Jul 17, 2010 0

The Benefit of Self-Reliance

Categories:  Updates, as a SAHP

A number of my sites have been hacked for more than 5 times already.  It was exasperating each time because the only way I know how to solve the problem was to delete the entire WP application, re-install and start from scratch.   That means forgetting all about the content I have painstakingly written through the years.  I know it was too “newbish”.  But I married a geek who refused to do the hands-on for me all because he wanted me to learn on my own.  In fair judgment to my hub, he helped me in my first few hacking experiences and repaired my blogs.   But because I own and maintain quite a number of websites, he thought I should learn the ropes myself.

At the start of the year, he removed my sites from his hosting services and sent me a link over email on where to get a reseller account.  To be honest, I was annoyed by this act because I view this as a refusal to help his very own wife!  All the more when he said my sites just have too many support issues and he does not have time to handle any of it anymore.  Web hosting is not his business model.  Neither tech support. Please take note, I do not get those hosting for free.  I pay for each disk space and bandwidth.  So why in the world is he not helping me??!?  In the context of me being a start-up entrepreneur, I received and treated his act as something that came from someone not related to me.  Sort of like an unsuccessful business venture.  More than anything else, I want to respect his decision and shield our home life from work related issues.  So I tucked that aside and moved on.

On one of our “high joy” moments, I asked why is he doing this to me.  Why does he enjoy seeing me scream for help and do nothing until I figure things out.  He looked at me straight to the eye and said, “I want you to be self-reliant, to learn how to survive with or without my support.  I love you so much that I do not want to impair you”.  I understood his words but I didn’t know what to say.  Back then, I was not sure if I should thank him or what.

I have never really absorbed his point until my websites were hacked (for the nth time).  It took me days to figure it out.  I had to read tutorials, forum threads and all.  He’s here by my side just watching, ready to catch if I slip and wreck the entire database (LOL).  But he left me alone to analyze and locate errors.  Tonight I finally restored Eagirl.com including the theme I customized, yay!

The web application troubles I shared above is just one of the many things he pushes me to learn.  There are other aspects from finances to sanitary plumbing that I learn a lot about, too.

The tough love my husband has for me actually made me realize that I am capable of doing things other than minding the kids and the kitchen and running a project.  It pushed me to learn and apply it.  It equipped me with survival skills that we both are now confident that we will be able to feed “our flock” no matter what the world brings.  It might have been painful at first but I realize now that I should be thankful that he constantly brings out the best in me.

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Jul 10, 2010 0

A Quick Update

Categories:  Updates, as a SAHP

For friends who may be wondering what in the world is happening to deetsie, this post is for you.

As I write, I am in Davao City, Philippines to attend my best friend’s wedding.  So happy to be the matron of honor, I came over way ahead of time to host a bridal shower party the other night.  It was fun and I think everyone, especially the bride, had a great time.

As I write, my blogs are dead from hacking.  Just before I left for this trip, I got a message from Danica that my websites were hacked again!  If only I could get these guys arrested, I would.  I figured fixing it would take so much of my time so I opted to wait until the plane lands and I get a steady Internet connection.  Alas, my mom’s internet connection was not working and it took them 2 days to fix it.  It felt like forever as I am so used to breathing with oxygen and the Internet.

As I write, am reading tutorials on how to do manual upgrades and how to avoid getting hacked again.  I am such a newb… (i know my husband would agree).  I’ve been blogging for 4 years and I still can’t get away from those darn hackers… grrrrrr..

As I write, my Ea and Jethro are down with fever.  Both are asleep now so I have a moment to spare and write.  Ea’s temp is at 38.6 C while Jet’s getting 39.7 C.  Mom books would say this should be a cue to take them to the hospital, not to mention Davao is having dengue and malaria outbreaks.  But hey, I’m not a typical clueless mom.  I don’t know about other moms but I just know when to take the kids to the hosp and when it’s best to just hold and care for them at home.  I already gave Jet a soothing massage and sponge bath to bring the fever down.  Whew.

Oops, Jet’s awake now asking for mumma.  Ta tah!

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Apr 20, 2010 0

WOW Gamers: Beware of Account Log Phishers

Categories:  Gaming
Tags: , ,
Deetsie: Blood Elf Hunter

Deetsie: Blood Elf Hunter

Browsing through the hundreds of emails I get daily, I was disconcerted to find an email from “Blizzard.com” World of Warcraft Account Management.  Then I found a couple more sent on separate dates.  It was saying my account has been reported to be in violation of the End User License Agreement because it’s being sold.  I have two WOW accounts so I had to make sure which one is being questioned.  As far as I am concerned, the active one is running well, I just used it!  I want to make sure the links in the email were legit.  When I hovered the mouse over it, the links that should be directing to http://www.battle.net/account/support/login-support.xml were in fact directed to these landing pages:

www.worldofwarcraft-account-support.net
www.audit-login-worldofwarcraft.com
www.review-support-worldofwarcraft.com

These are very strong evidence that the emails were not from Blizzard itself but from phishers of WorldofWarcraft account log in details. WOW has never stopped announcing in-game that there are a lot of account hacking going around and players must be aware of the tactics to make sure they don’t fall into prey. WOW weaponry sets, Gold and a whole lot of treasures from backpacks, vaults and banks are being traded here and there. We don’t want to lose all those hard earned goodies, right?

So what would happen if you click the links by mistake? A bogus support page will show asking you to log in with your username and password. Hit enter and you’re doomed. The details you supplied will be stolen and changed so you can no longer access it. Ever. Again. Isn’t that heartbreaking?

For those who still have the account in one piece, here’s how the email reads. If you could also notice, the email is not personalized. Totally spammy. Legit emails from Blizzard would address you in full name and would show verifiers, as well. So BEWARE!!

EMAIL 1

Greetings,
An investigation of your World of Warcraft account has found strong evidence that the account in question is being sold or traded. As you may not be aware of, this conflicts with Blizzard’s EULA under section 4 Paragraph B which can be found here:
WoW -> Legal -> End User License Agreement
and Section 8 of the Terms of Use found here:
WoW -> Legal -> Terms of Use
The investigation will be continued by Blizzard administration to determine the action to be taken against your account. If your account is found violating the EULA and Terms of Use, your account can, and will be suspended/closed/or terminated.
In order to keep this from occurring, you should immediately verify that you are the original owner of the account.
To verify your identity please visit the following webpage:
http://www.battle.net/account/support/login-support.xml
Only Account Administration will be able to assist with account retrieval issues. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, and your continued interest in World of Warcraft.
Sincerely,

Account Administration
Blizzard Entertainment

EMAIL 2

Greetings,
World of Warcraft -> Legal -> End User License Agreement
and Section 8 of the Terms of Use:
Blizzard Entertainment -> Legal -> Terms of Use
A 3-hour probationary suspension is pending on this account, awaiting confirmation from a specialist. A final warning has been issued. The investigation will be continued by the Account Administration team to determine the any further suspensions. If the account in question is found in violation of the EULA and Terms of Use, further action will be taken. Be aware that any additional inappropriate actions may result in the permanent closure of the account.
Thank you for respecting our position on this matter.
===================================================================================================================================================================
** We request that you verify your legitimate ownership of the account here: https://www.battle.net/account/support/login-support.xml
Blizzard staff will verify your account information submitted in two days, please do not modify your account information during this time . It will not affect your game uptime.If you are unable to successfully verify your password . using the automated system, please contact Billing & Account Services at 1-800-59-BLIZZARD (1-800-592-5499) Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Pacific Time or at billing@blizzard.com. Account security is solely the responsibility of the account holder. Please be advised that in the event of a compromised account, Blizzard representatives typically must lock the account. In these cases the Account Administration team will require faxed receipt of ID materials before releasing the account for play.
Regards,
The World of Warcraft Support Team Blizzard Entertainment

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Mar 18, 2010 8

Annual “Greet Me First” Winner

Categories:  Updates
Tags: , ,
2008 Birthday cake from Ryla Lim of Nikon Cakes

2008 Birthday cake from Ryla Lim of Nikon Cakes

For 11 years now, I have been running a Birthday contest. Whoever greets me first after MY clock strikes 12:00 midnight on every 18th of March wins a very special prize! Prizes are different each year. I started by giving little surprises to the greeter like candy bars, a bag of chips, prepaid phone credits or a dinner in a restaurant. Once there was a winner who likes to collect bells and chimes so I gave her one. Last year, the winner received a facial spa treatment. I just feel joyful inside to surprise someone who remembers my birthday with a little something.

And for this year, the award for the “annual greet me first” contest goes to… (drum rolls) Helen Tubeo- Laureano, my sister-in-law from Davao City.  She greeted me at around 4:45 am today.

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Mar 12, 2010 0

Applying Online Marketing

Categories:  Business, Internet Marketing
Tags: , ,

I believe this article is a good read for those who are seriously into online business.

There are two types of businesses, there are the online businesses that use only online types of advertising and promoting for their business and there are other businesses that utilize both online and offline marketing strategies for a more complete advertising experience.  One of the largest problems for some is that they believe if they find the right Internet marketing opportunity, they will be successful without having to do anything.  Here are the elements that really contribute to your business success. You will hardly need any other home-based business opportunity if you manage and master these.

You create your future.  When setting your goals make sure to be realistic!

Things you must have for good Internet marketing:

You must have your own website and domain name. The website is your business interface and your chance to open the door to a real business home Internet marketing opportunity.  Your main goal is success and your own website will help you attain that goal.

SEO and advertising patterns have to be clearly understood and carefully dealt with. Traffic, advertising and the communication with your prospects depend on search engine optimization and keyword selection.
Stay in touch with your customers and prospects. Your website needs to be constantly updated with new information or news on special events that you may be planned that have to deal with the niche of your website. Give coupons, discounts, special offers and the like.

Employing Article marketing
Let me explain. One of the best ways to advertise for your business is to write informative materials related to it and distribute them around the web. You’ll reach a large number of users and with minimum costs: here is indeed a business home Internet marketing opportunity.

Use Social networks and blogs
Many people and businesses are now turning some of there efforts towards marketing on blogs and other social network websites, because this is such a simple way to communicate with potential customers. Moreover, the kind of web content used in blogs enjoys a great support from search engines. This is the main reason why this type of marketing has become so popular.

Searching for any other form of business home Internet opportunity to make you rich overnight is a mistake and a big waste of time. You need to put in the time and think of your online business the same way you would think of an off line business, the more you put into it, the more you will get in the long run.  If handled like you would handle your own offline business, like a store, Internet marketing will boost business performance incredibly well.

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Feb 24, 2010 0

The Trouble with PayPal

Categories:  Internet Marketing, News
Tags:

I feel so agitated.  For a very long while now, I just can’t get my PayPal business account verified.  My fault, I should have just upgraded my verified personal account.  But I did not, thinking I would not like to merge my personal funds with business.  So I created another one.  So silly of me to use my maiden name that is no longer attached to any other bank account except for my Philippine USD account that PayPal will not accept. And I can’t move out now because funds are already coming in.  Arrrrgh!  I can’t send any money to the verified account and the money is stuck in there until I send an electronic copy of my marriage contract to PayPal.  How inconvenient.   This is not the only problem I had with this account.  I tried adding by BDO account that was using my maiden name for years but I had changed it just a couple of months ago.  And because of the inconsistency, Paypal deducted around P200++ 7 times from my account!  I had to contact their customer service rep to reverse the charge because none of my attempts worked out anyway.  They did return the charges.. after 2 months! Paypal is just soooo quick in accepting funds but are sooo slow on everything else.  I do have Moneybookers as an alternate for 4 years now but  i never got to use it.  If only the web is not sooo into Paypal.

Sign up for PayPal and start accepting credit card payments instantly.

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Feb 21, 2010 0

Keeping Your Niche Alive

Categories:  Internet Marketing

My Hubby decided we go out for a swim with the kids. It was close to dinner time when we heard there is going to be a power interruption for 3 straight hours. What are we going to do at home without electricity? Good question. A very straight answer is: Nothing.   So off we went to our favorite spot -The Marco hotel hot pool. I thought it was a very relaxing way to end the week. Indeed it was. While at in the pool, I met a New Zealand native professor who is residing in Thailand (and came over to visit his 18-yr old gf). When he heard what I do as a profession, he went on to share how he started with his Internet Marketing ventures, and how it died. He was doing it on top of his day job.  He spent two years building his sites, hired web designers from India who offered really cheap services but with challenging support system.  Although he was making money (around $300 per month), he found himself hating to stay in front of the computer more and more.  Unlike most web-venturers do, he chose to keep his day job after realizing it’s just not making much sense anymore.  He lost his interest and eventually decided to let his Economics/Forex websites die a natural death.   Another sad story of a niche placed in a tomb.

I know there are so many Internet marketers who are struggling to make it to the top of the web.  But just like any business, venturing in an online business is a high risk high return game.  The return is directly proportional to the work you put in it.  It takes a lot of work and a lot of learning.  Some lessons are learned before hand.  But most are learned after falling and hitting hard with face flat on the floor.  But always and always, it’s never too late to get back up and move on.  Enjoy blogging!

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Feb 13, 2010 0

PayPal India: Finding Resolution

Categories:  Business, Internet Marketing, News
Tags: , , , ,

It was February 6, 2010 when Paypal decided to halt all payments to and from India. Not only was the transactions on hold but all balances were reversed. The mass reversals caused so much trouble for both parties involved in each transaction, in and out of India.

While PayPal responds a template mail to every query about this issue saying the payment be re-sent as gift and that they are working to get the issue resolved within 2 to 3 days, no solution is really workable at the moment. PayPal also stated that it may take a few months to resolve the specific issue on Personal Payments being sent to and from India. How few is few? Good luck!

Initially the main problem was only about the restrictions on personal payments but we all know all transaction types were reversed, including gift and services. This caused much worry and dilemma for all Indians across the Internet who were using PayPal for personal and business transactions. Merchants outside India, who had already shipped the goods found that the payment for them was returned to the buyer. Link builders, writers and other services rendered for off shore clients cannot receive any payment for their hard work.

Speculations arise as to who is the real culprit. Each of these transactions does not cover taxes for the Indian government. The country is receiving so much money in foreign currencies. A citizen who is clearly affected by the issue commented, “A lot of business must be transacted in India via PayPal—business done with personal transactions. So a money-hungry Indian government is aggravated at some perceived revenue loss (taxes, customs, etc.) and (has) put pressure on PayPal to stop the payments either directly or indirectly”.

This is something we are all currently at a loss about. So for payees and merchants outside India who wish to track the reversals, here’s what you can do to keep yourselves busy while waiting for the resolution: Check if the money was in fact returned to your account. We all know PayPal slurps money like an addict so you better make sure of this. This amount should be shown as your current PayPal balance. If you can’t see that, try this:

1. Log in to your PayPal. Go to Reports

2. Click on Download History by setting the correct dates (30 days max, ideally)

3. Open the .csv in MS Excel or Open Office document to view all the transactions.

4. Transaction ID could be used if you are looking for a specific transaction. But if you are not sure about any of those, using the email address would be your best bet. Use the Find (Ctrl+F) option to do this.

5. The report shows one transaction per row. In this situation, where you sent the payment, fund was returned, you tried to reprocess it successfully but it was returned a few days later, you can expect four (4) unique transactions having different IDs and remarks. By using the email address to search through, check if there were any remarks saying Hold, Completed, Reversed, etc.

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Feb 07, 2010 1

Is Fighting an Art?

Categories:  Gaming

I guess the term “Martial Arts” will answer that.  So it is an art, in more ways than one. There’s boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai and many more fighting disciplines and proficiencies that promote fighting as an art and not merely a way to defend one’s self.  The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) was founded in order to identify the most effective martial art in a real fight.  The UFC News I’ve read from fighters.com shows how professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters sign up to hit and be hit.  Champions against champions fighting for the title.  The site also has a ranking for the top fighters across the country.

I have always been very vocal about my keen interest in gaming especially the World of Warcraft.  I enjoy the adrenalin rush and thrill of spawning mobs and obnoxious enemy players.  But even in those war-laden games, whenever possible, I choose the safest route, the friendliest map and the most peaceful realm just to avoid conflicts and fights.  My husband always checks my weaponry to make sure I have the nothing but the best artillery.  But I never get to use them as much.  I’m happy enough gathering materials, honing my profession, leveling up and grinding by the easy-to-kill monsters.  For lack of time and a change in perspective, I don’t play much anymore.  And I can’t watch a martial arts fight, like the UFC without covering my eyes even.  I guess I will always be a lover not a fighter.

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Feb 07, 2010 0

Small Business’ Connectivity to the World

Categories:  Business, Internet Marketing
Tags: , ,

My sisters and I are operating a pretty small printing business called sPrintXt – Quick Prints and Xtras.  This venture has been running for more than a year but has not been actively pushing for profits at all until recently.  Setting up a business that involves inventory, warehousing, manpower requirements and off-shore communication can be very complex, not to mention tricky.  Challenging, yes.  This is why our long overdue project has been sitting and waiting for a long time already.  But now my sissies and I are rolling up sleeves and are determined to move forward.  No amount of excuses can stop us.  Our market stretches to different countries.  And our varying physical location may pose a hindrance. The solution? Finding the best discount small business VOIP phones to keep all communication lines running.

All businesses, no matter how big or how small, whether online or offline, thrive in the quality of communication it makes within the system.  Between employees to other employees, to clients, to customers, to program partners and all other departments that are working together.  With the advancement of technology, voice calls can be done computer to computer, phone to phone and computer to phone.  To be clear though, these ways of using VoIP connections have different set of requirements and unit specification for the two communicating sides.  Area or location may matter too.  So long as the business has the budget, this should be on the start up priority list.

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