•A Dangerous Environment
A Dangerous Environment
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
The internet is a dangerous place for your children. Don't even begin to believe that your child is safe. There are more dangers than you can possibly imagine waiting to lure children to their doom. You had better be aware of what's happening and take steps to shield them from the danger ... if you don't, your child's sanity and safety are at serious risk.
Does this sound alarmist? Actually, I cannot stress this fact enough ... you have to be...
•Autoresponder Tips
Autoresponder Tips
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
An autoresponder is useful for, well, responding to people who send you inquiries through email. They are actually more than just merely useful - they are an essential tool in any webmaster's toolbox. Used properly, they can enhance your visitors experience and virtually guarantee that they will come back time after time. Used improperly, they annoy people and push them away from ever coming back.
What distinguishes proper from improper use? People...
•Awards Program Debate
Awards Program Debate
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
Daily article:
One of the most debated subject among webmasters is the whole concept of web site awards. I'm sure you've seen the little graphics on many different sites, announcing it is the "best", "coolest" or "most wonderful" or whatever. Sometimes you'll see terms like "bronze", "gold" and "silver" to describe the award.
What's the debate about? To put it briefly, are web site awards worth the "paper they are printed on?"
"What's the...
•Bad Web Design: ActiveX
Bad Web Design: ActiveX
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
ActiveX uses an interesting method for enforcing security ... it doesn't. Well, that's not exactly true. What happens is when a web page requests an ActiveX control the browser determines if that control is already loaded onto your system. If it is the ActiveX control is executed. If not, the user is asked if it is okay to install the control. Additional information about where the control came from and it's security implications is also...
•Being Part Of Groups
Being Part Of Groups
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
There are many different ways to have fun and socialize on the internet. One of the most fulfilling things that you can do is join one of the many social groups that exist.
What is an internet social group? These are a whole bunch of people who share their experiences, thoughts and beliefs over the internet. Usually they are united by a common theme or cause (or many causes). Sometimes these themes are as simple as "friendship" or "internet...
•Check Out That Privacy Policy
Check Out That Privacy Policy
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
Before you enter your name, address or any other data in that form, STOP! Wait. Don't enter anything yet. If you do, you may be giving away personal information to strangers, and you know what your mom said about talking to strangers.
Okay, back up a minute. You want to buy a new necklace for your wife at that great dot com you recently found. They require you to fill out a form first - your name, address, phone number and credit card...
•Create An Ezine To Get People Back To Your Site
Create An Ezine To Get People Back To Your Site
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
I know you've worked hard on your website. I know it looks pretty good - in fact, it's fantastic. However, you are facing one huge problem - getting people to come back.
Look at it this way: if you are serious, you should be updating your web site on a regular basis. While not everyone can update their site several times a day like I do, you should at least add something relatively significant on a weekly basis. If you...
•Ezine Tips
Ezine Tips
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
If you are anything like me, you work extremely hard to get people to come to your web site. This eats up a significant portion of very single day - well over half my "web site" time is spent getting people to visit. Most of the remainder of the time is spent adding new content, since I write anywhere from one to four articles per day.
So it seems like a shame that someone could visit, like what he sees, and then leave, never to return. All that time, and so...
•Fighting Asthma - Part 1
Fighting Asthma - Part 1
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
My wife has asthma. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for anyone else to understand what that means and implies. If you have not had to care for someone with asthma, you cannot even begin to comprehend what it is like to deal with this condition. When I mention it to someone and they start telling me what they think, I have to control my feelings ... they do not and cannot understand. I restrain myself because they think they...
•Fighting Asthma - Part 2
Fighting Asthma - Part 2
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
One week my wife had severe asthma and it would not go away. In fact, we had visited our doctor numerous times for adrenalin shots. These helped in the short term (for a day or so) but the asthma just returned again later. Both of us wanted to resolve this condition on a more permanent basis, as it was becoming very difficult to deal with.
We talked to our doctor, a wonderful man named Dr. Frischer, and he directed us to a specialist....
•Keep Them Coming Back - Update Your Site
Keep Them Coming Back - Update Your Site
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
If you are anything like me, your website is a reflection of yourself. It contains your thoughts and communications, exposed to the entire world at all times. Look at virtually any non-commercial web site and you will get a glimpse at the person behind the monitor.
I look at web sites all day long, and I am constantly amazed by the things that people reveal about themselves without saying anything. Is the website well organized...
•Some Useful Common Site Ideas
Some Useful Common Site Ideas
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
In my web surfing adventures, I've found a few site elements which make surfing easier and more enjoyable. There are no concrete, hard- and-fast rules to follow - these are just observations of some things which I virtually always look for in a site.
So without further ado, here is my list.
I often look for a way to contact the webmaster. I may want to tell him something about his site (privately), propose a link exchange or just...
•Transforming A Site From Good To Excellent
Transforming A Site From Good To Excellent
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
One of the challenges of moving a web site up from good to excellent is transforming it from just a bunch of web pages and graphics to an interactive experience. Another term for this is community - a place where people can come to communicate with others. The very best web sites have mastered this transformation, thus attracting return visitors again and again.
The whole point of a web site is to communicate ideas and...
•Viral Marketing Tips: Greeting Cards
Viral Marketing Tips: Greeting Cards
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
When we speak about viral marketing, we are not talking about the newest disease. We are not talking about a Mad Cow Disease variant or something that you need to be vaccinated for. In fact, we are not referring to a disease at all.
What we are talking about is literally the most powerful traffic generation technique available on the internet. Viral marketing is so powerful that it makes the search engines look small and...
•What Good Is An AutoResponder?
What Good Is An AutoResponder?
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
A term that confuses just about everyone is "autoresponder". When I mention that to friends or associates, they almost always reply with a blank stare, a "what the heck is that", or "I don't like those at all". Even though the concept is very simple, autoresponders are very, very powerful if properly used.
Okay, here's the short answer: an autoresponder is an automatic response. More precisely, they are an automatic email sent to...
•Why You Want to Include an FAQ In Your Site
Why You Want to Include an FAQ In Your Site
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
Congratulations! You've got a brand new site and it's doing pretty well. You check your statistics every day and the hits and page views keep climbing, your links are all in order and everything looks very good. On top of that, your guestbook is filling with great comments and you're getting a few emails now and then with praise and perhaps a question or two.
Now is a good time to sit back and examine the subject (or...
•Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas
Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas
by: Richard Lowe, Jr.
A friend and I were talking the other day about writing. He liked to write, but even so his biggest problem was finding things to write about. My friend was astounded at the volume of writing that I do - at least one article and something as many as six, per day. Where do I get all of the ideas from?
I, in turn, was astonished myself. Why on earth would anyone have any trouble finding things to write about? In fact, my...
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