Recommended Web Tools Archives

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-18

• Three Mistakes Webmasters Make With WordPress: http://EzineArticles.com/4417318 #
• It Takes a Village Idiot: The Jerks of Online Forums – PCWorld – absolutely funny! Must read if you run… http://tumblr.com/xrabdkuhs #
• 10 Things the Internet has Ruined and Five Things it Hasn't – CIO.com – Business Technology Leadership – Spot… http://tumblr.com/xrabdl487 #
• 15 Internet Annoyances and How to Fix Them – CIO.com – Business Technology Leadership – Amen! http://tumblr.com/xrabdl5ol #
• Create and Collaborate on Online Diagrams – Try it Free | Creately – Intriguing diagram collaboration tool. http://tumblr.com/xrabe94vr #
• Internet Marketing Software – Search Marketing Tools for SEO & PPC | WordStream – possible SEO keyword… http://tumblr.com/xrabe9fr2 #
• Notable | Easiest way for teams to provide feedback on websites. – a tool I am seriously considering using at… http://tumblr.com/xrabe9n5r #
• Broken link test, website analysis and more with LinkAider – cool website health check tool. Testing it now…. http://tumblr.com/xrabea3hx #
• CoboCards » Prices & Licences – Study collaboratively flashcards and vocabulary online – create your own… http://tumblr.com/xrabeaax9 #
• Axosoft : Bug Tracking Software, Scrum Project Management, Issue Tracking – The Planning Board feature looks… http://tumblr.com/xrabearlp #
• jQuery WYSIWYG site editor, no more code, just stick it! – intriguing possibilities but unsure of long term… http://tumblr.com/xrabeb3bw #
• WordPress 3.0: The 5 Most Important New Features – WordPress 3.0 is coming soon! Learn about key new… http://tumblr.com/xrabee3lz #

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-11

• Bulk Domain Availability Checker – Domain Hammer – Owner submitted this site for my review. Very simple… http://tumblr.com/xraay6joj #
• TomatoCart- New Generation Ecommerce – Submitted to RWT for review. Tomatocart is a free ecommerce solution…. http://tumblr.com/xraay6obs #
• Keyword Density SEO Experts Calculate The Perfect % (Percent) | Hobo – excellent article on keyword density…. http://tumblr.com/xraazcbi9 #
• Search engine market share – Good reminder of where to focus search engine efforts. However, do not forget… http://tumblr.com/xraazjl05 #
• Google for Webmasters – Video tutorial – Google’s own tutorial on using Google Webmaster Tools http://tumblr.com/xraazjzpy #

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-04

• RT @cnet Steve Jobs at D: Post-PC era is nigh | Beyond Binary – CNET News http://bit.ly/aUkGE7 – interesting article on Mr. Jobs! #
• HammerKit – Web Punk – web design reinvented spring 2010 – interesting concept. Supposed to launch soon…. http://tumblr.com/xraaxix00 #

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-21

• Twitter to Launch Twitter Business Center [SCREENSHOTS] – New business features coming to Twitter http://tumblr.com/xra9w40ar #
• Ensuring People Know How to Understand Your Website: http://EzineArticles.com/4288435 #
• @KISSmetrics the answer: whatever makes your website "work" – plenty of examples of timeless and trendy sites that simply do not work in reply to KISSmetrics #
• @EzineArticles amen to that! in reply to EzineArticles #
• Square -easy credit card payments – Fascinating! The future of credit card payments. No merchant account!?!… http://tumblr.com/xra9wn6pr #

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-14

• how facebook has manipulated its user base http://ht.ly/1Krnc #
• Five Reasons Why Readability is Important For Your Website: http://EzineArticles.com/4283444 #
• Google Translate Now Speaks More Than 30 Languages – for those of you who are considering adding Google… http://tumblr.com/xra9uze7v #
• just a test tweet to see why my tumblr post, while it appears in my tweets, does not appear on my tweet feed on my blog #
• Ramon Nuez: I Can't Live Without Twitter But Tumblr Is Just Better – How I got started on Tumblr, all because… http://tumblr.com/xra9v0669 #
• Facebook Statistics You Probably Didn't Already Know (INFOGRAPHIC) – Interesting facts about Facebook. http://tumblr.com/xra9v0csy #
• Mozilla discusses Firefox 4 plans | Browsers & Add-Ons | Macworld – Thoughts: The concept of a home tab WITH… http://tumblr.com/xra9v0izy #

Facebook, Strippers, Voyeurs and Privacy

I have never personally nor professionally had an account on Facebook. But to further clarify, I do participate in other kinds of social networks. There are two aspects of Facebook (or any social network) that disturb me. The first is people’s behavior and the second is privacy.

When I am asked “why?” by my colleagues and friends, I respond with a simple metaphor: “I am neither a stripper nor a voyeur.” To which, people either laugh or give me a look. So I explain.

Strippers are those individuals who bare their all on Facebook. They share the who, what and where of their daily lives and personal identity in detail. They are willing to share it with most people; essentially whomever is willing to read their profile.

Voyeurs are those who actually digest all the stripper has to offer. They consume the date without any real personal interaction. They like to read, watch and remain anonymous even though they are technically “a friend”.

Let me give an example to illustrate. About a year and a half ago, my wife ran into an acquaintance of hers at a local store. I will call the acquaintance, Ann. In the midst of their discussion, which included the typical “how are you’s” and “what’s new”, the conversation turned to a mutual acquaintance named Shirley. Shirley lived about a block or two away from us, around the corner. We were not close to her family but would occasionally interact. Ann went on to describe some of the difficulties Shirley was having during her pregnancy. On top of which, Shirley’s house sold a month before she was due and actually, they moved the very week she gave birth. Ann went on and on about the stress of that week, everything Ann’s husband had to do and organize (which also included caring for two other children!). Quite the story! Most of which my wife was not aware of.

My wife asked Ann when she had talked with Shirley. To which Ann replied that she had not actually talked to Shirley but had just read her Facebook page.

In this example, Shirley is the stripper and Ann is the voyeur.

Now, I am not going to blame Facebook for the behavior of strippers and voyeurs. But it is fascinating that people have let themselves fulfill these roles. My concern for the strippers and voyeurs is two-fold. First, that the sharing of intimate life details has become non-intimate. Second, I questioned whether these two individuals were really and truly “friends”.

So all along I have had a concern with how people tend to behave on social networks, which is why they have never appealed to me. But again this is not really Facebook’s fault.

However, when I think about the story above and consider how Facebook has changed their privacy policy over the years, the details Shirley intended for friends could now easily be shared to a larger community. Unless Shirley was on the top of her game, her life would have been unwittingly shared with many.

Fast Company posted a fascinating infographic the other day: Privacy on Facebook is Vanishing. The author’s commentary on the infographic: “But it does show that Facebook has transformed itself in the last five years from a service were privacy was an opt-out feature, to one where privacy is opt-in. As any behavioral economist will tell you, that single difference can massively affect the choices people make. Facebook might easily claim, “Hey! You can change things as you wish!” But in fact, they’ve created a massive shift in the privacy settings of Facebook as a whole. ”

A Fast Company post today displays how complicated privacy settings have become on Facebook.

I will stop short of telling people to get off of Facebook. Rather, I encourage them to 1) be careful and 2) to investigate alternatives that are privacy minded and allow total personal control. (Simple email comes to mind here).

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-07

• bit the bullet and am finally using google analytcs on RWT…now using GA and Woopra for stats #
• there is a new vrsion of the Twitter Tools plugin available http://ht.ly/1EZEH #
• updated my post about the Firefox Addon MeasureIt http://ht.ly/1F05M #

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-23

• Welcome to HootSuite – The Professional Twitter Client http://bit.ly/cPl6pv via http://www.diigo.com/~pfflyer #
• new scribefire firefox addon update http://www.scribefire.com/whats-new/3-5-2/ #
• new similar web firefox addon update: http://ow.ly/1BT9b #

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-16

• I've just graduated from SEO Kindergarten at http://diyseo.com #
• i just finished the initial optimization of my page descriptions. A second, more intense round, will occur as I update the content on… #
• Check out my new Google profile http://www.google.com/profiles/100395769462341614868 #

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-09

• Top Ten Frustrations For the Web Developer: http://EzineArticles.com/4039333 #
• who else is tired of seeing the Google as Topeka articles all over the place? Ugh! #
• been reviewing woopra web analytics, so far I love it, but one downer: features I want are in a higher paid subscription! #

RWT Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-02

• been cleaning up/adding WordPress plugins. Look for posts on my current plugins some time soon #
• just added the wibiya toolbar to the website… this will be an interesting test http://ow.ly/1rtUp #
• look for a review about Woopra soon…doesnt do everything, but LOVE the interface #
• also should note, look for a post about Hootsuite as well… #
• I just setup @EzineArticles to tweet my newly published articles: http://Twitter.EzineArticles.com/ #
• Updated my web development and design tools page http://ow.ly/1seAx . Will be adding more tools in the weeks to come.. #
• Can i say that I absolutely love the "schedule post" feature in WordPress!!! #
• web analytics can drive a person batty…I am going to seek to relieve some of that pain… #

Is Bookpool set to relaunch?

I was getting ready to update my page on discount computer books when I discovered something interesting. Bookpool was a resource that was on my list and which I recommended. However, Bookpool went out of business a year or so ago. I decided just to check and see what was at their URL. At Bookpool.com they have a message: “Relaunching soon!”.

Underneath that message are two Amazon ads. Did Amazon take over Bookpool? Seems other have tweeted the same thought…

Advertise on Recommended Web Tools

Ok, after much confuddling over the issue, I have decided to sell ads on this website, directly. No third parties. No middlemen.

Find out how more about rates and placement.

I look forward to helping you promote your business or website!

Warm Re-Welcome to Recommended Web Tools

I want to extend a warm welcome to readers who are new to RWT and have discovered our new redesign. The redesign is the first step in a long process of revamping the content of this site in order to better serve you, the beginner.

Please take note of some of the key resources on this site:

• The Blog: The blog is where you will find How-To’s, Software Reviews, some opinions, helpful tips, etc. The goal of the blog is to help beginners enter the conversation of the Web and the tools used to build it.
• Software Recommendations: Here you will find a list of recommended tools by category. These lists are going to be growing over the next months. Keep an eye out for new stuff!
• Domain Name Handbook: My simple, free, guide to getting your feet wet with domain names. If you want to have your own website, you need your own domain name!

Please pardon the dust as there are a few elements still in need of fixing. A new template always comes with its problems!

Updated Web Hosting Recommendations

I have updated my section on recommended web hosts.

I eliminated a few pages and changed a few of my recommendations.

Currently, I recommended only two web hosts. One based on reliability, the other based on saving pennies.

Check them out!

Updated Domain Name Tool Recommendations

I have updated my section on recommended domain name tools.

I still have a little clean up to do but everything is up to date and current.

I will be working on a series of posts concerning domain name coming soon.

New Look 2008

Here it is.

I finally updated this site with a new look and feel. There is still some glitchy stuff on a few pages which I will fix over the weeks to come.

But be on notice: I am back!

New energy, new direction, new purpose.

Web Tools Directory is back up

A reader had emailed me a few weeks ago to let me know that my Web Tools Directory had been infected with malware and was now displaying viagra ads. I have fixed the problem and those pages are displaying correctly.

Blogwear

The War Against Work

Is your domain name registrar a licensed registrar?

When choosing a domain name registrar you want to make sure they are a legitimate business and authorized to register domain names.

ICANN publishes a list of all their accredited domain name registrars. ICANN accredits these registrars to register names with the following Top Level Domains: .aero, .biz, .cat, .com, .coop, .info, .jobs, .mobi, .museum, .name, .net, .org, .pro, .travel.

If you have never heard of a domain name registrar before, it pays to visit this list to make sure they are accredited. If they are not, then do not register your name with them. Non-accredited companies are either a scam or are naively thinking they are registering domains when they cannot.

A lot of domain name registrars typically have DBA (Doing Business As) names. If you can’t find your registrar on the list under there common name, try to find out the name of their parent company. Typically it is the name of this parent company that is listed.

Who Controls Domain Names

There are several layers involved in the control and ownership of domain names.

The topmost level is ICANN – Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

From their own site:

ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet’s system of unique identifiers. These include domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .UK), as well as the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols. Computers use these identifiers to reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet’s operation, so ICANN’s global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies that ensure the Internet’s ongoing security and stability.

ICANN is essentially responsible for the DNS (Domain Name System). The Domain Name System’s job is to resolve domain names to IP addresses. For more information how the DNS works visit How the DNS Runs.

While they do not have any control over domain name registration, the ISOC (Internet Society) is the organization that oversees the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). This task force oversees Internet standards. Any work in the future to further develop the Internet and its protocols will have an affect on domain names as well. So if you want to really pay attention to efforts in this area, you should pay attention to all three organizations.

For more information on the practicalities of choosing, registering and managing domain names, download my Domain Name Handbook.

What’s the next social media?

As I think about Web 2.0 and the social organization surrounding key websites, I am wondering what will become the next social media.

We have social bookmarking, social photos, social music, social books, social video and social news. What could be next?

What about television?

Some may point to YouTube to answer this question. YouTube is amateur submitted video. I am talking about interactive Television.

With gaming consoles becoming mini-super computers, it isn’t too far-fetched to imagine keyboards hooked up to those consoles. Those consoles would not only allow users to play games but interact with their favorite TV programs. Yes, users can interact ABOUT their favorite TV programs online on the Net, but they either have to be using a computer either after the program is finished or be using a laptop while viewing their TV. I am talking about a console, a TV and a keyboard. No personal computer.

Most modern gaming consoles already are Internet capable. All TV networks need to do is hook into that capability. Blog about your favorite TV program right from your console without needing to power up the PC. Interact with other users as your favorite drama’s unfold. Or eventually, a Choose You Own Adventure TV program where you input what will happen next. Imagine Amazon Reader Comments but for Television programs.

And forget about Nielsen ratings. Interactive TV would provide instant polling data. No need to have users login to a website or fill out a flyer to be mailed.

Users could provide tons of metadata about their favorite programs on the fly. Sorta like Flickr where you can outline a portion of an image and leave a comment. Can you imagine doing this with movies? Immediately highlight flaws or oddities and have them immediately posted on that movie’s own website.

I am not crazy about television in general. I could just as well do without it. However, it seems odd to me that TV has not been on the cutting edge of this social media phenomenon. They really seem to be the last one’s to this party.

UPDATE 1-17-2007: While it doesn’t use a gaming console, Joost provides TV on the Internet with social interaction. Rate and comment on your favorite TV shows. Television is now on the social media map.

Time Magazines Person of the Year is You

I finally got the chance to read Time Magazine’s Person of the Year issue. If you are lucky, you can still find a paper copy on newsstands.

Essentially, the magazine covers social media on the web. The articles are definitely worth reading especially if you are new to the concepts of social media. For MSM coverage it is not bad, though I wished for a less Googlecentric/YouTube approach. A better history of social media can definitely be written.

Below are links to the Time articles with a short sentence describing each.

• Introduction – Overview of Web 2.0 and what makes it about YOU.
• Power to the People – Profiles of social media users.
• Your Web, Your Way – Graph depicting some of the major players in Web 2.0. Unfortunately, the graphic itself did not make it online, it is only available in the print edition.
• A Beast with a Billion Eyes – The role of video in our modern and internetfied age.
• The YouTube Gurus – Article about the founders of YouTube
• Web Boom 2.0 – How this Internet bubble is different from the bubble of the late 90′s early 2000′s/.
• My So-called Second Life – Extraneous article on virtual worlds. If anything, many will find it eye opening.
• Enough About You – Reflections on YOU by Brian Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News
• Its All About Us – The role of the amateur

If you view the material online, there are several other articles that are not included in the print magazine.

Several of the blog posts that follow include my own commentary on the issues raised within these articles.

Zeldman’s Web 2.0 Thinking Game

Ok…I’ll Play!!!

Web 1.0: Content is King
Web 2.0: Content is King