Some of my friends and I recently got an email about the Google Penguin issue. We thought that it was just spammy because we are only aware of Google Panda. It seems that the search engine giant likes exotic pets.

Anyway, after laughing it off, I came across an article detailing what Google Penguin is and how its changes are gonna affect search engine operation and search engine optimization (SEO). Experts warn that to over-SEO your site would mean like suicide because you get penalized in the rankings system.

Honestly, I do not really completely understand what is going on but I am just happy to know that those who write unique and quality content in their sites will benefit from this change. Those who will be adversely affected are those who are into gray hat or black hat SEO. Since I am not into that, then I believe that I will be fine.

One writer said that there is really nothing new with these changes. Google had always stood on its principle of searching for unique content that will give value to its readers. I used to hate it when I type a certain keyword and everything that comes up on the front page are sites that just mention the keyword and nothing more.

But now, the searches turn out more quality content. And that is just the only thing that Google wants. So I guess that if you want to make an honest living from the Internet, Google will support you wholeheartedly.

You know that you want to set up a website, you already have the domain name, and now it is time for you to choose the web hosting.

When deciding on a web hosting provider, you have two options to choose from in terms of operating platforms and the type of scripting language used.

Operating platforms come in two versions—the Windows and the Linux. As the name suggests, the Windows platform was designed to work on a Windows computing machine. On the other hand, Linux was designed especially for web server applications.

As for the scripting languages, they come in PHP, Perl, or ASP. PHP means hypertext preprocessor while ASP means active server pages. The platform is dependent on the scripting language you will use. Windows uses ASP while Linux uses the Perl or PHP scripting languages. Most web hosting companies provide both Windows and Linux platforms to their subscribers.

It is up to you what kind of web hosting you want. But if you have a business website, it is best to consult a web developer on the matter so that your corporate website will look trustworthy.

We all know, at least those who use the internet, what a website is but not too many of us know about web hosting and much less, web hosting providers. Now, here are some information about web hosting.

A website can only be online if you have it hosted with a web host provider. That is because websites are like real estate property in the virtual world. To have a site that is up and running means that you would need an address and a platform on which to build it. On the other hand, web hosting providers are like the real estate agents that provide you with a place to stay.

The usual set up is that the web space is leased or rented, for a specific period of time, like yearly, quarterly or monthly basis, and renewable.

The server that is used by providers is a powerful and sophisticated computer system that runs on specialized high-speed connections. They have an intricate firewall protection to protect all its subscribers. If you look into what a provider can give you, you will find out that they have packages that include website storage on the host server and email services as well as domain registration and auto-responders. If you need shopping cart software or access to add-on software applications on your website, they can also add it for you.

Okay, so I bought another domain…again! I already told myself that I have enough domains already. But what can I do? I am a certified domainaholic. So I now have more than 20 sites!

But this one just got me interested. This is going to be about cars. The name of the website is New Cars, Used Cars.

Honestly, I don’t know anymore how I am going to maintain all my sites. hahaha Just an addict you know. I bought it a couple of weeks ago from GoDaddy but up until now, I have not yet set it up. Tsk tsk. But I will have to because I really like it.

I am not very good in cars but I kind of like writing about them. So well, I hope I can maintain this and maybe eventually become an expert in cars. LOL

The people who were behind Facebook from the very start have been richly rewarded when the social networking leader went public. The IPO has catapulted the value of FB at almost $100 billion and those who had stock options found themselves richer by several hundred million dollars.

Here is the rest of the articles from Yahoo News.

Facebook Co-Founder Mark Zuckerberg, 27, is slated to become one of the richest people in the world with a personal fortune of at least $28 billion. His salary will be cut to $1 from $1.48 million last year, effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who made $30.8 million last year, will enter the billionaire’s club for the first time and early Facebook investors like Peter Thiel and venture capital firm Accel Partners are both expected to net profits in the billions.

Even Facebook’s biggest foes – Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss – will become richer, thanks to the 1.2 million shares they own, part of the settlement deal they agreed to after suing Zuckerberg for stealing their idea. (Have you seen The Social Network?) Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to concentrate on expanding Facebook, which he started with a few friends in his sophomore college dormitory eight years ago. Facebook has 845 million users worldwide.

The New York Times profiled graffiti artist David Choe as one example of how Facebook’s public offering will change the lives of thousands of people. Choe was hired to paint murals on the walls of Facebook’s Palo Alto office in 2005; instead of taking cash as payment, he accepted several hundred stock options. Those shares could be now worth north of $200 million.

Zuckerberg’s father Edward, a dentist in New York, will also greatly benefit from the IPO. He was given two million shares “in satisfaction of funds provided for our initial working capital,” according to Facebook’s S-1 filing.

One person left out of the Facebook filing is estranged Co-Founder Eduardo Saverin. Zuckerberg’s former best friend and roommate, and the one who provided the company’s early financing, Salverin has sold a majority of his stake (worth five percent) of the company on the secondary market.

Wow! I think Zuckerberg is really brilliant. I wonder though if his sister, Randi Zuckerberg, who resigned from the company last year, will also be getting something from this?

Various ways that a user can practice to ensure security when using wireless network

When Internet was first introduced, everybody was excited to have a computer at home so they can surf the net to research, send emails, chat to friends and more.

Nowadays, mobile devices are getting so high-tech that almost all cell phones, laptops, netbooks and the like are equipped with WiFi capability that lets them connect to the Internet even when on the road, while waiting for their flight in an airport, as they sip their coffee in a coffee shop and more.

The WiFi technology has brought mobile computing to a whole new level as it means any user who has a WiFi capable device can easily connect to the Internet even without the wires. This has push different stores and establishments to install point to point wireless system as an added service to their valued clients.

Though wireless point to point access offers a lot of advantages and convenience to users, experts say that it can pose for a security risk as it makes users vulnerable to identify theft and hacking. But of course, there are a lot of ways that users can exercise to protect themselves while using a wireless network and here are a few of those:

1. Avoid connecting to unencrypted public wireless networks. When accessing a WiFi hotspot, always choose secured networks that will require for a username and password for authentication before being allowed to access the network. This will ensure that the service that you are connecting to is a reliable and secure network and at the same time, access is restricted to only those who know the valid username and password. Encrypted wireless networks also offers added protection as it uses either WEP (wired equivalent privacy) or WPA (WiFi protected access) for security.
2. Install and turn on firewall settings on your devices. Before using your laptop in a public hot spot, make sure that firewall has been installed and turned on.
3. Turn off WiFi Ad-hoc mode. Turning this off will not allow automatic access or connection to your device without your authority.
4. Use Virtual Private Networks (VPN) if available. VPN encrypts all inbound and outbound traffic making data difficult to intercept.
5. Use strong passwords. Always make use of strong passwords for accounts that you access in your laptop, like your email. Do not use common information for your password like your birthday, middle name, etc but instead use combination of alphanumeric characters to create strong passwords.
6. Always make use of https URLs. When inputting sensitive date using your mobile device or laptop like bank details, credit card information and the like, make sure that the site uses https URL. What this mean is that all data and information going in and out of the site is encrypted using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) making it more secure.

Establishments providing ptmp networks to their clients are expected also to use devices and solutions that offer extra security features to avoid any hacking incident while using their wireless network. Here are some of these devices which are available from Winncom.com:

1. Motorola 802.11n. This solution is applicable for those who want to create wireless broadband connections across cities or within campuses.
2. Proxim Wireless LAN. This solution provides speed that is double the speed of a wired network.
3. Proxim High-Capacity Mesh Radios. This allows for voice and video over WiFi.

By following the steps listed above, partnered with the right device and solution from Winncom.com, will definitely ensure a safe and secure WiFi surfing for all users.

On the webpage of Rafflecopter, you will see this slogan.

Giveaways Made Crazy-Simple
Rafflecopter is the easiest way to Create, Run, & Enter online giveaways. Ever, ever.

And it is really true.

In the past, websites and blogs often held contests in order to bring in traffic to their blogs. This was done manually and the higher the prizes at stake, the more things that people will have to do. Sometimes, it gets really complicated that instead of joining, I for one, just get discouraged.

Then Rafflecopter became live. It is a tool to help people organize and hold contests as well as pick contest winners. As for the participants, it is just easy for them, because all they have to do is to click, click, and click. Of course, some validation is needed but the contest has become so much easier. You can link everything from blog posts, Twitter posts, FB fan pages, Google +, and the like.

This is one innovation in the online world that has revolutionized how we handle online contests. I have yet to try it on my own contest but I have joined many that have used this and I find it very convenient. So the next time you have a contest, do have it on Rafflecopter because you get more returns.

Facebook Timeline is coming. While many of us have delayed using it, now the company is forcing it on us in a few days. I have never been really one to complain about changes and developments on Facebook this time, I am voicing it out because Timeline is really scandalous. I am not talking about how easily people can know more about you and such.

I am talking about the display. It is horrendous. The pictures are really big and I don’t understand which one comes first. It is really ugly. I have to sit back in order to see the profile of one who already has Timeline.

Anyway, I got this tip from another FB user. It is supposed to reduce the clutter on our walls if we are going to use Timeline.

I like to keep my FB private except to those I am friends with. So if you all would do the following, I’d appreciate it. With the new FB Timeline on its way this week for EVERYONE. . . please do both of us a favor: Hover over my name above. In a few seconds you’ll see a box that says “Subscribed”. Hover over that, then go to “Comments and Likes” and unclick it. That will stop my posts and yours to me from showing up on the side bar for everyone to see, but most importantly it limits hackers from invading our profiles. If you repost this I will do the same for you. You’ll know I’ve acknowledged you because if you tell me that you’ve done it I’ll “like” it.

This is the statement of Facebook in their Washington DC page after the news broke out that Texas Rep. Lamar Smith pulled out the SOPA.

SOPA is Dead

“We are relieved that Congress has recognized the serious damage the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) could cause to the Internet and are pleased that congressional leaders have decided not to move forward on these bills. We want to thank the millions of Facebook users who shared their views with us, with members of Congress, and with their friends and families on this important issue, and who changed the direction of this harmful legislation. We appreciate that lawmakers have listened to our community’s concerns, and we stand ready to work with them on solutions to piracy and copyright infringement that will not chill free expression or threaten the economic growth and innovation the Internet provides.”

Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas has announced yesterday that he is pulling the bill pending deliberation. This is what the lawmaker has to say (taken from Mashable.com)

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy,” Smith (R-Texas) said. “It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.”

And here is the rest of the statement that he released, even if it was only two days ago that he was adamant about the bill, lambasting Wikipedia for staging a blackout protest.

“We need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products. The problem of online piracy is too big to ignore. American intellectual property industries provide 19 million high-paying jobs and account for more than 60% of U.S. exports. The theft of America’s intellectual property costs the U.S. economy more than $100 billion annually and results in the loss of thousands of American jobs. Congress cannot stand by and do nothing while American innovators and job creators are under attack.

“The online theft of American intellectual property is no different than the theft of products from a store. It is illegal and the law should be enforced both in the store and online.

“The Committee will continue work with copyright owners, Internet companies, financial institutions to develop proposals that combat online piracy and protect America’s intellectual property. We welcome input from all organizations and individuals who have an honest difference of opinion about how best to address this widespread problem. The Committee remains committed to finding a solution to the problem of online piracy that protects American intellectual property and innovation.”

This news is very relieving to many parties thriving in the online world.