May
27
RSS Feeds advantages and disadvantages
08:03 pm
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a tool useful for saving or retaining updated information on websites that you frequently visit or websites that are your favorite. RSS utilizes an XML code which scans continuously the content or subject matter of a certain website in search for new informations then transmits the information updates by way of feeding the information to subscribers.
Advantages :
RSS gives benefits to both readers (users) and web publishers.
- It gives you the latest updates. Whether it is about the weather, new music, software upgrade, local news, or a new posting from a rarely-updates site learn about the latest as soon as it comes out.
- It gives the power of subscription to the user. Users are given a free-hand on which websites to subscribe in their RSS aggregators which they can change at any time they decide differently.
- It saves on surfing time. Since an RSS feed provides a summary of the related article, it saves the user’s time by helping s/he decide on which items to prioritize when reading or browsing the net.
- It is spam free. Unlike email subscriptions, RSS does not make use of your email address to send updates thus your privacy is kept safe from spam mails.
- Unsubscribing is hassle-free. Unlike email subscriptions where the user is asked questions on why she/he is unsubscribing and then the user would be asked to confirm unsubscribing, all you have to do is to delete the RSS feed from your aggregator.
- It can be used as an advertising or marketing tool. Users who subscribe or syndicate product websites receive the latest news on products and services without the website sending spam mail. This is advantageous to both the web user and the website owner since advertising becomes targeted; those who are actually interested in their products are kept posted.
Disadvantages :
The disadvantages of RSS use are brought about by its being a new technology and some user-preference concerns.
- Some users prefer receiving email updates over an RSS feed.
- Graphics and photos do not appear in all RSS feeds. For conciseness and ease of publication, RSS feeds do not display the photos from the original site in announcing the update except for some web-based aggregators.
- The identity of the source website can be confusing. Since RSS feeds do not display the actual URL or name of the website, it can sometimes get confusing on what feed a user is actually reading.
- Publishers cannot determine how many users are subscribed to their feed and the frequency of their visits. Moreover, they would not know the reasons why users unsubscribe which could be important in improving their advertising.
- RSS feeds create higher traffic and demands on the server. Most readers still prefer the whole update over a brief summary of the entry, thus they still access the site.
- Since it is a new technology, many sites still do not support RSS.
It is easy to subscribe to entertainment RSS feed, just click the button that indicates the RSS feed. You usually have to copy the URL into your aggregator, but some RSS feeds automatically download into your reader. You can unsubscribe to an RSS feed anytime.
The great thing about RSS feeds, is that you’re always updated with the latest news and happenings. RSS feeds is revolutionizing the way information consumers get their content. Instead of being bombarded with a plethora of useless information, the consumers now can select & reject the material that goes into their consciousness.
Filed Under Blogging tips/tricks, SEO Tips and Tricks and Tutorials | Add comment
May
24
Coolest Firefox tricks
08:21 pm
Everybody’s favorite open-source browser, Firefox, is great right out of the box. And by adding some of the awesome extensions available out there, the browser just gets better and better.
But look under the hood, and there are a bunch of hidden (and some not-so-secret) tips and tricks available that will crank Firefox up and pimp your browser. Make it faster, cooler, more efficient. Get to be a Jedi master with the following cool Firefox tricks.
1) More screen space. Make your icons small. Go to View - Toolbars - Customize and check the “Use small icons” box.
2) Smart keywords. If there’s a search you use a lot (let’s say IMDB.com’s people search), this is an awesome tool that not many people use. Right-click on the search box, select “Add a Keyword for this search”, give the keyword a name and an easy-to-type and easy-to-remember shortcut name (let’s say “actor”) and save it. Now, when you want to do an actor search, go to Firefox’s address bar, type “actor” and the name of the actor and press return. Instant search! You can do this with any search box.
3) Keyboard shortcuts. This is where you become a real Jedi. It just takes a little while to learn these, but once you do, your browsing will be super fast. Here are some of the most common (and my personal favs):
* Spacebar (page down)
* Shift-Spacebar (page up)
* Ctrl+F (find)
* Alt-N (find next)
* Ctrl+D (bookmark page)
* Ctrl+T (new tab)
* Ctrl+K (go to search box)
* Ctrl+L (go to address bar)
* Ctrl+= (increase text size)
* Ctrl+- (decrease text size)
* Ctrl-W (close tab)
* F5 (reload)
* Alt-Home (go to home page)
4) Auto-complete. This is another keyboard shortcut, but it’s not commonly known and very useful. Go to the address bar (Control-L) and type the name of the site without the “www” or the “.com”. Let’s say “google”. Then press Control-Enter, and it will automatically fill in the “www” and the “.com” and take you there - like magic! For .net addresses, press Shift-Enter, and for .org addresses, press Control-Shift-Enter.
Read more
Filed Under Firefox tricks and Tutorials | 1 comment
May
23
Hidden Star wars movie in windows
08:52 pm
I was just thinking of writting some cool stuff on windows tricks and came acrosss this superb thisng while surfing would like to share with all of you.Enjoy the hidden movie of STAR WARS in windows.
This is a ASCII movie which is DOS based.
Here is what you have to do.
click ‘Start’, ‘Run’ and type in the following:
telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl
Filed Under Windows XP and Windows tricks | Add comment
May
22
Increase traffic using Twitter
09:01 pm
How to Use Twitter to Increase Blog Traffic???
Twitter, a widely popular Web 2.0 client has many uses. Some think of it merely as a virtual water cooler, which allows you to talk to others, throughout the day via Twitter’s homepage or one of the several Twitter programs such as Twirl or Snitter. However, it can be a useful tool for your business or as a way to promote your blog or website.
Here are a few ideas for promoting your blog or website using Twitter, without being too spammy.
Ask questions. Once you have updated your blog why not cruise on over to Twitter and ask your virtual friends and colleagues what they think about the subject. Write a post about the state of the economy, ask, “What is your take on today’s economy?” and then link to your blog.
Use your comments. Maybe your blog has already received a few comments from your latest entry, peek interest from others by commenting on Twitter regarding the comments you’ve received.
Most importantly when using Twitter you want to make sure that is not just a means by which you promote your blog posts, but that you are also engaging in the virtual water cooler conversation with others. The more engaging and enjoyable you are to be around on Twitter itself the more likely those you visit with there will venture over to your blog to consume even more of your thoughts and opinions.
Another good idea is to always repay the favor. So you get visitors to your blog from Twitter, they leave comments, be sure to go and visit their blogs and do the same or reply when they too post links to their blog posts on Twitter.
Twitter can be a great place to get your thoughts out there and to drive traffic to your blog if you do it right.
Filed Under SEO Tips and Tricks, Traffic building, Tutorials and Twitter tricks | 2 comments