Marc Everlove's Blog

I just published my first book entitled "What Every Website Owner Needs to Know"

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:03:13 -0800

What Every Website Owner Needs to Know!

Ok I finally did it! After much adu, I have finally published my book. What Every Website Owner Needs to Know. In my own never-to-be-humble opinion I believe it is chock full of tips and advice that can help make the difference between a successful experience and a... well, less-than-successful experience.

You can check it out (and even buy it) here Hey, surprise me and be the first one to actually buy a copy & tell me what you think of it.

It was definately an uphill climb, but now it is done.

Assuming it goes well I will continue to post blogs here and maybe give y

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

What Every Website Owner Needs to Know!

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:37:03 -0700

What Every Website Owner Needs to Know!

Hiya friends! I have a new series of blogs based on my new book entitled What Every Website Owner Needs to Know, Tips Tricks and Secrets to Finding Success on the Web! (avalible shortly... By the way, anyone know of a good editor?)

At any rate, I will from time to time post excerpts here, but you can follow the entire blog at http://RealEstateTechOnline.com or you can subscribe to the feedburner and be notified when I add new posts. Sorry for the shameless plug, but the more interest I see in it, the more I will post, which means the more secrets I will give you!

So, I hope to see you there! If not, then keep posted, and I will keep posting!

As usual, if you have any questions or comments then please feel free to e-mail me or post into the comments section. Even better, if you post them to my community forum I will make an extra effort to take care of you.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

Ok... Stupid question... Can I save a draft of a blog post?

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:19:34 -0700

Can this be done without waiting for it to auto save?

Give me a holler and let me know…

What the Heck is CSS? A Cascading Style Sheets Primer...

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:41:46 -0700

What the heck is CSS?!?

Cascading Style Sheets, better known as CSS allows web designers to add styles and other formatting to web pages by creating classes or modifying existing HTML tags.
OK, well then, what the heck does that mean?

Well, to really understand CSS it is important to understand at least the very most basic elements of HTML. HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is the basic language of the Internet. What HTML does in a nutshell is add links and pictures to, modify, and format simple text documents hence its name. For the purposes of this article I am going to assume that you already know a little bit about HTML. If not click here for a crash course in HTML.

But I have digressed…

CSS can be used in many different ways. It can be written and saved in a separate file that can be accessed by several pages, added to the head section of a web page, or written "in-line". How and where the CSS is written and attached to the web page determines how you can use it within the web site.

By attaching a stand-alone CSS file two one or more web pages, you can make changes directly to the CSS file and it will affect all the files that are attached to it. In other words; let's say that you have a CSS file that is attached to every page in your web site. If you have a CSS style that formats whenever text is applied to as bold, 14 point, red, with the verdana font in your CSS file and you would like to change it from red to black, all you need to do is change the style within the CSS file. The change that you made will change all of the text from every page in your web site that has that particular style applied to it, from red to black.

By adding the CSS styles to the head of an HTML file; any changes you make to the CSS will affect only that document. For clarity's sake; if you have a style named emphasisText that does the same thing as the above paragraph and you change the font color from red to black it will only affect all the text that has had that style applied to it within that particular document.

When you add a CSS style in-line it will only affect the text that is directly applied to. Therefore, CSS can be used both broadly and very precisely depending upon your needs.

As I said before CSS can be applied as a style, class, or modifier. When it is used in-line it is typically refer to as a style, otherwise it is either a class or modifier.

The easiest way to use it is as a simple HTML tag modifier.
When you define a CSS style that modifies an HTML tag; every time that HTML tag is used the CSS style is applied. For example; if you modified the bold tag to not only bold the enclosed text, but to also italicize it and make it red, then, every time the bold tag is used the text will appear bold, italic and red.

Are you still with me? OK, hang in there. Take a deep breath if you need to…

If you want to create a style that is not attached to any particular HTML tag than you would create a class. A class is a set of styles that can be applied to text are images accordingly.

Classes can be very simple or very complicated. They can be applied without having to modify an HTML tag across the entire document and/or web site.

Now I must admit that CSS can get pretty complicated. Not only is it more in depth then your standard HTML, styles are applied in a certain order. They can overlay one another. Sometimes, they can be hard to keep track of. A style applied directly to a text or image (or any other element for that matter) takes precedence over a class applied to an entire page, which in turn, takes precedence over a style applied to an attached style sheet.

To make matters worse… Many times styles may have the same name, but be located in different areas. This can have unexpected and undesired results. These and other issues can be difficult to track down. Even so, CSS provides an extraordinarily powerful tool that gives web developers are enormous amount of power over their code. Ultimately, despite any complicated issues they can create, it does help to simplify web design and when used properly saves a lot of time.

The actual mechanics of CSS are a little bit outside of the skill of this particular article, but if you subscribe to this blog or join as a member (it's free and easy) my website (click here) I will soon include; and in depth tutorial, a step by step walkthrough with images and some cool and useful CSS code snippets that you can cut copy and paste and your own site (the code snippets will be available only to members of my website).

As usual, if you have any questions or comments then please feel free to e-mail me or post into the comments section. Even better, if you post them to my community forum I will make an extra effort to take care of you.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

A Crash Course in HTML

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:02:18 -0700

A Crash Course in HTML

Unless you've spent the last 20 years under rock you've probably heard of HTML. However, in less your extremely tech-savvy or a web developer you may not have any idea what it is or what it does.

I'm here to fix all that… HTML is an acronym that stands for hypertext markup language. HTML is not really a programming language. All it does is format text. It accomplishes this by using special tags enclosed in angle brackets. Different tags do different things. I.e. The bold tag formats the enclosed text as bold. Not really rocket science huh?

Most (but not all) HTML tags will have an opening tag and a closing tag. The opening tag is placed at the start of the text that you would like formatted and the closing tag is placed at the end everything in between will be affected by that tag. For instance if you want to format a portion of text in Italics the HTML code would look like this;

The quick brown fox <i> jumped over </i> the lazy dog.

In the above example the words " jumped over" would appear in Italics when viewed in a browser. like this: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

Easy cheesy see? Piece of cake right?

There is a handful of HTML tags that are used a lot and a few more that you don't see very often. So there really is not very much to learn to understand basic HTML. It does however get complicated when you start to add different elements such as cascading style sheets, scripting language and SQL amongst others. That however is beyond the scope of this humble blog posting… If you are interested in learning more be sure to check out my comprehensive HTML tutorial located here http://realestatetechonline.com/Tutorials/LearnHTML/tabid/96/Default.aspx

It can show you in far greater depth what you need to know and give you a thorough understanding of how HTML, browsers and web pages in general work. Armed with this knowledge, you can accomplish much. By understanding the basics you are sure to become a much more effective website owner.

Feel free to leave any comments or questions that you may have and I will do my best to answer them for you. Until next time; keep surfin'!

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

If stop What every website owner should know…

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:33:55 -0700

"What Every Website Owner Should Know..."

It is of little known fact that I am writing a book. The book is titled What Every Website Owner Should Know —Tips Tricks And Secrets To Success Online. I have recently sent the book off to my editor. I think that this book is unique because it is written for people like small business owners, office managers, or people that are self employed. Essentially anybody that needs or wants a website, but does not have a technical background nor the time to figure it all out themselves. I will release the book soon and I hope that it helps those of you that buy a copy get a jumpstart on your website.

Meanwhile, here are a few points that you should keep in mind if you are considering having a website developed for you...

Organize your thoughts —take your time and write down an outline of your thoughts. Make sure to include:

Your Objective —what you hope to accomplish
A Short List Of Websites—that you admire and why you like them
Your Contact Information
A List Of E-mail Addresses that you would like your webmaster to setup for you
A List Of Pages that you would like to include
A List Of Important Keywords regarding your site
Passwords And User Names that may be relevant
If You Already Have A Domain Name, Then Make Sure To Include:
- The Registrar's Name
- Your Login Information
If You Already Have A Web Hosting Account Be Sure To Include
- The Web Hosting Company's Name
- The Ftp Information Including:
  - The FTP Server Address
  - Login Information
- The Type Of Hosting Account—for example Unix, linux, or Microsoft
- The Type Of Databases Available—for example MS SQL, MySQL, Oracle, etc…
If you don't have a domain name —provide a list of at least 10 domain names that you would like. If these names are at all common then consider sending a list of it least 20 domain names. Make sure that they are in order from your most favorite to your least favorite. This way your webmaster can simply go down the list until he finds one that is available.
Make a list of important information regarding your business that you can think of. Try to be as detailed as possible. Assume that your webmaster knows absolutely nothing about your business (guess what… He probably doesn't). This can be virtually anything about your business that you deem important. Try to be as thorough as possible, as this will help your webmaster build a strong foundation for your website. The more information that you can includ the better.

Additionally, if you have any photographs or images that you would like to use on the website, organize them as well. If they already on your computer so much the better. If they're not, make sure to give them to your webmaster anyway. If you want to physically keep the photographs and do not own a scanner, you can probably have them scanned inexpensively at your local copy and print store.

If possible include a caption or description for each one. This will also help your webmaster by clarifying how you want to use the picture or what it is about.

If you do not have suitable pictures or images, there are several web sites that provide stock photography at reasonable prices. If you take the time for images you like they will go long way in producing a website that you're happy with.

The service that I like to use is called istockphoto.com. There are literally millions of affordable images to choose from. These images have been contributed by thousands of professional photographers from all over the world. The images are priced by size and resolution. Small images cost about a dollar and ultra large high resolution images suitable to print large murals usually cost about 10 to 15 dollars.

All you have to do is signup and purchase some credits, then you can download your desired images. Chances are, in less you all are planning to do some printing you will only need small to medium sized images at normal resolution.

Hopefully, this is enough to get you started on the right foot. If you stayed till end and subscribe to my blog I will continue to post excerpts from my buck and additional tips tricks and secrets that will help you be successful online.

Good luck, I wish you the best in your endeavors, and I hope that your efforts payoff. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me and I will do my best to get you an answer. Even better, you can post your question to my community forum and we'll see if we can get answered for you there. All you have to do is simply register and then you will be able to post your questions. If you do register and post your question to you my community forum, I promise I will get to it, email is another story.

Provided courtesy of http://RealEstateTechOnline.com

Incidentally,http://RealEstateTechOnline.com is one of my pet projects. This fledgling site is a real estate professional support site… I encourage you to stop by and say hi.

Be original… Join… Since I know how much real estate people love free stuff; I will from time to time give away some goodies to members.

But wait! There's more! For limited time members that reach 100 posts will be featured in the illustrious " carousel of awesome Realtors" A really cool rotating banner smack dab, front-and-center on our home page… For those of you savvy with SEO, you'll know that this will increase your site ranking with the search engines.

If still not convinced to visit? Well, if the possibility of winning cash and prizes, having your technical questions answered for free, making some new friends, the promise of fame and Glory, an awesome free marketing tool that can increase your search engine visibility and a my deep and heartfelt gratitude won't do the trick… Then God Bless Ya Anyway!

Whatever the case; I wish you the best of luck and hope to see you online soon…

By the way, please excuse my shameless pandering… Just trying to help!

How to get more traffic... The basics.

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:47:12 -0700

How Can I Get More Traffic To My Site?

Such a simple question… I wish the answer was that simple. There are many things that you can do to bring visitors to your site. The obvious thing most REALTORS® think of first is business cards and other print-type marketing. While this is a good way to meet people, when was the last time somebody told you about their site and you actually sat down at the computer and visited it? Rarely at best? Ever? I didn’t think so.

Most people find websites by surfing. While there are many different ways people can find you by surfing, usually, they use search engines. Considering that there are millions of Real Estate Websites, “Getting Found” on one without a little know how is about as likely as me becoming a rock star. Chances are your website will appear on page 650,234 (or thereabouts) when someone searches the term “Real Estate”.

So now, the problem becomes: How do I get a good search engine ranking? For that matter how do I get listed at all?? To answer this, you should know about search engines and how they work. First, let’s start with Google. Google actually “powers” most of the thousands of other search engines. In other words most search engines pull results from Google to fill in the gaps in their own database. So, if you get a good ranking with Google, you will show up better on other sites.

It is important to understand how a search engine works. Basically, a search engine is a really big searchable database. Results are returned based on different parameters. The two most important parameters at this point are Keyword Density Ratio and Link Popularity. These are the ones we will look at in this article. There are more, but they are outside of the scope of this humble article…

Let me introduce you to Googlebot your friendly neighborhood search engine spider. A search engine spider is a program that endlessly “crawls” the web indexing web pages as it goes. When it comes to a link it will follow it. It keeps going day and night. If any other website links to yours, chances are Googlebot (and others) will eventually find it. However, to speed up the process you can submit your site and Google (I use Google as an example because it has so much influence.) will schedule a Googlebot to visit your site. This can take a considerable time for it to get to you, due to the enormous volume of sites out there. Once your site is indexed the Googlebot will visit periodically to see if you have posted any changes.

Keyword Density Ratio is the first parameter we will look at. Keyword density is just that. The number of times certain keywords are used throughout your website, or on a specific page. When the spider (Googlebot in this case) indexes your page, it removes all common language (words such as “the” “if” “when” “but” “that” etc…) and saves the remaining text in a database. From there it counts the number of times the words and/or phrases appear on your page. It then counts the number of words in total on that page. For instance, let’s say the phrase “Real Estate” appears 37 times out of a total number of 1000 words. Your Keyword density ratio would be 37/1000. Therefore, when somebody searches for “Real Estate” your page is ranked accordingly. A website with a higher keyword ratio will score higher, a site with a lower keyword density would accordingly, score lower.

So, why not just write “real estate” over and over? Well, in the early stages of the web, that is exactly what they did. Webmasters would type key words over and over in the very smallest font size and the same color as the back ground (If this text were white for example). Even though the user couldn’t see the text, since the spider reads the code behind the page rather then the page itself, the spider could see and index the page. This form of “search engine spamming” is known as “Spider Lines”. Of course, it wasn’t long before the search engines caught on to this and now, if your keyword ratio is too high, then the search engine won’t list you at all. Of course, Google won’t tell anyone what the limit is, so you just have to guess.

Which brings us to Link Popularity, link popularity is the term used to describe how many other sites link to yours. It doesn’t matter how many sites you link to, rather how many sites link to that counts. This is an important distinction. You see you can not really control who links to you and Google looks at this as “Well, a lot of sites link to this one, therefore it must be important.” Moreover, the higher ranked the site linking to you, the more important Google considers the link.

As I said before, you can not control who links to you. This is one of the more difficult methods of SEO (search engine optimization). With this said, there are some things you can do to influence your link popularity. First, you can ask other people in related industries (builders, carpet cleaners, movers etc…) to exchange reciprocal links. This means that you link to their site and they link to yours. It helps both of you out. If you want to know how many other sites are linking to yours there is a handy link popularity tool at http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/ this will help you keep track of inbound links. Outside of that you can sign up for some community forums and include a link to your website in your signature. This will ensure that there is a link included every time you post. Then you are free to talk about anything under the sun while quietly advertising your business AND improving your search engine ranking.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about Meta tags. It is my understanding that Google no longer looks at Meta tags and completely disregards the information. For those of you that don’t know what a Meta tag is, it is simply a bit of code in your web page that tells search engines what the site is about, offers a description, and provides the search engine keywords and other stuff the public never sees. From what I understand at this point, Meta Tags have been devalued due to people misusing them and manipulating them for better search engine placement.

Now, for the bad news, you did expect some bad news, right? Google changes the rules as they see fit, which is often. Worse still, they don’t really tell anybody what the rules are, because they don’t want us to know. If we know, they we will all try to tweak our sites for top ranking (Google looks at this as cheating). Therefore, every week Google reassesses its rankings. This reshuffling is known as the “Google Dance”. It used to be a major event that happened approx 10 times a year, but since 2003 they do smaller adjustments more often. This is why your ranking will change from time to time.

So, what can you do? Simple, build a good site, and fill it will good useful, current information. Use a lot of text and write about what you do. Change it around and add stuff often. Exchange links with professionals you recommend and join forums or start a blog (I will be writing about blogs soon!). GOOD LUCK!!!

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

Choosing a Webmaster

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:22:26 -0700

Choosing a Webmaster

Choosing a webmaster can be a challenging task. Creating a website is a big investment so naturally you want to find the best man/woman for the job. Hopefully this article will shed a little light on your quest.

Here are a few things that you should consider:

1.) Your budget. Know what it is before you begin to negotiate. Don't be afraid to share this information with your webmaster. You can perhaps start a little low and hold some of your budget in reserve when you're negotiating, but it is difficult for the webmaster to make an accurate estimate without a ballpark figure for budget. I don't recommend that you tell exactly how much you're willing to spend, just a round figure so your webmaster will know " the league hewill be playing in".With that said, if you want the moon and the stars, be willing to pay for them. Building a website is a time consuming venture and a good designer will want to be paid a fair price.

2.) Know what you want. Make sure you have a general idea regarding what you are looking for. The more information you can provide your webmaster at the start the easier, faster, better the results will turn out. Outline your ideas, sketch pictures, and provide a list of websites that you like with a notation of the features that you found particularly appealing. This will go long way to helping your webmaster understand your vision.

3.) Provide Content. What do you want your site to say. The more the better; as far as the search engines are concerned text is king. Search engines can't "read" pictures or images and therefore they do not help your websites ranking.

It should be you that rights the original draft of your content. Regardless of your writing ability, if the original sentiment comes from you it will most likely convey your message. Your webmaster or other individuals can edit it and/or rewrite completely, but even if that's the case the original sentiment should be yours.

4.) If you have a shoestring budget, then consider a template.
Template Monster is a good place to start. Their templates are priced fair and more importanly, they are retired after 10 downloads. This way you can be assured your site is relatively original. The have hundreds of real estate sites to choose from.

*I have used them with great results. I should tell you I am an affiliate.

5.) Time. The more time you can devote to upkeep and new content the better. You will only get as much out of your site as you are willing to put into it.

6.) Marketing. I have written a couple of articles re: marketing. You can find them scattered around this blog. Marketing your website is a wide ranging topic that I will get into here. However if you subscribe to my blog I will continue to reveal new tips, tricks and secrets about marketing online

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

How to save money with free software Part I

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:16:39 -0700

The word processor/Office productivity suite war for dominance and control of the marketplace has been over for a long time with Microsoft Office the clear winner. Although I know a lot of people slam Microsoft, I think they've done a relatively good job producing software over the years. Most of their products are highly compatible across a range of hardware and software.

Unfortunately, Microsoft products are not cheap.

The dominance of Microsoft Office coupled with its hefty price tag presents a problem for many people. While Microsoft provides special pricin for OEM and students, it still boast a pretty stiff sticker price. Microsoft is in business to make money after all and I understand this fact. Still, for people with limited income shelling out a few hundred bucks for Microsoft Office can put a serious crimp in the household budget.

To make matters worse; many people who own a legitimate copy lose track of the installation disk or serial number. Invariably, something happens, whether it's a virus or system crash, that requires a reinstallation of the operating system. Reinstalling the operating system means that (in many cases) everything that was on the computer before will be completely erased.

Often, these computers end up in my shop where I have the unhappy task of informing my client that I can reinstall their operating system, but their Office Suite is a goner in less they can come up with the disks and serial number. More often than not, the same " deer in the headlights" expression crosses their face and they either have no idea what I'm talking about or they have no idea where the serial number is.

The client then has little choice but to purchase the software again. Since just about everybody needs to use a word processor and that word processor must create documents that other people can open they're really up a tree.

Here is where a great open source product if it east wheat known as Open Office enters the picture. It is completely free, supports all of the Microsoft Office formats, is easy to use and readily available to download from the Internet. It was created by an online community of software developers and is well documented and supported.

While I prefer Microsoft Office, Open Office a good substitute in a pinch. It offers the same basic functionality and can really save your bacon if you're working with a tight budget. You can download it here and read more about it.

I hope you give it a try and that it works out for you. If you do leave a comment so I know that you're out there. For every five comments that I get I will try to post an article with more free software.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

How To Make A Few Extra Bucks Online ~Part II~

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:22:17 -0700

If you haven't been following along you can click here to see part one which talks about setting up a blog online.

I have included a free step by step How To Setup Your Blog tutorial complete with pictures containing big red arrows to help you out every step of the way. It's easy, it's free and it it will take less than 10 minutes to get started. Incidentally, if you're wondering, I'm not selling you anything.

Once you have your blog and have published a few posts, you will probably want to start using it to make money. The first thing that you will need to do is set up an account with Google AdSense. I know I mention this in part one of the series, but now will look at it in a little bit more depth.

The Google AdSense program is in outstanding affiliate ad program. What does is allow you to run advertisements on your website or blog. This is how they do it; and advertiser signs up for a Google AdWords account and selects some key words to bid on. Google will then display those ads on web sites or pages that are appropriate for whatever keyword the advertiser was bidding on.

Here's where you come in. Not only does Google run the ads on its own web sites and search engine, it allows affiliates (people such as yourself) to display the these ads on their own web sites and share in the profit. So every time one of your visitors clicks on an ad Google adds the appropriate amount of money to your account. At the end of the month Google sends you a check. There it is a $100 minimum though. If you do not have $100 in your account your balance will roll over into the next month and this will continue until you have $100.

There are few things that make this program stand apart. I've tried many other affiliate programs with little or no success. In my experience the Google AdSense program works. It works because it serves the ads that people want to see. Google generates the ads based on keywords that pertain to whatever it is your website or blog is all about.

While it is possible to earn a lot of money this way, most people will just earn a few hundred bucks every month or two. It might not make you rich, but it may just cover a car payment or give you a few extra bucks in your pocket. All it really takes is spending half an hour or so two or three times a week on your blog.

Your profits will take time to build up. First google will have to approve your application. Then, you will have to build your content. Finally, you will need to publicize and market your blog or website to build readership.

I will be covering all of the things in depth in future installments of this blog. If you subscribe to this blog I was in you an email every time it is updated with new info. If you stick with me through this there's a really good chance you can earn some serious money in your spare time. I will walk you through the whole process step by step with pictures, tutorials, walkthroughs and advice.

Subscribe to Marc Everlove's Tech Tips by Email

If you start a blog, leave a comment or email me, I would love to see it!

Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. This will take some time to get rolling. However, once it gets up to speed, your blog can make you money while you sleep. People from all over the world can visit your blog anytime day or night. When they do come, some of them are bound to click on one of your ads.

You can make anywhere from 3¢ to 10 bucks on a single click! It all depends on how popular the keywords that are contained in your blog or to advertisers. When a key word is really popular advertisers will bid quite high for it. Regardless of whether you're ads make a lot of money per click or just a modest amount, you will be surprised how fast they add up.

I can tell you this; it is really nice to see that google check, the mail with the usual pile of bills. Think about it... Isn't it about time you got started?

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

How to create your own blog tutorial walkthrough...

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:46:15 -0700

As a follow up to my blog post: Heck with the economy; How to make a few bucks online, I have published a pictorial walkthrough on one of my websites...

Feel free to stop by and check it out.

RealEstateTechOnline.com How To Set Up A Blogger.com Blog Walkthrough.

Leave a comment if you have any questions, or I can help you out...

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

Heck with the bad economy! How to make a few extra bucks online. Part I

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:30:50 -0700

If the first thing that you need to realize is the fact that there is no free lunch. However, if you're willing to spend a little time and energy it is entirely possible to make a few hundred bucks every month from the comfort of your living room.

You do not need to be a computer programmer or some sort of genius. It is not really all that hard nor do you need any super specialized talents or knowledge. Your average everyday person can do this. All it takes is a little bit of know how and some passion. Outside of that, all you will need is time and perseverance.

Before we start you will need to think of something that you feel passionate about. Whether that is politics, the economy, business, family, a hobby, crafts, health, or anything that you like to talk about. Once you have a topic that you are passionate about, you don't even need to be an expert in it just something that you love… Then you are ready to begin your journey toward fame and fortune (OK maybe your journey toward active bloggers status and a car payment).

Since setting up a blog is so incredibly easy let's take a look at that first. All you need to do it is register for an account here on blogger.com or any other blogger website that you may find. It really couldn't be simpler. First click, the register link in the upper right hand corner, then follow the instructions and select a template then your good to go.

Once you have your blog setup it is time to make sure that you can start making money. I recommend writing a few simple blog entries just to get started. Once you feel comfortable and have posted a few entries it is time to serve ads.

Hands down, the absolute best way to start making money quickly is to sign up for Google AdSense. It is simple to use but extremely powerful. The way it works is relatively simple. Advertisers pay Google to run their ads. Then Google pays you to place the ads on your website. Due to Google's high standards and excellent monitoring it has been my experience that the ads are tasteful and not inappropriate.

Now you will need to visit www .google.com/adsense and sign up for an account. Once you have signed up for an account you will be able to start serving ads on your blog. It is easy to setup simply go to the admin panel on your blog (I'm using blogger.com as an example) and go to the layout and select the Google AdSense module in place it in the desired position.

Now if you keep it up and post to your blog frequently you will start receiving checks from Google in the mail every month (assuming you make at least $100 that month otherwise you will get a check after your balance adds up to $100).

As I said before you may not get rich doing this, but with perseverance and dedication you should start making some decent money. Subscribe to this blog to catch future installments on how to maximize your profits and find other newlin cool ways to make a few extra bucks on the web to help fight off this stupid bad economy.

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Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com Your real estate technology connection.

How to get free tech support

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:52:42 -0700

How to get free tech support through nefarious means ...

So, you need tech support and are short of cash? Perhaps these techniques could work for you.

Show up at a local usergroup (preferably for the issue you need help with) and casually mention that you have two invitations for a party at William Shatners house and no one to go with. Then explain the invitation are in Outlook on your computer, but you can't access them etc ...
Visit your local community college and be overheard saying "Yeah, I have a Cray-9 in the garage. Imagine, getting stumped by this minor pc issue."
Leave a trail of M&M's from your house to the local computer store.
Visit your local Circuit Villiage and let it slip that you are in human relations for large I.T. firm with obscenely high salaries and all hirees need to do is fix a few simple issues on a computer at your house ...
Mention to local high school computer wizard that you have the unreleased WoW mod but you can't get your machine working ...
Call manufacturer with pre-sales questions. Explain that their trial software wasn't working properly ...
Baked goods as sacrificial offerings ...

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com your real estate technology connection.

Avoiding the Unenjoyment Line in I.T.

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:35:43 -0700

Thou shalt remember to backup

Into every infrastructure a bit of disaster must fall... As a long time I.T. guy, I know this. Throughout the years I have dealt with all sorts and manners of data loss ranging from hardware failures to virus infestations. I have recovered hundreds of systems under a variety of circumstances ... Fortunately however, I have never had a domain crash. I have prepared for them. I know what to do ... I have backups of the backups with complete sets offsite. I have worked to Still, it is not an event any I.T. department wants to deal with.

The other day when I walked into work my AE informed the that the network was down. There had been a power outage and even though I have backup power supplies, it lasted for quite awhile. My first thought was: I will probably need to restart the server and all will be well. With a raised eye I entered the server room and almost immediately came to the conclusion that I was in for a very long day. The entire network was a goner. I will spare you the dreary details, but suffice to say I was really happy at midnight when I was finally able to go home since I had presumed that I would still be there when employees started showing up the next day ...

Due to running a good backup plan, SBAOR was able to recover 100% with no data loss. It did however, cost me one pizza and I owe my wife a pair of shoes as a sacrifical peace offering ...

While this particular instance turned out well, I have dealt with hundreds of people over the years that have brought their dead and dying computers and laptops to me. Some I could save, some were D.O.A. and nothing short of super expensive data recovery was of any use. My first question is always the same when a person brings their ailing computer to me.

"Do you have backups?"

Before the words leave their mouth I know the answer; "No, I know I should have ... and I was planning on it ... Is there any way you can save the pictures of ______________ (our baby, wedding, kids, parents, vacation to bali ...) they were priceless and the only copy. Oh, and what about Quicken? Oh yeah, I had like $3000 worth of songs and downloads..."

My answer is also generally the same; "I will do what I can."

Sometimes the recovery goes better than others. I am actually suprised how much I can save in some cases. When the client returns for their computer I remind them again to back up, and try to refrain from asking how the cheese whiz got in there in the first place ...

For those of you that don't back up because you are not sure how here is the very least you should do:

1. Go to your favorite electronics store.

2. Buy an external hard drive.

3. Plug it in.

4. Drag and drop your most important stuff into the new drive.

5. Unplug the new drive.

6. Put the new drive somewhere safe...

7. Repeat as necessary. (daily, weekly, monthly depending on how important your data is and how often you update it...)

8. Hope you never need it.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com your real estate technology connection.

Intel may not be the only thing inside ...

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:09:19 -0700

From the "What the heck is that??" Dept.

Over the years, I have worked on countless computers.

Occasionally, I will open a computer and find a little something extra. I am not talking about upgrades exactly and I am not referring to performance or cosmetic modifications. Nope. Stange and seemingly inexplicable things I have discovered thoughout my career as a techno-geek. Not quite paranormal perhaps. I mean I have not discovered a ghost in the machine as it were (though many computer owners insist that there is some kind of gremlin or such thing in there), but here, for your amusement is a short list of things that I, Marc Everlove, have found in people's computers...

Dust bunnies aplenty. Though in some cases the are more horse than bunny size..
Action figures, including but not limited to: Godzilla, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader
A small rubber snake
One dead mouse
A asthma inhaler
One lipgloss (Childrens)
Money (coins and bills)
A small amount marijauna stashed
Funguslike dark black substance. (Not sure, but it looked pretty sinistar and sounded like it was whispering "Come Closer")
Bottlecap (Miller)
Sandwich crust
Barbie head (doll)
Assorted candies Mystery foul smelling substance
Other ...

One has to wonder how these objects came to reside inside of computers that were for all appearances "Sealed tightly". Perhaps it is best left a mystery.

Good Luck, and e-mail me to have your question answered!

Whether you like, or dislike technology, it is here to stay. It is up to you to lead, follow or get out of the way. If you are ready, but don't know where to begin, stay tuned, I will keep the info coming as time permits. If you are the motivated type, feel free to send me a message, either comment here, or shoot an email.

Good luck, God bless and keep the powder dry.

~Hey Googlebot, Over Heeeere~

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:41:16 -0800

Google'd

Getting your site to the top of Google, better known as Search Engine Optimization can mean the difference between 1 Web site visitor per month or 1 Million. Unfortunately, getting there isn't much fun. It takes a lot of work, time and patience, but it can be done. To be listed on the first three to ten pages of a hot search term can make a good Web site an overnight success.

"While there may be industries that have tighter competition for keywords, but none come to mind."

The only problem seems to be the immediate competition. Not by a longshot. Not only are you competing with other real estate professionals, you are also up against anybody that has anything to do with the industry: Bankers, Title Reps, Carpet Cleaners, Insurance Sales, Movers, Builders, Developers, Investors and so on. So you see, the competition is beyond fierce, it is completely brutal.

While there may be industries that have tighter competition for keywords, but none come to mind.

Ok, "Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!" right? Well then, let's break this down. First , needless to say, your ultimate goal should be; to get a page one ranking for your major keywords on Google and other online search engines.

Of course, this is much easier said than done. A real estate agent in and you have a web site:

A quick search of Google returns 1,840,000 results. Considering that by default Google returns ten results per page, and average ranked website would show up on page 92,000 ( 1,840,000 divided by ten = 184,000 then divide that by half and you'll find a website on page 92,000). I don't know about you, but I don't find myself looking through 92,000 pages of search results very often. 91,482 is usually my limit ...

"work to increase your link popularity"

So what you do? Well the obvious answer is; make sure your site is is better than the average site. Search engines index text. If you don't have good copy on your website you will probably not have a good showing in the search engines. Additionally, try to target specific keywords. Make sure your website is formatted properly, avoid having broken links and under construction pages, work to increase your link popularity, add fresh content regularly, start a blog, become the active in community forums, write press releases.

Search engine optimization is one of the most important factors to a website success. If you take the time to work your ranking, it will pay off handsomely!

Good Luck, and e-mail me to have your question answered!

Good luck, God bless and keep the powder dry.

More Time Warner Fees ...

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:10:05 -0800

Time Warner Would Like To Charge You More And Give You Less ... To give you "a good deal".

Time Warner is being kind enough to add extra fees for "excessive" downloads to give you more value.

Pretty thoughtful of them huh? To think, I have been keeping all that money to myself ... It has been sitting there in my bank, just cluttering the place up. Oh wait ... Uh, what did they say?

Yep, you heard me. Time Warner is planning to test a new pricing program in Texas. Basically, it will charge customers when they exceed bandwidth limitations.

For those of you that are in the low tech seats, allow me to elaborate. Bandwidth is simply the amount of data that you transmit and receive. In other words, anything you do on the Internet, transmits, or receives data. Email, surfing the web, looking at your cousin's web photo album, online banking, etc ... They all use bandwidth. If you think of the information as if it were water flowing down a pipe. The longer your showers, the more you use the facilities the higher your water bill will be. What Time Warner is doing is putting a limit on the amount that you can use. If you go beyond that limit, you will pay outrageous penalty fees.

Ok, so what does this mean to you?

This means that Time Warner is going to reach into your pocket if you go over their bandwidth limit. They justify this by touting the fact that 5% of the users out there are using the lions share of the bandwidth. So they are going to cap the bandwidth. While most of you will shrug your shoulders and say "Eh, I don't use the Internet much, anyway." I recommend that you think about this:

Future uses of bandwidth may include:

Television T. V., Cable T. V. will most likely go Hi-Def and can be streamed over the Internet. Checkout Joost.com. Time-Warner knows this and doesn't like the fact that there is a really good chance that you could get Television Online. While companies such as Joost are still in their infancy and their line-up is likely to improve and offer you Hi-Def programming that will compete with Cable/Satellite T.V. free, or small fee.
Movies Netflix, Blockbuster Online, Apple TV ... Movies are being streamed over the Internet as we speak. This means people will most likely have internet capable T.Vs soon. More competition for Time-Warner. With people watching movies on demand over the Internet, why pay for Cable. It is mostly commercials anyway ... Hi-Def movies weigh in at about 5 gigs give or take. If Time-Warner can get away with the proposed scheme, modeled after Canada's at 7.50 per gig, then a HD movie will cost around $30 JUST TO STREAM IT! Of course, you will still need to pay the rental fee ...
Phone Service Perhaps you have heard of VoIP (Vonnage, or Skype are providers). VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) could quite possibly replace standard phone service. It is cheaper and offers free long distance. If Time-Warner has their way, you will end up paying per syllable.
Business More and more people are working from home. This may or may not be a formal thing. Many people simply need to finish a report, or check email... How do you feel about paying extra for that?
Storage It is quite possible that both home users and business will begin storing data off-site in online data warehouses.
Web Applications/Online Tools Many analysts agree that people will begin to use network applications such as MS Office Live, or Google Docs. There is a good chance that Web Applications and online tools will become more comprehensive and diverse. This will most likely lead to their widespread use and acceptance.
Teleconferencing I am guessing we will be seeing more of it. For both business and personal use.
Students Online classes, assignments, video tutorials, etc ...
Household tasks, right down to your grocery list. As time progresses, more household appliances will become Internet Aware. For example, by scanning a RFID chip (kind of like a Radio UPC symbol) your refrigerator will "know" what it contains. This information will be accessible via your smartphone, so while you are at the store after work, you can query your fridge to see if you need milk, or eggs. Maybe you left the stove on ... Well, what if it sent you a text message inquiring if you wanted it to shut down, which it would do upon command while you are flying away to Fiji on a trip. How about checking on the baby sitter? Unlocking the front door because you forgot your key inside??

I could speculate all day. The bottom line is; who knows what new innovations are coming or how we will use the Internet. However, if we allow this sort of precedent to exist, then what you can or can not do Online will depend on what you can afford. This gives a tremendous amount of power and control over technology in general to a corporate entity. As quoted on BITS

"Alexander Dudley, a Time Warner spokesman, said that the exact terms had not been set, but that packages would probably offer between 5 gigabytes and 40 gigabytes a month. The top plan would cost roughly the same as the company’s highest-speed service, which typically runs between $50 and $60 a month.

Mr. Dudley said the company was still working on what to charge people who exceed their limits, but he pointed to Bell Canada, which has imposed bandwidth limits on its customers. According to its Web site, Bell Canada charges as much as 7.50 Canadian dollars ($7.42) for each gigabyte when customers exceed the 30-gigabyte limit on a plan that costs 29.95 Canadian dollars a month. Since the average high-definition movie is 4 gigabytes to 5 gigabytes, that would mean a charge of at least $30 a download for customers on a plan like that who were over their limit."

Say goodbye to Apple TV ... Steve Jobs must be really irritated right about now.

Yep, if this thing goes through, you will be at the mercy of your Internet Provider. They can determine what is "Average Use age", Cost per gig, base cost etc... This allows them to dictate how you will be able to use the Internet. They justify this by touting the fact that 5% of users are using 50% of the bandwidth. They point to Bit-Torrent users and file sharing users using Terabytes (a Terabyte is 1,000 Gigs). If this is the case, why 30 Gb? Why use a cap that is obviously lower than levels that will soon become mainstream?

Take a moment to think about the following:

Small and medium businesses that provide the bulk of the really cool stuff on the net ranging from blogs, graphics and tutorials all the way to videos, file downloads (legitimate ones) etc ... Would no longer be able to provide these services for free.
Assuming commercial packages followed suit, Web hosting & other online services would be impacted tremendously. This would put the price to run a website into orbit. Ultimately, even larger companies would feel the bite. The expense of pay per byte, it would cause a ripple effect. People would not be as willing to surf. So, visitors and their dollars would just stop showing up.
Innovation and development would be stunted. Part of the beauty of the Internet is that it equalizes things and allows anybody with an idea to get it out there. The good ideas generally float to the top, while the less than good projects just fade away.
Archives would be either truncated or deleted. There would be little incentive to keep any unnecessary data online.
The vast majority of website's would begin to charge you for access. Free blogs? HA! Forums? Not on my server, they eat too much bandwidth and the advertising doesn't pay enough to justify the cost.

Again, this is all relatively hypothetical. Even so, throttling bandwidth or otherwise restricting it will, in my opinion, lead to far reaching and long lasting adverse effects on a global scale. Considering the fact that bandwidth is really cheap, the extra fees would be nearly all profit. With new ultra hi-bandwidth mediums becoming available, (FIOS for instance is already available in some parts of the South Bay) I am hoping this is all a moot point.

Oh, and did I mention, if your wireless router isn't secured properly, you would be liable for any one that is on your signal? Oh, Oh, and if your machine has a virus and is sending out spam, or otherwise using your connection, guess what, you will be paying for that too. First, you will have to pay Time Warner for the bandwidth overages, then pay a tech to fix it.

Lovely.

Personally, I use DSL Extreme and have had excellent experiences with them. No noticeable downtime, and starting at $12.95 per month (Time Warner plans start at $30.00), I think it is the way to go. I am sure they would be happy to help you switch over. Perhaps, if they see a mass exodus, they will reconsider this policy.

I have much more to say about this, however, I think you have a general idea of what is happening here by this point.

Good Luck, and e-mail me to have your question answered!

Courtesy of otherwise restricting it will, in my opinion, lead to far reaching and long lasting adverse effects on a global scale.

Good Luck, and e-mail me to have your question answered!

Good luck, God bless and keep the powder dry.

Techie Gifts

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:02:50 -0800

Tech Check!
"When in doubt, seek a geek©"

Looking for that perfect gift for that certain special techie in your life? Not sure what to get, or where to get it? Well, as luck would have it, I like techie stuff and since I have been mostly naughty this year, I will probably only get coal in my stocking ... I will give you a few pointers, gizmos and gadgets that will keep your friendly neighborhood techie in smiles all year.

First you will need to determine how much you would like to spend. Here is a handy formula: Take the amount you like your tech and multiply by your expected tech problems in the coming year divide by number of days it will take your tech to solve anticipated problems. Of course, copious bonus points must be applied if the tech is spouse/parent/child/close relation *Yes, I am expecting my wife and kids to read this. Then take the number and double it. *I threw that in there just in case.

Aww heck, just spend.

Ok, now you have a budget, how about some pointers. Although some of my counterparts would disagree, I personally prefer tech gadget gifts as opposed to actual needed components, though either would make me happy. So, as I see it, "cool" beats "needed" when it comes to gifts. Of course, tech is tech, and we will get happy either way.

So, you have a budget and you are looking for a gadget. But what gadget? It just so happens I have a short-list of 4,782,943 really cool tech gadgets that will light even the most geekiest amongst us' Sound-Activated-Fiber-Optic-Christmas-Tree (or other religiously significant holiday decoration. *Some assembly may be required. Batteries not included. Warning: do not use while bathing, surfing, and/or bungie-jumping). Here's a brief synopsis:

Cool places to shop for tech toys online:

Hammacher Schlemmer: Don't ask me to pronounce it. Cool cutting edge gadgets & stuff. A bit pricey though. For instance; the really cool Desktop USB Missile Launcher is selling at H&S for $49.95, while over at X-treme Geek (another cool place to shop for us geeks) it is going for $29.99

Brookstone: I love this place. It has similar stuff to that which is carried by Sharper Image, but cheaper ... I recommend this snappy RC Helicopter. I have one and love it to pieces, which is what it will be in if you fly into a wall. *If it looks like you are going to crash, just let off the power and you will probably be ok.

Pricewatch.com: The best prices I can usually find on equipment, hardware, parts and other computer stuff.

Discovery Store: I am still mourning the fact that the Discovery Store left the South Coast Plaza.

High ticket items:

Digital cameras With the prices ranging from $30 to the national debt, a camera can fit any budget. Of course, the price ranges so much for a reason. When looking for a digital camera, there are a few things to consider outside of price.
- Megapixel is a measure of resolution. This determines how clear the picture will be when printed at larger sizes. It is important because even though you may not plan to print poster size pictures, you may want to crop an image. If the subject in your image is small, then you can crop it and enlarge it. If the camera has enough resolution, the end result will look better, cropped or not.
- CCD Size matters. The CCD (charge coupled device) is what actually captures the image and "digitizes" it. The more expensive larger CCDs in addition to providing much better depth of field (the apparent depth of the image) they use a different technology that provides much better photos. More about CCDs ...
- Zoom comes in two flavors optical and digital. Optical is better, as it offers crisp clean zoom. Digital works in a pinch, but your image may be pixilated (you know, when an image gets those square boxy curves) Most cameras have a combination of both.
- Other stuff is cool too. Some cameras offer WiFi, detachable lenses, SLR, oversize LCD's (screens) and more!
Television Sets There are a multitude of different types of "tubes" on the market, there are a few things they have in common. Particularly High-definition (HD), HD refers to the resolution the unit can display. HD offers much clearer crisper images with typically better color. Beyond that, current televisions offer several input ports. This allows you to connect several gadgets simultaneously. I am even able to connect a laptop to mine, then I can stream Netflix movies directly to my TV, it is extremely cool in a geeky way.

Here's a quick run-down:
- Plasma offer excellent picture quality. However, they don't hold up to video games very well, nor being left on for extended periods of time. They have come a long way though. Older units tended to get screen burn-in (when a shadow image stays on the screen permanently. i.e. video game character or other stationary object etc...) but now they shift the image imperceptibly to prevent this. Still, I do not recommend for extended use.
- Rear Projection TVs offer lesser picture quality and are bulky. The upshot is, they tend to be less expensive
- LCDs while most models (the affordable ones) lack the quality of the plasma sets (specifically regarding darker colors and blacks), they will handle video games and extended use. Both the LCDs and Plasma's are the flat panel type that you can mount on a wall.
- Rear Projection LCDs & DLPs These are actually different technologies with DLP offering slightly better image quality. They have similar dimensions and quality. They are usually larger and if you are looking for a big screen represent a good choice. Will handle video and extended viewing well.
DVD Players Again, offer enough choices to confuse and stun non-tech consumers worldwide. Does anybody remember the VHS-Betamax wars of the early '80's? Hmmm ...
- Standard DVD This is the good old DVD player we have been enjoying since the 90's. You probably have one under your tv now. DVDs can store up to 4.7GB
- HD DVD High Definition DVD Plays high capacity dual or triple layer disks. The player does this by refocusing the laser to read the different semi-transparent layers. These disks can store up to 51 GB on three layers
- Blu-Ray uses a blue laser. Since blue light waves are smaller the laser can focus to a smaller size, thereby allowing more data to be stored in the same amount of space as a red laser. These disks can store up to 50 GB on a dual layer disk.
- Hybrid Will play both HD DVDs & Blu-Rays.
Video Game Consoles
- xBox 360 Personally, I own the xBox 360 and love it. The graphics are great and the features are top-shelf. xBox live is outstanding, enabling you to download High Definition movies, play millions of people world-wide. I stream home movies, music and photos to it wirelessly and can watch them on my television. A great feature when the in-laws are over. One drawback; the thing is LOUD. As soon as you turn it on, the fans & dvd come to life and really let you know it.
- Playstation III A bit pricey for me, but it offer the best graphics of the bunch.
- WII This is the one they have trouble keeping in stock. It features wireless controllers that are motion sensitive. This enables you to really play the game!

Moderately Priced Items:

MP3 players/iPods Ok, so what's the lowdown?
- iPod Exclusively manufactured by Apple. There are hundreds of available accessories available for it. Certainly has the cool factor well in hand. There are many different sizes and types. Will play video as well as audio Click here for more ...
- Zune iPod's closes rival. For more info ...
- MP3 players The rest of them ... Many different styles and features. Here is a good place to compare ...
Digital Picture Frames A huge selection of frames. Some features to look for: Audio (will play music) Memory, should have a slot to accept additional memory cards. Resolution, the higher, the better. AC Adapter should be included, running on batteries will get expensive. Wireless connectivity (WiFi) will allow pictures to be loaded directly to the frame without connecting (provided you have a wireless network in the first place). Remote control is nice...

Well that's all for now, happy shopping, I am sure your techie will be a happy camper this season!

Good Luck, and e-mail me to have your question answered!

All information contained in the article is the opinion of the author and is offered for use with your discretion and without warranty of any kind. Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of The South Bay Association of REALTORS® or its affiliates. Written By: Marc Everlove All rights reserved. Marc Everlove may have affiliations with some, or all companies mentioned. Any links contained within this article may go to other sites and by visiting and/or using any tools contained therein you agree to hold SBAOR harmless.

The Perils of Peer to Peer. What you should know about file sharing.

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:17:16 -0800

Hackers Paradise

The Dangers of File sharing

Before you jump on that free music/movie download bandwagon here are a few things to consider.

When you install a file sharing program you are opening ports on your computer. Every port that is open on your computer represents an increased risk. A good hacker will use unsecured open ports to gain access to your computer.
There are approximately 60 million people using file sharing software with an average 8.5 million logged on at any time. *as per NY Times Odds are some of them want to infect your computer.
The files themselves are dangerous. If a hacker alters a file to contain a virus or other malicious code the user that downloads and installs it will infect their own computer. Typically, hackers will alter popular files. Of course, I am referring to the infamous "Trojan Horse."
The RIAA is taking names ... So far 17,587 people sued. As per sharenomore.blogspot.com
Hackers at large will know the ports that the various file sharing communities use.
You are making yourself an easy target.
If the file sharing program itself has a vulnerability, guess what ... They can hack in via the program itself.
You installed it. You agreed to the terms and conditions ... If malware is installed, you have basically OK' d it. Now the hackers have legal authority to infect your system. Oh, by they way file sharing software is commonly used to steal copyrighted media this probably won't help your case much.
If infected, you are not only vulnerable to just one hacker, but rather anybody that has the correct software to take advantage of the security breech. To elaborate; certain viruses install a client/server program on your machine, turning your machine into a client. This will give any hacker with the server portion to do a search and access your computer. Thinking globally, this means millions of hackers.
Etc ... There's more. Things I haven't listed, hacks yet to be discovered, things I don't know about etc ...

If you are after free music, Try this: Get 7 days of Napster for FREE , it is only ten bucks a month, completely legal and you can access millions of songs. If you sign up at the fifteen dollar level then you can load songs on to your mp3 player and take them with you. I have been a subscriber for years and I love it. Music all the time!

If you are looking for movies, take a look at Netflix.com again, while this program is not free it is really nice to get movies in the mail. I don't lift a finger. Additionally I can watch movies directly over the internet. I have an LCD TV in which I can plug my laptop into. Then I can stream movies over the internet if I forgot to make sure I had one coming.

*A port allows communication with other computers. It is not a physical thing, but rather, something computers use to listen for other computers. When ports are open and unsecured or improperly secured, they are easy targets for hackers. The more ports that are open on your machine, the greater the chance it will be found by a random port scan.

Whether you like, or dislike technology, it is here to stay. It is up to you to lead, follow or get out of the way. If you are ready, but don't know where to begin, stay tuned, I will keep the info coming as time permits. If you are the motivated type, feel free to send me a message, either comment here, or shoot an email.

Good luck, God bless and keep the powder dry.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com your real estate technology connection.

Devilish D-Link Dilemma

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:32:40 -0800

D-Link Dilemma

D-Link Buyers Beware!

I need to give you guys a quick heads up. Most of the time, when I am onsite, things go relatively smoothly. I have been tekking for a very long time now, and have most of the kinks worked out *knocks on wood.

However, every now and then, something bad happens and things go south. Most often it is a quirky software issue, or some obscure issue that stubbornly resists every effort. Sometimes it's just a plain ol' gremlin. On that rare blue moon of an occasion there is a piece of hardware that was designed poorly and somehow passed Quality Control.

Such cases can be extremely frustrating. Particularly, when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that everything is configured properly. This is compounded beyond reasoning when the poorly designed, faulty component is replacing a broken component. Ok, I realize that statement was about as clear as mud. Fortunately for you, (and much to my dismay) I have a real life example that I recently suffered through at a new client's home.

The D-Link Wireless N Router (DIR-615) Ordeal

A new client calls me and asks me to set up a new laptop computer for him. Additionally, he wants me to install a new router and get his network squared away.

No problem. I pick up a new D-Link DIR-615 N-band router at my local Office Depot. I typically choose Linksys, but a colleague of mine told me he preferred D-link and we had a debate over the better brand name. Since there was a big rebate on it, and I wanted to save the customer a little money, I bought it and proceeded to his house.

After going through the usual routine of "I don't know my username/password" with the client, I was able to get the proper information. Ok, so now to install the router and then spend the rest of the afternoon with my family.

Wrong.

Typically, when you install a router, you plug it in, enter the user/password if necessary, plug in any wired computers and ensure that wireless security is on and all appropriate wireless devices can connect. Very easy, very quick.

Right? Should be. Usually is.

Not in this case. The computers would connect to the Internet intermittently. I will spare you the details, but after quite a bit of trouble shooting, it needed a firmware update. Now, this was a simple common type of connection (known as a PPPOE which many of the large commercial ISPs use. ISP's like Earthlink, Yahoo etc ... To have a router on the market that can not handle these connections is inexcusable. This is a fundamental type of network. How this got by the Quality Control folks at D-Link I will never know.

To make matters worse I could find no alerts of any kind on the D-Link Web site for this product, nor in the FAQ's. I figured it out, then later called D-Link tech support. The support guy knew exactly what I was talking about and informed me that it was a known issue. This router had been on the market for some time and the fact that this glaring error was not documented was beyond the pale as far as I am concerned.

Next time I will spend the extra $50 for the Linksys and split the difference with the client...

Good luck, God bless and keep the powder dry.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com your real estate technology connection.

you may not be the only one that's frustrated ... From the tech's perspective:

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:51:39 -0800

The Tech Support Visit ...

A "Simple" Router Install

How to save 2 hours worth of onsite tech service ...

With a few simple phone calls and some basic information on file, you can save copious amounts of money. There are few things I like less then charging people for time spend on hold retreiving personal information. If you find yourself in need of onsite technical service there are a couple of things that you can do to save time that the tech needs to be onsite by gathering some simple information and placing a few phone calls. I recently spent an hour and forty-five minutes onsite waiting on hold for Earthlink DSL tech support to retreive my client's username/password information. As you might imagine, this added up. The client needed the network up and working and did not have any records at all. Here is an example of the scene;

After arriving at clients home ...

Me: "Ok, let me see, Who is your ISP?"

Client: "I don't know who my ISP is ... What's an ISP?"

Me: "Oh, an ISP is the company that provides your internet service."

Client: "Uhh, I don't know.

Me: "Oh, no problem, I see you have DSL. Who do you make the checks out to?"

Client: *Yelling to wife in other room ... "HONEY, WHO DO WE PAY FOR INTERNET."

Wife: "We pay for the that? I didn't know we had to pay for the Internet machine."

Me: "No, problem. What is your email address? Is it something at Verizon, or DSLExtreme, something like that perhaps?"

Client "Yes, it's something@hotmail.com. Is Hotmail my IFT thingy?"

Me: "No, unfortunately. Ok, do you remember who hooked it up? A logo on the van maybe?

Husband: "Go-Bad, I think. Yeah, Go-Bad, that's it. "

Me: "Ok, great, do you know your username and password."

Client: "What Password, I have a password? For what? I don't know, maybe I put it in this box" *Shuffling through a very old box ... "Try this ..." *Pulls out a illegible scrawled note on the back of what appears to be a moldering tomato soup lable.

Me: *Typing different capitalizations of the password into router. "Hmmm, this doesn't seem to be the right password. Are you sure this is it? Is this letter a zero or the letter O?"

Client: "Uhh, no. I just wrote that down when they installed it ... Hmmm, not sure, looks like a number two. I can't tell because the pen was pretty much out of ink when I wrote it."

Me: "Well that would be it then. I wonder why it's not working, don't worry, I'll give them a call." *Calling Covad on cellphone (fortunately, most ISP's are on speed dial at this point in my career).

After a reasonably short 15 minute hold, a Covad Rep picks up.

Rep: "Thank you for calling Covad, can I help you?"

Me: "Yes I have a client here, Mr Ecks, we need his login info."

Rep: "Oh, my records indicate that Mr. Ecks cancelled our services in 1997."

Me *flustered: "Oh, I see. Umm, can you tell me who the line is leased to now?"

Rep: "One second please ... Yes, it looks like Earthlink."

Me: "Thanks you very much." *Makes new call to Earthlink

Earthlink never answers. Ever. We abandon all hope after an hour and twenty minutes. By this time I have done everything else and all that is left to do is set up the network. My cellphone has generated so much heat that I am certain it is going to supernova at any moment. Here is a synopsis of the conversation I had with the client while I was on hold ...

Me: "No ... Did you have an older one?"

Client: "Yes. I think it was Something@earthlink.net"

Me: "Bingo. Do you remember what the password was?"

Client: "It didn't have a password. I just clicked on this little icon here." Pointing to the outlook icon.

Me: "Ok, do you have a password that you usually use?"

Client:"Yes, It's, SomeThing053x47E2SnbFg." *No indication of capitalization ...

Me:"All in lowercase?"

Client:"Yes."

Me: "Didn't work ... Are you sure it is all in lowercase?"

Client:"Yep."

After attemping 439,522 different combinations of the password, I am finally able to connect to the Internet ... The rest of the visit went relatively well.

The point here is, with just a little preparation, you can save a lot of time and trouble later on. With that said, DO NOT SAVE THE PASSWORDS ON THE COMPUTER! First, they can get hacked and second, it's kind of like leaving your spare car keys in the car ...

Good luck, God bless and keep the powder dry.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com your real estate technology connection.

Google Hacking & The Last Frontier

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 01:16:14 -0800

Google, Hackers and You.
What you should know

I have been preparing for the new Web site SBAOR is launching (it's coming very soon). One of the core issues I have been concerned with is security. As I have been researching it occured to me that I should give the REALTOR® community a quick heads up.

Now I am not going to talk about the more intense aspects of security. However, as computers become increasingly incorporated into our daily lives, more and more information finds it's way online. The availablity of this information has assisted us in a great number of ways. It even can save time, money, and even lives.

Of course, the availabilty of this information is a double edged sword. It obviously becomes a serious concern. There are a multitude of threats waiting for the unwary user. Identity theft, e-mail address havesting, key loggers, spam zombies, DoS attack nodes, adservers ... Just to name a few.

I have heard many common responses to security concerns:

I don't keep any personal data in my computer. With the way things are progressing, I think that this will soon become an unfeasible defense. As I see it, it will become increasingly difficult to avoid things like: online banking, DMV appointments, airline reservations & ticketing.
I have Norton Antivirus, that's good enough, right? Uh, no. Simply having an antivirus program on your computer is not a good defense particularly Norton or McAffee. I have cleaned more machines running these anti-virus applications then I care to remember. I recommend Nod32, Avast, or Grisoft AVG in that order. Even so, it is your habits, more then a software package that will keep the bad guys out.
Nobody wants my stuff anyway. Umm, wrong. Even if there is no data on the machine at all, it can still be used for attacks on other machines. By making your machine a proxy server they can disguise their trail, essentially making it appear if their hacking activities are coming from YOUR computer.
I don't understand all of this stuff, I just get frustrated anyway. Ok ... Regardless of whether or not you understand, the bad guys do. Perhaps, it's time to educate yourself.
My machine seems to be running fine ... In past years hackers were after notariety, practical jokes, or just seeing what they could do. It was often the case that the hacker would try to disable systems. However, it has become a booming multi-billion dollar shadow-business. We are talking about big money here folks. The average hacker will do everything possible to maintain invisible. In fact, they will even on occasion, remove other viruses and things that could jepordize or alert you to their access to your machine.

Some Things You Should Know:

Google Hacking: The practice of using Google & other search engines to hack. This can be done by just about anybody, minimal technical skills required.
Ego Surfing: The practice of typing your (or some one else's) name into a search engine to see what you can find.
Phishing: Sending phoney "official" email, phone calls, websites etc ... to gain personal information to be used for criminal activities.
Zaba Surfing: Using ZabaSearch.com to gather info about people.

So, what can you do? I realize I have painted a pretty grim picture. This is due to the fact that this is a very serious issue and people need to understand what's going on. There is a huge underground movement. It is like a sub-culture, there are communties where information is shared and discussed. Exploits, hacking programs, where to find things and how-to instructions. These guys are known in the I.T. world as Black Hats.

Are you feeling outgunned? Never fear, on the other side of the fence is another sub-culture. However, this group is there to patch exploits, track intrusions, identify spammers, and generally protect, networks, the Internet, you and your information. We also communicate, share ideas, tools & information and look for ways to make the net safer for you, your children and society in general. Known as White Hats, we will actively monitor malicious activity and fix things before the word gets out (zero-day patches). So, you see, you are not alone.

Even with the entire White Hat community looking out for you, no one can do it better then you can yourself. With just a few simple habits, you can drastically increase your chances of falling prey to the pitfalls of technology:

Arm yourself. To fight intellectual threats, you will need to arm yourself with knowledge. When you know what to look for and what to avoid then you are a much tougher target, and most of the bad guys will go elsewhere to pick off the "easy meat".
Protect Yourself. Make sure your computer is patched and updated. I recommend enabling automatic updates to ensure that your machine gets all the updates and patches needed BEFORE it gets compromised. Get a top notch anti-virus program and a good anti-spyware application (yes, they are different. No, I do not recommend Norton or McAffee.)
Caveat Emptor; Buyer Beware. Regarding anti-spyware/anti-viruse programs, there are some great free ones out there, but there are also others, known as Betrayal-ware that actually install tons of viruses and other malware.
Surf wisely. If it is free, or if it is cute, watch out. If it is free and cute, run. Many downloadable wallpaper, graphics, games, smilies, email add-ons, and freeware in general contain trojan-horse viruses. Once downloaded and installed the viruses install as well. In some cases, they can download and install other viruses without your knowledge. Oh, and NO. UNINSTALLING THE PROGRAM THAT INSTALLED THE VIRUS WON'T HELP. Damage is done, the virus is loose and that's that. Think of it as kicking out a house guest that has the flu after you have been infected. It may make you feel a little better (especially if it is the Mother-in-Law), but you're still getting the flu.
Pony up. "Ain't no free lunch." Downloading music from filesharing networks is the fastest way to nuke your system. Not only are you letting 4,897,532 people have access to files on your computer, you are stealing. Look at it this way, it is only going to cost you $400.00 to get your computer fixed after you download that new-must-have song. The music swaping revolution is over, we lost.
Don't lose your keys. If you need to reinstall a program, make sure you have the original serial key. Do not use a keygen. Keygens are programs that generate product keys for software. You can download trial software (some is very pricey) then unlock it with a key from a keygen. Keygens are illegal AND in 99% of cases completely infested with malware.

Once bitten ...

Once you get a virus, they are extemely difficult to remove. In the majority of cases, I recommend simply backing up essential data (careful not to back up a copy of the virus) and re-os'ing* the machine. This saves time and money.

Properly removing a virus takes a lot of time and must be done completely and correctly or the virus can reinfect the computer again at a later date. All components of the virus must be discovered, removed and the registry scanned for any malicious keys that will cause problems later on. Even if done correctly, there is always that raised eyebrow everytime the machine runs slowly...

To Be Continued ... Stay Tuned!

HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN INFECTED AND WHAT TO DO ...

On next week's episode of Tech Corner!

I hope this helps clarify your options! Good luck, and as always, feel free to e-mail me with your questions!

Good Luck, and e-mail me to have your question answered!

Good luck, God bless and keep the powder dry.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com your real estate technology connection.

The Information Age & The New Money.

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:57 -0700

The New Money ...

Welcome to the Information Age. It's here, it's not going away.

I speak to many Real Estate Professionals that simply don't want to deal with it. They have been doing business the same way for years and it has worked out so far, why change?

Well, for starters, whether you want to face it, or not, homebuyers and sellers are. It's just that simple. Generation X has grown up, and they are beginning to become active in the Real Estate Marketplace. Moreover, the 30 to 50 year old demographic has gotten much more comfortable with technology. Even the baby boomers are online in increasing numbers. They can check out properties 5,000 miles away, complete with satellite images, from the comfort of their living rooms.

They expect you, as real estate professionals to be up on all of this technology. If they can do it, why shouldn't you be able to? After all, YOU"RE the pro right?

BUT WAIT! You're a REALTOR®. Your business is properties. Who said you have to be a computer science major? Now, you have to know about legal, financial, construction, city ordinanaces, taxes, and everything else that goes with selling a property? PLUS TECHNOLOGY??? Wow, doesn't seem fair does it?

Unless of course you happen to enjoy technology.

I have found that most people that don't have a good grasp on technology, just don't understand what it is all about. So, if that is the case, then, perhaps I can be of assistance. Keep reading.

Before you get discouraged with it, let's take a look at technology? What its all about, how to work it, how to keep up? When you boil it all down, it's much more manageable then you might think. Let's break it down.

The Internet, is simply a huge network of computers.
Computers Manipulate and Store Files.
Files, regardless of what they are (pictures, numbers, letters, email etc ... ) data.
Data is simply information.
Therefore, the Internet is just information, or, more plainly the Internet = Information.

Think of it like an enormous library, that contains basically all of mankind's knowledge that you can access from anywhere you have access to it. All you need is a simple computer, like say ... a cellphone ...

Better yet, once you get the hang of it, it is a lot more fun and a whole lot easier to find information then a real actual library. What's more, the information is up to the minute, comprehensive, interactive and constantly updated. There is information about anything that could possibly interest you, even if it only interests you for a moment (like this blog perhaps).

Yep, it's all about information. That's all there is to it. As I see it, information is becoming more important than money. I am guessing that soon, information will be the new money. Already, I have little or no need for actual cash. I can lose it, have it stolen ... My check card is accepted everywhere. I even think the neighbor kid's lemonade stand has a credit card terminal ...

But that is not really what I mean by "the new money" actually, information becomes a means to attaining money. For instance, Techy-REALTOR® A and Non-Techy-REALTOR B® are trying to get 29-Year-Old-Client A's business. Client A has a home that he won on an online poker game that he is trying to unload. It is a shotgun shack that needs paint.

REALTOR® A has an interactive website that links to Google Maps, IDX, Blogs, REALTOR.org. He can take digital images of Client A's house, upload them to the MLS, market it all over the web, get comps in moments flat, e-mail blast perspective buyers, offer virtual tours of the property, video tours, send and receive email from the middle of nowhere on his PDA, line up; painters, plumbers, home inspectors, and candlestick makers. He can store the sellers name in a database for future reference, and match it with potential buyers from the same database.

REALTOR® B thumbs through his roledex.

REALTOR® A updates the new contact so that a service sends his wife flowers on their childrens birthday, as the offers are accepted. Simultaneously, he smiles as all the work he has done on SEO hits paydirt with 3 new strong e-mails from his site.

REALTOR® B waits for his bus stop bench to generate a lead ...

Make no mistake, business is war & that being the case, can you afford to be out there without the same tools the other guy has?

Good luck, God bless and keep the powder dry.

Courtesy of RealEstateTechOnline.com your real estate technology connection.

Uploading Photos With Microsoft Vista

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:31:25 -0700

Microsoft Vista^® Tips and Tricks

Cool Things That You Can Do With Microsoft Vista

Working With Digital Images & Pictures

Pleasantly, Vista has impressive photo handling capabilities. I have worked with digital images for many (more than I care to admit) and organizing them has always been a tedious, timeconsuming and altogether not fun endeavor. Windows prior tools were severely lacking and I avoided them altogether. I tried several third party solutions ranging from software provided by the various camera companies to Adobe Photoshop's bundled solution. While Adobe's solution was impressive, it buried the images too deep in the file system and tended to strong arm me by popping up and commandeering my system every time I inserted any type of removable media.

In all fairness, if I had spent the time to dial in the software I could have probably made it do what I wanted. Of course, if I had endless hours to monkey around with proprietary software, I would have had the time to go through all my images by hand (ok not really, but it was frustrating in any case.)

Shortly before the release of Vista I became aquainted with Google's Picassa which is an excellent program and I must admit that I like both Vista's solution and Google's very much. With that said, we are talking about Vista and I will leave it at that.

How easy is it? It is very easy. It is easy to import your images as well as keep them organized.

Simply plug in your camera, or card reader and wait for a moment or two. An autoplay dialog box will appear and you can select Import Pictures. At that point a progress bar will appear. If you would like, you may select the Erase after importing checkbox which will clear the data from your memory card after import. As far as getting the pictures onto your computer is concerned, you're done.

Once your pictures have been imported, I imagine you would probably like to view them. Well, this is where Vista comes in. You can search through your images by date, of course, or tag them. To tag an image you simply click on it, then click the info button. The "Info Pane" opens and then you can enter a tag. Vista allows you to enter an unlimited number of tags per image. If you want to give several images the same tag, you can ctrl + click the images desired and by using the same steps above, all the images selected will be tagged.

Through the use of tags, it is possible to organize thousands of images. You will be able to find images that interest you quickly and easily.

What about fixing and manipulating images? Fear not, Vista has the tools to do most of the basic tasks you will need. Of course, to do the real "heavy lifting" image manipulation you will need a professional graphics program (hold on to your hat, they can get pricey), but to do the day to day red eye removal and cropping, Vista has you covered. Just select the image you need to work on and click Fix in the toolbar and Photo Gallery will provide you with a set of basic tools to work with.

You may also share your images. Media center will allow you to share your media files with other computers and even stream them to your xBox. I have recently set up my son's (Ok, I play it as much as he does, but call it a Dad-perk) xBox to stream our family photos and videos. Now, when the grandparents are over, I fire up the xBox and treat them to a snappy slideshow.

This and more at REAL ESTATE TECH ONLINE!

Spam. I don't like it a bit.

Marc Everlove (RealEstateTechOnline.com) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:42:06 -0700

Spam

I have been dealing with spam for a very long time. I have been online since 2400 baud modems. Yep. Didn't take long before I started getting it. I remember when they coined the term as a matter of fact (a dark day for Hormel® to be sure). I can remember when I would go days, sometimes weeks without receiving any email. Then, slowly at first, I began to see it appear. The early days of spam (the email kind) brought some legitimate offers. In fact some were downright tempting ... But, those days were short lived. The spam began pouring in. Waaaay back when I was first starting out, back when computers were still made of wood (I had a deluxe model with a butter churn built in), and laptops were red, had two knobs and you had to turn them upside down and shake to reboot (oh wait, that was my etch-a-sketch®) we had to actually download our mail. The vast majority of people (yes, I'll admit it, me too) had AOL, or Prodigy and we all had to pay by the moment. Yes, so in addition to wading through the spam, we got to pay top dollar to download it as well.

Why am I feeling nostalgic all of a sudden? Since that time, I have created more web sites then I can even remember. Yup, hundreds of web sites ... All of them have something to the effect of Problems? Contact Webmaster@SuchAndSuch.com I then FORWARDED ALL MAIL TO MY REAL ADDRESS. Over the years, the number of sites I authored grew. Everything was good. My skills were improving, I was making a name for myself ... I began to notice 10, 15, 30 a day. The dreaded mailing lists had begun to appear. The trickle of email, became a steady stream, but it was still manageable. Annoying, but manageable.

Then it happened ... I can remember the day it started, my spam went through the roof, literally overnight; BOTS were unleased. Bots, spambots, scrapers, harvestors, mail spiders, whatever you want to call them, hit the scene. A bot is a program that does a certain task, over and over and over again. Bots operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They don't sleep, they don't stop, ever. In the case of spambots, they move from page to page following links, indexing any and all email addresses as they go. They read the code behind the page, so they can "see" the email addresses even if you can't.

The bots store the email in databases. They will be catagorized whenever possible. For instance, if your email address is on a web page containing words like: REALTOR®, Real Estate, New Homes, MLS, etc ... then guess what, your email will be "profiled". Then the mailing list companies then charge a premium to send spam to all real estate emails, or medical, or lawyers or people that like sailing, or whatever. They only charge a few hundred bucks per hundred thousand emails, so there is no shortage of companies willing to use the mailing list's services ... As a real estate professional, your email address is considered prime. Thousands of companies what to sell you something, hence the massive amounts of spam you receive every day. This is of course in addition to the companies that will send billions of emails to everybody. Oh, yes, you get included in those too. Viagra, All-natural Breast Enhancements, Nigerian 419's, Stock Tips, Phishing Scams, all of it. Phooey. Why am I telling you this? Perhaps, it's because I like you. No? Ok, maybe because I receive somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 emails A DAY! Perhaps I just dislike the spammers. All of the above, I suppose. If I had a dollar (used to be a nickel, but have you seen gas prices lately?) for every person that asked me what they could do about spam, I could buy that small country I've always wanted. Well, there are a few things:

Don't enter contests (just go ahead and fill out that card with your email addy and drop it in that shiny new car that you can win in the middle of your local mall, I dare you. How do you suppose they pay for those?)
Be careful what companies you give your email address to, especially online, if you are buying something or for some reason you need to, have a spare address (check out hotmail.com) and use that.
Use MS Outlook 2003. It has excellent filters.

I have had "issues" with products from Norton, McAfee and other so called "spam filters" and do not recommend them, however, that's my opinion, you are free to do as you wish.

I have however found a pretty cool utility. When somebody sends you an email, it replies and asks for verification. If verified, the email is forwarded. I am not totally sold on it, but you may want to give it a try. It is called, SpamArrest and you can find it here.

If you do, please let me know what you think of it. Good luck and I wish you a spam-free day.

Marc Everlove's Blog

I just published my first book entitled "What Every Website Owner Needs to Know"

What Every Website Owner Needs to Know!

Ok... Stupid question... Can I save a draft of a blog post?

What the Heck is CSS? A Cascading Style Sheets Primer...

A Crash Course in HTML

If stop What every website owner should know…

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Choosing a Webmaster

How to save money with free software Part I

How To Make A Few Extra Bucks Online ~Part II~

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~Hey Googlebot, Over Heeeere~

Google'd

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Hackers Paradise

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Microsoft Vista^® Tips and Tricks