25 Reasons to start a Blog

Here is a list of advantages of having a blog..

blogging-late-night1. Share personal opinions more openly, with more freedom. We can learn to express ourselves freely.

2. Everyone’s voice has value.

3. We can share our knowledge.

4. Blogs…as its name suggests (logs), can be used to store the information that will be useful for yourself and others in the future.

For Example:-

We do lot of research while writing some of the articles. And as human nature, we may forget the things. So writing an article about whatever research we have down, will be accessible to ourselves and our readers any time. And this will also help for the further research works.

And sharing our research and results with our readers and getting their comments(interaction) and feed back will also help in improving the further research works.

5. We can also make money out of our blogs, to cover the hosting and other expenses. And if taken seriously, with dedication and consistency you can also make more money. The advantage is, you make money by doing what you love doing(blogging).

6. We can build good relationship with other people of similar interest.

7. We should keep in mind that…“Exchange one dollar, we both have one dollar each. Exchange one idea, and we will be having two ideas each.”

8. Our writing skills are improved very much after we indulge in blogging for atleast 6 months or 1 year. You can observe it yourself.

9. Thinking capacity will be high.

10. Knowledge in a wide variety of topics. Even though you may be blogging in a particular niche, but still you will surly be reading some of the posts of your favorite bloggers, which are totally about someother niche.

11. Ability to thinking about the pros and cons. Normally people think in one way, but the bloggers always think about both pros and cons. This may sometimes, be an advantage in your personal life also.

12. Willingness to help others. Before starting this blog, I was wondering, why would people be so eager to help others(in forums, blogs, social networking sites etc), by investing their time for no money in return!

13. You can learn different marketing strategies.

14. Having a blog, sometimes, makes us to be more active in forums, social networking sites etc. And more importantly, we will try to be more polite and more helpful. And we will become more interactive.

15. Having a blog makes us get hooked to internet more. And all most all of us will get inspired to think innovatively. And all most all the bloggers have some goals set for their life(outside blogging life also).

16. As our blog grows and as we start acquiring more and more feedburner readers, we will be having some more responsibility, as our articles will be read approximately by this much people. So we start acting and thinking more responsibly and professionally. This would also improve our social life.

17. Respecting others thoughts.

18. As time goes by, we will learn a lot of technical things about the internet, to maintain our blog, to troubleshoot some small problems ourselves.

19. Increases confidence about our opinion, when we see positive comments from others.

20. We can learn to take the negative feedback from our readers positively. This will help a lot in our daily life.

21. To go along the line of a blog can land you a job opportunity, especially if it attracts a wide readership and you become recognized as an expert in your niche.

22. We can learn more about ourselves. As we keep blogging, we can learn about our interests. Our point of view. And we can also realize, what we like and what we hate. Until starting a blog, many people even don’t have time to think about themselves, their interests etc. Now, while blogging, you do your job(blogging), and still you will be able to know all the thinks about yourself(over time).

23. And the amazing part is, we can get trustworthy friends from all over the world.

24. You can be busy always. You might have heard that, “Empty mind, is devils workshop”.

By starting a blog, I think you can be busy all the time, in a constructive work(blogging).

25. You will turn into a personal consultant for your friends and family.

Bloggers keep reading things in their RSS reader and emails newsletters, they will be helping people and getting help from others. In the journey they will accumulate lot of ability to take decision. Friends and family can notice that, by seeing the changes in your behaviour(you may not notice it). And finally they start calling you for some advice in buying something or to ask some solution for their problems or atleast to tell you their problems(as they think, you are the only one person on this earth, who will surly listen to their problem without interrupting them!).

25th point is my personal experience and this may be with wrong or quite opposite for many of you.

And all these depends on the niche and the reason for which you have started a blog.

These are my personal opinion and experiences. Please share some of your views and experiences in the comment section, and let all of us know, how blogging has influenced your life.

Gmail feature, to track login sessions and some more details

Want to know, the timeings of your last login(like in your AdSense account) ?

Are you afraid or have doubt that, somebody else at office is accessing your Gmail ?

Want to know the Browser, mobile, POP3, etc and the timings and the Ip address of your previous logins ?

Gmail has all these features in one click….Most of us have surly missed to notice this very important security feature of Gmail.

Many of you have seen all the options present in Gmail Settings tab. And you might be thinking, where the hell could this option be present?

You might have missed this because, this option is at the end of the Gmail page(footer).

Here are the screen shots…
last-login-gmail-detail

When you click on the “Detail” link…you can see the details of the last 5 login sessions. And you can also see, if the same email account is being used at the same time in some other places. And importantly, you can “Signout all other login sessions”.
Sessiona-gmail-Ip-log-login

How to use this data

If you’re concerned about unauthorized access to your mail, you’ll be able to use this data to find out if and when someone gained access. Does the Access Type column show any unusual access? If you don’t use POP to collect your mail, but your Recent activity table is showing some POP access, it may be a sign that your account has been compromised.

The IP address column is also useful. If you always or most often sign in to Gmail using a single computer, your IP address should be the same, or start with the same two sets of numbers (for example, 172.16.xx.xx). If you’re seeing an IP address that differs greatly from your usual IP address, it could either mean that you’ve recently accessed your mail from a different location, or that someone has accessed your mail. Your current IP address is displayed below the Recent activity table.

Concurrent sessions

If your mail is currently being accessed from another location, it would be listed in the Concurrent session information table. This could mean that you simply have another browser window open with Gmail loaded, or that your home computer is logged in to Gmail while you’re accessing your mail from work. If you’re concerned about any concurrent access, you can sign out all sessions other than your current session by clicking Sign out all other sessions.

If you think your account has been accessed by someone illegally
You’ll need to change your password and your security question. The first step is to read our suggestions on choosing a good password to make sure that your new password is secure. Then, follow the instructions in How do I change my password? to update your password.
disable-gmail-chat
In the first screen shot, you can also spot another small link “Gmail view: standard | turn off chat | “. You can click on the “turn off chat” link to sign out of chat inside your Gmail. But this can be done at the chat box window itself(so, its not an important, must have option).

How to Change Permalink Structure in wordpress

I know this is a small thing to many people out there, but I am writing about this for the beginners. I had also faced lot of problem in changing the permalink, when this blog was hosted in Yahoo! server.

Permalinks are the permanent URLs to your individual weblog posts, as well as categories and other lists of weblog postings. A permalink is what another weblogger will use to link to your article (or section), or how you might send a link to your story in an e-mail message. The URL to each post should be permanent, and never change — hence permalink.

To change the permalink structure, first you need to grant permission, to access the .htaccess file(It should be in writable mod). To do that, log into your hosting account using any FTP software...we recommend using "FileZilla". As it is a FREE software and a good featured one and yet so simple to use.

FileZilla-server-name-user-name-passowrd-field
Ask for the host name to your hosting support team or search in their blog. Username and password will usually be the same as the username and password of your hosting account cpanel.

After logging into your Hosting account through “FileZilla”, goto the folder, where you have installed your wordpress theme, select .htaccess and index.php files and then right click and select “File Attributes”..Now change the Numeric value from 644 to 666. This would grant the writing mode to those two files.

And there is a .[dot] in the beginning of the file name .htacess, that file many not be visible. In this case change the settings to show all the files. or you can ask about it to your web host support team.

FileZilla-index.php-file-attributes

Now you can simply log into your wordpress account and then click on the “settings” tab, and then click on the Permalinks tab.
permalinks-wordpress-setting

There choose which ever format you want your permalink to be.

If you don’t like any of those, then select the “Custom Structure”, as shown in the above image. Now specify whatever structure you want…

Make sure to end your permalink structure with either %post_id% or %postname% (e.g. /%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/) so that each permalink points to an individual post.

%year%
The year of the post, four digits, for example 2004
%monthnum%
Month of the year, for example 05
%day%
Day of the month, for example 28
%hour%
Hour of the day, for example 15
%minute%
Minute of the hour, for example 43
%second%
Second of the minute, for example 33
%postname%
Shows only the post name after your blog URL.
%post_id%
The unique ID # of the post, for example 423
%category%
A sanitized version of the category name (category slug field on New/Edit Category panel). Nested sub-categories appear as nested directories in the URI.
%author%
A sanitized version of the author name.

Now choose any one of these or the combination’s of these and put it  in the “Custom Structure”, and make sure to end your structure with either %post_id% or %postname% .

Ex:-

/%day%/%postname%/

Now press “Save Changes” button. Thats it. You have setup the permalink structure of your choice. Congrates!

And now don’t forget to change the file permission of .htaccess and index.php files to 644 again, for security purpose.

If you still face any problem with this, then it would be better to contact your hosting provoider.

And you may also feel this plugin interesting to redirect the older permalink structure to the new one’s without any hassle.

For more details about this click here.

You could also be interested in reading Permalink contribution for duplicate content.

Send and receive Orkut Scraps on your SMS enabled mobile phones[India&Brazil Only]

Orkut-logoOrkut is a very famous Social networking site in Brazil and India. I have heard that, in Brazil, if 20 are in a cyber, 18 of them will be accessing Orkut. Hope this is not the case in India, but still Orkut is a popular site to get in touch with friends and family.

But its difficult to be in front of computer all the time to get in touch with friends and family. So Orkut had introduced a separate version of Orkut for mobile internet users. But as we all know, most of the service providers charge high rates for providing mobile internet.

So now Google’s popular social networking site Orkut has introduced yet another cool feature, by which we can use Orkut from our cell phones without internet connection. Yes, I am talking about the SMS feature. Orkut had introduced SMS feature in Brazil long back. If you are from Brazil, then click here to learn more.

So I was expecting Orkut to release the same kind of feature in India too. And the day came soon, and now we can use orkut’s new SMS feature, to scrap our friends, look up their contact information and receive scrap notifications.

I always had a thought that Google may merge its Orkut and dodgeball.com to give us a great social networking site. Now Orkut SMS service would look more similar to dodgeball.com( by Google ) service.

To get started click here. There you will see option to specify your mobile number to receive notifications. You will have to verify your mobile number first to start using this service.




When I first saw the list of service providers, I felt like, I am missing something. And suddenly I could realize that, Big players like Airtel and Vodafone where missing from the list! Hope they include them as soon as possible, orelse they will be loosing many customers, before acquiring them.

I use Spice SIM in my Nokia 6630(“3G enabled iPhone will be released on Aug 18th and Aug 22nd by Vodafone and Airtel respectively, in India”. And I will be purchaing iPhone with Airtel soon..).

Spice charges 2Rs for sending mobile verification SMS.

Though I used my Spice number to signup for this service and sent the verification code to the correct number, still this service is not yet activated to my number. I received no confirmation message from Orkut either.

And surprisingly I spotted another aspect….which I have not shown in the above video. When I click on the link “Having Problem?”  It shows the following message

Currently orkut SMS works only in Brazil. If you are still not able to register your mobile number visit the SMS help page.

Here is the screen shot…

Orkut-India-SMS-registration-problem

What should we call this…an error or is this SMS feature still in pre-launch mode in India or is it a pre-registration or whatelse ?

Is this Me alone or everyone else having the same problem with registering their mobile number?

Google Ad Manager BETA, with some improvements

Google Ad Manager Release Notes

Google Ad Manager is a Service, using which we can handle our private advertisers..
Ad Manager offers a wealth of features to help you with:

Google Ad Manager Release Notes

Google-Ad-Manager-logo_main

Google Ad Manager is a Service, using which we can handle our private advertisers..

Ad Manager offers a wealth of features to help you with:

Google-Ad-Manager-infographic

Inventory management

Yield optimization
Ad targeting
Trafficking, ad delivery, and order booking
Creatives and rich media management
Reporting
User interface navigation
Account administration
Google Ad Manager delivers all of your directly-sold and network-based inventory

On August 1st 2008, Google Added some features into its AdManager…Here is a small list:

  • Creative preview on your site – You can now preview a creative on your site to test the creative before the campaign starts. Learn more here.
  • New look and feel – Google has changed the style and overall appearance of the product. While most things remain in the same place, it may take a few moments to adjust to the new look.
  • Additional languages – Ad Manager is now available in three new languages: French, Italian, and Ukrainian.
  • Unlimited flight dates – Originally you could only set unlimited flight dates for ad network orders. Now you can set unlimited flight dates on any Exclusive, Remnant, or House order that has an unlimited impression goal.

If you have any additional questions about this release, Google encourage you to visit the Ad Manager Help Center, and for complete resource for all Ad Manager topics. Also, feel free to join the Ad Manager Help Forum to share any questions, comments, and best practices you have with other Ad Manager users.

Remember, Google Ad Manager is still in BETA and if your website is designed to have direct ad sales, then you can apply for it here. But Google only selects certain websites for its BETA testing. We are happy that, our blog ( Technotip.org) has been approved for this BETA testing long before, and its been nice to use the Free service to get maximum benefit from each ad spot.

Best Pay Per Click Network- Bidding System

Technotip.org uses AdSense, Bidvertiser and Chitika as PPC advertising.
But I feel that bidvertiser has some very good features that I miss in both AdSense and Chitika.



Technotip.org uses AdSense, Bidvertiser and Chitika as PPC advertising.

But I feel that bidvertiser has some very good features that I miss in both AdSense and Chitika.

*You get 20$ in free clicks with Bidvertiser, using which you can advertise on our blog(and on any blog using Bidvertiser)…to use it click here.

Get 20$ FREE credit of Bidvertiser, using paypal a/c

Bidvertiser has the following features(some of these are present in AdSense, but not all):

1. You can display eBay ads, which gets more CTR.
bidvertiser-ebay-ads

2. Endless customization. We can customize the ad to the look and feel of our blog/website. Color, size(we can create any width and height of our choice), font size, format, ad open in new window or in the same page)…etc.

3. We can track the clicks by logging into our account.

4. Bidvertiser for feeds. We can also monetize our feeds, by integrating the easy to use Bidvertiser for feeds. It can be integrated with any feed service.

5. It has a top class referral program. You can see many “A” grade bloggers using Bidvertiser banners to promote bidvertiser. This is because, Bidvertiser provoids a very good income for referring it to new advertisers or publishers.

Earn money by directing users to signup with BidVertiser

Place a Referral button or a text link on your site and you will start to earn money when a user clicks on your button or link and signs as an advertiser or a publisher:

  • When a user signs as an advertiser and first spends $10, Bidvertiser will credit your account with $5. When that same advertiser spends $50, you will be credited with an additional $20.
  • When a user signs as a publisher and first earns $10, Bidvertiser will credit your account with $10. When that same publisher earns $50, you will be credited with an additional $40.

Your earnings will be tracked in your Referral control panel, including clicks, sign-ups and conversions.

6. Minimum target to get the payment is $10. Bidvertiser pay monthly, either by check or instantly through PayPal, and the minimum target to get payment is 10$.

7. Simply display the BidVertiser text ads on your website and let advertisers bid against each other!. And the highest bidder will be allowed to advertise on your blog and hence you will be getting maximum benefits from each ad spot.

8. Have your bidding steadily improved over time
You will see a constant improvement in your bidding over time, as both your visitors and advertisers will be exposed to the opportunity of bidding against each other on your ad space.

9. Block any unwanted ad
BidVertiser enables you to filter-out any unwanted ads. Prior to your own filtering, each ad has to be pre-approved by Bidvertiser editorial team. This mechanism gives you a peace of mind with regards to the ads displayed on your website.

10. BidVertiser does NOT accept websites that:

  • Produce, provide or link to:
    • Adult content
    • Sexual content
    • Excessive profanity
    • Illegal drugs or related content
    • Hate speech or hate graphics content
    • Click frauds are taken very seriously and strictly.

I am just using one 125 x 125 ad spot in this blog and that itself is yielding me good payment each month. The revenue share that I get for each click is more than that I get from AdSense. But the only problem for me to have all Bidvertiser Ads on my blog is, its not highly contextual. The Advertiser who bids on our ad spot, will be allowed to show his ads until he wishes or until he is outbid by some other advertisers. So its difficult to get contextual ads.

And as I have seen, it requires time to get more exposure among advertisers. I have an old website with just 2 or 3 pages, and Bidvertiser shows ads all the time in that website. But Technotip.org is still a new blog, so sometimes there will be default advertisement(referring advertisers to advertiser on my blog, with free clicks of 20$).

And the main advantage is, advertisers get 20$ in free click, to advertise on any site using Bidvertiser. And this is a great advantage to refer any advertiser to Bidvertiser. And by referring advertiser you get the referral income too.

When there is no ads to server to your ad spot, this default advertisement referring advertisers to Bidvertiser will be shown.

And Advertisers get these features:

Site-Targeted Advertising
With BidVertiser, you decide where your ad will be displayed. They allow you to either browse through or search the categorized directory of sites and select only the appropriate ones for your business.

Traffic Origin
BidVertiser allows you to display your ads within a geographic range you determine. Simply choose your geographic targeting and your ads will be shown only to users located anywhere in the country or countries you selected.

Ad Creative
With pay-per-click model, you only pay for clicks you receive. The user that sees your ad knows exactly what you have to offer and only if he finds your offer appealing, he will willingly click on it to visit your site.

Advertisers can also Drive Buyers to their eBay Listings and Stores, using the free 20$ clicks.

So whatelse do anyone want to get started….?

Your earnings depend on your smartness. How well you integrate those ads into your blog/website. Your skill to bled the ads. Selecting the right ad formats which suites your site template…etc.

I always use customized size(width and height) on my other blog. This has given me high returns.

We have heard this many times, in many blogs — “Do not put all your eggs in single basket”. So just using one advertising network is not advisable. You can atleast use the referral program of Bidvertiser to earn a lot of passive income.

Bidvertiser can be used in overcoming the disadvantages of automated systems Content Match, where neither the advertiser nor the publisher has any control of the advertisements’ quality, pricing and timing. Bidvertiser On-Site Bid Per Click offers website owners with the ability to sell their ad space, automatically, to the highest bidder, on a price-per-click basis, where the price is mostly effected by the quality and popularity of their website. Advertisers can place ads directly on sites of their choice and pay only when a visitor clicks-through their site.

We will be writting about bidvertiser and some strategies to improve the earnings through Bidvertiser. So please keep comming back and signup to our email or rss feed.

So, if you want to signup as Bidvertiser Publisher, then click here.

And if you want to signup as Bidvertiser Advertiser, then click here.

MyBlogLog and Delicious unveiled its new design

Recently MyBlogLog followed by Delicious unveiled its new design. MyBlogLog, has no new features introduced, where as Delicious has added one or two new features. Here are the screen shots.

Recently MyBlogLog followed by Delicious unveiled its new design. MyBlogLog, has no new features introduced, where as Delicious has added one or two new features. Here are the screen shots.

MyBlogLog(Yahoo! Service):

mybloglog-new-theme

Delicious(Yahoo! Service):

Yahoo’s most popular bookmark sharing service Del.icio.us is now Delicious.com. If you type the old URL, then you will automatically be redirected to the new URL.

And the new design is also cleaner and first time users wont get confused(as was the case with older design). Ok, now take a look at the new design…

delicious-new-design
So whats new in Delicious… click here to explore.

Hope Yahoo! is hard at work to bring some new feel to some of its popular services…

AdSense Widget Ads with more features

We had put screen shots of AdSense Widget Ads previously. And now we spotted AdSense Widget Ads in our another blog. This time Widget Ads having some more cool new features.

AdSense-Widget-Ads-play-pause

Watch this small video to see how it works…




The Ads will be in auto play mode when it first displays. Afterwards, we can just pause it.
This preset auto play mode gives equal exposure to all the ads in that single ad unit.
When we took mouse cursor over the Ad link, we could find the following URL in our address bar

javascript:_ADS_ReportInteractionClick(‘http://www.viator.com/New-York-City/d687/broadway-shows?pref=02&aid=gc3601′,’destination_url_1’)