How Useful is Twitter?

The advent of Twitter, founded in 2006, has brought the term ‘micro blogs’ into the mainstream. Nearly 250 million monthly active users (MAUs) long on to Twitter, the world’s second most popular social networking website. Only Facebook, which has roughly 750 million MAUs, has more regular users than Twitter. As MAU growth has slowed from 2012 to 2013, however, questions about Twitter’s usefulness and ability to offer quality, advertiser-friendly content have grown louder.

Some argue that Twitter has run its course, and that new social networking avenues like Snapchat and Instagram are poised to takes its place as a primary hub of social activity. Others believe that, with the interest surrounding the company’s impending initial public offering (IPO), Twitter is more relevant and useful than ever before.

How Twitter is Being Used 

As the IPO is scheduled to launch, the company provided information in its Form S-1 filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission that says an active user can be an individual who is logged onto the site via the web, a mobile connection or through a third-party site or application. Because there are many different ways a user can access Twitter, some MAUs may not actually be sending content to Twitter or interacting with the websites all-important advertisers.

Are Twitter Users in Decline? 

The Pew Research Center’s 2013 Teens, Social Media, and Privacy report shows a decline in Twitter usage among teens age 12-17. Overall usage between Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 rose 3 percent but subsequently fell 4 percent in Fall 2013, as of September 30. Twitter averaged a MAU growth of 13 percent in 2012 but that figure fell by two-thirds of that amount YTD in 2013, to 5 percent per month. This may be indicative of a slowdown in interest for Twitter, which has enjoyed phenomenal growth since its 2006 inception.

Things that Make Twitter Useful 

News organizations like CNN, ABC News, and others use Twitter as a way to disseminate news items or to instantly provide broadcast alerts to a wide-ranging audience. This allows the public to grab snippets of important news before using their tablet, laptop, or television to learn more about the relevant event. Twitter is also a great way to announce public emergencies. This can prove useful in the event of natural disasters or a terrorist attack. One of the helpful by-products of Twitter was as an organizing tool for the Middle East uprisings in countries like Egypt, dubbed the “Arab Spring.” The use of Twitter allowed protesters to mobilize, display real-time images, and elicit a visceral global response to the proceedings.

Another useful innovation of Twitter is the hashtag (#). The hashtag allows related tweets from users all over the network to be organized and indexed for other users to see. It promotes the micro blog concept of Twitter by keeping messages short and using them to create buzz worthy events. It also works as a promotion tool.

Debate will continue about the usefulness of Twitter as a social networking medium, and the site’s challenge will be to continue to evolve and adapt its use to a changing cultural landscape.

Byline

In addition to Twitter and social media, Benjamin Ellinghouse writes on gadgets, mobile phones, accessories such as the kensington ipad covers, software, video games and other neat topics.

Image credit goes to justyna_lam.

How Useful is Twitter?

Will Server Hosting Survive Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is increasing in popularity at such a rapid pace that many are wondering if cloud computing may replace dedicated server hosting entirely. Scalability is often cited as the chief reason, since cloud subscriptions allow businesses to obtain the services they need whenever they’re needed.

Most agree that dedicated server hosting isn’t going anywhere, but many feel the need for dedicated servers and appreciate the opportunity to manage and configure them as they see fit. Some of the prominent fans in this arena are open-source users. Other fans are enterprises with the need to store and process secure information, with banks and intelligence organizations falling into this category. No one expects an end to dedicated server hosting, but it will definitely be a part of hosting for many years to come.

Cloud vs. Server Hosting: Overall Strengths

The choice between cloud and dedicated server hosting is a decision closely related to business needs. For startups, smaller companies, or enterprises that have a global distribution, a cloud-based environment is highly suitable. However, owners and managers of traditional small and medium-sized businesses with old servers aren’t going to the cloud but are deciding to acquire new servers.

Business owners are alerted to the fact that they need timely upgrades when the existing infrastructure is reaching its limit and things are noticeably too slow. Many owners have put off upgrading their servers because of issues related to the slow economy. Nevertheless, these same owners haven’t made the transition to the cloud. In many cases the gating factor was cost. According to Forbes, in 2013 the cost of moving existing applications is about $100 per user per month for cloud services.

Compare this to a scenario where 20 people require computer access. Let’s say you’re satisfied with your current applications and don’t want to incur the overhead, substantial expense and disruption associated with a migration to the cloud. When smaller businesses purchase their own servers, they can easily pay for them in a 12-month period if they choose not to migrate.

Cloud and Server Hosting Positioned to Serve a Distinct Business Type

Cloud computing supports applications that run on mobile apps. Real-time asset management, immediate order fulfillment and real-time updates are just a small selection. With software services paid for by the month, applications’ costs are lower for startups. Maintenance costs are also much lower and any reconfiguration to add memory and space can be easily done. Data is automatically backed up, so the risk of data loss is minimized, and data is also accessible from anywhere in the world. Software licensing savings is also another advantage.

Cloud computing is highly suitable for startup businesses that can reap the benefits of front-office and back-office services at minimal monthly costs. Enterprises relying on a need for mobility find cloud computing the best option in terms of functionality and accessibility. When business processes require collaboration, cloud computing can be helpful with group efforts.

Dedicated server hosting, however, is excellent for small to medium-size businesses that must have strict control over security, such as for HIPAA-protected medical records. It can be less expensive than cloud computers and allows you to have tight control of configuration. Companies and organizations that make use of open-source products are especially likely to prefer this type of platform.

Will Server Hosting Survive Cloud Computing?

5 Great Plugins To Install On Your Blog

To add plugins had become a really important part in the terms of business when it comes to the blog thing. The fact is not true that having a number of plugins will make your blog work slower. It is just a simple myth that is prevailing between the bloggers. If you want to make your blog run faster than there are many ways and have nothing to do with plugins. But there is a little attention needed. We have mentioned here some plugins that one can opt to.

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  AKISMET:- We see really good to see a number of comments on our blog, but when we come to realise that the more than half of the comments were spam our happiness vanishes away. Akismet is one such plugin that helps to analyse all the comments and also at the same very time keep us refrained from the spams. If you are having this plugging than definitely you will have its advantage as well. Once you have installed Akismet then all you need to bother about is to take your blog to heights than bothering about fake comments.

  
  


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  GOOGLE ANALYTICS:- If you want yourself to be able of tracking your blog easily than you should install Google Analytics for your WordPress. This is not its only function, in the same time it also provides you a bucket full of information about the level of your blog on the search engines. It is a very important fact for any website to know how it is working on the search engines. No doubt we have analytics offered by Google but to have a look of the entire performance from our blog itself will ease our task.

  
  


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  DISGUS:- If you want to manage out the entire BlogSpot then it is the best plugin so far. You cannot get a better thing from disguise. This plugin has everything against Commentluv. Commetluv is a common plugin that allows a person who is commenting to leave a link of their latest post, but disguise disables this activity and hence makes it a unique plugin.

  
  


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  WORD PRESS SEO- YOAST:- If you are publishing your blogs without ensuring that it is at the perfect level of SEO then surely you have failed as a blogger. If you optimize your post with good SEO then only you will be able to see it on higher ranks on the search engines. Word SEO is one such plugin that allows us specific keyword and Meta description for each post and hence making it unique every time. It will help in rating our post with that keyword in specific colours.

  
  


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  W3 TOTAL CACHE:- It is a perfect plugin for the one who wants to increase the speed and performance of the blog. It says that by the time you are ready to launch out your blog you will read will 15 other posts. We all know that the speed of the website keeps on reducing as we keep adding up the content and this plugins helps to maintain a good level of performance and speed.

  
  

More details on plugins and any other topic regarding IT solutions are best provided by the SEO Company Bristol.

5 Great Plugins To Install On Your Blog

Thin Files: What Is A "Thin File" And How Do You Verify It?

What Is a “Thin File”?

As one would guess, the very definition of “thin-file” means that there is not a lot of information available to completely understand a consumer’s demographic and related risk. In many cases, the lack of a credit file – those individuals that have never had a loan or even a line of credit assigned to them – is a factor in why they would have a “thin-file”. 

For most people, a credit history starts with credit cards, student loans, or car loans. Many, if not most Americans, will establish a line of credit with a bank early on in their lives to pay for college, a car, a house, or just having a credit card.  Establishing risk associated with an individual without these earmarks of credit history can be incredibly difficult.

Who Has a “Thin File”?

People with thin files may have little to no history of using credit cards, loans, and no payment histories to examine.

The most common examples are:

Young People – Young adults often have no way to prove their risk factor for gaining access to the credit markets because they have not been the benefactor of any measurable financial risk.  Most individuals do not start building a credit history until they are 18 or older. Young people are often first starting their credit histories and this can be a challenge for potential creditors.

New Citizens and Arrivals - Those with thin files often include individuals who are new to the country.  For this group, they may have acted as the head of household or even been responsible for other means of credit in a different country.  In the United States however, it can be very difficult to establish a pattern of borrowing and history as our credit system is strictly US based.

Other groups include those who have deliberately avoided credit cards and loans, those who have paid cash for most transactions, widows/widowers whose spouses established credit, divorcees whose spouses established credit, and lower-income consumers.

Why Serve Those with Thin Files?

Ignoring the very large population of people with thin files would mean missing out on millions in potential revenue.  This population is considered “under-served” in the banking and credit markets.  However, a lack of a credit file does not necessarily indicate a high-risk individual, although certainly you should evaluate each circumstance carefully. There are roughly 70-80 million people with a total income of over $1 trillion who are considered to have thin files.  If companies ignore their business, they are shutting down the possibility of serving many, many new customers who may not pose as much risk as they appear.

How to Verify a Thin File

To minimize the risk associated with the thin file market, organizations turn to solutions that fall outside of the credit spectrum such as dynamic identity proofing. Unlike traditional forms of verification which is often based on credit information, consumers with “thin files” can be verified through dynamic Knowledge Based Authentication (KBA).  KBA can come in multiple forms, but essentially refers to systems that verify that the person is who they claim to be – typically in a customer-not-present environment.  KBA systems are often a series of generated, multiple choice questions, which will require that the individual is familiar with their own personal information and “public information.”

Some KBA solutions rely on credit-based information which is difficult, if not impossible for a thin-file individual to complete. By accessing a wide range of data sources, organizations benefit from higher locate rates and the ability to provide factual-based questions for verification.

These “on the fly” questions are very effective in driving revenue while also mitigating risk.  Companies and creditors can even tailor these questions to fit their needs. Using KBA, along with a layered approach to identity verification, is cost effective and will ensure that companies are not missing out on this untapped market.

Written by Britni Zandbergen, Senior Director of Marketing at Idology.  Britni has years of experience in identity management as well as dynamic SaaS solutions.

 

Thin Files: What Is A "Thin File" And How Do You Verify It?

How To Manage Resumes In The Workforce

Hiring new employees for any open position can be a time-consuming and difficult process for any size company. The internet has allowed employers to quickly and easily post their job openings online to reach a larger audience. While this does increase a company’s candidacy pool, it also can create resume overload, as some companies receive dozens or even hundreds of resumes for just one job opening. This leaves managers and human resource departments with the daunting task of filtering through all of these resumes to find their prime candidate. Although this task may seem nearly impossible, there are several tips to help employers narrow down their selection and find the right applicant.

Create Job Description

Even before you consider posting the job online, you must create a detailed and comprehensive job description for the position. This job description should include the key features that someone applying for the position should have. This includes things like desired skills, required educational level, past experience requirement, and necessary work-related characteristics and traits. Try to make the job description as detailed as possible.

You also need to set a salary range for the position prior to posting the employment opening. This is because some of your applicants, especially the highly-qualified candidates, may inquire about the salary range right from the beginning. To ensure you company stays competitive in the job market, you can do some research on salaries for similar positions in your industry and location, and look at the market pay study.

Job Posting

When creating your job posting description, you want to incorporate a lot of the wording use in the job description. Try to be as specific as possible, so you attract candidates who meet your set criteria. Now, you need to decide where to post your current job opening online. Your initial though may be to post your job opening on every job board online, along with every social networking outlet. Unless you are hiring multiple employees, you probably want to limit how many job boards you use to post your new job. Try to find the job posting sites that are most likely to attract the type of applicant you desire for your position.

Create Job Application

Most companies only ask their job applicants to submit a resume when applying for a certain position. While this is a good method to help you learn about each candidate, a resume can leave out a lot of the specific information you want to know. You should consider creating a customized job application to be completed by each applicant, in addition to submitting his or her resume. By creating a customized job application, you can be sure to get the specific answers that you need to help you narrow down your selection of candidates.

Use a Filtering System

Not long after you post your job opening online, you can expect to start seeing resumes and/or job application filing into your inbox. Now the question becomes, how to scan through all of the resumes and/or applications to find the right potential employee for your company. First, you should use an application tracking system to help you manage and organize your job postings, and the applications you receive. This allows you to track everything you need at one convenient location.

This kind of software oftentimes provides a filtering system that allows you to sort through the resumes by looking for certain keywords. You can use this feature to narrow down your selection of applicants by searching for keywords that match the criteria you want in a potential job candidate.

Sorting through a large volume of job resumes does not have to be as time-consuming and difficult as you think. Learning how to create a detailed job posting will help to target the specific type of applicants you want. In addition, an application tracking system will significantly cut the time you spend sorting through the resumes. Take your time and be sure to filter out candidates who do not match your set criteria first because this will narrow down your selection and make choosing the right candidate easier.

Byline: Eric Foutch is a contributing writer at Recruiterbox, a leading provider of applicant tracking software.

How To Manage Resumes In The Workforce

Are Localised Top-level Domains Better for Local Businesses?

Creating local domains are helpful for local target demographics. Typically, websites that end in .net, .com, or .org are targeted toward American users. Search engines typically target search results based on location. This means that if you want to market a product to a certain country, Australia for example, then a domain name ending in .au will show up in Australian results before a .com domain.

Creating local domains are helpful for local target demographics – Shutterstock[/caption]

There are many advantages to offering local, targeted websites, particularly if they are written in a language other than English. Non-English speakers will go out of there way to find a site written in their native language. This means that if you have a site in that domain country registration and in the native language, you already have a huge advantage over competitors. However, there are also some advantages to creating websites with global appeal using a main domain ending like .com.

Thinking Globally

Making a website suitable for multiple websites is a hard challenge. You may have to create multiple versions of your website. Using a country-code top level domain name for each website can also be helpful.

The Types of Domain Names

There are two types of domain names that search engines use to determine the region for a website. ccTLDs (country-code top level domain names) are used for specific countries, like co.uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, and .au for Australia. These codes will show up in the top of the search results for that country. That is the biggest advantage to using a country-specific code. gTLDs (generic top level domain names) are not tied to any particular country. .com, .org, and .net are common GTLDs. Other GTLDs are .asia and .eu because they are not tied to any particular contry. The advantage of using this kind of domain ending is that you can target viewers from around the world and may not have to offer multiple websites for each specific country. However, if you do want to target a specific country, these endings are not the best choice.

How Geotargeting Works

Search engines uses a variety of elements to determine how to geotarget the results for a particular website. Basically, if a ccTLD is used, this will place that site in the top results for that country. You can also use Webmaster Tools’ manual geotargeting for gTLDs to target your generic domain name for a specific country. This can be helpful if you want to target a particular country but don’t want to exclude visitors from other countries. Using a certain region’s language will also help target your website to that area no matter the domain suffix. Local currency markers, the business physical address, the phone number for the business, and even other links can also be used to geotarget a particular website.

Pros and Cons for ccTLDs

ccTLDs offer many advantages. The main one being that it is easy to geotarget the site for that country. The server location is irrelevant. You could make a German-targeted site from America, for example. It is easy to separate all sites with distinct TLDs. The trouble with this kind of domain name is that the cost is expensive, you may not have as much name availability, and it usually requires more work.

gTLDs Pros and Cons

GTLDs have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include ease of set-up, you can use specific geotargeting, it is easy to maintain the sites. You can use different server locations to set up subdomains in different countries. The trouble with it can include confusion from specific country visitors and separating the site information can be a challenge.

There are times when both generic top level domains and ccTLDs are necessary for business. However, it is up to each business and site owner to determine if the value of country-specific data outweighs the simplicity and ease of gTLDs.

Are Localised Top-level Domains Better for Local Businesses?

Wood Interior Design Ideas for Your Home

Whether you live on a ranch in the middle of nowhere or in a small condo in a crowded metropolitan area, wood is a premier choice for doing up the interiors of your home! Wood has been and continues to be an integral part of the interior décor of any home. Though it is a challenging job to determine the type of material and designs, it continues to be a favored choice amongst everyone simply because it can make any space feel warm and inviting. It continues to gain wide acceptance in recent times as it is also an eco-friendly option; and the growing awareness of the need to contribute to a greener planet, many people prefer wood as their foremost choice for interior design and décor. Here are a few creative and interesting ways to use wood for the interior designing of your home!

Tree Logs as End Tables: If you are one of those people who enjoy a rustic ambiance, you could use sawed-off tree logs as end tables in your living rooms or even as night stands in your bedrooms. You can either leave it plain or to make it more elegant, you can consider topping it with glass to make it suitable for a modern architecture. If you are interested in carpentry, you can even take it up as DIY project or just save the hassle and have it done by a wood artisan. These tree log tables and nightstands typically complement wood or bamboo floorings. They are not particularly convenient to move around, especially if you have carpeted or marble or tile flooring.

Wood – An Essential Element Of Kitchen Interiors: Wood is the frontrunner when it comes to designing kitchen cabinets and pantry, simply because wood is extremely versatile and depending upon the space, wood can be used to make it sleek or heavy. They are preferred over prefabricated cabinetry as they emit a more solid and rich appearance and can also be custom made to suit individual storage requirements. Wood can also be used for counter-tops to complete the look of the kitchen. Moreover, wood is a more durable option for the long term when compared to other options. Wooden cabinetry and counter-tops have much more character than any other prefabricated material in the market!

Opting For Wooden Blinds: Wooden blinds may seem like an expensive option as opposed to plastic or vinyl blinds. However, they are an excellent and unbeatable choice, especially for the living room. They are extremely versatile and can be custom made to suit any type and size of windows. They are also a green alternative as they help to regulate interior temperatures better than other forms of window treatment. You can also opt for the affordable faux wood, especially for areas like the bathroom and kitchen as they are durable enough for these spaces and also give the rich look as real hardwood. It is also an excellent choice for maintaining privacy, as plastic blinds or Inwood Blinds and Awnings tend to outline shadows due to their translucent nature. Wooden blinds or plantation shutters sydney by Inwood Blinds and Awnings offer a more flexible and customized window treatment option than any other alternative!

There are numerous other wood decorating ideas for your interiors such as using wood for headboards, framing pictures and art in wooden frames, using wood for window trims and moldings etc. A little creativity and patience will enable you to create either a rustic or even an elegant ambience that is warm and captivating! Wood is something that will never go out of style!

Wood Interior Design Ideas for Your Home