Various Social n/w And Various Mind Sets...

What ever it may be, Finally audience are defining various roots for various social network portals.

Web site for what?

Seems to be very confusing to find a simple and professional web site. What  I did?

Easy to say words, but very hard to put efforts. Every one known.

 1. I took peace of paper and writing on it, What ever my mid says.
Like: AIM of web site, Profile of web site (business,personal...), Images (kind of [funny, kids, documentary,... ]), Logo, how many colors, how many pages ....etc

2. Content (based on web site profile)
3. I draw on paper as my wish.
4. And i shared with my friends.
5. I received many suggestion, based on that i re designed my web site.

Create your own CDN

Assuming, User known about Google appengine, and for awareness up to 1Gb this service is free (every 24 hr it will reset). If you need more bandwidth feel free to enable billing based on you usage.

No need get Surprise, Now a days! find next street awesome girl pic @ google.com. i.,e because of google front gate.

So, one day i thought! how may i use google front gate? and search for google api's which is very easy to reach google front  gate.
Finally i come to know one easy solution using google appengine, we can easy reach google front gate.
Yup, Yup....!
Then i started reading and completed with in couple of hours.

** CDN work for static data.
Are you ready with your CDN requirements?

For awareness before start CDN code, you have to know some more tech stuff, like how it works?
1. Source data
2. Cache
3. DataStore
4. Cache invalidator
5. URL fetch

Easy way to read cookie and with out loop..

Assuming, reader know about what is cookie.
As of you know, document.cookie is java script key word and most of the times i use to write on OOP's.
let us code:

1. var obj={};
2. obj.c=document.cookie;
3. //Define read cookie name:
   obj.cName = '__utmz';
   
4. //split obj.c, this way:
   obj.c1 =obj.c.split(obj.cName+'=');
   // here am adding "=" to cookie name, because browser stores cookie and values as in format of string
   Ex: "TL=te:0; __utma=150635877.1168279805.1319048317.1319048317.1319822141.2; __utmb=150635877.3.10.1319822141; __utmc=150635877; __utmz=150635877.1319048317.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)"
   
5. simple check an condition if obj.c1 > 1 then expected cookie exist other wise, dose not exist.
6. if Exists:
   obj.data = obj.c1[1].split(';')[0]
   
7. Finally obj.data is your cookie data.

In single line of code for reading cookie value is
function readcookie(cookiename){
var val = '';
try{
//if cookie present on the doc
              val = document.cookie.split(cookiename)[1].split('; ')[0].split('=')[1]
 }catch(e){
//cookie dose not present on the doc.
val = '';
}
return val;
}

var cookieVal = readcookie('cookiename');

Thank you.

How To Get Your First 1,000 Users

The good news is that it’s easier than you think to get 1,000 people to try your site.

The bad news is that it’s really hard to get those people to turn into users, users that create an account, users that come back repeatedly and users that tell their friends about your site.

This post is about how to get 1,000 people to try your site so you can find out what isn’t working, iterate and keep trying to build a site that people, other than your mom, actually come back to. I’ll write a future post on how to retain those users.
Get Yourself a Domain Name and a Splash Page

You should set up your splash page today. Not tomorrow, today. In terms of the domain name, it’s okay if you don’t love your domain name; you can change it later though it’s always easier to pick a good one from the start.

Once you get your domain name, you should use a service like unbounce to create a simple splash page. You don’t need a programming background to create this page.

The goal of the splash page is to collect email addresses from visitors. How do you do that? The splash page tells a user very clearly what problem your site will solve for them. If the user submit their email address, you’ll give them early access to the site when it’s ready. For Yipit, the splash page said: “Get All the Best Daily Deals in Your City”. For Tumblr, it’s “The Easiest Way To Blog”.

Those email addresses become your early test users. When your prototype is ready to be tested, you’ll email a portion of these users and get them to test-drive your prototype. You’ll iterate and invite more users from your list till the product works.

Now, how do you get people to visit your splash page?
How To Drive People to Your Splash Page

There is no shortage of ways to get people to your splash page. The following are things we at Yipit did and things we’ve seen our friends do:

* Add Link to Your Email Signature. Seems obvious, but most people don’t do this. You should have your value proposition at the bottom of your email with a link to your splash page. For us, it was: “Get All the Best Daily Deals in Your City: http://yipit.com”
* Add Link to All Your Web Profiles. Add a link to your splash page on your Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and every other account you have. Now you might see why it helps to be a high profile social media user.
* Create a Demo Video. Even if your prototype isn’t ready, create a demo video of what your prototype will be doing. Dropbox did this and their video appeared at the top of Digg giving them 100,000 email addresses wanting access to their site. You can also add this video to your splash page to help increase conversion of people submitting their email addresses
* Be Full Entrepreneur. When I went to tech events, friend’s drinks, family gatherings, I would pitch everyone on Yipit. Painful, yes. But, it got me good at pitching Yipit and those people would go home and sign-up to check it out.
* TechCrunch and other tech blogs. It will be hard to get press for your site if you can’t give the blogger a prototype to use. But, if you do have a working prototype, this the easiest way to get people to your splash page. For all three of our projects, 140it.com, UnHub.com and Yipit.com, we were able to get TechCrunch to write about us just by submitting it to through their news submission form. If you can give the bloggers some beta codes for their readers, that makes it more likely they’ll write about your site. Just make sure you’re ready for it. If you have a very good demo video, they might be willing to write about you without the prototype.
* HackerNews. HackerNews is a great community of entrepreneurs who are willing to give you good advice on your startup. You need to have a working prototype and let them look at the site directly, though. Here’s some great advice on how to submit to HackerNews.
* Facebook Ads and Google Adwords. This is actually really hard and often pretty expensive. We were never able to really pull this off despite several attempts.
* Start a company blog. The blog should be focused on providing helpful advice on the problem you are helping consumers solve. Kissmetrics, a startup focused on helping websites with analytics, runs an excellent blog on helping startups think through user acquisition. This strategy involves a lot of work so only do it if you have a really good idea for the content you want to create and think that users will appreciate it.

Some final tips and notes:

* Your list will get stale. The longer you wait to invite people to your prototype, the smaller the percentage that will respond to your invite email. You can try to keep the list active by sending them occasional updates on the product.
* I recommend you give the users a survey after they submit their email address where you collect information from them regarding what they are hoping your site will accomplish for them. I have heard good things about surveymonkey
* Encourage users to tweet, share on facebook, or email your site to their friends. One way people have done this successfully is to promise the user earlier access to the prototype if they invite 3 friends.

Now that you know how to get people to your site, I’ll write a future post on what you need to do to make sure those 1,000 people actually stay on your site.

Copied from: http://viniciusvacanti.com/2011/02/08/how-to-get-your-first-1000-users/

Learn How Social Networking Changed the Internet | Social Networking Services

Social networking has revolutionized the web as we know it. With the emergence of sites like MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook, the internet has changed for good. Of course, these names may not last forever, but social networking itself, as a whole, is hardly a fad that will disappear over time.

An early example of social networking includes forums. Forums, like any type of social networking platform, allow people who share a common interest to communicate. The type of information obtained through forums often rivals the type of results a search engine can produce, because actual groups of people are communicating, creating a knowledge base built around a specific topic.

Instant messaging services and chat rooms, such as the ones AOL was famous for, are forms of social networking platforms that have changed the internet for good. Online dating became popular as a result of these services, and people are now more apt to make friends and meet their partners online than they were in past decades. To this day, people prefer using these types of services to keep in touch with people overseas, as the cost to communicate this way is often far cheaper than a phone call.

More contemporary social networking platforms such as MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook have greatly influenced the web in many ways. Facebook allows people to stay connected and make new social connections. Students can stay in touch with fellow classmates, or find Alumni that have jobs in fields that they want to work in, or stay in touch with teachers who can write reference letters. Celebrities have used Twitter to rally up the support from their fellow “followers” to help support their charity. Many people that have been estranged from their loved ones have been found using MySpace.

Most social Media networking platforms have changed the way Digital Online Marketing Companies do marketing through the web. Forums were often used for link building and lead generation, and to an extent still are. However, most lead generation today is done through sites like Facebook. After all, someone is keeping track of the books, movies, television shows, and products that Facebook’s users are rating and talking about on the site.

Social Media networking platforms like Facebook also offer a medium for digital archiving. If sites like Facebook last long enough, historians may have access to detailed information of the lives of millions of people around the world in the future.

Article Source: http://www.virtualsocialmedia.com/learn-how-social-networking-changed-the-internet-social-networking-services/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+virtualsocialmedia+%28Virtual+Social+Media%29&utm_content=Gmail

Humor and Fun in the Workplace

"The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place." -- Mark Twain

Sit with children as they play and you will hear a joyful sound: the sound of laughter. Children can be counted on to make fun even out of unpleasant work. What do they know that we have forgotten? They know how to laugh. They know how to add a dimension of playfulness to boring chores. Make a mental survey of people that you find uplifting and fun to be around. What is the common denominator? They know how to laugh and how to have fun. Can laughing and having fun on the job make a difference in the way we do our jobs? Absolutely!

A survey by Hodge-Cronin & Associates found that of 737 CEOs surveyed, 98 percent preferred job candidates with a sense of humor to those without. Another survey indicated that 84 percent of the executives thought that employees with a sense of humor do a better job than people with little or no sense of humor.

Dr. David Abramis at Cal State Long Beach has studied fun at work for years. He's discovered that people who have fun on the job are more creative, more productive, better decision-makers, and get along better with co-workers. They also have fewer absentee, late, and sick days than people who aren't having fun.

The benefits to a pleasant and happy workplace are that happy employees are more loyal and productive employees. The absenteeism and tardiness rate may decrease as people look forward to going to work. The turnover rate may decrease, as employees feel content and loyal to an organization. And the cost associated with illness may decrease as people experience the positive physiological and psychological effects of laughter.

Can the benefits to having fun be measured? Yes, by comparing the absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover rates pre-program implementation. In addition, an employee satisfaction survey can reveal how employees feel about their jobs, the company, and company culture. Will your customer complaints decrease as they encounter happier employees?

Company activities can teach employees how working together as a team can be fun and productive. Some of the competitive natures can work itself out on a co-ed field. In addition, managers or supervisors can be seen also as team players, who can relax and enjoy life and others as well. Company-planned or approved activities can go far in cultivating a positive corporate culture.

The use of fun and humor in the workplace must be appropriate in nature, when and how it is used. The humor should not be offensive to the ordinary or reasonable person. It is meant to encourage people to see the absurdity in our thought processes, perceptions, behaviors. It is also a useful tool that can be used to help us lighten up and not take things so seriously. It can also effectively reduce the level and intensity of conflict among employees, if properly used.

So, how do you implement and maintain (with an emphasis on maintenance) a humor and fun program? Is it going to be costly in terms of resources, including money, time, and productivity? It does not have to be a costly undertaking. However, even if there is some expenditure associated with "fun-at-work" activities, the benefits may be multi-fold in terms of the reduction of cost associated with absenteeism, turnover, and decreased productivity.

Fun at work can even lead to alleviation of the inevitable boredom that arises out of dull, routine, and non-challenging tasks. Even schools recognized the importance of giving children recess breaks so that they might have the opportunity to have fun.

The inability to laugh may be a sign of impending burnout (see May 2000 column). When it is no longer possible to find humor in anything, it may be that the employee is in the throes of burnout.

The desire to feel good, to change a mood, or even to loosen up a bit, is the reason that many people turn to alcohol or even legal or illegal drugs. However, there is no way that any man-made substance can be as powerful as the endorphins that the body produces for free, without any side-effects.

Norman Cousins, brought to our attention how laughter can be healing or reducing symptoms. You may recall that he had a serious and painful illness. He discovered that 10 minutes of laughter could lead to one hour that was pain-free.

Laughter releases endorphins that are more powerful than morphine. These endorphins can lead to a sense of well-being and optimism. In addition, humor and laughter can even bridge the gap between total strangers. The use of humor can even reduce tension in a tense situation (as workplaces can sometimes be).

Who said that fun and work were mutually exclusive? Have we unknowingly incorporated the quote used in exercise "no pain, no gain" to the workplace? Is work meant to be stifling and boring? Let's hope not, because boredom can give rise to burnout.

Boredom arises from rote and repetitive tasks. It can also rise out of the failure to have opportunities to be creative. Lawyers deal with it — drafting and reviewing contracts. The front desk receptionist who answers the phone all day — the computer programmer who is discouraged from using his or her creativity in programming. Having some boredom-breaking activities can lead to greater creativity and a tolerance for carrying out tedious repetitive tasks.

Can businesses successfully implement an employee-friendly and fun environment? Isn't it dangerous? There are two examples that come to mind that demonstrate just how successful these efforts can be. SouthWest Airlines has departed from the typical approach to passenger service and has been rewarded for it. The flight attendants were named number one among the flight attendants of all the airlines.

The SWA flight attendant uniform is casual and not at all like other airlines. In addition, they are encouraged to use humor in their customer service — which the passengers seem to appreciate (this one in particular.) Does the playfulness of the attendants impact their credibility with the passengers? Apparently not, as evidenced by the laughter and positive comments that follows some humorous remarks by the attendants. And this from a no-frills airline.

Other companies have also recognized that happy employees are productive employees. Autodesk, a California-based software company, has implemented an unusual bring-your-animal-to-work program. The company recognized that employees would happily work the long hours that are sometimes required if they can have their animal companions with them. Of course, there are conditions and expectations that accompany the program.

SWA and Autodesk are but two of the many large companies that recognized the importance of creating a fun environment. That is not to say that other companies will implement a bring-your-animal-to-work program. However, there are many other ways to create an environment that is pleasing to employees.

Bring out that ability to laugh, dust it off, and go for the gold… the golden sounds of someone enjoying himself or herself. You may ask "What if I make a fool of myself?" That may happen, but you will be in great company. There is something magical about someone who is so confident that he or she will take the risk of being misunderstood or criticized by some negative Neal or Nellie. There is also something magical about a company that has the ability to see that happy and laughing employees are good, productive, and loyal employees. This magic can be transformed into a productive and financially profitable workplace environment.

If you would like some information on how you can make your environment fun but productive, just call Mary at (615) 371-2900 or e-mail her at E-mail Mary.


Please Note: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not the intent of Mary Rau-Foster to render legal advice. If legal advice is required, you should seek the services of a competent lawyer.


Did you know that ...

1. The average pre-schooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day? Or that the number drops to only 15 times a day by the time people reach age 35?

2. People smile only 35 percent as much as they think they do?

3. Laughter releases endorphins, a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine, into the body with the same exhilarating effect as doing strenuous exercise?

4. Every time you have a good hearty laugh,you burn up 3 1/2 calories?

5. Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby replenishing and invigorating cells? It also increases the pain threshold, boosts immunity, and relieves stress.

Six Reasons that fun can improve work quality and mental health:
1. Fun breaks up boredom and fatigue

2. Fun fulfills human social needs

3. Fun increases creativity and willingness to help

4. Fun fulfills the need for mastery and control

5. Fun improves communication

6. Fun breaks up conflict and tension

Copied from: http://www.workplaceissues.com/arhumor.htm