tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27355070246561649682024-03-05T13:49:46.576-05:00Just Throw MoneyTrying to figure out how to make more than 25 cents a day by blogging.Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.comBlogger313125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-75115478517413458532012-08-31T21:16:00.000-04:002012-08-31T21:16:00.930-04:00Hidden Drawbacks of Online Jobs<br />
While everyone, including myself, celebrates the advantages of working online, there are some real drawbacks. Occasionally, these can cause distress and even loss of income.<br />
<br />
It’s important to note that there are at least three kinds of online jobs. At the bottom end of realistic earning potential are things like pay-to-click sites. At these you perform some menial task for which you are rewarded. Unless you break some kind of rule, like using a robot, the work is straightforward, but low-paying. My thoughts don’t have much to do with this type of job.<br />
<br />
The next level of online job is where one performs some one-time service which must be accepted by a company or client. The most obvious of these jobs is freelance writing. However, there are some opportunities which involve completing some other kind of work.<br />
<br />
At the highest level, one might have a job with a brick-and-mortar company, but all, or almost all, interaction is accomplished through a web interface.<br />
<br />
If one is freelance writing, the text probably will need to be accepted by an editor or a client. One might think that if a good writer submits content there would be no problem. But this is not always the case. Editors may not be particularly expert. Editors may have agendas dictated by the company they work for. There are multiple style books for writing, which means that proper grammar isn’t always as inflexible as one might imagine. Except that a particular site may accept only a certain style that isn't the way one was taught. Editors have been known to even change content and make an article factually incorrect, while the author’s name remains on the byline. This can damage an author's credibility through no fault of their own. <br />
<br />
Companies which rely on freelance writers have little incentive to explain themselves or work with authors. There is no contract involved, and there are plenty of other writers who will simply step in an fill any gaps to create content. The author's only recourse may be to walk away.<br />
<br />
If one is fortunate enough to find a job which provides steady income for a service, which allows the employee to work from home through the internet, it may be difficult to imagine any problems.<br />
<br />
However, one potential shortcoming is the isolation An employee may interact with only one or two other people in the entire company. In the long term, it’s difficult to assess one’s competence in this social vacuum. <br />
<br />
There are bound to be frustrations with some aspects of the job. With no employee break room, and chats over lunch, one has no way to know if complaints are shared across the board, or if personal gripes would best be dropped. <br />
<br />
If one has a poor or mediocre manager, there may be absolutely no way to circumvent the effects of bad management. <br />
<br />
There is no way to compare one’s work against that of co-workers. A company usually sets standards for performance, which are usually unrealistically perfect. This, in itself, is not bad. Of course, any company wants to put out their best product all the time. In reality, humans can’t deliver perfection all the time. In a workplace, one informally has some sort of idea of how good or bad a job they are doing. With only internet contact, only mistakes may be noted. In other words, Until the job is completed to perfection there is only negative feedback, and probably no positive feedback for good work.<br />
<br />
There is no chance (for example) to roll the eyes, and glance at a lab partner, sharing the pain of “unreasonable” demands. Such social interactions are how people make it through tough work days. With internet jobs, all one may get are negative messages such as “CASE REJECTED,” “NEEDS REVISION,” “NOT ACCEPTED,” etc.<br />
<br />
For some people, internet jobs are the solution to various work dilemmas. Just be aware that there can be problems and frustrations with any type of job. <br />
<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="xxxxx">XXX</A> <br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-39529205826151486642012-04-13T10:44:00.000-04:002012-04-13T10:44:38.345-04:00Free Kindle App for iTouch<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://www.sharkenterprises.biz/jtm/kindle01.jpg"> <br />
<br />
I have an iTouch 2... someone's castoff. Using Stanza, I can use it like an e-reader for books in the ePub format. However, I recently wanted to take advantage of a free Kindle book, and wondered if I could read it on this device.<br />
<br />
Of course, there is the free Kindle app for PCs, but I like the portability of the iTouch. As it turns out, there is a way to read Kindle books on the iTouch. You lose some of the features, but it works fine for basic reading.<br />
<br />
It did take me a while to find it, and figure out how to use it. I had to search through the iTunes Apps interface. I put in Kindle, and it brought up a free app that works on iPhones and iTouch. It was easy to download in the same way as any other app.<br />
<br />
However, I still had to get my Kindle books on it. I already have the Kindle for PC app on my computer, and I couldn't figure out how to get the books from it to the iTouch. Turns out that's not the way to do it at all.<br />
<br />
Instead, on the Amazon site, when you download your books, choose to read on the iCloud. I figured this out because once I had the app on the iTouch it was asking me if I wanted to read books from the Cloud, but there was no way to say "yes" from the iTouch. <br />
<br />
Anyway... here's a real techhie specific tip (not!). Once I chose to view the book in the cloud, all my Kindle books appeared on the iTouch like magic. I'm not going to dissect success. I can only tell you what happened for me.<br />
<br />
I can't change the font size, or make any notes or highlights, but I can read the books. That was my primary goal.<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-1077346110891991252012-01-23T09:19:00.002-05:002012-01-23T09:20:29.757-05:00Notifications for Moderating Comments on Blogger<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1E-1YL3IqQTV_W_fBf6AqK7kyAouBtWIiDKNzUUfH23n52DQ_yv_cMCglGDiSRLl7JlQaIs8FoT87PPvre0IVwR77MER8j_gXapyIcykgmaHwJ2obpYzu3hIDNy9iNreAb9DCTzOWoE/s1600/emailmoderation.jpg"> <br />
<br />
<BR CLEAR="ALL">I'm posting this because I just discovered (face all red) that there were 14 great comments, not spam at all, from you faithful readers that had not been approved because I goofed.<br />
<br />
I had not entered my email to receive notification of comments that needed to be moderated. I ran across them today while looking at my Blogger Dashboard. <br />
<br />
So, in case you have also neglected to enter an email where comment notifications should be sent, here's how. From your Blogger blog's dashboard, click on Settings. It has a picture of a wrench. (It's not under Comments.) Then Click on Posts and Comments.<br />
<br />
Then you will see all your options for how you want the comment box to be displayed, who can comment, how much you want to moderate, etc. There is a box where you need to enter your email, if you want to be sent notifications.<br />
<br />
Really easy... one just has to do it.<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-87608768598500521162012-01-08T14:38:00.001-05:002012-01-08T14:38:21.262-05:002011 Earnings from Pine Cone Research<br />
In 2011 I completed 13 surveys for Pine Cone Research at $3.00 each for a total of $39.00. <br />
<br />
This is a lot less than I made from them in 2010, which was $67.00. Still, it's pretty easy money! This is an arm of Neilson Ratings, and you must be invited to join. If you ever see an ad for their surveys, click it and get yourself in. <br />
<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-47971002371562713432012-01-07T20:24:00.000-05:002012-01-07T20:29:40.061-05:00Inporting CSV Files into Gmail<img hspace="10" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOc8VA8PmHREVN2i0jU8Umc3wYTiRfuSSQjABNDU7-ayahT7K51eTItfzK610NkrSC4gjvCTIeoZJ1Q_6fgDWNsvgUqigA8OgRQ8KfOUKIExDROoJw65G1IRrBZPafMTNJkCuLEF05AZ4/s1600/gmail01.jpg"><br />
<br />
Are you trying to import an address book from some other email program, or from Google Groups into Gmail? It can be pretty frustrating when you follow the directions and it won't work.<br />
<br />
The Google Help file only says to save your other mail list as a comma-delimited file, and then import it into Gmail. Even if you know what that means, it may not work. Why?<br />
<br />
First of all, a comma delimited file just means a file where each item that would go in a spreadsheet field is separated by a comma. For example,<br />
<br />
<table border="1"><tr><td>Name</TD><td>Address</TD><td>email</TD><td>Phone</TD></TR>
<tr><td>Joe Smith</TD><td>800 W 4th St</TD><td>joe@mail.com</TD><td>555-555-5550</TD></TR>
<tr><td>Jane White</TD><td> </TD><td>sweetgirl@mail.net</TD><td>555-555-5551</TD></TR>
</TABLE>would simply be: Name,Address,email,Phone,Joe Smith,800 W 4th St,joe@mail.com,555-555-5550,Jane White,,sweetgirl@mail.net,555-555-5551<br />
<br />
Notice that since we don't know Jane's address there are simply two commas with nothing between them.<br />
<br />
So, the first step is to export your address list from whatever source you want and choose to save it as a comma delimited file. This will have the file extension CSV. Let's pretend we named this OLDBOOK.csv<br />
<br />
Now, open your Gmail account and put in a couple of contacts manually. Anything will do- if you make duplicates you can always delete them later. Do put something in each field that you plan to use, including any custom ones you want to create. Now export this as a comma delimited file (extension CSV). Let's pretend we named this NEWBOOK.csv<br />
<br />
Open both files in Excel. Now you can see the contents of each address book. You must use the format from the Gmail file to make a CSV file that it will read. <br />
<br />
Use the NEWBOOK.csv as a template. You must fill the fields you want from your OLDBOOK.csv. You can just copy and paste each column, but make sure you paste them in the correct row, or all your addresses (for example) might be one entry off when you import the file. Save the NEWBOOK.csv file you just added to.<br />
<br />
Now, this file will have all your address info, and it will have it in a form that Gmail wants. From your Gmail account, import this file, and all your data will be there!<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-63869622820762230782012-01-05T11:45:00.002-05:002012-01-07T20:31:36.612-05:00Choose Where to Download Files in Firefox 6,7,8,9<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZHVqEEJ36AAe-7F03NDTYQtlAZw5PpOXICIYBt939s0vI034t8lnNC13LBVAZCoPnLqfyFozk31dO3NUHGZStEgi9UFTiAbuyu0m73-3iBLNK0RycvB8MzJ5H7tyXUqE1bueO_E6B7A/s1600/choose-firefox-download-location01.jpg"> Have you downloaded a new version of Firefox (I believe this info is good for Firefox 6,7,8 and 9) and discovered that it wants to put files you download in a place you don't want or can't find? The default is in the Downloads Folder, which is under "Users" in Windows 7, or YourName Documents in Windows XP.<br />
<br />
It's easy to change this. Find the orange bar in the upper left that says "Firefox." Click on it and then on the Options choice. <br />
<br />
This will open the box you see in the second image here. If "General" is not the selection that shows, choose it now (the one that looks like a light switch). Then, in the middle of the box, you can select whether you want downloads to go to the file of that name (and whether you want the downloads window to stay open or close), Or if you want to specify a different location to be used all the time, or if you would like to be asked every time.<br />
<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sdy76Y46aVaOoPAH5HWdn99FONPAnQhA3niL8X-ngQEdjfW51POWVW1CNeydQvgsuMCrrjjTo3jlxBzHgUdDhjkM_BY1WKvQwooNJTrY4P8b-sdyPuw3QuqsuErJrC28py1Cp7tUGfI/s1600/choose-firefox-download-location02.jpg"><br />
<br />
<BR CLEAR="ALL">I dump downloads on my desktop. That way I can find them easily, and then move them or trash them after I've looked at the file. <br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-57814490234275306582011-12-27T08:43:00.003-05:002011-12-27T08:43:52.865-05:00Adgitize to Close<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://www.adgitize.com/Images/AdgitizeSplashSwirl.jpg"> Here's one of the saddest pieces of news I've gotten in quite a while: Adgitize is going to close at the first of the year.<br />
<br />
Owner and founder, Ken Brown, says, "We have enjoyed working with all of you over the last 3 years and we hope that you have enjoyed our services. Adgitize tried to fill a niche market but the costs to run the business were more than the revenues generated."<br />
<br />
This is really sad news. Entrecard is all but belly up with new blogs not being approved, and no response from the managers on any questions. CMF Ads folded earlier in the year.<br />
<br />
This really leaves only Project Wonderful and AFTR, both of which I use, but neither one appeals to me very much. Adgitize has been more than an advertising means, it has been something of a family. The forum has been a lot of fun, and I've made several blogging friends there, or strengthened relationships.<br />
<br />
Ken has always acted responsibly and treated his users with respect. For some reason, advertiser numbers have continued to decline to the point where the project cannot sustain its needs. <br />
<br />
Adgitize will be missed.<br />
<br />
Read the full news at <a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://www.adgitize.com/blog/default.aspx/57/Adgitize-to-Close">Adgitize to Close</A> <br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-44426103853445650762011-11-29T08:29:00.001-05:002011-11-29T08:42:08.265-05:00Why Clixsense is the Only PTC I Still Use<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKpNBwoIqHxBS0cxBpG4yKkUdgrJkCsr4-hhIXPoqs6QzgAoItATjS2D9Ll-dEuqK1p5NByM323bAu41kwTMFzBTmRtMDKa3Z5QGLHj5W4WmIxbHMwaoJ6YQZiIt-7iVTivlJ4pqIYx0/s320/clixsense05.jpg">I just got $23.02 from Clixsense, and that's with a standard membership. Took 14 months to accumulate that much, but there were no hassles, and the fees are much lower to cashout than they used to be.<br />
<br />
<img ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQq-eeTS34F2RZg6SqznnVpPxj9Ichk7U0kAM7Z9pjnTynSmix1151zawFY-M7aamzcEXR45AnLrD0Fb-PK2yBE6ixl706bqPFb9FP4SfOyqSRRUDE6u4nbyPvTvpjPYUvSrwoFKkONpg/s1600/clixsense04.jpg">ClixSense now has PayPal available, and it only cost me $0.73 processing fee, much less than it use to be with AlertPay. In addition, they pay every Monday, so you don't have to wait a month to get your cash. <br />
<br />
And, I have the answer to another of life burning questions. Does anyone every win $5.00 in the ClixGrid game? I had previously won anywhere from a dime to 50¢, but last week, yes, I won $5.00. That was certainly nice!<br />
<br />
If you want to upgrade your membership, it now costs $15 a year. I'm still not convinced that's worth it unless you have a lot of referrals. <br />
<br />
Anyway, I am happy to add $23 to my wallet!<br />
<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://www.clixsense.com/?2822136">Sign up for ClixSense</A> under me. If you are thinking of signing up, it helps me and doesn't hurt you at all to use this link.<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-38054614953863402682011-11-16T11:38:00.001-05:002011-11-17T09:10:32.466-05:00Why You May Not Earn Money on Adgitize<a target="_blank" href="http://www.adgitize.com/?affid=1051"><img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" alt="Adgitize your web site." style=" border:0; width:125px; height:125px; " src="http://www.adgitize.com/Images/AdgitizeSplashSwirl.jpg"/></a>Just because you see Adgitize ads on a blog does not mean that blog is earning money. There is even a possibility you could be publishing Adgitize ads and not earning money. Do you know why?<br />
<br />
Adgitize seeks to provide surfers with quality, original reading material. The standards to be an Adgitize blog just make sense. There are real humans checking the archives who are currently culling blogs that have fallen below the minimum standards.<br />
<br />
There could be some serious, substantive reasons why your blog will not do well on Adgitize. Let me list a few.<br />
<br />
<b>Reasons Your Blog Won't Even Be Approved on Adgitize</B><br />
<ol><li><b>Your blog is a collection of things you have snagged from other sources.</B> All approved Adgitize blogs have original content. That doesn't mean you can't occasionally use something that came via email, or post the rules to a contest from another blog. But it does mean that the vast majority of what you include in your blog is written by YOU. </LI>
<li><b>You don't post something very often.</B> Blogs that want to earn with Adgitize need to have a post at least once every three months. Many blogs that have applied in the past are way beyond that limit and may have been turned off.</LI>
<li><b>You are a photo blog with little text.</B> Adgitize believes in authors writing text. Photo blogs are fine, but Adgitize will not approve them unless you include more than a couple of sentences of text about the picture(s). You need to tell us why that picture matters, or where you took it, or... something.</LI>
<li><b>You are running ads with popups, redirects, music or sound that plays automatically.</B> All distractions of this sort will keep your blog from being approved.</LI> </OL><b>Reasons You May Think You Should be Earning, but Aren't</B><br />
<ol><li><b>Your feed may not be entered.</B> You must have a valid blog feed entered in the Adgitize system. This is used to check for publication of new posts so that points can be awarded. Go to "Manage Blogs" and you can see if you have a valid feed entered.</LI>
<li><b>Your content may be too old.</B> If you haven't published in more than 3 months, your blog may have been turned off without sending you a notification. If your blog has been turned off it will no longer be listed when you click on "Manage Blogs." You will need to re-apply.</LI>
<li><b>You need to publish ads.</B>You can not earn the full potential on Adgitize unless you publish their ads on your blog. You can choose to display up to 10 ads, in various configurations (but no more than two groups). You do have the ability to choose or block certain ads that may be more to your liking, or not appropriate for you.</LI>
</OL><br />
Adgitize is not primarily a money-making site. It is about advertising high-quality blogs. That said, you can make a few cents there by publishing ads and clicking up to 100 advertisers' blogs a day. You can make a little more if you publish your own ad in the system. Then you only need to click up to 50 advertisers blogs a day, and you will earn back everything you spent on the ad.<br />
<br />
If you see a blog that does not meet Adgitize standards that does show their ads, there could be a couple of reasons. The blog might not have been approved, but the blogger did not remove the ads (thus they are simply providing free advertising for the blogs in the Adgitize system). It's also possible that they are a member but have changed something and now violate the TOS. Sometimes people add popup ads on purpose or it happens inadvertently when they join another network. You are always encouraged to contact owner <a HREF="mailto:kbrown@adgitize.com">Ken Brown</A> with any concerns. <br />
<br />
Again, there are real humans who will address your question promptly. That's one reason Adgitize pleases me, for sure.<br />
<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://www.adgitize.com/?affid=1051"">Sign up with Adgitize</A> <br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-85269204418452333212011-11-02T11:23:00.001-04:002011-11-02T11:26:15.952-04:00Working Around Errors Uploading Images to Blogger<br />
The extremely annoying problem of not being able to upload images with Blogger (discussed at <a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://justthrowmoney.blogspot.com/2011/10/error-uploading-images-to-blogger.html">Error Uploading Images to Blogger</A>) can be worked around.<br />
<br />
First open your Picasa page. Maybe you didn't know you have one. But if you've been using the blogger image uploader, you do. That's where they are stored. Go to this URL https://picasaweb.google.com/home . If you are logged into your Google account it will automatically bring up the various blogs you have under that ID. Click on the blog you want to add a picture to.<br />
<br />
Then choose "Add Photos." I've circled it in the image below that shows my Picasa page for <a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://grazingtheditches.blogspot.com/">Grazing the Ditches</A><br />
<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohoLi_pOFjH0ag-D9O9Rua9-J66FdrrqvdGmZ1as5aA2BFepTw5llTAWO603wyJZ5Alwzk9Ro-CS0x1crDQJd849u2nJesvrj1ZIy802lnuUS58PFrUT4hjN_gc0ZdVBHuMRsLyysSYo/s400/picassa01.jpg"> <br />
<br />
This will take you to a screen where you can either drag the image from your folder into a large box, or browse your files to find it. When the image (or several) shows in the box, click OK in the lower right corner. This will throw you back to the upload screen.<br />
<br />
Now you need to get back to the album you want. The only way I've seen to do this is click on the Home tab, and then the Album for the blog I just added to. Once you have that open, the picture you just added should show in the thumbnails. Click on the image and it will open in a larger size. You can then right click and choose Copy Image Location (or whatever your browser calls it).<br />
<br />
Paste this into your blog.<br />
<br />
If you don't know how to code it to show up, follow this example: <IMG SRC="http://your-picture-url.jpg"> (or gif, etc. insert the correct URL for the image)<br />
<br />
You can force it to align to the left or right by placing the following between IMG and SRC: ALIGN="LEFT" (or right)<br />
<br />
These commands to not need to be in capital letters. I just did that to identify them as tags.<br />
<br />
Of course it would be nice if the uploader would work, but this makes it possible to post when we are ready, not when Google decides to work.<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-51963089598673247342011-10-30T10:25:00.001-04:002011-10-30T10:28:07.760-04:00Error Uploading Images to Blogger<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://www.sharkenterprises.biz/jtm/imageerror01.jpg"> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Have you seen this message? I've been using blogger for 3 years now, and had never been stung by this until this month. Now, I'm getting it a lot. Of course it's annoying, but even more annoying is the length of time the problem has been ongoing. It's particularly maddening if you are trying to upload several pictures because it kicks you back to having to start all over again, and get all the images from your computer back into the interface. This can take several minutes if they were not all located together on your computer.<br />
<br />
I found reports of this problem from as long ago as Sept 2009 in the Blogger help forums. Google has not provided any real answers, and has closed threads where people have reported it.<br />
<br />
Apparently it became critical in June 2011, because on June 29, Google posted it on their <a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://knownissues.blogspot.com/">"known issues" blog</A> and said "Update, 10:50AM PST: We've released a fix and image upload should be working again without issue. Thanks for your patience."<br />
<br />
As many of us have discovered, it's not really fixed, and it means that it's difficult to complete a blog post when one wants to do so, if there are pictures to display. The image on this post is being hosted on server space of my own. I was unable to load the image to blogger. I'm also waiting for this to post to another blog.<br />
<br />
It's nice to have free image hosting space, but not nice to have so many problems.<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-13342480410864048442011-10-26T10:40:00.002-04:002011-10-26T10:50:14.060-04:00First Impressions of FoodieBlogRoll<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="200" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lrcVBv4PxcI48UfQk1sgzak7-AL4RzEq2Q57Vo1t8K3OHDlKnxnc8roYXlNW8pTahwuROWD6d6hpOkrso-0I722XQG7Bl8-UsUj_1UzkwFSXyAo69Q7ULmAD6bjodVvLKIGUz54AoO0/s320/FoodieBlogRoll.jpg"> I joined FoodieBlogRoll last week, with my relatively new wild foods blog <a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://grazingtheditches.blogspot.com">Grazing the Ditches</A>. They claim it will produce some revenue, and is compatible with Google AdSense, as long as you use only text-based ads from Google. So I decided to try it. They claim over 12000 food blogs as members, and with a human-reviewed approval process, I have reasonable assurance that the junk is weeded out.<br />
<br />
The sign-up process was pretty simple, and my blog was human approved promptly... within a couple of days. The approval process requires you to add their widget to your blog. The widget is 200x260, which is a little larger than most advertising groups, but not unreasonable. <br />
<br />
Once you have done this, if you want to earn money you have to be approved for the Publisher Program. That took another few days. At that point I was able to learn what the requirements are to be a Publisher. Basically you HAVE to display one ad widget, and you can optionally add two others.<br />
<br />
The required widget is large, 300x250 pixels, and it must be placed above the fold. I've chosen a template with a rather tall header (and I like the template a lot), so the only way I can make it work is to place it in the body (post) section above the regular entries. One it is installed, you MUST send them an email, and they manually check it again. Paying ads will not run until you do this.<br />
<br />
The second one they want you to use is a 728x90 banner ad, that also must go above the fold. They want you to put it in your header. I'm not going to do that because it will mess up my graphic header, and make readers scroll a lot to get to the meat of the blog.<br />
<br />
The third one is a tower, 160x600 pixels, that can go in the sidebar and does not have to be above the fold. It's not clear to me if you are allowed to use that one without the wide banner.<br />
<br />
I've have the first widget installed for a day now. My first impression of the ads being served is not so great. I thought they would be food related, but so far I haven't seen a single food/cooking ad. Of course, I haven't continually refreshed the blog just to study the ads. However, I've seen three for online advertising, one for an online university, and one for a movie. None of these have been inappropriate material (I'm what a lot of people will call a prude), but they aren't what I would consider high-quality ads. I don't mean their graphic quality... I mean the quality of the product. <br />
<br />
So, how is the ad performing? Here's the rub. I won't know for possibly 3 months. They do not post any figures until revenue and results are verified, and that is 45-60 days after the end of the month. I understand why. People have complained when estimates don't match with verifiable results. Some other revenue sites do the same thing. But, it means that I can't even gauge whether this is worth it for quite a while, and yet people will see those ads that I'm not quite happy with for all that time.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-87040742215117397762011-10-24T10:52:00.001-04:002011-10-24T10:53:36.650-04:00What's Up with Entrecard?<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="128" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IKqAUvoHNr8GRSkXlpFuWFI5En3d3IXOs3zCWYTOgd9B8VUwKOkOeK0UClp6KkChG_TxE8QGs2EEUzGoDw7SOqPqlUSThrUTyEmcmHINUx0a8wJsw46paKILL8Rnb78vRlKD5GudUzI/s320/entrecarderror01.jpg"> Entrecard has certainly gone downhill, if that is possible to believe. About half the time, when I try to do my dropping, I can't click to another blog because the ad doesn't appear in the window. I've seen other bloggers complaining about problems with Entrecard, too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A number of times, while trying to get my dashboard to load, I get this error message: <br />
<br />
"Entrecard is having technical issues. Any of the following may apply:<br />
We may be suffering extreme load (lots of people)<br />
We may be upgrading our server software<br />
We may be suffering from a serious bug<br />
We have on-call people watching the system, outages are unlikely to last more than 10 minutes. We apologise profusely for the inconvenience. "<br />
<br />
Since I've been seeing that for weeks, I doubt that they are working very hard on it. I've been a supporter of Entrecard, despite their shortcomings, but these conditions are really not good for advertising. <br />
<br />
If the ads don't appear in the widget, not only can I not click, but it means that others are not seeing my ads which I paid for with ECs. Others, who have paid money to advertise are getting no value at all. And those of us who use Entrecard know that ECs are paid for with plenty of time.<br />
<br />
I've sent a feedback message about my concerns. But, whoever runs EC these days is unlikely to do much unless a lot of us send messages.<br />
<br />
They also have yet to release a toolbar that works with FireFox 7.<br />
<br />
I feel caught in a tight spot. I continue to get a lot of exposure through Entrecard and don't want to abandon ship, but I'm thinking about it.<br />
<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="xxxxx">XXX</A> <br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-21292575889257514842011-10-08T10:10:00.004-04:002011-10-08T10:11:35.028-04:00Bux.to is Not Making Me Happy<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://bux.to/?r=sharkbytes"><img ALIGN="LEFT" BORDER="0" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://www.sharkenterprises.biz/jtm/buxtologo.gif"></A>Bux.to has rolled out their new changes, but so far, I have not been able to re-register and sign in.<br />
<br />
They say that you MUST use the same email and password as previously, or you will lose all your accounts. Fine. But it will not accept my password. It keeps saying that it is not alphanumeric, which it is, completely. (Thank goodness! What are people doing who had other characters in their passwords). It also rejects my entry of the captcha code about 2/3 of the time.<br />
<br />
I am not alone in this nonsense. There was a whole thread on the forum about it. But, of course, they closed that. <br />
<br />
I've sent two emails to support, but so far no response. I hope you are one of the lucky ones who was able to re-register.<br />
<br />
Here's hoping I don't lose my $62 ($52 already in a payment queue), but who knows.<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-22079311434620547702011-09-23T10:20:00.003-04:002011-09-23T10:21:04.861-04:00Big Changes at Bux.to<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://bux.to/?r=sharkbytes"><img ALIGN="LEFT" BORDER="0" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://www.sharkenterprises.biz/jtm/buxtologo.gif"></A> The Bux.to PTC site is temporarily closed down. They have a splash page explaining what is happening. After being in business four years (an old man of PTC sites), they need to make changes.<br />
<br />
In an effort to weed out dishonest members and bots, the site is being restructured. Some of what they say is easy to understand, some parts, not so much<br />
<br />
They want to make cash-outs faster because audits are taking too long. (Ask me... I've been waiting since July 19 for my first cashout to be audited).<br />
<br />
But some folks are likely to be unhappy with the changes. I'm not sure if I'm in that group. I think they are saying that all Standard and Standard Pro members will be able to use their balances for advertising or buying referrals (I have $52 due in a cashout and another $10 in my account. I sure hope I can get some of that in cash).<br />
<br />
All Standard Members who had previously purchased referrals will automatically be made Standard Pro Members. I will have this status, since I did purchase referrals once. <br />
<br />
However, all referrals older than six months are going to be eliminated. If you made any purchases of referrals in the past six months you will have a percentage of inactive ones replaced.<br />
<br />
They predict changing the earnings per click (probably read "less money"), and new cashout options (probably read "fewer ways to actually get cash").<br />
<br />
Well, they've been down for two days, and don't give a firm date for when they will be back. I hope I can at least get my $52. That's a significant pile of money.<br />
<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://bux.to/?r=sharkbytes">Bux.to</A> <br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-49200009400701559692011-09-20T10:14:00.000-04:002011-09-20T10:14:37.896-04:00Why You Should Choose Adgitize in Light of CMF Closure<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://www.adgitize.com/?affid=1051"><img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://www.adgitize.com/Images/AdgitizeSplashSwirl.jpg"></A>With the news that CMF ads is shutting down bloggers are probably looking for the best place to advertize. CMF has chosen to endorse Project Wonderful, but I think there are good reasons to choose Adgitize instead.<br />
<br />
To the credit of Project Wonderful, they allow you to target where you want your ads shown. You can research blogs that match the topics you cover and choose to advertise only on those. They are also incredibly cheap, free (if ad publishers are silly enough to allow this) or just a penny or pennies a day. And, not only that, but their engine will track the timing and let you spend portions of pennies over just a few hours. So, ok... it's cheap to place ads, but you have to do a lot of research and requesting.<br />
<br />
On the flip side, if you choose to publish ads with Project Wonderful, you are only going to make pennies a month, unless your blog gets a huge amount of traffic.<br />
<br />
Frankly, I think it devalues the whole blog industry by promoting the idea that it's OK to receive less than 50 cents a month for a banner ad. That said, I still have PW ads on one of my blogs. It's the one with the best traffic, and even with ads that get cancelled the minute the price goes above 3 or 4 cents a day, I still make about 2 cents a day. Whoopie. Come to think of it, maybe the next time I cash out, I'll just cancel it too. <br />
<br />
So, why choose Adgitize? Adgitize is a blog advertising network. It's about advertising- you are not going to get rich there either. But it's a lot less work, and if you are willing to click just 51 ads a day you can at least break even, and maybe make a couple of dollars. <br />
<br />
Adgitize serves ads to all the blogs in their system that publish ads. The membership just broke 10,000, with over 18,000 blogs logged. Not all of those are active, but let's say that half of them are. Your ads will be shown on 9,000 blogs without you needing to do anything at all after you create your profile and banner, and pay $14 a month. (There are shorter plans, if you just want to try it out.)<br />
<br />
Since advertisers who want to get paid enough to get back their $14 have to click ads, you will get traffic. There is always the argument about whether it is quality traffic. I say, "You have to get people cruising through to have a hope of creating readers out of them." <br />
<br />
If you don't want to advertise, you can choose to just publish Adgitize ads and click 100 ads a day. If you do this you will earn a few cents, which eventually ads up to enough to cash out. But, remember, the point of Adgitize is not to make money, the point is to advertise.<br />
<br />
You are allowed to block any ads in the system that you feel aren't appropriate for your blog. All blogs are checked by a human being within a few days of their applying to the system, and ones which do not adhere to the standards are turned off. (the biggest issues are original content, no popups or autoplay, must be safe for work, and current material) There are some other customizations available.<br />
<br />
Owner Ken Brown says, "We are currently working back through our membership base, now four years since our launch, and are removing blogs which are no longer active or following the standards." That will be a long haul to complete, but it's nice to know that someone is trying to pay attention.<br />
<br />
To summarize, I think that Adgitize gives bloggers a lot of exposure for very little work. With only $14 in hand you can start building recognition and getting traffic that will never cost you money again as long as you click those 51 ads a day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://www.adgitize.com/?affid=1051">Adgitize</A> <br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-71838754636029221972011-09-17T17:49:00.001-04:002011-09-17T17:50:08.681-04:00CMF Blog Advertising Network to Close<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://www.sharkenterprises.biz/jtm/CMFlogo2.jpg"> CMF, one of the largest of the blog advertising networks plans to shut down in October 2011. Says owner Ben Barden, "For several months we have noticed a sharp decline in activity... It’s reached the point where we can’t ignore it any longer."<br />
<br />
Various functionalities at the site will be phased out between now and October 30. Everyone will be allowed to cash out, but you do need to make the requests in a timely manner. For regular cashout, requests need to be made by September 25. After that time, anyone with more than $1.00 in their account will be able to place a final request by October 23.<br />
<br />
Also on October 23, widgets will be disabled, and the network will close completely on October 30.<br />
<br />
CMF Ads has been a solid advertising option for bloggers for a number of years. It's too bad that more people did not take advantage of the options there, and that it has come to this end. <br />
<br />
Read the full schedule of shutdown events at the <a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://www.cmfads.com/blog/cmf-ads-to-close-in-october-2011/">CMF Blog</A> <br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-79283445222799319342011-09-11T00:15:00.001-04:002011-09-11T10:14:35.626-04:00Shared Reviews is Back On Line<br />
<a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://www.sharedreviews.com"><img ALIGN="right" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7sjZVOzrJw6n_WM75LaG-xfXEhYsRv4tZR9I16uiYTMEqTZldC0LarAz1gLi1RyiTyLWsSU-MrMsPpbbmNdXQI6fOVvuoi8oKu_ADq6mcdFvCGrYfgtlx8L2h9gjgZ6SPDl7YvcHB0I/s320/sharedreviewslogo03.jpg"></A> <br />
<br />
<a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://www.sharedreviews.com">Shared Reviews</A> is back online, with the all-new format, and all content in place under a new category structure.<br />
<br />
At this time, no authors can log in, till a few more bugs are worked out. Soon, a few beta testers will be given the privilege/ responsibility of being allowed to sign in and check out all the internal features. Once they determine that the new features are working correctly, Shared Reviews will be completely opened for all authors. <br />
<br />
The new site looks great! The colors are smart, and I like the blues much better than the previous orange and gray. <br />
<br />
At this time, we can't see anything about how the "game" is going to work. The promise is that it is going to be fun to write for rewards that can be exchanged for either real cash or certain perks. Payment in real money based on readers will continue, and hopefully increase.<br />
<br />
A new linear system of levels has been revealed, but not yet fully explained. It goes from 1 to 50. 1 would be a true newbie. Peter Ejtel, owner and editor-in-chief, is at 50. My current rank is 33, the highest of any author to date. But I don't know yet what that will mean. <br />
<br />
The new category structure is completely different, and it may take some shuffling to get all the content in the right place. Instead of each category getting more and more specific, they are now larger and broader. Under each category, such as Business & Office, there are only a few sub categories. In this case: Workplace & Operations, Careers & Work, Marketing & Advertising, and Other. Within each subcategory there can be product reviews, service reviews, general articles, how-tos, and opinion pieces. (roughly speaking... some review types don't fit all categories). <br />
<br />
The beta testers were going to be announced by now, but they haven't been. I'm pretty sure I'm one of them, and I'm actually excited about Shared Reviews again. There's been a long dry patch that hasn't been much fun, but I think the new site is going to make up for that.<br />
<br />
Like any content site, you have to build a body of work to earn very much, but it is possible to make more than a few dollars a month there if you work at it. The link below can be used to sign up under me, although right now no one can sign in or sign up. Check it out, though, and get ready for the all new Shared Reviews, a fun place to write.<br />
<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://sharedreviews.com/signup_member?ref_nick=Sharkbytes">Shared Reviews</A> <br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-42456349853010337642011-09-06T08:54:00.001-04:002011-09-11T00:13:50.949-04:00Shared Reviews Down to Install Site Redesign<a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://sharedreviews.com/signup_member?ref_nick=Sharkbytes"><img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://files.sharedreviews.net/images/img/sr_ref_button.gif?ref_nick=Sharkbytes"></A> Shared Reviews, which began as a site to review products, is temporarily offline. The site expanded a couple of years ago to include writing of articles. Because of the structure, traffic was not hurt by the Google shakeup in February 2011 as much as some of the content sites. Users are paid a percentage of the monthly revenues.<br />
<br />
For months, CEO Peter Ejtel has been working behind the scenes to bring us a new interface. The promise is that this will be much more fun, faster, cleaner, and more bug free. Those of us who are active on the site can't wait for the changes!<br />
<br />
The message claims that the site will be back by noon today, September 6, 2011. However, there's a typo in the notice which says "Easter Standard Time." Those of us who have watched delay after delay as changes to the site's code proved knotty, will see this as a great joke. We do hope Shared Reviews will be back before Easter!<br />
<br />
When Shared Reviews comes back on line, everyone will be able to read content. However, the plan is that most authors will not be able to log in for an additional two weeks, while testing takes place. A few authors have been selected as beta testers. These people have agreed to accomplish a certain number of tasks during those two weeks in order to try to ferret out the bugs that will be inevitable. Hopefully, after that, the site will be back for all authors, established or new, to write and earn.<br />
<br />
The changes include a complete category re-design which should make it much easier to place content. It's much less specific than the old structure, which required the making of new categories whenever someone wanted to write about something that didn't fit anywhere. <br />
<br />
Peter has promised games, more instant rewards and a bright pleasing design. Here's hoping Shared Reviews becomes recognized as the great place to find quality content that it really is.<br />
<br />
(Aw, shucks... he fixed the typo)<br />
<br />
<a TARGET="BLANK" HREF="http://sharedreviews.com/signup_member?ref_nick=Sharkbytes">Shared Reviews</A><br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-24777496413453435782011-09-05T09:54:00.000-04:002011-09-11T00:56:05.466-04:00I Am So Done with Neobux<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITjjEAl8HL7fKf_u2MORsvHueeBUPz9NVlVLvRMea7Ftmx4jYEM4Non9qdyceP3bhK81Z0mPXmJEcWdo7U6Z3lwiZaMYFCqKiO0Ps43CPKmh8GlayJLoDvJ94pcxKfLLbrikW5MReJ6A/s1600/neobuxcashout03.jpg"> <br />
<br />
Finally, I have reached the next payout level at Neobux, and I am calling it quits. Since the big changes they made in March, I've been hanging on until this day when I could cashout and leave. I only get $4.90 of my $5.00 because they charge a transaction fee. The good news is that they pay instantly, which makes you believe that they are not hanging on by their toenails, paying the merest top of some payment queue whenever they actually get income.<br />
<br />
In March, Neobux devalued their guaranteed clicks to $0.004 per day instead of $0.04. Yes, they cut it to a tenth of the value. Their claim was that there would be lots more ads to click on, and really denigrated anyone who chose to suggest otherwise in the forum. I have been able to average less than $0.015 per day from them since that time. Of course, I'm not willing to stay logged in to the site all day and continuously check for new ads. I have a life.<br />
<br />
I really didn't want to lose the $3.00 I had in my account, so I stubbornly kept clicking until today. However, I have to say that for the return compared to the time, this was a total waste. I should have let the $3.00 go and spent the time picking up cans in the ditches. I would have made more money and gotten some exercise.<br />
<br />
If you are higher than a standard member, or have a lot of referrals, you may be able to do better. However, if you don't want to do pay-per-click for a living, Neobux is no longer a good option.<br />
<br />
Goodbye Neobux, and no regrets.<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-33028029912341388752011-08-27T09:03:00.001-04:002011-08-27T09:05:13.798-04:00Second AdSense Payment Received<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="425" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="http://www.sharkenterprises.biz/jtm/adsensepay02.jpg"> <br />
<br />
Here's the entry from my bank account showing an EFT transfer from Google Adsense. The first time, it took me three years to reach the $100 payout threshold. This time, only 15 months. Right now, I'm on track to make the next payment in a little less than a year if things stay about the same. <br />
<br />
Am I going to get rich from Google Adsense? Not on your life. But, it does pay some of the expenses of sites of mine that I host, and that's a big help.<br />
<br />
Where do most of my clicks come from? Actually, not on any of my blogs. Most ad clicks are on my West Michigan recreation site <a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://www.getoffthecouch.info">Get Off the Couch</A>. I think that is because it is very specific, and ads can be targeted really well. <br />
<br />
If you are going to use AdSense, just be careful to follow the rules. For example, this blog does not show any AdSense ads, because I talk about Pay-to-Click sites here, and that is a definite no-no. People have wondered about <a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://www.adgitize.com/?affid=1051">Adgitize</A> ads and Entrecard or CMF. But I've been using those right along and they've never balked at them. <br />
<br />
I do use <a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="https://chitika.com/publishers.php?refid=sharkbytes">Chitika</A> ads along with AdSense, and that seems to be ok. Those are targeted in a different way from AdSense, so apparently they don't see it as a problem. <br />
<br />
If you see yourself into blogging or having web sites long term, and have good niche sites, AdSense can be a legitimate way to earn. <br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-80476978722786809232011-08-25T09:18:00.002-04:002011-08-25T09:44:48.519-04:00What Happened to Blog Traffic?{EAV_BLOG_VER:70c9cf8e4db13e29} just ignore this verification code for Empire Avenue, please<br />
<br />
<img ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10" SRC="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm2Bl1rvs2fa0ARxjqPl3NbjU6uaKWZaHl4IGt26obr7S0APhLbDLz5brC5cJ1k7YkyKH949bI8-C3FMQXeP_l8pbin_CrQJ0teHT6SefSjTyFzUcsxNF08_YIlZCI08GnfwFISaw_5Q/s1600/googledrop01.jpg"> <br />
<br />
I realize that you probably can't really read the dates on that graph, but that is take from Google Analytics, for my primary blog <a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="http://myqualityday.blogspot.com">My Quality Day</A>, showing the past year. The graph is actually of the number of hits per visit, not visits, because the drop is much more obvious on that metric. But you can clearly see that there was a significant and permanent drop during the past year.<br />
<br />
And what is the date around which that phenomenon occurred? March 2011... What else happened then? That was right after Google changed their algorithm. Interesting coincidence, or does it really mean something? I sure can't say with any kind of certainty.<br />
<br />
<a TARGET="_BLANK" HREF="https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?hl=en&hl=en&key=0AgNsB0Eh00afdFNMT28tM2txTURma1lTaTRjSEJvbnc&output=html">Google's own spreadsheet</A> shows blogspot receiving a small rise (12%) in traffic after their change, so that doesn't fit. But, clearly, something happened that was not just a blip. <br />
<br />
A couple of months prior to that I took a part time job which curtailed my blogging a bit, but it did not affect My Quality Day, as I've maintained that as the highest priority with a post every day.<br />
<br />
The reason I went exploring this question is that my Alexa rank has slipped on MQD as well, which seems odd, because traffic has actually risen a bit over the past month or so according to my Adgitize stats. I also learned that traffic has not increased according to Google stats, so there is some kind of discrepancy in those algorithms.<br />
<br />
I offer no theories or conclusions. It's a bit of a mystery! <br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-19885726539154152852011-08-20T19:45:00.000-04:002011-08-20T20:00:02.394-04:00Giving Empire Avenue a Try<img align="LEFT" hspace="10" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceTuQiuOTEjqIzYQBDEGYLy2aFGw3EdbA_gNhzbxKHuO7xX3OIxNGcTp8loZPR1AvJ-T7MaqSArPio-kU7w1ll00c_n1ccqy-0TEzbTczC-m9Nr6aQX_6G86TueGFJYsVs_153AKfJiw/s1600/empireavenuelogo.jpg" vspace="10" width="218" /> I just joined a site called Empire Avenue. It's sort of like a combination of a Social Marketing site and a game. The idea is that you buy shares of other members, and they can do the same for you. It's like a mini stock market, but doing well will give you social currency- in other words, you can get added visibility for your blogs, your photos, your works.<br />
<br />
You are rewarded for having active blogs, using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flikr, YouTube, Foursquare and Instagram. The currency is called Eaves. They say that they don't translate into real cash, but it looks like there are certain things you can buy with them.<br />
<br />
It may be more than I want to deal with, but it may be just enough fun to participate. If you want to join, see <a href="http://empireavenue.com/?t=sharkbytes" target="_BLANK">Empire Avenue</a>. <g:plusone></g:plusone> <script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-65057502599104756642011-08-16T09:04:00.002-04:002011-08-16T09:05:09.668-04:00OnBux Seems to Be Dead<br />
OnBux hasn't paid anyone for months and months, and now seems to be totally off the web. The URL returns a page not found error.
<br />
<br />
I had $5 coming from them, and kept clicking while waiting for that payment with hopes of the rumors being false, so all that click time is lost. This is always the chance one takes with pay-to-click sites.
<BR><BR>I'm trying to see it as extra time opening up in my daily routine. Now I just need something good to replace it with.
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone>
<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735507024656164968.post-88430776260874357692011-08-04T00:54:00.002-04:002011-08-04T00:57:29.680-04:00Advertising Space Purchase Comes with Qualtiy and Reputation<br />
One of my other blogs will soon begin featuring an advertisement from an outdoor equipment distributor. I did not pursue this opportunity, but was contacted by them.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to list particulars yet... it all seems to be a done deal, but I haven't received the code or any money yet.<br />
<br />
However, I am going to make the point that it takes time to build a blog reputation. This blog has been live for two years and has earned a PR3. Success takes time. <br />
<br />
<br />
<g:plusone></g:plusone> <br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script> <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3186575-4");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>Sharkbytes (TM)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08379841586422814410noreply@blogger.com0