Web 2.0 – An Explanation from a Web Design Perspective

Have you noticed that in this age of lightning-fast knowledge transfer, new tech terms get coined and worn out before most people even understand what they mean (think AJAX)? �Web 2.0� is another one of those terms. Here I will try to explain what Web 2.0 really means and what effect it will have on the job of a web designer.



What is Web 2.0?



The term �Web 2.0� is already being used to describe any site that has big XP-style icons and lots of white space, but the term really defines how a website functions much more than how it looks. Here are the most important characteristics of Web 2.0 sites:



- Social aspects � Web 2.0 websites harness the collective intelligence of the users by enabling user contribution and interaction with the idea that the collective knowledge of the users is far above and beyond any one person or company. In addition, by engaging customers, your site naturally causes a viral networking effect causing word to spread faster and faster. No traditional corporate marketing plan can compete with the effects of this kind of viral networking.



- Web applications instead of web sites � As the dot com crash so painfully pointed out, hype will only last for so long. Eventually you are going to need to provide a valuable service to internet users or they will simply click the Back button, never to return. It�s so easy to do so. Likewise, many smart folks, such as those at Google realized that you don�t need to waste your time making a flashy website with lots of mediocre content � the visitors will come if you provide a valuable service that is easy to use.



- Simple and efficient user experience � Gone are the days of waiting for pages to download every time you click a link or button. Leaving your website takes just one twitch of a finger - users won�t stand for it. Technologies such as JavaScript and AJAX enable portions of pages to update without having to reload, making for an efficient and enjoyable user experience.



You�ll notice from the list above that Web 2.0 is not so much about giant icons and text, or white space and pastel colors, but actual functionality that engages users to build something greater than any one person can.



This all has a few important implications for you, the web designer. First, designing Web 2.0 pages from a creative viewpoint is going to be much more enjoyable. No longer will you be encouraged to cram every little open space on the page with images or content. In the Web 2.0 world, less is more. The purpose of the simple design is to eliminate the noise and clearly explain how to use the website.



Secondly, you�ll need to design with the knowledge that there is going to be a whole lot more functionality placed behind the pages you create than before. For example, instead of cramming six different div tags on a single page, they may be combined into tabs and switched via JavaScript. As another example, you may find that your old friend the Submit button is going the way of the Dodo as JavaScript events on linked images are much more attractive and don�t trigger a page load.



Depending on your level of technical knowledge, you may or may not actually implement the functionality on the pages you create, but you should be aware of how to design for the new Web 2.0 style. Some people call Web 2.0 a meaningless marketing buzzword, but when you get past the obvious visual differences, which are there merely to provide a simple and enjoyable experience, you�ll see that the true concepts of Web 2.0 are what users want in a website, and so they truly are here to stay.



Joel Carlson works for Bitwise Logic, Inc. - a professional web site design company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota which provides useful custom web applications, design and hosting for businesses of all sizes.

Data Backup in Web Hosting Industry

Data is very important in any business whether it is online or offline. Data stored in your server cannot be lost as it puts a full stop to your business. If you lose data then you have to spend a lot money, time and effort to replace them. In some critical applications it is not even easy to replace the data. Hence a wise decision is to find some ways to retain your data. This is where Back-up comes into picture.



Data back-up is a process in which you save your valuable data to some remote server or in some media which can be used to restore them back when you need it. You may face situations in which you application becomes corrupt or your data file is corrupted. Intentional damage, natural disasters, and hardware failure are some of the other situations which makes your lose your data. During such situations you can use the data that is backed up in your remote server to restore.



A periodic backup is necessary so that you do not lose much data when a contingency occurs. Data backup in web hosting industry is common and is also a must, since they face a lot of contingencies mentioned above. With ever increasing viruses and worms you may not when you will lose your data. Hence taking backup of your data is a must in these days.



Any web hosting account that you purchase also comes up with a comprehensive backup scheme that can be used to backup the important data that you might have in the server. If you have a site that has many users (members), then it is important that you also backup the data of your users also. Under such situations it is better to backup the site data and the users� data separately so that you can restore which ever you want.



A backup can be incremental or full backup. Full backup is to take a backup of all the data available in the site, whereas the incremental backup is to take a backup of the data that has changed since the last backup. It takes a lot of time and space to take a full backup of your site. Backup is taken usually in the tar format or the .gz format. Taking backups in these formats saves a lot of space and time.



Most of the web hosting services provides a backup plan which could be monthly, weekly, or daily basis. The data thus backed up is stored offline on a secure server. Some services charge you for the backup services provided by them. Some of the hosting providers provide you the necessary tools to take a backup so that you can schedule backup on your own. If your site has critical data then hourly backup can also be sought after. Such exclusive backups are charged by the hosting provider.



Hence taking a backup of the important data and the site is important in the web hosting industry so that the website can be restored in the minimum time with minimum interruption to the users.



Author recommends web hosting provided by Marble Host. Marble Host offers daily data back-up and 99.9% uptime guarantee. Visit www.marblehost.com for more information.

8 Easy Routes to Cheaper Car Insurance

Car insurance is one of the most expensive costs involved in driving a car, and it's not something you can avoid - a minimum level of insurance is required by law. That doesn't mean you have to blindly pay whatever your insurer quotes though, as there are several simple things you can do to reduce the cost of your premiums.

1) Shop around and buy online: Figures show that many people simply renew their current policies without shopping around. The internet makes it easy to compare prices from different insurers, so why not take advantage of this? Plus, you'll usually get a discount of 10% or more just for buying your policy online.

2) Policy type: do you really need a comprehensive policy with all the extras? Going for a third party fire & theft policy can reduce your premiums hugely, and is definitely worth considering if your car isn't an expensive model.

3) No claims discounts: Nearly all policies feature a discount that increases for every year you don't make a claim. The higher the discount available, the more you could save. Also look at insurers offering a 'no claims bonus for life' feature, where your current discount level can be fixed forever, even if you have to make a claim somewhere down the line.

4) Excess: The excess on a policy is the amount of a claim you have to pay before the insurer pays the rest. Choosing to have a higher than standard excess level will usually mean lower premiums.

5) Security: Fitting your vehicle with an alarm, immobiliser, or other security devices can lead to premium reductions. Parking you car off-road, for example on a driveway or in a garage, will also mean a cheaper policy.

6) Pay annually: Many insurers charge you interest for the privilege of paying in monthly installments. Pay annually if you can afford it to avoid this, or look for one of the companies who don't charge extra for monthly payment.

7) Mileage: The more mileage you run up every year, the more your insurance will cost. Even if you can't reduce your mileage, make sure you're not overestimating how much you actually do drive, and give your insurer an accurate figure.

8) Drivers: The more drivers you have on your policy, the more it will cost. Reduce the number of people insured to drive your car to the minimum possible, and try to get the policy in the name of a driver with the lowest risk profile. For example, if a car is driven by both a man and a woman, insuring it in the woman's name will often result in a cheaper quote.



Nicholas Hunt is a contributing writer for www.1stop-finance.co.uk, where you can browse car insurance reviews or read a more detailed article about getting cheaper car insurance.

Memory Foam Mattress And Pain relief

If you suffer from chronic pain in your joints, back, lower back or neck etc. then you will know what it's like to never be able to sit down or go to bed without being in severe discomfort most of the time. It seems that what should be the most comfortable furniture in the house has suddenly become instruments of torture.



A possible solution for some people with chronic pain from Pagets disease or arthritis or other debilitating conditions is to use furniture made from memory foam. Memory foam mattresses are known to help you sleep by making the bed more comfortable and it is being used more and more in luxury hotels and even cinemas to make the experience more enjoyable.



How does memory foam help to relieve pain?



Memory foam becomes softer as the temperature rises and because it's an insulating material it is possible to increase the temperature of the foam in localised areas. When you lie on a sheet of memory foam some parts of your body will press into the foam more than others. On a conventional mattress this would cause pressure spots where your body presses into the material, which can then cause pain or pressure sores. When you lie on a memory foam mattress the foam will be heated by your body in places where it presses into the foam the most. This causes the foam to soften in those areas and allows your body to sink into it at that point. After a while the memory foam will mould itself to your body giving you all over support for every part of your body.



When all of your body is fully supported by the soft warm foam the pressure on every part of your body in contact with it is equal. Because there are no longer any single points of contact to cause pressure hot spots, all of your body will feel more comfortable. It's this removal of pressure points by distributing the pressure over all of your body that gives you relief from pain.



Why was memory foam developed in the first place?



Memory foam was originally developed for NASA for use in the space program. It was to be used as padding for the astronaut's seats as a means to relieve some of the discomfort experienced from high acceleration or 'G' forces. I'm not quite sure how this was expected to work in that situation however because the astronauts would be wearing space suits at the time which would insulate them from the foam in the seats. No heat no softening of the memory foam.



Memory foam also gives off small amounts of toxic gasses when it's new which has been the popular reason given for why NASA never actually used it in their space craft. In space there is nowhere for the gas to go.



Experiment to find the best solution for you



Memory foam mattresses are still expensive products, especially good quality ones, so it pays to try out some alternatives before changing your mattress. Memory foam pillows and toppers can easily be found and they can make a significant difference if you are having trouble sleeping. There are also cheaper materials like high-density polyurethane foam and latex foam that are also very good and might suit your pocket better.



I've recently experienced some lower back pain problems, which were astonishingly uncomfortable. My lovely comfortable soft furnishings turned into a torture chamber because I couldn't get comfortable on them no matter how hard I tried. A few memory foam cushions might help you out if you have similar problems.



Free information about memory foam mattresses and other products www.thememoryfoammattress.com Memory Foam Mattress substitute helps with chronic pain

Choosing the right Web Hosting for your Ecommerce oriented business

People get intimidated when they think about web hosting, but with a little time and effort, you can have a nice website to share with the world wide web. Before you start shelling out money for a domain and web space, you need to decide what you need a website for and how detailed you plan on making it.



For most users, there are plenty of free resources for personal sites. When shopping for web hosting, it is important to consider your primary use of a website. Will it be for business or personal use? How many visitors do you anticipate having each month? Each web hosting company provides a variety of packages, each of which has a bandwidth limit. This is the number of visitors that can access your website on a monthly basis and the price of your web hosting will be largely determined by this and other factors.



Many companies offer free web hosting services in exchange for them placing banner advertisements on the website owner's page. The majority of free web hosting services, however, are designed for personal or small business use. The reason is because they offer a small amount of megabyte availability for website storage and do not provide a URL that is easy to remember.



In the present online climate, many business Websites are being used as online shops and online service providing resources, where the customer or the client would feel equally comfortable browsing in an actual office or shop as surfing the related business Website.



These Web sites can also take advantage of "shopping cart" functions for online shopping, which means one can shop virtually on the net, satisfying their need by selecting and purchasing the products they want to buy. Traditionally, web hosting refers to the service that keeps a Web site's content online at a specified URL, making the content available to Web surfers. However, now many of these ecommerce applications can be bundled at a low cost in discount ecommerce web hosting packages from hosting providers.



The very role of ecommerce in our life and its influence is nearly beyond measure, and thus, it is imperative that a business keep an online presence. eCommerce is essential for the growth of an online business, especially moving forward. e-Commerce web hosting packages are a valuable in that they can create and increase revenue and profitability for an online business. e-Commerce even reduces overhead costs and can play a major role in revolutionizing your customer service. And if the eCommerce web hosting can be found at a discounted price, then there is no question about the value of these services.



However, there are certain things that have to be fulfilled if one wants to receive the full potential value of eCommerce web hosting. They are: registration, web hosting, web designing, web promotion through creating links, database solutions and marketing, software development and other add-ons including privacy policies. Web hosting packages with e-Commerce solutions at a discount rate can provide the most secure ways for your customers and you to begin trading online, where the business would demand less face time from your end. After all, eCommerce or the flourish of commercial activities through the electronic medium holds the very future of the commercial world.



Owner of the Internet Marketing blog and Web Hosting Solution with.us where you can find reviews, articles, solutions and links about web hosting.

Qualities of a Good Web Designer

Many �web designers� these days are actually graphic designers far more proficient in print media than web media. Sure, they will tell you that they are well versed in web design, and might even tell you that there is little difference between graphic design and web design. Sadly, most of them actually believe this. And therein lies the problem.

Web design is a wholly unique thing unto itself. The resolutions, color pallets, sizes, and layouts are entirely different between print and web. And the construction methods are completely different.

When dealing with print media, it is heavily graphic oriented. Often event the content of the print material is embedded in graphics, or special fonts. On the web of course, the exact opposite is true. A skilled web designer will know the idiosyncrasies of different operating systems and browsers versions. How the page code is built is the primary art when building a web page. It takes true skill, experience, and knowledge to build a page that looks attractive, is coded properly to load quickly and to be indexed well by search engines, and to display well on different browsers and OSs.

So what should you look for when trying to find a good web designer? To the uninformed this can be a rather tricky proposition. But with a little education and a few things to look for, you can minimize your risk.

In order to help you identify what to look for in a web designer, I have created the top 5 things to look for when searching for a web designer.

1. Ask to see examples of their past work (their portfolio). This is probably the most important. If the web designer in question cannot produce any past work, cannot produce any work that they did entirely on their own, or produce work that is questionably their own, then don�t be the guinea pig for this designer to cut their teeth on. When you look at their portfolio, do you like what you see? Do the designs look clean and professional? Is the layout effective? Is it easy to navigate and use the site? These are important qualities to look for.

2. Ask them how updates to the site will be made. For the most part you�ll be better off if you have the ability to update the website yourself through some sort of Content Management System (CMS), or other control panel type interface that you have access to. This will allow you to make changes to static content. If you will need to pay the designer every time you want to update some copy on the site, it will not only be more expensive for you, but you will most likely not be able to update your website in a timely manner.

3. A good web designer will be able to build the site using modern HTML and cascading style sheet techniques. Most people seeking out a good web designer will not have any real knowledge of these things. But if you ask them how they generate their HTML, and they tell you they are using some sort of software package to do it, then you�re probably not going to get very efficient HTML. This may or may not be a huge deal for your website, but it does separate the good designers from the rest of the crowd. Additionally, you will want to be sure that your designer is using cascading style sheets (CSS). If you ask them if they are using CSS and you get back a stare like a deer in the headlights, then you�re probably not dealing with someone who has a good grasp of how to properly build a web page. CSS allows a good designer to quickly make system-wide changes to a site by simply making a single change. This is critical to a professional, modern web design. Ideally you will find someone who is well versed in the most current web design standards and creates good HTML that will work in all modern browsers.

4. This criteria depends heavily upon what you are trying to accomplish with your website. These days you really don�t have a website if it doesn�t serve some sort of purpose, and actually DO something. The days of brochureware are long gone. So you need to determine what sort of features you want on your site. Do you need highly interactive features that might require Flash? Do you have highly specialized needs that will require custom programming? Will you be tracking or providing any information that will require a database? Will there be any users or security features? Will you require any e-commerce? This list could go on nearly forever. This is something you should have a good feel for going into your project. When you discuss your project with your web designer, is he or she able to give you the features you need? Can they recommend additional features, or offer interesting ways to solve your problems? If you�re looking to make your website functional and effective, you will want to work with someone who knows a thing or two about building designs for dynamic websites. If you need someone who can also provide the programming and development for your site, you will need to go through a whole new set of questions. But even if you�re simply looking for a design, if your site is dynamic and interactive, you will want to find a web designer that has knowledge and experience building good designs for these types of websites.

5. Lastly, you will want to make sure your website performs well. For the purposes of this discussion that will include page load time and search engine indexing. If you are visiting sites in your prospective web designer�s portfolio, and it seems to take longer than the average website does to load, that should raise some warning flags. This indicates that they probably aren�t using good HTML coding techniques, and even worse have given no consideration to the performance and user experience. It should be obvious to the designer that the page loads slowly. Perhaps they have overloaded it with graphics, or don�t understand how to properly prepare graphics for presentation on a web site. Additionally, tied to this, is how well the site is indexed. A good web designer will code the page in such a manner as to maximize the website�s content for search engine indexing. An experienced person could simply look at the web page source and determine this. But if you are not comfortable with that, you could try doing a few simple searches in some search engines. Are you able to find the website in a web search? Of course this varies based upon keyword competitiveness, how much marketing they have put into their site, the site�s age, etc. But that�s a whole new topic in itself.

These are just 5 guidelines that I would recommend to take into consideration when trying to find a good professional web designer. These are by no means the only criteria to consider, but as a web developer I find it appalling that some people claim to be a web designer just because they can create a good looking print document in Quark. I�m sure these people are very skilled at doing that. They just don�t understand the specifics of building a good web design. And I�ve had too many customers come to me with websites they overpaid for and were under delivered on.

So don�t be fooled by some graphic designer posing as a web designer. Even those that think they are a web designer because they have graphic design skills. Those are the most dangerous breed. And they will kill your website and your budget long before you even realize it.



Jeremy Hoehn is president of Bitwise Logic, Inc. - a professional web site development company based in Eden Prairie, MN which creates highly interactive websites and custom web applications for small to large businesses.

Credit Cards: Rules and Fees

Learn about the costs and rules of the card.

What is the annual fee and are there any costs in acquiring the credit card? What is the interest going to be after the initial 90-day teaser interest rate vanishes? What is your credit limit and what is the penalty if you go over the limit? How and when can your interest rate and credit limit be changed? All of this information is located in the fine print section of your credit card agreement and you have an obligation to pay these fees and costs if you accept and use your credit card. These terms and conditions come into effect as soon as you start to use the card. Below is a list of the different fees imposed by credit card companies.



The Annual Fee: Many bank and Travel & Entertainment Cards come with an annual fee of $50 or more. The borrower is charged this fee for the privilege of using this credit card. Some banks will waive this fee if you have outstanding credit or may charge more if your credit is marginal.



Cash Advance Charges: A bank will charge you up to 3% of the amount advanced and at the same time charge rates of up to 20% annually on the amount advanced. As a general rule, credit cards should not be used for cash advances except in the case of an emergency.



Late Payment Fees: Many credit card companies charge late payment fees. Since the date refers to the day of receipt of your check and not the date of postage, you must be certain to get your payment out in a timely fashion to avoid this fee. Remember, this fee will be added to your outstanding balance and interest will be charged on the total amount.



Over-the-Limit Fees: If you carry high credit balances each month and do not pay them, your high credit card interest charges will accrue and could push you over your pre-approved credit limit, prompting the creditor to charge an over-the-limit fee. These fees vary by issuer. Remember, these fees will automatically be added to your existing balance, which will be charged interest.



One Time Fees: These fees are usually assessed to consumers with poor credit and are charged in addition to the annual fee. These fees are charged at the time you apply for the card and can range from $25 to $100 depending on the issuer.



Transaction Fees: These fees are charged by the issuing bank. The charge is usually 50 cents for every transaction you make with their card.



Returned Check Fees: A credit card company will charge you a return check fee for checks that are returned for insufficient funds. You would also be liable to your bank for another fee for writing the bad check. Plan your finances accordingly to avoid these costly fees.



Transfer Fees: If you decide to transfer your existing balance to another credit card company, you may have to pay a transfer fee to your current credit card issuer before your balance can be transferred to the new account. These fees can range from a flat rate of up to $50 or a fixed percentage amount of the balance that is transferred. Understand these costs before you jump from one credit card to another just to get a low introductory credit card rate.



Minimum Finance Charges: Pay off your existing balances each month and, depending on your credit card issuer, you could be charged a fee for paying your balance in full.



Inactivity Fees: These are fees that are charged to your account for inactivity on your account. Not using your credit card could cost you money if this fee is in the contract you signed when you acquired this credit card.



Review your account statements and mailings from your credit card company.

Immediately review these statements and confirm the charges with the receipts for all of your purchases. You should do this to challenge any charges that are incorrect and to guarantee that there are no fraudulent charges being billed to your credit card. There are federal consumer protection rules that assist you in challenging charges with your creditor. To be fully covered by these laws you must send a letter to your creditor within 60 days of the date that the bill was sent to you and document the error on your statement. If such charges continue, stop using the card and close the account.



More importantly, if you have just applied for a credit card and have been approved, you should wait until all of the paperwork arrives from the company to make sure you are fully aware of all of the terms and conditions found in the fine print. If you do not understand all of the information provided to you, talk to the customer service department and get all of your questions answered to your satisfaction before you use the card. Once you use the card, it is implied that you have agreed to all of the rules and you are automatically responsible for any fees and charges.



Keep your original card agreement and any change notices to your account.

This paperwork is your contract, containing all of your terms and conditions for the use of the credit card. These are the only documents you can refer to that will help resolve a problem if a disagreement arises in the future. They will also answer the following procedural questions:

# How to notify your card company if you purchased a product with your card that is defective and the merchant is not be responsive to your needs?

# What is your liability if your card has been fraudulently used?

# How are cash back awards paid out if you cancel before the expiration date?



Considering a New Credit Card?

If you are considering opening a new account you should consider asking these questions while reviewing credit card offers or re-evaluating existing cards:



# Fees: Are there annual fees, late payment fees, overdraw fees for exceeding your credit limit, cash advance fees, or fees for paying off your credit card in full each month? Be aware of transfer fees. They can be costly if you decide to transfer a balance to a new credit card. Can one fee trigger another fee? (i.e. if you are charged an annual fee and it pushes you over your credit limit can the bank charge you the over-the-limit fee?)



# Interest Charges: What is the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on the card? Is the advertised low introductory rate going to drastically change after several months? What interest rate will you pay on transferred amounts? How will your interest be calculated: average daily balance (most common) or another system that may cost you more? Is there a different interest rate for cash advances than for other uses of the card? Can the interest rate be changed without prior notice, and if so, under what circumstances? (i.e. if you are late on a payment.)



# Grace Periods: Does the lender give you time to send in a payment before interest is charged on your account balance? If so, how long is the grace period and does it apply to new purchases versus old purchases that are still on your account? How many days before the due date will the lender give you before imposing a fee for a late payment?



# Miscellaneous: What is your credit limit and what are the restrictions on the credit card freebies such as frequent flier miles, cash rebates or other bonuses? What is the company policy on sharing or selling information about you to other companies or charities that might want to contact you? Can you "opt out" if you do not want this information provided to anyone else?



We have been assisting people with their debt consolidation and management needs for over a decade, and our reputation as a full service credit counseling company is unsurpassed in the industry. We can assist with debt consolidation of unsecured debts.