Sharing ideas online

Online forums are virtual communities where people get to share ideas or just chat with people with similar interests. I have been active on several forums for a few years now and have made a lot friends I have never met physically.

Different forums have different rules and most require you to register as a member in order to view or post any entry. These are called threads. People can post replies to existing threads or start new threads.

One of my friends told me that online forums are a waste of time. I totally disagree with that. You can receive a lot of help from them. They are also really good networking tools.

Joining a forum depends on your particular area of interest. For example if you are a antique car enthusiast and looking for information on a particular make or even looking for parts, there might be some people on the forum which might point you in the right direction. People who are really into poker can discuss strategies, tournaments, etc. with like minded people in the Poker Forum on the site.
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Doing our bit for the environment

A few days back, I wrote the post "Humans cause Global warming" and was discussing the issue with my wife. According to her, "there's nothing much we can do about it". Or is there...

I have come up with a small list of things we can do:
1. Install energy saving bulbs. Implemented. All lights in our house has been replaced.
2. Stop using the dryer in the washing machine. Implemented. We now dry our clothes outside whenever we can and over the radiators most of the time.
3. Shut off lights in rooms not in use. Implemented.
4. Turning off computers when not in use. Bit harder as I hate waiting for the computer to start up (I am using a Windows PC) and all the software to load.
5. Turn off the TV and other electrical appliances when not in use. I mean shutting off the switch and not just using the remote. There is still some electrical leak if you see the red light on the appliance. Implemented.
6. Take public transport. Bit hard after getting used to driving everywhere.
7. Walk to your nearby newsstand or grocer instead of driving there. Implemented. Doing that now.
8. Take a shower instead of a bath. Implemented.
9. Support green companies. I like Tesco for their initiatives such as giving green points for reusing bags.
10. Recycle. Trying to implement it. Have already got a composting bin but haven't started making my own compost yet.

We are not only doing our bit to save the environment but reducing our bills in the process.

Can you think of some more ways.

Tags: Earth Environment Recycle

SEO experts

Many companies today are realising that having a company website is not enough. It's no use having a terrific website when your potential customers don't even know it exist. It is for this reason that Search engine optimization (SEO) has become such an important buzz word today. However, searching for the right SEO provider to grow your business can be a nightmare.

An example of a good SEO services company would be SEOP. The acronym stands for Search Engine Optimization Performance. The company has a staff of 33 full time computer scientists and 3 cryptologists. It was founded by former, top search engine experts from Google and Yahoo, which teamed with top online marketing minds from Proctor & Gamble, Gillette and Coca Cola.

The fact that it has around 400 current clients inclucding Fortune 1000 companies points to the fact that it is a proven SEO expert company. The company claims that they have "over 97.5% client retention rate", which is quite amazing.

Do you know of other good SEO service companies?

9 11 Conspiracy theories

I have never believed in all the 9/11 conspiracy theories. You can read a good review of the various theories in Wikipedia.

Recently got to watch a provocative documentary called "911 In Plane Site" on the Static brain blog. I must admit that after watching the movie, I had some doubts about official accounts of the tragedy in New York for the first time.

Anyway, Popular Mechanics published by Hearst Communications, refutes these theories on their site.

So do you think the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy?

Free games site

A great news for guys who love to play online multiplayer games on the internet. Announcing the launch of the beta version of
Cafe.com, an online multiplayer casual gaming platform.

What's unique and cool about the site is that he games are designed for teens, as well as adults and boomers, unlike most multiplayer games website which focus on teenagers and kids. Best of all, the games are FREE. I simply love Free stuff. As I always say, "why pay when you can get them for free".

Besides the games, the site also features a gold coin economy and a personalized 3D avatar application.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Vulnerable wireless networks

There was an interesting program on TV yesterday. I was really shocked to learn that a person armed with a wireless enabled laptop with some software, which can be easily downloaded from the Internet, can break into a wireless network in minutes. The network they hacked into was a so called "secured" one with a password, like ours.

You might be surprised at the number of people who leave their home wireless networks open, without any passwords. In my own neighborhood, I can see at least 2 unsecured home networks, which means that anyone with a wireless card can access the net using the open network. This unauthorised access is called leeching.

If you are a generous chap with plenty of bandwidth to spare and leaving the network intentionally open to allow other unfortunate people to access the Internet, I salute you. However, if it's unintentional, it can be dangerous. It's not only the fact that people are taking up your bandwidth, some malicious people can actually see what websites you visit, your travel plans, what you buy and even your credit card details.

The leach might not be your neighbour's tech savvy teenage son but a guy with evil intentions in a van parked outside your house.

So is your wireless network secure?

Tags: Leeching Security Wifi

More than one credit card

How many credit cards do you really need?

I have just one credit card. It's not a platinum card or even a gold card, it's a basic card, which I signed up for during a promotion.

It's really surprising when I learn that people have 4 or 5 or even more credit cards. I mean, why do you need to sign up so many for? if you spend more, then maybe you should upgrade to one with a higher credit limit.

While I was writing this my wife came over , read what I had written and said "I have 3 cards". So I posed the question to her.

Well she listed out the reasons:
- Lower credit limit of the first lead her to take a second one. She just couldn't let the first one go because of the loyalty points she had already accumulated.
- 0% balance transfers also help to reduce the interest on the cards.
- The third card was taken up during a promotion in order to grab some prizes, plus it didn't have annual fees, meaning free for life.

Some credit cards companies even offer cash back for credit card loyalty.
Just remember to compare credit card offers.

Take care not to fall in the credit card debt trap. Use them wisely.

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