It is a blogger’s worst nightmare.

Your site is done completely. You have no FTP access
and your Web host is not reporting a problem with the
server.You call tech support and find that your account has
been locked and you’re told to check your email. There, you
find a notice from your host’s abuse team informing you
that your account was disabled for a copyright violation.

What follows is often an exercise in frustration. A
torrent of emails and phone calls result in some progress,
but the clock is always ticking. It can take hours, even
days, for a downed site to come back online, if it is
possible at all. Many times the best alternative is to
obtain backups and move elsewhere.

As frightening as this is for anyone who cares about
their site, it is the frequent outcome of copyright
conflicts on the Web. Though many bloggers that experience
this scenario deserve the treatment for their actions,
some well-intended bloggers go through the same ordeal
only because they didn’t take necessary precautions to
avoid trouble.

However, these situations are both avoidable and
easily mitigated against, all one has to do is take a
few reasonable precautions and the nightmare threat fades
away.

1. Use Your Own Content Whenever Possible

A simple enough rule that is easier said than done.
Remember though that your site is a showcase for your talent
and your works. Always favor posting items that you create
over using someone else’s work.

This means writing your own entries, taking your
own screenshots, using you own photos and building your
own templates, at least as much as is practical.

While this is an impossible rule to its extreme, especially
when you get down to templates and blogging software,
the critical thing is to not use someone else’s work when
you can simply create your own. This avoids potential
copyright conflicts before they have the chance to happen
by simply not copying a work to start with.

2. If You Use Another’s Content, Obtain Permission

Again, a simple rule, but an important one. If you are in
a position where you have to use someone else’s work, obtain
permission either in writing or via a Creative Commons
License.

When you do that, follow the licensing terms strictly,
including the lesser-known Creative Commons
requirements,and make note that you decided to use the
content under the license you did. This is especially important
if you used a non-commercial work and, later on, decide to
monetize your site.

However, before using someone else’s work under such
a license, be sure to check and make sure that the person
you are licensing it from has the authority. If they are
not the original author or creator, track that person down
and obtain permission directly from them.

Finally, if practical, consider locating public domain
material to reuse as that is even more ideal than Creative
Commons for this type of reuse.

3. Don’t Rely on Fair Use

Relying on fair use to avoid a conflict is like relying on
a seat belt to avoid a crash. Both are very important and
both can save your neck in the event something goes wrong,
but they only protect you after something bad has already
happened.

If you need to use someone else’s content and obtaining
permission is out of the question, (EX:Writing a
negativereview), make sure that your use of content is far
on the right side of fair use. Use as little of the content
as you need, meaning quote sparingly, make sure that it
comprises a small portion of your original work and make
your use of the work transformative, not substitutive.

In short, make sure that your use of the content is not
designed to replace the original, but rather, creates a new
work. Ideally, this new work should offer commentary or
criticism of the original or at least provide some news or
educational value.

You can’t rely on fair use to avoid a conflict, especially
if a copyright holder has an inflated view of their rights,
but the more clear your flex your fair use rights, the less
likely such a conflict becomes.

4. Be Available

Make sure that you, or someone else who can handle such
matters, can easily be contacted through your site. Offer
an email address in a prominent location and check that
account regularly.

Most copyright holders, if given a choice, will attempt to
contact the site owner directly first. As a Webmaster, you
would greatly prefer that a person with a copyright
complaint would contact you, thus enabling you to resolve
the matter quietly and without service interruptions,
rather than escalating it to your host. Making yourself the
lightning rod for copyright complaints might mean that you
get a nasty email, but it avoids a much worse situation
down the road.

5. Choose Good Hosting

The sad truth is that a small number of copyright conflicts
are unavoidable and a handful of rights holders have
become completely unhinged. For those cases, it is
important to have good hosts that will work with you,
rather than against you, on such matters.

The simple truth is that hosts respond differently to DMCA
notices and other copyright complaints. Some take down
the entire domain, such as iPowerWeb, and others will
either surgially remove the content or ask the Webmaster to
do it for them. For the subject of the DMCA notice, the
latter two are greatly preferred.

The general rule is that the larger the host, the less
incentive they have to work with you. Though
DreamHost seems to buck that trend, most larger
Web hosts simply cutoff access to the account rather than
spend time or money resolving the situation. The same is
true, with some exceptions, for free Web hosts.

Finding a smaller company is a good first step. However,you
can further mitigate against a host shutdown by using
a third-party DNS service. In the unlikely event that
your host did disable your account over a copyright matter,
you could easily point your DNS to another server and get
your site back online more quickly than going through
the motions at your existing host.

However, this requires that you have a full backup of
your site at all times from which you can restore and
the ability to create another hosting account quickly.

Conclusions

As scary as conflicts can be and as much press as
they sometimes get, they are exceedingly rare.

Most bloggers, if they operate in good faith and
don’t engage in any risky behaviors, will never experience
any kind of copyright troubles. Of those who do, the
vast majority of conflicts are resolved without any
major catastrophe. At worst, there is a heated email
exchange and a few terse words back and forth on the Web.
However, for those rare exceptions, the consequences
are severe enough to warrant mitigating the risk.

The same as we don’t host with companies that have
high downtimes or run software that has known problems,
we shouldn’t engage in risky copyright behaviors that
can interrupt our site.

Simply put, the power of the Web means nothing if our
site goes dark, taking our expression with it. It is
worth taking a few moments and a few precautions to
avoid copyright conflicts, especially since most are
so preventable to begin with.

This post was written by
Jonathan Bailey

You can visit the Author Archive for a short bio, more
posts, and other information about the author.

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Free Download

Writing articles is a great way to make a freelance income, but you need to be a master at creating ideas. Let’s look at four ways you can get ideas for a constant flow of articles.

1. Your very own thoughts.
2. Theme oriented ideas.
3. Your hobbies and interests.
4. Research what people are looking for on the internet.

People looking for information use
search engines to find it. So
brainstorm some keyword focused topics.
I’ll discuss this more in detail later.

Writing articles is also a great way to become an expert in
your field and to encourage people to pass your information
on to the next person. You can write articles on just about
any topic you want. By writing articles and including your
information, along with a link to your website or blog in
the byline/resource box, you are building rapport with the
reader IE: showing your knowledge of the topics in which
you are writing and also providing a way for the reader to
easily click over to your website or blog.

Writing Website Content:

A fee for writing website content varies a lot. Some
writers charge $5 per page, while others can charge as much
as $50 or more for a single page. Website owners alone are
a huge market of information seekers looking for talented
young or old writers alike that can help fill their
websites with information.

If you are writing for your own website, with a little
practice writing articles, you can boost sales beyond your
imagination with the added traffic that you will produce
from your articles.

Writing Blog Content:

Web Blogs are composed of multiple freelance authors that
are proficient and are also known as experts in Online
Marketing, Design, and all aspects of Business Strategy.
Webmasters needing content submit requests to the blogs and
these registered writers set their fees. Rates vary from
$10 to $100 and more, and the quality of writing is
expected to be pretty good.

Adding pictures to your blog content is even better.
Readers like tips, instructions and how-tos as well as
research that can help them get ahead of the competition.
And of course, people searching the Internet are typically
looking for information.

Blogs are a little more interesting than most websites as
they offer personalized views of particular topics.
Therefore you can know; what is it that is keeping readers
on the net interested. Blogging and traffic are made for
each other, and there are several ways of using blogs to
promote products on your site. We’ll discuss this further
in the next article.

To write a very good blog post, you have to take some
time. Write as if you were talking to a friend and let the
real you shine through. I think people appreciate this more
than trying to sound like something you are not! Writing
articles is one of the most affordable things a marketer
can do. I cannot stress enough that articles are like a
business card for prospective customers to use and keep.

Writing articles for publication on the internet is at the
time I write this, every Internet marketer’s favorite way
to get free publicity for his website. If you are an
Internet marketer and haven’t heard the buzz that’s going
around about writing articles, where have you been? Write
the article that is directed to the client and their needs.
Answer common questions and concerns in your article, help
them solve a problem, empower them with knowledge and help
them make wise choices. Writing can be great fun.

Writing Dos And Don’ts:

Don’t write long and drawn out

Online readers will ignore long batches of words in long
paragraphs, whether in an ezine or at a Web site. This will
cost you not only in time, but rewards. Online articles
should be approximately 500 words with valuable, if
incomplete information. Be sure the content is original,
including the supplemental articles pointing to your
primary site. Online audiences are no different than
offline, and they want to have a good time while learning.
You want the reader to leave feeling they gained value from
your writing.
————————————–

Do Use Bullets

Bullets are simpler to read then long sentences. They cut
short the length of the article and are to the point.
Bullets and numbering are a great way to make your article
more readable. Bullets are also simpler to read then long
sentences.
————————————–

Do Use Keywords

Keywords are a necessary addition to your article, but too
many will resemble spam and get your article removed from
distribution. Keyword articles use particular keywords
within a story pertaining to it. As a result, your web page
has useful information about a particular service, product,
and keyword and the keyword is incorporated on your web
page enough so as to return your web page as a result.
Keywords will be the catch all for the search engines.
————————————–

Do Use Resource Boxes

Use a resource box when writing for blogs or forums. Your
resource box is a great way to get people to click through
to your website or your product.
————————————–

Writing quality articles will provide good traffic for your
site. If you write a quality article and a unique one which
no one has written before. Writing a series of articles is
like having a deep conversation with your reader because
you can convey more in-depth information about your topic.

Webmasters are crying out for new and fresh articles,
writing articles is the hottest thing on the internet at
the moment. It is one of the best and most cost effective
ways to drive traffic to a website.

Search Engines such as Google and Yahoo love forums and
blogs because of their regular fresh and updated content.
There are often new *threads and posts submitted daily
allowing a person to rise in the ranks for certain keywords
that people search on. Search engines always give more wait
to content . Your content should be King with optimized
keywords.

Search engines are the quickest way to finding information
on the Internet, and everyone knows that. So if someone is
looking for skis, they will find your company skis listed
along with the others in the top searches, enhancing your
visibility among millions of pages.

Writing articles is one of the best ways to make money
Online, is fun and beneficial, and especially if you keep
your contacts interested and involved in what you do. Get
to know reporters, columnists, and editors, and invite them
to visit your projects or your blogs. Writing articles is
one of the best web site promotion strategies you can use,
and they can be very effective.

It’s much easier than you think to write articles, and an
excellent way of gaining non reciprocal or one way links.
Other webmasters are able to use your article on their
website, including the links to your website.

Writing articles is a way to get free publicity for your
classes or workshops, while educating your community or
region on the many benefits of your product. It is a truly
powerful and effective promotion tool for your business,
besides being absolutely free to do.

Writing articles is relatively easy, but you’ve got to do a
lot of it. It’s a progressive experience, meaning that once
you get better at writing articles, you will be able to do
it faster and thus handle more at any one time. If you
don’t know how to write articles or you have brain drain
when trying to write a multitude, I recommend Instant
Article Wizard Pro. An easy and effective way of pumping
out articles by the minute and at your command.

Brainstorming Some Keyword-Focused Topics
(this was taken from MYSS Make Your Site Sell)

Use Overture’s Suggestion Tool (formerly known as GoTo.com)
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

… and/or

7Search “Related Keywords” Tool
http://www.7search.com/scripts/advertiser/sample_get.asp

I prefer the 7Search “Related Keywords” Tool

Create a database or spreadsheet with 4 columns consisting
of “Keyword”, “Demand”, “Supply”, “Supply Site Info”. Now
go to the 7Search “Related Keywords” Tool noted above.

Enter your keyword and click “Find It”. Here you’ll find
the most common keywords that web surfers search for that
contain your keyword that you typed in at Overture.

Note the number in the left column is the number of times
that each keyword was searched for in the preceding month
at Overture. In a sense, it’s an indication of the Demand
for each keyword.

Why is this important? Because, you’ll create web
pages/blogs with topics that focus on your highest
profitability keywords, and profitability is determined by
the Demand.

Now you have a good idea of what your potential visitors
want, because you’ll know what’s in Demand, and by how
much.

Now focus on the Supply. Enter how many sites Google or
AltaVista finds (in your Supply window) in your column
labeled Supply.

Then read the listings for the top 20 sites that Google or
AltaVista returned for each keyword. Make brief notes in
the fourth column, Supply Site Info.

This can get much more detailed in MYSS, but I’m not
going to go into all of the details here. You will need to
get a copy of MYSS and read it yourself.
You are about to download a self-extracting zipped
file. Right-click and save it to your desktop. This was
probably written 10 – 15 years ago, but it still rings true
today.

So from the information you have gathered above, you will
find well searched for terms that you will write your
articles about and then use the keywords that have the most
demand.

To Your Success,

Janis, IMM
Learn To Be Rich Affiliate Program
affiliates@learntoberich.com

Janis Searcey

Welcome to the Penny Million Blog. In a college writing class I created a character called Penny Million. That character has stuck with me ever since, hence the Penny Million Blog.

I currently have a web development service offering web design, marketing and hosting, and am the Information Marketing Manager for the Learn To Be Rich Affiliate Program, writing articles for Real Estate Investment CD’s and products.

Since there has never been a better time to start investing in real estate, even amateurs are entering the arena and succeeding. Some areas of the U.S. are better for investing than others, due to high growth rate (as much as 10% per year), high job rate and high demand for housing.

By Janis Searcey

There is more than one kind of seller that an investor should be looking at. There are sellers that have “bad debt” and are in trouble. They may be behind on a mortgage, lost their job, acquired an illness, going through a divorce, etc. Then there are sellers that have “good debt” and are not in trouble in the traditional sense, but they do have a reason motivating them to sell. Their problem is not one of financial desperation – it is usually just a change in their life.

Currently there is no shortage of money problems and life changes in all areas of the U.S, and if you want your investing to be profitable, you simply need to be there to solve these peoples’ money and life changing problems.
If you want to learn how to invest without using any of your own money, or you are seeking to buy properties without obtaining traditional financing and want to avoid paying associated fees and costs, creative real estate financing can solve this by using other people’s money.

Investing in high equity properties far below market value is a great source for no money out of pocket deals. With this type of investing, you will have several liquidation options available to you, such as renting the property out for cash flow and tax advantages, rehabbing and reselling it for a quick profit, flipping it to a third party in “as-is” condition or selling it over time using a lease purchase option agreement.

“Subject tos” are another great way to purchase properties without using any of your own money, by purchasing a property subject to the existing financing. This means the loan stays in place without you, the buyer qualifying for the loan.
Seller motivation is the most common reason a seller will agree to these types of arrangements. There are usually some extreme circumstances or personal issues that are forcing the seller to do something they might not ordinarily do. These types of sellers will take your investor status seriously and are willing to sell their property at large discounts or “subject to”.

Real estate investment is not something you jump into without the proper ability to cover yourself in case events don’t line up perfectly. You have to always think ahead and expect the unexpected.

It’s important for the seller who is facing foreclosure to know that by selling their home before a foreclosure, they can at least walk away knowing that their credit can be saved and will have the opportunity to buy another home when they become financially stable once more.

So for the sellers facing foreclosure, why not hire a real estate agent to sell their home? If the home owner in financial trouble does not have much equity in their house, their options are very limited. And, if they wait for a real estate agent to sell their home with hundreds of people walking through their house, if they even get any showings, chances are slim to none that that house will sell in time to save the home owner from foreclosure. So time is of the essence and you, the investor, are the one to pull off the quick sale for the home owner in trouble or facing life changes. You can actually be the hero and get the seller out of the mess they’re in.

The fact is, there are a record number of listings for every buyer. But don’t be that buyer that has too many choices and not much incentive to make a decision quickly when faced with the seller who needs that quick sale.
The above opportunities obviously come and go quickly, so to be a successful real estate investor requires being nimble on your feet and taking advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.

Nothing in this piece or on this Web site should be construed as investment advice. Before making investment decisions, do your own research and/or consult with an investment professional. There is nothing more valuable than a real estate guru or mentor.

Some real estate mentors charge $2000-$55,000 for mentoring – and they may not even be actual investors! Truth and honesty is hard to find these days, but with Jasson Bowman and Sasha, this is everyday. Jasson and Sasha explain what their favorite real estate guru taught them about investing:

· subject tos
· you don’t need money to invest
· investing for cash flow versus equity
· marketing techniques to sell houses quickly
· using leverage
· you have to make offers to buy houses
· how markets change and what traps to avoid
· and much more

Save yourself hundreds to thousands of dollars by learning from the mistakes and experiences of others, and learning some of the best tips and tricks from this extensive real estate investing course.

What My Favorite Real Estate Guru Taught Me About Investing

1. for people who have no self-esteem and no social skills and
thus need some kind of validation that they actually exist.
So they go about copying stuff on the internet pretending
that what they’re posting is “interesting” and so then get
up each morning thinking they’ve made some sort of
difference in the world.

2. for business. Business is generated by your audience
developing a trust in your message and services.

3. for advocacy.

4. to the internet what the realty show was for the major
television networks. Full of cheap (or free) people who
will create content and complain a lot.

5. for brains.

6. a time sink with near zero return on investment. This
person says build a “real” website.

7. for people who would like to have a website, but can’t have
one.

8. is creating the illusion of amplification. You may think
that you are conversing with the world, when it’s just a
few people talking frequently back and forth to each other.

9. for insensible human beings.

10. for bloggers without much hope of profit, which often makes
them “better” and more authoritative at blogging. The
money-focused folks drop off in favor of “passionate
experts” who are likely to create substantial advertising
value in their blogging.

My thoughts on blogging, Write, write and then write some
more, and put it in your blog without expectations of your
blog making money and becoming an instant success. But …
if it should, then so be it, and you’ve enjoyed writing and
sharing.

So how does a blog work for you and where should you start.
I know that some of you reading this already have blogs,
and you could probably teach us that don’t have blogs a
thing or two. But I know that many more of you don’t have
blogs, and maybe don’t know where to start.

In a nut shell. Buy a domain name. Get one here at NerdyMan.com.
Get a blog that references your domain. Setup your blog. At
some point get a website, even if it’s for your squeeze
pages. Need help with your website? Contact me and we’ll discuss
your needs.

Bloggers all have different preferences for their blogging
software, and usually it takes some trial and error with
different systems to find your favorite. Blogger is the
easiest free service to get started with and is very
popular with those who don’t want to worry about templates,
plugins and designing. To create a new account and start
blogging, go to blogger.com, click on “Create Your Blog Now” and
you’re on your way.

After creating your first blog, you can do some research as to
where you might want to set up another blog. WordPress is
another good place to start a blog. Of course you don’t
want to over commit to this whole blogging thing. Realize
that you don’t have to blog everyday.

You have your blog. Now what?

Provide a business name for your blog.

Choose the theme, style, color, font and images for your
blog that sets a tone for your blog.

Monetize your blog with various related advertisements and
affiliate products.

Price your affiliate products fairly and even the poor may
start buying more.

Since your customers are buying for how the features of a
product will benefit them, the more you explain about your
products, the greater value your product will have with the
customer and the more benefit they will see from using it.

Use widgets such as “Add me as a friend and I will add you
too.”

Register your site with the search engines.

Invite others who are interested in the same topics to join
your blog.

Build your relationships. This takes time.

Invite others who are interested in the same topics to join
your blog.

Use Google AdSense on your blog. It works.

Don’t expect immediate results, but continue blogging about
what you love.

Blogging can make you money by placing your affiliate
products on your blog. You don’t want to sell the product
on your blog. Instead, write about how the product
benefited you. Offer tips, insight, and ideas, and place
your affiliate link at the end of your post that is
relevant to what you discussed. Make a clickable link that
creates interest so more visitors are compelled to click on
it.

So why are most affiliate marketers not making money, and
what is the main reason? NOT promoting correctly.

The biggest mistake affiliate marketers make is that they
copy and paste promotional emails and materials created by
the product owner into their blogs. So, learn to write your
own promotions and the benefits will be huge.

When you write your own promotions, and you have read or
used the product, then you will be able to give an honest
opinion to your readers. And if you haven’t read or used
the product, use your imagination. It’s a great resource.

Remember to be a top affiliate producer, you’ve got to be
willing to provide value on your blog, this gets and keeps
customers. Also, invest more time than just your typical 8
hour day. Don’t scoff. This is your business. And don’t be
one of those people who quit just when you’re about to make
that breakthrough you’ve been dreaming of.

Freelance writing has become a very popular online trend
and produces benefits unlike any other occupation. While we
are writing articles, we are actually teaching ourselves in
the process.

Transferring your writing skills to the blog may take time
for the blog to develop into sales. You have to earn
credibility and build a reputation in the blogging world.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a freelance
blogger, whose opinions readers will value, then start now!

Here’s a short list and description of some of the more
popular affiliate programs for bloggers who want to create
their affiliate blog.

Clickbank … Geared toward the affiliate marketer and offers affiliate
advantage with marketing tools that offer ways to come out
of the gate running with products offered.

Commission Junction … somewhat more home oriented, but offers a different type of
affiliate program that is not offered at Clickbank.

Shareasale … An interesting twist on affiliate marketing offering
commissions on Pay Per Sale, Pay Per Lead and Pay Per
Click.

Linkshare … The LinkShare Network offers affiliate marketing for some
of the most recognized brands in the world.