:skin>
</head>

<body>
<div id='outer-wrapper'><div id='wrap2' style='padding:0 50px;'>

<!-- skip links for text browsers -->
<span id='skiplinks' style='display:none;'>
<a href='#main'>skip to main </a> |
<a href='#sidebar'>skip to sidebar</a>
</span>

<div id='header-wrapper'>
<b:section class='header' id='header' maxwidgets='1'
showaddelement='no'>
<b:widget id='Header1' locked='true' title='Test (Header)'
type='Header'>
<b:includable id='main'>
<h1 id='banner-header'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.url == data:blog.homepageUrl'>
<data:title/>
<b:else/>
<a expr:href='data:blog.homepageUrl'><data:title/></a>
</b:if>
</h1>
<h2 id='banner-description'><data:description/></h2>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>
</b:section>
</div>

<div id='content-wrapper'>
<div class='sidebar-wrapper'>
<b:section class='sidebar' id='sidebar1' preferred='yes'>
<b:widget id='Label1' locked='false' title='Labels' type='Label'>
<b:includable id='main'>
<b:if cond='data:title'>
<h2><data:title/></h2>
</b:if>
<div class='widget-content'>
<ul>
<b:loop values='data:labels' var='label'>
<li>
<b:if cond='data:blog.url == data:label.url'>
<data:label.name/>
<b:else/>
<a expr:href='data:label.url'><data:label.name/></a>
</b:if>
(<data:label.count/>)
</li>
</b:loop>
</ul>

<b:include name='quickedit'/>
</div>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>
</b:section>
</div>

<div class='sidebar-wrapper'>
<b:section class='sidebar' id='sidebar2' preferred='yes'>
<b:widget id='BlogArchive1' locked='false' title='Blog Archive'
type='BlogArchive'>
<b:includable id='main'>
<b:if cond='data:title'>
<h2><data:title/></h2>
</b:if>
<div class='widget-content'>
<div expr:id='data:widget.instanceId + "_ArchiveList"'>
<b:if cond='data:style == "HIERARCHY"'>
<b:include data='data' name='interval'/>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:style == "FLAT"'>
<b:include data='data' name='flat'/>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:style == "MENU"'>
<b:include data='data' name='menu'/>
</b:if>
</div>
<b:include name='quickedit'/>
</div>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='toggle' var='interval'>
<b:if cond='data:interval.toggleId'>
<b:if cond='data:interval.expclass == "expanded"'>
<a class='toggle' expr:href='data:widget.actionUrl +
"&action=toggle" + "&dir=close&toggle=" + data:interval.toggleId +
"&toggleopen=" + data:toggleopen'>
<span class='zippy toggle-open'>▼ </span>
</a>
<b:else/>
<a class='toggle' expr:href='data:widget.actionUrl +
"&action=toggle" + "&dir=open&toggle=" + data:interval.toggleId +
"&toggleopen=" + data:toggleopen'>
<span class='zippy'>► </span>
</a>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='flat' var='data'>
<ul>
<b:loop values='data:data' var='i'>
<li class='archivedate'>
<a expr:href='data:i.url'><data:i.name/></a>
(<data:i.post-count/>)
</li>
</b:loop>
</ul>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='posts' var='posts'>
<ul class='posts'>
<b:loop values='data:posts' var='i'>
<li><a expr:href='data:i.url'><data:i.title/></a></li>
</b:loop>
</ul>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='menu' var='data'>
<select expr:id='data:widget.instanceId + "_ArchiveMenu"'>
<option value=''><data:title/></option>
<b:loop values='data:data' var='i'>
<option expr:value='data:i.url'><data:i.name/>
(<data:i.post-count/>)</option>
</b:loop>
</select>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='interval' var='intervalData'>
<b:loop values='data:intervalData' var='i'>
<ul>
<li expr:class='"archivedate " + data:i.expclass'>
<b:include data='i' name='toggle'/>
<a class='post-count-link'
expr:href='data:i.url'><data:i.name/></a>
(<span class='post-count'><data:i.post-count/></span>)
<b:if cond='data:i.data'>
<b:include data='i.data' name='interval'/>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:i.posts'>
<b:include data='i.posts' name='posts'/>
</b:if>
</li>
</ul>
</b:loop>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>
<b:widget id='LinkList1' locked='false' title='Link' type='LinkList'>
<b:includable id='main'>

<b:if cond='data:title'><h2><data:title/></h2></b:if>
<div class='widget-content'>
<ul>
<b:loop values='data:links' var='link'>
<li><a expr:href='data:link.target'><data:link.name/></a></li>
</b:loop>
</ul>
<b:include name='quickedit'/>
</div>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>
</b:section>
<p>Modified by <a href='http://www.blogcrowds.com/'
style='color:#000'>Blogcrowds</a></p>
</div>

<div id='main-wrapper'>
<b:section class='main' id='main' showaddelement='no'>
<b:widget id='Blog1' locked='true' title='Blog Posts' type='Blog'>
<b:includable id='postQuickEdit' var='post'>
<b:if cond='data:post.editUrl'>
<span expr:class='"item-control " + data:post.adminClass'>
<a expr:href='data:post.editUrl' title='Edit Post'>
<span class='quick-edit-icon'> </span>
</a>
</span>
</b:if>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='comments' var='post'>
<a name='comments'/>
<div class='comments'>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<h3 class='comments-header'>
<b:if cond='data:post.numComments == 1'>
1 <data:commentLabel/>:
<b:else/>
<data:post.numComments/> <data:commentLabelPlural/>:
</b:if>
</h3>

<div class='comments-content'>
<b:loop values='data:post.comments' var='comment'>
<div class='comment'>
<div class='comment-content'>
<b:if cond='data:comment.isDeleted'>
<span class='deleted-comment'><data:comment.body/></span>
<b:else/>
<p><data:comment.body/></p>
</b:if>
</div>
<p class='comment-footer'>
<a expr:name='"comment-" + data:comment.id'/>
<b:if cond='data:comment.authorUrl'>
<a
expr:href='data:comment.authorUrl'><data:comment.author/></a>
<b:else/>
<data:comment.author/>
</b:if>
<data:commentPostedByMsg/>
</p>
</div>

<p class='comment-timestamp'>
<a expr:href='"#comment-" + data:comment.id' title='comment
permalink'>
<data:comment.timestamp/>
</a>
<b:include data='comment' name='commentDeleteIcon'/>
</p>
</b:loop>
</div>


<p class='comment-footer'>
<a expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl'
expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'><data:postCommentMsg/></a>
</p>
</b:if>

<div id='backlinks-container'>
<div expr:id='data:widget.instanceId + "_backlinks-container"'>
<b:if cond='data:post.showBacklinks'>
<b:include data='post' name='backlinks'/>
</b:if>
</div>
</div>

</div>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='feedLinksBody' var='links'>
<div class='feed-links'>
<data:feedLinksMsg/>
<b:loop values='data:links' var='f'>
<a class='feed-link' expr:href='data:f.url'
expr:type='data:f.mimeType' target='_blank'><data:f.name/> (<data:f.feedType/>)</a>
</b:loop>
</div>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='main' var='top'>
<!-- posts -->
<!-- <div class="entry"> -->

<b:include data='top' name='status-message'/>

<b:loop values='data:posts' var='post'>
<b:include data='post' name='post'/>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<b:include data='post' name='comments'/>
</b:if>
</b:loop>

<!-- </div> -->

<!-- navigation -->
<b:include name='nextprev'/>

<!-- feed links -->
<b:include name='feedLinks'/>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='backlinkDeleteIcon' var='backlink'>
<span expr:class='"item-control " + data:backlink.adminClass'>
<a expr:href='data:backlink.deleteUrl' title='Delete Backlink'>
<span class='delete-comment-icon'> </span>
</a>
</span>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='primarycontent'>
<div id='primarycontent'><div>


<!-- posts -->
<div class='blog-posts'>
<b:loop values='data:posts' var='post'>
<b:if cond='data:post.dateHeader'>
<h2 class='date-header'><data:post.dateHeader/></h2>
</b:if>
<b:include data='post' name='post'/>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<b:include data='post' name='comments'/>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</b:loop>
</div>



<b:includable id='post' var='post'>
<div class='item entry'>

<div class='itemhead'>
<a expr:name='data:post.id'/>
<b:if cond='data:post.title'>
<h3>
<b:if cond='data:post.url'>
<a expr:href='data:post.url'><data:post.title/></a>
<b:else/>
<data:post.title/>
</b:if>
</h3>
</b:if>

<small class='metadata'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'>

<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<a class='comment-link' expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl'
expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'>
<b:if cond='data:post.numComments == 1'>1
<data:top.commentLabel/><b:else/><data:post.numComments/>
<data:top.commentLabelPlural/></b:if></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>


<span class='chronodata'>
<b:if cond='data:top.showAuthor'>
<data:top.authorLabel/> <data:post.author/>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:top.showTimestamp'>
<data:top.timestampLabel/>
<b:if cond='data:post.url'>
<a class='timestamp-link' expr:href='data:post.url'
title='permanent link'><data:post.timestamp/></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</span>

</small>
</div>

<div class='itemtext'>
<p><data:post.body/></p>
<div style='clear: both;'/> <!-- clear for photos floats -->
</div>


<div class='itemhead'>
<p class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'>

<!-- backlinks -->
<span class='post-backlinks post-comment-link'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'>
<b:if cond='data:post.showBacklinks'>
<a class='comment-link' expr:href='data:post.url +
"#links"'><data:top.backlinkLabel/></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</span>

<span class='post-icons'>
<!-- email post links -->
<b:if cond='data:post.emailPostUrl'>
<span class='item-action'>
<a expr:href='data:post.emailPostUrl' title='Email Post'>
<span class='email-post-icon'> </span>
</a>
</span>
</b:if>

<!-- quickedit pencil -->
<b:include data='post' name='postQuickEdit'/>
</span>
</p>

<p class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'>
<span class='post-labels'>
<b:if cond='data:post.labels'>
<data:postLabelsLabel/>
<b:loop values='data:post.labels' var='label'>
<a expr:href='data:label.url'
rel='tag'><data:label.name/></a><b:if cond='data:label.isLast != "true"'>,</b:if>
</b:loop>
</b:if>
</span>
</p>

<p class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'/>

</div></div>
</b:includable>


<b:includable id='postQuickEdit' var='post'>
<b:if cond='data:post.editUrl'>
<span expr:class='"item-control " + data:post.adminClass'>
<a expr:href='data:post.editUrl' title='Edit Post'>
<span class='quick-edit-icon'> </span>
</a>
</span>
</b:if>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='commentDeleteIcon' var='comment'>
<span expr:class='"item-control " + data:comment.adminClass'>
<a expr:href='data:comment.deleteUrl' title='Delete Comment'>
<span class='delete-comment-icon'> </span>
</a>
</span>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='backlinkDeleteIcon' var='backlink'>
<span expr:class='"item-control " + data:backlink.adminClass'>
<a expr:href='data:backlink.deleteUrl' title='Delete Backlink'>
<span class='delete-comment-icon'/>
</a>
</span>
</b:includable>







<div class='comments'>
<b:includable id='comments' var='post'>


<a name='comments'/>
<h4>
<b:if cond='data:post.numComments == 1'>
1 Comment:
<b:else/>
<data:post.numComments/> Comments:
</b:if>
</h4>

<ol id='commentlist'>

<li class='item'>
<b:loop values='data:post.comments' var='comment'>
<dt class='comment-author' expr:id='"comment-" +
data:comment.id'>
<a expr:name='"comment-" + data:comment.id'/>
<b:if cond='data:comment.authorUrl'>
<span class='commentauthor'><a
expr:href='data:comment.authorUrl'><data:comment.author/></a></span>
<b:else/>
<span class='commentauthor'><data:comment.author/></span>
</b:if>
said...
</dt>
<small class='commentmetadata'>
<a expr:href='"#comment-" + data:comment.id' title='comment
permalink'>
<data:comment.timestamp/>
</a>
<b:include data='comment' name='commentDeleteIcon'/>
</small>

<b:if cond='data:comment.isDeleted'>
<div class='itemtext'><data:comment.body/></div>
<b:else/>
<div class='itemtext'><data:comment.body/></div>
</b:if>

</b:loop>
</li>
</ol>

<p>
<a expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl'
expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'>Post a Comment</a>
</p><br/><br/>

<div class='backlinks-container'>
<b:if cond='data:post.showBacklinks'>
<b:include data='post' name='backlinks'/>
</b:if>
</div>
</b:includable>


<b:includable id='backlinks' var='post'>
<a name='links'/><h4><data:post.backlinksLabel/></h4>

<b:if cond='data:post.numBacklinks != 0'>
<ol>
<b:loop values='data:post.backlinks' var='backlink'>
<div class='collapsed-backlink backlink-control'>
<span class='commentauthor'>
<span class='backlink-toggle-zippy'> </span>
<a expr:href='data:backlink.url'><data:backlink.title/></a>
<b:include data='backlink' name='backlinkDeleteIcon'/>
</span>
<dd class='comment-body collapseable'>
<data:backlink.snippet/>
</dd>
<small class='commentmetadata'>
<span class='pingtype'><data:post.authorLabel/>
<data:backlink.author/></span>
<data:post.timestampLabel/> <data:backlink.timestamp/>
</small>
</div>
</b:loop>
</ol>
</b:if>

<p>
<a class='comment-link' expr:href='data:post.createLinkUrl'
id='b-backlink' target='_blank'><data:post.createLinkLabel/></a>
</p>

</b:includable>


<b:includable id='feedLinks'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'> <!-- Blog feed links -->
<b:if cond='data:feedLinks'>
<div class='blog-feeds'>
<b:include data='feedLinks' name='feedLinksBody'/>
</div>
</b:if>

<b:else/> <!--Post feed links -->
<div class='post-feeds'>
<b:loop values='data:posts' var='post'>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<b:if cond='data:post.feedLinks'>
<b:include data='post.feedLinks' name='feedLinksBody'/>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</b:loop>
</div>
</b:if>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='feedLinksBody' var='links'>
<div class='feed-links'>
Subscribe to:
<b:loop values='data:links' var='f'>
<a class='feed-link' expr:href='data:f.url'
expr:type='data:f.mimeType' target='_blank'><data:f.name/> (<data:f.feedType/>)</a>
</b:loop>
</div>
</b:includable>
</div></div></div>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='backlinks' var='post'>
<a name='links'/>
<div class='comments'>
<h3><data:post.backlinksLabel/></h3>
<b:if cond='data:post.numBacklinks != 0'>
<dl class='comments-block' id='comments-block'>
<b:loop values='data:post.backlinks' var='backlink'>
<div class='collapsed-backlink backlink-control'>
<dt class='comment-title'>
<span class='backlink-toggle-zippy'> </span>
<a expr:href='data:backlink.url'><data:backlink.title/></a>
<b:include data='backlink' name='backlinkDeleteIcon'/>
</dt>
<dd class='comment-body collapseable'>
<data:backlink.snippet/>
</dd>
<dd class='comment-footer collapseable'>
<span class='comment-author'><data:post.authorLabel/>
<data:backlink.author/></span>
<span class='comment-timestamp'><data:post.timestampLabel/>
<data:backlink.timestamp/></span>
</dd>
</div>
</b:loop>
</dl>
</b:if>

<p class='comment-footer'>
<a class='comment-link' expr:href='data:post.createLinkUrl'
expr:id='data:widget.instanceId + "_backlinks-create-link"'
target='_blank'><data:post.createLinkLabel/></a>
</p>
</div>

</b:includable>
<b:includable id='status-message'>
<b:if cond='data:navMessage'>
<div class='status-msg-wrap'>
<div class='status-msg-body'>
<data:navMessage/>
</div>
<div class='status-msg-border'>
<div class='status-msg-bg'>
<div class='status-msg-hidden'><data:navMessage/></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style='clear: both;'/>
</b:if>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='feedLinks'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'> <!-- Blog feed links
-->
<b:if cond='data:feedLinks'>
<div class='blog-feeds'>
<b:include data='feedLinks' name='feedLinksBody'/>
</div>
</b:if>

<b:else/> <!--Post feed links -->
<div class='post-feeds'>
<b:loop values='data:posts' var='post'>
<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<b:if cond='data:post.feedLinks'>
<b:include data='post.feedLinks' name='feedLinksBody'/>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</b:loop>
</div>
</b:if>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='nextprev'>
<p class='content-nav'>
<b:if cond='data:newerPageUrl'>
<span>
<a expr:href='data:newerPageUrl'
expr:id='data:widget.instanceId + "_blog-pager-newer-link"'
expr:title='data:newerPageTitle'><data:newerPageTitle/></a>
</span>
</b:if>

<b:if cond='data:olderPageUrl'>
<span>
<a expr:href='data:olderPageUrl'
expr:id='data:widget.instanceId + "_blog-pager-older-link"'
expr:title='data:olderPageTitle'><data:olderPageTitle/></a>
</span>
</b:if>

<b:if cond='data:blog.homepageUrl != data:blog.url'>
<a expr:href='data:blog.homepageUrl'><data:homeMsg/></a>
<b:else/>
<b:if cond='data:newerPageUrl'>
<a expr:href='data:blog.homepageUrl'><data:homeMsg/></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>

</p>
<div class='clear'/>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='post' var='post'>
<h2 class='date-header'><data:post.dateHeader/></h2>
<div class='entry'>
<a expr:name='data:post.id'/>
<b:if cond='data:post.title'>
<h3 class='entry-header'>
<b:if cond='data:post.link'>
<a expr:href='data:post.link'><data:post.title/></a>
<b:else/>
<b:if cond='data:post.url'>
<a expr:href='data:post.url'><data:post.title/></a>
<b:else/>
<data:post.title/>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</h3>
</b:if>

<div class='post-header-line-1'/>

<div class='entry-content'><div class='entry-body'>
<p><data:post.body/></p>
<div style='clear: both;'/> <!-- clear for photos floats -->

<p class='entry-footer'>

<span class='post-footers'>
<b:if cond='data:top.showAuthor'>
<data:top.authorLabel/> <data:post.author/>
</b:if>

<b:if cond='data:top.showTimestamp'>
<data:top.timestampLabel/>
<b:if cond='data:post.url'>
<a class='timestamp-link' expr:href='data:post.url'
title='permanent link'><data:post.timestamp/></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>
</span> <span class='separator'>|</span>

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'>

<b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
<a class='comment-link' expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl'
expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'><b:if
cond='data:post.numComments == 1'>1 <data:top.commentLabel/><b:else/><data:post.numComments/>
<data:top.commentLabelPlural/></b:if></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'>
<b:if cond='data:post.showBacklinks'>
<a class='comment-link' expr:href='data:post.url +
"#links"'><data:top.backlinkLabel/></a>
</b:if>
</b:if>

<!-- email post links -->
<b:if cond='data:post.emailPostUrl'>
<span class='item-action'>
<a expr:href='data:post.emailPostUrl' title='Email Post'>
<span class='email-post-icon'> </span>
</a>
</span>
</b:if>

<!-- quickedit pencil -->
<b:include data='post' name='postQuickEdit'/>

</p>

<p class='entry-footer'>
<span class='post-labels'>
<b:if cond='data:post.labels'>
<data:postLabelsLabel/>
<b:loop values='data:post.labels' var='label'>
<a expr:href='data:label.url'
rel='tag'><data:label.name/></a><b:if cond='data:label.isLast != "true"'>,</b:if>
</b:loop>
</b:if>
</span>
</p>

<p class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'/>
</div></div>
</div>
</b:includable>
<b:includable id='commentDeleteIcon' var='comment'>
<span expr:class='"item-control " + data:comment.adminClass'>
<a expr:href='data:comment.deleteUrl' title='Delete Comment'>
<span class='delete-comment-icon'> </span>
</a>
</span>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>
</b:section>
</div>

<!-- spacer for skins that want sidebar and main to be the same
height-->
<div class='clear'> </div>

</div> <!-- end content-wrapper -->

<div id='footer-wrapper' style='clear:both;'>
<b:section class='footer' id='footer'/>
</div>

</div></div> <!-- end outer-wrapper -->
</body>
</html>

Effect of posting a wide photo on this blog using Stavanger Denim modified template


Objective of this post:

1. Demonstrate how posting a large photo, scrollbox, table, etc. in a blog using Stavanger modified Denim 3 column templatea will not cause the sidebar or main column to slide down to the bottom of the page, or have the photo obscured by the sidebar, etc.

2. Promote Malaysia. The photo above have been made an active hyperlink. Click on it and see where it takes you. The photo is copyright of Tourism Malaysia and is free to use to help promote Malaysia. 2007 is Visit Malaysia Year and also its 50th anniversary of its independence as a colony from Great Britain. Many programs are being and have been planned for the enjoyment of visitors. 2007 will be the best year to visit Malaysia.

How to Start Video Blogging?

How to Start Video Blogging?
by: Kanicen Nichathavan

Videoblogging is the next generation of posting ideas and products over the internet. Everybody knows about textblogging. Now they use videos for a better way of expression. This form of communication may entail a lot of resources, but it is all worth it. If pictures say a thousand words, videoblogging exceeds that by far.

A videoblog requires larger disk spaces on websites, a faster server, and a whole new set of programs to support it. Videoblogs can be fed through RSS. This is technology of syndicating your website to other RSS aggregators.

Videoblogging works with people on the internet expressing their selves. Now if you put this on a business prospective, you are up to a lot of benefits. Think of it as a powerful tool in making showing your prospective customers your line of products or your services. It’s just like showing a commercial all for free. And if you videoblog through RSS, then most probably you are getting your target market.

People like to see what they are going to buy. Some would like to see proof and be sure that they are getting their money’s worth before shelving their dimes on it. All of us know the influence of a thirty second commercial. The effect of videoblogging is similar to that. You show your product, people watch it. If they like it, they buy it. If you present it good enough, they’ll buy the product even if they don’t need it.

Now on the web, things are pretty much static, unlike in television in which all are moving. If you post something that is mobile, it would most likely catch attention. Now imaging your product parading in all it’s royalty through videoblog. You’ll get phone call orders in no time.

If your business is just starting up, you can create a videoblog right at your own home. All you need is your web camera, microphone, video software, and lights. For as long as you know how to use your camera, then you can create a videoblog.

Invest in a good web camera. The higher its resolution is the better the output. And you like to present your goods in the optimum way so get the best one possible. Make a short story, or just capture your goods in one go. Just make sure you are getting the best profile for each. Get those creativity juices flowing.

Lights are important in a production. Make sure you illuminate entirely the area you are going to use to create videoblog. The brighter the area, the crispier the images will be. You can also use lighting effects for added appeal to the presentation.

Should you require sounds for your videoblog, you need a microphone. Record you voice as a voice over for promoting the product and its benefit to consumers. Sounds are as important as videos on a videoblog. It is advisable to make your sound effects as enticing as the video.

Your video editing software can be any program. You need this to finalize your work. You can add sounds, delete some bad angles, or insert some still pictures in there too. Some programs are user-friendly and can be used even with zero knowledge on video editing. Even simple video editing programs should do the trick. Select your background carefully too. The light affects the presentation so make sure that the background and the light complements each other.

Videoblogging is a great tool but it also has it downside. It may slow down the computer so other may steer clear of it. Download time may also be time consuming especially if customer is still on a dial- up connection.

But don’t let those stop you. Let videoblogging be an alternative for you, though it is best to still keep the text and pictures present in your presentation to accommodate all possible viewers of your site.

Nowadays, the more creative you are in presenting your product to the market, they more you are likely to succeed. Videoblogging offers an interactive way of selling. You involve the customers. You instill in them the advantage of your goods. And at times, those are enough to make a sale.


About The Author
Kanicen Nichathavan is the owner of Kanicen's Blog, Kanicen's Blog welcomes everyone who intends to share knowledge, interesting products, ideas and those who want to start Internet Online Business. You will find all kind of Internet Marketing Tools and resources. For Newbie and Internet Marketers this blog will be the best option for lowest prices of all kind of Internet Marketing Tools at Kanicen (close new window/tab to get back to this page).