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Looking at attributes like identification of keywords, discovery of minimal context, choice of appropriate transformations, generations of responses in the absence of keywords… Isn’t that exactly what we are looking for in a search engine?
Billions over billions of Dollars have probably invested in optimizing search engine algorithms. Just think of Microsoft’s recent release of Bing, designed to challenge the mighty search engine power of Google, not mentioning all those smaller, less attractive, and less effective search websites, living a miserable life in the shadow of the big two (I exclude Yahoo as a search engine these days.) Add to this the numerous, yet unsuccessful attempts by start-ups all over the world to provide better search results.
Having a masters degree in Electrical Engineering myself, I don’t doubt the necessity of complex algorithms that allow to produce search results from millions of websites within seconds. I don’t doubt the massive investment of money and manpower to provide us, the Internet users, with the information we are looking for.
However, I am nothing short of stupefied by the dumb-as-dumb-can-be search results I receive frequently. We are living in the 21st century. Computers listen to our voice, and they answer. Computers recognize traffic patterns and control traffic accordingly. Yet, computers cannot distinguish between the city of Boston and the rock band Boston. They tell you to enter your question like a regular sentence as if you were talking to a human. But this is where the intelligence stops. The search results – millions of them – are discouraging.
The ineffectiveness of presenting search results has been confirmed by an article I read recently in the online version of the New York Times (See: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/google-buys-metaweb-to-improve-search-results/?hpw). Here is an excerpt:
There are some Web searches that Google doesn’t handle so well — like finding a famous person’s birthday, or searching for a word that means many different things. Search for “Boston,” for example, and all the top links are about the city in Massachusetts. But Boston is also the name of a band and 26 other cities.
Google said Friday that in an effort to improve these tricky types of search queries, it was buying Metaweb, a San Francisco start-up that says it makes Web sites smarter.
Hey, Google and Bing! Meet 44 Year Old ELIZA!
You may call me old-fashioned, but many, many years ago in a different lifetime of mine I played with a programming language called BASIC. I don’t even know if versions of BASIC still exist. The latest version, I believe, comes in form of Microsoft’s VisualStudio that includes an advanced version of VisualBasic. The most interesting, because interactive, program I found was ELIZA. The program listing (i.e. the source ode) for ELIZA fits on three pages of a standard 8.5″ x 11″ paper sheet. The results are, nevertheless, amazing.
ELIZA asks questions and responds intelligently to the user’s input. In scientific terms, “ELIZA is concerned with: (1) the identification of key words, (2) the discovery of minimal context, (3) the choice of appropriate transformations, (4) generation of responses in the absence of key words. ELIZA is a program which makes natural language conversation with a Computer possible.” (Source: ELIZA – A Computer Program For the Study of Natural Language Communication Between Man And Machine by Joseph Weizenbach, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., January 1966)
Looking at attributes like identification of keywords, discovery of minimal context, choice of appropriate transformations, generations of responses in the absence of keywords… Isn’t that exactly what we are looking for in a search engine? I wouldn’t mind some additional responses like “Do you mean the city or the rock band?”
Isn’t it amazing that Google spends millions in an effort to keep up with Bing? Bing, after all, provides better search results, but it still is no ELIZA. You can buy the document ELIZA – A Computer Program For the Study of Natural Language Communication Between Man And Machine for a mere $15! Just log on to http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=365168&dl=GUIDE&coll=GUIDE&CFID=95147346&CFTOKEN=39216600.
Demo Session With ELIZA
Well, the most popular application for ELIZA was resembling a psychologist, and that is clearly demonstrated in the session demo below. The responses are, nevertheless, amazing. The session also demonstrates convincingly the effective analysis of keywords and the generation of intelligent responses. As I mentioned before, the program listing is amazingly short. See http://home.cmit.net/rwolbeck/programmingtutorial/code/eliza.htm as an example.
Men are all alike
IN WHAT WAY
They’re always bugging us about something or other.
CAN YOU THINK OF A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE
Well, my boyfriend made me come here.
YOUR BOYFRIEND MADE YOU COME HERE
He says I’m depressed much of the time.
I AM SORRY TO HEAR YOU ARE DEPRESSED
It’s true. I am unhappy.
DO YOU THINK COMING HERE WILL HELP YOU NOT TO BE UNHAPPY
I need some help, that much seems certain.
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU IF YOU GOT SOME HELP
Perhaps I could learn to get along with my mother.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY
My mother takes care of me.
WHO ELSE IN YOUR FAMILY TAKES CARE OF YOU
My father.
YOUR FATHER
You are like my father in some way.
WHAT RESEMBLANCE DO YOU SEE
You are not very aggressive but I think you don’t want me to notice that.
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I AM NOT VERY AGGRESSIVE
You don’t argue with me.
WHY DO YOU THINK I DON’T ARGUE WITH YOU
You are afraid of me.
DOES IT PLEASE YOU TO BELIEVE I AM AFRAID OF YOU
My father is afraid of everybody.
WHAT ELSE COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF YOUR FATHER
Bullies.
DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND MADE YOU COME HERE
Uh, the gravity of an irresistible (yet misleading) headline! Yes, I am guilty of reading “The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging”. On page 74 the book lists the “Top Ten Horrible Publicity Stunt Ideas”, and by using above headline I ruthlessly copied and modified the horrible publicity stunt ideas 6 and 9.
Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the ego, and lessens the frictions of social contacts.
- Clare Booth Luce
Uh, the gravity of an irresistible (yet misleading) headline! Yes, I am guilty of reading The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging. On page 74 the book lists the Top Ten Horrible Publicity Stunt Ideas, and by using above headline I ruthlessly copied and modified the horrible publicity stunt ideas 6 and 9.
Now that I am blogging for a mere 15 months I wasn’t quite convinced that a book published in 2008 would be able to present interesting insights on blogging on top of what I already know. After all, these days technology changes fast within two years. In fact, there are a few minor details that have changed since the release (for instance, the Yahoo self-service platform for small publishers, also known as Yahoo Publisher Network Online was closed as of April 30 this year). However, the book’s content is so much more than a mere instruction on running your blog. This is a book written by the very best blogging professionals in the Internet business world, and, regardless of whether you are a blogging novice or a blog professional, you will not put this book aside unless you have read it in full.
Yes, there is information on starting a blog, increasing web traffic, making money online, etc., but I wouldn’t recommend this guide for that particular purpose. There are other, much more detailed works available. The guts of this book is – as strange as it may sound – about the nature of blogs, their history, their impact on today’s world, and, most importantly, the passion that comes with writing a blog. The passion is emphasized by comments from people like Nora Ephron, Harry Shearer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Gary Hart, John Ridley, Steven Weber (Hey, Steve, I don’t hate you! I just miss Wings!), and others.
Reading the Complete Guide to Blogging effectively convinces you that you need to start your own blog immediately, and if you already have one, the authors give you the feeling that you are one of them. There is no looking down on the poor blogger with his/her mere two pages. The guide is full of advice for everybody. The language is clear, comprehensive, and professional. The reader will learn why The Huffington Post is so incredibly successful in times where traditional newspapers are struggling to maintain readership.
This book is a must-read for every blogger at every level, including those who work for the online versions of traditional newspapers. It is made to learn from the top professionals in the business.
The only complaint I have is about the extremely sparse table of content, now that I am looking for the definition of Fair Use and Copyright (Here it is – page 50). I hope it is “fair use” when I quote the horrible publicity stunt ideas 6 and 9 here in this post. If it’s not, please contact me, and I will humbly repent.
Horrible Publicity Stunt Idea #6:
Start a rumor that a book based on your blog is the next Oprah selection (and, OMG, you’re giving out tickets to the show where she’ll discuss it!).
Horrible Publicity Stunt Idea #9:
Write an open letter to the National Parks Service offering $10 million if they’ll have the Statue of Liberty hold a sign with your blog name on it for a day (in place of the torch). Since you know they’ll say no, it doesn’t matter that you don’t have $10 million.
For eight more horrible publicity stunt ideas I recommend reading The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging.
Book Description
- Source: Amazon.Com.
The editors of The Huffington Post–the most linked-to blog on the web–offer an A-Z guide to all things blog, with information for everyone from the tech-challenged newbie looking to get a handle on this new way of communicating to the experienced blogger looking to break through the clutter of the Internet. With an introduction by Arianna Huffington, the site’s cofounder and editor in chief, this book is everything you want to know about blogging, but didn’t know who to ask.
As entertaining as it is informative, The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging will show you what to do to get your blog started. You’ll find tools to help you build your blog, strategies to create your community, tips on finding your voice, and entertaining anecdotes from HuffPost bloggers that will make you wonder what took you so long to blog in the first place.
The Guide also includes choice selections from HuffPost’s wide-ranging mix of top-notch bloggers. Among those who have blogged on HuffPost are Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Larry David, Jane Smiley, Bill Maher, Nora Ephron, Jon Robin Baitz, Steve Martin, Lawrence O’Donnell, Ari Emanuel, Mia Farrow, Al Franken, Gary Hart, Barbara Ehrenreich, Edward Kennedy, Harry Shearer, Nancy Pelosi, Adam McKay, John Ridley, and Alec Baldwin.
A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog
Last, but not least, if you want honest information on how to start a web site or blog and make money from it, check out my book, A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog(There is also a preview of the book). Honestly, I wrote it after learning about the so-called “Google Profit Library” and reading the book “New Path to Riches” by Nick Usborne (Don’t buy it. It’s a huge waste of time!). I deemed it was time to stop the nonsense. The book shows you step by step how to set up a professional blog with some advice on how to run it, and maybe even make some money from it. The difference is, you don’t pay me at all (I would appreciate that you buy the book, paperback or PDF), and the required investment of roughly $120 per year goes to your Internet service provider for running your web site. Also, check out myprofessionalblog.com. This is the web site I created to write the book, meaning I created the web site, made screen-shots and included them into the document.
A step-by-step guide to setting up a blog with WordPress, spam-protecting your blog, search engine optimization, and creating web traffic. This a very concise book with a “quick and dirty” approach; it will allow you to set up a professional looking blog within hours. The book has been written while creating http://www.myprofessionalblog.com. See the web site as a reference of what you can do.
by Wilfried Voss
ISBN: 978-0-9765116-8-7
Size: 8.5″ (W) x 11″ (H)
Pages: 58
Language: English
Binding: Perfect Bound
Interior Color: B&W
Publication Date: Feb 2010
Country: United States
A step-by-step guide to setting up a blog with WordPress, spam-protecting your blog, search engine optimization, and creating web traffic. This a very concise book with a “quick and dirty” approach; it will allow you to set up a professional looking blog within hours. The book has been written while creating http://www.myprofessionalblog.com. See the web site as a reference of what you can do.
Ordering Information
- Copperhill Media, the publisher offers the paperback and eBook version.
- Amazon.com
- Barnes & Noble
- Also available through Amazon in Great Britain, France, Germany, and other countries.
About This Book
As the title of this book implies – I am referring to the “No-Nonsense” part – I am trying to deliver you a concise description on how to set up your own, professional looking blog without the usual motivational bla-bla combined with superficial information I found in many other books. My approach is “quick and dirty.”
At the time of the writing I have set up numerous blogs, and I have investigated numerous scenarios of how to get a blog useful for one’s purposes.
In my personal case I am in the business of promoting my books, but I also looked into related aspects such as selling my books through my blogs, or even create revenues through my web site with paid advertisement. In the process I found a lot of useless books on the topic, and I deemed it was time to stop the nonsense.
Please be aware that all the information in this book in freely available through the Internet, or through many, more detailed books, but reading this book and following the instructions will save you a lot of time and, after all, aggravation.
This book will give you a crash-course in setting up your blog, and, if you need more than just a basic blog, I have tried to add as many exciting features as possible. I also put an emphasis on search engine optimization (SEO).
Please understand, everything in this book is designed to give you a concise description on blog features without the hassle of reading hundreds of pages, and thus saving you a great amount of time setting up your own blog.
I will not provide you all details, just enough to get you going. The manuals you need – just in case you want to investigate the blog features in more detail – are all available through the Internet, and I will point you to the corresponding web sites. This approach did not only save me a great deal of time writing this book, but it also reflects in the price you pay for it.
Let me stress again, that you do not need to read the full manuals to set up your blog. Just follow my description, and your blog will shine within a few hours of work.
Let me also add another “no-nonsense” aspect: I will deliver you many aspects of optimizing your blog, but I do not guarantee success. Especially, I do not promise a “path to riches” if you are in business to create revenue with your blog. The success of a blog or regular web site depends on many factors not related to the blog setup and operation. Success, just like in any other business, is primarily based on hard and continuous work. Perseverance will pay eventually in one way or the other, but, again, there is no guarantee.
Throughout this book I will refer to one particular web site, myprofessionalblog.com, which is the web site (blog) I designed to write this book, meaning I set up the blog, made screen shots of what I was doing and inserted them into this document.
Everything you see on myprofessionalblog.com is available to you with little effort. In addition, I will post further information, that becomes available after writing this book, on the same blog (And no, unlike many other books with associated web site, you don’t need to register there and/or pay for access).
This About This Book section is also part of myprofessionalblog.com. My intention is to provide sufficient information on my book to make you comfortable with the decision to buy it – or not.
This being said, if you are in business to find a totally free solution for your blog, do not buy this book! My book is primarily about creating a professional blog with little expenses (roughly $120 – 200 per year), but it is not totally free.
If you want your blog totally free I recommend setting one up through various services such as Google, Yahoo, WordPress.com, and others. Please be aware that these services will give you a free, but limited blog, i.e. without all the special features you see on myprofessionalblog.com. If you don’t need the special features, i.e. you just want to write posts, you will be just fine using these services.
Another reason, not to buy this book, would be that you already use an Internet service provider (ISP), have your own web site, but your ISP does not support WordPress. WordPress, an online blog development tool, is an essential part of this book.
If you have neither an ISP nor a web site, but want your own, professional blog, I will explain how to get there quickly and easily.
Last, but not least, let me explain that, while I am very familiar with setting up blogs, I am certainly not the top-most expert on the topic. If you have comments, new insights, and/or betterment suggestions, please feel free to post them on myprofessionalblog.com, and I will make sure your input will reflect on the additions to the web site.
Table of Content
Why WordPress?……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
The Two Versions Of WordPress………………………………………………………………………. 5
Get Your Free Blog Through WordPress.Com…………………………………………………… 6
How Do I Install WordPress?……………………………………………………………………………. 6
Which Service Provider Should I Use?……………………………………………………………… 7
Logging-In to Your WordPress Blog…………………………………………………………………. 7
First Settings……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
A First Step Toward Search Engine Optimization (SEO)……………………………….. 10
A First Step Toward Protecting Your Web Site………………………………………………. 10
Let’s Add Some Standard Blog Pages……………………………………………………………… 11
One Final Setting Is Necessary……………………………………………………………………….. 14
A First Look At The New Blog…………………………………………………………………………. 14
Changing The Appearance (Theme)………………………………………………………………. 15
Changing The Side Bars (Using Widgets)……………………………………………………….. 19
Editing Pages (Home, About)…………………………………………………………………………. 21
Editing Pages (Contact Us)…………………………………………………………………………….. 22
The First Blog Entry………………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Setting Categories……………………………………………………………………………………………. 27
Managing Categories………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
Add Your Tags!……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29
Deleting Posts (Hello World)………………………………………………………………………….. 30
Let’s Fill Up This Blog!……………………………………………………………………………………. 30
Making Your Blog Spam-Free…………………………………………………………………………. 30
Search Engine Optimization…………………………………………………………………………… 33
The SEO Plug-In………………………………………………………………………………………………. 34
Creating Hyperlinks To/From Your Blog……………………………………………………….. 36
Registering Your Blog……………………………………………………………………………………… 36
Posting Online Press Releases………………………………………………………………………… 37
Participating In Social Networks…………………………………………………………………… 38
Adding Comments To Forums And Blogs……………………………………………………….. 39
Google Ads………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39
Creating Income With Your Blog……………………………………………………………………. 40
Affiliate Programs…………………………………………………………………………………………… 40
E-Commerce…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 41
Further Blog Improvements…………………………………………………………………………… 42
Incorporating Affiliate Program Ads……………………………………………………………… 42
Add Video Clips From YouTube……………………………………………………………………… 43
Add Google Gadgets………………………………………………………………………………………… 45
More Cool Plug-Ins………………………………………………………………………………………….. 47
Adding A Slide Show……………………………………………………………………………………….. 47
A Cool Navigation Tool……………………………………………………………………………………. 50
Social Network Connection…………………………………………………………………………….. 52
Adding E-Commerce……………………………………………………………………………………….. 53
Help References………………………………………………………………………………………………. 55
Additional Articles
WordPress Plugin for SEO – Google XML Sitemaps
I have to admit that to this day I had underestimated the power of Sitemaps. I had in mind to install a Sitemap plugin, and yesterday I finally did it. So far I was very satisfied with an exponentially rising number of website hits on my personal blog (2000+ unique visitors so far in March 2010, resulting in 20,000+ website hits), but since installing the Google (XML) Sitemaps Generator for WordPress the increase is incredible! What I like most about the plugin is that it reports updates to Google, Yahoo, and Bing immediately after you have added a new page or post.
The plugin requires some settings, and the setup may be a bit difficult for the non-technical person. You also need to apply for a Yahoo Application ID, which is basically a formality, but nevertheless it’s something that needs to be done, and the whole setup requires your full attention. But, after all, it is worth the efforts! Read more…
Literature – ProBlogger: Secrets For Blogging Your Way To A Six-Figure Income
Problogger.net is where bloggers worldwide go for advice and information on enhancing their blog’s presence. Whether you’re just starting out or have been blogging for years, these two professional bloggers show you how to turn your passion for blogging into extra revenue. This practical guide to creating and marketing a blog with the potential for generating a six-figure income shows you how to choose subject matter that works for you, handle technical issues, and evaluate your blog?s success so that you can use your blog to generate income indirectly. Read more…
WordPress – The White Screen Of Death
I am a passionate WordPress user because WordPress allows me to write content for my blog without the tedious task of web design. As a WordPress user you do encounter some little obstacles over time, but usually you can live with them. After all, the blog works wonderfully.
However, just the other day I updated the Official Statcounter Plugin, “a free yet reliable invisible web tracker, highly configurable hit counter and real-time detailed web stats. Insert a simple piece of our code on your web page or blog and you will be able to analyse and monitor all the visitors to your website in real-time!”
Well, forget about the reliability! After installing version 1.1, logging out, and logging in the next day, I got the “white screen of death,” meaning I was logged in, but the screen was blank. It took me hours to find a solution, which was not a good timing, because I needed to post a paid article on my blog. Read more…
