Category: Musings

(A Personal and Business Decision)

(PART I) (Why I Recommend Joomla for my Client’s Main Sites and My Own

I’ve been reading quite a bit about blogging and client site creation lately. In the midst of this I’ve seen quite a few sites promoting Word Press to replace static html or Frontpage or even Dreamweaver sites. They promote it for a multitude of reasons and I can see for the first time site owner, a WordPress site makes a lot of sense.

So as I evaluated this information and content, which by no means is shallow or ill advised. I had to think about why was it that every client I have, I’m recommending they go with Joomla not WordPress, including my own Church and if my friends in Austin agree to use my services, I’ll recommend Joomla to them as well.

The first reason I’m recommending Joomla is. . .

1. It’s a great Content Management System.

Joomla easily manages user logins and registrations along with the ability to give my end users the control to upload and edit information on their own sites without me having to continuously be the bottleneck to providing up to the minute information to their clients.

2. The overall look and feel of Joomla can be easily changed

using many multitudes of professionally and privately created themes. These themes provide a wholesale modification to the site’s look and feel that can be had in minutes. In addition the headers and information can then be further customized to give the user just the right feeling about their site and online presence.

3. Joomla has a multitude of easy to use plugins, components and modules

that are generally a breeze to install, maintain and publish. They let me do things such as Photo Galleries, Public Calendar’s, Mini-Calendars, Easy to Create Forms, Shopping Carts and a whole lot more that I haven’t explored yet. The installations are a snap, read the directions match the Component or Module to the proper installation routine and choose the uncompressed zip file. Joomla takes care of uploading and installing the component / module all based on the routines contained in the installation routine. That is very very nice.

4. Joomla has a quick and default application settings that lend it to a Small Business, Corporate or Organization’s structure

and inner workings. These configurations are easily modifiable from changing whether the “Blog” option is available to modifying Content and Category options, to providing a multitude of links and information from the main site. The inline photos are great and online streaming works without a hitch from what I’ve seen personally. In addition to this the front-page can easily be set to provide “Teasers” or short subsets of information so users, readers and consumers can quickly digest what they need and continue on if they need to. The site also has an easy to Navigate Backend that provides full access to the online menus both on the top side and bottom of the website. This flexibility allows a seamless look and modification that just isn’t as easy to perform under WP.

5. Joomla’s Community is Vibrant and Full of many Brick and Mortar as well as Online Companies.

This feeling of community that had dug in and provided a growing and dynamic portfolio that is both useful to new online businesses and to the small business entrepreneur that makes me stick with Joomla for such a recommendation. In addition to this plugins such as Community Builder leave the promise of a multi-tiered Web 2.0 community to a soon fruition with customized Profiles, Online Questionnaires and Community Building.

I’ve go to say I really do love Word Press and I’ll be continuing this article soon with those reasons I choose Word Press to blog with. So please feel free to comment or leave your feedback, I don’t mind at all. And since I’ve only used Joomla for just a little less than a year and Word Press for 2 years, I’m likely to have missed some things so feel free to point them out. But don’t forget to read on for Part II

C

Google recently announced a Free Information Service available via phone

1 (800) FREE 411 which for those of you who have trouble translating Phone stuff is
1 (800) 373-3411

Thanks to

Lifehacker

for the 411 . . .

Well I have to admit it . . . I think I’m a Google fanboy. . . not in the annoying plug Google at every opportunity on every site I can find fanboy but a fanboy none the less. . .

And I have to say the newest feature that I found I love is the Personalized Home page. . . I know I know, been there, done that got the T-Shirt. . . yeah yeah that’s what I thought too, when I stumbled over to the site again today.

For those of you that don’t have a personalized home page then you can get one by simply going to google.com and click the link at the top that says ‘Personalize this Page’

Well that’s all well and good now to the part where you probably don’t have the T-Shirt.

1st Google has added themes to the home page. . . I’ve got to say I’m only mildly impressed, it is nice to have choice but you know Santa Clause and Blue Nights and Pink things just ain’t doing it for me. . . Give me Classic. . .

2nd they added are Really nice feature “Add Tab” Hmm. . . what’s that I thought as I looked at the page, then a pop up dialog appeared asking me to name my tab. . . Well I thought okay, I’ve got a couple tech sites, favorite quote a limited sports thing and a quick view of my gmail here already so why don’t I add eh. . Sports. Okay I see the “I’m Feeling Lucky” Check box is already selected. . . I’ll give it a whirl. . .hey woah Nellie, that wasn’t half bad!

I got a whole page of customized content and in just a few seconds! How many tabs can I add. . . ahh. . . only 6 I was slightly disappointed. . . I have to say. . . I could think of at least 3 more tabs I wanted to add. . . What how can someone have 6 tabs. . . This is how. . .

Home, Sports, Entertainment, US News, Technology and Religion. There ya go. . . 6 tabs. . .now I thought okay . . . what does it give me. . .wow. . . Religious quotes, readings, daily bible verses and a Read through the bible in a year! Very very nice. . . I have to say I was very impressed. . . .

Check it Out when you get a chance. . .

Why do some people who are otherwise bright and intelligent do stupid things when they get on a computer like send me this email using an automated system!

This was in response to my redacted response to their request to remove them from a mailing list:

This is an automated message. Remove me from your e-mail list immediately. You will receive this message every time you spam my e-mail account. I have a rule set up to permanently delete any messages from your domain and automatically forward this message every time you send an e-mail to me. Should I receive links to the same website you directed me to I will activate the Revenge(tm) program. Revenge would automatically sign you or this user up for almost 300 mailing lists to provide a graphic illustration of what it’s like to receive unwanted junk e-mail.

Hello ***(Removed to Protect the Idiot)***,
I’m sorry to be unable to assist you but this is a spoofed email.
It did not come from MYCOMPANY and tktk@***(DOMAIN REMOVED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT THIRD PARTY)***.com is not a valid email address for our domain.

http://www.joewein.net/spam/spam-replica-watches.htm

As you can see in this online write-up the sending email address is as the write up says an “innocent third party”

I’ve done the whois and apic look ups to provide the actual name of the Spammer (Listed in the BTW: section below) however, I would not recommend that you try contacting the Spammer directly as this will most likely cause an escalation in SPAM sent to your email address.

Sincerely,
Me

BTW: Here are the details of www.coke-collection.com which is a recently acquired domain name by a Hong Kong corporation.

COKE-COLLECTION.COM

59.188.12.119
Record Type: IP Address

OrgName: Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (This is a Regional Domain Registar not the Spammer, but they have the Spammer’s registered Information-)
OrgID: APNIC
Address: PO Box 2131
City: Milton
StateProv: QLD
PostalCode: 4064
Country: AU

ReferralServer: whois://whois.apnic.net

NetRange: 59.0.0.0 – 59.255.255.255
CIDR: 59.0.0.0/8
NetName: APNIC-59
NetHandle: NET-59-0-0-0-1
Parent:
NetType: Allocated to APNIC
NameServer: NS1.APNIC.NET
NameServer: NS3.APNIC.NET
NameServer: NS4.APNIC.NET
NameServer: TINNIE.ARIN.NET
NameServer: NS.LACNIC.NET
NameServer: NS-SEC.RIPE.NET
Comment: This IP address range is not registered in the ARIN database.
Comment: For details, refer to the APNIC Whois Database via
Comment: WHOIS.APNIC.NET or http://www.apnic.net/apnic-bin/whois2.pl
Comment: ** IMPORTANT NOTE: APNIC is the Regional Internet Registry
Comment: for the Asia Pacific region. APNIC does not operate networks
Comment: using this IP address range and is not able to investigate
Comment: spam or abuse reports relating to these addresses. For more
Comment: help, refer to http://www.apnic.net/info/faq/abuse
RegDate: 2004-05-04
Updated: 2005-05-20

OrgTechHandle: AWC12-ARIN
OrgTechName: APNIC Whois Contact
OrgTechPhone: +61 7 3858 3100
OrgTechEmail: search-apnic-not-arin@apnic.net

Offending Party i.e. the person that would be making money from the SPAM

% Whois data copyright terms http://www.apnic.net/db/dbcopyright.html

inetnum: 59.188.12.64 – 59.188.12.127
netname: FECOM-HK
country: HK
descr: F.E.Company (This is most likely falsified but it is what is listed in the official Asian Registry -)
descr: Servers and Internet
descr: Access Facilities
descr: Hong Kong
admin-c: AC286-AP
tech-c: AC286-AP
status: ASSIGNED NON-PORTABLE
changed: npconwt@yahoo.co.uk 20051101
mnt-by: MAINT-HK-NEWWORLDTEL
source: APNIC

person: Anson Chan
nic-hdl: AC286-AP
e-mail: ansonapnic@gmail.com
address: 17/F Chevalier Commercial Centre,
address: 8 Wang Hoi Road, Kowloon Bay,
address: Hong Kong
phone: +852-21337341
fax-no: +852-21332008
country: HK
changed: edward.lam@newworldtel.com 20060618
mnt-by: MAINT-HK-NEWWORLDTEL
source: APNIC

—–Original Message—–
From: ***REMOVED TO PROTECT THEIDIOT***@**THEIDIOT’sDOMAIN.com [mailto:***REMOVED TO PROTECT THE IDIOT ***@***SAMETHING.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 3:33 PM
To: ***USER REMOVED***@***(DOMAIN REMOVED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT THIRD PARTY)***.com
Subject:

Hello,

Could you please remove me from this e-mail list?

Thank you

—–Original Message—–
From: Wilson Villegas [mailto:tktk@***(DOMAIN REMOVED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT THIRD PARTY)***.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 12:08 PM
To: Andrews, Sarah (TF Ctr Exe)
Subject: [TAGGED]: prestige replicas avail

We only sell premium watches.

There’s no bat tery in these re plicas just like the real ones since they charge themselves as you move.
The second hand moves JUST like the real ones, too. These original watches sell in stores for thousands of dollars.
We se ll them for much less.

– Replicated to the Smallest Detail

– 98% Perfectly Accurate Markings

– Signature Green Sticker w/ Serial Number on Wa tch Back

– Magnified Quickset Date

– Includes all Proper Markings

www.coke-collection.com