How To Add Your Blog To Technorati Blog Directory

Technorati is quite well known as an Internet search engine for searching blogs. It also helps in increasing your blog search ranking in Google, Yahoo, bing, etc. If you’re blog is registered in Technorati, than you may have a bigger chance of getting valuable visitors.

In order to register your blog in Technorati’s blog directory, all you have to do is follow these simple steps:

1.  Go to Technorati signup page and register yourself.

2. Click on your userID, situated on the top right corner. Fill your profile information.

3. After scrolling down a little bit you’ll Start a blog claim. Add your blog like http://www.example.com and click claim button.

4. Fill details like Site Title, URL, Feed URL, Site Description, site categories, tags, facebook page url, google plus page url, and keywords. Click Proceed to next step.

5. Wait for Blog claim status message to appear.

6. Now click on Return to profile link.

7. Now in your profile, scroll down to Check Claim for your blog. Click on it to verify your ownership of the website.

8. A verification message like this will appear:

Technorati will need to verify that you are an author of the blog by looking for a unique code. Please put the following short code ZXQRZWYZ84Q3 within a new blog post and publish it. This code must appear in the published post and it must also appear in your corresponding RSS feed once published. Once it is published, use the “Verify Claim Token” button on this page to tell Technorati your blog is ready for Technorati to verify the claim token and proceed to final review.

9. Now you have to put this unique code in your new post and publish it. My new code is ZXQRZWYZ84Q3. refernece from [Techyfuzz]

A Step-by-Step MySQL Tutorial For Self-Hosted WordPress Bloggers

If you’re a blogger, the chances are that you use WordPress, a powerful solution that is the engine behind many popular websites.

There are two ways in which you can use WordPress, ideal for those with some technical know-how and those without. The first is to use the hosted blog service at WordPress.com, which is similar to Blogger in that you don’t pay any fees and all of the background maintenance is automatic. The downside to this is that you are restricted in which plugins you can add.

For those who prefer more control over their blogs and have some technical ability (although not much is required) then the self-hosted option available from WordPress.org is probably preferred. Choosing this option may require you to have some knowledge of setting up a MySQL database, importing and exporting data, creating backups and understanding how to perform checks and repair the database.

Setting Up The Database

WordPress runs at its best on a MySQL database; you will find that most web hosts offer this as an option on Linux and Microsoft hosting packages. We’ll leave it to you to find a suitable host, just make sure that you have downloaded the latest version of WordPress or are able to install it via your web host. Many offer tools such as Fantastico which install popular web applications for you.

Automated tools such as this can be used to setup a new MySQL database for WordPress, but if this option isn’t available then you will need to sign into your hosting control panel (via the details you will have received when signing up to the hosting package) and find theMySQL Databases tool. In the examples shown here, we’re using cPanel.

Here you will need to use the Create New Database option to name your database; click theCreate Database button when done. You should have noticed that the database name has a prefix, resulting in a longer name than you might have expected, e.g.: user101_mydbname.

Adding A Database User

Once you have added the database you will need to Add New User. Add a username, again noting the prefix, and a password, completing the task by clicking Create User.

The final step is to use the Add User to Database option to assign the new user to the database you created earlier. A second screen will typically appear in which you must add All Privileges to your user..

When you’re setting up WordPress, you will need to add the username, database name and password into your wp-config.php file, so make sure you keep a note of them!

Exporting & Importing Data In phpMyAdmin

With a completely new blog you will be able to install WordPress and start typing out your first blog post. If you’re setting up WordPress in order to import posts and comments from another website, however, then you will need to use the various import and export tools that are on offer.

Exporting data in phpMyAdmin via your website’s control panel is the best option. This is done by first selecting the database on the left-hand menu and then clicking Export on the main menu. You can then select the preferred Export Method (Quick or Custom) and a Format (SQL, CSV, many others besides).

Click Go to confirm your choices, save the dump to your computer and wait while it downloads.

Importing the data into your new WordPress installation is a case of first creating a database and installing WordPress. You can then log in to phpMyAdmin and select the appropriate database before selecting Import and using the Browse button to find the dumped MySQL file on your computer.

Select the correct file format and click Go to begin the upload. Once this has completed, phpMyAdmin will begin importing the data into the existing database. Note that this will overwrite any identical data.

File Too Big? Try BigDump

One problem that you may run into when attempting to import a SQL dump is that there is too much data for the server to handle. In this situation you will need to use a tool such as BigDump, a PHP script that you can download from here.

You will need to upload the bigdump.php to your WordPress server along with the SQL dump. Run BigDump by browsing to the file in the WWW directory of your server; it should be something like www.mywebsite.com/bigdump.php. With the script running all you need to do is complete the required fields and browse to the SQL data, and BigDump will do the rest.

Do note however that if your host is using the most up-to-date version of phpMyAdmin then you might find the Partial Import tool can be used instead of BigDump.

Importing & Exporting With WordPress

An alternative to using the MySQL import and export tools is to take advantage of native WordPress features. These are mainly intended for you to import a blog from another platform in a wide variety of formats such as Blogger, Live Journal and even RSS, as well as WordPress.

Available via the Tools menu in the WordPress Dashboard, posts and pages can be exported with comments and other fields and imported using the WordPress option (which isn’t part of WordPress by default, so will need to be installed when selected).

Backing Up WordPress

Although your host will probably run its own backup routine, you should also have your own in place to account for any potential gaps. Overlaps can help you to get your site up and running following errors or failed backups, so it is well worth considering.

There are several ways that you can make a database backup:

• MySQL dump – as explained above
• WordPress backup tool – this popular option is a plugin which can be downloaded and installed
• cPanel/admin panel backup tool – this depends on what options your host offers

Also bear in mind that your WordPress site is bigger than the database. Most users hosted WordPress owners use a non-standard theme, so you might think about backing up the installation directory from time to time. This is equally true if WordPress is only one element of your web presence.

MySQL Database Checks & Repair

Performance issues can often be resolved by checking the tables in your database and repairing them. There are various ways of applying these tasks – if you are using cPanel, then you will find that check and repair tools are present. However if you would rather use phpMyAdmin, or run your checks and repairs on a single table basis, then this is easily done.

To check or repair all tables, simply open the phpMyAdmin screen, select the database in question and – after checking you’re in the Structure view – use the Check All option to select all tables before selecting Check Table or Repair Table from the drop-down menu and clicking Go.

Checking individual tables can either be done using the same method (dropping the Check All option and just selecting the table you want to check/repair) or by opening the SQL query window and entering the Check Table command.

For instance to check the wp_commentmeta table:

CHECK TABLE wp_commentmeta

Conclusion

With so many functions and flexible import and export options, WordPress databases can be easily set up, backed up and imported to using native tools, plugins and phpMyAdmin.

Remember to understand the importance of performing manual maintenance, especially if you use a host with limited options in this area. Performing your own checks and repairs and running backups is vital if you are to keep your WordPress blog running at its optimum level.via[makeuseof]

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Google Apps for Education taking root in online learning environments

This is a guest post by Lindsey Harper Mac. Today’s college students grew up with Google. To them, Google has always been a verb and that little search box has always been the gateway to information on just about anything. The average college freshman entering a university today will Google something before heading to the library to research it in the traditional way. In light of this, it is no wonder that the Google Apps for Education platform is starting to take over the world of education.

Connectivity with lower cost

According to Google.com, more than 60% of the Top 100 schools in the United States use Google Apps for Education. This number will only continue to grow as more and more universities embrace free programming in their schools. Online colleges will especially benefit as administrators need to find affordable ways to keep students and faculty connected in spite of the geographic distance between them. Incorporating Google Apps for Education into the online learning environment helps lower costs while still maintaining open communication between students and faculty.

Students in online learning environments sometimes struggle to share files with their professors and fellow students due to software compatibility. In a traditional classroom this is less of a problem because the student can just turn in a paper document for many projects. In an online classroom, however, the ability to share files is a necessity. Google Apps allow anyone who has access to an Internet-ready computer to quickly and efficiently share documents, regardless of the software on each computer. Even Mac and PC users can easily collaborate and share files using Google Apps.

Google Apps for Education has created a very feasible system that helps students and teachers in their classes. Some of the more popular features are:

• Google Docs: An app whose focus is collaboration, which is all the more important with online learners who don't have physical classrooms in which to generate interactivity. Students can access the system to participate in group projects and compile ideas, no matter where they are in the world.
• Google Video: Students who use this app can share videos with fellow group members or professors as part of course study or for fun.
• Google Calendar: Ever important for busy students, especially those whose coursework and study takes place outside the structured classroom, Google Calendar helps students keep track of when assignments are due, test dates, and share pertinent times and dates with members of their peer group.
• Google Sites: A quick and easy-to-use app, Google sites gives students a way to create websites, whether for a mid-semester activity or final project. Google Doc and Google Calendar files can be used with the app.
• Google Talk: Gives students and faculty access to instant, voice, and video messaging.

At the heart of Google Apps for Education is a collaborative virtual environment where students can easily share work with one another and their teachers, thereby mimicking the in-person classroom experience. Students can perform peer reviews of coursework, engage in group discussions, and work together on projects, even while living in different parts of the country.

Other software programs exist for online educators who want to be able to connect virtually with their students, but none offer the affordability and global appeal of Google Apps for Education. To save money and make access more convenient for students, universities around the country, both on and offline, are making the switch to Google.Via[corenetworkz]

Facebook’s conundrum over Mobile ads

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. 

One of the more eye-catching elements of Facebook’s obligatory rundown of “risk factors” in Wednesday’s IPO filing was the section on mobile.

Facebook has huge scale on mobile. Half of Facebook’s monthly active users – 425m people – use its mobile products, as of December.

Its iPhone app is the most downloaded in the App Store’s short history, according to Apple, and Facebook has optimised mobile sites for both smartphones and low-end feature phones, some of which can be accessed without incurring data charges thanks to deals with carriers.

“We believe that mobile usage is critical to maintaining user growth and engagement over the long term,” the company writes in its filing with the SEC, which mentions mobile over 120 times.

But Facebook today shows no advertisements on mobile, where any kind of commercial message is always seen as disproportionately intrusive on the small screen.

As Facebook points out in its S-1 filing, this poses a problem as more people start to use the social network solely on their mobile, where the company does not generate any “meaningful revenue”:

“Growth in use of Facebook through our mobile products, where we do not currently display ads, as a substitute for use on personal computers may negatively affect our revenue and financial results.”

As it expands into emerging markets where there are more smartphones than PCs, the proportion of mobile users is only going to get larger.

“We anticipate that the rate of growth in mobile users will continue to exceed the growth rate of our overall [monthly active users] for the foreseeable future, in part due to our focus on developing mobile products to encourage mobile usage of Facebook…. Accordingly, if users continue to increasingly access Facebook mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetization strategies for our mobile users, our revenue and financial results may be negatively affected.”

That strongly suggests ads are coming to Facebook mobile in the not-too-distant future, to grab a slice of what is forecast to be a $17.6bn market by 2015. The company itself flags this elsewhere in its S-1 document:

“…we believe that we may have potential future monetization opportunities such as the inclusion of sponsored stories in users’ mobile News Feeds.”

Pulling this off will require Facebook to manage another of its risk factors: its dependence on iOS and Android. Both Apple and Google have their own mobile advertising businesses to push. “Any changes in such systems that degrade our products’ functionality or give preferential treatment to competitive products could adversely affect Facebook usage on mobile devices,” Facebook writes, adding later:

“Certain competitors, including Google, could use strong or dominant positions in one or more markets to gain competitive advantage against us in areas where we operate including: by integrating competing social networking platforms or features into products they control such as search engines, web browsers, or mobile device operating systems; by making acquisitions; or by making access to Facebook more difficult.”

Facebook has already begun to integrate sponsored stories into the news feed on its desktop website, to only minor consternation from users. Will they baulk at more ads on mobiles?

For prospective investors, on the other hand, there may be a huge new revenue stream in mobile which Facebook has not even begun to tap. Source from ft.com

Types of Link Building for Traffic Generation

Below are the types of Link Building for Traffic generation to your site

i) Authority Link- It helps to get links directly from sources that would be considered trusted seed sites in algorithms like DMOZ, the Yahoo! Directory, and Wikipedia might be considered obvious authorities and trust seed sites.It can be done for good search engine ranking, increasing link popularity and attracting more traffic to self-owned website. 

ii) Directory Link- It is the process of building a link with few well-known directories like Dmoz, Yahoo.dir, and business.com in order to find niche directories. 

iii) Reciprocal Link- It is the process of exchanging links based on some agreement between two trusted websites who shares the same business interest with an aim of increase website traffic and link popularity. 

iv) One-Way Link- It is the process of link building where link is built with some website on their interest, without getting connected back to that website. It is also called inbound link, which is highly important for link popularity. 

V) Press release links - Press releases are generally NOT a great way to get links, but you can pick up some that may be of value. Every little bit helps, and remember (again) this is only a small part of your overall link profile. 

Vi) Article links - This can be a GREAT way to get some good authority links from high profile sites. They’ll appreciate great content in return for the exposure and link popularity you’ll receive. The better the site is, the higher quality content they will require. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. 

Vii) RSS/ Blog aggregated links - Not worth a whole lot, but you’ll pick up a whole bunch of links this way. They’re “power” is minimal at best and highly debated. There are, however, plenty of legitimate sites that aggregate content where you may pick up some decent links.

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Convert Print Articles to Voice, iPhone and Android

If I told you that there was a service that can read (print) news and blogs automatically and convert them to speech, would you be interested or would you run away? Frankly, I would have done the latter, as the prospect of a robo-voice reading articles without any human emotional inflection does not sound too appealing. But being a software reviewer, I gave the Vocalyze service a try, and was extremely impressed.

Vocalyze lets you choose from a wide range of text articles and news sources, and delivers them in voice, podcast style. It can be run as a web app on your computer and is available a a free app for iPhone and Android.

I have seen many work environments where ‘knowledge workers’ (i.e. workplaces with coders, developers, analysts, and the like) spend their workday with music or spoken audio content constantly streaming into headphones. I am addicted to podcasts myself, and tend to have something playing into headphones for approx. half my working hours. If you are like me, then Vocalyze can be very useful to you, because despite the proliferation of podcasts, audiobooks, and the like, the overwhelming majority of content out there on the internet is text-based.

How it works: from the ‘my playlist’ tab, choose among many pre-established categories, then select individual content sources (e.g. Technology then Gizmodo). You can create your own stream of content by integrating your ReadItLater account. You could also follow people on Twitter or listen to all the people that follow you on Twitter.

The verdict: the Vocalyze text-to-speech component is extremely well done. If you really want to convert articles to podcast style audio, Vocalyze works like magic, and is probably the best you could expect short of someone actually reading the articles for you.

The other two things that make Vocalyze a winner are (a) the ability to create your own channel via ReadItLater (and Twitter), and (b) it’s support for (free) apps for the iPhone and Android. The only drawback I could see in comparison to downloadable podcasts is that (unlike podcasts, which can be pre-downloaded) — you have to be connected to the internet to take advantage of the service.

Lastly, I should note that Vocalyze works best with ‘chatty’, news type article, and less so with how-to or list type articles that might rely heavily on screenshots, and that when converted to speech, tend to have lots of stops and starts. Overall, Vocalyze is a winner

Go to here to sign up.