Blogger.com and Wordpress.com provides great free services for those bloggers who uses these blogging platforms for their blogs and are satisfied with what they can offer especially seeing that they are free. However, there will be bloggers who may want to do certain things that these hosted platforms cannot offer and have to resort to blogging software like Wordpress.org, Joomla or Drupal which requires you to host your own blog
And that is when they have to look into paid web hosting of which there are a multitudes of them. How do you choose with so varied a choice. The answer is to read web hosting reviews before you make your decision.
Now if you use the free web hosting of www.blogger.com or www.wordpress.com, the burden of security is lifted from your shoulder. But once you elect to host your own blog, you will need to also familiarize yourself with security so as to immunize yourself with hacking.
Another aspect is cPanel or control panels. What is a cPanel you may ask. cPanel is a Linux based web hosting control panel that provides a graphical interface and automation tools designed to simplify the process of hosting a web site.
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Blogs, digital imaging and cameras
Whether it is providence or not I do not know, but not long after I shot off a request to Canon support requesting they point me to a showroom with staff knowledgeable about cameras and able to assist in the choice of a camera for snapping photos for an online directory, I received an email alerting me to this online camera buying guide.
Blogs are digital creatures with everything in it defined by zeros (0) and ones (1) and I am ancient enough to remember having to hunt high and low for a way to convert hard copy photo to digital. Now we are facing the happy reverse of almost every camera photos on offer to photo studios only giving the digital choice which is fine for digital blogs.
Perhaps before making the decision of buying a digital camera, it is good practice to consult some digital camera buying guide for a better informed decision. And if I am going to be using the camera only to upload photos to your blog, I think I would avoid those large bulky digital SLR cameras not only because of the cost, but mainly because they are extremely difficult to carry around and because they stand out tend to attract robbers eying easy prey.
Blogs are digital creatures with everything in it defined by zeros (0) and ones (1) and I am ancient enough to remember having to hunt high and low for a way to convert hard copy photo to digital. Now we are facing the happy reverse of almost every camera photos on offer to photo studios only giving the digital choice which is fine for digital blogs.
Perhaps before making the decision of buying a digital camera, it is good practice to consult some digital camera buying guide for a better informed decision. And if I am going to be using the camera only to upload photos to your blog, I think I would avoid those large bulky digital SLR cameras not only because of the cost, but mainly because they are extremely difficult to carry around and because they stand out tend to attract robbers eying easy prey.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
QR Code Address Plaques for your blog
How would you like an address plaque for your blog, perhaps like the one below with the URL of this book:
However, note that if a visitor wants to go to the website addressed by that URL www.blogger-book.com, he would have to type it out. Too much hassle for the average visitor who would probably be too lazy to type the URL. But what if you can have a hard (print) copy hyperlink?
Now with this QR (Quick Response) Code which is pretty much like a hard copy hyperlink getting popular, one can actually have address plaques which are clickable hyperlinks like the one below with a QR Code printed on it:
If you have an Internet enabled mobile device with a camera, try first downloading and installing a QR Code Reader Apps like this popular Kaywa Reader, take a photo of the above QR Code address sign and bingo, you will be taken to this blog. Neat eh?
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Adsense Privacy Policies Generator for publishers
If you are a Google AdSense publisher, you should know that for any of your blog or website which display AdSense ads, you are required to have an AdSense Privacy Policy. Here is the relevant part from Google AdSense Program Policies. If you just want to comply to their requirement and learn how to generate the policy, just go over to How to easily generate AdSense Privacy Policy):
However, the generated policy will contain your email address. I normally replaces that with a contact form. You can create your contact form by referring to How to create contact form to avoid email harvestors
When publishing the privacy policy, instead of publishing it as a normal post which goes into the archive and feed and may thus irritate your feed subscribers, publish it as a static page instead. How to create static pages for privacy policies etc.
To see how a privacy policy may look like, you may refer to Privacy Policies for Blogger Book
Google Advertising Cookies:
AdSense publishers must have and abide by a privacy policy that discloses that third parties may be placing and reading cookies on your users' browsers, or using web beacons to collect information as a result of ad serving on your website.
Google uses the DoubleClick DART cookie on publisher websites displaying AdSense for content ads. Subject to any applicable laws, rules and regulations, you will have the sole and exclusive right to use all data derived from your use of the DoubleClick DART cookie for any purpose related to your business, provided that Google may use and disclose this data subject to the terms of Google's advertising privacy policies and any applicable laws, rules and regulations.
If your current advertising services contract with Google or DoubleClick already has a specific provision defining data ownership, that provision instead of this policy will govern with regard to the data collected under that contract.
What is the DoubleClick DART cookie?
The DoubleClick DART cookie is used by Google in the ads served on the websites of its partners, such as websites displaying AdSense ads or participating in Google certified ad networks. When users visit a partner's website and either view or click on an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user's browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help better serve and manage ads on the publisher's site(s) and across the web.
What should I put in my privacy policy?
Your privacy policy should include the following information:
Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to your website.
Google's use of the DART cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads to your users based on their visit to your sites and/or other sites on the Internet.
Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the advertising opt-out page. (Alternatively, you can direct users to opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.)
If you have not opted out of third-party ad serving, the cookies of other third-party vendors or ad networks may also be used to serve ads on your site, and should be disclosed in your privacy policy as well in the following manner.
Notify your site visitors of the third-party vendors and ad networks serving ads on your site.
Provide links to the appropriate vendor and ad network websites.
Inform your users that they may visit those websites to opt out of cookies (if the vendor or ad network offers this capability). Users can opt out of some, but not all, of these cookies in one location at the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out website at www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.
Because publisher sites and laws across countries vary, we're unable to suggest specific privacy policy language. However, you may wish to review resources such as the Network Advertising Initiative for guidance on drafting a privacy policy.
AdSense publishers must have and abide by a privacy policy that discloses that third parties may be placing and reading cookies on your users' browsers, or using web beacons to collect information as a result of ad serving on your website.
Google uses the DoubleClick DART cookie on publisher websites displaying AdSense for content ads. Subject to any applicable laws, rules and regulations, you will have the sole and exclusive right to use all data derived from your use of the DoubleClick DART cookie for any purpose related to your business, provided that Google may use and disclose this data subject to the terms of Google's advertising privacy policies and any applicable laws, rules and regulations.
If your current advertising services contract with Google or DoubleClick already has a specific provision defining data ownership, that provision instead of this policy will govern with regard to the data collected under that contract.
What is the DoubleClick DART cookie?
The DoubleClick DART cookie is used by Google in the ads served on the websites of its partners, such as websites displaying AdSense ads or participating in Google certified ad networks. When users visit a partner's website and either view or click on an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user's browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help better serve and manage ads on the publisher's site(s) and across the web.
What should I put in my privacy policy?
Your privacy policy should include the following information:
Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to your website.
Google's use of the DART cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads to your users based on their visit to your sites and/or other sites on the Internet.
Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the advertising opt-out page. (Alternatively, you can direct users to opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.)
If you have not opted out of third-party ad serving, the cookies of other third-party vendors or ad networks may also be used to serve ads on your site, and should be disclosed in your privacy policy as well in the following manner.
Notify your site visitors of the third-party vendors and ad networks serving ads on your site.
Provide links to the appropriate vendor and ad network websites.
Inform your users that they may visit those websites to opt out of cookies (if the vendor or ad network offers this capability). Users can opt out of some, but not all, of these cookies in one location at the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out website at www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.
Because publisher sites and laws across countries vary, we're unable to suggest specific privacy policy language. However, you may wish to review resources such as the Network Advertising Initiative for guidance on drafting a privacy policy.
How to easily generate AdSense Privacy Policy
It is tough to individually draft out an AdSense Friendly Privacy Policy to satisfy AdSense requirements especially if you have lots of blogs. For that purpose, I use privacy policies generators. There are many Privacy Policies Generator on the Internet. The one I use is this Privacy Policy Generator for Google Adsense Publishers by SERP Rank. Just fill in the blanks and click [Create my privacy policy] and it is generated for you.However, the generated policy will contain your email address. I normally replaces that with a contact form. You can create your contact form by referring to How to create contact form to avoid email harvestors
When publishing the privacy policy, instead of publishing it as a normal post which goes into the archive and feed and may thus irritate your feed subscribers, publish it as a static page instead. How to create static pages for privacy policies etc.
To see how a privacy policy may look like, you may refer to Privacy Policies for Blogger Book
Friday, November 19, 2010
Privacy Policy for www.blogger-book.com/
If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at my contact form
At www.blogger-book.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by www.blogger-book.com/ and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, www.blogger-book.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
www.blogger-book.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on www.blogger-book.com/.
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to www.blogger-book.com/ and other sites on the Internet.
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html
Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....
Google Adsense
Commission Junction
Clickbank
Amazon
Kontera
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on www.blogger-book.com/ send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
www.blogger-book.com/ has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. www.blogger-book.com/'s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.
At www.blogger-book.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by www.blogger-book.com/ and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, www.blogger-book.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
www.blogger-book.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on www.blogger-book.com/.
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to www.blogger-book.com/ and other sites on the Internet.
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html
Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....
Google Adsense
Commission Junction
Clickbank
Amazon
Kontera
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on www.blogger-book.com/ send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
www.blogger-book.com/ has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. www.blogger-book.com/'s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
2 new gadgets - Pages and Google Custom Search
The previous post on gadgets available via Blogger.com's LAYOUT "Add a gadget" tab showed 19 different gadgets. Now there are 21 altogether and here is a screen shot of the 2 new ones:
One of the new one is Pages which adds a list of tabs linking to static pages. I have written about them at Creating static pages for contact, FAQ, etc, via Blogger in Draft (Static pages no longer in Blogger in Draft but been integrated into the standard Blogger)
The other is the Google Custom Search which incidentally I already have added to this blog (right at the top of the main column) way before it became available via LAYOUT. This is because I am an AdSense publisher and can generate the script for the custom search via my AdSense ads setup.
Mailboxes for condominium and home
My house is under renovation and I am currently blogging from my temporary adobe, a condominium. What you see below are the mailboxes for the block which we are currently residing in:
and it reminds me that the 30 year old mailbox in our house which is under renovation is probably due to be changed to a smarter nicer looking one like the one below:
which is a classic looking column mail box which will fit into the stone pillar "guarding" the entrance to our home.
Unfortunately I do not have the photo of my sloopy old mail box in the stone pillar at the moment so unable to upload it here for you to compare, but anyway I think it is enough of talk of mail boxes as I think it is time to get back to some serious blogging.
The next post following this will be an update on the increase in gadgets available via the "Add a gadget" tab in Blogger's LAYOUT>
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