Issue  #41

RSS & How to Use It (part 1) Have you ever read an article, intended to explain RSS in simple terms that, begins well, but soon descends into confusing jargon or information overload? If so, take heart, I was in the same place a few months ago. Often the best way to understand something, is to use it.   RSS is no exception. So rather than try and create a definitive explanation of RSS, this article will tell you how to use it.   I guarantee once you’ve done so, everything will that much clearer. If a website you visit utilizes RSS, there are a number of ways it will communicate this. The most common way is to show a little orange button with the letters XML.   Like so:    Alternatively, you may see words such as “ATOM”, “RSS”, “Site Feed” or variations on these. What they have in common is that they will link to a webpage that, in most browsers, looks like gibberish. It doesn’t matter one way or another, what is important is the address of the web page they link to. To demonstrate, I will relate how to read a site feed for my website, The Nettle Blog. Don’t confuse RSS with blogs (web logs).   They are two separate concepts.   The only reason you see them together so often, is that blogs are the perfect website to take advantage of site feeds.   More on that later.   Here we go… Click on this image:    :  to go the site feed for The Nettle Blog.   Ignore the content in the window, just make a note of the URL in the web address bar.   It should read:  http://feeds.feedburner.com/thenettle Now you’ve got the web address for the site feed, keep it safe somewhere.   You’ll need it again in a moment. The next step is to use an RSS reader to make sense of the site feed.   There are lots of these available and if you are a heavy user you would probably want to purchase a nice piece of software. But to begin with, start with something simple and free.   Start with Bloglines. Go to www.bloglines.com/register/ and create a new account. From the “My Feeds” section of your account you can add new site feeds you want to keep track of. Select “ADD”, enter the URL you copied and hit “Subscribe”.   You can preview the results, but skip that stage for now.   Select “Subscribe” again and the title of the site feed will be transferred to the left-hand window. Well done.   You have now subscribed to your first RSS feed. To read it just click on the title and you can view all the messages in that feed within a selected time period.   The feed will most likely record news related to the website the feed belongs to. In this instance, the site feed to The Nettle Blog records each new entry to my blog.   If you find something of interest, most entries have a clickable link you can follow. Anytime you find a website you like with a site feed, make a note of the URL for that site feed and add it to your Bloglines folder. Now comes the clever bit. In the left-hand column of your account is an “Extras” list.   Select Download Notifier and choose the correct file to download the Bloglines Notifier This file is only 100k so any half-decent connection should complete the download in just a few seconds. If the download is successful, you should see a small, blue icon with the letter “B”.   Double-clicking it will short-cut you to Bloglines.    Right-click on the icon and you can adjust the settings.   Specify how often you want Bloglines to check messages for you. When Bloglines checks your site feeds and finds that one or more have been updated, a little chime will play and the Bloglines icon will show a little red marker.   This means one of the feeds you have subscribed to has something new to say. So there you have it.   A spam-free, hassle-free way to keep track of websites you have an interest in.   Providing of course, that they have a site feed.   If they don’t, ask them why not. Part two of this article will show webmaster and ezine publishers how they can easily publish a site feed for their website and track the visitors, free of charge. Comment on this article and you could win 1 month of PAID membership at the Mystical Maze.   Click here to post your views in The Nettle Forum . David Congreave is joint owner of The Nettle Ezine.   When he is not editing this weekly newsletter, he is looking for new programs worthy of being announced at The Early Bird and administrating the PayPerShop website. David lives in Leeds in the United Kingdom with his wife Leanne. This article can be reproduced in your website or ezine after six weeks from the publication date.   However, you must seek permission first.   Please email David if you would like to use this material.

CaptKirk - A sideways look at the web marketing industry

CaptKirk offers an independent view that does not necessarily co-incide with that of The Nettle.   You can respond to his column at The Nettle Forum  Captkirk talks to Jose Garriga Jr After reading the interview with two of the founding members of the Traffic Exchange Alliance, I decided to find the opinions of someone unrelated to the project. Jose Garriga Jr kindly agreed to take a few questions from me. How did you get into the internet marketing industry and what programs are you currently running or working on? I got into the IM industry looking for a free way to promote my nutrition products to Business Builders since I already had a customer-heavy network.    Having burned out my personal contacts I just KNEW, deep inside, there was another way to grow my business from home and FREE.    I was JUST learning HTML and dove right in WHILE learning.   From that beginning Oct 2000, persisting through to launching www.CyberWheelers.com & www.ViralExpress.com in May 2004.   FFAs were "it" then.   Today, "it" is quality Manual Surf.    What, in your view, is the purpose of the Traffic Exchange Alliance, and what is its overall goal? The purpose, in my view, is some form of regulation.   No other word can describe the intentions, even the name.   To me, there isn't an army of consumers out there trying to shut down the industry, nor do I think there is a need to form an "alliance" to simply educate new owners.    Have you been contacted by the Traffic Exchange Alliance? Yes, Jon Olson and I have corresponded and I was welcomed to post my view in the official TEA forum at any time.    I am grateful to Jon for extending the invitation but, I just felt too new to get involved in something like that at this time. Do you think that TEA will succeed? I do not think it will succeed in much more than promotion of a few, and isolation of itself as an entity.    It will only attract lazy owners who do NOT want to do anything and make the TEA take responsibility for partial administration and full promotion of THEIR exchange.   Too many "dud" exchanges will make it on that list.   Tim, Jon and Josh would be stuck doing most of the work and carrying the burden.    Do you think that the accusations that the Traffic Exchange Alliance is egotistical are fair? I am probably perceived as egotistical more than the TEA.   The difference is I actually WALK my Talk.   I am DOING what I ask my Members to do, and I hope they grow and do BETTER than me.    I see an overall lack of Leadership in many exchange Administrators and too much focus on trying to make money with the exchanges themselves way too soon.    Even the TEA is heading in that direction.    My exchange is enjoying great momentum and recognition.   All I am doing is applying FOCUS on ENROLLING new members consistently, non- stop, 24/7 and keeping the surfing experience clean! That activity is what will support your growth AND make you money in the long run as well as help bring the Traffic Exchange industry closer and closer to mainstream recognition.    Keep your Members happy.   They will be the pillars of your future online presence. Thank You for hearing my thoughts on this aspect of the fascinating Traffic Exchange industry. Capt Kirk's Top Links PROMOTE CLICKBANK 11,400+ IN-DEMAND PRODUCTS WITH 1 SITE! EARN 50% NOW on 4,000 sites with a FREE SITE like this one!

Editors' Note

Doctor Traffic

I subscribed to Doctor Traffic a few weeks ago and have been very happy with the results. Doctor Traffic (formerly HEN Co-op) is an advertising co-op that allows you to receive traffic from hit exchanges, PTC and search engines for a fraction of the cost of purchasing the traffic yourself. Doctor Traffic achieves this by purchasing advertising in bulk and sharing it our among the members of the co-op.    I receive approximately 60-70 hits a day from Doctor Traffic for just $12.95 per month. An affiliate program is also included that pays at 30%. Doctor Traffic is owned by Jon Olsen, owner of the popular Hit Exchange News ezine, and comes highly recommended. Click the banner below to join Doctor Traffic.

Ebay Sale

Another ebay sale, this time for the serious Star Wars fan.

CBClicks

In Issue #33 I did a mini-review of Affiliate Sensor that mimics Google Adsense Ads using Clickbank products. Last week CBClicks was launched building on the same theme.    The main difference is that not all the ads you display will have your Clickbank ID.    As odd as that sounds, it means that as your downline grows, your Clickbank ID will actually show up on other websites besides your own. If you don't build a downline then this probably won't be as effective as Affiliate Sensor, but if you can get even a couple of referrals, this may prove far more lucrative. Click the banner below if you want to give it a try.

July 2004 Competition - Results

Here are the competition results for July 2004, sponsored by: To claim your prize, you must contact me with your MM username before 19 August 2004.    If you are not a member of MM, you can join by clicking the banner above. 1st Prize - One month of PAID membership in the Mystical Maze exchange and 2500 banner impressions. robertj549@xxxxx.xx (email sent to this subscriber) 2nd Prize - 500 credits in the Mystical Maze exchange and 2500 banner impressions. jandbonline 3rd Prize - 500 credits in the Mystical Maze exchange. mod877

If you like building downlines, hearing about a new program or website immediately after its launch can give you a head-start on your promotion. At The Early Bird, we scour the internet, join the mailing lists and hang around forums to bring you details of the newest programs! Add your email address now and we'll enter you into our prize draw to win one month of PAID membership to the Mystical Maze You can view our splash page at www.thenettle.com/earlybird/. Enter your e-mail address to subscribe to The Early Bird! E-mail address: How did you find us?:    Hosting by YMLP.com

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