twitter.com

Twitter is one of the most prominent social networking sites now. In fact moment by moment update as a way of very interesting means of keeping in touch with your friends and family, making new friends, advertising, updating clients and promoting had never taken such an interesting twist as before. With more and more developments and Twitter going into the mobile phone application system, social networking ways like Twitter only got faster and sassier. This is the ultimate of micro blogging in current age and you would be missing a whole lot in business or networking in personal circles, if you don’t happen to be Tweeting. You would be getting all those cool and extra special updates from celebs to your old school friends and would not like to miss any of those points. Build opportunities, create contacts and determine your niche or play with it, with the advent of Twitter.

Twitter’s goal has always been about updates that are small, succinct and to the point. Today however you can upload your videos or you could just do a number of things with your Tweeting but then it cuts most social network sites in terms of practical as well as satisfying experience due to its down to earth way of expression. Twitter had had humble beginnings when Twitting was first introduced by Jack Dorsey who wanted to know how what his friends were doing. As it became too much of a trouble to keep in touch with work pressure, etc. this came as a bright idea, that at least made it fun to know about friends’ updates within a matter of common group.

Twitter has been growing every since its inception. Its power got generated through Ruby Rail projects and had thus been allowing to quickly change or adapt to tests, deploys, public testing, etc. There has never been a quiet period for Twitter people where they had not been testing of new things and opportunities in Tweeting. Twitter had ever since been ever expanding and growing.

Today Twitter is the 79th most trafficked site on the net. It has an almost vertical upscale in terms of reach. The statistics according to Alexa.com is that about 1.37% of all internet users across the globe, is now using Twitter and the rate just continues to keep getting higher and higher.

But Twitter as a business, has been spending more money than making it. Their business model is being implemented on extremely successful grounds making them earn tons of revenue. But it is yet to gain its complete financial freedom. Twitter’s main message is to keep things simple and succinct. So it is easy for you to connect on the go while keeping it light and fun. It is always about “What are you doing now?” and so could be a lot of many things to you or none at all. But given that it is one of the greatest ways to know and learn of different ways and means of social networking. Through updating your users you let your followers, which could be a wide range of friends, business colleagues, old friends, clients, etc and your followers get to know of your updates. The history of Twitter has been rather interesting and how it works from the scratch will actually be a great thing to discover.

Twitter got designed through Omnigraffle and Photoshop that allows you to explore a range of possibilities. It also has it focus on simple things like direct massaging, replying, status update and even uses of controlling of privacy. If you do not want anyone to follow you, you can simply remove that person from your list.

Twitter also has its own API which makes it easier for it to customize homepage as well as the background of your own page. You can do so much more through your Twitter profile now with continued growth and expansion. You would find great fun following the people you wish to follow and they could be anyone from big business makers, updating what they wish to publicly admit or even just updates from the bloke round your block, if you happen to be interesting in knowing his world too. From the high and mighty, to the simplest, Twitter has room and possibilities to bring you diverse updates all at once.

Twitter has been exploring levels of popularity through their latest developments and continues to soar high among different levels of people. Many makers and builders of today find it easier to access Twitter than any other social networking site because of the fuss free manner and the simplest of profound ways of communicating. This really allows people to come as close as you would only want them to be but then all these happens without taking much time. However there have been reported cases of the new media taking so much of your world in a sweep that many addicts would constantly be on Twitter or Facebook, always updating or uploading without breaks. These are real addiction hook ups that really take you further away from reality and what you are doing in the present moment.

Site Point

Sitepoint is online platform of sitepoints pty. Ltd which was established back in 1999 by Mark Harbottle and Matt Mickiewicz. Sitepoint is basically an online media company that targets web professional and web developers. This website provides information about  softwares , coding languages, designing tools, tutorials and latest developments  around the world  that are sought after by Professionals.

Sitepoint has white background which gives it a very professional look. Navigation bar on the top in dark blue color contains link to other pages including articles, books, kits, videos, blogs, contests, market place etc. A considerable section of the homepage is dedicated to the story of the day which contains some information about the story as well. This is to attract visitors to particular news which regular visitors can directly go to. Next to this section is the editor’s choice comprising of articles chosen by editor. Newsletter section is provided for the users who want to get information in the mails. On the right side of homepage is list of products that are available for sale. This includes email marketing software name MAIL CHIMP. There is a list of books offered by site points as well on this corner which includes books for website designing, writing css etc. A visitor can order download free sample of these books and can order these books from this website as well.

Rest of the homepage contains sections dedicated to news related to various sections like design, Tech and business. In each section top stories excerpts from top stories are given. A list of most viewed articles is given in the bottom.

Sitepoint is a website that is targeted toward web professional.  News that is sought after by these professionals is displayed in very friendly format by this website which makes it a shrine for any web developer.

Do it yourself is one of the top 50 sites in the world which brings you the information for almost all your home projects. The website also provides you a weekly free newsletter with experts advice, tips from professional which you can sign up. The community forum deals with more than 100 topics that help the viewers in developing their home projects. You have photos, videos and drawings along with the articles that help you in understanding your project better. The site also allows you to advertise your product, which can be viewed by the viewers.

You can find the information by searching through categories or through key words that can take you to the desired page where you will be able to get the information required along with other web links related to the topic. Do it yourself is a place for people who want to do things on their own way.

Want to decorate your home but don’t know how much it will cost you? Want to know how to train your pet? Right from training your pet to decorating your home you can find all useful tips and information in this website. This is a site that will let you shop your home needs as well. The website gives you a list of home needs which will provide you the information you need like price, pattern, quality, variety, agents and more.

Do it yourself, provides a range of products whether it is home interior or remodeling, home exterior, painting, plumbing, electrical, gardening, pet care and a lot more to explore. Do it yourself helps you to groom the master in yourself. Are you new to gardening? Don’t know where to start? Its very easy to have an introduction in gardening and with the information available you can start planning of setting up your own garden right from fencing the garden, fertilizer for plants, variety of flowers, ornamental plants, how to prevent fruits from being overtaken by pests, how to maintain vegetable garden, herbs, garden maintenance and many more.

Planning to get a pet for you? Don’t know which is the right breed for you and your family. Not sure about their characteristics? Don’t know how to maintain them? Want to know how to train them? Want to know how much it will cost you? You can find all the answers inside the website for the above questions and even more which will help to decide on your own. Being creative and at the same time informative is important to do things on your own and its very essential. Once you have decided the product and the specification it will save the time and energy for you to shop. And when you are even aware of the pricing it becomes more comfortable for you to get the right product.

With so much information available on the Internet, businesses are continually looking for the best ways to categorize the information and make it easier for web users to find the information they are seeking. Although many people turn to search engines to find information through keyword searchers, web directories are continually growing in popularity. These directories, which are typically reviewed by human editors, place web sites within certain categories. In that way, users can simply click on the category they ae interested in and will be directed to a listing of links that are relevant to that category.

There are growing numbers of web directories appearing on the Internet, though not all of them are of high quality. In fact, some web directories exist for the sole purpose of making money and, as such, the editors do not spend much time screening the links that are added to the directory listing. One web directory that has earned a great deal of respect for its quality links, however, is The Best of the Web directory.

The Best of the Web Directory, which is more simply known as BOTW, is a commercial web directory that includes only those sites that are rich in content and that are well-designed. The site also categorizes its content according to topic as well as according to region, which makes it even easier for users to find the type of information they are seeking.

BOTW was founded in 1994 by Brandon Plewe. At the time, Plewe was a student studying at the State University of New York in Buffalo. Plewe set out to create a platform that would allow the online community to nominate and then vote for what it believed to be the best websites within different categories. Over time, the site took on a life of its own and moved beyond just recognizing sits with Web Awards. In fact, it became a comprehensive directory that was well-respected for the quality of the sites listed.

Today, BOTW is headquartered in Uniondale, New York, though it also has offices in Boston, Massachusetts and in Orange, Texas. The site continues to operate in much the same manner as when Plewes first founded it, as users vote once per year on the sites considered to be the best. Although, the site did lay dormant for a few years, with the last awards being given in 1998 until it was purchased by its new owner. By 2002, however, the company was once again active.

In 2002, BOTW reinvented itself as a general web directory that was free of spam categories and that employed a team of paid editors. The job of these editors is to search through the Internet in order to find the sites that offer the most original content while still being user-friendly and living up to web standards. As such, the site actually offers commercial as well as non-commercial listings. Regardless of its commercial status, every site listed on BOTW must meet the editorial guidelines of the site while also providing relevant information.

Because BOTW has such exacting standards, being listed on the site is considered to be somewhat of an honor. In addition, since users are aware that the site screens its listings so carefully, many people choose to use the directory on a regular basis when searching for relevant information on the Internet. For business owners looking to achieve a higher ranking within search engines, being listed in a site such as BOTW is also important because the search engines view a listing in one of these sites as a good sign that the site is important and relevant to a certain topic.

The Internet is a continually evolving piece of technology containing billions of websites and WebPages. As such, sorting through all of the available pages would be an impossible task if there was not some method for putting order to what is available.

Among the first methods utilized to put order to the Internet has been the search engine. Search engines such as Yahoo! Make it possible for web surfers to input certain keywords in order to access web sites containing those words that may be relevant to the search.

In March of 1995, two Stanford University graduate students by the names of Jerry Yang and David Filo introduced the Yahoo! search engine to the world. Since then, numerous other search engines have been developed, but Yahoo! continues to be one of the top three most popular search engines available.

As is the case with all Internet companies, Yahoo! is continually looking for new ways to expand its services and to remain competitive. As a result, Yahoo! Directory was developed. Yahoo! Directory is a form of web directory that lists web sites according to categories. Unlike search engines, which are run entirely by software and complex algorithms, the directory is human created and is maintained by human editors. As a result, you can expect to find more relevant information when using the Yahoo! Directory.

According to Yahoo!, the directory was created as a means of helping people find information in a new and different way that may be more effective than using a search engine. For example, when looking up information on a topic that is difficult to describe or when researching a word or phrase that could have multiple meanings, using the directory helps to simplify the search process and make sure only relevant information is obtained.

Using the Yahoo! Directory also makes it possible to gain a much deeper understanding of a very specific topic. Looking up “bugs” with the search engine, for example, will bring up information about all kinds of different insects as well as sites containing information referring to different types of bugs, such as those used to “bug” a house for eavesdropping. When using the directory, on the other hand, you can access a category that addresses a specific type of bug and bring up sites that are relevant to the exact topic you are researching.

The editors of the Yahoo! Directory conduct their own Internet search in order to find relevant sites to be listed within its categories. At the same time, web owners are welcome to submit their sites for review in order to become listed within the directory. Web owners have two options for submitting, either the “Standard” method or the “Yahoo! Express” method. The standard method is free, though it may take quite a bit more time for the editors to review the site when compared to the Yahoo! Express method.

]]> http://blogs.iguides.org/reviews/enriching-resource-yahoo-directory.html/feed 0 http://blogs.iguides.org/reviews/ask-dot-com-another-source-for-search-engines.html http://blogs.iguides.org/reviews/ask-dot-com-another-source-for-search-engines.html#comments Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:20:05 +0000 admin http://www.iguides.org/reviews/ask-dot-com-another-source-for-search-engines.html

Competition among businesses on the Internet is strong. As such, even the major search engines are looking for new and innovative methods for meeting the needs of Internet users. Ask.com is no exception.

Ask.com, which was originally known as Ask Jeeves, is an Internet search engine that was created in 1996 by Garret Gruener and David Warthen. Originally, the software used by the search engine was developed by Gary Chevsky, but the search engine has evolved a great deal since it was originally founded.

The original marketing angle of Ask.com involved the use of Jeeves, which was an illustrated valet referred to as the “gentleman’s personal gentleman.” The concept was that Jeeves would go out and search the Internet for users in order to bring back the information they were seeking.

The original concept behind Ask Jeeves was to allow the user to get answers to questions asked using natural language rather than just with a keyword search. As such, it was the first search engine to operate in such a manner. Ask.com holds true to this original formula, though users are no longer guided through the Web with the help of Jeeves, who was completely phased out by February of 2006. Nonetheless, Ask.com remains one of the most user-friendly and intuitive search engines available and its technology has been bought and used by other corporations, including E*Trade, Toshiba, and Dell.

As more and more search engines entered the scene and indexed larger numbers of web sites, Ask Jeeves started to lose some of its customers. As a result, the company began to rework its software in order to allow users to conduct keyword searches in addition to the question asking format. Ask.com still ended up behind other search engines such as Google, MSN, and Yahoo!, but actually managed to avoid the computer-generated linkspam issues of the others engines because it was slower to add new webpages to its index. As a result, Ask.com was able to more readily find relevant websites that had become buried on the other three search engines.

In addition to its search engine qualities, Ask.com owns a number of other sites. Many of these sites are specific to countries throughout the world, including Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and The Netherlands. Some sites owned by the company include Ask for Kids, MyWay.com, Excite, Bloglines, and iWon.com. Due to the amount of traffic the company’s sites receive, Ask.com is currently one of the top ten parent companies in the United States as rated by comScore and by Nielsen/NetRatings.

Although Ask.com still is not considered to be the number one search engine, it is one of the “Big Four” and is still regularly used by millions of web surfers throughout the world. Even those that do not consider Ask.com to be their number one search engine choice will often choose to visit this site if their number one site does not seem to be bringing up relevant information. Often, the sites brought up by Ask.com are very different than those brought up as the top sites from other search engines, making it a very valuable tool for acquiring a wide variety of information when conducting research.

The various other sites operated by Ask.com also makes the company valuable to a broader audience. With Ask for Kids, kids can search for information on the Internet with a “kid-friendly” format. In addition, the site focuses highly on education and automatically filters out questionable content. In that way, parents can feel safe allowing their children to use the power of the Internet without stumbling upon content that would be considered questionable.

The Internet is filled with a great deal of useful information. Unfortunately, it also contains a number of websites that provide incorrect information or that exist solely as an attempt to strip money from those that are searching the Internet. Therefore, finding a valuable website that contains accurate and useful information can sometimes be a challenge.

About.com strives to help web surfers sort through the muck and find information, articles, and web sites that are beneficial. The site does this by employing hundreds of expert “Guides” that help steer site visitors in the right direction when researching specific topics. To date, the site has over 570 guides and new guides and new topics are being added on a regular basis.

The use of these expert guides combined with the massive amount of topics already covered by the site has earned the site well over 34 million visitors. It has also earned the site recognition as one of the top ten content sites on the Net.
More… About.com was started in 1996 and quickly gained user attention and respect. By combining elements of other popular content sites, such as AOL, MSN, CNET, and WebMD, the site was able to develop its own unique user-friendly formula. As a result, the site was purchased by The New York Times Company in March 2005, which is where the site remains today.

In order to provide site visitors with a meaningful and unique experience, About.com carefully screens those that will work as site Guides. Each of its Guides must meet certain criteria, including:

* Individual Expertise
* Supreme Dedication
* Highly Credentialed
* Rigorously Trained
* Award Winning

In essence, the site selects only the “cream of the crop” to work as one of its Guides. Each Guide must demonstrate their expertise in the subject area through their educational qualifications as well as their personal experiences and writing abilities. Since each Guide must demonstrate a supreme amount of dedication, only about 2% of those that begin the training process actually complete it.

Many of those employed as Guides with About.com are also nationally recognized experts in their fields or are nationally recognized authors. As a result, many of these Guides are sought online and off for their opinions and expertise in these areas. In addition, 20 of the guides on the site have been recognized by Forbes as “Best of Web,” with three being listed among the Forbes “Favorites.”

Each of those selected as potential Guides must also undergo a rigorous training program. Not only does this program help to hone their writing skills, it also teaches them how to hold the interest of their audience as well as how to maintain the content of their subject in the best manner possible.

As a result of this rigorous training and the dedication of the management and Guides on About.com, the site has received numerous accolades. It has also grown the point that it offers 1.5 million pieces of original content to its readers as well as 22 different channels. The site currently offers pieces spanning an amazing 57,000 different topics and more than 3,000 new pieces of information are added to the site every week.

The expertise of the Guides has also turned the About.com community into one that is well-trusted and looked toward when surfing the Internet for valuable and useful information. It is also ideal for businesses looking for a place on the Internet where they can surround their brand with relevant information that will help bring new visitors to their sites. As a result, it is a win-win formula for everyone involved with the site.

]]> http://blogs.iguides.org/reviews/internet-guide-aboutcom.html/feed 0 http://blogs.iguides.org/reviews/dmozorg-the-cutting-edge.html http://blogs.iguides.org/reviews/dmozorg-the-cutting-edge.html#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:11:22 +0000 admin http://www.iguides.org/reviews/?p=3

Dmoz.Org

Are you or your friends looking for the most comprehensive and largest human-edited web directory? Dmoz.org is the place to go! It is an Open Directory Project which is designed and maintained by an immense, global community of editors who voluntarily rendered their time, talent, and skills to give excellent services to the growing number of net-citizens. OPD was initially founded in 1998 as “Gnuhoo” by Bob Truel and Rich Skrenta who were both working for Sun Microsystems as engineers. Chris Tollers who was the network security products marketing head, also signed on as Gnuhoo co-founder together with co-founders Jeremy Wenokur and Bryn Dole.

Unlike automated search engines which are pretty inefficient because of their inability to turn up helpful results to people’s search queries and incapability in having their diminutive paid editorial staffs keep up with increasing number of submissions, Dmoz.org grows continuously at a staggering rate. Their volunteer editors strive hard to keep their directories away from link rots so as to provide quality and comprehensiveness.
More… Being the most extensively distributed Web content data base classified by humans, the Open Directory commands the core directory services for the most popular search portals and engines on the Web such as Netscape Search, Google, AOL Search, HotBot, DirecttHit, Lycos, and many others. So, instead of combating the explosive Internet growth, the Open Directory provides ways for the Internet to have itself organized.

Amongst the wide-ranging categories you can easily find at Dmoz.org are Art, Kids and Teens, Games, Business, Health, News, Computers, Home, Recreation, Reference, Shopping, World, Regional, Society, Science, and World.

Everyone is given the opportunity to contribute at the Open Directory. So, if you wanted to express your ideas and thoughts, sign up and be heard!