T-Shaped and Dangerious - Step 1 Learn PHP
Just do it! – (yea I know its cliché.) If you don’t have at least some understanding of PHP and its syntax, you really need to get your act together.
After several months of asking other people of help with my PHP problems I finally realized that PHP wasn’t the problem, it was my Lack of PHP knowledge. So finally I broke down and cried decided to learn it. I’ve never programmed before, if I can do it, You can do it!
- Get a Jump Start
If there is any advice I can offer to learning PHP, its gotta be find a good book / tutorial to learn from. There are a lot of free tutorials (some of which are quite good) to learn php, but it just won’t cut it if you really want to get down and dirty.
Some excellent Video tutorials can be found here:
Notes:
PHPVideoTutorials, is awesome, the guy is a bit of a kook but its well worth a visit, just to hear him say URL. (earl - its gotta be the accent.)
KillerPHP, is a bit slow to begin with, I would suggest watching the basics at PHPVideoTutorials and get into the heavy stuff with KillerPHP. It looks like they have a great OOP (Object Oriented Programming) section, but I have yet to look at it, still a lil bit over my head.
- Get a Book
If your serious about learning PHP, pick up a book at Barns and Noble, it will be well worth it, just in the time you will save by using it as a quick reference.
Story time:
So I was in Barns and Noble standing in the programming isle, in awe of the vast amount of PHP & MySQL books they have. When this European guy (older) standing next to me picks up “PHP for Teens” book sitting on the shelve right in front of me. I snicker, he snickers, we exchange wise comments about the books’ title.
Then he looks at the book I was holding, “PHP and MySQL something or other”, and says “You might as well be reading ‘PHP for Teens’ what your really looking for is it.” He hands me a book. After about 15 minutes of talking to him I find out he is the Head of the Computer Science Department at Oxford. (he was visiting UCF) At this point I am in awe, and need to pick my jaw up off the floor.
The book turns out to be exactly what I was looking for it is “Beginning PHP and MySQL 5” published by Apress. Link. (non aff)
- How this Makes you Dangerous
Since .php is free and it is the most widely used server side language, its nearly a must to know a little something about it. After all, many great applications such as wordpress are written using it. If you ever want to modify your layout you need to at least be able to understand its syntax. Even if you are just a web designer and primarily work with HTML and CSS, the day is going to come (or already has) when someone is going to need you to design a layout around a .php framework. Just cut the excuses and do it, it is at least one more thing that you will know a little bit about. After all don’t forget, we aren’t striving to be the best at .php we are looking to at least understand how it works and what can be accomplished with it. This is one more thing that we can add to the breadth of our knowledge base.
- Conclusion
After about 2 days of messing with PHP, I’m working on my first lil script. It has a little to do with RSS parsing, I’ll keep you updated on how its going!
Ps. Professor, if you reading this. Thanks Again!
2 commentsAnd We’re Back!… T-Shaped and Dangerous
So after a short break from blogging, which turned into a little more than a 1/2 of a year, I’m back.
Time Management
Time management is everything in life. All to often we focus to closely on the trees and miss the forest. - This was my case, I needed to take a step back and get my priorities reorganized. (College, Work, Social Life, Blogging) more less in that order. I haven’t been totally out of the loop, I been keeping up on my reading on whats happening in the SEO community. However the RSS feed list has been cut back to nearly 1/10 of what it was several months ago (too much to keep up with and not enough time for my own projects). I have a feeling a lot of us are guilty of reading blogs when you should(could) be executing your own projects.
New Interests
During this time away I have grown a lot as a web designer/SEO. My interests have expanded to encompass everything it takes to become a successful web entrepreneur. These interests include more than SEO, because in nearly all cases, successful websites are functional and user friendly, after all it takes a functional site to get any search engine traffic at all.
Be T-Shaped
I’m sure many of you have encountered the term T-shaped people somewhere in your internet travels, it was coined by Tim Brown CEO of IDEO. It refers to the breadth and depth of a person’s knowledge base. Someone is considered to be T-shaped if they know a lot about a little and a little about a lot. This should be the goal of every web entrepreneur. By knowing a lot about a little, you have become specialized, but if you take this a step further and learn a little about a lot you become dangerous (in a good way).
Future Oriented
One of my main future goals, is to become T-Shaped and Dangerous(this is the main one), though I will continue to focus on SEO and Internet Marketing, expect to see more topics in the realms of Web Design and Programming included in this blog.
To keep me future oriented I created this motivational background:
You can download the .psd file , if you wish to add your own motivational quotes.
T Shaped Challenge
In closing I offer you this challenge:
- Take 30 seconds and write down a list of things that would make you a better X (SEO, Internet Marketer, Designer, Etc). Everything that comes to your mind.
- Now during this next week figure out you need to do to become more well versed in that field and make a plan to accomplish it.
- Don’t stop there, take this plan and execute it over the next month.
Imagine if each of us did this once a quarter, we would be a pretty dangerous bunch eh?
1 commentTapeFailure Review - Not Out of the Woods Yet
Thanks to Allen over at Center Networks. I got an invite to the closed beta of TapeFailure.
TapeFailure is a service that allows you to visualize what your users are doing. As Allen alludes to it will be a great addition to services like CrazyEgg and Google Analytics once TapeFailure gets a few kinks worked out.
Recording - When TapeFailure is “recording” a user on your site, you get this constant “Waiting for www.TapeFailure.com…” which seems to make your site look like it has problems. (See Below). As you may have it, (thats right I’m recording You!)
This must be fixed, I’m no javascript Guru but if anything it should be showing, “Waiting for www.AddedTraffic.com…” not some other site, that has Failure in the name, this just doesn’t portray what I am trying to get my audience to think of my site.
To Record or Not to Record- they need to be able to implement a way to allow / disallow IP’s from being recorded. I really don’t want to see what I’m doing on my own site, I only want to see my users. As I type this, I am being recorded, this should be interesting to review.
It just wasn’t worth watching
Fix the Statistics Page - there also seems to be an issue with the Statistics Page. I understand this is closed beta but this definitely needs to be fixed, if they wish to compete, or compliment the establish brands out there. e.g. (Crazy Egg)
Playback Tools - Playback of recorded videos seem to be lacking a lot, from what I had expected. Its a very unique feature, but some sort of speeding up of playback is necessary, other wise you will be sitting there watching some of your users videos for quite some time. Also playback speed seems to be slower than real time, this has its pros and its cons, but I think being able to switch up the speed is a huge value added feature.
Replay Screen Size - Currently the TapeFailure beta product shows videos in a small screen, so when the mouse moves the screen follows it, not allowing you to see the whole screen. This is a minor detail but it should be fixed in the final product.
Record Entire Visit - Allen at Center Networks stated:
“they can do multi-page tests. I was incorrect in the review.”
I have yet to find this feature but I truly hope this is added in the final product.
Pricing - According to Joshua the founder of TapeFailure:
“Pricing per month starts at 3.95, but there is a discount when more months are purchased.”
In my opinion, this is low, so fix up the features and raise the price a buck or two, and you get the best of both worlds. I have always been the fan of offering a quality service for a bit extra, giving the user the best possible experience. This is the approach my hosting company (DreamHost) should take, but thats a completely different story.
Creepiness - During all of my recordings, I always had feeling that I was stalking someone. It really is strange to think that someone is watching the way you browse their page (isn’t it). To me this seems like a small invasion of privacy. It will be interesting to see how this aspect is dealt with when TapeFailure goes live.
Overall - I think TapeFailure’s greatest use will be in optimizing forms, you will actually be able to see where users decided to quit going through with the form as well as where they hesitated. The ability to streamline your forms in this fashion will be a great advantage, as it takes simple a/b testing to the next level.
I look forward to seeing the final product as I am sure many of you are.
5 commentsPractice What You Preach
As many may have noticed, my blog posts have seemed to have come to grinding halt. This is temporary, following Markus’s lead I decided to put down the pen and glasses and stop reading and writing blog posts, to inturn spend my time on actually putting my knowledge gained from blogs to good use. Do not get me wrong, there is definitely value in blogs, but there is only so much that one can learn from reading them. 1 ounce of experience is worth 100 pounds of theory. This said if you have intentions of practicing what you read, stop reading and do it.
More posts will be coming shortly. I Promise.
Until then, if you have a start up, you simply must check out Center Networks latest offer.
I subscribed to this feed a few months ago, boy is there some good stuff on here.
Thanks to CN, I will also be posting my review of TapeFailure shortly. So far it looks amazing.
No commentsBeg for Traffic - Social Bookmarking
With linkbait talk swirling in minds of those looking to capitalize on the Social Media Market, I understand the need for icons which allow users to bookmark good posts on their favorite social media site. But how many are too many?
As a good rule of thumb I would recommend keeping your icons or links to one line, featuring the top sites, and maybe one of the newer social media sensations you would like to promote. So in total maybe 4-5 or maybe you are one that prefers to stick to the good old Digg button.
Today, I stumbled on a nice SEM blog that has good content and has been up and running for a few months. With several insightful posts the blog made for an interesting read, and I may even subscribe his feed. However one thing blatantly stood out. Can You find it?
Count em’ there are 55. My blog isn’t even wide enough to display the image properly so I scaled it down, but take a look. I didn’t even know half of these sites existed so could they really push any noticeable amount of traffic.
Now let me ask you, are you desperate for traffic? Because it looks like it to me. Listing even the most obscure social media sites may get you a few extra visitors daily, but is it worth putting all of this clutter on the page?
I think not. So stop Begging for Traffic
I love Bookmark Me and I’m sticking to it. Its clean its easy to implement and it gets the job done.
2 commentsZamzar - Convert Your Files Free
Converting from one file type to another can be tricky. Every webmaster has come across this problem at one point or another. Just moments after realizing the file is in the wrong format a query goes into Google “.XXX to .YYY Conversion.” Many times these niches are dominated by programs that offer that one need conversion for $14.99. This price is reasonable if you are going to be doing this conversion more than once, but in many cases I end up checking out SourceForge and VersionTracker to see if there is something free can get the job done.
Zamzar in all of its Web2.0 greatness, offers an all in one converter that you don’t even have to download to use. Its easy to use and its file format support is expanding at a rapid rate. Finally an answer to those pesky files that you just can’t seem to convert.
1 commentInaccurate SEO Class - Offered From Rice University
Thats right! You can now take a college course in SEO offered at Glasscock School of Continuing Studies as Rice University.
Information on the class can be found here SEO Class.
Topics will include the following:
- Researching the competition
- Analyzing and optimizing Web pages
- Submitting pages to search engines
- Monitoring search engine placement
- Reporting and analyzing ranking results
- Developing a reciprocal links list
Judging by the last topic I think this class would be well worth its weight in E-Gold for any aspiring web entrepreneur. “Developing a reciprocal links list”
As a college student I prefer adjunct professors over full time professor, I find often they understand the ins and outs of the material better as they work in the field. In this case Professor Zaman needs to brush up on his skills SEO or the only thing his students will be ranking in is the supplemental results.
It also says:
[Professor Zaman] previously served as a Web master for The University of Texas Medical School at Houston
I hope Professor Zaman reads this because I would gladly reciprocal link with Rice University. 
But Google Needs Blackhat SEO!?
If you were trying to rank for a competative term such as Auto Loans how would you do it?
The question that always arises when SEO is mentioned are the ethics that are involved. As many know there are all varieties of SEO Black White even Blue. Some extremists believe that anything goes, others believe anything that displaces their website is wrong. As to where the line should be drawn in the sand, I am yet unsure, but with all the different shades, I ask you:
Which color of SEO does Google prefer?
Got it? Keep that hold of that thought and keep reading.
First off you would answer WhiteHat SEO, because its provides real valuable content to the end user. This is Google’s goal isn’t it? To offer the best service to their users.
Now take a step back:
Lets take a look at some of the higher PageRank and TrustRank pages:
ShoeMoney, TechCrunch, GreyWolf’s Blog, CopyBlogger, and Pronet Advertising.
How many Google Adsense ads do you see?
Very Few.
Now let me ask you? What is Google’s biggest cashcow?
Adsense/Adwords.
With Google’s revenue totaling $10.604 Billion in 2006. It is obvious they are making money, but how if the big traffic sites arn’t pushing their Adwords/Adsense?
A typical BlackHat can toss up a 20,000 page niche site and get it indexed in a matter of hours/days. With many BlackHats using Adsense as part of their game plan it seems they are not the only one benefiting from this relationship. I’m sure Google doesn’t mind the few pennies generated each day from every page a good BlackHat puts up.
Now we have reached the ethical dilemma: How to provide the best SERPS without hurting revenue.
Most BlackHat Spam sites last in Google’s SERPS for about 3 weeks to several months - Some get banned earlier, Some later. Once they are banned these sites often still receive traffic from Yahoo! and MSN. Though these other Search Engines do not drive near the amount of traffic Google can, this slow trickle still generates big momma G revenue.
So next time you think Google only likes WhiteHat SEO’s, you may want to rethink this. I would suggest Google doesn’t care what shade of SEO you are, as long as you are making them money. Take that for food for thought. 
Introducing the Tools of the Week
In my recent travels in hyperspace I found a couple gems that have turned out to be life savers. In lieu of this each week, I will be posting a list of the new tools and things that have made my life easier for that week. Each new tool will filled under “tools” hopefully someday this will make a comprehensive guide for any newbie to start with.
This week we will start with two.
EasyPie – Feed Parsing for the Rest of Us | Price: Free - OpenSource
http://www.easypie.com
This amazing little tool does everything. It can parse RSS 0.9 1.0 2.0 and Atom. Has all sorts of nifty add-ins and uses CSS to control display of your desired feed. Simple Pie supports feed enclosures such as PodCasts or Video Casts. This tool even protects you from rogue feeds that could possibly harm you or your visitors computers. It takes out advertisements and will get the image for you even if it is blocked from hotlinking. This all in one tool is your one stop for RSS Parsing
EasyPie includes extensive support for various social media networks:
Bloglines, del.icio.us, Digg, Furl, Google Reader, Ma.gnolia, MSN, My AOL, My Web 2.0, Netvibes, Newsburst, Newsgator, Newsvine, Odeo, Pluck, Podnova, Reddit, Rojo, Spurl, Technorati, and My Yahoo! Just to name a few.
The Scrutinizer – 283 Tools in One Place | Price: Free – Web Based
http://www.scrutinizethis.com/
This amazing list of tools keeps growing. Not only does it feature a wide variety of SEO tools. It has a ton of others to boot! This is a great place to start for any SEO Novice.
Currently filed under SEO are 25 tools.
Ready? Here is the list:
AdSense Preview, Class C IP Range, Code to Text Ratio, Directory Listing, DNS Information, Future PageRank, Google Banned, Indexed Links, Keyword Analysis, Keyword Position, Kontera Ad Preview, Link Analysis, Link Popularity, Link Price, Page Strength, PageRank, PageRank Overlay, Ranking Trend, SEO Analysis, Similar Pages, Spider Friendly Redirects, Spider Simulation, Suggested Google Keywords, Visitors, and WebRank.
All of these tool can be found other places, this is just hub to find them all.
Look for more great tools in the weeks to come.
No commentsIMA? - Yes and No
Over the past year(s) I have gone through quite a growing phase. I’m starting to learn that as much as I love blogging there are numerous more effective uses of my time. However today. I thought I would update this long forgotten blog and drop a few links to some of the projects we are working on.
As of recent months I have been spending a large majority of my time working on affiliate offers and finishing up college. I graduate this summer from the University of Central Florida. The main affiliate offers I have been promoting are in sectors which do not come and go but are harder to gain traction in. One of these sectors is the Auto Loan industry. It has been pretty hard to get started but I am finally starting to see some return on the time investment.
As far as deep linking strategies go. I have been using social networks to help get my sites fully indexed. One of my sites has nearly 148k pages, so we are really pushing on getting them all indexed. For example you can create an Automotive Reading List on Grazr which can be used to syndicate your posts and help push some extra juice. As always any blogger should sign up for MBL, also known as my blog log. It is fairly effective, join a few groups, get a few friends and post your url. We also set up an Automotive blog log which has all of our most recently posts for one of our many auto loan sites. Hopefully these strategies paired with many that will remain unnamed (until later) will prove effective at getting large sites indexed.
All of this came about a few months ago when I came across a post about deep linking strategies to get new sites off the ground. Today I figured I’d give it a go but, the only issue is that I need a seed site which has some link juice to get started. That is where this old blog came into play. Who knows some day I may come back and start posting on this long neglected blog but until then. Enjoy