I recently came across an issue when implementing an FTP file upload function via CURL. Because my FTP username was ‘alex@mydomain.com’ I had a hard time connecting because the code would think everything after the @ sign was part of the host – which it obviously wasn’t.

Doing a bit of Google searching I found other newbie coders also had this issue, so here is the solution I created if anyone happens to come here from Google:

$ch = curl_init();
$target3 = "C:/www/upload/".$target2;
$fp = f*open($target3, 'r');
$ftpurl = "ftp.servername.com/";
$ftpusr = urlencode("user@mydomain.com");
$ftppass = "mycrazypassword";
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'ftp://'.$ftpusr.':'.$ftppass.'@'.$ftpurl.$target3);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_UPLOAD, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_INFILE, $fp);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_INFILESIZE, filesize($target3));

**Note: for the fopen function, I had to list it as f*open because it would not let me post it for some reason.

Popularity: 70% [?]

Dealing online these days is a risky business. Which is exactly what this post is about. I’ve dealt with dozens of clients in my internet career and over time, I learned what it is like to do business with those that live half a world away, those that live in the same state as you, and finally those that say they live in one place but instead live somewhere else and are lying to you.

Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way, that not everyone can be trusted. For a while, I had a trust-all mentality which is probably why I have been burned several times along the way. Now, I’m not saying don’t trust your clients; I think it’s a perfectly good idea to embed some form of trust in that person, but BE CAREFUL!! Not everyone seems to be who they are!

Let me give a brief example. Not more than a year ago, I was looking for dedicated web hosting and came across an individual that seemed to provide some fairly decent service.  I talked with him and everything seemed to check out so I sent him half of the payment so that he could set up the server and then we’d continue with the deal. Had I simply Googled his email, I would have found out this guy was a scammer who told various stories in order to get the most out of people. Luckily I only gave this guy a small payment and did research him before giving the entire payment.

Researching clients is also a good way to get a feel of who they are and how they act and talk. Some people tend to be very formal, while others not so formal. Knowing this has helped me set my tone correctly when working with them.

There’s a lot to be said on this topic, but I think that’s enough for now. I apologize for my posting frequency, I know it’s been pretty lame, but I’ll be working to improve it.

Popularity: 41% [?]

The new president of U.SA., Barack Obama seems to really want to give transparency between the government and the people. At least on the government website.

Prior to the new administration, the robots.txt file which defines which parts of the site search engines can index, was almost 2400 lines. (See it here).

The new robots.txt file says:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /includes/

See the new robots.txt file here. Pretty interesting, huh?

Popularity: 30% [?]

Catchy title, eh? Watch the video below and you’ll see that most money making blogs don’t actually make a large portion of their money from the blog itself.

The above video was made by Vic, from BloggerUnleashed.com.
How many times have your read about making thousands?
The fact is, those blogs that write about making money from blogging about making money are simply over exaggerated. Most of these guys make the majority of their money from other ways such as internet marketing, advertising, or focusing in on a niche such as politics, celebrities, entertainment, and so forth. It’s those blogs that will actually give you something to live off of.

In the video, Vic brings up the example about John Chow. Now I certainly don’t have a problem with John Chow, but what he says is true. The money John Chow makes doesn’t come from making videos about crap (literally), it comes from other sources.

But I want to make money!
Up-to-date, this blog has made me just a bit under $50. That being said, this blog has been active for a little over a half a year so $50/6 is $8.33/month. So where does the money come from? My personal income comes from website design, and flipping websites.

So for those who have been blinded by the illusion that I’ll start a blog and within a couple months quit my job and live my dream, there’s a really good chance that’s not going to happen.

Now I don’t encourage anyone to stop reading MMO blogs, but keep in mind that the real money is in actual work. No matter how advanced the millennium becomes, you still have to work to make a living.

Therefore I suggest if you’re out there to make money online, don’t waste your money on Becoming a Millionaire ebooks. Instead, read those Making Money Online blogs that actually tell the truth like Vic’s blog and keep in mind, the majority of bloggers on the internet either overstate or simply lie about their earnings. If you want a refreshing change from the typical Blogger Bravado, then take a look at making money with your website – a very hands on blog about getting the most out of your website (ok – money!). Like Vic says, you really do need to know how the Internet works in order to get somewhere.

Be sure to come again for some real online business tips.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Not long ago, my professor in Information Systems was rambling on about how Windows is the absolute worst horrible OS and Linux is by far greater. Now I would agree with him if you’re someone who a) has/had a bad relationship with Microsoft or b) hates spending money on software, but I have to disagree with him on making Windows the lowest of the lows because it simply is not true. So listening to him about how Windows doesn’t work is what motivated me to do publish this post based off of my own experiences and a little bit of research.

Opinions aside, lets examine some facts about Windows versus Linux. After All, there must be something that made the huge Redmond company capture more than 90% of the computer market in the world.

Linux

Advantages

• Open Source – This is the fundamental difference between Linux and Microsoft. The advantages of this are too numerous to even start listing. It is however, the backbone to the majority of the rest of the advantages of Linux listed below.
• Stability – I think everyone agrees with this one. In my experience with Linux and Windows, once Linux is started, it runs. Not to say that Windows doesn’t, but in hosting environments, I find that I would prefer Linux.
• Cost – Linux is free. The distros, as well as the majority of 3rd party software can be acquired legally at no cost.
• Support – Linux is supported by the online community of tech savvy users ready to help you out.
• Power Management – Depending on what you run and what you do on your machine or server, this may not always be the case, but in general, Linux requires less energy to operate.

Disadvantages

• Expertise – The argument that “you can find anything for Linux online” is great, but that is only for the 10-15% of users that are tech-savvy and know how to get their way around the Internet. You’d be surprised how many people don’t know what a forum is. This is not to say that Linux is harder than Windows, it’s simply a different system that people need to take the time to learn.
• GUI – This case has been made against Linux many times and I’m glad to mention that the Open Source community is improving its GUI, in fact, some distributions have very well improved their GUI that I would even prefer it over Windows, but the fact remains is it just lacks something that makes it as appealing as a Windows GUI.
• 3rd Party Software – Simply said, not every software developer supports Linux. One prime example that would appeal to most of our readers is the Adobe Creative Suite. Many other large applications are also not supported under Linux by the developers. These days however, Linux users try their best to remove that barrier by installing virtualization software imitating the Windows platform. However, no matter what virtualization software you run, if the application is not designed for Linux, it will never work to its full potential.
• Program Installation/Uninstallation – Windows boasts its crafty standardized application install process and it has every right to do so. Although some distributions of Linux are taking steps to make the installation process easier, in comparison to Windows, it still has a long way to go in order to satisfy the typical consumer.

Windows

Advantages

• GUI – Ever since this was added in Windows X.XX, its not a wonder why Microsoft’s market share began to dominate the market. The Windows GUI has set a standard for every other OS and revolutionized the computer world.
• Software Installation – Although this may be argued against some Linux distro’s, it is fairly simple to install your software. Pop in the cd, hit run setup, go through a couple of steps and you’re done. Linux on the other hand, requires a bit more knowledge about it’s installation system and isn’t always as user friendly as I sometimes want it to be.
• Multimedia – Windows has always pushed for making its products a family pack where consumers can create videos, organize pictures, listen to music, and of course get professional with all of these items. It took Steve Jobs over at Apple to come along and finally create some competition with Microsoft. And bear in mind, Jobs had some prior experience working with Gates. Linux these days is getting closer to ‘the ultimate experience’ but in regards to gaming and certain multimedia software, you’re better off running a Windows emulator.
• Market Share – Windows at one point or another controls at least 85% of the OS market and therefore software developers, hardware designers all focus on putting their piece of work where the big guys are for a simple reason. Money. This is the reason why Linux will always win the argument that it’s cheaper – simply because no software developer wants to develop where they won’t make a lot of money.
• Support – You’d be surprised how many people don’t know what a forum is. Quite frankly, if you’re a Linux user and had a problem, you’d probably get an answer to your problem much quicker than any Microsoft support representative would be able to solve one. However, most people assume that if they’ve got a problem, the only methods of fixing it is calling 1-800-MICROSOFT or calling Geek Squad. With Linux, there are not many phone numbers out there that may be able to solve your problem.
• Installation Size – While most consider it a disadvantage, I consider it an advantage. The Windows installation is about 3-4GB and if it were not for that, we’d still be stuck with 30GB hard drives. Now we have 500GB, 1TB+ hard drives, so why all the fuss? Unless you’re a complete nerd, you have no reason to argue that ‘Linux can fit on a thumb drive and Windows can’t’..

Disadvantages

• The Domino Effect – Whether you agree or disagree, one, two, or three problems with your PC will cause the logon screen to load 40 seconds instead of the 5-8 from a clean install. I’ve installed Windows at least a dozen of times and after several years I simply need to wipe everything clean and reinstall Windows. Compatibility issues, driver errors, viruses, all slow down Windows to the point it becomes frustrating and unbearable.
• Viruses – This one is a ‘duh’. Spammers obviously want to target the larger audience and therefore Windows is the fall guy. As Linux and Apple gain more appreciation, so will the number of exploits they will receive.
• Licensing – The whole WGA, Genuine Advantage, DRM, etc are more of a hassle than a safety measure. Microsoft and Windows software developers have plagued users with registrations, monthly license checks, and other validatioin techniques that are supposed to prove that you didn’t grab the software from a torrent. The bad news is I haven’t seen any piece of software that had not been successfully cracked. Why does Microsoft need to spend all of that hassle with WGA instead of just placing a shiny sticker with fancy numbering on the dvd and call it good?
• Goals – While most companies tend to follow the road of being the best and the greatest, Microsoft seems to have dropped out of being the best and simply being the greatest. In late news, the giant has focused more on simply trying to beat its competitors. This kind of thinking ultimately leads to failure and has been costing Microsoft more and more in the last several years. The company should seriously learn from Apple. Although I’m not a Mac fan, I do appreciate the massive comeback they’ve made, not by saying everyone else sucks, but by developing products that are somewhat truly latest and greatest.
• Google ‘why Windows sucks’

In conclusion, my professor does have a point. There is other software and other Operating Systems besides Windows in this world that work just as well or even better than Windows. Having worked with both Linux and Windows, I will say this. Linux is by far much better than Windows for the workplace. It’s reliability, performance, and support are everything I would want from an OS. Especially with web hosting, I don’t even understand how webmasters can even stand Windows Server 2003.

That being said, I would never not yet trade in my Windows desktop for its music, video, and gaming capabilities. And that’s all that matters to Americans, right?

Popularity: 37% [?]

As a New Year’s suprise, Google has now exported their latest Pagerank data as confirmed by Matt Cutts on Twitter. I haven’t gone through all of my website’s pageranks as there are quite a bit to go through, but as a quick brief, this site’s pagerank has stayed the same since the last PR export and http://realprcheck.com has gone up to PR1.

Off-topic, I’ve finally had the time to start Twittering so if you want some Twitter updates from me that will either bore you or excite you, subscribe here.

Whether or not you are a PR obssessed nutter, you’ll find out how this guy was able to create a PR7 site in just one month very interesting.

Popularity: 36% [?]