If you have been a blogger for quite sometime and has gained a sizable readership, you may feel the urge to know the profile of your visitors. You can turn on the built-in comments, feedback and survey features and get basic interactivity. But if you have a product or service to sell online and you like to fine-tune your sales and promotion campaigns, you may need more robust and heavy-duty website with more sophisticated features.
Online surveys are indispensable if you like to gather data from your prospective clients. To add prestige and credibility to your website, your online survey feature should look professional. To start off, you can open a free account at LimeService and try and explore its online survey service. LimeService has every online survey tool you will need to create your own professional online surveys that you can easily integrate to your website.
After you create your own account you are automatically given 10 Megabytes of bandwidth. This will be good for a 20-question survey with 100 respondents. If this is all that you require, your LimeService subscription remains free. At the end of every month your bandwidth quota gets stocked up to 10 Megabytes.
Creating your online survey is wizard based and there are many editable templates you can choose from. LimeService online survey service supports 49 languages. You may create survey groups and on the security side, you can specify survey users. A built-in CAPTCHA is an additional login or registration feature. You may also import existing surveys that are saved as csv or sql file. All your surveys are saved in a SQL database that you can easily back up
Of course as your needs increase and you expect to receive thousands of survey respondents, you can upgrade to LimeService's paid subscription. Pricing is on per-use basis, graduated by bandwidth usage.
Create Your Free Professional Online Surveys
Adobe Photoshop: "Scratch Disk is full" Error Solved
When you open or create a file in Adobe Photoshop, you may encounter an error that says "Scratch Disk is full."
The solution is easy.
Specify one or more hard drive partitions that have enough free space--approximately three to five times the file size of the largest image and at least ten times the size of the largest bitmap-mode image--as scratch disks. Don't specify a network drive or removable media such as a Zip or JAZ drive. Photoshop 6.x can create 200 GB of scratch disk files on up to four hard disk partitions; Photoshop 7.0 can create an unlimited number of scratch disk files, limited only by hard disk space.
To set the Scratch Disk preference:
- Choose Edit > Preferences > Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks.
- Choose the drive that has the most free space from the First pop-up menu.
- Choose a second, third, or fourth drive, if available, from the Second, Third, or Fourth pop-up menus.
- Click OK.
- Restart Photoshop.
Build Your Own Website in 10 Minutes
Newbies may find building a website a daunting task. To start off you have to buy a domain name and register for web hosting. Then you have to setup your domain name to point to your nameservers. After your domain name gets propagated through the whole Internet, which can take up to 48 hours, you can start uploading your files. To manage your web files and directories, your web host will provide you a web control panel, for example, cPanel, which is not really a breeze to master. Your web host will support you up to a certain level. But for the most part, you will be on your own. Creating your web files and scripts is another story. Optimizing your website for search engines is another job you have to do to make your site visible in the Web. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a sub-specialization in itself. So is website design.
If you like to create your own website but your skill has not gone beyond basic use of computer and leisurely web surfing, you can visit BuildYourSite.com and build your own website. This web-based suite allows you to single-handedly create, build and customize your website in ten minutes.
For $9.95 monthly subscription, you will get everything you need to start off. You will have free domain name and web hosting. The wizard-based SiteBuilderPro enables you to create and publish your web pages. As you master SiteBuilderPro, you can create more advanced web sites like e-commerce site, web form site or photo album site. A search engine submission utility gives you a kick-start in promoting your web site. Of course you need to do more to fully promote your web site but this is a good start. A built-in web traffic statistics allows you to see the progress in your web site promotion campaign.
In addition, BuildYourSite.com gives you extra goodies like 23GB disk space, unlimited e-mail accounts and 24/7 customer support .
You may try the service now or you may view the design gallery of over 4000 web designs.
Conference Group Brings Web Conferencing To Higher Level
For ordinary communication, telephones and e-mails and ordinary postal services will not go away as yet. Free online services like YM and Skype have given us the feel of Web-based chat, audio conferencing, video conferencing and are enjoyed by millions. These services will likely improve over time and will be mainstays for ordinary needs.
On the high-end, Conference Group offers paid services for your web conferencing, audio conferencing and video conferencing needs. The target users are people and companies who need to be in constant communication with employees, partners and clients For this clientele category, the fee is really just worth it.
Through the ReadyShow® Web Conferencing service, online communication among several participants accross states, countries and continents comes close to live personal conversation. Without downloading files, you easily present your Word documents, Excel documents and Powerpoint presentation to the participants . You can easily share documents, your desktop and application. Multiple presenters as well as control passing features are also supported.
Interactivity is further enhanced by hand raising feature, the equivalent of raising your hand when you like to weigh in the conversation. Hand raises are tallied. Custom Polls may be designed, executed,summarized and presented. Smart scrolling allows the participants to be literally on the same page as the presenter.
Conference Group's audio conferencing is more than the old conference call. You can tailor your features depending om your needs.Options include international toll free telephone, digital recording and playback and transcription, among others. A telephone operator is on hand to assist and may be valuable side-service to new users. As in ReadyShow® Web Conferencing, you can customize combination of features.
Key word in Conference Group's conferencing services is "quality"---quality video, quality audio and quality experience---and running on robust infrastructure for reliability.
How to .tar.gz in Windows Interface
This is an area I did not explore any deeper because the two-step procedure that I know has worked for me all right. I use two freely downloadable software: PowerArchiver and Win-GZ.
1. Archive your files and directories using PowerArchiver. You produce a single file xxxx.tar.
2. Compress xxxx.tar using Win-GZ to produce xxxx.tar.gz
Yes, Drupal 6.3 and phpBB 3.0.2 Can Be Integrated
Here is the result.
This is my personal reference just in case I have to make another installation that integrates Drupal 6.3 and phpBB 3.0.3. A Drupal 6.3 web site must already be existing. PhpBB 3.0.2 and Drupal phpBBforum module must be installed in that order. Here then are the steps I did in sequence:
Installing phpBB 3.0.2
I downloaded phpBB 3.0.2 (zip)
I extracted this file to my local hard drive. A phpBB3 directory is created.
Using Filezilla client, I uploaded the entire phpBB3 directory to the root directory Public_HTML/) of my Drupal installation.
I changed the permissions on config.php to be writable by all users (numeric value 666 in Fizezilla client)
I changed the permissions on the following directories to be writable by all users (numeric value 777 in Fizezilla client):
store/,
cache/,
files/ and
images/avatars/upload/
To start the installation process, I typed the Drupal site url + install/index.php to start phpBB installation. My Drupal 6.3 site is http://voxbikol.net63.net/, so I typed http://voxbikol.net63.net/install/index.php. (Typing http://voxbikol.net63.net/install will do).
In the installation dialog, I clicked the INSTALL tab and fill out all the requested information:
host name
database name
database username and password
As instructed, I removed the entire install/ and docs/ directory in my remote site before opening the newly installed phpBB. I also changed the permissions on config.php to be writable only by myself (numeric value 644 in Fizezilla client)
With the above mentioned directories deleted, I typed http://voxbikol.net63.net/phpBB3 in my browser and the stand alone phpBB version 3.0.2 opened. I was automatically led to the Administator panel, where I must enter my phpBB admin user name and password. The same user name and password of the Drupal web site administrator should be entered.
Keep logged on to phpBB as we proceed to the next steps.
Installing and Configuring Drupal phpBBforum Moodule
1) Download the phpBBforum module from http://drupal.org/project/phpbbforum or
from http://vgb.org.ru.
Unpack the archive.
2) Install phpbb mod phpbbdrupal.
Go to the directory .../phpbbforum/contrib/phpbbdrupal/
You must at least patch file functions_user.php to avoid name conflict
in function user_delete.
Copy the file “function_user.php” located here:
[phpbbforum > contrib > phpbbdrupal > root > includes] ... to ...
[phpbb3 > includes] ... replacing the existing “function_user.php” file there.
Then, if you are using subsilver2 theme, copy the four icons named:
“icon_home.gif,” “icon_members.gif,” “icon_pages.gif,” “icon_ucp.gif” ... from ...
[phpbbforum > contrib > phpbbdrupal > root > styles > subsilver2 > theme > images] ... into ...
[phpBB3 > styles > subsilver2 > theme > images]
Then, if you are using prosilver theme
and would like to hide the vertical scrollbar in Firefox in iframe,
you may copy file “common.css” located here:
[phpbbforum > contrib > phpbbdrupal > root > styles > prosilver > theme] ... to ...
[phpBB3 > styles > prosilver > theme] ... replacing the existing
“common.css” file there.
or
You may simple to copy content of directory contrib/phpbbdrupal/root/ to your phpbb
root directory
3) Copy phpbbforum directory to your modules directory
sites/all/modules/phpbbforum/
Do not copy .../phpbbforum/contrib/ subdirectory or you may delete it.
phpbbforum install paths
Module -------------------------> Your site paths
+/phpbbforum -------------------> +/sites/all/modules/phpbbforum
(Path to phpBB api file: sites/all/modules/phpbbforum/includes/)
+/includes -------------------> +/sites/all/modules/phpbbforum/includes/
phpbb_api.php ----------------> phpbb_api.php (phpBB api file name:)
phpbb_api_subs.php -----------> phpbb_api_subs.php
phpbb_api_recent.php ---------> phpbb_api_recent.php
+/contrib
+/phpbbdrupal (phpBB forum root path: /home/vb/www/example.com/public_html/phpBB3/)
+/root ---------------------> +/phpBB3/
+/includes -----------------> +/includes
functions_user.php ----------> functions_user.php (replace or patch)
+/styles -------------------> +/styles
4) To test how you will be authenticated, login to your phpBB forum as admin.
It is assumed that you have both usernames with the same name ('admin' or your name) and the same password.
If you do not have so, change.
5) Open new window in browser with your Drupal site, login as admin,
navigate to Administer » modules and enable the phpBBforum and profile module.
6) Navigate to phpBBforum settings and enter the path to
phpBB root (path to forum's config.php file).
Save settings and ensure that phpBBforum successfully connected
to the phpBB database and you are authenticated.
Your path settings should look like this
phpBB forum root path:
/home/vb/www/example.com/public_html/phpbb/
Path to forum directory. Enter the full directory path where phpBB is installed.
Path to phpBB api file:
sites/all/modules/phpbbforum/includes/
Enter the full directory path where phpBB api file is located.
phpBB api file name:
phpbb_api.php
Enter phpBB api file name.
You should see in phpBBforum settings
Successfully locating phpBB installation.
Successfully locating sites/all/modules/phpbbforum/includes/phpbb_api.php.
Successfully connected to the phpBB database.
Successfully authenticated phpBB user: admin.
If you see Anonymous beenig logged in phpBB and Drupal as admin,
it is probably mean your settings are wrong.
You should go to phpBB settings and revise Server and qookie settings or do something else
in your environment, site and forum layout and settings.
7) Ensure that phpBB profile fields map with corresponding
drupal profile.module fields.
8) Ensure that corresponding profile.module fields exist.
If necessary create profile.module fields that match with
phpBB profile fields.
9) Navigate to Blocks.
Enable phpBBforum: Hidden authentication block.
Do not disable it in the future if you want advanced synchronyzation.
In configure add at least
(*) Show on every page except the listed pages.
user/reset/*
user/password
Enable the phpBBforum blocks you want to use (optional).
10) How to make phpBB work in frame
1. Go to Administer › Site configuration › phpBBforum settings
phpBB display way:
In the window
X In frame inside Drupal page
Save configuration
2. Go to Administer › Site configuration > Performance
Clear cached data
3. Go to Administer › Site building > Menus > Navigation
See Menu item with blank title in state (Disabled)
You may enable it if you do not want phpbbforum in Primary links
If you enable it your forum page will be with title.
Reset will help to remove the page title if you disable it back.
4. Go to Administer › Site building › Menus › Primary links
Enter Menu item phpbbforum.
Main page and link to phpBB in frame is
phpbbforum
To change this name you may add URL aliases (core module Path must be enabled).
Add next URL aliases (System path -> URL Alias)
For the path 'forums'
phpbbforum -> forums
phpbbforum/viewtopic.php -> forums/viewtopic.php
phpbbforum/viewforum.php -> forums/viewforum.php
phpbbforum/viewonline.php -> forums/viewonline.php
phpbbforum/memberlist.php -> forums/memberlist.php
phpbbforum/posting.php -> forums/posting.php
phpbbforum/search.php -> forums/search.php
phpbbforum/ucp.php -> forums/ucp.php
phpbbforum/mcp.php -> forums/mcp.php
phpbbforum/faq.php -> forums/faq.php
phpbbforum/report.php -> forums/report.php
phpbbforum/adm/index.php -> forums/adm/index.php
Administer › Site building › URL aliases › Add alias
Existing system path: http://example.com/phpbbforum
Specify the existing path you wish to alias. For example: node/28, forum/1, taxonomy/term/1+2.
http://example.com/forums
Specify an alternative path by which this data can be accessed.
For example, type "about" when writing an about page.
Use a relative path and don't add a trailing slash or the URL alias won't work.
All links from blocks will have that path 'forums' instead of system phpbbforum.
It works with or without Clean URLs enabled.
11. Pay attention to Drupal User settings
(*) Visitors can create accounts and no administrator approval is required.
Clear checkbox
[ ] Require e-mail verification when a visitor creates an account
If this box is checked, new users will be required to validate their e-mail address prior to logging into the site, and will be assigned a system-generated password. With it unchecked, users will be logged in immediately upon registering, and may select their own passwords during registration.
Go to User settings
(*) Visitors can create accounts and no administrator approval is required.
Clear checkbox
[ ] Require e-mail verification when a visitor creates an account
If this box is checked, new users will be required to validate their e-mail address prior to logging into the site, and will be assigned a system-generated password. With it unchecked, users will be logged in immediately upon registering, and may select their own passwords during registration.
12. Pay attention to phpBB Settings
User registration settings
Account activation: () Disable (*) None () By User () By Admin
This determines whether users have immediate access to the board or if confirmation is required. You can also completely disable new registrations.
If you set By User, user must to login first to phpBB and after that you will see that he is registered.
Set to None for test purposes.
Username length:
Minimum and maximum number of characters in usernames. [1] [30]
Password length:
Minimum and maximum number of characters in passwords. [5] [30]
Security settings
Check IP against DNS Blackhole List: () Yes (*) No
You may switch off
Check e-mail domain for valid MX record: () Yes (*) No
If enabled, the e-mail domain provided on registration and profile changes is checked for a valid MX record.
Cookie settings
These details define the data used to send cookies to your users browsers. In most cases the default values for the cookie settings should be sufficient. If you do need to change any do so with care, incorrect settings can prevent users logging in.
Cookie settings
Cookie domain:
Cookie path:
Server settings
Server URL settings
Domain name:
The domain name this board runs from (for example: www.example.com).
Script path:
The path where phpBB is located relative to the domain name, e.g. /phpBB3.
You should revise all settings that may affect the behavior of the module.
Install first locally and ensure that with your settings it works as you expect.
Upgrade
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Replace old files in your modules directory .../modules/phpbbforum/
2) Login to your phpBB forum as admin.
3) Login to your Drupal site (www.example.com/user/login will help you).
4) Navigate to phpBBforum settings and ensure that phpBBforum
successfully connected to the phpBB database and you are authenticated.
5) Navigate to Blocks.
Enable the phpBBforum blocks you want to use.
Upstart Social Network to Share Revenue With Members
The Beta stage is almost over and it's not only free membership that you get. Upstart social network, ZenZuu, pays you to sign-up your friends and it also promises to share 80% of its advertising revenue with its members.
Scour the Internet and you will find only one social network that pays its members to get sign-ups. ZenZuu promises to be a next generation social networking platform and calls others ancient. Just like in MySpace, FaceBook, Friendster, LinkedIn and others, your also create your own profile and get exposure for your website and business. The difference is that ZenZuu pays you for signing up your friends, who automatically become your downlines. This may conjure pyramidal marketing schemes with variable successes (or failures) in the past. But here you do not lose money. The idea is to make money while you make friends, going by ZenZuu's motto: Make Friends. Make Money. Make Sense.As additional flavor, ZenZuu even offers to share 80% of its advertising revenue with its members. If you suspect that the big social networks produce tons of money for their stockholders, you are partly right. Front-runner MySpace has 270M members and still growing, producing millions of dollars in monthly revenue. Facebook is far second with 60M but is expected to have 200M by the end of this year. Facebook's founder, another Harvard dropout, recently sold a small part of the company for 240M. He is now worth $3B on paper. ZenZuu's owner is worth a little over $100M, but in his drive to join the ranks of the billionaires he likes ZenZuu's members to be happy as well. We will be watching how far this rather aggressive marketing innovation goes. ZenZuu.com's Google PageRank and Alexa ranking are shooting up really fast, even while in Beta testing. These are the website indicators that advertisers watch before they spend millions just to showcase their products and services. We expect ZenZuu to launch with a bang in a few weeks.
Sounds like ZenZuu has raised the bar in this trillion-dollar business. If others follow its example, social networkers will be elated. Who would mind receiving regular paychecks from MySpace or Facebook or Friendster?
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