| I am just a learner who likes to delve in websites | | | | emails. (But first make sure that the email server |
| as a hobby. Hobbies are what make life so | | | | can handle the file size)Making e-books presented |
| enjoyable for me. I have tried many other things | | | | a need for a completely different range of |
| - watercolor and pastel painting, organic gardening, | | | | knowledge and skills that are built up upon each |
| kayak making, dinghy sailing, kite making, origami, | | | | other. It is not as easy as it looks. For those who |
| stock photography, cartooning, carpentry, rock | | | | do not know much about computers, Internet |
| collecting, snake rearing and many other unusual | | | | and web designing, it can be quite a struggle!For |
| pursuits. Somehow, as time goes on, and for | | | | these people, I have got a solution. Perhaps they |
| some particular reason, they gradually become | | | | could use my service to design e-books. I have |
| just bits of historical and passing interests for me. | | | | the knowledge and the skill that people can |
| Amidst these passing interests, the Internet | | | | use.Think for a while. Almost anybody has |
| comes along.From the first day I learned to surf | | | | something to say that is valuable to another |
| the Internet, I became impressed by it. I could | | | | person. Each person has his or hers own |
| not recall whether it was the incredible amount of | | | | experience. A secondary school student may |
| knowledge that can be found there, or was it the | | | | know how to make a cute and adorable doll out |
| quality of the reading medium that struck me. But | | | | of easily obtainable cloth materials. A housewife |
| it did.I was hooked. At that time, I was gathering | | | | might want to reveal a special recipe that is |
| information on how to make a kayak. Well, not all | | | | handed down from past generations that could |
| the information was exactly the way I had | | | | become the springboard to fame.A retired |
| wanted it, but by carefully piecing all the bits and | | | | carpenter or hobbyist may know how to make a |
| pieces of information together, I managed to use | | | | special piece of furniture that will fit some space |
| them to make a fully functional kayak, custom | | | | in the living room of an apartment. A car |
| made to suit me.Deep down inside me, I was so | | | | enthusiast may know of some tips about |
| excited by this technology, that I wanted so | | | | choosing and testing a used car. A sports |
| much to get involved too.Then a MLM company | | | | enthusiast may like to share his secrets of scoring |
| that calls themselves SkyX (Not their real name) | | | | at a certain game. A gambler may have some |
| came to the scene. They were supposedly going | | | | insider tips that he wants to sell. All these are |
| to revolutionize the world of online business. They | | | | knowledge that can be tapped and sold.Talk about |
| operated their business very much like a pyramid | | | | the Global-Economy! This is it! Anybody is capable |
| scheme, with their main products being a web | | | | of contributing to the Global-Economy. If the |
| design software, some learning tool and web | | | | information is useful, and it can be written down, |
| hosting for one year that teaches one how to | | | | or illustrated, there will surely be someone on |
| make websites. To me at that time, it was the | | | | Planet Earth who wants to pay to learn from |
| product I was looking for. Being so very new to | | | | it.E-books have the advantage over books printed |
| the Internet, I did not try to look at other | | | | on paper. Distribution is instantaneous, cost is low, |
| options.That's what the company wanted! The | | | | and format is colorful and interactive, and most |
| trap has been sprung. Sweet talking me with their | | | | important of all, self-publishing for the unknown |
| attractive carrot bait, the members made me | | | | author. You don't even have to find a publisher |
| lose my grip on myself and I succumbed to their | | | | for your e-book! And you don't have to sell it |
| enticements. Although I was aware that people | | | | locally. You can expose it to anywhere on the |
| have been conned into pyramid schemes before, | | | | Internet.Although the Internet has leveled the |
| I was somehow swayed by their explanations | | | | playing field somewhat, I found that the major |
| about multi-level marketing concepts and how | | | | players are still dominated by companies in the |
| their business structure was a bit different from | | | | USA. When I scouted around for a reasonably |
| pyramid schemes. They really knew how to play | | | | priced facility that will enable me to receive |
| on my emotions and weakness to their | | | | payment for credit card purchases, I could not |
| advantage.They had all the workings of a | | | | find many around that will accept participants |
| well-established network that gives support to all | | | | from my country.Well, after searching for |
| the members, organizing presentations and holding | | | | sometime, I did find one that suits my budget - a |
| functions. What did I do then? Since I was already | | | | reasonably priced one that I can use.Next I went |
| part of the network, I had to do my part in | | | | into affiliate marketing. The concept is simple. My |
| getting more members. If not, I won't recover | | | | website serves as a storefront for other |
| my money. So for a very short while I did just | | | | merchant's advertising banners. When people who |
| that.Eventually, this Company was sued and it | | | | are attracted by the merchant's banners, click on |
| went bankrupt. That was the end of the chapter. | | | | them, they got transported to the merchant's |
| My money just went down the drain! It was a | | | | website. If the visitor buys anything, a percentage |
| bitter and expensive lesson to learn.But the lesson | | | | of the purchase price will be paid to me.I find that |
| was well learned. I bit the bullet, picked up the | | | | some money can be made from this. It depends |
| pieces, and behaved as if nothing had happened. I | | | | on how well you design your website and how |
| was determined to make full use of what I had | | | | well you encourage your visitors to click on the |
| purchased. Looking back at the situation, I recalled | | | | banners. Your website has to be carefully |
| that taking part in MLM activities was never on | | | | designed and the wordings selected to induce |
| my agenda in the first place. Learning how to | | | | people to go to the merchant you represent. |
| make websites was.And so from that clumsy | | | | Some merchants pay 5%, some 10%, and some |
| beginning, making use of the product, and working | | | | more. By carefully choosing the merchant to |
| on it when I had the time, and completely at my | | | | match the contents of your website you will get |
| own pace, I managed to learn the rudiments of | | | | more click-throughs. More click-throughs means |
| web designing. I borrowed books from the library | | | | more sales. It's a numbers game.Any marketing |
| to supplement my knowledge. I learned basic html | | | | person will know that the more visitors I have, |
| language, color notations, picture editing and other | | | | the more the potential for a sale. So I have to |
| simple steps. The websites that I created were | | | | find out how to bring in visitors. The most logical |
| so very crude.But it was fun and exciting for me. | | | | step is to tackle the search engines. It is |
| It's a new toy. And it's magical.After surfing for | | | | estimated that 80% of all the traffic comes from |
| some time on the Internet, the knowledge in me | | | | the search engines.This time I explored search |
| gradually grew. I picked up bits and pieces | | | | engine optimization. How do I place myself near to |
| everywhere. By the time, the MLM collapsed, I | | | | the top of the search engine listings? By |
| was already well versed in html language and I | | | | optimizing for the search engines, people will be |
| was no longer that fresh. I had also acquired the | | | | able to search for my website and it will come |
| necessary photo editing skills to make presentable | | | | out near the top and not somewhere in the |
| websites.I bought a scanner and started to | | | | thousandth position. But it's a continuous learning |
| generate images for my websites. Unfortunately, | | | | process. Search engines are constantly changing |
| most of my photographs were transparencies. So | | | | their algorithm to beat spammers. Yes, there are |
| I had to copy and develop them into photo prints | | | | spammers on websites too, webmasters who |
| before I could scan them.I searched around for a | | | | tries to beat the search engine rules.As my web |
| few web-hosting companies that offer free | | | | knowledge improved, I became more and more |
| hosting and decided to try out my new skills on | | | | adventurous. I noticed that many websites have |
| them. It took me some time but I got around | | | | forms that allow visitors to fill up and the owner |
| getting used to their routines eventually. My first | | | | of the website will receive the information. It's a |
| efforts on these free hosting companies were | | | | great way to collect data. So I found out how to |
| nothing to boast about. (Although I did get | | | | do that. It's great fun receiving messages from |
| feedback from people who said that they were | | | | somebody from the other end of the world.Then |
| good. Surprise, surprise!)I also learned to use the | | | | there are scripts. They can do magic on the |
| search engines, and I found them very useful. | | | | website. Dates can be automatically displayed and |
| They opened up a whole new way of finding | | | | updated. Calculations can be done. Images can be |
| information for me. Almost any subject could be | | | | changed automatically. Counters can display the |
| found with just a click from the mouse.As I dug | | | | number of visitors. Guest books can be signed. |
| up more information both from the Internet and | | | | They are fantastic pieces of code done by |
| also from library books on designing, and handling | | | | talented programmers.Since they are so |
| images, I became more and more proficient. I | | | | marvelous, I had to make use of them. Some of |
| learned how to use ftp to upload my files to the | | | | the scripts were described as simple. Indeed most |
| host server. This saved me a lot of time. Most | | | | of them are very simple to use. However, when I |
| important of all, I saved on Internet call charges | | | | looked at their source codes, they are extremely |
| on my telephone bill.Reading through what the | | | | gibberish to me. I really marvel at the work done |
| experts say, I came to the conclusion that one of | | | | by the programmers of these scripts. Perhaps in |
| the most important characteristics of a good | | | | the future, I might want to pursue this line of |
| website is the content and its loading speed. I | | | | programming activity. I can see great possibilities |
| have observed some sites that give very flashy | | | | there.At this moment, cgi scripts catch my |
| and impressive animations, but unfortunately, | | | | attention. Cgi is short for Common Gateway |
| were rather slow loading. I decided in favor of | | | | Interface. They need a bit of tweaking in order to |
| functionality.My websites must be fast loading and | | | | work because they must run on the web server |
| full of content. I also found out that to make the | | | | on the host. Recently I had the chance to install a |
| page load fast, the file size of the images should | | | | cgi script on a server. It took me a few days of |
| be small. So I optimized all my web photographs | | | | tweaking and communication before it worked, as |
| accordingly to jpeg and gif format to make their | | | | it should. They are not for the faint-hearted |
| file sizes small.Then I looked at other things like | | | | beginner. But once the beginner has acquired the |
| making my websites crawler friendly. (The spider | | | | necessary knowledge, these scripts shouldn't be a |
| at the search engines will crawl inside the Internet | | | | problem to install. Once they work, you can |
| to find your site. This spider is not the creepy | | | | forget about them, because they will run by |
| crawly type that will give you the goose bumps, | | | | themselves, automatically.Would the learner in me |
| but they work on the web just like a real | | | | be able to teach people? Perhaps it might. After |
| spider)Although I am aware that the html | | | | going through many years of hands-on and |
| software editor that I use is not so efficient in | | | | disciplined study of websites, software, and the |
| generating clean html, and that it adds a lot of | | | | Internet, maybe I have acquired sufficient |
| extra html tags that are redundant, thus making | | | | knowledge that people might be willing to pay to |
| the files bigger than required, I will leave it as it is | | | | know. Perhaps this might be the subject of |
| for the time being. There are still many other | | | | another e-book.Note: Virus Attacks can Disable all |
| things that I still want to explore and develop.One | | | | Your Valuable Data! Play safe and |
| of them is e-book creation. E-books are one of | | | | Protect Yourself.Many years of working |
| the most efficient ways to present information to | | | | experience in Marine, Facilities, |
| people. They can be published completely with | | | | Construction has given the author material for |
| text, images, color, hyperlinks, animation, and | | | | writing e-books |
| sounds on CD's and diskettes. They can also be | | | | and articles related to engineering, and |
| downloaded through the Internet, or sent through | | | | management. |