Article Rewriting Software (AKA: Spin-Offs)

This is the result of an Article Jockey 12% spin-off from a cut and paste of an article (original guide) written for RSBoards.
The resultant article must certainly be a joke? It is not even CLOSE to being grammatically correct and the intended message is largely incomprehensible. It reads like one of my "English is not my primary language" clients for whom I proof-read and edit their copy writing. Read "Speak English" to understand why I offer this service along with some professional English copy writing software.

To be able to use this spin-off would require proof-reading and editing from within the Article Jockey result box. All changes are highlighted there for easy reference. You get five credits at sign up, of which this spin-off cost me one, and a link on the header will take you to their sales page to buy more credits. Article Jockey is not a particularly useful tool for good copy writers. It will NOT help plagiarists avoid persecution, nor copyright infringers (pirates) avoid prosecution. To see my precious article so off spun was actually enjoyable in a sense...

Multi-Millionaire's Mining Manifesto - The Spin-Off

First you hold to selection a plan, then you have to plant your pick. Tonight method wish bring up more than your bank account, it will also train your Mining, Smithing, and Crafting skills. I did it all occasionally a F2P bill beginning with only two hours a day of internet access. Be reproducible almost of all; this WILL take some time. I presently hold over 5 million in assets, and a history of purchases in the six figure range totaling several million. It starts out reasonably slowly to level-up; however, the greater your skill level the greater the XP to the next level. The mining XP required occasionally level 83 to 84 is over 278,000! I just made it on 7/29/2008 at 1:00AM EST USA.

You can begin hit a bronze pick in the Dwarven Mine in Falador. Buy all do-it-yourself selection upgrades from the GE for a savings of up to 50% off the cost in the mine. Cop and Tin are do-it-yourself best friends in the beginning. Simply mine yet you dream your level up in your sleep. Require a fault then and head up to the bank for a load to take to the furnace for smelting. Occident of the Falador smeltery is a small bank; this is where you will be traveling to and from. Between the two is a shop, or universal store. Tonight is wherever you begin to make some small change.

Note: Tonight is an other for which you will need to bring your crafting level up to the point of gem cutting. Selection almost any craft for this low-level training; I made and fired enough bowls to serve the entire RS community soup for lunch. You wish demand a chisel, the ring mold and necklace mold. A heaping portion of gold ore too so, mine the gold whenever you see it waiting. The molds can be base at a store in the Al Kharid desert.

To get the almost out of do-it-yourself jewelery sales, sell only ONE of an item at a time. Expect for it to be intent by the system. You can do tonight better as follows: Take out (from the bank) 5 each gold ore and gems, plus your chisel and a mold (5g each in the desert). Cut the gems, put the cheat support and fill up on ore for smelting. Go smelt the gold and hold the jewelery. Pass across to the shop and sell ONE, then return to smelt the rest of the ore into bars. Give to the store and sell ONE piece of jewelery (Make sure there is no jewelery on inventory!) then head back to the bank. Replenish do-it-yourself sack with ore, go back to the shop, then the smelter, shop, bank. . . Get the idea?

You power considerably make more money selling gold ore in the Grand Exchange but, remember this: it IS an exchange. You wish be exchanging XP for coin. The program hither is flexible, whichever you need most at the moment is what you go after. I started out marketing gold bars, shift to crafting mode later. Tonight flexibleness also provides a somewhat boredom resistant training program as you are doing multiple skill-building tasks at the same time, with multiple goals from which to choose.

Along the equal line of idea is the proper use of all these (bronze in our example) bars you are making. Deal subject in GE or smith-train and sell armor sets. Tonight you do in Varrock wherever the anvil is across the street from the bank and the GE is just North West. At my stream mining/smithing levels I can operate mith but, STEEL is a much better choice once you get there. I wish not devastate mithril on a dagger when steel is easier and faster to obtain. Aim do-it-yourself way through mithril by smithing steel! Again, the bars make more money each than the equivalent in armor sets. The Sechuana wish earn less coin but, will train your smithing AND, I can't make steel sets fast enough! With 500 steel bars in the bank I make the rounds quickly but, the sets are sold by the time I get back to the GE. That's simply the way it is in RSville.

Smith do-it-yourself way by iron ASAP as you get only 50% (or less) good ore, which is very frustrating. Sword is 100%; however, you wish still smith about the same because of the coal requirement. On an abandon carry I can carry 9 iron and 18 coal so the actual return is 33% on a load. The evaluate of the sword per slot is higher so, it all evens out in the end. Do-it-yourself alternative again, sell the steel bars at market rates or go for the smithing XP and sell the sets. A set is: entire helm, platebody, legs or skirt, and kite shield. F2P get just two slots in GE so I hold multiples of skirt (sk) and legs (l).

Now Hither is wherever the big money starts. COAL. By now you hold trained Mining high-pitched enough to enter the Mining Guild in the Dwarven Mine where you will find much coal. Deal it by the hundred. Deal it by the ton. Then begin to horde it for smithing - you are going to need it. Finish I curbed coal was selling at $160ea (at GE) times 1000 equals $160,000 gold coin. At my stage I can smith MITHRIL bars arbitrarily sell for a minimum of $1,200ea times 1000 equals 1. 2 Million gold coin! (I hold sold 2k ore at $500ea for a $1,000,000 profit and have nearly 4k mithril ore in the bank).

There you hold it: Mining for Millions! I am at stage 83 mining and among the top 2% of the top two million Miners on Runescape. A membership of 32K is an still 1. 6% of 2M. Hold the Stats page. Then, establish do-it-yourself pick. . . .

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Electric Skillet Beef Stew with Cheesy Dumplings

Electric skillet meals are any easy way to reduce heat in your kitchen and save on clean-up afterward. Mine is a twelve inch square variety with a domed glass top for quick peeks without even lifting the lid. Basically, a "full" skillet feeds four; as I live alone this works out to four dinners for one. Leftovers are a snap since I keep a space for the whole skillet on the top shelf of my refrigerator. Bring the temperature back up gradually; start at warm, then simmer, add a bit of water before raising the temperature to 250.

I use a slightly over one pound package of stew beef which I cut down to manageable chunks. This will allow speedier browning (in olive oil) and a more thorough distribution of meat throughout your beef stew. Once cut to size and placed in a bowl for safe-keeping, I season the stew beef with either Greek or Italian salad dressing along with additional garlic. This can be placed in the refrigerator while you begin to prepare the vegetables. Alternately, you could hold off the vegetable preparation until the stew beef has been marinated and browned. No extra bowl for the veggies that way; simply slice and dice from the cutting board direct to the electric skillet.

The jury of one has returned with a verdict:
This recipe is an outstanding success!
I was allowing a bowl of stew and dumplings to cool a bit
as I began this post and have been eating it between sentences.

The veggie list: Small red potatoes cubed more or less. Baby carrots halved into smaller bites. Fresh mushrooms sliced somewhat thick. One large Vidalia onion halved, halved again, and chunk cut. Green, yellow, and red bell pepper diced to match the onion. I also had one half each of zucchini and yellow squash which needed to be eaten so, in the stew they went.

Add enough water to mostly cover and sprinkle with one package of Beef Stew Seasoning Mix. Stir gently as your skillet might be quite full by now. Let it cook at 250 stirring frequently to prevent scalding and sticking. When the meat and potatoes are tender you may begin to thicken the gravy with a light dusting of flour stirred in completely. It will thicken some during the final phase as well.

The cheesy dumplings are begun with an all-purpose baking mix and water to a somewhat sloppy dough thin enough to be plunked from a spoon into your stew. It will appear a bit watery at first but, this is as it should be for dumpling mix to which shredded cheese is about to be added. Any of the shredded cheese mixtures (mine was Italian) will do fine and can be added up to about one third of the total mass of the dumpling mix. The end result should slip easily from the spoon to the bowl as the stew will be QUITE hot and may splatter you.

Spoon in the dumplings, reset the lid and wait 20 to 30 minutes. The cheese will keep the dumplings from achieving the dry interior you may be used to. They will; however, firm up enough to be ladled into bowls and smothered with the nutritious and delicious Electric Skillet Beef Stew of your very own creation. Enjoy it, I did.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Speak English - People Judge Your Product by it!

Sad but, true. The English speaking part of the world determines, in large part, the value of your offer by how it "sounds" to them. Do you not also? Get serious about marketing in the English speaking part of the web. Get some help where you need it most. Do you seek an SEO specialist for advise and guidance? Do you pay for marketing packages? Web page lay-out and design? How much time do you spend hunting traffic which dismisses you as insignificant simply because you don't speak their brand of English? Why not try some professional level English grammar proof-reading and editing?

I am not a coder or programmer by any means. I rely on the expertise of others to guide me to the point I seek. Regularly will I grab a snippet or widget I did not even know I needed until I saw it in action. How many of those might I have passed by simply because the write-up gave me the impression of ineptness. Yes, the thought crosses my mind. No, I do not judge by the grammar the potential of the product. Oh, so much I would like to reach you.

We could play wonderful music together, you and I. You on the Codefone, me on the Grammarinet. Such a wonder on the Web; sweet harmony indeed. I present as my credentials this very piece of my own improvision; will you not join me in the composition of a masterpiece? Come, play with me sweet music to the world which is in desperate need of our services.

I am not perfect, though I am born and bred to perfectionism. I know now when enough is enough. I can stop when it is "good enough". It was a hard lesson to learn. Another nice feature of understanding limitations is knowing when to seek help for something for which I am in need of assistance. I need help with even simple HTML at times so I seek out and utilize it. Is English your weak link in the chain?

I must laugh at two things: The common misspelling of the word "grammar" as "grammer"; a common error of which I am most guilty. The rantings of those who laugh at this misspelling as a grammatical mistake are an insult to those in the know. It is not grammatical; it is the result of the phonetical enunciation. In other words, that is how it sounds to us. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are all very different subjects. As are sentence and paragraph structure which combine to form the basis for EVERY marketing piece you will ever encounter or (attempt) to deliver.

Do yourself a favor; get the most from your copy writing. Get WhiteSmoke English language writing tools. You will notice a difference in conversions because people will judge not your copy writing but, will try your offer based on its own perceived merit.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Why is my Google page rank zero?

UPDATE: Google has finally re-evaluated my blog and decided it was worth something greater than zero. No explanation; the fix has simply reset my page to an active state. Great Googleymoogley...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Nobody knows. Google is too big for its britches for certain. Yes, this is a Google site. No, I am not a Google supporter. I hate MicroSoft equally. As well should we all. Free(dom) is only granted to those who refuse tyranny. Corporate giants breed nothing but excess and greed.

Comcast is yet another which has outgrown its usefulness. My ISP access jumped from $19.95 to $49.95 and has yet to exceed 1MB on a download. This is high-speed broadband? We are being robbed! Comcast advertises 2-6MB speeds which are easily disputed with a properly configured Mozilla browser.

Today's GiveawayOfTheDay was a $199 piece of software for dealing with MicroSoft PowerPoint. A bloated price for an application which supports an even more bloated MS application which is not worth its own price. Get OpenOffice.org free and download all the add-ons you need to customize your very own software. Tyranny free and community supported.

Get it Google? We The People own the Web; you do not. All you have is reputation and that is degrading...

I use Blogger as a convenience for WYSIWYG editing. I do NOT appreciate being zeroed out for no reason. Those for whom I feel support is warranted are linked to my site. The rest are left in the webbing to flounder helplessly until they perish. Where will you be in the next round of Web "x".0?

Digg, Slashdot, Add This; none of them work properly on this site.
Bookmark this site with your own favorite, browser embedded, bookmarking tool.

This has been a rant - w2wScribe
AKA - RabidRabbit

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Local and Free Long Distance US/Canada $20 Year!

This morning I did something different. Due to an overwhelming urge to click on the TV instead of the mouse, I found myself at the very beginning of a paid infomercial on the Sci-Fi channel. The significance of this is that I own and use the product (MajicJack) in my own home/office! Imagine, $20 a YEAR for local and long distance phone service! No additional taxes, surcharges, or fees of any kind. Just your broadband Internet connection and an open USB port on your PC. Plug in a cordless phone or wireless headset and you get crystal clear, dead-zone free reception anywhere in your home or office.

Important: This is NOT a paid endorsement; I am a VERY satisfied customer who saves hundreds of dollars each year on monthly phone bills that no longer exist!

It is time the big telcos had some real competition; time YOU had more money in your pocket. Featured on the Savings Shopping Network which aired 24 June 2008 at 7:30 AM on the Sci-Fi channel. Ironically, The TV service provider in my area has been pushing its own "special deal" on phone service for $20 a month.

MajicJack also received the PC Magazine Editors Choice award published 17 January 2008 and has been featured on multiple TV networks and major newspapers as well. You get: free Voice Mail, Call Forwarding, Caller ID, Directory Assistance, PLUS a new portable phone number all for only $20 per year! Why are you still paying the phone company's outrageous fees? Get to the MajicJack site now while the free trial offer is still running! Do it for yourself, do it for your business, do it for family and friends, do it for a lifetime of savings; just do it now: MajicJack.

At the time of this post their website lists a free trial offer - try now, pay later with your savings! Super simple to install and use. Plug it in to an open USB port and wait for the pre-installed software to do most the work for you. Sorry, you WILL have to select the nearest physical hub (a city near you, the internet does not really care). Plug in your phone and make a call. That's it.

Call any number in the US and Canada FREE! Do you have friends or relatives outside the US and Canada? Maybe you are outside the calling area? Like any good network plan, you can call any other MajicJack number where ever it is installed - FREE! Travel a bit? No problem, take your MajicJack with you; it will work on any hi-speed Internet connected PC anywhere in the world.

Check the MajicJack website for a free trial offer - try now, pay later! Bye-bye, phone company...

You might want to review the commentary on: GigaOM which contains a LOT of issues, complaints, and resolutions. As of 7-27-2008 there is NO TECH SUPPORT available from the company. There is; however, a growing MJ community trying to help. You will have to scour the comments because there are a LOT of them; some people have reported spending a couple hours reading them all! Even I was there for an hour and had difficulty with my comments being posted. As a nearly sole source for information the sites' host may be overwhelmed.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Bullies and Badasses: Beware of Rabid Rabbit Revolt

This is a "How To/What IF" for when you are afraid even to get out to your mailbox.

We are not paranoid; they ARE out to get us. It is simply a matter of time. The police are powerless, less than worthless. By the time they arrive the damage is done; we are dead. Therefore, reporting localized terrorism is NOT an option. We must terminate terrorism on our own. The authorities and the bad guys/girls have left us no other option.

What if all the scared rabbits fled directly at their attackers? Would the tormentors not then experience the fear of a total loss of control? Might they not fear their own demise? After all, they are all cowards who refuse to face their own fears; their preference is to terrorize others in an effort to hide their own weaknesses.

Get away and think. Observe the behavior of your nemesis. What is it hiding? While you are at it, get with those you see also under fire. Form a team of watchers; learn from each other's incidents. With this core group you can plan an action to put a stop to the Terror. Permanently.

Yes, coppers, I notice already that this seems to advocate gang violence. It does not. The street gangs of many cities are also a part of the terroristic groups which must be put down. Many of them were formed as protection such as I have described; some of them have gotten dangerously out-of-hand and pose yet another threat to society at large. What then are we to do?

Have you lived your entire life in fear of these very real monsters as have I? Did you also choose isolation and loneliness to the brutal attacks of violence both physical and emotional? Has it ruined your life too? Walking away sometimes means leaving everything behind and moving elsewhere. How many times can we accomplish this feat of heroic retreat in the face of an unrelenting enemy? Why must we continue to do so? Where this time shall we go? What place offers sanctuary to those who would live in peace? Sadly, none.

Unite and fight. The only answer: "Rabid Rabbit" is born this day.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Cyber Terrorism Rampant in Online Games

Dark Orbit bytes the big one for this. Huge multi-million dollar/mineral entities prowl the space hunting for YOU. Whether or not you work for the same company! They are out to KILL you because they can. These are mostly punk ass kids who need a vicious beat-down in RL to set them straight. School-yard, lunchroom, and cyber bullies are nothing less than terrorists in need of extermination. Period.

Unless you can hack or buy your way in to this (or Saga) don't bother. They both suck rotten weenie for entry level (newb) players. I am actually having nightmares about them because I tried to move up in the game. Repeatedly. These punks will not allow it. Player Killers (PKs) are socio-paths who singly or in packs hunt you down to murder you without cause. It is not a game; they WANT to hurt people; they laugh amongst themselves in on-line chat about their slaughters. It is an attitude I see on the street too. Every day. Run rabbit, run.

Cyber-terrorism is the reason Runescape changed its game in the wild; they eliminated PlayerKilling (PK) because of rampant abuse. Packs of players would jump one unsuspecting voyager and slaughter him/her for fun and profit. The deranged dog-packs are now relegated to an arena with ample warning that you are about to enter the bad-lands. I do NOT recommend going there unless you are into S/M, murder, or mayhem.

I'm sick of them! Everywhere I go online I find punk-asses trying to rule my world. Frauds, cheats, thieves, and terrorists are running amok on the Web. They MUST be stopped at the local level. They have to be found out and eliminated with extreme prejudice. Street Justice. Let it prevail.

It is not only the gaming world either; these little bastards (and not a few bitches) are everywhere! Forums, directories, so-called expert sites - EVERYWHERE! It is mostly teenage boys without parental supervision. They think they can get away with anything. In the US it is mostly true. Beating your insubordinate children into submission is a criminal offense. So is allowing them to run wild in the streets. Hello?! Get a grip, law-makers represent corporate money makers and and the "laundry" industry, not the people. Make a difference, next punk-ass that gets in your face - pound it into the ground, then grind it in with your heel. It won't learn but, it's buddies might.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Hellifino

I have not made a recent post because I have found NOTHING worthy of noting. The forums to which I belong are full of children and other immature types - the former need "raised up proper", the latter put out of my misery. Really, grow up already; lose the diapers. Baby poop belongs not on the Web! I have become so disgusted even my own stuff reeks to me. This is bad. Maybe a cold beer and a slamming stereo will break this hellifino what... Cya

I tell it like it is. My rep on the forums took a dive because I exposed a FRAUD posing as a web designer. I could make a better website with WYSIWYG editing, default templates, and a few snippets of code from people who KNOW what they are doing. KMLWA losers. Yep, I'm pissed off and there is nowhere else for me to vent. You don't like it? Leave a comment; see if I don't blast you off the Web too. Or not, maybe I want the company. LOL

Listening to WIMZ, broadcasting out of Knoxville, TN. Recent: Copperhead Road and Bullet Bites the Bone. Thanks to all the Workforce Rockers for listening. Thanks to the guys and gals who make it real - the WIMZ crew! Pink Floyd now, run Rabbit run...

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Flush This! From Ode to Commode...

An ode to the squash; my fine striped friend,
What shall you be; when cooked to the end,
A morsel perhaps; and more I am sure,
Your beginnings were modest; most certainly pure,
Begun as a seed; and raised to be squat,
I could now allow you; to be less than you ought,
A tiger striped squash; no more than a pound,
Aft gourmet delight; shall you no more be found,
Stuffed yes your are; as bell pepper might be,
Most certainly you shall; be a wonder to me,
With onions and mushrooms; and a bit of six cheese,
No doubt you shall be; much more than a tease,
Fulfilling in two ways; by my mouth and my belly,
Adding rice and a spice; makes my legs turn to jelly,
Now I bid you farewell; as you make your traverse,
Along your fine way; in my porcelain hearse.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

The Epouch of the VOID

\ˈe-pək, ˈe-ˌpäk, US also & British usually ˈē-ˌpäk\

Etymology: Medieval Latin epocha, from Greek epochē; cessation, fixed point, from epechein to pause, hold back, from epi- + echein to hold — more at scheme. Date: 1614

1a: an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development 1b: a memorable event or date

2a: an extended period of time usually characterized by a distinctive development or by a memorable series of events 2b: a division of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age

3a: an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference 3b: a moment of commemorative advancement in blogvertability

We are etched in time this night. Long have we awaited this moment. We have prepared and accepted peer review of our selves and our offerings. We are ready to be known. The four top article submission sites have accepted our feverish attempt at meaningful placement within the published world of the Web. Slashdot, Digg, DropJack, and GoArticles have all taken in our thoughts, to be digested by the community and disgorged upon the even wider world beyond the void...
...the whETHER.
w2wScribe reporting.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

How To Protect Your On-Line Article Copyrights

Article marketing can be an effective "low cost" tool for presenting your literary and subject expertise. It can also result in varying degrees of copyright infringement and ownership issues. Rest assured, you become the legal copyright owner as soon as you create your article. As to whether you will retain that right and whether or not it will be honored, that is an entirely different situation.

Marketing inside your own publication "requires" merely a copyright notice on the site. Adherence to copyright law depends upon the integrity and understanding of other publishers. Submitting your article(s) for publication requires you to "give up" or transfer certain rights to the publisher. The legal holder of a copyright (or portion thereof) is not necessarily that of the originating author. Publishers will generally post their "requirements for inclusion" in a prominent location on their site. Readme files and fine print are often overlooked as standard blah-blah-blah. They are NOT! Those disclosure statements are legal documents intended for the preservation and protection of the rights and responsibilities of both the author and publisher.

OK, your intellectual work is an original, and as the author, you own the copyright in its entirety. Now you want a wider audience than you have available on your own. No longer then will all rights be reserved; some copyright provisions will have to be assigned to the publisher(s). First right to publication is yours by default; use up that right and it is not available for anyone else. That is correct, first right is consumable. You cannot publish your own work and then submit to a publisher demanding first right because it is no longer yours to offer. You have given it up to yourself. You have consumed the right. Be quite certain of the first right publisher's intended time frame for use of your article. Put your own time limit on this exclusive right if necessary. Unsavory characters could otherwise bury your intellectual work of genius forever. They might also delay it long enough to publish a similar copyrighted work of their own choosing, thus making you look like a plagiarist. Believe me - it happens.

Works of extremely high personal or professional value should be registered with the official copyright office in your country! You may also post copyright notice in the USA from most other countries. Furthermore, copyright protection laws, and the enforcement thereof, vary from country to country. Once you post to the internet you are vulnerable to literary pirates of all sorts around the globe. Be aware but, DO get published.

Reproduction, distribution, and re-distribution rights are what make article marketing work. This is what allows your intellectual property to be seen by a much wider audience than you might reach on your own. Your article may then provide much needed or desired content on another site. The restrictions/conditions for use must be clearly written and included as a part of the whole. It is a package deal - all or nothing. This helps to ensure proper citation for your work and places your own homepage URL within the body of the file. Protected and published (hopefully) as a whole unit. Everybody wins.

With proper citation, which includes a live link back to the source, part of your article might wind up on a blog post without your knowledge. There is an assumption of implied consent on your part to be "reported as news worthy". This could provide you with yet additional exposure. It might then bring further desirable, even controversial, traffic back to your site. The latter likely resulting in a threaded (you must have this feature installed/enabled)) commentary right on your homepage - returning visitors!

The right to resell, or not to resell a copyrighted work is a very specific legal right which is generally incorporated into the general copyright notice. For the purpose of Article Marketing the keyword is NOT; no one should be selling your work directly for a profit unless specifically authorized. There is also a giveaway provision which might be included but, this is usually for more complex works such as ebooks. Copyleft and derivative works are beyond the scope of this post; however, their definitions and intentions are readily available at Wikipedia.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Reviewers at W-T seeking sex!

The following conversation with the folks at Webmaster-Talk Forums has run its course:

"This is a farce! The respondents are replying to sexy avatar pics rather than honest requests for a review. As a professional reviewer I look for the lessor marked and go for them first to give the "little guy/gal" a shot at infamy. The two top reviews at this time both have a girls pic as the avatar, one of them is a guy who is deliberately using sex as a marketing tool on this forum. My site is honest and so is this duplicate request for review. This is a test of the viewer mentality, moderator judgment, and value of continued service at this forum. I do NOT have time to waste on disingenuous sites. V.O.I.D."

I thought I had found a good place to get noticed while providing a valuable free service to webmasters which might give me a boost as well. Maybe I could find some friends there? Maybe. I have not given up hope, though I have a different opinion since my recent discovery. Just look at the response numbers as I do, then check the low #s versus the high. Its obvious. Sex sells.

This quote is taken from a PM from a moderator at W-T: "I'm not certain I understand what you're so irate about in your rant in the blog reviews section. Would you mind explaining what the problem is ? I read your blog entry too, I'm still not sure what is wrong.

Is it just some member's avatars that you are finding fault with ?? If so, who are they ? We do have fairly strict rules here about adult-oriented stuff - we do not allow it.

Thanks."

I thought I was being quite clear. At the time of this alleged rant the two top posts both had human female avatars quite obviously oriented to attract attention not to the blog but, to the image. This avatar from sizzler_chetan was painfully obvious. This is a MALE poster presenting a sexy female image to the world which at first appears to be the poster "herself". This is blatant use of sexual connotation and is also misleading advertising. What about this is difficult to understand? Where is your morality? What about simple honesty? Why should I continue to review here with such an obvious bias toward sex? There were multiple blogs listed yet, the only two with major responses were attached to female avatars. Perhaps you do understand, and are denying accountability. Adult oriented? Get real. This is all about how YOUR VIEWERS look at the posts. It is ALL ABOUT SEX because that is what it is.

"I would hardly go so far as to call it false advertising.. the guy's not advertising.. it's just an AVATAR in a forum."

In the USA this is DEFINITELY advertising, as such it would fall under the preview of misleading. All avatars are expected to be a reflection of the poster in some way. I do appreciate your contact and continued discussion of this matter. Since I need to participate in a global format, and my views can be somewhat rigid at times, your assistance in this matter is very gratifying/enlightening. Thank you.

"What would that say about me if I used a photo of my cats ?? It would say nothing more than 'I like cats'."

And when you use a pic of a sexy girl it says two things; I like sexy girls, and I'm using this one to sell my blog. That's close to prostitution, it's technically legal but, not very honest. He withdrew the avatar? Hmm, wonder why. Not. You want to sell your blog with *****cats make em furry and four legged; there's way more than enough reference to sex on the web. We do NOT need it here at W-T.

Haha! Got censored when I meant the literal psycats! Thanks for the continuing epic.

LadynRed, there is a certain expectation from your avatar, followed by your demeanor and attitude. When what is found behind the avatar is FALSE it is a LIE. Period. Yours seems to suit your position as a Mod and a commentator in general. Does this help you find my objection?

Liars, cheats, and thieves are intolerable. Where is the proper forum for the discussion of misuse of sexual innuendo? I am not alone in the recognition of this blatant disregard for appropriate use of avatars. This is avatar abuse at the level of misrepresentation leading to an inappropriate expectation of service which will be denied at first contact. Sex sells. Abusive innuendo hurts all of us.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Webcentric Without Electricity?

The vast majority of my life is spent on-line. What happens when the power goes out?! First, a moment of panic, what was windows doing just then? Am I backed up everywhere? What did I lose? The absolute black screen of death. OMG, how long will I be without my Web connections? Is there life outside still?

Yes, I have neighbors, all of whom descend upon the commons for mutual support. Whatever they might have been doing, they are now a part of the community survival ritual. We come together as not before to celebrate our new found interest in each other. We break out candles in the dark; we get the grills going for a power-free cookout. The fire of enthusiasm is everywhere. Life takes on new meaning. All thanks to the snobs that snub us; the ones who kicked in their AC all at once in the city proper. LOL - what's for YOUR dinner?

We are considered second rate citizens, the people who come up from the bottom while supporting the rest. The ones who's money is earned through multiple lifetimes' of hard work. Those who have not quite made it to the "snub you" level, those who still remember their roots. In truth, we provide the foundation upon which the rest of society builds. Remember me, for your children will, whether or not to their advantage depends entirely upon their attitude toward "new money" making its way into their midst. Good luck to the "good 'ole boys" network in this town; I'm on the way up to my own "top view" and it will be as much a look back as sideways. I can still see from whence I have come...

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Social Bookmark Maintenance

Maintenance work on my Blinklist account is, as always, on-going. Much had fallen behind during the redevelopment of V.O.I.D and its supporting cast of characters. The tag list is much closer to my intended purpose, with fewer tag redundancies and greater cross-indexing. In theory, a tag search for photo editing software should now be found under photo, editing, and software; however it will NOT be found under the three word phrase, "photo editing software", nor shall you locate it under "photo editors". There is no hierarchy structure, as yet, to Blinklist which might support multiple sub-categories under a single "root" tag. Maybe the 2.0 release will provide a folder/file format; such an improvement would; however, cause many days of re-organization...

One feature of Blinklist which I use quite a bit is the QuickBlink button. This allows for a speedy and private post while maintaining my focus on the project at hand. Without it, I would become hopelessly mired in the sticky web strings so enticingly place before my path. Some links I will follow in pursuit of the research; other links will be "placed on hold" for development.

The last few days I have returned to the QuickBlink tag list in an effort to categorize those findings for both Research and Development, and my social network. One hundred thirty three posts had to be upgraded from a simple bookmark to a useful and locatable instrument of productivity: a valuable tool. Information not properly labeled, nor logically placed, is merely raw data of very little use to the end-user. Except in this case, my re-discovery of these "lost" bookmarks was very rewarding in and of itself! Some were savored, de rest deleted.

Finally, the most important step in this process must be completed; backing up all this work is essential. Blinklist provides multiple export options which allow for a variety of solutions. The simplest method is a "backup to browser" function. It has an intermediate step which saves a standard bookmark file to the hard drive. The file is good there for rebuilding, right? Sure. What happens to my social network contacts when the primary bookmark manager is off-line? They can't pull a link off my browser but, I want them to find my posts. Therefore, IMPORT. Many people do this already, as indicated by the preponderance of "imported" tags found on social bookmark sites.

The recommended import tag is not necessary for my purposes since Blinklist and Del.icio.us are one unit; bound together by my browsers and my backups. One of them does have a serious spam problem in its public search list which will be addressed in the next release. The other was only recently integrated into my network so I have yet to fully assess this area. These two represent a small fraction of the social search opportunities available to the astute researcher.

Certainly you can think of a few more?

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Social Network Development

Social Marketing has been around for a very long time; the Web 2.0 phenomenon is not exactly breaking news either but, what does this mean to you - the blogger? The social give-and-take between you and your readers is there, right? You give information and insights, they take a related link to a "similar interests" or landing page. Aside from being both informative and insightful, you are also providing a form of entertainment; you creatively express your thoughts and ideas concerning the subject. Your site contains advertising of some sort and you employ a few marketing elements as well. This is your foundation. Be certain it is constructed on solid ground and is significantly well built itself.

"The art of social marketing is to be perceived not as a marketer;
rather you should become known as a Maven."
Keith Larson (4/20/2008)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

maven (also mavin or mayvin) is a trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass knowledge on to others.

The word comes from the Yiddish meyvn and Hebrew mevin (מבֿין), with the same meaning, which in turn derives from the Hebrew binah, meaning understanding. It was first recorded in English around 1952, and popularized in the 1960s by a series of commercials.

In network theory and sociology, a maven is someone who has a disproportionate influence on other members of the network. The role of mavens in propagating knowledge and preferences has been established in various domains, from politics to social trends.
(End of Wikipedia reference extract.)

Starting out as a writer who wishes to be known, then beginning to monetize your site is the most effective method of ensuring that your content remains the primary focus of your blog. Readers return to your site because what you have written previously was of interest or was useful to them. As long as you are genuine in your "endorsements" the advertising you present should be seen in a favorable light. People expect you to investigate your advertisers, to learn about the company and its products and/or services. Advertising on your site should reflect your concern for the reader. It needs to be relevant to your posts AND it needs to be something you would recommend to a close friend or family member. "What would Mom think of this?" A question which allows time to pause and reflect. Are you more giving, or taking more?

All Content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Widget for PCWorld Added to V.O.I.D Phoenix

When I need to get out of the house for a while but, have no particular destination in mind, I often wind up at our downtown public library. This is a relatively quiet place with a large magazine section full of a variety of publications. One of my favorites has always been PC World; with their link URLs listed for a great many of the magazine features it is easy to hop on the Web and get the expanded version. Today I noticed the widget. This handy, embeddable tool provides headlines and highlights right in your web page or blog. The widget installer for Blogger has two options: install to a new post; install to the sidebar. Adding a bit of centering code makes a perfect fit. The install to sidebar function got confused by the existing widget in this post; a simple cut/paste operation took care of that issue.

News, reviews, and video on the latest tech products.

All content © 2008 Keith E Larson

Disclosure and Disclaimer Policies

This policy is valid from 21 April 2008


This is a personal blog written and edited in its entirety by the author. For questions or comments about this policy, please see the current contact information on my profile page.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, or other forms of compensation. However, I will continue to post regularly about that which I find inspiring and refuse to be manipulated by potential sponsors. They will either accept my blog and I for who and what we are, or they will not be welcome here.

It is my reputation as a Blogger and a Maven that is on the line; This I will not jeopardize.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest. I am free (as in freedom) to choose that about which I blog. Refusal to publish advertising for any reason is at my own discretion.

Keith E Larson
Author and Publisher

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org


Disclaimer Policy

All information provided on this site, particularly any information relating to specific hardware, software, products, or services is presented for general informational purposes only. It should not be considered complete or exhaustive, nor does it cover all aspects and issues or their suitability for use under all circumstances.

While the author and publisher makes a reasonable effort to include accurate and up-to-date information on this site, the information you access through this site is provided "AS IS" and without warranty, express or implied. V.O.I.D Scribe makes no warranty as to the reliability, accuracy, timeliness, usefulness or completeness of any information accessed through this site. Keith E Larson assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law, Keith E Larson disclaims all express or implied warranties related to this site, included but not limited to implied warranties for merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

By using the V.O.I.D Scribe site, you agree not to rely solely on any of the information contained herein. Under no circumstances shall V.O.I.D Scribe or Keith E Larson be liable for your reliance on any such information, nor shall it/I be liable for any direct, incidental, special, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the materials in this site or the materials in any site linked to the V.O.I.D. Scribe web log.
Your use of this web log (Blog) site is at your own risk.

Distraction Therapy can be a wonderful thing...

What VOID Pheonix Means

You are very hyper. You never slow down, even when it's killing you. You're the type of person who can be a workaholic during the day... and still have the energy to party all night. Your energy is definitely a magnet for those around you. People are addicted to your vibe.

You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You are influential and persuasive. You tend to have a lot of power over people. Generally, you use your powers for good. You excel at solving other people's problems. Occasionally, you do get a little selfish and persuade people to do things that are only in your interest.

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are incredibly sexy and sensual. You have a naughty vibe that no one can ignore. You have an unquenchable desire. And you are unrestrained in your passions. You have a tendency to be unfaithful. Whether you fight it or give in to it is up to you.

What does YOUR name mean?

Vista and McAfee Woes

Talked about forever, rumors and promises mixed together, and finally SP1 came out as a regular update. I took a deep breath and held it; the anxious tension making my heart race and my palms sweat. What have I to fear? My reasoning self-assurance was of no comfort. Then I clicked the update button. Not long after I discovered the need to breath; this was going to take quite some time. I waited, watched, and dutifully did what I was told. Trust? Not really but, I do have faith in Restore Point. That was a good idea well implemented.

At first glance, everything seemed to be alright, which is suspicious in itself. This is Windows Vista: temperamental at best; a nightmare more often than not. Why must they insist upon reseting all of my desired settings to their own ludicrous defaults? Only I know what is best for me and my PC, not Microsoft! Even my Hotmail account was dysfunctional for several days, and I didn't know about it until all of the backlogged messages burst through at once. What has that to do with SP1? Who knows, maybe it's just a coincidence. Why are there no "lemon laws" for software, particularly operating systems? Ironically, I went to msconfig to lock out all future updates; now I won't be tempted to allow the tyrant "one last chance".

Realize that all of my security applications were disabled for the install, as recommended of course. So, the first discoveries occurred immediately following restart. As I attempted to re-secure my system. My replacement choice for the resource hungry McAfee Security Suite included ClamWin AV which would no longer load due to some esoteric error which I did not think to record. With no suitable alternative at the ready, I was forced to re-install McAffee. Now, which of the remaining security applications must remain disabled to avoid internal bickering? Ah yes, the Comodo firewall I had been training for weeks. And naturally, the on-access scanner added due to the lack thereof within ClamWin.

Due to a previous issue with the McAfee "Quick Clean" which required a re-install, I knew that SpyBot would be reported as incompatible and "...must be un-installed prior to..." This is simply NOT TRUE! They can be taught to play nice with each other and make a very nice team; each one senses and reports a little differently in accordance with their parameters. Sometimes they report together but, generally one or the other finds something amiss. Therefore, I left SpyBot and TeaTimer unloaded while I got McAfee back on-line. Next was Comodo Anti-Malware which would have reported and stopped the install but, works wonderfully in the background otherwise.

Somewhere along the line KeyScrambler got knocked out; MetaCrawler flawlessly pulled up the necessary page for a quick and painless re-install. What I did not know was whether there would be issues with CCleaner and Total Privacy 5 as they were added to the mix without McAfee's presence. Proper set-up with each cleaner is essential to both proper operation and clean start-ups and shut-downs. CCleaner is set to run at start-up as soon as it is loaded, then shut down; this works out fine because McAfee loads first and keeps control until it is finished. TP5 is set to load to the system tray in anticipation of an eventual shut-down; Vista recognizes and waits for TP5 to finish prior to actual shut-down. SpyBot has a delayed run option which is wonderful as this application takes even longer to load and run than CCleaner. The two of them fight over resources when started together which makes boot-up even slower than waiting three minutes for everything else to finish.

As a final tweak I have disabled every available splash screen except SpyBot. All of the others will appear in the system tray should I be wondering about progress. The final indicator of imminent start-up is the three minute SpyBot timer; this will take several minutes to update and run then, I'm good to go once again. Everything is now updated, cleaned, and standing at the ready...

"In the true Literary Man there is thus ever, acknowledged or not by the world, a sacredness: he is the light of the world; the world's Priest; guiding it, like a sacred Pillar of Fire, in its dark pilgrimage through the waste of Time." -Thomas Carlyle

Staying on Course - To DO or NOT to do?

My plans and actions are in a continual state of flux; there are SO many interesting ideas deserving of follow-up. There are innumerable refinements to be made to existing projects. These may be due to a new ideas or additions to the social development mix; they might also be old ideas deleted in theory yet, not quite securely erased in practice. The abundance of potential distractions is enormous and serves as a constant threat to my "big picture" goals. These distractions also serve as fodder for future research and development projects. I thrive and prosper on the manipulation, the management of these distractions. Staying on course, deciding what to do and what not to do is no easy task. How then, shall I accomplish these two competing and necessary aspects of both my personality and my business?

Creative expression for me breeds new insights; the "coming together" of what I am doing with those Random Brainstorms with which I am blessed. For this reason I keep a pen and notepad at my desk, and at my bed side. Not always is my computer ready to pull up the Random Brainstorm file I began in Notepad some time ago. There are times when my computer pursues its own agenda regardless of my need of the moment or my painstaking configurations.

I am occasionally bothered further by what is known as "writer's block", a malady which can render the creative spirit somewhat bewildered and basically dysfunctional. It is then that I stop trying to produce that literary masterpiece and jump into one of many necessary maintenance projects, or go scampering off down Cyberville Lane searching for whatever I might find. Sometimes a distraction is exactly what I need to refresh my internal desktop and loosen up the flow of creativity.

Today I was pondering the subject of today's post. What wants to be let out? What needs to be shared? To get away from the issue and allow intuition to guide me, I set about adjusting the tags for these blog posts. I became side-tracked repeatedly since I was in a free-flow mode and eventually was drawn to an as yet unused icon placed upon on of my development toolbars. Squidoo Lenses then became the focus of my attention.

As I surfed through a few Lenses an idea began to form. How to best utilize this phenomenal resource in the development of my social network. Reading through their guidelines and suggestions furthered my distraction and resulted in enough notes to fasten together several loose ends and produce new material for a post in my development series. The ah-ha! moment struck me as I was making a celebratory cup of coffee. You have now experienced the precise
formula I use to stay on course and I have crossed off two items from today's written To Do list!

Social Marketing vs Spamming

Social Marketing is an indirect and somewhat subtle method of reaching potential customers with your "offers of interest". Please note the quote. Spamming a social site is a deliberate attempt to blatantly advertise your product or service and is most commonly associated with affiliate opportunity-type programs. The latter is an excellent way to get yourself "Ban-Hammered" or even "IP Ban-Hammered"; either one is bad for your business health. The former involves a variety of long-term, low-key marketing concepts embedded in a genuine attempt at providing a social service to any given community. Which would you rather be known as: A social marketer (Perhaps a Maven), or a social spammer (Pain-in-the-PC)?

Proper social bookmarking can be a most valuable tool; by providing short, positive commentary on each post which helps people decide if they want to know more. Many of my own comments are derived initially from the bookmarked website; edited for both clarity and grammar it is often enough. Sometimes there is simply nothing available for a cut/paste/edit operation; other times your own review is best and will give a personalized feel to your post.

Another important consideration is effective, non-redundant tagging. I review my own tag cloud following a post looking for inappropriate use of tags. It is very easy to see in a tag cloud due to the alphabetical listing. right now I have multiple "online..." tags which were taken originally from the suggested list. These will have to be reduced to my personal "root tagging" method.

This reduction to roots assumes that I care little whether or not I am found in the public search list. Why? It's similar to the keyword SEO issues involved when considering the submission of a website. The competition is HUGE on the most common, or logical, keywords. Redundancy is rampant due to the number of different words and phrases people will use in a search. Therefore, to obtain the greatest number of unique tags in my cloud, I will combine multiple possibilities into one main tag which I hope people will understand. These tags will NOT contain a lot of keyword phrases; however, in some cases (as in "photo") there seems no easy way to list a lot of different bookmarks with similar but distinct subcategories. There are also instances wherein a two word phrase (such as "social networking") gives me just the right and proper tag. There instances in which multiple tags can be useful and not appear redundant; when this repeated word is prefixed by another descriptive word (adjective) such as: desktop publishing, publishing, and web publishing. These three tags will not appear one right after the other in your tag cloud therefore you should not be seen as "stacking keywords" for SEO purposes.

How then, do I expect to be found? Look to the main header of this blog which refers readers to my Blinklist tag cloud. Next check out the V-O-I-D Network header; each of those sites contains a text link back to my Blinklist as well as to this blog. That is networking within your own sites. It becomes social networking when you begin to become part of a community. It becomes social marketing when you have found your first customers through your expanded network.

A subtle, and highly effective method of social marketing involves your participation in forums. There is generally no need to be blatant here, especially since to be so invites a spamming report and a take-down of your post. Simply include a home page text link in your signature (sig)! When you have written an informative and grammatically correct post a certain percentage of people will want to know more about you. Be absolutely certain to READ THE RULES for posting on any boards/forums BEFORE you hyper-link back to your page! As I think up, test, and evaluate more ideas you'll find them here somewhere...

Why Do They Need My Email Address?

Squeeze Pages are everywhere. I have squeeze page generators installed on my PC. What purpose do they serve? Only one thing; the capture of your Email for marketing purposes. Yes, that is correct. They want to sell you something. Regardless of the offer; there WILL BE a marketing campaign attached to it. I'll offer no specifics in this post but, I have archived a great number of solicitous emails from multiple "Gurus" of the opportunity genre. Furthermore, I have unsubscribed to them all in an effort to clear out my inbox and sort through the barrage.

At first it seems beneficial, the information something I want to learn. Gradually they get off the point, with many of them simply spamming me with offer after offer while providing no useful information what-so-ever.

At first I was inundated and began to suffer from information overload; then I noticed the repetitive nature of the data itself. Frustration and disgust soon came into play as, one-by-one the emails devolved into spam. From now on, I will be using a special account set up at a place like Trashmail.com; there a user defined period of email forwarding will be established. Should the subscription warrant further consideration for review, I simply go to my subscribed account and change my email address to a "reader" account and they'll never even notice.

Those who continue to offer a genuine service will continue to have my blessing and are welcome to add an endorsement or email advertisement should they so desire. Certainly they shall, after all that IS the ultimate reason for the contact. They have something to sell which may be of interest to me. I too have advertising, here and elsewhere, which I hope will find a few interested parties.

There is no genuine need for me to request your contact information. You may find you would like to return to see what I have to say; discover what I have found or learned. You may bookmark this page; you may also subscribe to the RSS feed. I do recommend an aggregator which will help with potential information overload. The Flock browser has one built (they call it "baked-in") right into it. I also have "My Blog Navigator" on trials. Both services will need to be reset as they have default feeds to get you started. Blog Navigator in particular had so much defaulted that I simply cleared everything and started over from scratch. TMI hurts my head.

Total Privacy 5 - Software Review

Pleasant surprises are always welcome on my world; today's GOTD offering is right up there with discovering a new friend.

Background from the download site:

"Total Privacy provides the most advanced information removal solution for protection against today’s malicious online and offline threats. Total Privacy 5 makes use of the most advanced washing and shredding methods available today to make sure that your own private business and computer use remains exactly that - private.

Securely clean Internet tracks, system activities and program history information stored on your computer with this safe and easy-to-use Windows privacy protection tool. Also Wipes the free space to make sure that previously delete files cannot be recovered. Supports all major browsers in addition to over 450 popular third-party applications.

My initial summary for the GOTD site:

Get this program installed NOW! I am a supporter of multiple security
products and Total Privacy 5 just hit the top of today’s list of MUST
HAVE security applications. All issues are clearly explained in a
separate description box on mouse-over so you know exactly what it
intends to clear. I strongly encourage, no I insist, that you do NOT
check any box you don’t understand! Has several “exclude” functions
such as the cookies list. Take the time to set this one up properly. My
PC runs CCleaner on start-up; the only thing I’ve run is Flock >
GOTD > TP5. This is the summary from my test run; Total Items: 43;
Custom Items: 14; Total Recovered: 3MB disk space, 29 Files, 7 Registry
Entries. Be careful with index.dat and registry streams - these
erasures WILL affect certain performance and display properties. The
full report will be available shortly on my blog, “V-O-I-D: What’s
REALLY out there?”.

The Full Report:

All of the following items were listed after CCleaner and the download; some files are there because of the TP5 download, others were not listed at all by CCleaner. I use my cleaner at least once a day on start-up, mostly to clear the useless files and registry entries that accumulate throughout my workday. As an Internet Investigator of many genres, there are also instances wherein I encounter files which I do not want in my possession, nor bugging my machine. Set-up of Total Privacy will take a little time, especially when preserving certain settings such as cookies.

In the case of cookies and dat files it is best to make a written note of those for which you are uncertain prior to erasing them. When next you encounter an item from this list you will recognize it as being from either: a friendly program with a funny named cookie, or an executable you got AGAIN from an unknown source. The latter case goes beyond the scope of this post to explain.

This is what Total Privacy 5 found and erased:

Document History 1 file; Start Menu Clicks 5 files; index.dat 3 categories/files 39 items and 96KB; Favorites Order History 1 item; Downloaded Components (DO NOT check box unless you want to eliminate your plug-ins!) 8 items and 4MB; Messaging detected ALL installed IM clients and offered 3 items for clean-up on each; Custom Plug-in Cleaners, checked "show only detected programs" and found 16 (Again, read what each does as you may want to keep certain items - my quarantine list from SpyBot being one of them.); Warning: Windows Direct Input will erase all user generated data files; Windows Temp 3 files and 270KB; Sys Temp 4 files and 3MB; DO NOT CHECK Registry Streams or Registry Streams MRU as this will adversely affect the PC you have set up as you want it! It also detects MS Office .doc files accessed even when opened with OpenOffice.org

Read the description box for everything you ever wanted to know about what you are about to obliterate. Most people can safely use one of the 3-pass options, mine took less time than a single intake of breath! It also has start-up and security management tools. Altogether, I am impressed enough to give this one a 10/10 rating for PC cleaners and highly recommend you get to the GOTD site and get this one installed while it's free.

A quick trip back to GOTD revealed this post direct from the application provider:

Regarding the question about how Total Privacy affects the registry, many privacy items are stored inside the registry (MRUs, Registry streams, history information for many programs, IE AutoComplete data and much more) and so, if you select to clean any of those items, Total Privacy will obviously have to access the registry to remove selected values.

Accessing the registry to remove any of those items is completely safe and Total Privacy is smart enough to only remove items that do exist (as opposed to some other similar applications we encountered before that just try to remove anything and everything without any safely checks first).

Total Privacy was tested on Windows Vista, XP, 2003 and 2000 and so it targets the correct registry locations depending on the operating system you are running.

I hope I was able to shed some more light regarding this question. If anyone have any questions or comments (good or bad) that wish to discuss with us feel free to contact us directly at http://www.pointstone.com/support/support.asp

Comment by Steven Martins — April 1st, 2008 at 6:25am

Another positive reinforcement from the GOTD comments section:

Mr Martin

I just downloaded the program and started reading the comments, as they sometimes influence my decision to install the program. This is the first time I have seen anyone associated with the program present and fixing problems as they occur — not to say it has never happened — it is just a first for me.

Don’t know about anyone else but this REALLY impressed me. Want you to know Mr Martin that because of your interest in helping us with bugs and gliches, even though you will show no profit from our download, that I will be buying the product directly from the site as opposed to taking it free. It is rare and refreshing in todays product market to see integrity in ones work and creation. It gives me the impression that questions and problems would be addressed by your software support system quickly and efficiently.

Thanks GAODT for the numerous free and useful products and games you have given me.

Comment by MamaBunny — April 1st, 2008 at 9:04 am

Webfly's World Reborn

The inspiration struck me before I even got out of bed this morning; many of my best ideas are born in the first few minutes of wakefulness. There is a brief period of transition from dreamland to reality; a time of natural brainstorming uninhibited by the constraints of real life. There is a notebook and pen beside my computer in case a thought's so hot I can't wait for the OS/Security wake-up process to finish. Hey, that might become the on-line version of my desktop idea file, "Random Brainstorms". What do YOU think? "Random Brainstorms or "Thought's so Hot..." for an on-going post of really incredible stuff? Comment here or post your answer in the V-O-I-D Forums.

"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous
unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience."
Henry Miller; US author (1891 - 1980)

Brokers - Middlemen or just Broker?

I am an information broker of the Web 2.0 era and as such I may well be broker than ever. Or am I? The richness with which I surround myself transcends simple material wealth, becoming that which I wish it to be only by degrees. Sometimes micro-degrees, as if waiting for summer and it is but early spring. On other occasions the words flow and I spend an entire night writing out the answers to the quests to which I have been drawn.

Last night, indeed quite well into today, was an experience I shall not soon forget. Open season for a well versed writer within the membership of RSBoards. A virtual paradise for me! A break from the game itself; no need to attempt to level-up or train. Unadulterated expressionism; no pressure to perform, just the freedom to be - me.

The game is Runescape, a massively multi-player on-line adventure without the guts and gore of many of today's offerings. I do have a guts and glory type to fool around with on occasion but, I don't make it much past the opening scenes. Match 3/4/5 is more my style.

Perhaps it is that I prefer to create rather than to destroy. To love rather than hate, though I must admit to the knowledge of hate and the power it too holds. Yin/Yang. Without one the other cannot be acknowledged within us. It is our CHOICE to which side we lean and upon whom we seek for support that we do not fall too far one way or the other.

Games and Socialization

Last night I played a bit of RuneScape to relax and maybe connect with friends old and new. Found one old friend from a previous life but, as it was late only the power players were about. We don't chat much more than to establish who is going after what, and that generally only when one or the other is intruding on a plan/cycle. To supplement the in-game chat I have registered with a few of the more interesting forums where time-zones and work/sleep schedules are immaterial. With the RS2 Toolbar installed in Flock it is a simple matter for me to declare break-time when I notice that the NEED for one.

Not being break-time; however, I steeled myself against the temptation to play. Opting rather to connect these two aspects of my social network together. This site has become my central blog and is readily postable from either Flock or Scribefire where ever I happen to be on the web. RuneScape is my primary relaxation tool; the game is simple and relatively straightforward. In other words, playable during mind-scramble and at other times when I just want to chill.

BurnAware HE Evaluation

BurnAware allows you to easily perform the most common disc burning operations: write to all CD/DVD media types, including Blu-Ray (BD-R/BD-RE); create and burn disc images; write multi-session discs; verify the integrity of files; burn your compilations directly on optical media, without having to wait for hard drive staging first and much more. Its proprietary burning algorithm provides the highest level of fault-tolerance, error-free burning and data integrity.

Unlike the basic free version, the Home Edition writes data discs with additional options (data mode, label, date, etc.), creates bootable discs, creates ISO images from discs, supports ISO/UDF/Bridge file systems and CD-TEXT for Audio CD’s.

(The following are copied from my posts at http://www.giveawayoftheday.com)


#31) It’s 8:49AM in eastern USA and I am happy to report a flawless download and install on Vista HB. Running with a mere 512M memory. Microsoft's DEP plagues me no more; I disabled it many months ago. Keep in mind that I maintain a constant watch on Restore Point generation but, have not yet had to use it. As for the program offered: many thanks to GOTD and GloryLogic! The GUI is clean and quite friendly; a direct link to the company website is available from the launch window. The $33 one year free UPGRADE license is self-explanatory; company rep please verify continued functionality. Even without free up grades to the the latest bells and whistles, this will still be a fine GOTD delivery!

My morning flex-time routine has now been determined for today: I go now to challenge this fine looking software to an as yet uncompletable task. A full report will be seen first at GOTD.

#62) #31 Continued at 1:24PM: Using BurnAware HE, I erased a CD-RW for this test. The sample was a 700MB ISO packaged as a Rxxxx file and as such posed an issue on my machine which doesn’t like MS/HP bundled software. The simulated burn option provided configuration and compatibility verification prior to the actual burn which can be vital if you’re low on disks and might otherwise create a coaster. Burn began at 9x and progressed to 10x by the four minute mark. Total elapsed time; BurnAware 8:29 vs Rxxxx 20:20. Way to go. I’m impressed and you should be too.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Frustrated Efforts Lead to Sneezure

Browsing with Flock I attempted to add my Blinklist tag cloud to Blogger. The preview works as expected, with the cloud displayed just to my liking. Tap the View Blog button or go direct to the URL and all I see is a box with the Header and Footer - NO CLOUD! Trying to locate solutions from either Blinklist or Blogger resulted in nothing but an even more aggravating (and temporarily debilitating) fit of sneezes; what I have termed a "Sneezure". My right sinus still itches/tickles thereby promising yet another episode should I return to the bigger issue: The question I have is not listed and I have no idea where to post it. Furthermore, once posted, and without without an email notification pointing back to the thread, I have no idea where to return for a potential answer.

To further add to this complexity, I have considered adding a forum directly to this blog. I also have both a chat client and IM which I may include at a later time. First; however, I shall have to do some social surfing through a "friends" network to attempt the generation of at least a couple of more-or-less regular contacts. Not one of my contacts in the "real world" has any interest what-so-ever in the true Global Society. Pity. I once saw a "sticker" on a social site which read, "I love my computer. All my friends live there." Want to be one? Check my contacts panel.

Configuration (Security) Complications

It figures, my own browser security prevented me from seeing that which most of the freeWeb could view quite readily. A cookie cutter problem really, blogspot was not specifically "allowed" and the normal A/V indicators offered no assistance; therefore, due to the need to protect myself from the cyber-terrorists of the world I suffered a sneezurious breakdown. (See http://www.addictionary.org/ for my definition of "sneezure", and this one from another contributer: "stoptional" (adjective) the condition where a stop sign is posted at an intersection but drivers seem to think that coming to a complete stop is their choice; not required or mandatory.)

All is well that ends with cool fresh water IN the well...
(Grandma had a mineral rich Artesian well out at her place.)

The State of the Union

This is NOT a political blog by any means, though perhaps some astute Poli-Sci major will risk tagging me at some point. I am not a WASP; my spiritual beliefs having long ago transcended mere religion. I can not claim to be a political independent for I am most assuredly affected and dependent upon the ruling party of the time. Or am I? How long ago did our publicly elected officials lose control of this country? Big Brother is WAY beyond our bloated system of government.

Speaking of bloated...

The "new" Vista OS is even more over-burdened by itself than ever. At its core the system has not changed; it has been modified at the surface to present a pretty face. It has also become more intrusive and insistent. Turn off UAC and install Firefox, Flock, or SeaMonkey. Then, add NoScript and Spybot to your security arsenal. To speed up page loading install AdBlockerPlus and FlashBlock. I also use Comodo BOClean anti-malware and KeyScrambler for additional layering. Check keyword "security" in my tag cloud, or (The tag cloud is dynamic and may not contain the keyword I mention!) go to w2wMarketing and enter the keyword search term there.

OK, so social commentary includes politics of sorts; tell me what doesn't? Politics of Love. Office Politics. Social Convention. Peer Pressure. You name it.