Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with internet and online

Does it make sense to learn the drums online?

seatofmypants — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:53:28 -0800

How do online drum lessons compare to taking lessons in person? Does it make sense money-wise if both cost about the same? I have some musical background and have been playing around with the drums since I was a teenager without any serious instruction or commitment.

I would like to start taking lessons and, in looking online, found a teacher in Canada who's style I really like. I live in NY.

This teacher gives lessons online for $50 a pop.

The way it works: He sends you an hour long video with instruction plus PDF's of written music. You do your homework and practice and then video yourself playing and send him the video. He comments and critiques. Rinse and repeat.

I can take lessons with someone local but he's not as qualified as the Canadian. Plus, as mentioned, I really like the Canadian teacher's style. The price difference is minor.

On the other hand, there is a certain urgency and push that a teacher can give that I don't thin can be transmitted online.

Anyone have any illuminating comments on this. If you have experience with learning another instrument online that would also be helpful.

Thanks much people. Happy holidays!

Online career change exercises wanted

reenum — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:22:57 -0800

Are there any websites or online resources for people considering a career change? I've been thinking of changing careers for a while, and after some recent events at the office, it's time to get up and start figuring some things out.

I'm going to get "What Color Is Your Parachute" and a few other recommended texts from other threads, but I'm wondering if there are any websites or other online resources (preferably free), that have exercises and other things I can use to try and evaluate what it is I truly want to do.

I have a lot of free time at work. For obvious reasons, I don't want to show up here with career change books.

Thanks!

"What are you doing?" "I'm ending our friendship." NOOOOO!

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:34:59 -0800

Help! Can I salvage this friendship even after experiencing the searing pain of rejection? (CAUTION: lengthy beanplating)

Okay. About six months ago, I posted a smart, sassy personal ad under "strictly platonic" on the local Craigslist (not in the US) seeking someone to talk to, hang out with, with the intention of expanding my social circles and being introduced to someone else's social circle. It was w4m since most of my friends (maybe 90%) are girls and I don't have enough guy friends. Having never used CL before, I was surprised by the caliber of responses, mostly coming from interesting, articulate people, and ended up hanging out with someone who really did turn into a friend, and corresponded with a couple more who were local, but were currently assigned elsewhere for work.

Enter: The Man I Speak Of. Despite being an American in America and being over a decade older than me and never having made a friend over the Internet before, he replied to my ad. He had been to my city some years ago, and he worked in the airline industry and so could pretty much fly anywhere. Now, of course, being a MeFite and having been a nethead for 14 years, I am no stranger to online interactions with people from around the world, and upon the requisite Googlestalking, he seemed to be everything he said he was, so I thought, what the hey, why not? He wasn't the best speller, but he still seemed articulate, had a questioning mind, liked to think on his feet, an extrovert, was also interested in books and movies and music, and best of all, he was extremely funny and there was a certain je ne sais quoi in the way he wrote that just made his personality jump off the page. (I'm sure you can see where this is going.) Our highly enthusiastic e-mails escalated in frequency to daily, and eventually we also started chatting daily (with the occasional voice chat). At one point we were chatting twice a day for hours, despite the time differences: when I woke up and he was getting ready for bed, and when he woke up and I was getting ready for bed. We would even chat when he was traveling. If we couldn't chat, he would e-mail or leave an offline message, some little nugget for me to find. (Data point: he was on extended leave from work, and I was between jobs.) I can't even remember what we talked about, mostly getting-to-know-you stuff and common interests I suppose. He would jokingly censor himself when I complained that he ranted too much. We had a strange relationship. It was still strictly platonic on the surface, even somewhat paternal, but clearly we were getting very attached to each other. Eventually, we decided that this wasn't very healthy, and decided to cut back to chatting only once a day. The next time he traveled, he didn't bring his laptop. He started attending adult classes and working on a writing project, so he would have some accomplishments to show for when he comes back from his leave. Good, right?

Three months into it, I'm not sure how, our voice chat turned somewhat flirtatious when he complimented my voice and my laugh. I was flattered, and of course I really liked him, but I wasn't sure if I could put any stock into it, since we hadn't met. He had sent me his picture, but while he wasn't unattractive, I wasn't sure if I was attracted to it, or to him physically, so I kept myself in check. Then, maybe a week later, he started acting strange and distant. I didn't catch him online for days, and he didn't leave any notes. It seemed like he was avoiding me. So then I ask what's up, and he goes "What am I going to do with you?" Then he admited that he had a drinking problem, that he couldn't lie to me, that he had been thinking hard about it because he wanted to be more than friends, that he knew he could be very charming, but that he didn't want me to make any emotional investment in him without knowing this very huge thing and he was worried I would write him off.

Well, dear MeFites, I didn't write him off but I also didn't know how to handle the bomb he dropped. (I mean, up until this worldly older man, I had mostly been involved with geeky types, engineer types, and sensitive indie musician types.) I really, really, really liked him, but I told him that it was something I could handle if we were friends, but that it would definitely be a problem if we were to be more than friends. So, we stayed friends, and of his own volition, he started seeing a doctor and going to AA meetings. I tried to be very, very supportive and help him stay positive. He had previously kicked his smoking habit, I knew he could do it. The tenor of our conversations changed: deeper, more serious. We both expressed a desire to lighten up, but for some reason it would constantly tip towards the heavy end.

In spite of myself, I started to develop feelings for him. Rationally, I knew it wasn't a good idea, but I couldn't help feeling tender and affectionate after he showed such vulnerability. I started becoming uncomfortable with the nature of his friendship with an attractive married colleague he had a crush on, and even more uncomfortable that he vaguely implied having had "friends with benefits" and outright upset at the possibility of him jumping on an opportunity if it arose. Yet I didn't necessarily want to be "with" him and it felt unfair, I didn't own him. But I liked him a lot and felt very attached to him. He had asked me out to see a certain movie and he planned on coming to my city for a week, but that no longer seemed to be on the horizon (he said it would be December at the soonest) given all the things he wanted to do (lose weight, attend more classes, do the 90 meetings in 90 days in AA, complete the writing project), and so we chatted less and less.

And then the disaster happened. I won't give any details because I don't want to turn this into a pity party, but a major natural disaster ravaged the region, and we were pretty badly hit. I sought him out for comfort, and he in turn was supportive towards me. He seemed to really want to help, but realistically there was nothing I could ask him to do.

I lost my Internet, and we no longer chatted regularly. Then I learned to tether my mobile phone and logged on more, but he would no longer go online at the "regular" times, unless we set up a time to chat. But even when we set up a time to chat, and I would be late for a few minutes because I had trouble connecting or grabbed a bite before logging on, he would not wait for me like he used to, now that I didn't have a constant connection. One time, just to prove my hunch, I was online right on the dot and stayed invisible. He was late, stayed online for 3 minutes, and left without leaving an offline message or e-mail. I felt him growing cold. Maybe he lost interest. Maybe there was someone else. He did say there was a woman he liked who he wanted to be his sponsor, but according to AA rules it had to be another man. I asked him to tell me if something was up. He said the only thing that had changed was his schedule, that he couldn't keep up the same hours he used to, and that it would be the same if he went back to work.

A month after the disaster, I was grasping at straws, I couldn't stand it anymore. I wrote him a longish e-mail explaining why I was acting strange, that I felt that I was losing him, that I felt confused and may have feelings for him, that I missed him, and lighter times. I said that I had to lay low for a while, and maybe later on I would be back to my rational self and be happy for him and the new developments in his life. I told him he didn't have to reply. Well, he did reply and say that he could go online at 9:00am his time the next day. So I went online and waited. And waited. And waited. An hour later, he was still not online, so I fired off a line about how it was getting ridiculous. He e-mailed back and apologized for forgetting, noted that I seemed mad, and said that since I kept late hours, he thought he might still catch me. I said that it was just that after I had sent that embarrassing e-mail, going online to chat with him felt like having to face the firing squad, and that when he didn't show up, I felt like an idiot, but that I meant it that he didn't have to reply. (I partly wished he wouldn't, as I wanted it to be a swan song of sorts.) He sent a couple of e-mails a few days apart, pretending to work on a response, and when the actual "response" came (a one-word text file) I wondered if he was just dicking me around or if it was part of a running gag between us (him building up something which ends up being nothing, applied to jokes, anecdotes, faux documents). However, I was too sore about previous events that I didn't dignify it with a response until two weeks later, just one line. He asked me how a trip I took was. I replied with just information about the trip and nothing more. Since then, silence.

It hurts so much.

I know, I know, I know, it was a stupid thing to do and this only means he doesn't feel the same, and he has offered no reassurance. I can't seem to get it into my head that even though he once indicated he wanted to be more than friends, he no longer feels the same way.

I can't stop thinking about him. Why am I so attracted to his words? It feels like an addiction, and I'm experiencing withdrawal. But I know that even I got what I wanted, it would still be unhealthy, that continuing to chat with him would be an incredibly bad idea for both of us. I know I need to stay away. Yet I do still want to be friends with this man. I still value his insights and opinions, and I like him a lot as a person regardless of all that has happened.

How do I deal with my feelings for him?
How do I make it hurt less?
Most importantly, how can I save our friendship?

I am at the end of my rope. I don't know what to do.

Websites for flow charts or concept maps?

tnygard — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:10:19 -0800

Is there a good website for making flow charts or concept maps or cognitive maps in groups? A group of my students and I will be making a website together, and I am hoping to find a free or low-cost way for all of us to make such a chart together online. This would be to show how all of the sections of the website relate to each other. Any thoughts or experiences with such services would be most appreciated.

Would you pay to post?

bryon — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:57:01 -0800

I'm starting a web forum. Should I charge users? The forum will focus on a popular topic which should draw many people. I'm thinking hard about charging a nominal fee ($5) for registration. That would prevent spambot signups and discourage the casual troll from ruining everyone's fun. You know, like we all did when we signed up here. There are two potential disadvantages: 1) I would have to spend lots of time dealing with new registrations (I'd get over that), and 2) it might discourage some people who would otherwise register and be productive members. What do you think? Bonus question: if I do go with paid registration, how do I make it happen on phpbb3? Many thanks.

Does my girlfriend spend too much time on online forums?

kleenkat — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:25:23 -0800

Am I being unreasonable about how much time my girlfriend spends on online forums and message boards? It's ironic that I am asking this on metafilter, but I really feel like my girlfriend spends way too much time online talking to strangers about every day things, hobbies, etc. What is weird though, is that she doesn't actually participate in many of the hobbies she claims she is on the message boards for. She just talks about them and the stuff she talks about sits and collects dust in our apartment (cameras, guitars, etc.) Hasn't touched them in over a year. She is a moderator on one forum and probably spends 4-5 hours each day, if not more, on these three forums. One being Fluther, where a bunch of people ask questions that can simply be Googled. I understand online community and what not, and when I say something to her she gets pissed off because I'm doing work for school. I am not, however spending nearly as much time doing graduate work as she does online. She is only these forums throughout the work day, and on her computer when I get home from work every day, even when we are cooking dinner she intermittently checks the forums for new posts or to answer ridiculous questions on Fluther.

Am I being picky or unreasonable? I just think it's strange but hey to each their own. I just feel like she is constantly at her computer. Yet, when I try to get her to go out in the "real world" and hang out with friends, she says the general population annoys her. Since I started dating her I really miss REAL social interaction with people, even with strangers. It now makes me reluctant to participate in many social events because I know she will be bored or despise being there. What should I do? I love her very much, and I don't want to come off as insensitive....I just wonder if it is unhealthy. She's a sweet, caring girl.

THanks in advance...

Cheap, efficient way to learn German online.

ekpyrotic — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:21:01 -0800

Cheap, efficient way to learn German online. Hey guys, I'm a physics/philosophy double major in the UK. My specialism is philosophical logic, to gain postgrad admission to my top institutions I'll have to be a competent German reader (speaking, listening would be nice, but not essential).

I have a year and a half.

I was looking for some good online resources to learn the language. I'd be especially interested in good, thorough treatments of the grammar.

Photo Contest Set-up Help Needed

SuperErin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:30:40 -0800

PhotoFilter: I need to create a monthly photo contest for my clients to participate in. Help me find the easiest way to do this. I've already seen this question, but it is from 2007, and I know things have changed many times since then. I looked at the two programs suggested, but would prefer something online that I don't have to upload to my website.

I'd like to just set the thing up, give out a link, and have my clients upload photos of their dogs and vote on the best each month. I'd prefer an actual voting mechanism, rather than just writing "vote" in the comments.

I'd prefer free, or at least inexpensive for me, free for my clients to use.

I've googled this, but there's a lot of junk to slog through, so I was hoping to get some Mefite expertise!

Thanks in advance.

Need a store that's quick and cheap

arniec — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:49:30 -0800

Me, being the family resident techie, has been asked to build an online shopping site for an in-law. EASY and FAST is the name of the game...what should I use? (asking for Father-In-Law...so the less effort I have to put into it the better).

My FIL runs a local clothing business and would like to sell his wares online. Requirements:

1) Secure online checkout using credit cards.
2) Shopping cart capability so a user can purchase multiple things at once
3) Ability to have multiple items at multiple prices.
4) Ability to have "versions" of items (shirts in S, M, L, XL, and surcharges for shirts 2X, 3X, etc).

It would be best if items can be grouped by category (say shirts, hats, etc. where a user can click on a group to see all items or a paginated list of items in that group).

The inventory will be fairly static, and there will be no "on demand" work (so think Amazon, not CafePress).

I can build him a site no problem, but the secure checkout and credit card processing...I'm not sure what the best option is. I have seen several on-line merchants using Yahoo stores for this type of functionality... How can I get this set up easily with a minimum of hassle?

Where in the world is.........

micklaw — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:47:52 -0800

Please pass on your favourite online mapping websites, with an emphasis on interactive applications. I really love maps. I spend a lot of time using a variety of (mainly educational) online maps such as the WWF Wildfinder, NationMaster, Reuters AlertNet, Globalis and the very excellent Geoscience Australia Sentinel Bushfire tool and so on. Maps of War is also an excellent resource in a similar vein, although not as interactive as those previously listed.

Anyway, the internet being what it is, I am sure there are many more fantastic resources online that I have not yet come across and I would love to tap the collective mind of Metafiler users to help me expand my mapping horizons.

Post your recommendations, particularly with an emphasis on non-US maps (global or other regions would be most useful) as these will be used in a non-US school.

Thanks in advance!

Are there any viable work at home [internet] based business to make a few hundred dollars a month?

blackout — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:22:00 -0800

Are there any viable work at home [internet] based business to make a few hundred dollars a month? I'm young (23) and my field of work has slowed down a bit. I'm not making the money I once was. I'm coming up between $200-$500/month short on my expenses, which has yet to be a real problem because of savings.
Soon I'll run out of savings, and my parents (great people that they are) are more than willing to lend me a hand in the money department (for the foreseeable future). That's all well and good, but I'd like to make money for myself if I could.
Unfortunately a second job will not work, as my current job has very weird and odd hours, with events being scheduled with less than an hours notice sometimes. As this job is more a means to an end of furthering my career rather than just something to pay the bills it's more important that I can work the odd hour here and there than be unable too because I'm working retail or something somewhere.

So what are some ways I could make some money online? Again I'm not looking to make a 'living' online just some extra money.
I sell stuff on ebay here and there, and know how that all works. I've looked into the companies that drop ship, the items I sell on ebay but I'm not sure if there is money to be made there.

Also; my skill set is very specialized (helicopter pilot/instructor) so if there was some way I could work that in that be awesome.

Mostly just looking for input from people, not looking for a get rich quick scheme by any means, and I also know it often takes money to make money.

Those who can't do... teach online.

grumblebee — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:23:30 -0800

I would like to teach one-on-one computer classes from home (over the Internet). What's the state-of-the-art re: live screen casting? Yes, I know nothing beats being in a room with a real teacher, but I'd like to give this a try. I have 20 years of teaching experience. I teach design and programming topics. I've been waiting for the time when I can say, "You live in California and I live in NYC, but I can still teach you Actionscript programming..."

Years ago, when I first wanted to do this, the tech wasn't ready. I have a feeling it is now. Am I right? Is it finally achievable for me to share my screen in close-to-real time with another Broadband user?

How much would this cost? How could I make it easy for the other person to set up, etc.?

I own a Mac, but I'd like to teach both Mac and PC people.

PS. I know I could make video tutorials, but that space is glutted. I'd prefer to offer live training in which my student could ask questions, etc.

To podcast or not to podcast?

frosty_hut — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:22:33 -0800

How to persuade a local radio arts and music station that they should podcast? I'm a newbie at a radio station. I host a music channel that's one of a couple of others the station offers online. So it's available on HD and also from their web site.

The host of one of the other online channels, Alexa, offers interviews with artists and local mover-shakers. From what I can tell, the managers would like the channel to take off but it's been slow going.

We recently heard from a listener who said she loved the idea of an arts conversation channel, and was particularly interested in an interview with a certain artist. She knew the interview was in that audio somewhere, but she didn't have time to listen to the channel for hours in order to find it. Meanwhile, there was no information on the main web site regarding what time the interview would be playing on the air (or online), so she became discouraged and didn't want to keep listening.

I thought this looked like a huge red flag. Currently there is no web content at all associated with the interview channel--it's just a clickable link, with no clue to content, times of interviews or music, etc. This is an on online channel, but there's no information about it online. It seems to me that podcasting would help enormously. A list of labeled links with the names of the artists would be easy to produce. And podcasts aren't brain surgery. People expect content on demand, they're familiar with the technology, and it's just a no brainer.

So I typed out a simple email in response to the listener's question, and asked everyone: If the listener can't find the interview, why not make it available as a podcast from the main web site?

Alexa replied with a lengthy defense of why Podcasts Are Bad. People will only stay for a minute if they see a podcast link, whereas she wants to draw people in for one thing, and keep them there for all the other stuff on the channel.

I can see why that's desirable, but I don't think podcasting would prevent that result. If a person who only wants the Hot Young Star interview leaves the site after listening to it, he wasn't going to stick around anyway. And in the meantime, you've still got your regular listeners who benefit from the added, easy to find content. Plus, you've added a hit to your page count. Once people who are searching for that famous person start finding our site, it can only swell page hits, which I know they're keeping track of.

I'm a newbie and a part-timer, and maybe Alexa thinks I'm a wet-behind-the-ears jerk. I still think this is a rational suggestion. Anyway, the fate of my own channel is at stake too. If everything we offer looks good to people, they're more likely to stick around long enough to click on my section of the site.

Any suggestions on how to spin this more effectively?

Have to make baked goods in commercial kitchen in order to sell online?

Dansaman — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:56:24 -0800

I want to sell baked goods via the Internet. Do I have to prepare them in a commercial kitchen, or can I make them at home?

Any courses on internet marketing in San Diego?

carofowler — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:09:11 -0800

I am looking for some good basic classes/courses in or near San Diego, California on interactive/internet marketing (metrics, e-commerce, channels, website usability, SEO, etc.). Can anyone recommend anything that ends before August '09?

What online humor sites accept outside submissions?

espertus — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 09:08:32 -0800

I wrote a short humorous topical piece that I would like to get published online. It was in the right format (a short list) for McSweeney's, but they rejected it. What other well-read online humor sites accept outside submissions? I am not looking for payment, just to get it published.

Credit card number stolen! How do I protect others?

attercoppe — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:33:47 -0800

My credit card number was stolen! How do I determine the most likely culprit (or at least how they did it) and try to ensure it doesn't happen again either to me or to someone else? I have a relatively new credit card. It lives in my pocket, I have never handed it to anyone else or given out the number except as described below. I've used it twice at the grocery store, swiped it myself. On 10 January I placed an order through a website, on 12 January they ran my card, and early this morning (14 January) I got a call from the fraud department of my credit card company. Someone had made three small (>$10) purchases with my card. The purchases were dated today, 14 January. (Capital One was right on top of it!) Classic fraud flag, the thief checking the card works with small purchases before using it for something big. I confirmed I did not make those purchases, I won't be liable, that number is cancelled and they're sending a new card. No problem there. The question is, how did someone get my card number? The only answers that make sense to me are (in order of likelihood):

1) The website I ordered through has been hacked;
2) Someone at the company I ordered from stole it;
3) Someone in my building, no more than two apartments away, has been sniffing my as-yet-unsecured wireless router (dumb, I know) and got it.

I rate #3 as pretty unlikely given my neighbors. I'm on the third floor, far from the street and parking lot, and it's cold here - a random wardriver/walker is even more unlikely.

I let the company I ordered from know about this. Of course I was speaking to a lowest-level CS rep, and she seemed pretty sure that couldn't ever happen - "We've never had a problem with that before." Then again, she seemed to think I was implying a #2 scenario, that an employee there was responsible.

Am I reasonable in thinking this was a failure of security either with the company website, or within the company? Should I call back and ask to speak to someone as high up as I can get? How likely is it that their website is compromised, and that they don't know, or haven't told the majority of their employees?

I want to access PS3 Online Store via Playstation 3 overseas

omaralarifi — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:02:13 -0800

How can I access playstation US store overseas via playstation 3 console? Is there a way I can access (by playstation 3) the US version of playstation online store?

I am outside the US.

Maybe by vpn or proxy or dedicated IP address or other hacks?

there must be a way!

And if there is a solution, how to set it up?

Online jobs for a college student

deansfurniture5 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:08:28 -0800

What kind of jobs can a college student do online? A friend of mine recently found out the company she was going to be working at over winter break isn't going to be able to hire her back, so I'm trying to help her find a job. I think some sort of online job would be ideal, since she doesn't have a car and isn't too close to any retail stores.

Any suggestions on what she might do? I suggested maybe doing some sort of freelance blog writing (she's a pretty good writer), but she wasn't too fond of that idea. She found a bunch of sites online for "data entry" jobs, but they all seem very scam-y, and I doubt it would be possible to make decent money that way.

So, any suggestions on other things she might do? Thanks!

Cogito, ergo I Long to Learn Latin.

fantine — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:25:35 -0800

Help a linguistics-obsessed college student learn Latin via the magic of the interwebs. I'm a double English-French college student who loves languages, especially those that are dead or invented creations. While I'm not a linguistics genius, I do pick things fairly quickly and can grasp grammatical concepts without too much trouble.

Here's the rub. I've never learned Latin. I've always wanted to but it's not fit into my schedule in high school or now, in college (particularly with a double major!) As Latin isn't exactly a language where pronunciation is key, I'd love to teach myself using resources on the internet. Ideally, I would like to find a structured course with downloadable lessons, exercises for homework, etc. but even a website with a well-organized grammar section and vocabulary lists would also be helpful. In the past, I have tried a Learning Latin for Idiots book but I grew to dislike the smarmy tone and ridiculous sentences. On the other hand, I loved the Ardalambion Quenya Course and greatly enjoyed completing that.

My goal in learning Latin is severalfold: 1) improve my understanding of English (and while I'm at it, French) vocabulary; 2) become better educated and able to translate quotations, legal terms, etc.; 3) continue my dream of being an accomplished woman (19th Century Style). I am not concerned with studying a specific branch of Latin per se, like the Latin of the Romans or of the Catholic Church (though I understand that there are differences). I'm not sure if "Generic Latin" exists, but if it does, all the better.

I hope this isn't too vague. To recap, I'd like to find internet resources to learn Latin, preferably with exercises for practice. What is the best solution?

Can a website generate $1.7billion per year via advertising?

Paleoindian — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:30:11 -0800

Maximum online ad revenue? -newspapers can not sell an infinite amount of ads in their print newspaper because of a realistic maximum page count and circulation. are websites beholden to any such caveats? what I'm trying to figure out is what would say, the new york times, have to do to generate $1.7billion revenue with a pure online presence and advertising model?

is it possible? what would the new york time site look like? Just so you know, in 2007 $1.7billion was the the NYT print ad and circ. revenue. Their online ad revenue was ~$350million

Thanks.

Receiving money, without the buyers knowing my real name?

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:16:28 -0800

I would like to receive money from people, but I don't want them to have my real name or contact information. Can I do this through Paypal, or what are my other options? I'm selling some old clothes online. This isn't a business or anything ongoing, I just have a few things to get rid of. I said so on my blog, and people from a few states away are interested in buying some things. I think they're normal people, but since it's the internet, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I plan on mailing my packages from a big city post office, so I'm not worried about being traced that way. But I don't know how people can pay me without knowing my real contact information. Since this is a one-time thing, I don't want to pay for a P.O. Box (they're quite expensive here). Can they even send a money order without knowing my real name or bank account number?

I was looking at Paypal, but I can't seem to figure it out. If I get the kind of free account that only lets you do e-mail (I don't need a button or anything), when they click on the invoice to pay, will they see my real name or address? Or will Paypal give that information up if the buyer asks? Also, how would Paypal give me my money?

Are there other similar services that would work better? I don't know very much about banking, so I'm not sure about the possibilities. I just don't want to have to pay to set up an account, or have to have certain minimums, or anything like that . . . since this is a one-time thing, it wouldn't be worthwhile. If it matters, individual items are all under $50 and it will probably only add up to maybe a few hundred, at most. Is this the kind of thing you need to pay taxes on? Is there anything else I'm not thinking of?

Anyway, the bottom line is that I don't care if buyers see my username or e-mail address. I just don't want anyone to have my real name or street address connected to my blog by anyone who buys something. Thanks!

Ways to market a website

blueplasticfish — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:38:12 -0800

What are some good ways to market a website? Recently I have helped launch another website onto the World Wide Web. I won't name the site here (to avoid spam accusations), but the site enables people to make Ken Burns-like slideshows with custom music and background themes.

Our target, though not limited to this, is women between the ages of 20-40 who like to share photos of their family online. The goal was to make creating a slideshow an easy, drag-and-drop experience, and to create a clean and cinematic slideshow. We felt a lot of the slideshows available on the web were either boring, hard for the non-tech savvy to create, or filled with too much distracting clutter.

We've gotten on local TV and have had a positive response thus far, but we are struggling to figure out some cost-affective (read cheap) ways to market the site on the web. We are on Facebook and AdWords, but we are looking for other creative ideas to market our site.

We realize that there are a million photo/slideshow sharing sites out there, but really think that our differentiation contains value.

I'm looking for ideas outside of SEO, ad driven, blogs, etc., and more for something that will resonate with our target audience. Perhaps something more grassroots.

You thoughts and ideas are much appreciated :)

What is your favorite Online Backing Service? and why?

omaralarifi — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:06:43 -0800

What is your favorite Online Backing Service? and why?

Free online address book, please

arcticwoman — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:29:24 -0800

Please recommend a free online address book for my slightly technophobic step-mom. I've found a bunch that might work, but not having any experience with them, I don't know which are safe and which are going to sell her info to spammers. The easier to use, the better.