The mobile phone offers an outlet for more than just staying connected to the world. In fact, many people have found that they can express themselves through a wide variety of ways. Think about the mobile phone you have and see how you can make it just a little more, well, you. For example, let’s say that you are an animal lover. Did you realize all the ways that you can show that through your mobile phone?

If you are not sure, think about this. Let’s say that you have a love for animals. Maybe it’s even your job to take care of them. Or, maybe you just enjoy them. Regardless, your mobile phone can show this characteristic of you. For example, you can use a variety of screensavers to show off the animal your most fascinated with. Another way that people are finding to use mobile phones to showcase their tastes and character is through ringtones. As an animal lover, you can have ringtones that sounds like various animals. In fact, you can even have polyphonic ringtones that are animal related. If that isn’t enough for you, then customize your phone to send out message alerts in animal sounds and pictures. You can easily share your love for animals with your mobile phone!

So, getting back to why this is happening now. The cell phone industry is doing everything it can to personalize your experience with your cel

l phone. They want you to make it yours by personalizing it through these means. You may find that the animal theme isn’t for you. In that case, there are thousands more that could be better suited for your tastes. Regardless, though, the goal is to make it your own through a variety of ringtones, message alerts, screensavers and wallpapers.

And, it’s working. Thousands of people are enjoying these perks as ways to make something that seems so, well, boring into something that is exciting and interesting. And, of course and most importantly their own. You can find the animal characteristics for your mobile phone on the website http://www.wildtones.net or Animal Sounds, if you would like to check them out. See what else is out there to make your mobile phone more your

S Baker is a well respected writer and highly recommends visiting http://www.wildtones.net; Polyphonic Ringtones, and check out the wide selection of animal ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers, and for the wildlife enthusiast.

WARNING: This article is rated R. R for Reality check. The tone and verbiage used is not suitable for all audiences. Those easily upset by the truth should be accompanied by an adult.

The November, 2003 pre-holiday season will go down as the one where the infamous monthly “Google Dance” (as those of us in this business have dubbed Google algorithm changes) kicked in and turned the usual dance into a mosh pit. So infamous are these dances that they are actually named like hurricanes - in this case “Florida”. And boy did this dance heat things up!

Talk about bad timing! Right before the big eCommerce Holiday sales season, Google modified their algorithms again. Again, you say? Well, this is generally a monthly occurrence that you may not have noticed before or that may not have effected you as dramatically as this dance did to so many Web sites that are now MIA in Google’s database. With this latest dance, Google cleaned house - but good. Should you live your life chasing after each dance? No.

Technology has always evolved at a dizzying pace - that has never stopped and Google is doing what they think they need to in order to continue to offer the best relevancy in searches for their visitors. This latest gyration isn’t perfect, none of the dances are. As a matter of fact, some of the results I am seeing do not make sense nor can I correlate against the varied and sundry analogies I’ve read from all the “experts” - each who happens to have a different twist on what Florida is about.

Consensus has it that Google is attempting to offer more targeted results by identifying sites who have abused highly competitive terms, by trying to expel those improperly optimized sites and by limiting search clogging affiliate sites. In the process a whole bunch of faultless sites were also removed. I’ve read stats that as many as 50-72% of the top 100 sites before the dance are now off the map.

One thing is clear, Google will keep on tweaking as they always have to try to reach that perfect mix of quality and relevancy in their search services. You can take it to the bank that will never end. Another thing you can count on is Google doesn’t care how you are listed - only that you are listed as you should be. Relevantly - based on the content and value of your site - which is subjective. Everyone has an opinion on how relevancy, value and popularity should be determined - however, the only opinion that counts on this matter is Google’s.

As been the case from the start, search evolution will continue and there is nothing you can do about it but wipe away those tears and deal with the reality of getting found - which really hasn’t changed all that much over the years. Sites that were dropped were those that were way over-optimized, were not quality sites based on Google’s algorithm criteria, played the linking game incorrectly or not at all or did not relay their niche well enough to hold strong listings for any one topic.

I’ve “preached”, so I’ve been told, on the reality of getting found online for years. I considered getting found an ongoing work in progress - always have. By having that methodology I do not go into a panic with every Google Dance or other search site algorithm change. Read any of my articles in my Article Archives and you’ll see I recommend hard work, diligence, budgeting funds to nurture one’s program, ongoing knowledge acquisition and more hard work to attain any reasonable goals. I’ve never sold on hype, easy success or low cost solutions because I know that would not provide clients the success they desired.

There are those who decide to follow the path of least resistance on the topic of their findability. These sites are now either completely out of Google’s database or listed so far down the list any clicks will be happenstance. At this point the truth is coming home to roost and only those willing to roll up their sleeves and deal with the reality of what technology is, not what they prefer it to be, will get found and therefore succeed online. This means no more free lunch! You want to get found, well you’d better be prepared to work harder, spend more (not just on Search Engines but on growing a quality site) and be open to understanding the dynamics of getting found as you never have before.

My reality based selling style has caused a few to go on their merry way looking for inexpensive (preferably free) and easier ways to “get traffic”. Many actually believing it will “just happen” with outdated sites, sites with no valuable content, a few links from friend’s homemade sites, by shuffling some Meta keywords and without having to spend a dime. “There has to be an easier way!” I’ve heard many exclaim over the years. There simply isn’t - it is what it is. See my 5 year old sermon The Ten Commandments of Search Engines on this very important methodology.

To understand why “Florida” and other algorithms occur, one has to go into the “way back machine.” In the early days of the Web, basic sites with basic information were easily found. There simply was not the volume of sites, the commercialization and therefore the competitiveness of the Web was not yet in full swing and there were not as many so-called consultants selling trickery or taking advantage of what potential clients didn’t know to get into their pocketbook.

The Web is now the bastion of commercialism, rabid competitiveness is what wins, spam abounds and there are consultants waiting in line to take your money with promises that cater to what you don’t want to deal with. You’ve all seen the spam touting “Guaranteed Top 10 Listings” and the like. That sounded good and people wanted to believe. It is consultants that reverse engineer every move Google makes combined with tactics to raise and take advantage of Google’s infamous Page Rank that has led us to this point. A question begging to be asked… was Google supposed to ignore these efforts to manipulate their search results?

Searchers want relevancy and Google knows this and has always found a way to provide it better than others. Searchers do not want the sites that know how to pull high on Google - that doesn’t necessarily indicate relevancy or even quality. Nor do they want 100 affiliate sites in lieu of the original product or service provider’s site.

Now it’s 2006 and all bets are off. I really never understood why many believed getting found was easy, something owed to them or should be at no cost. In addition, if you only depend on Google for all your online exposure, you really do not get the big picture of opportunity available to you.

If you were to open a new business with a physical location, you need to advertise. This would include different newspapers, yellow page type guides, specialty mailings and publications, targeted magazines and possibly radio or T.V.. You wouldn’t open that new business without a marketing budget and without placing a single ad or promotion and just expect customers to funnel into your business in droves - just because you unlocked the door. Nor would you expect any off-line publication or directory to list you for free.

Here is the rub that many Web site owners refuse to acknowledge. The Web is not a stagnant telephone directory, newspaper or magazine. It is evolving technology that has changed from the start and will continue to do so. This, I believe is what drives Web site owners crazy the most - the lack of predictability ability. So don’t try to predict - just get used to reacting.

Why is it then when it comes to Web sites that so many site owners believe that if they have a site - regardless of quality, content, useability - that Netizens are going to crash their server with inquiries or orders and that search engine listings should be at no cost for perpetuity? I guess we only have spam and lack of real world business experience to thank for those misconceptions.

Pretty much all industries and markets were effected. Highly competitive markets and Real Estate seemed to get beat up the most this time around. Why? Those were the folks who were more likely to over-optimized and/or used tactics to factitiously inflate the true relevancy and quality of their sites. Some even misusing their Page Ranking to sell links to artificially inflate other site’s Page Rank. So, the question comes up again - was Google to allow this type of manipulation they knew to be going on to continue? I think not.

To be fair, yes, some site owners were misinformed victims. They made changes to their sites themselves based on inaccurate information on some Web site somewhere that included practices frowned upon by Google. Or, they hired those who said what they wanted to hear and used tactics unbeknownst to them that caused them to disappear from Google. If fault is to be handed out with this situation, site owners need to be willing to accept their equal share for the decisions they have made to date.

Folks, the jig is up! Your quest for high rankings can easily be attained with a quality site that is a work in progress - for the long haul. You had better have a great site - not just a site “you” think is great, one that your market will be impressed by. I wrote an article years ago, Just Don’t Bother Unless… stating at that time “the only way you can succeed is to offer all around excellence in your company’s presence on the Web - to stand out from the rest”. Years ago I was saying that and the folks that followed my lead are doing very well and were not effected by this latest “dance”.

There are billions and billions of individual pages online. Why should you pull near the top for your keywords - just because? Because you change some “Meta Keywords”? Those are basically ignored by most crawlers by the way. Oh, you have some sites linking to you. Yes, that may help (Careful, careful - not all links are created equal!) however that is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of an overall ongoing effort to make your site excel out within your niche.

So, now what? You need to work towards being the best in your particular market/niche so you can have solid natural listings in addition to working PayPerClick programs smartly. And if your site is home-brewed looking those PayPerClicks will mean cost not revenue when folks see your site and jump to hit that back button. It really doesn’t matter if you like that concept or not - that is the way it is and what will be required to attain and/or maintain listings.

For the each site owner moving forward, getting found involves cost, time and ongoing hard, very hard work. Don’t fool yourself. Statistics, data and learning new things - every day for the foreseeable future will be involved and add to that anything new just over the horizon that you will have to address. One better learn to enjoy and become exhilarated by technology or they need to hire someone who is or they simply will not succeed. The gravy train has parked. The rules are clear. And if you don’t like the rules of the game, that really doesn’t matter, only those who play by them will succeed.

My “preaching” on this topic has been consistent for years. Create a content rich niche site, that gives the perception you are THE expert in your field, nurture it, grow it and budget for your marketing program and everything will fall into place. How can I say that without hesitation? Because I know it to be true because I’ve lived it for almost a decade. I’m lovin’ “Florida” and hope there are more changes in that direction. And true to my character I am not saying that to gain new clients or encourage current ones to sign up for any of my programs. Facts are facts. None of my various commercial sites were dropped, actually a couple moved up in positioning because they are cleanly coded, content rich or niche as niche can be.

The formula for success online is clear and has remained relatively unchanged for years. Florida is simply one of the first of many more steps in the right direction.

On the Internet, there’s so much to see and do. You can communicate, shop, play and learn. It’s a veritable treasure trove of information and activities for just about anyone of any age. Unfortunately, just like in the real world, everything also has a downside. For the Internet, that downside includes, scams, spam, viruses and spyware. Basically, people who want to take advantage of you. This article will give you some basics for protecting yourself online.

Scams

One of the worst scams comes to you via email, in the form of “phishing” emails. They come to you in the form of an email from banks, eBay, a store, Paypal or other business or financial institution. The email will have the name of the company in the from area and the email may look real, complete with corporate logos and official sounding text. Don’t be fooled, however. A reputable financial institution or business will never ask you for your username, password, account number or other sensitive personal information via email. NEVER click on the link to the site provided in their email. If you are unsure if the email is fake, then open up your browser and manually type in the URL of the company’s website. Go there and login and see if they are requesting something from you there. Chances are, they aren’t. You can report these emails or simply delete them.

Other scam emails may come to you from foreign countries asking you to hold a large sum of money for them, in return you get a percentage of the money, usually millions of dollars. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. This scam has been around for years, don’t fall for it. It’s just a way to get your bank account information and to empty it before you even realize what has happened.

Scam websites are also a problem, whether it’s a fly by night store, a phony eBay seller or a store that’s actually just trying to get you to give them your personal information for marketing purposes, you can easily avoid these by checking eBay feedback, store reviews via Google and the BBB and other consumer complaint websites.

The solution to scams? Be vigilant. Never click a URL in an email that looks the least bit suspicious. Always check the feedback, reviews and ratings of sellers before buying and never, ever give away your personal information to a website that looks suspicious.

Spam

Spam can be a huge problem if you have had your email address for any length of time. No matter how well you protect your email address by not giving it out to anyone you don’t know, you’re still going to get spam. You can, however, minimize the time you spend dealing with spam by adjusting the options in your ISP or web mail preferences section. For most web email addresses, like Yahoo Mail, Gmail and Hotmail, you can adjust or train the spam filters so that spam rarely makes it to your main inbox but instead ends up in your Bulk Mail or Junk Mail folder. For AOL users, they have a similar Spam Mail folder and email options which you can adjust to your liking. For stand alone email programs using POP email boxes, any good email program will have spam and junk mail filters as well as allow you to set rules for which mail is deleted, flagged or sent in to the Junk Mail folder according to preferences you set. If you still have a problem, you may consider a third party program like MailWasher at mailwasher.net or SingleFin from singlefin.net. Both programs are free and should help solve or minimize your spam problem.

Viruses

Viruses are a common problem if you spend any time online. That greeting card attachment your friend forwarded you contained more than a greeting card, you’ve now got a virus! Viruses can slow your computer down, slow down your web surfing or they can do more serious damage like relay sensitive information like your bank login information to a hacker or at the worst end, erase your entire hard drive! To prevent these problems, you should never open attachments unless it’s been scanned by a virus program first, also don’t download any files from suspicious websites, stick to the well known download sites instead, like download.com. To help keep your computer clean of viruses, download and install one of the many anti-virus programs available. Some good ones are AVG Free Anti-Virus, from grisoft.com and Avast Anti-Virus from avast.com. Both programs are free and will automatically check for new versions of their virus databases so you are protected from existing and new viruses.

Spyware

Spyware is also a common problem that can slow your computer down tremendously and run programs on your computer without you even knowing. Spyware can come from websites, even well known and reputable websites but usually spyware is contained in certain free programs, like games and software that is free due to banner ads or other advertising inside the program. Since spyware can slow down your computer, it’s a good idea to download and install at least one program that will protect you from spyware. Two good ones are Spyware Doctor from pctools.com and Ad-Aware SE from lavasoft.de.

Once you have downloaded and installed your anti-virus and spyware protection software, be sure to schedule a full scan of your computer often, at least once a week or more to help keep your computer running fast and smooth.

Broadband phones, also known as “VOIP” are catching on faster than ever. And no wonder, since the monthly cost of broadband phone service, including long distance, is probably cheaper than what you pay to your phone company for just a dial tone. Yes of course you need a highspeed Internet connection that you connect your broadband phone to, but a majority of homes have that anyway, so this is just another service that takes a minimal amount of that speed away, and only uses it when you are having an active conversation on that phone.

Yes, broadband phone service is extremely popular. In fact, about a year ago the number of new phone activations in the US that were broadband phones or VOIP phones surpassed the number of new traditional phone services for the first time in history! Yes, there are advantages, as well as some neat features offered by some (not all) of the broadband vendors. But there are also some disadvantages, so let’s take a brief look at both angles.

The Advantages

As stated earlier, broadband phone service is significantly cheaper than traditional phone service. Most broadband phone services include “unlimited” long distance calling in the continental US, as well as locally. With traditional phones, you either pay a huge premium for the unlimited feature, or even with a discount long distance plan, you are still paying about 2.5 to 3 cents per minute (or more) for long distance calls.

There are many vendors and companies offering residential broadband phone service, it seems like everyone wants to get in on this. But from what I have observed, the most expensive place to get it is from your cable company! Yes, your cable company, the same one who provides you with cable TV and maybe also cable Internet service, will typically offer you broadband phone service for almost TWICE what you can get it for elsewhere. It pays to be a knowledgeable shopper!

Yes, almost everyone has heard of Vonage, and this service can be purchased at places like Best Buy, Circuit City, even Walmart. But again, you are paying about 20% more than you need to, if you realized what else is available out there.

For long distance, some broadband phone plans include Canada for the unlimited calling area, and some also include Puerto Rico. Some like Packet8 have separate plans to allow you to call Europe and/or Asia. Be aware of where you want to call and verify if that is included in the carrier’s plan.

A word regarding the “unlimited” part – it’s not really unlimited, at least not according to the definition of unlimited that I read in my Funk & Wagnall. Most carriers allow about 3000 to 4000 minutes per month, then they may call you and ask you about such excessive usage, maybe thinking you are a business (higher rate) or using some kind of auto-dialer (a strict no-no).

The Disadvantages

Remember that with broadband phone service, you make and receive you calls via your highspeed Internet connection. You need to have a GOOD connection, not on the fringe areas of DSL. And if all you can get is satellite Internet, then hang it up, because VOIP on satellite is not going to be pretty at all.

Since you are using your Internet connection, it should be stated that if your Internet connection goes down, so does your broadband phone. That’s right, so if you need phone service and your Internet connection is not reliable, you may want to think twice about VOIP phone service.

Do you run part of your business from your home? If so, is fax any part of that? Today, from virtually any carrier on the planet, fax is not reliably supported, sending or receiving, via a broadband phone connection. If fax is important to you, you will want to have a phone line from the phone company dedicated to your fax machine, or subscribe to one of the online fax services.

Broadband phone service can save you a bundle, but you need to understand your usage requirements and needs before selecting which carrier is best. It is more, MUCH more than different carriers just having different pricing. You need to look at the whole package to ensure you are getting what you think you are paying for.