I don’t have this problem, but that’s only because I hand-coded my own dashboard to handle everything I need to accomplish on the web.  Almost like a “virtual browser” which helps keep me from being tied to one computer.  I work in the cloud baby!

Anyways, on average how many tabs do you have open at once in your browser window?  I’d also love to hear why so many tabs are left open.  Is it things you plan on getting back to?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

This Post Brought To You By:

“Yesterday a vulnerability was discovered: a specially crafted URL could be requested that would allow an attacker to bypass a security check to verify a user requested a password reset. As a result, the first account without a key in the database (usually the admin account) would have its password reset and a new password would be emailed to the account owner. This doesn’t allow remote access, but it is very annoying.”

The WordPress team fixed this problem last night and have been testing the fixes and looking for other problems since then.

Download The Specific Files

If you’re running WordPress 2.7 or later, then you can simply use your automatic upgrade function built right into your version to make the upgrade, but if you’re running an earlier version or like me you sometimes have problems with the automatic upgrade utility, there is a separate file you can download and install manually that contains only the modified wordpress files.

You can download only the files modified straight from WordPress.org by clicking here.

What are your thoughts on how often WordPress releases upgrades? Security releases are unquestionable, but what about release that simply change look and functionality? Do you think they release new version too often?

This Post Brought To You By:

Search engine visitors who happened upon a post from a year or two ago wouldn’t get the impression that your blog and it’s content was outdated if the date was removed.

If you write timeless content, you don’t want the first impressions of a visitor to affect their opinion before they even get a chance to see what an expert you just may be on a particular subject.

So what are your thoughts?  Do you think it matters?  Does the post date affect your opinion of the content? Please vote and maybe offer a further explanation in the comments.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

This Post Brought To You By:

The iConnect social media bar plugin orginated as a custom addition to my own blog because of my interest to better connect with my blog community through all of my social media profiles.

I was asked by several of my friends if they could get the same thing for their blogs but with added features like custom images and urls. This lead me to contact my good friend Owen Cutajar (master plugin creator) to get my social media bar converted into a plugin with these additional features.

He did an awesome job, including the addition to make the links nofollow and open in a new window.

The bar is attached to the top of the blog page and remains in view even when your readers scroll.

Now here it is. For all the world to use.

Installation

1. Upload the iContent folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
2. Activate iContent through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
3. Change your setting by clicking Settings in your wordpress menu and iConnect.

If the iConnect Social Media Bar covers up part of the top of your blog, you’ll need to make some changes to your theme’s stylesheet.

To do so, add the following line of code to stylesheet.php:

body {margin-top:30px;}

If you already have a body style tag in your stylesheet, simply add the information within the braces to your existing body style tag.

If you have any questions or problems when installing this plugin, please contact me.

Screenshots

Getting The Plugin

This plugin is available for purchase for only $9.95.

All upgrades are free for life with purchase of the plugin.

What are your thoughts on the plugin? Any future upgrades or additions you’d be interested in seeing?

This Post Brought To You By:

How passionate about blogging or your niche are you?  Are you in it to win it?  Do you have what it takes to be successful?

This Post Brought To You By:

Have you ever started talking enthusiastically about your blog or someone else’s blog, only to get stupid stares from those who have no idea what you’re talking about?  Let me know in the comments.

This Post Brought To You By:

There’s been quite a buzz lately in the blogosphere since Facebook updated their Terms of Service, giving them the right to use your stuff and publish it later:

You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.

What’s more is that even if you remove your personal things now (or at any time), they can still use your information for years to come (as stated in the “Termination” section):

The following sections will survive any termination of your use of the Facebook Service: Prohibited Conduct, User Content, Your Privacy Practices, Gift Credits, Ownership; Proprietary Rights, Licenses, Submissions, User Disputes; Complaints, Indemnity, General Disclaimers, Limitation on Liability, Termination and Changes to the Facebook Service, Arbitration, Governing Law; Venue and Jurisdiction and Other.

Although it’s doubtful that Facebook is indeed on a quest for world domination, and their new TOS is more likely just a fancy bunch of legal wording to help save their hides in the case of a lawsuit, many bloggers have found themselves questioning how secure their content really is on not only social networking sites like Facebook, but on the internet in general.   In fact, many bloggers – uncomfortable with the idea of anyone else “owning” their photographs, blog posts, and anything else – have already began deleting their Facebook profiles, or at least deleting parts of them.

The simple truth is, when you upload any information on the internet you are giving others the opportunity to use your “stuff” – whether you like it or not.  For example, by simply uploading a photograph online you are giving others the opportunity to download that photograph and then send it to anyone they want.  Furthermore, that same photograph could end up passing through thousands of hands and even edited to look completely different, and you have no control over any of it.

Facebook Tries To Clarify The TOS

Facebook, while probably not the most articulate bunch, has gone on to explain further their new TOS, hoping to put users a little more at ease:

Our philosophy is that people own their information and control who they share it with. When a person shares information on Facebook, they first need to grant Facebook a license to use that information so that we can show it to the other people they’ve asked us to share it with. Without this license, we couldn’t help people share that information.

They go on to say:

In reality, we wouldn’t share your information in a way you wouldn’t want. The trust you place in us as a safe place to share information is the most important part of what makes Facebook work. Our goal is to build great products and to communicate clearly to help people share more information in this trusted environment.

We still have work to do to communicate more clearly about these issues, and our terms are one example of this. Our philosophy that people own their information and control who they share it with has remained constant. A lot of the language in our terms is overly formal and protective of the rights we need to provide this service to you. Over time we will continue to clarify our positions and make the terms simpler.

Still, the interesting thing about this change in our terms is that it highlights the importance of these issues and their complexity. People want full ownership and control of their information so they can turn off access to it at any time. At the same time, people also want to be able to bring the information others have shared with them—like email addresses, phone numbers, photos and so on—to other services and grant those services access to those people’s information. These two positions are at odds with each other. There is no system today that enables me to share my email address with you and then simultaneously lets me control who you share it with and also lets you control what services you share it with.

So, while it’s highly unlikely that Facebook intends to use your content and posts to re-publish in ways you wouldn’t approve of or to the mass population with no recompense to you, it’s still important to understand that by joining such networks you are giving permission to do just that.  In fact, if you look closely at the TOS on most social networking websites, you’ll realize fairly quickly that the legal jargon Facebook used was pretty standard – someone just happened to notice and people began freaking out.

All in all – I’d say that as long as you use some caution as to what and when you post, you should be fine.  Just understand that the internet as a whole is basically a large database and once your information is put “out there,” you can’t really control where it goes or what’s done with it.  On the flip-side, most folks aren’t really out to steal your stuff, and most social networks aren’t looking to steal your information so they can profit from your demise – But, then again Facebook could be a leather-clad super-villain ready to send you to the pits of despair.  What do I know?  I’m just a blogger.

What are your thoughts on Facebook’s new Terms of Service?

This Post Brought To You By:

Even if you live in another country, you too can attend eComXpo for free.

What Is eComXpo?

eComXpo is a virtual trade show on ecommerce and affiliate marketing.  You don’t have to worry about booking a hotel, scrounging together money for a plane ticket, or trying to land a discounted conference pass.

The whole event is free and can be attended right from your own home or office.

This event has over 8,000 advertisers, publishers, affiliates, agencies, merchants, networks and search marketers that attend each year.  This event is literally bigger than any you’ve ever been to.

Why You Should Attend

• 100% Online and Virtual
• Free to Attend
• All the Benefits of a Top Tradeshow
• Includes Virtual Job Fair
• More than 8,000+ Attendees, 100 Exhibitors and 20 Presenters
• 100+ Archived Presentations at eComXpo University
• An easy, quick way to keep up with this rapidly evolving marketplace including email, search, affiliate, regulatory, branding, advertising, and technology trends and challenges.

What You’ll Discuss & Learn About

• Collaborative Efforts To Police Bad Practices, Move Towards Standardization, Self Governance And Self Regulation
• Driving Efficient Sales And Leads In A Weakening Economy
• Incrementality And New Customer Acquisition Through Affiliate Marketing Programs
• Increasing Conversions And Generating Greater Traffic Through Web Content Optimization
• Leveraging Social And Mobile Media For Maximizing Profitability From Your Affiliate Marketing Efforts
• Best Practices For Affiliate And Search Marketing To Work Together
• Best Practices To Help Increase Your Organic Search Rankings And Utilize Search Engine Optimization To Drive Sales

When Is eComXpo?

eComXpo is being held from January 28th – January 29th 2009.

Give Me The Goods

If you want to find out more about eComXpo to decide if you want to attend this invaluable trade show, then you can visit their website by clicking here.

You can also go ahead and register for eComXpo 2009 here.  Remember, it’s 100% Free!

There is also a virtual tour for attendees so you can see first hand what it will be like to attend eComXpo.  You can access that video by visiting their website or by clicking here.

If you’re interested in having a booth set up at this trade show their is a fee, but it’s very inexpensive compared to the costs you have to cover at other trade shows.

Are you attending eComXpo 2009?  If so let other know by commenting.

This Post Brought To You By:

Yesterday many twitter users were sent DM’s claiming a picture of them was found on a specific website.  When the user clicked the link it took them to a page that looked identical to the Twitter login screen.

Anyone entering their username and password into that login screen were literally giving their login credentials away.

Here is a screen capture of the login phishing site made to resemble Twitter:

If you’ll notice in the address bar of the website in question the url isn’t from twitter at all.  Anyone not paying attention to this would be caught unexpectedly.

From what I can tell, many others have already reported the website as false and a web forgery notice has been put in it’s place.

What lesson have we learned from this?  Before you log into any website, make sure that url in the address bar is the correct one.

Did you get sent the mysterious dm’s on twitter?

This Post Brought To You By:

My Way Of Saying Thanks

For a couple of months now I’ve been giving some shoutouts to many of my readers.  You can see the first post here and the second post here.

This is the third installment of “Reader Shoutouts”, and it won’t be the last., so I hope you’ll stay with me and get your chance to be in a future post right here.

The Deserving Readers

The following people are those that I’m giving a shoutout too here on the first day of 2009.  You rock, and without you, none of this would be possible!

• Tumblemoose
• Small Biz Bee
• IE FOOD
• AverageGal
• Heather In B.B.C.
• Webdesi3
• Laura-Whateverebay
• Mike
• Tom

Thanks you again for everything.  If you want to be in a future shoutout, make sure you subscribe here so you never miss another opportunity.

This Post Brought To You By: