The Blast Alliance

In learning webpage design, I encountered many problems that took lots of practice to resolve. Although, I was building web pages using Microsoft Frontpage on my home computer, I used to face lots of issues after uploading the webpage to my website.

One major problem was the disappearance of an image file from the webpage. When I created the webpage on my home computer, it looked exactly the way I planned it. Both the text and images showed on the webpage.

When I uploaded the webpage my web server space, they images showed as the letter X in the middle of a blank frame.

After lots of searches, I found out that the problem can only be fixed by modifying the HTML of the web page having the problem.

The HTML code I had to change was very simple and straight forward, when locating the code related to the image.

Whether the webpage has one or more image, you use the same method to modify the code. You just have to fix one at a time.

The rule for an image to appear correctly, is to save the images in the same directory as the webpage where the image is supposed to appear.

Whether you create a webpage on your home computer or your web server, the same rule applies.

When you upload the webpage to the web server, the website looks at the webpage an sees the image source as the hard disk of your computer. This is why it can’t display it. The image source should be in the directory on the website.

Here is the solution to this problem:

Every image file on a webpage is embedded in the IMG tag, and the exact location of the image file shows as a value for the SRC attribute. For example, SRC = “image.jpg” is one of the format that an image appears in.

Correcting the SRC value, will correct the problem that causes the images to show as the letter X. The SRC tag attribute means the source location of the image file. When the webpage was designed on your home computer, the source value was your computer hard disk.

In summary, before you upload a webpage with picture, you should change the Html code of the image.

All what you need to change is the SRC value from your hard disk to your website directory.

For example: Change this code SRC=”C:image.jpg” to SRC=”index.html” if the webpage happens to be your home page.
If the page was not the home page, you can just replace index.html with the name of the page.

Article published by George Chamoun. Join my list for tips about HTML coding, web page design, and website building. Get your free 7 part HTML tutorial. It is free, and you can unsubscribe anytime. http://www.HowToUseHtml.com

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MS: Bob, how important have Ezine Articles been in
achieving your success in online business?

BL: Very important! Most of what I learned 6 or 7
years ago about doing business on the Internet came
from articles written by others already working
online. Today, most of my new customers and clients
are generated by the articles I write.

MS: How long have you been writing Ezine Articles and
what are the main topics that you write about in your
Ezine Articles?

BL: I’ve been writing Ezine articles for 5 years and I
mainly write about Marketing and Sales

MS: Bob, amongst all the promotion techniques you use,
how important are Ezine articles?

BL: 1st …by a large margin

MS: Are there other techniques you use?

BL: Yes. I also do off line promotions by postcard.

MS: Bob, what sort of articles have you had most
success with? In your experience, what kind of
Articles are most in demand?

BL: “How to” articles about how to find more prospects
and customers or how to close more sales. I’ve been
very successful at building my own business and
helping other business owners build theirs. I write
about the things I learned and use …and tailor my
writing specifically to help other small business
owners.

MS: Some Ezine Writers promote a product or service in
their Resource Box, while others aim only to get a
subscription to their free Newsletter. What would your
advice be for getting maximum results from your
Resource Box?

BL: Both methods are effective. To generate the
maximum response the byline must offer the reader an
enticing benefit.

MS: What have you found to be the most effective ways
of getting your Articles published?

BL: Building my own list of publishers who requested
articles from me.

MS: Apart from getting your Articles published in
Newsletters, are there any other ways you use your
Articles to promote your website? (such as turning
them into a free E-Book)?

BL: A few of my articles are in eBooks. 32 of them are
compiled into a print publication titled, “How To
Build A High-Profit Business On A Low-Impact Budget”
(http://BobLeduc.com/highprofit.htm)

MS: Bob, is there any particular program or software that
you find especially useful as an Ezine Writer?

BL: Yes. 2 programs:

#1. MS Word. I use this word processor to write my articles.
I created a template with the formatting I want for writing
articles. The built in word count tool helps me control the
size of an article as I write. Then I can save the article
as plain text with line breaks at 60 characters per line
…the format I use for submitting to publishers.

#2: I use WorldMerge by ColoradoSoft to email articles to
the publishers on my list. It creates individual email
messages with personalized information merged into each.

MS: It sometimes seems that everything that could
possibly be written about has already been written
about. What would be your response to that?

BL: Maybe every subject was been written about. But
not every aspect of every subject has been covered.
Plus, the world is changing — FAST. Every change
creates more things to write about.

MS: What would you say is the single most important
style tip for writing a good Ezine Article?

BL: Make your articles easy to read. Use simple, easy
to understand words and examples. This is easy if you
only write about things you do yourself — or things
you learned yourself by trial and error.

MS: And finally Bob, what would be your advice to
someone who wants to write Ezine Articles but has
never written for the Internet before?

BL: (1) Recognize that most of the articles you read
were written by someone just like you. (2) Choose a
topic you know a lot about from personal experience
…even if others already wrote articles about it.
Then force yourself to start writing YOUR article on
that topic.

MS: Thank you Bob.

————————————————————
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
————————————————————

In reaching its conclusion that the employer has the burden to prove the reasonable factors other than age defense the Supreme Court looked at another provision of the ADEA the bona fide occupational qualification defense. The Supreme Court has previously recognized that the employer has the burden to establish the BFOQ affirmative defense. It has the burden to prove that its decision was based on a reasonable factor other than age. As long as the adverse action is based on reasonable factors other than age. It then used those totals to decide who to lay off. The Supreme Court then agreed to hear the case and eventually reversed the Second Circuit and reinstated the jurys finding that Knolls policy unlawfully discriminated because of age. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit initially affirmed the jurys findings but after the United States Supreme Court asked it to reconsider the Second Circuit reversed itself and ruled in favor of Knolls. Specifically the jury found that although the plaintiffs did not prove that Knolls intentionally discriminated against them they did prove that Knolls method of deciding who to lay off disproportionately harmed older workers. In that case Meacham versus Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory the Supreme Court interpreted a provision of the ADEA that permits an employer to take an adverse employment action against an employee. In other words the ADEA permits employers to discriminate based on age considering age is legitimately necessary under the circumstances. For example it would not be illegal to consider criteria for a particular role in a movie that has a disparate impact on age if the part calls for someone of a particular age. A lawyer from Sliedrecht won from a in Marion Ohio Twenty-eight of those 60 employees sued under the ADEA claiming Knolls illegally fired them because of their age. The Supreme Court ruled that if an employer seeks to rely on that defense. At the trial a jury found Knolls had violated the ADEA because its layoff procedure had a disparate impact based on age. The company had its supervisors rate their subordinates based on their performance flexibility and critical skills. In Meacham Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory was planning to lay off a number of employees. Knolls totaled those scores and gave the employees additional points based on their years of service. Even if the employment action is otherwise prohibited by the ADEA. Thirty of the 32 salaried employees the company laid off were at least 56 years old. The BFOQ defense states that it is not unlawful for an employer to take adverse employment actions otherwise prohibited by the ADEA where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the particular business.

13. Use HUMOUR. People like to have a bit of fun with the occasional laugh, whilst being informed on a serious subject. At least I believe so! I try to write to share, inform and hopefully even “entertain a little”.

14. Write from “your heart”, so that you come across as a “REAL” person. Just write what comes naturally with INTEGRITY…and BE YOURSELF.

15. Be totally honest in your writing and don’t “borrow” too much from others content. It’s so easy to “steal” on the www – so do your own work and if you “borrow ideas or material, ACKNOWLEDGE. “Incidentally, I have borrowed some ideas in this article from some good writers and well-known internet marketers – thanks a lot, David, Michael, John, Meredith, Joe and Edward).

16. Be humble…and don’t talk down to your readers.

17. Use bullets (not live, please) in your articles – it makes the points easy to follow.

18. Don’t forget your byline …or your “business card”. Make sure that you resource box at the end of the article provides enough information to identify yourself and provide contact information. It’s FREE advertising.

19. Offer a free report with your article – this is an easy way to collect a list of adresses for marketing your product(s). An instant target market.

20. Check all the links in your article before submitting it.

21. Offer your articles by autoresponder

22. Conclude with a strong message. Your final point (and paragraph) should be a message that summarises your article or gets your reader to take further action, like “GET STARTED” (as I’ve done in this article). 23. Finally, make sure your layout is good (not one of my strong points!), as this greatly enhances your prospects of getting published Use a spell-check. Go over your article carefully and be an editor yourself.

24. Make sure your article flows properly.

25. Re-read and re-read, until you get it “just right.” “Aim for perfection, but settle for excellence” in your article writing. SUMMARY:

The internet is such an amazing medium for communication and SHARING information. I’ve just submitted this article and it’s been published almost instaneously (big word!) in a few places. So YOU TOO can write articles on yourchosen subject in your internet marketing efforts. MORE TRAFFIC = INCREASED SALES

Writers and internet marketers – Grab this moment in history well. “Carpe diem” (seize the moment!).

Why not start writing articles for the www in the second half of the year in 2002?

YOU CAN DO IT.

All glitz and fizz The past was about ‘bells and whistles’. Websites were designed to showcase the technology behind the web rather than to be an effective communications medium. Flash was used to “excite” and “engage” – its effect however was often the opposite. And web navigation was sometimes an experiment in obscurity making it almost impossible for the visitor to find their way around. Entertainment was the mantra rather than communication effectiveness. We want it now There are often only a handful of reasons or actions for which the majority of visitors will be at your site. They want to complete the task in hand e.g find a price, book a ticket or get directions with minimum fuss.

Unless a site is quick and easy to use it will be a barrier rather than a gateway. Usability guru, Jakob Nielsen, suggests users spend on average less than 2 minutes on a website. The key to engaging visitors’ must therefore be simplicity over complexity; the need is less not more – less clutter, less blurb and fewer barriers.

Why clutter-free design “When we’re creating sites, we act as though people are going to pore over each page, reading our finely crafted text, figuring out how we’ve organized things, and weighing their options before deciding which link to click…

…We’re thinking ‘great literature’ (or at least ‘product brochure’), while the user’s reality is much closer to “billboard going by at 60 miles an hour.” –Steve Krug, Don’t Make Me Think

The Internet is clearly a different form of communication to more established media such as printed literature. However, it is only in recent years that its intrinsic differences have begun to make an impact on web design. I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard of clients asking their web designer to ‘put our brochure online’ – a brief that reflects a common lack of appreciation of the web as a powerful but very different medium.

Ensuring that the design and layout of our web pages suit the medium they are used in will help to ensure a positive user experience.

Let’s look at a few practical ways of doing more with less to make things simpler for our visitors:

1) Make pages easy to scan It’s a well recognised fact now amongst web professionals that people rarely read pages online – they scan, or “speed read”. Therefore, if the information they need is not readily available they will move on – and quickly. Sensible use of headings, subheadings and bullet-points help bring a logical hierarchy to the page and allow visitors eyes to scan through the page efficiently to find the information they needallows visitors eyes to scan through efficiently to find the information they need.

2) Give me some [white] space Subtle and thoughtful use of space in page design helps guide a visitor’s eyes to important information. It also helps to bring logical definition to different areas of a page, which lightens the load on our brains and allows us to focus on the task in hand.

3) Copy? Reduce it Visitors often won’t have the time or inclination to read pages and pages of text in the hope of finding what they’re after. We need to prune our web copy to suit the medium – get rid of paragraphs and sentences that don’t add value.

4) Simplify site structure Make sure that the sections of the site are divided up logically and that the navigation is clear and logical. Reduce the number of steps it takes to complete tasks, especially when they lead to revenue generation – such as the checkout process on an e-commerce site.

5) Follow standards When it comes to labelling navigation links, it’s a good idea to follow standards that have evolved with web development. For example, with contact details rather than giving it a navigation label, ‘call for more information/our offices’, the standard would be ‘contacts’ or ‘contact us’.

In closing… Some might suggest that these principles constrain creativity. However, I believe that the ‘less is more’ philosophy heightens the need for a more creative approach to communicating ideas and messages – communicating an idea in 10 words is a lot harder than using 100 words.

There are many ways of making a future online. Some can gamble via the web and hope this will change everything. Since this has a greater risk of failure, a person should think of safer and better ways of making while just sitting in front of the computer at home.

A good idea will be starting up an online business since it is quite easy and a lot of people have done it. This all begins by putting up a website. There are many concepts one can start with and one good example is an auction site.

When the concept for the site already been decided, one can begin by putting it together if the person knows how to do it or with the assistance of someone who has done this before. There are people who this for a living or asking a favor from a friend of family member who is in this field to save some money.

For people to easily recall the name of ones website, it is a good idea for it to have a catchy name. The individual must think of various names the ones thought of is currently being used by another company since there are many people who have been doing this for a long time and one is just new in the game.

It is also advisable to choose keywords placed in the various search engines making the website visible to new users. The best places to start are the most popular ones known then moving to other sites.

Another good place to advertise ones website is through email sites. When these came out a few years back, the designers did not expect it to generate millions of users and is still growing everyday. When members of these sites send messages to non members, these people have the option to join and sign up for free which also helps let people know the existence of ones website.

There are other places that one can take advantage of to promote ones site. These are employment and gaming sites to name a few. This really depends on the kind the person is setting up and how appropriate it is with the company to tie up with.

Some will charge a monthly fee to advertise then one can put up pop-up ads or Meta tags which a user can click to be diverted to ones website. For people to continuously patronize ones site, this has to be updated with the times. It should have things that have a lot of detail which will greatly increase traffic for the site.

Making ones website user friendly is essential in making people refer it to others. This can be done by letting friends and family try it first then ask feedback about the site. The most important thing to remember before launching it to the various websites is making sure that ones website is fully operational and will not have problems for users when logging on to it.

The digital age has given people a new way of doing business. This is because it is accessible to a lot of people not only in one country but globally. This is as information is transferred in kilobytes per second and all the person needs is a computer.

There is always a risk when starting a business or providing a service. Given that money does not come from trees, the individual should start with little risk as possible before expanding further.

The most important thing to remember before launching it to the various websites is making sure that ones website is fully operational and will not have problems for users when logging on to it. With everything in place, it is now time to promote the site. One can email an ad to friends who will spread the word and reach out to others. Another is showcasing ones website in E-zines or electronic magazines.

Money can be made if the person is willing to give it a great amount of effort in that endeavor. If that person is too lazy to keep the site updated and giving it regular maintenance, then someone can be hired for that job. The individual should just be sure to pay the person well for doing all the hard work.

So, the decision is final. I am a writer.

Actually, I have always been a person who writes, but I have never applied the term to myself in a professional sense. Having pushed aside my financial fears and gained the requisite self-confidence, I began to surf the net in earnest for information about how to begin a freelance writing career. The vast amount of information was daunting enough, but when I realized how much time and effort would go into an attempt to get published, I almost quit.

Several thoughts are keeping me going. A lot of it has to do with my personal history and the role that writing plays in my life. When I was 8, I left notes around the house asking my parents for an increase in my allowance. When I was in college, I was the nut who took three journalism classes and three literature classes in one semester. When I went to graduate school as an adult with two small children, my ability to write well saved my sanity.

I pushed on. My initial research told me that I first needed to learn about the business of writing because I knew nothing of queries, markets, or copyright. Once I learned what content should be included in a query, writing them was not difficult; however, researching the various markets has been incredibly time consuming. At first, I hit dead ends. I started searching the typical job sites, but most of them did not post freelance work.

Then I came across several subscription sites that claimed to connect freelancers with writing markets. I was concerned that some of these sites might be scams, but after spending several days exploring one site in particular, I had almost decided to subscribe. Before I took the leap, I came across an article which criticized the site. It did not appear to be a scam, but it was enough to validate my initial skepticism. I placed this market source on hold to explore other opportunities.

A few other market postings also begged caution. One in particular sounded like a great opportunity for new writers to get published. I started to complete their online application form until I arrived at the page that asked for my social security number. They claimed that they needed it in order to pay me, but they had not even seen my ideas or any of my writing samples. I cancelled the application and moved on.

Perhaps the biggest shock to my English teacher sensibilities was the listing for “academic writers.” I thought: “Great! This I’ve done.” I clicked the button that led to more information and realized that these “markets” were actually students trying to cheat their way through school. Again, I moved on.

Although my early attempts to find writing markets were clearly filled with concern, caution, and a certain degree of paranoia, my experiences thus far have been mainly positive. I found several sites that posted seemingly genuine paying markets. Even if the information does not lead to publication, many of these listings sparked ideas which I can pitch to other markets. Even more important, the generation of ideas has lifted my spirits by making writing for a living seem more realistic.

My biggest morale booster is no secret to most writers. Before purchasing Writer’s Market, I knew that it contained market listings and informative articles. I did not know that it contained lists of contests and awards, some of which are designed to assist writers financially while they are writing. I may never win such an award, but somehow, knowing that such a thing exists makes my goals seem more attainable.

Finally, I am almost ready to start submitting queries. The queries are written and effectively target the appropriate markets, but I am still confused about copyright. I’m beginning to fear that my grasp of copyright law is going to become something like my grasp of the offside rule in soccer. My oldest son has just completed his second year playing travel soccer and each time I think I understand offside, something happens that makes me question my understanding. The same holds true for copyright. I understand the concept of first rights and I understand what it means to submit simultaneously. But when a market indicates that it buys first rights and also accepts simultaneous submissions, who gets first rights if two markets opt to purchase the same manuscript? If they both print the story, they can’t both have first rights. Can they? Since I do not have the answer, I do not plan to submit queries simultaneously – yet.

The most important lesson I have learned during this journey is that the faith I have in myself and in my aspirations must rise above the confusion and chaos created by the pursuit of the dream.

If you like this article, read Starting a Writing Career (or Thoughts About Taking the Plunge)

One day I was talking with my cousin about a book that I had read. I told her how wonderful it was and how I couldn’t put it down. I thought she might be interested in reading it, but I was wrong.

After listening to what I had to say, she replied, “I like to read books, but I don’t. It’s too frustrating.” I just looked at her, waiting for an explanation. I couldn’t imagine what she meant. And then, she explained. When she would read a book, she felt like she needed a dictionary at her side to look up the “big” words the author used. It would take her a long time to read a book, not to mention, make her feel like she was stupid because she didn’t know what some of the words meant-or even how to pronounce them. And then, I began to think about it. There were times when I came across words that I really wasn’t sure of.

Now, when I read a book, I think about the conversation I had with my cousin.

And now, when I write, I think about that same conversation. I want everyone, who would be interested in reading what I write, to enjoy it. I write to entertain. And I want to entertain as many people as I can. So, if I start to use a word that I think might be a “big” word, I find another way to write it.

I don’t want to lose my audience; I want to entertain them.

During the past ten years I have authored seventeen traditionally published niche non-fiction books, all of which (save one) have achieved bestselling status in their respective genres.

Here’s the thing though; I have used only 2 topics to produce 16 bestsellers.

How do you do that; craft a series of titles from a single topic?

It’s a little-known technique that dates back to the dawn of literature and is used by all bestselling authors either consciously or unwittingly.

And when you know the secret, you can also use this technique in writing fiction.

It has a lot in common with what the late great Alfred Hitchcock called the ‘McGuffin’; the singular device he employed in all of his screenplays.

Hitch reckoned that everyone is looking for something whether they are watching a movie or reading a book and when you discover what people are searching for in your particular niche you will be well on your way to writing a successful book in record time.

And when you’ve done it once, you can do it all over again – as many times as you like.

Although considerable mileage still remains in the 2 topics I used to produce 16 bestsellers, I decided eighteen months ago to research a third topic for its McGuffin potential and the result was “Your Retirement Masterplan” (How To Books ISBN 1857039874) published in October 2004.

This title currently ranks No.7 out of 3328 competitive titles on Amazon.co.uk and is due for a 2nd upgraded edition in February 2006; to be followed by “How to Earn Money in Retirement” in April of the same year.

But the McGuffin on this third topic is only just starting to bite…

I also have signed contracts for these forthcoming titles:

1. “Maximising Mindpower to Enrich Your Retirement” – Publication date 2007

2. “Give Your Mind a Daily Workout in Retirement” – Publication date 2008

3. “101 Retirement Holiday Options” – Publication date 2008

4. “101 Projects to Spice Up Your Retirement” – Publication date 2009

5. “101 Online Venues for Stimulating Retirement Interests”- Publication date 2010

6. “Chronicling Your Lifetime Achievements in Retirement” – Publication date 2011

7. “Achieving Your Greatest Successes of Retirement” – Publication date 2011

Have you guessed the secret yet?

There is no end to its power in producing bestsellers and if you would like to incorporate it in your creative writing, you will find out how in the website featured in the resource box below.