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A short note: I’m a bit busy.A Have sold 2 of my projects this past week.A And am in the process of wrapping another project of mine.A Hence, the shortage of posts over here.A Give me a couple more days before the posting resumes.A Thanks for your patience 
- Ankesh.
I just saw this comprehensive slide show by Stanford’s Persuasion Research Lab. Its based in 2002 research. But its still worth a view.
Especially slides 14 to 25. They give 10 guidelines for increasing web credibility.
via: GrokDotCom
If you liked this post, buy me a beer. (Suggested: $3 a beer or $7.5 for a pitcher)I recently had an epiphany while reading a classic 20 year old business book.A Would you like to hear about it?
1.
One of my all time favourite stories is about how King Leonidas of Sparta fought against the mighty Persian army of a million men with just 300 soldiers.A (The story was recently made into the movie 300. )
King Leonidas uses the “bottleneck” strategy.
How can a 300 person army prevail against a million soldiers?A By making sure that no more than 300 of the million can fight with them at any one time.A The Spartan soldiers set their camp on the one side of a very narrow cliff.A The Persian army has to go through the narrow pathway to reach Sparta.A But because the pathway is narrow, they can’t all of them walk through it together.A The narrow cliff gives the Spartans a chance to fight on equal footing.
And because the Spartans are better skilled at using the sword, score after score of the Persians die while crossing the narrow cliff.A While very few of the Spartans perish.
2.
Lets take the flip side: what would you do if you were Persian to beat the Spartans?
You have to neutralize the bottleneck.
Or you can’t proceed forward. A A
The Persians finally find a secret goat path to outflank the Spartans and surround them.A And win the battle.A But with unimaginable heavy losses.
3.
The book that led to the epiphany is: The Goal by Eli Goldratt.A Its the book that introduced the “theory of constraints” (bottleneck) to the world.A It teaches us: Deal with the bottleneck or you can never grow.
The book mainly deals with bottlenecks in production and manufacturing facilities.A But I tried asking the question:
“What is the bottleneck in my blogging ventures?”
4.
The answer:
Me!
I am the biggest bottleneck.A Because I am - for the most part - the only writer and marketer for this blog, and my time is limited - the success of this blog depends on how much time I can give to it per week.
Just as the Persians can’t move forward without outflanking the bottleneck, this blog can’t grow without outflanking me!
To that effect, you’ll be seeing a few changes to this blog over the next few months.A So that:
1. This blog has momentum of its own.A It attracts its own traffic.
2. The content of this blog is not dependent on me alone.
Do you face the same situation with your blog?A What is your plan of action?A Lets start a conversation… (I’ll be sharing what I do for this blog and 14 of my other websites with you too.)
If you liked this post, buy me a beer. (Suggested: $3 a beer or $7.5 for a pitcher)Did you know that if you fart constantly for 6 years and 9 months, you’ll create as much energy as an atomic bomb?
If only you created a fart capturing widget, you would become a multi zillionaire (Ha!)
The point I’m trying to make with this silly useless fart fact?
The energy problem has never been: scarcity of energy. We have energy in abundance*! The problem is: controlling the energy’s usage. At the lowest cost possible. Lets look at some of the possible solutions to this problem.
* In one hour, more solar energy hits earth than is used by our entire population in one year!
Perpetual Motion / Energy Machines
Only a handful of people know this. One of the things that interests me a lot is perpetual motion/energy machines! In fact, some years back, I’d even tried to create a perpetual motion machine of my own using magnets. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out.
Shouldn’t the magnets’ constant attraction force make the wheels go round-and-round?
Most perpetual motion widget ideas surround around using magnets or gravity. The idea behind perpetual motion machines is not to create energy out of nowhere. But to create a mechanism that doesn’t stop ever. Can’t we leverage the energy forces that never cease - for our benefit?
Sure we can. In fact, it’s already been done too!
1. The Cox Clock
Its 1760 and James Cox has made a grandfather clock that never has to be wound. Its an awesome breakthrough! Is it the world’s first perpetual motion machine?
James Cox sincerely thought that he had created a perpetual motion machine and his clock worked without energy! Of course, he was only half right. His clock was perpetual. But it did require energy.
The clock worked on a perpetual source of energy!
How did the clock work? It worked because of the difference between the day temperature and the night temperature! As the temperature changes, the barometer in the clock drives a ratchet mechanism. Which keeps the clock wounded and in motion!
2. Refrigeration Using Noise Energy
If the difference in temperature can create energy (as in the Cox clock), can energy create difference in temperature too? Thats the question professor Orest Symko asked himself. And came up with an ingenious solution! He has managed to use the noise energy for refrigeration!
a_?The beauty of this is that you have heat that is so disorderly and you have sound which is orderly and one frequencya_? - Symko explains.
One of the many uses of this new technology? It’ll be added to all the computer devices. As your computer functions, it heats up. Symko’s technology will convert this heat into sound waves. And then re-convert the sound to produce cooling! In effect, the computers will cool themselves and thus become much more efficient!
Read more at: The temperature of sound
3. Solar Vending Machines
Solar energy is being used since a long time now. But its always been very expensive to use it. Yet, because many governments provide subsidies, many people have installed solar panels on their roof tops.
SEV (Solar Energy Vending) also used solar panels on vending machines. So that vending machines can be installed anywhere - on top of hills, in golf courses etc. To make these solar panels affordable, SEV came up with an idea: display advertising on the vending machines too!
Solar Vending Machine
4. Solar Windows
But the coolest news regarding solar energy has been the research done by Professor Vivian Alberts. He has gone a long way in reducing the price of solar panels!
Instead of using expensive silicon, the solar panels use cheap customized glass! (Glass is made out of sand.) Pretty soon, we’ll see all the windows being made out of solar energy powering glass! The windows of all the houses and buildings will help generate its electrical energy!
5. Perpetual Windmills
When solar energy has seen such tremendous advances, can wind energy be left behind?
Norsk Hydro has plans to create floating wind turbines in seas!
Wind Turbines in Water
By installing wind turbines in water, its prices can be reduced drastically (and its almost always windy over the waters). And other benefits include: birds won’t interfere with these wind turbines!
Another idea that has come forward is converting express ways into wind farms! By installing wind turbines over the passing cars, the wind energy generated by the movement of cars can be used to generate electricity! This idea doesn’t look too cost effective though.
Expressways = Wind farms
6. Windbelts
But perhaps the most interesting advancement in using wind to solve our energy problems comes from Shawn Fraye. Shawn proposes using of thin membranes instead of huge turbines to generate electricity out of wind. Let the wind vibrate belts. And at the two ends of the belt - attach magnets that oscillate between metal coils as the belt vibrates - creating electricity.
This windbelts technology brings the cost of using wind energy down enormously! And makes it possible to use wind energy in household devices like radios!
7. Leveraging Bacteria to Produce Ethanol (and Energy)
Professor Pengchen Fu is using cyano-bacteria to produce ethanol from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide! This ethanol can then be burned cleanly to produce energy, water and carbon dioxide!
Cylinders containing bacteria that create ethanol
Its a cool idea for a renewable source of energy. And there are plans to construct kiloliter tanks that create a lot of ethanol everyday!
How did Alexander become Alexander the “Great”?
The year is 331 b.c. Alexander is still to become “Alexander the great.” Alexander has to fight a war against the king of Persia - Darius.
The war is very unbalanced and tilted in the favour of the Persian king Darius. Alexander’s army is outnumbered 20:1 in the battle against Darius. Furthermore, the Persian army is better equiped too. They have chariots and fancy weaponary.
Alexander realizes that it would be very hard to win against the Persian army. There is no way that Alexander could take on the might of Darius’ forces. So Alexander gives just one simple order to his soldiers:
KILL DARIUS.
Every soldier in Alexanders force has one clear mission, one clear target: Darius. They go after that one target in full force when the war beguns.
Their focus takes the Persian wing that protects Darius by surprise and Darius soon realizes what Alexander is upto. He flees to save his life. Seeing their commander and king run away, the other generals and soldiers flee too. And Alexander, with poor equipment and outnumbered soldiers, wins against the mighty Persians.
Alexander becomes “Alexander the great.”
Action summary:
A domain name is essential if you’re serious about blogging. Its a $9 investment that makes you look professional. When BlogClout readers were asked who is their domain registrar, I wasn’t surprised that the overwhelming choice for domain registration is GoDaddy.
GoDaddy is the biggest registrar out there. And certainly spends the most amount of money on promoting themselves. In fact, I myself had all my domains registered with GoDaddy a couple of years back.
But that was before I read a horror story about GoDaddy.
i. SecLists.org archives various mailing lists.
ii. Some user posted MySpace usernames and passwords on a mailing list that SecLists.org archives.
iii. MySpace contacted GoDaddy - SecLists.org registrar and asks them to suspend that domain.
iv. GoDaddy leaves a voice mail for the owner of SecLists.org letting him know that they are suspending his domain - and suspends the domain after 52 seconds.
They suspend the domain name without giving any notice or warning. Or even time for SecLists.org to remove the content in question.
You can read more about it at: NoDaddy
Running various blogs, I realize that I don’t have control over all the content on my website. Anyone could come and leave a nasty or illegal comment. Should that be enough to get your domain name suspended?
Thats the time I inquired around and started transfering all my domains away from GoDaddy. I personally have never had a problem with GoDaddy. But as they say “Fools learn from experience. Sages learn from history.”
My choice for the new domain registrar?
Why I think Moniker.com is the best domain registrar out there:
1. Many large domain name players that register 100s of domains recommend Moniker.
2. Even though Moniker is one of the big domain registrars out there, I’ve never heard them involved in a controversy.
3. They claim that they’ve never lost a domain!
4. Their prices are lower than other registrars if you request for the NamePros discount. (I’m not sure if Moniker will give a discount of all you register is 1-2 domain names. As I have a lot more domain names, I was enrolled in the discount scheme even before I was aware of their post on NamePros announcing the discount.)
5. Moniker also offers a domain testing service. Where you can cancel a domain name within 4 days of its registration and get your money back for a 25 cent stocking fee. If you are into domain arbitrage, this is a very valuable service!
Action Summary:
I recommend you transfer and register all your domain names with Moniker.com. Its better to be safe than sorry for your domain name. Because that is your identity online.
One simple question for you which should take 37 seconds to answer.
Who is your domain registrar and why?A
Let me know by posting a comment.A In my next post, I’ll let you know who my domain registrar is - and why he is the best registrar out there!
Oh and I just heard that ICANN will hike domain name prices by 50 cents within the next few weeks.A And all the domain registrars will have to increase their prices in accord too.A So this is a good time to:
1. Transfer your domains if you use a crappy registrar
2. Renew your domains for 2-3 years
If you liked this post, buy me a beer. (Suggested: $3 a beer or $7.5 for a pitcher)In a bid to improve his Technorati rank, Authority Blogger Chris Garrett has agreed to write a guest post for blogs that link to him.
You should grab his offer quickly.A A Why?
1. Because Chris is a superb writer.A Very articulate.A And has some great ideas to share.
2. He will link to the guest post from his blog which has 5000 RSS subscribers.A Which should lead to some extra traffic for you.
On another note, I’m working on a new side project that should help bloggers find quality information without wasting time.A And Chris along with a few other well known and extremely talented bloggers have agreed to be a part of the project too.A Stay tuned for more details about it…
If you liked this post, buy me a beer. (Suggested: $3 a beer or $7.5 for a pitcher)
Skellie Wag - who runs an excellent metablogging blog - asks what can we do to make people comment on each others comments.
My short answer: Stop blogging. Start a forum.
It is very hard to build a community around a blog. Its much easier to build a community around a forum. That is because of the “rule-of-voice.” On a blog, the publisher has the biggest voice. On a forum, every member has equal voice. Hence, the incentive for someone to post on a forum is greater. And because there is no power difference, “discussions” can happen freely.
The flip side is, because everyone has equal say on a forum, it is very hard to distinguish yourself as an expert on them. You need a blog to position yourself as an expert.
When Should You Start a Blog?
1.To Position Yourself as an Expert
When you want to position yourself as an expert, start a blog. Because your voice is biggest on your own blog, its the best platform to position you as an expert.
2. While documenting a process.
When you want to document a journey or an adventure or maybe even a book - start a blog.
3. To Teach
If the topic requires conversation, go for forums. But if you already know more than most people - and want to teach instead of converse - go with a blog.
4. When You Don’t Have Time
When you don’t have a lot of time, go with a blog. Forums take a lot of time to gain momentum. And to moderate and make sure things go on smoothly. Blogs relatively take a lot less time.
Note: This doesn’t mean that blogs are a big No-No if you want conversations between readers. Conversations should be encouraged when you can. But it does mean that a forum is a better place for conversations while a blog is a better place for teaching and preaching.
Credit: Pic by Skellie
If you liked this post, buy me a beer. (Suggested: $3 a beer or $7.5 for a pitcher)Its never happened to me before. 2 of my guest posts published on 2 other blogs on the same date. I usually try to pace myself and write one guest post a week. But this time, the stars lined up together for both the guest posts.
Anyways, here is my second guest post of the day - published on Dean Hunt’s blog.
The Single Biggest Reason People Will Buy Toothpaste
While there, surf around a bit. Its one of the most entertaining blogs you’ll read. Dean shares a lot of viral marketing examples that you can adapt to grow your own blog traffic.
