Website Services

A few weeks ago we reported on Go Daddy’s abandonment of support for SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. Though is issue is far from over, some big names are stepping up to the plate to see that it doesn’t get too far.

Wikipedia will be following the steps of other big sites, like Reddit, and blacking out the English version of their site on Wednesday in protest of the legislation. Many people are concerned that while the bill is meant to protect media producers from having their content used illegally, it will in fact harm sites whose content is user-generated, including things like Wikipedia and YouTube.

Another big step for SOPA’s opponents came when White House representatives spoke up. Although the administration did not officially take a stance on SOPA, it did imply concerns about some recent legislation’s risk to cybersecurity and say that it will oppose any law that could create censorship.

California congressman Darrell Issa, who opposes SOPA, said that members of congress will need a lot more education about the way the internet works before there will be any serious legislation. He also says that he had understood that the bill would not be brought to a vote unless there is consensus.

As law-abiding consumers, this legislation would probably affect us primarily through the service providers who are threatened by it. SOPA would hold them responsible when other people posted pirated content on their servers. That means that besides media sources and web sites, web hosting providers could get in trouble over this, which is why the internet world was taken aback by Go Daddy’s original support.

So even if you’re not sure what this has to do with you as a consumer rather than provider of media, be sure to stay informed about the issues.

If you’ve been following internet news recently, then you’ve definitely heard about SOPA. But just in case you haven’t, here is a quick review: SOPA is the Stop Online Piracy Act. The legislation is meant to protect copyrighted information from being used illegally but it’s not very popular. People are afraid that it’s an excuse to censor the web and put too much control into the hands of big media companies. Pirate websites would probably find ways to get around it while sites with user-generated content, like Youtube for example would be policed more strongly. While most people fear censorship down the line, some even purport conspiracy theories because sites like Cnet, which gave information about how to pirate content, are in fact owned by big media companies. Some claim that they encouraged piracy early on to create the reason for this legislation, which would give them greater control over the internet. Most just see that as hypocrisy however, rather than an intended outcome.

Users are so opposed to this bill that Go Daddy has felt enough pressure from users to withdraw their support for it. The domain registrar and web hosting company was reacting to loud and numerous voices on Reddit and Twitter calling for boycotts of Go Daddy. Although they have worked for years to create legislation fighting online piracy, they now say that it will have to be revised before they can support it. Posts explaining why the company supported specific parts of the bill were even removed from the Go Daddy blog.

I understand how Go Daddy as a domain registrar and web host could easily be sucked into this issue. Although they don’t make their money off of copyrighted content, it’s easy to see that they could be in trouble down the line when people using their services break copyright law. Fortunately for Go Daddy, they won’t be the first to suffer from piracy on the one hand or SOPA on the other so they can afford to be swayed by customer opinion. And whether or not I support SOPA, I salute Go Daddy for giving it a shot and holding out this long.

If you’ve been on a webhosting or domain registration site recently, you’ve probably seen ads for the new domain suffix .xxx.

ICANN’s intentions in creating this domain were clearly good. With a separate domain name for the pornography industry, kids are less likely to stumble across these sites and it will make life easier for monitoring software and in turn, parents.

It should be noted that most registrars charge around $10 for a .com domain, whereas .xxx usually costs over $90. The porn industry is quite a money maker after all.

Here’s the catch: They’re not the ones buying many of these domain names. Marvel, Disney, Target and Pepsi have all reserved them, as well as numerous universities.  Don’t worry, Disney doesn’t have any plans to expand their cinematic repertoire. All of these companies, along with many others, are just worried about protecting their brand image from being associated with pornography. This “defensive registration” was given a special period of 52 days before .xxx domains were available for sale to the public.

Companies who didn’t secure their trademarks then may have missed their chance. A number of entrepreneurial individuals have registered domain names like huffingtonpost.xxx and NBCnews.xxx thinking that someday these companies may be willing to shell out to get their names safely off the market. Either that or someone may actually want to buy the .xxx domains for their intended purpose in which case the original domain owners could still make a hefty profit.

This could get complicated when the cybersquatting litigation begins. Cybersquatting is when you use a domain name with the intent to profit from the reputation of someone else’s trademark. That includes selling it back to the trademark owner at high prices.

Part of the process when you register a domain name is agreeing to arbitration through ICANN and the arbitration organizations they’ve authorized.

And to them all I have to say is: Good luck. You’ll need it.

Today, every business needs a website. But if you’re a small business owner just starting out, hiring a web designer may not be an option.  Fortunately, there are plenty of programs out there that offer simple, easy to use web design software that help you do it yourself. You don’t even have to be particularly artistic because they’ll provide you with templates to help you get started.

However, these templates are just the beginning and many of these programs give you a lot of flexibility.  You want your website to be the best it can be, which means knowing how to take advantage of that. It all comes down to making your website user-friendly. That means that it should be nice to look at and easy to navigate.

We’ve collected the most basic tips from web-designers in cyber world to help you get the most from your site and avoid the mistakes that even the best web design software won’t stop you from making.

First of all, make sure that the menu is available and clearly visible on every page. The more links are accessible from any given page the more people are likely to click on them. Of course, be careful not to overwhelm the user and always keep things organized.

Some design programs have a lot of really neat tools and it can be tempting to try them all out at once. Resist the temptation. Keep in mind that the most readable text is still old fashioned black on white. The users are on your site because they want to know what you have to say. They don’t need to be distracted by too much visual stuff going on.

This brings us to the topic of images. Sure, sure, a picture is worth a thousand words. And a few small icons can add color to your site and make it easier to navigate but don’t go overboard. Make sure that whatever pictures you do add are consistent with the feel of the site. Try to stick to what will be useful and add to the content not just decorate it. Too many pictures can make a page take longer to load and the last thing you want is for potential users to lose patience before they’ve even seen your site.

A lot of web design programs offer some sort of professional design advice in addition to the do-it-yourself software. They also have tips and design guides to help you make the most of the tools they provide.

Designing your own site can be a lot of fun and its worth making sure that your users enjoy it as much as you do!

Our review of GoDaddy web hosting calls the service “unique” and in the past that may have been a little too true, at least according to censors of Superbowl commercials. This year however, GoDaddy has already had its commercials approved by NBC well in advance of the 2012 Superbowl.

Rumors abounded in past years that GoDaddy was intentionally submitting commercials that would be rejected for the sake of the attention that they would bring. It seems to have worked, since viewers crowded the website last year to see the “Internet Only version” of the commercial and GoDaddy experienced a huge jump in registrations in the fifteen minutes after it aired.

Bob Parsons, GoDaddy CEO, denied the claims and said “…we submit concepts that are fun, edgy and slightly inappropriate. That’s GoDaddy-esque and that’s what drives viewers to GoDaddy.com…”

So now I’m trying to understand why people would be drawn to a web hosting service that describes itself as “slightly inappropriate.” I suppose that’s what makes them “edgy” and who doesn’t want an edgy website?

Being edgy comes along with being a fearless straight-talker, innovating and never sugar-coating.  That may sound like a bit of a dramatic way to describe a web hosting service but I’ll admit they have some interesting features.  For example, most web hosting services use one of a few standard control panels whereas GoDaddy created its own. I suppose I can call that edgy.

I’m not sure how many other services I would want describing themselves as “edgy” though. I wouldn’t want my supermarket or mechanic to be edgy and can you imagine if your dentist described himself as “fun, edgy and slightly inappropriate”? I don’t think it would go over well. On the other hand, that sounds like a great way for a football team to win. So I hereby salute GoDaddy for getting into the Superbowl spirit. Go Team!

Recently, there has been a buzz that short .com domains are rarely available or are too scarce. With ICANN’s approval of the new gTLD’s (generic Top Level Domain) there is no longer any need for businesses to worry; well big business at least. Large enterprises can now have a domain name reflecting their trademark. For example, NIKE is going to be allowed to have the extension .NIKE and Apple will be allowed .APPLE. Just to be clear, it’s not only an issue of “allowed”. ICANN has approved the domain extension, however, these businesses will still need to apply for approval via a 200 page application and pay a hefty fee for this domain name. The fee for the domain extension is $185,000 plus a $25,000 annual fee to be paid to ICANN. ICANN has also clearly stated on their website that individuals and sole proprietors will not be accepted to participate in this new program.

Today there are 22 domain extensions such as .com, .net .org etc and another 250 country level domain such as .uk(England), .de(Germany) and .cn (China) etc. ICANN is the company responsible for coordinating unique identifiers on the internet. In order to reach a website, you need to type in a name or number to reach your destination and ICANN regulates those extensions. ICANN hopes that with the introduction of this new program, users will be able to search for things more intuitively. For example, if they are looking for a restaurant, then it may end in .food. Or if they want to review a movie say for example, Avatar, they can look up www.avatar.movie. This would be a domain name that the FOX Corporation (the company that funded the movie) could have the option of buying.

Currently, .com is the most popular domain extension worldwide with .org and .net following close behind. This has been the case for years but with this new domain extension, ICANN expects at least 500 new suffixes to be created over the next year.

Ever worry about losing all your files and pictures that are on your computer or mobile device? You are not alone. Millions of people are constantly worrying about their system’s crashing. They tell themselves they will go buy another flash drive to back up their information; or better yet they’ll spend a fortune on a portable hard drive. But then what happens when you have a file saved on your desktop but you are out of town and need that file on your laptop? Hope you remembered to email yourself that file! Now there is a solution to help you avoid this complicated mess. It’s called Dropbox. This online storage solution allows you to sync your files online and across your computer automatically.

How Does it Work?

All you need to do is save your files and pictures to a Dropbox folder on one computer and the files will appear automatically on any other computer that has Dropbox installed. Dropbox is also available for Smartphones so your files will appear on your phone as well. Also, all your files are available online at dropbox.com.

Main Features

There are some really cool features that come with Dropbox. First of all, you get 2GB of free storage. If you want more you will have to pay a fee for a maximum of 100GB. They also run promotions for free storage giveaway. For every customer you refer, you get 250MB of extra space totally free!

Snyc Files
Dropbox can sync a file of any size and any type. That means no more endless waiting for your email to upload a huge file before sending. Say for example you are editing a document in your Dropbox folder, as soon as you press the save button, Dropbox will automatically save that file and all its changes throughout all your computers and phones. This way there is no need to email the file or save it to a flash drive and transfer it to another location.

Undo and Delete
There is this really cool feature called ‘undo and delete’. Every time you save a file in Dropbox, they save every change you make to their servers. In other words, Dropbox keeps a history of every change you made so you can undo any mistakes and even undelete files! There is also an unlimited undo option called “Pack-rat”.

File Sharing
You can also easily share files or photos with others. All you need to do is put the desired files or photo in your Dropbox folder and invite people to see them. You can also send people specific links to files in your Dropbox account. With file sharing you can allow several people to view a file, control who has access to your folders, see other people’s changes instantaneously and automatically create shareable photo galleries out of regular folders.

Online backup
Dropbox backs up your files online to their servers without you having to do a thing! This way if every one of your computers burns down, you will still be able to access your files straight form their website.

Security and Privacy

Dropbox uses military grade encryption methods to transfer and store your data so you never have to be worried about hackers!

Dropbox is very easy to install and use. It provides many features for an online storage solution program. Dropbox is a great way to share and store all your information. Between its reliability, great features and simplicity you should have no doubts about trying this great service.

If you’re reading this article, I suspect that you’re seriously considering using Drupal as the open source content management system for your new website, or, at the very least, you haven’t ruled it out yet. My goal with this post isn’t to make the decision for you, but to explain what Drupal is so that you can make an independent, informed decision. I hope you find the information useful.

Even a cursory glance at Drupal’s content management platform, and you’ll see that it is slightly more complex than other systems such as WordPress. But don’t let that deter you. For one thing, Drupal offers extremely comprehensive tutorials, support forums and cutely named Drupal Cookbook (for beginners). Although such useful support isn’t unique to Drupal, it is comforting to know that it’s there if you need extra assistance.

One thing that makes Drupal more complex than its competitors is that you’ll need to download multiple files in order to begin, as compared with WordPress which is compressed into one file. The good news is that by the time you complete the installation process, you’ll probably have a taste for how Drupal functional, so you should have a bit of an easier time moving forward. And I’ve got more good news – Drupal has impressive e-commerce capabilities, which sets it apart from its competitors and makes it a great option for anyone looking to sell products on their website.

Here’s a video clip that explains a bit more about what Drupal is:

Still, despite what Drupal lovers will have you believe, there are some additional disadvantages worth pointing out. For starters, Drupal uses a database to store all of its data, which can be confusing for users without database experience or those not familiar with this system (as most new users aren’t). Some users also complain that upgrading to a new version of Drupal can cause bugs and templates to break which is time consuming and difficult to fix. That being said, I’ve had similar experiences with WordPress, and I’m sure many other content management systems have similar quirks. Sadly, there are few (if any) programs that work without any technical glitches.

In the final analysis, Drupal can be a worthwhile option for you if you’ve excluded other CMS options and are willing to undertake a steep learning curve. The results are likely to be worthwhile after an initial time investment.

If you’ve seen the Joomla add-on on the side of your web hosting control but aren’t quite sure what it is, you’ve come to the right place.  Joomla is an award-winning content management system (CMS) that enables users to manage content, photos, videos and any other type of web content imaginable.  Joomla may sound a bit less serious than WordPress but the word is actually derived from the Swahili ‘Jumla’, meaning ‘all together’.  A quick look into Joomla’s offerings, and you’ll see that this phrase truly encompasses exactly what Joomla is.

The advantages of Joomla may not be obvious to new users, but they are worth reviewing.

• Joomla is free and works well with shared web hosting packages, and this combination makes it possible to build powerhouse websites with an extremely reasonable operating budget.
• Joomla is ideal for businesses, non-profits and multi-media sites.  This content management system is especially suited to sites hosting forums, newsrooms and other user-generated content.
• With over 6,000 extensions to choose from, Joomla makes it possible for websites to perform nearly any web-based action.
• Joomla is an open design platform that can be used by any design company, so if you use Joomla you won’t be obligated to stay with your web designer if the relationship sours or your budget changes over time.
• URLs created using Joomla don’t have any query strings, which makes them SEO friendly.
• Once installed, Joomla is relatively easy to maintain.
• It is easy to modify Joomla’s core system to reflect your specific needs and preferences.

On the other hand, the disadvantages of Joomla are often touted by nay-sayers are reasons to choose an alternate CMS.  If you’re considering Joomla, you should be aware of the disadvantages so that you can make an informed decision on your own.

• Joomla is slightly more difficult to install and setup than other content management systems (such as WordPress), and may require professional assistance.
• Users looking for a straightforward blog site may still prefer the simplicity of WordPress over the more complex offerings of Joomla.
• Many users complain that Joomla has difficulty accommodating sites that receive more than 50,000 users per day.
• Users often complain that Joomla sites run more slowly than sites built with other content management systems.

Although it may be impossible to find a CMS that is entirely perfect, Joomla seems to come pretty close.  If you’re starting a blog, you may still be better off with WordPress, but if you have your sites set on popular site or a multimedia presentation, Joomla may very well be a good option for you.  Just make sure that you’re familiar enough with the technical aspects of building a website so that you’ll be able to maximize the building process.  If not, you may want to hire someone to help and to teach you how to proceed independently.  With a bit of technical know-how, you should have no trouble maintaining a successful Joomla website.

If starting a new blog was one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2010, you’d better get a move on it because the year is nearly over.  And if you’re planning to start a new blog in 2011, you’ll probably want to know your options before the ball drops.  Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.  Over the next few weeks we’ll be featuring different blogging CMSes (content management systems) to give you a glimpse of what each one offers and to help you determine which one is best for you.  This week’s featured blog CMS will be WordPress, which has long been the most popular blogging software available.  But if you’re a conscientious consumer, you wouldn’t want to choose WordPress just because everybody else is doing it.  Instead, you’d want to know what it is that makes WordPress so great.  So without further ado, here are my favorite 8 reasons why WordPress is so fantastic (and I’m not just saying that because we use WordPress to power this blog).

1. It’s easy enough for newbie bloggers.  Believe me when I tell you that setting up a simple WordPress blog is easy.  It may not be as snazzy as a professionally-designed WordPress blog, but it’ll still be nice and functional.  Many (but not all) customizations are easy to do, and most plugins are easy to configure (more on that later).
2. It’s great for professional web developers, designers and techies.  There are some seriously high-profile blogs that are powered by WordPress.  TechCrunch and gigaom are just two examples.   Believe me when I tell you that hundreds (or thousands) of big businesses aren’t using WordPress just because it’s free.  There are endless ways to personalize or configure a WordPress blog if you have technical know-how.
3. Search engines love WordPress.  Although there’s no documented reason why this is, there’s no question that Google (and other search engines) seem to take notice of WordPress blogs over other blogs and sites.  Perhaps it’s the intuitive navigation, the easy-to-create page tags or the general popularity of the CMS.  But whatever the reason, if you want your site to get noticed, building it with WordPress might help.
4. The spam-filter rocks.  WordPress uses the widely recognized Akismet spam filter to keep junk posts as far away from your blog as possible.
5. You can privatize your blog.  If you blog for business, you’ll probably want as many people as possible to access your blog.  But if you’re starting a family blog you may not want strangers stumbling upon your posts.  WordPress makes it possible to privatize your blog so that you can make sure it reaches your target audience – and nobody else.
6. Entries are autosaved. This may sound obvious, but other CMSes like Joomla require a download in order to  have them autosaved.  WordPress just saves automatically so that your entries are never lost.
7. Thousands of plugins are available.  Need your blog to do something that isn’t automatic?  Chances are great that you can find a free plugin that can help you customize your blog.  From SEO plugins and social media plugins to graphic design plugins and advertising plugins, someone’s probably already created the plugin for you.
8. Free backups.  WordPress keeps an automatic backup of your blog so that you don’t have to (though you may choose to do so anyway).