MelvinBlog

A blog that chronicles my journey on online marketing, blogging, social media, technology and life.

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Quick Updates for August 2014

Quick Updates for August 2014

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I like writing update type of posts because it’s very casual to write and I can finish it in one sitting. It’s also very spontaneous so there’s not much effort needed here especially if you’re feeling lazy like me. 🙂 Without further ado, here we go.

Completing the Redesign

I wrote about a blog design update post some months ago but still I haven’t finalized everything yet. It’s getting closer though as I have finished putting widgets and modifying some pages. There are some minor kinks in this theme that I’m hoping to fix soon.

The logo isn’t still there but I do hope I can have it before the month ends. Also, this theme has a wide header below the main content area and I wanted to customize so it looks really good. I haven’t decided yet on what to put but I have so far experimented with putting some of the pictures I’ve taken myself as a filler. I want to have an image header that is as personal as possible but I don’t want to be too vain by showing pictures of myself. 🙂

Nevertheless, I searched for sites that are using the same theme and found this blog. Let’s say I want my header graphic to be kind of the same as hers.

Flickr as the service of choice

I didn’t really waste time since I wrote my thoughts on storing photos online. The commenter Jem has corrected me in that Flickr actually allows 1 TB worth of photo which is more than adequate for my needs. They don’t seem to be reducing the resolution of my photos as well.

flickr medi

So I went with Flickr and started uploading photos again. Feel free to check out my Flickr account if you feel interested.

Reorganizing my room

This is kinda offtopic and offline but I started a project for redesigning and reorganizing my room. This will be very hard to do because a). my room is very small to begin with, b). I need to spend lots of money to make it better.

The second reason is related to me living in my parents house. What that means is most of the schemes, colors and whatnot are standard for our whole house and there’s not much that I can change here. Well changing our house too much is not feasible at all either.

I’m still in my early 20’s (well 24 to be exact) but I should perhaps start having a plan for moving out and live on my own.

New Partners/Friends

There are a couple of local companies that have contacted me for a mini collaboration. It is my hope that the mini collaboration is the start for something bigger down the road. 🙂

The first is PricePanda which is a service that compares the best prices for each products. I’ve used them plenty of times before and I discovered through actually just Googling the actual products. Check them out as they’re a heck of a useful website for finding and buying stuff online

They’ve done a great guest post on the Evolution of Smartphones so make sure to read the article in case you haven’t done it yet.  They also have a banner ad on the sidebar that I gave to them.

The second one is Zalora Philippines which is some kind of an online service for shopping clothes, shoes, accessories and anything that is related to looking good and fashionable. I also have used them before and even suggested them to my friends.

Zalora was kind enough to give me a gift certificate in exchange for our mini collaboration. The lady I’m in contact with was very kind and accommodating. But it was the service that is really impressive.

I ordered stuff from them through the certificate that they gave me and the orders arrived in less than 24 hours which was amazing. Throughout the process their staff have been helpful to all my inquiries and nagging questions. 🙂

Look out for more future collaborations between this blog and Zalora. 🙂

Accepting Guest Posts again

During my hiatus, it was the guest posts that kept this blog alive and now I would like to announce that I’m accepting them again. But for a difference, I’ll be more strict this time. The article obviously has to be top-notch but at the same time I am only allowing up to 3 links and the links have to be relevant otherwise, they would only be placed on the poster’s signature and nowhere else.

I tried the model where users would register and do their own guest posts from the WordPress backend. That didn’t work too well as I was overwhelmed with spammy guest content from users. So instead you can submit your guest posts the old fashioned way which is through the contact form.

So that’s it for the updates! 😉

Getting into Live Streaming Games

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I have not considered myself a gamer despite staying in front of a computer 85% of the time. And even when I do play, it’s mostly just one game which is NBA (EA before and 2K in the past 3-4 years) and nothing else. Add the fact that I’m employed to a company where playing games and live streaming it is the main thing and it becomes even weirder.

A quick look at my background would make it less weird actually. My first console was a Playstation 1 and it never got upgraded again. I got a decent PC during my high school days but even then I was mostly just playing NBA games. I did dabble with some other games like Halo, Quake, even Call of Duty but they never got me interested.

Fast forward to today, I just don’t have any equipment to play games. I guess even since 4-5 years ago, my machine won’t hold up with any good games available even during the time. But thinking more about it, it’s not entirely about that. It’s also about me not being too interested in playing games perhaps. I started doing blogging and some other online things since early 2008 and considering it has become my life, that was one of the factors as well on why I’m not playing games despite the fact that I’m in front of my computer most of the time. Now it can be argued that perhaps if I have a more modern console or a faster computer then I might have enjoyed and spent more time with it. That’s up in the air.

The near future…

What does the future hold for me regarding gaming and live streaming? Not a whole lot of change probably. We have a work thing where we would play and live stream games using our streaming software every Friday (or every other Friday). So I said to myself “Why not start a channel & build an audience, see where it takes me?”. Generally-speaking, that is a good reason enough for me to start. My work computer is an i7, we have fast internet (fast upload), no one is streaming NBA 2k and maybe the vacant spot is just waiting for me. 🙂 Maybe I’m too upbeat too. :p

But one thing I’m sure of is doing this shouldn’t take too much effort. I’m gonna try this out and just do it. No pressure for myself whatsoever. If it works, good. If it doesn’t, it’s still good since this is part of my work for the company. So I have nothing to lose really.

Medimode Channel

Time for some shameless promotion. I started the channel ‘MediMode‘ on Twitch and the channel is mainly about live streaming NBA 2k gameplay. I’ll probably be rambling a bit through the microphone while playing but most of the time you’ll just hear gameplay audio. I’ll try to play with a human as much as possible but if no one’s available then I’ll play against the AI.

Watch live video from medimode on www.twitch.tv

Again if you’re interested in some 2K gameplay or you play the game yourself (and think you’re better than me) then feel free to check out my channel at Medimode. And please ignore the Taylor Swift display picture for now.

My First Post for 2014

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It’s amazing that this blog is approaching its 6th year. I have to say that time really does fly rapidly and reading some of the first posts, it’s clear that I have improved in many ways related to blogging itself. Unfortunately, it’s not possible for me anymore to pump out content the same way as I did before and do other things related to making this blog popular again.

This is my first post for this year and if I’m lucky, I might make at least 10 posts for the year. But then again, I’m not looking at it as a goal for myself. Perhaps making money online exclusively is not for me (first post).

Anyway, I’ve been busy with the same things on a daily basis. My work still takes most of the priority here and a big part of that is also traveling back and forth as I spend 3 hours on transportation time daily. Work-wise, I have been upgraded a bit which is always good for my young career.  Due to that, I may not look to move anymore.

Outside of work, I do work mostly on my hobby project which is about Headphones. The site is thriving slowly but surely and I can’t be more than happy with the progress. In a way, I would say it’s very satisfying as I get to try many headphones myself w/o incurring any costs at all.

I’m very happy too that I’ve received my first check from Amazon which is the only way I intended to monetize the website. While the amount is not extraordinary, I’m surprised that the website was able to make any money as I certainly did not have any expectations from it yet. Overall, I’m quite optimistic for its future.

Finally, I have very much decreased doing consulting work for friends, acquaintances because my interest in it is much lesser now compared to the previous years. The idea of delegating some part of work has only remained as an idea unfortunately.

That is pretty much what I’ve been doing for this year. I also currently tune in to the NBA playoffs which is appearing to be a competitive one for this year. Who do you think will go all the way? 🙂

Merry Christmas to Everyone

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I have not really written here for a long while now but I wanted to take this time and greet everyone a merry merry Christmas (or Happy Hanukkah if you’re a Jew). Be sure to enjoy the holidays but at the same time don’t consume too much alcohol and unhealthy foods. :p

I have been meaning to write another post soon where I would disclose more about what I do these days but for the sake of brevity, I have sort of settled for a more normal life (as some of you probably know already).  I took a job in mid 2010 and I still am working for the same company as of this writing. Whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen. 🙂

As for online stuff, I have mostly been helping out some friends with their basic SEO stuff and have been dabbling with some freelance work (fyi I have been since 2009).  And finally, the only personal project that I have been working on sort of is my Headphone Philippines website. The progress is going quite well since I started putting in more time on it during the middle of this year. Nonetheless, I’m quite excited for the potential of this even though I’m not really on it for money.

So that’s it! Again have a merry and fruitful Christmas and a happy new year!

Remote Tech Support Cutting Last Ties To Remote Employees

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This is a guest post by Amanda Green.

The irony of the term “information superhighway” is in how it’s making real highways obsolete.

For quite a few years now, workers have become less office-dependent, gaining freedom in where and how they can work.

It has benefited them and their employers in many ways, saving money and time in everything from office overhead to commuting costs.

But many supervisors are still unwilling to have staff out of sight and out of earshot. The various reservations they have are all but myths.

How Can I Fix Their Problems?

Perhaps the most legitimate concern is that computer issues can’t be easily dealt with for off-site staff.

The whole heart of effective telecommunication beats with computers. If a worker’s computer is not performing the way it should, he or she is left with little opportunity to be productive.

Now what? All the productivity saved by letting the worker operate off-site is now in peril, all because he or she can’t figure out a software problem.

In the earliest days of telecommuting, that fretting would be justified. But like all technology, it has pushed past this disconnect.

In the last few years, remote IT support has even made it possible for a technician hundreds of miles away to access an employee’s computer and conduct a multitude of tasks, such as software updates and virus removal. This type of support software allows you to use a remote workstation to access customer’s computers so that you can solve problems quickly, or to demonstrate how they can fix these programs in the future.

How Do I Know They’re Working?

That’s the most obvious concern. Are my employees awake and being productive?

Fortunately, it’s easy to track the answer. Microsoft Lync and other communication networks highlight each person’s status; if their mouse or keyboard has been touched in the last five minutes, the person shows as active.

Most of these systems also incorporate instant messaging, voice-over-internet telephone functions, and file-sharing as well. Those components make the virtual office even more functional.

How Can They Get To Their Stuff?

Somewhere in many employers’ minds remains an image of the office worker who dutifully totes a shiny briefcase to and from the house each day, completing some work in the evenings after a slice of apple pie.

These days, electronic files are the norm, but some supervisors can’t seem to snap that 1958 scene from their minds.

That’s not to say that everything is always at arm’s length, as in Ward Cleaver’s attache. Access to files is a challenge. Nobody wants to spend the entire day emailing attachments to workers who should be at an adjacent desk.

But secure cloud storage and other networking methods have made file transfer as easy as it is in the office with a shared server.

How Can We Communicate?

Nobody wants a semi-square callous on the ear from an entire day on the phone with telecommuting workers.

But the aforementioned Lync, as well as a veritable army of other remote conferencing systems, make it simple and seamless to video conference or chat with workers anywhere. Text messaging and social media simplify mobile contact as well.

Remote workers are not without their headaches. Their home DSL can fail while office-based co-workers can remain online. Some telecommuters allow too many distractions to endure.

But the larger barriers have been breached with technology, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to service and repair that technology ensures that the system remains strong.

Get With It – Businesses Need to Be More Eco-Friendly

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This is a guest post by Amanda Green.

Becoming Eco-friendly in the business world is more than just a fad. For many entrepreneurs, it is a way of life, and more businesses need to jump in on the cause. Not only will recycling and saving energy increase profit and lower costs, but it will also serve as an inspiration for employees and work associates. It is just as important, if not more so, that businesses participate in making the planet greener, as it is for anyone else.

Going green for a business can be as simple as switching to energy saving light bulbs, or as complicated as converting the entire office or building to some type of sustainable energy source. There are many cost saving ways a business can participate in making the world more Eco-friendly. Here are few of the more popular ones:

1. Go Paperless 

For a long time, industry leaders have been trying to promote the paperless office; it is more efficient, safer and saves money. Use digital memos, calendars, emails and documents to reduce paper waste.

There are actually several business benefits to going digital: employee efficiency increases and it can create a substantial savings on paper, which can amount to as much as $1,800 a year. Additionally, a company that uses less paper also spends less on file storage, printer ink, toner, copy paper and document shredding.

2. Energy Efficiency 

Save money on energy by replacing regular light bulbs with fluorescent. Turn off unneeded lights at night. Adjust computer power settings so they run on “power saver” mode and replace appliances with energy efficient appliances. You can learn more about getting great rates on electricity at www.Electric.com.

3. Start a Recycling Program 

Recycle as many products as you can. Make recycle bins available for employees. If you are a small business consider combining your recycling efforts with those of other businesses in the building. Most businesses and people already recycle so making this a daily business activity shouldn’t be that difficult. Be the change you wish to see.

4. Promote Telecommuting One or Two Days a Week 

By having some employees work part time from home you can promote better energy efficiency. The fewer computers used in the office on certain days, the more you can save business on energy costs.

5. Sustainable Energy 

Sustainable energy is very popular all across the country right now, so you may be able to find inexpensive solar power or wind energy options that will power your installations at least partially. This can save you a lot of money on energy costs, lowering your overhead and increasing your revenue.

If each one of us takes it upon ourselves to make these practical changes in our personal and professional lives, collectively we can go a long way. Don’t get overwhelmed by the forces of disinformation: your planet is depending on you!

Check Out The Credentials

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This is a guest post by Amanda Green

What do you need to do to get a job? Given that a prospective employer has contacted you about it, you need to send in a resume, then go in for an official interview. Yet, when we contact people about a service or product, we often take corners. We simply go by how cheap it is, or how high up on the hits list of a search engine they are. This is simply inexcusable when it comes to big decisions like who to trust with financial and investment advice.

In order to trust anyone with providing you a service you need, whether it be a builder or investment advice, you need to do some research. One of the best ways to do some preliminary research on someone is to look at any online business profiles that they have. There are no shortage of sites that you can host a profile onto, so they should have at least one.

If you are requesting services of a company and not an individual, look up the information on its president. Let’s look at a Charles Phillips profile on investing.businessweek.com as an example. If we browse through, we would see that he is well connected with people both inside and outside of his industry, owns a profitable company and in general seems to be a very reliable person.

Not everyone has profiles like this though, or perhaps their profile is bare bones enough that you want more information. In this case, dig a little deeper. Search through any online news articles about them. In a lot of cases you will come up blank, but this is usually a good sign.

Positive services get little attention from the public after all. Negative attention though, such as incredibly bad reviews from customers or cases of serious apathy or neglect, do get attention. If the person you are looking into has had a history of anything like this, you should be able to find out with ease. And if they do, needless to say, you should not be doing business with them.

You cannot hand the reigns of your company over to just anyone and expect it to survive. Yet, when you take advice from those we barely even know, that is exactly what you are doing. Ensure that someone has both the knowledge and the credentials before hiring them for advice, otherwise both you and your company will suffer for it.