|
Bigresources.com : Ezines : VolIII : Issue #7
deep, rich content, something that has always stuck out has been our branded appearance, with high-tech designs, and memorable mascots. Over the years, we have had many inquiries into both our designs, and our mascots, on how people can acquire similar products for their own use. BoxedArt.com was created to fulfill this need. Containing over 100 premium mascots, loads of fresh high-end templates, awesome interfaces, and high resolution photos, it is one of our largest initiatives to date. While BoxedArt.com is not a free site, the prices are very reasonable for the superior quality that we are selling. You can purchase these high-end templates from $5-$25, mascots for about $15, and all interfaces are just $10. Now you can bring the same branding and recognition to your site that BigResources has spent thousands on to achieve, for just pennies of the value of these top quality masterpieces. So head on over to http://www.boxedart.com and snatch up as much as you can carry! BR Ezine now sent remotely! There comes a point in every online publishment where an in-house cgi script just won't cut the mustard. The BR Ezine has now grown to nearly 100,000 readers, and the last few issues of the BR Ezine that were sent out took on average 12 days to complete sending from start to finish. Not only did this inefficient delivery method tie up our system resources, but it also prevented regular mailings of our newsletter. To counter this problem, we've decided to out-source our newsletter through the services of topica.com. A promotional piece that was recently mailed out through topica finished successfully in about five minutes; big improvement eh? So from here in we'll be giving our sendmail a rest, and out-sourcing our ezine through topica's premium services. So make sure to support our sponsors, because after all, out-sourcing isn't free ;) Jason M. DesRoches
[TOP] WHAT
DO YOU THINK?
Those of you with a very strong memory will recall that last time this column was ran (2 months ago) I brought up the topic of Microsoft Outlook 2002, which is bundled with Office XP. The exact statement, as originally presented on HTMLforums by Ian McDonald, was: "Those who are using microsoft outlook and intend to update to Outlook 2002 which is bundled with Office XP due for release later this year are in for a shock. It has been designed in the hope of helping to prevent the spreading of viruses and by default will reject more than 30 common file types. These include .exe files, batch files, Windows help files, and Java and Visual Basic scripting files. Also blocked are photo CD images, screensavers and HTML application files and many more. Not only will it block email with these file types, but also refuse to open or download attachments." I then asked you:
Well, the overwhelming response that I received to this question was certainly of no surprise. Here is what some of you had to say about Outlook's "improvements": Vince Pfeiffer, of Columbus Georgia writes: "File blocking is like shooting a horse because it lost a shoe. Integrated virus, Trojan, anti-hack scans are what should be in order. You don't buy a new car when you get a flat, or drive on a flat tire, ie. a bad outlook, in need of some intelligent programmers. But if hiding their head in the sand is their answer, I hope they think it will market well, as for me, I'll stick to my old Outlook, using a virus scanner, the way it should be done. Personally, I think Microsoft appears to have climbed into bed with AOL, along with MSN. Frankly, their products suck more each day. Lets avoid salmonella poisoning, stop eating chicken. Their focus makes about as much sense as that. DUMB!!!!" Although Vince's point is about as subtle as a 1960's protest, he makes a very valid point. Even though my inbox is flooded with that virus that I'm sure we all know by now (I send you this file in order to have your advice), I would still prefer a virus checker to a default file block myself. Next, Tom Lundy from Pottstown Pennsylvania writes: "Editor Jason,
Well Tom, there is some hope for those that must deal with the Outlook2002 product. Fortunately, the programers did realize that at some point in time, somebody receiving mail may actually need to get attachments. However, you will need to manually enable these file types through the program's settings. For you technically inclined people, you're in luck, the process should only take a minute or two. However for some of your friends and neighbors that might not be use to adjusting settings on their programs, recommend a hotmail account to them before you try sending over any attachments ;) Unfortunately this ezine is already running long, so I can't publish any more of the responses that I received on this topic (and boy were there some passionate responses), but I would like to ask you another question that I feel might provoke some good feedback. This week I'd like to bring to your attention the current letter writing campaign that Microsoft is funding. Microsoft is trying to apply pressure to the state attorney's general in their anti-trust case. About 300 letters have been sent so far, with more on the way. My question to you is: Should the government leave Microsoft alone? Are they being picked at wrongly by government officials who have been influenced by competitors of Microsoft, or is their monopoly a threat to interest of the American public? While this is not a "webmaster only" related issue, the future of Microsoft will affect webmasters even more-so than the general population. So I need you all to tell me, what do you think? To reply to "WHAT DO YOU THINK", write to: editor@bigresources.com, with the subject line "WHAT DO YOU THINK". [TOP]
TIDBITS
Faces = Hits Now here's an interesting little morsel for those of you running banners. It appears that advertisements containing faces (human or otherwise) receive a generally higher click rate than banners displaying objects or just pure text. On our own network, we've experienced click rates a full 1-2% higher on banners that contain a face over faceless banners for the same service or site. It might come as no surprise that the most popular banners contained the faces of attractive women, and cartoon figures. I guess there's just no replacement for facial recognition. If you have a tidbit that you would like to submit, write to: editor@bigresources.com, with the subject line "TIDBITS". [TOP]
BIGRESOURCES.COM
UPDATES
A1JavaScripts.com
Status
Bar Text Clock
Animated
Window
Crazy
Scroll Bar
Form
Button Color Shifter
Huge
Digital Clock Script
123Webmaster.com
Webhost
Red Flags
Use
404 Pages to Your Advantage
Advanced
404 Pages (Part II)
New
Links Added
BoxedArt.com
TEMPLATE: HighTech29
TEMPLATE: General10
MASCOT: Hook-Up
MASCOT: Huh?
MASCOT: Sleuth
FresherImage.com
Peeling
Text Tutorial for PSP 7
[TOP]
LAST HEARD
IN THE COMMUNITY
This week's insightful threads were hand picked by A1JavaScripts webmaster Ian McDonald (my personal hero). Leftmargin
Form
Boxes...Text size
Resolution
question
Where
can I find info on "getElementById()"?
Get
a FREE review of your website!
[TOP]
WEEKLY
FEATURE
5 Ways to Create a Unique Website
Internet users have no doubt seen several websites of identical design. This is often because webmasters do not have the ability or time to design and create unique websites. These five points will help you come up with a one-of-a-kind design for your website. 1. Navigation System Deciding on a navigation system should be one of the first things to consider when designing your website. Visitors usually look for a way to get to the information they want before reading anything else. I would suggest putting your navigation system in two areas. Look at WebmasterBase (http://www.webmasterbase.com) for example. There is a list of categories on the left, and information about the network on the top bar. It is not recommended that you place
your navigation at the bottom of the page because:
When you are choosing colors, make sure they contrast. For example, do not use bright green and florescent pink. Some colors that are often used are white on black or black on white. A wonderful utility that is web-based and free is Color Schemer (http://www.godigitalstudios.com/www/color/), created by Aaron Epstein. Many other programs exist that can assist you in choosing colors. Try doing a search on FreewareFiles (http://www.freewarefiles.com), Tucows (http://www.tucows.com), or Download.com (http://www.download.com) for "color schemer." 3. Content Window This is the brain of the website. Make sure that the text here is easy to read and understand. Also, provide your own original content. People do not want to hear what somebody else has to say. They want to hear what <I>you</I> want to say! While it might be time consuming to write your own content, it sure is worth it. To find content for your website, try searching at EzineArticles (http://www.ezinearticles.com). Other people may have used the articles, but if you become good friends with the authors, they may send you new content as they write it. Be careful though. Do not use too much content from other authors, as mentioned above. 4. Font(s) Several types of fonts exist. The first one I will discuss is fixed width or monospace, similar to Courier or Courier New. Fixed width fonts are good for displaying code (like HTML.) Another type of font is called sans serif. It is similar to Arial (Windows) or Helvetica (Macintosh). This font can be used for long pieces of text. The final type of font is called serif because it has serifs, or curves, in each letter. Often, this font is called Times (Windows) or Georgia (Macintosh). This font, like sans serif, is often used for long blocks of text. It is preferred because its rounded edges lead the reader to the next letter, making it easier to read. 5. Advertising Ah, everybody’s favorite…advertising! This is one of thing that almost every website has. The most common type is what is known as "banner" advertising. It is called that because it is long and thin (like a paper banner.) How long you ask? The generic kind is 468 pixels wide by 60 pixels high. New sizes however are being used. Take for example the new style called "skyscraper" -- so called for a reason: it looks like a skyscraper. It is tall (about 425 pixels) but not too wide (about 100-125 pixels.) Finding a way to place advertising can be tricky. Banners used to be placed (and still are) only at the top of the page. Nevertheless, banners are starting to be placed in the middle of the page, at the bottom, or along the side. Conclusion These are only five things to consider when designing a website. There are many others however. Let me know what you find that helps you create a unique website. My email address is mailto:corbb@justforwebmasters.com. [TOP]
WHY SUBMIT?
Why should you submit original content for us to publish? Check out what Corbbmacc O'Connor from http://www.justforwebmasters.com had to say about it, after submitting an article to us for publishment: "You recently featured my article in The BIG Resources Newsletter. The article was called How to Build a Database-Driven Site Using SSI. I would like to thank you very much for doing this. I have received subscribers to my newsletter and have received a lot of hits to my web site. Thanks again!" Get in on the great exposure we offer, submit your work to us! We're looking for original articles, tutorials, and product review submissions to be featured in both our Ezine, and on http://www.123webmaster.com. If you feel that you are a talented web writer, and are knowledgeable with website promotion, webmaster tools, graphic design, webmaster tips, or web scripting (any language) then please send your article submissions to editor@bigresources.com. All approved articles will be published with full credit to their author (including a link, email address, and any other information that you would like included), and will be read by over 65,000 webmasters. Submit today, and get published! We are now also looking for graphic tip submissions for FresherImage.com, read the criteria for graphic tip submission here: http://fresherimage.com/Tips/Submit/. [TOP]
Questions about this issue? contact the editor at: editor@bigresources.com To subscribe to our weekly newsletter,
simply sign at:
To unsubscribe, click the link below:
If you liked this Ezine, please pass it on to a friend! Big Resources Ezine and all material contained within is (c) Big Resources, Inc. |
Big Resources (Somewhat Weekly) Ezine
