Have you ever heard of someone complaining about ‘Information Overload’? Too much information, they argue, is causing them to work less, think less, and do less. It sounds like college students suggesting that studying too much will inevitably lead to lower grades.

How can people, natural seekers of information and entertainment, now complain about overwhelming RSS feeds, exploding inboxes, and multi-tasking smart phones? Especially after they invested so much money and time in all these products and services? Well, it’s happened. And personally I think people’s fears and worries are misplaced.

With the internet as it is–it’s a challenge to focus on one story or one video clip for too long because, in the back of your mind, you know there’s something better on the horizon–something more educational and informative and funny a click away. Or, you may decide to replay to all your emails and texts and when you think you’ve accomplished something–your inbox and phone is backlogged again. You and I are the modern Sisyphus.

Some days 8 hours go by and you suddenly realize that your to-do list is still staring at you, untouched, with its usual smugness.

Is it a problem though? Will people really turn into simple headline spouting creatures that lack all nuanced knowledge? Will we only be able to digest 149 characters of information at a time before our minds start to flicker out?

No.

What people are constantly forgetting is that people’s knowledge is getting deeper–it just depends on what they are interested in. Do you have a deep fascination with stationary supplies and a closet luddite?–go to a the pen blog and you can learn more about pens than your grandfather knew about his favorite baseball team. Are you interested in what’s fashionable in Beijing–go to Stylites and see what’s hip behind the Great Wall first hand. I can go on. You could go on.

So, yes: there is information overload–but there is also room for people, dedicated to a subject, to learn everything about it (quickly). We won’t become mindless creatures only attracted to headlines–we’ll become niche scholars and experts. If you’re reading this article–chances are you are interested in technology and business and you will know more about these subjects than most people. When you see someone tweet about technology or business your mind doesn’t shut off–it wants to read more and it wants to investigate. However, if it’s a tweet about Cricket scores in New Zealand we might not look into it–but merely glance at the subject and move on.

Soon, technology will be created to filter content for us–but right now that job takes time and it’s fun–regardless of what the critics say. Exploring the internet can waste time but it can lead to great finds, new insights, and the discovery of a blog that focuses on pens.

Information overload isn’t a problem–wasting time is. However, discovery new ideas, blogs, videos, and pictures isn’t a bad way to waste time.

Samuel Bacharach is the Professor of Labor Management at Cornell University’s ILR School. He is the Director of ILR’s New York City-based Institute for Workplace Studies and the director of the New York City-based Master of Professional Studies. He writes about proactive leadership on his blog. Check out: http://bacharachblog.com

[tags]information overload, internet addiction, web multi-tasking[/tags]

Can you define Social Media? If you can’t, you are not alone. Social Media is one of those terms that people think they should know, but most are not sure what it means. That’s okay for now. Today only. Why? Because social media is already having an impact on your business; most likely a negative impact if you don’t know what it means.

Social Media Defined

Do a search for Social Media and you will find many definitions. For our purposes, Social Media simply means using the Internet to generate content, converse with others, form communities, and to communicate. If you have ever written or read a blog, posted or watched a YouTube video, listened to a podcast, taken an online course or sent a text message, you have participated in Social Media.

Where Did Social Media Come From

To understand where Social Media came from, it helps to understand a little about the growth of the Internet. The first inklings of the Internet go back to the 60’s. In the 80’s the Internet Protocol was standardized which was the beginning of the Internet as we think of it today. Early on the Internet was used by scientist to send files and communicate back and forth. Certainly early Internet pioneers did not envision the growth that was to come, Twitter, podcasting or any of what we think of today as Social Media.

The Internet Grows Up

The Internet grew from a few scientist using it to send files to 16 million users in 1995. By 2010 there will be an estimated 1.6 billion people using the internet. Maybe more interesting than the growth is that nearly 25% of the world’s population now use the Internet.

A Lot of People Use the Internet - So What?

First, 25% of the world’s population is a lot of people. The world literally is at your doorstep. Second, as people have tuned into the internet, they have tuned out traditional marketing and advertising. Today’s Internet user ignores your direct mail piece or interruptive TV commercial.

What About Your Website

You might be thinking that your website is your Internet presence and that’s enough. It’s not. Yes, your search engine optimized website is the cornerstone of your Internet presence. But it is not enough; especially if you want to be ahead in the game.

Some Social Media Numbers

Here are some Social Media statistics as of July 2009.

- 200 million active Facebook users
- 100 million Facebook users log on at least once a day
- Two-thirds of Facebook users are outside of college
- 9 million people on Twitter
- 100 million blogs
- over 100 million MySpace users

Not surprisingly these numbers came from a Google search for the number of users on Facebook, Twitter, etc. And not surprisingly they may be a little off. However, it is the magnitude and trend of the numbers that is important; not the actual numbers.

The point is there are hundreds of millions of people using Social Media and that number is growing. More and more your customers will expect you to join in on the online collaboration that is Social Media. Don’t be surprised when you start getting asked for your Facebook profile instead of your website.

What You Should Do Right Now to Get Started with Social Media

1. Create a Facebook personal account and business page
2. Create a Twitter Account
3. Create a profile on Linkedin
4. Start a blog

No Really Start Right Now

Many people find the idea of “tweeting” ridiculous. And they wonder how someone could have enough time to sit around poking people on Facebook. I’ll admit it is outside the realm of what we considered normal business practice and it takes some getting used to. If you are one of these people, I encourage you to put aside your misgivings about Social Media and give it a try. Not because I want another friend on Facebook, but because your future business depends on it. If you really can’t fathom the idea of expressing yourself in 140 words or less on Twitter, hire the first teenager you can find as your Social Media Director.

Wayne Ergle is the owner of onclickConnect which provides Web Design, Search Engine Optimization and Social Networking services to small businesses. He can be reached at 678-360-7938 or online at http://www.onclickconnect.com.

[tags]Social Media, Social Networking, Facebook, Twitter, Internet Marketing, Interactive Marketing[/tags]

In today’s competitive web marketplace, you have to do everything you can to set yourself apart from all of the others out there. You want your site to look interesting and fun, while retaining the professionalism that gives you instant credibility with the public. One of the great ways to display your wares or provide convenient services on your site is to use animated content plugins to spruce things up a bit and give it a little pizzazz. Here’s some information about the kinds of animated content features you could add to your website.

– Website Calculators

If you are a real estate agent or insurance representative, the visitors to your web site may have need of a handy calculator that can help them to figure their costs right then and there. Interactive calculator plugins is a convenient and easy to use module that can be customized however you’d like. It can be shown or hidden at the click of a button in order to save space and it can be dragged for further convenience to potential customers. With an on-site calculator, your clients will be able to calculate their savings instantly and may be more likely to buy as a result.

– 3-D Carousels

Products you want to highlight can be shown via a moving, 3-D carousel on any page of your website. Many animated plugins only offer 2-D, but 3-D is much more eye-catching and interesting without being over the top.

– Accordion Animation

Putting separate information modules into accordion form not only saves space, it also looks incredibly professional and sharp. For example, a cosmetic dentist may want to give information about his various services on his home page and be able to show them all at once. At the click of one button, a patient will see an instant drop-down menu that accordions down and then accordions up again when he is done searching his options. He can then see all of the dentist’s services at once then choose the page he wishes to visit for more information.

There are virtually limitless uses for all of the different animation plugins available on the market. Just be sure that the manufacturer you choose to work with has a reputation for excellence, that the products are user-friendly, and that they are easy to update and change if need be. Too much animation may lead to slower downloading of your site, so exercise care and good sense when using this valuable tool.

CMS Market (http://www.cmsmarket.com) is your best source for quality Joomla plugins with an extensive Joomla extensions directory that you can also add to. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

[tags]joomla extensions directory, joomla plugins[/tags]

As technology advances with ever more gizmos and gadgets, I find these high-tech conveniences also come to me with a price to pay for the benefits received. I, like many others, try to be spend savvy and am on the lookout to get the best value for my buck, which is why I’m so thrilled with Chat to Text! Let’s take a look at just a few of the cool ways it can be used, not only to keep in contact with family and friends, but also for business purposes as well. Let’s go over some of the ways you can use this cutting edge technology to enhance your professional presence…

Social Networking

Chat to Text can be incorporated into your Facebook, MySpace or Bebo page, enabling those visiting your site to chat with you - even if you aren’t online. Their chat message is sent straight to your cell phone, so wherever you are, you can respond back.

Benefit - Gives those on your site the opportunity to contact you rather than message or email you and wait for a response. The person initiating chat will never see your cell phone number when you respond back, a feature many members appreciate. If you use Social Networking sites for business or for pleasure, Chat to Text is a great ‘go-between’ prior to an initial phone call and can help turn a cold lead into a warm lead or make a new acquaintance or sale.

Blog or Web Page

Let’s face it, even though many blogs and/or web sites prominently display a contact number, many times a prospect will leave without making the phone call. This is because some people fear being sold by a professional salesperson. This chat feature, displayed on a web or blog page, gives them the ability to initiate a conversation and ask questions with the convenience of an added chat ‘buffer’ if you will. No doubt many small business owners spend a great deal of time and/or investment into their web page or blog. But how many prospects leave with their questions unanswered, and another opportunity lost for the web or blog owner? This one little button could very well turn a cold lead into a warm lead and maybe even a sale.

Email Signature Line

Creative and savvy types use their signature lines as mini business cards below their signature, which typically includes contact information; phone, and fax numbers and sometimes even web pages. But why be typical? Include the chat button on the signature line to provide yet another method of communication available to the recipient.

Classified Ads

Free online classified sites abound today, and for those who use these, whether to sell a car, couch or golf clubs, including the chat button into the ad could help sell the product faster, as it gives the prospect an opportunity to ask their questions without having to pick up the phone, potentially revealing their phone number on the recipient’s caller ID in the process. Many times people want their questions answered fast and don’t want to wait for an email answer to their questions. By the time they get a returned email, they may have already found something else. This great feature gives them an additional choice to calling or emailing and allows them to ask their questions in real time, which helps them determine immediately if the product meets their buying criteria. I have used it myself on Craigslist, and it works great!

One Little Button - Many Great Features - Unlimited Accounts

The thing I like best with this product is All of these great features can be applied to as many of the above applications as the member desires regardless of how many emails or social networking accounts they belong to. I use it on my blog, Facebook, email signature lines and Craigslist! For the low cost of only 6 bucks a month which is why I feels it represents a great value.

So whether you acquire Chat to Text for business or pleasure, the multiple uses it provides is sure to give added value to each of the individual applications you pair it with which will in turn create a better overall user experience for those who choose to interact with you and you business by using it. In an age of shrinking margins and bottom line profits, who would NOT want to provide as many ways as possible for prospects and customers to contact you?

Brian Kurtz is a Realtor in Southeast Michigan who enjoys marketing, technology, and spending time with family. Both he and his partner Jackie Kurtz, provide information and tips about using the Chat To Text service at their blog Live Chat to Text.com

[tags]Chat to Text, Chat for Facebook, Texting for Facebook, is chat to text a scam, Facebook Application[/tags]

Web 2.0 has indeed revolutionized the net economy. It’s added a scale of difference between how technology was used in the market before and now; between how the entrepreneur used to interact with the site and how she does it now;

Features of Web 2.0
* The ‘Dot Com’ gave way to Web 2.0 in 2001. Before that, the Internet was basically manipulated by the large, commercial businesses. The honchos who with big bucks could pay for the expensive domain registration and hire programmers to build their websites.

* What we call Web 2.0 today was first named in the year 2004 by Tim Reilly and Dale Dougherty. All the new cool stuff like blogs, bookmarking sites, wikis, RSS feeds, podcasts and much more have been instrumental in building Web 2.0

* Before the 2001 collapse of the ‘Dot Com’, it was called Web 1.0 but now it’s referred to as Web 2.0 only.

* There are several differences between the older Web 1.0 and the Web 2.0 of today. Sites like Britannica Online Encyclopedia has been replaced by the free user-controlled Wikipedia; DoubleClick for ad revenues has been substituted with Google AdSense; people build Blogs now instead of Web Pages; Content Management Systems gave way to the different Wikis; and Tagging replaced Directories.

* The one common link between these differences, you will notice, is that before the sites and links were driven by mysterious ‘controllers’ of the net; while now, it’s the users themselves who monitor and regulate their own pages and sites.

* This makes the Web 2.0 more user-friendly and also easier for people with average income to build sites online. It represents a huge but subtle shift in power politics.

* Because it uses its clients directly and is so heavily inter-connected to millions of link sites: Web 2.0 is designed to attract sales than the previous style of websites. Before, people were interested only up to the point of reading and article, and more often than not closing it without buying anything. Now, every article is linked to hundreds of others, so the users feel tempted to browse through them one by one and usually end up buying something that meets their personal needs.

Advantages:
* You get to have a closer tie with your client: a more direct approach.

* A variety of options for you to sell your products. You can sell them directly and allow your customers to share it with their friends; you can also offer trial usages; you can personalize your product to suit specific client needs and many other little knick-knacks that weren’t there before.

* Your client group and audience has increased manifold, leading to an increase in sales too.

* You can showcase and distribute a vast variety of products now.

* Your product gets visibility in every kind of market possible; thanks to the interconnectivity.

Web 2.0 has indeed revolutionized the net economy. It’s added a scale of difference between how technology was used in the market before and now; between how the entrepreneur used to interact with the site and how she does it now; and of course the sheer magnitude of the increase social networking thanks to all the communities and forums. Web 2.0 has allowed global exchanges of information and knowledge between people from every social background, giving them the power to create, share, discover and organize more and more knowledge in a systematic way; making it accessible to the members of the next generation and the future generations to come.

Working as an Internet marketer since 2005, Christopher Freville has tried various techniques to take advantage of Web 2.0. He now shares his research results in Web 2.0 Guide to anyone who would be willing to learn this new approach to Internet marketing

[tags]create blogs, share videos, Web 2.0, web developing, designing facility, Christopher Freville[/tags]

Surfing the web is no longer as easy as it used to be. In the olden days hackers used to send out viruses just to try and achieve the status of being ‘top hacker’ on the internet. While you are online, everything may still look the same, but under the surface things have changed.

Hackers have now been replaced by cyber criminals, professionals looking purely at ways of stealing your identity for profit. These cyber criminals are smart. They have many ways of trying to take your identity from you, tricking you using ’social engineering’ such as stealing credit card, bank account details, login names or passwords - any form of identity where they could create duplicate identities for a financial gain.

What are the latest threat trends?

The greatest online threat today is hidden exploits, a malicious code that is secretly downloaded onto your PC when you visit an infected website. This code can be used to steal your financial details, passwords and other information. According to Google, 1 in 1,000 Web pages currently have some kind of malicious code, mainly in the form of exploits delivered by these secret ‘drive-by downloads’. That translates to something like 70,000 poisoned pages ready and waiting to infect visitors on any given day.

Google also found that most antivirus programs could not detect all of these threats. At the current time, many of them detected only 70% of the drive-by downloads.

How can businesses beat the threats?

The situation is getting better as Internet Security software providers (like Norton, AVG and McAfee) adapt their programmes to fight the current threats, with new solutions, features and technology being brought in to overcome this. AVG were amongst the first to address this, with their Patent Pending LinkScanner technology. Unlike most other software, AVGs LinkScanner scans all the web pages you visit in real time, alerting you to the threat of any exploits that may be hidden there. It also does the same with results of any searches you carry out on Google, Yahoo or MSN without slowing down your surfing.

Each day you will discover new malicious programs. If you want complete protection, then your Internet security program must know about these latest programs. It cannot be emphasized enough how vital it is you perform updates. With new updates, it can keep up with all the current online threats. Make an effort to update your programs components and database on a regular basis such as every week or every few days.

John E, Media Relations Adviser Easily.co.uk - Domain name registration, register your low cost domain name today! Search domain names quickly, all major extensions and no catches.

[tags]domain names, domain name, hosting, website hosting[/tags]

Sip services are outstanding combined VoIP solutions which allow the client to capitalize their investment in the voice and data communications and make the maximum benefits from the IP-PBX. SIP means the session initiation protocol. The standard of the IP communications is really high as they provide the IP-PBX customers with the direct access to the national and private OC-192 IP networks for the voice and data communications.

With the help of these SIP services, any business can maximize its performance of the IP-PBX. These will assure you the correct interoperability and also gives better ease in installation too. SIP services provide direct connection to the IP network. It also helps in eliminating the costs related with support, purchase and the maintenance of its media gateways while enabling the reduction in recurring costs of separate data circuits and public switched telephone networks.

It also boosts the utilization of bandwidths by the elimination of the protocol conversion which is costly and can reduce the productivity of the end-user. The services has the standard features like unlimited local calling, unlimited calling from site-to-site. It also sports the portability of local number. The clients can also customizable their calling plans and can also use a devoted internet access. It is also equipped with an online feature management which is web-based.

Long distance services will provide the user with cost-effective international, state-to-state and in-state toll-free calling for companies. Other features available are domestic or international toll free numbers, effective cost-management features and conferencing services. You can actually choose the long distance solution which will be perfect for the business size, calling patterns, locations and coverage needs. Long Distance Services can provide you with the assistance you need for improving your business communications also provides better control on the costs and will simplify invoices and billing. The sip services also provide the user with many cost management options. The ones like custom account codes will help you to track the long distance calls by client or project which enables the business to monitor the spending in one department or cost centre.

There is another feature named the custom account access codes which will be normally used by the employees to access the long distance network of the company and will help the company protect from the fraudulent use in these long distance expenses. The call detail reports will be available for the entire long distance business plans which will help the administrators of the long distance call traffic analyse the activities and trends to help maximize efficiency.

http://www.xo.com has fantastic deals on SIP services and VOIP services. Read more about SIP services with XO communications. Art Gib is a Freelance Writer.

[tags]sip services, voip services[/tags]

One of the first things that people ask about when shipping a package with a courier is how they can go about tracking that package. It is not easy to just send a package with a courier and trust that it will get safely to its destination without keeping tabs on it somehow. This is why when you ship anything with a Houston courier service you may want to first investigate what tracking methods they have in place for you to see where your package is at any given time.

When a shipment is of particularly high value, or if it is of a time sensitive nature and you are worried about disrupting the business of you or your customer, then it stands to reason that you’re going to want to very carefully watch where your shipment is at all times.

In the old days, this typically meant having to call in to the courier’s customer support line and speaking to someone on the telephone in order to get tracking information, but in the information age, all of that is available with a few keystrokes online.

Now, almost every courier will have some means of tracking your shipment online. The most important thing is to ensure that you always have your tracking number, because this is how most online systems will be able to look up where your package is currently.

When you ship with a delivery service, just ask beforehand where you go on the internet to track your package. Typically, all you will have to do is enter your tracking code and you can be instantly updated with the current location of your package, including sometimes being able to see where it is in real time because of new GPS tracking systems.

Also, because more people are now utilizing the internet primarily from mobile devices while working, most of these sites are being made to be mobile device compliant, or have separate mobile device portals to make it easier than ever before to check the status of your shipment.

This means that wherever you are, as long as you have your blackberry or similar device with you, you should have no problem logging into the couriers website and seeing where your package is or if it has already been safely delivered. Some internet tracking systems can also be configured to notify you after delivery has taken place so you don’t have to worry about it.

Scott Gallagher is an International Consultant for Houston Courier Service. With exceptional knowledge of the Houston Delivery Service, Scott is also becoming an expert with Local Internet Marketing.

[tags]Houston Courier Service, Houston Delivery Service, Local Internet Marketing[/tags]

The newest Internet TV software is available pretty much anywhere, on-line and in the computer retail stores and how to get TV on your computer is a lot easier these days. As the trend of using the Internet as a TV platform is spreading, so many software companies launched many programs to allow a smoother and more pleasant experience. Internet TV watching is not anymore fab, but it is actually becoming the way of the future, as more and more content is available online. Moreover, since the connections and the overall speed have reached the level that guarantees a perfect image, the shift is simply natural.

Digital cable and satellite run the same data and use the same hardware used to carry the Internet. Therefore there is no difference anymore in between one or another. The use of newest Internet TV software helps to make this process a better one, giving an opportunity to people that really want to take a full advantage of the Internet. Some software are merely sophisticated TV guides that help to find all the available TV content and usually those channels come from all over the word and guarantee a total carrying of all the possible themes.

In the years to come, probably some newest Internet TV software will be launched to the market, making it even a better experience, providing control and flexible interaction with the TV shows. Most of these things are actually already available and it is a matter of letting people understanding how much they would benefit from using the Internet versus a limited old-fashioned TV set. There is no doubt that digital TVs are giving a boost to the final switch, and so are the major TV networks.

If you want to get TV on your computer there are three things that you must have access to a good computer. If you have a computer that is overwhelm with malware and other stuff just gathering digital duct chances are your efforts to watch TV on your pc will end in frustration. A clean PC with 1 gig ram 12o hard drive should work just fine.

You need a good internet connection. A simple dial-up connection just won’t do. Ideally you need a DSL or broadband connection. Last but certainly not least, you need a reliable Internet TV software with channels from around the world

Welcome to the fast paced world of convergence!

The easiest way to The Newest Internet Software is to download the TVChannels2PC Internet TV Software. For a small one-time investment you can watch over 3000 channels with movies, full episodes, music, live sports, news weather and more. Why pay more for Satellite and Cable? Go to www.TVChannels2PC.com

Keyword tracking tools are becoming the in thing among online marketers. They are used to automatically spot the trends of the keywords that interest your business. They can be used to detect what the online shoppers type inside the search box in Google, Yahoo, or MSN. Having that kind of knowledge will get you ahead of the competition and make customers flock to your Web site.

The burgeoning demand of products sold over the Internet has created business frenzy over the years. Now, some brick and mortar businesses and retail establishments which have relied heavily on physical warehouses and stores have now moved to the Internet. Everybody’s going online, they say businesses now have a presence in the Internet, fulfilled through company Web sites and advertisements throughout their online affiliates.

The advantages of marketing and doing business online are obvious: the entrepreneur and marketer have a global reach, and information systems can be developed to effectively handle loads of orders from customers and deliveries to shoppers. All the business establishment needs to do is to set up its own processing center and warehousing facility to deliver those goods.

Obviously, marketing and advertisements are going strong with the influx of online trade and commerce. An Internet article once said that the positive market effect for online ads is yet to experience a downturn. Advertisements in the Internet constitute a major source of traffic for retail businesses online and their number one means of generating sales.

One of the hottest trends in the online marketing business is the manipulation of search key words, and search engine optimization, or SEO. In the world of cyberspace dominated by search engines, keywords are the key thing. With that said, the online marketer has to target the most popular keywords that are relevant to his or his client’s business and aim to get his Web site and other online resources at the top of a particular search engine’s results list.

The current practice for marketing establishments is to put up sales ad articles, or copywriting articles, which contain keywords that online consumers sometimes use to shop for items. This is all done with the expectation that the more keywords your online retail resources contain the more chances your Web site will come up at the top of the search list. This is where keyword tracking tools come in. The Internet entrepreneur has to have that ability to know what verbal tendencies people type in the search box. This tool will enable many a manager to make smart business decisions based on the current trends of online shoppers. Knowing what perks the ears up of the customer will help enable your marketing team to determine the best keywords to use in their sales ad articles.

There is another obvious benefit from using these tracking tools. Aside from monitoring search sites for user search trends, the tool can come off as a spy for your competition. That means it makes its own research as to what keywords your competitor uses and what your competitor is doing with those keywords. A keyword tracking tool gives you the advantage of knowing what your business rivals are up to, and consequently enable you to go in a business direction in relation to what you have learned from them.

Matthew Stanton writes an article about Keyword tracking tool and the importance of having a tool to keep you abreast of this important information. Simply visit this site for information at http://www.ispionage.com/

[tags]keyword tracking tool[/tags]