| I am just a learner who likes to delve in | | | | can handle the file size)Making e-books |
| websites as a hobby. Hobbies are what make | | | | presented a need for a completely different |
| life so enjoyable for me. I have tried many | | | | range of knowledge and skills that are built |
| other things - watercolor and pastel | | | | up upon each other. It is not as easy as it |
| painting, organic gardening, kayak making, | | | | looks. For those who do not know much about |
| dinghy sailing, kite making, origami, stock | | | | computers, Internet and web designing, it can |
| photography, cartooning, carpentry, rock | | | | be quite a struggle!For these people, I have |
| collecting, snake rearing and many other | | | | got a solution. Perhaps they could use my |
| unusual pursuits. Somehow, as time goes on, | | | | service to design e-books. I have the |
| and for some particular reason, they | | | | knowledge and the skill that people can |
| gradually become just bits of historical and | | | | use.Think for a while. Almost anybody has |
| passing interests for me. Amidst these | | | | something to say that is valuable to another |
| passing interests, the Internet comes | | | | person. Each person has his or hers own |
| along.From the first day I learned to surf | | | | experience. A secondary school student may |
| the Internet, I became impressed by it. I | | | | know how to make a cute and adorable doll out |
| could not recall whether it was the | | | | of easily obtainable cloth materials. A |
| incredible amount of knowledge that can be | | | | housewife might want to reveal a special |
| found there, or was it the quality of the | | | | recipe that is handed down from past |
| reading medium that struck me. But it did.I | | | | generations that could become the springboard |
| was hooked. At that time, I was gathering | | | | to fame.A retired carpenter or hobbyist may |
| information on how to make a kayak. Well, not | | | | know how to make a special piece of furniture |
| all the information was exactly the way I had | | | | that will fit some space in the living room |
| wanted it, but by carefully piecing all the | | | | of an apartment. A car enthusiast may know of |
| bits and pieces of information together, I | | | | some tips about choosing and testing a used |
| managed to use them to make a fully | | | | car. A sports enthusiast may like to share |
| functional kayak, custom made to suit me.Deep | | | | his secrets of scoring at a certain game. A |
| down inside me, I was so excited by this | | | | gambler may have some insider tips that he |
| technology, that I wanted so much to get | | | | wants to sell. All these are knowledge that |
| involved too.Then a MLM company that calls | | | | can be tapped and sold.Talk about the |
| themselves SkyX (Not their real name) came to | | | | Global-Economy! This is it! Anybody is |
| the scene. They were supposedly going to | | | | capable of contributing to the |
| revolutionize the world of online business. | | | | Global-Economy. If the information is useful, |
| They operated their business very much like a | | | | and it can be written down, or illustrated, |
| pyramid scheme, with their main products | | | | there will surely be someone on Planet Earth |
| being a web design software, some learning | | | | who wants to pay to learn from it.E-books |
| tool and web hosting for one year that | | | | have the advantage over books printed on |
| teaches one how to make websites. To me at | | | | paper. Distribution is instantaneous, cost is |
| that time, it was the product I was looking | | | | low, and format is colorful and interactive, |
| for. Being so very new to the Internet, I did | | | | and most important of all, self-publishing |
| not try to look at other options.That's what | | | | for the unknown author. You don't even have |
| the company wanted! The trap has been sprung. | | | | to find a publisher for your e-book! And you |
| Sweet talking me with their attractive carrot | | | | don't have to sell it locally. You can expose |
| bait, the members made me lose my grip on | | | | it to anywhere on the Internet.Although the |
| myself and I succumbed to their enticements. | | | | Internet has leveled the playing field |
| Although I was aware that people have been | | | | somewhat, I found that the major players are |
| conned into pyramid schemes before, I was | | | | still dominated by companies in the USA. When |
| somehow swayed by their explanations about | | | | I scouted around for a reasonably priced |
| multi-level marketing concepts and how their | | | | facility that will enable me to receive |
| business structure was a bit different from | | | | payment for credit card purchases, I could |
| pyramid schemes. They really knew how to play | | | | not find many around that will accept |
| on my emotions and weakness to their | | | | participants from my country.Well, after |
| advantage.They had all the workings of a | | | | searching for sometime, I did find one that |
| well-established network that gives support | | | | suits my budget - a reasonably priced one |
| to all the members, organizing presentations | | | | that I can use.Next I went into affiliate |
| and holding functions. What did I do then? | | | | marketing. The concept is simple. My website |
| Since I was already part of the network, I | | | | serves as a storefront for other merchant's |
| had to do my part in getting more members. If | | | | advertising banners. When people who are |
| not, I won't recover my money. So for a very | | | | attracted by the merchant's banners, click on |
| short while I did just that.Eventually, this | | | | them, they got transported to the merchant's |
| Company was sued and it went bankrupt. That | | | | website. If the visitor buys anything, a |
| was the end of the chapter. My money just | | | | percentage of the purchase price will be paid |
| went down the drain! It was a bitter and | | | | to me.I find that some money can be made from |
| expensive lesson to learn.But the lesson was | | | | this. It depends on how well you design your |
| well learned. I bit the bullet, picked up the | | | | website and how well you encourage your |
| pieces, and behaved as if nothing had | | | | visitors to click on the banners. Your |
| happened. I was determined to make full use | | | | website has to be carefully designed and the |
| of what I had purchased. Looking back at the | | | | wordings selected to induce people to go to |
| situation, I recalled that taking part in MLM | | | | the merchant you represent. Some merchants |
| activities was never on my agenda in the | | | | pay 5%, some 10%, and some more. By carefully |
| first place. Learning how to make websites | | | | choosing the merchant to match the contents |
| was.And so from that clumsy beginning, making | | | | of your website you will get more |
| use of the product, and working on it when I | | | | click-throughs. More click-throughs means |
| had the time, and completely at my own pace, | | | | more sales. It's a numbers game.Any marketing |
| I managed to learn the rudiments of web | | | | person will know that the more visitors I |
| designing. I borrowed books from the library | | | | have, the more the potential for a sale. So I |
| to supplement my knowledge. I learned basic | | | | have to find out how to bring in visitors. |
| html language, color notations, picture | | | | The most logical step is to tackle the search |
| editing and other simple steps. The websites | | | | engines. It is estimated that 80% of all the |
| that I created were so very crude.But it was | | | | traffic comes from the search engines.This |
| fun and exciting for me. It's a new toy. And | | | | time I explored search engine optimization. |
| it's magical.After surfing for some time on | | | | How do I place myself near to the top of the |
| the Internet, the knowledge in me gradually | | | | search engine listings? By optimizing for the |
| grew. I picked up bits and pieces everywhere. | | | | search engines, people will be able to search |
| By the time, the MLM collapsed, I was already | | | | for my website and it will come out near the |
| well versed in html language and I was no | | | | top and not somewhere in the thousandth |
| longer that fresh. I had also acquired the | | | | position. But it's a continuous learning |
| necessary photo editing skills to make | | | | process. Search engines are constantly |
| presentable websites.I bought a scanner and | | | | changing their algorithm to beat spammers. |
| started to generate images for my websites. | | | | Yes, there are spammers on websites too, |
| Unfortunately, most of my photographs were | | | | webmasters who tries to beat the search |
| transparencies. So I had to copy and develop | | | | engine rules.As my web knowledge improved, I |
| them into photo prints before I could scan | | | | became more and more adventurous. I noticed |
| them.I searched around for a few web-hosting | | | | that many websites have forms that allow |
| companies that offer free hosting and decided | | | | visitors to fill up and the owner of the |
| to try out my new skills on them. It took me | | | | website will receive the information. It's a |
| some time but I got around getting used to | | | | great way to collect data. So I found out how |
| their routines eventually. My first efforts | | | | to do that. It's great fun receiving messages |
| on these free hosting companies were nothing | | | | from somebody from the other end of the |
| to boast about. (Although I did get feedback | | | | world.Then there are scripts. They can do |
| from people who said that they were good. | | | | magic on the website. Dates can be |
| Surprise, surprise!)I also learned to use the | | | | automatically displayed and updated. |
| search engines, and I found them very useful. | | | | Calculations can be done. Images can be |
| They opened up a whole new way of finding | | | | changed automatically. Counters can display |
| information for me. Almost any subject could | | | | the number of visitors. Guest books can be |
| be found with just a click from the mouse.As | | | | signed. They are fantastic pieces of code |
| I dug up more information both from the | | | | done by talented programmers.Since they are |
| Internet and also from library books on | | | | so marvelous, I had to make use of them. Some |
| designing, and handling images, I became more | | | | of the scripts were described as simple. |
| and more proficient. I learned how to use ftp | | | | Indeed most of them are very simple to use. |
| to upload my files to the host server. This | | | | However, when I looked at their source codes, |
| saved me a lot of time. Most important of | | | | they are extremely gibberish to me. I really |
| all, I saved on Internet call charges on my | | | | marvel at the work done by the programmers of |
| telephone bill.Reading through what the | | | | these scripts. Perhaps in the future, I might |
| experts say, I came to the conclusion that | | | | want to pursue this line of programming |
| one of the most important characteristics of | | | | activity. I can see great possibilities |
| a good website is the content and its loading | | | | there.At this moment, cgi scripts catch my |
| speed. I have observed some sites that give | | | | attention. Cgi is short for Common Gateway |
| very flashy and impressive animations, but | | | | Interface. They need a bit of tweaking in |
| unfortunately, were rather slow loading. I | | | | order to work because they must run on the |
| decided in favor of functionality.My websites | | | | web server on the host. Recently I had the |
| must be fast loading and full of content. I | | | | chance to install a cgi script on a server. |
| also found out that to make the page load | | | | It took me a few days of tweaking and |
| fast, the file size of the images should be | | | | communication before it worked, as it should. |
| small. So I optimized all my web photographs | | | | They are not for the faint-hearted beginner. |
| accordingly to jpeg and gif format to make | | | | But once the beginner has acquired the |
| their file sizes small.Then I looked at other | | | | necessary knowledge, these scripts shouldn't |
| things like making my websites crawler | | | | be a problem to install. Once they work, you |
| friendly. (The spider at the search engines | | | | can forget about them, because they will run |
| will crawl inside the Internet to find your | | | | by themselves, automatically.Would the |
| site. This spider is not the creepy crawly | | | | learner in me be able to teach people? |
| type that will give you the goose bumps, but | | | | Perhaps it might. After going through many |
| they work on the web just like a real | | | | years of hands-on and disciplined study of |
| spider)Although I am aware that the html | | | | websites, software, and the Internet, maybe I |
| software editor that I use is not so | | | | have acquired sufficient knowledge that |
| efficient in generating clean html, and that | | | | people might be willing to pay to know. |
| it adds a lot of extra html tags that are | | | | Perhaps this might be the subject of another |
| redundant, thus making the files bigger than | | | | e-book.Note: Virus Attacks can Disable all |
| required, I will leave it as it is for the | | | | Your Valuable Data! Play safe and |
| time being. There are still many other things | | | | |
| that I still want to explore and develop.One | | | | Protect Yourself.Many years of working |
| of them is e-book creation. E-books are one | | | | experience in Marine, Facilities, |
| of the most efficient ways to present | | | | |
| information to people. They can be published | | | | Construction has given the author material |
| completely with text, images, color, | | | | for writing e-books |
| hyperlinks, animation, and sounds on CD's and | | | | |
| diskettes. They can also be downloaded | | | | and articles related to engineering, and |
| through the Internet, or sent through emails. | | | | management. |
| (But first make sure that the email server | | | | |