I like to send mail direct from my home network for various reasons, not least being that I used to work on my current ISP’s mail servers and I know that they are in and out of blackholes these days like Hawking radiation. By sending mail directly from my dynamic block, the results are at least somewhat consistent.

Some may suggest changing ISP, but I am happy with every other aspect of their service, and there is no guarantee that any other ISP won’t run in to the same problems at any point in the future. Exim makes it easy for me to maintain a list of domains that do require me to use my ISP’s smart host, and even has the decency to read it dynamically, so it’s little hardship for me to: echo painintheass.net >> /usr/local/etc/exim/smarthost.domains for those domains that do need it.

Occasionally, however, I run into problems whereby the recipient that I am trying to mail won’t accept mail from me or the upstream smart host at the ISP. In the past, that has meant that I’ve been stuffed, which would normally be the would-be recipient’s problem, but every so often I really, really want to send them the message.

This just happened twice in the space of ten minutes, so I worked out how to get exim to relay mail via smtp.gmail.com:

• First, enable POP for your gmail account. You do that in the “Forwarding and POP” section of the settings. Strangely enough.
• Next, add a domain list to your exim configuration:

  domainlist use_gmail_domains = /usr/local/etc/exim/gmail.domains

  This domain list will hold the list of domains to send via gmail, one domain per line. If you don’t have any to add now, create the file empty with touch(1) so that you don’t forget later. Exim won’t complain either way.

• Create an authenticator. Note that although we’re using the plaintext mechanism here, we’ll force TLS in the transport so your details will not get transferred in the clear:

  gmail_login:
    driver = plaintext
    public_name = LOGIN
    client_send = : YourGmailUsername@gmail.com : YourGmailPassword

  Note that in a default exim configuration there are usually no authenticators, so don’t forget the begin authenticators statement if this is your first one.

• Add a router:

  send_via_gmail:
    driver = manualroute
    domains = +use_gmail_domains
    transport = gmail_smtp
    route_list = "* smtp.gmail.com byname"

• Add a transport, forcing it to use AUTH and TLS:

  gmail_smtp:
    driver = smtp
    hosts = smtp.gmail.com
    hosts_require_auth = smtp.gmail.com
    hosts_require_tls = smtp.gmail.com

That’s all it requires. You may now need to lock down the permissions on your configuration file to stop anyone reading your username and password from it. Advanced exim users can work out how to put this information in a separate file easily enough.

Posted by Alex | No Comments »

Are you a website developer looking to establish a long-term relationship with a web content provider that could make money over the long-term for both of you? Have you considered becoming an expert in the providing of website audio content — in webcasting and podcasting? Knowing how to present web audio and how to manage such a site can be your key to making money over the web.

It is hard to pick up a periodical about the web these days without coming upon an article about the ever increasing use of substantive audio content in websites. Webcasting and podcasting are the rage. These websites can make money through banner ads, click-throughs, and charging for downloads of audio content.

An audio-based website can include, for instance real-time streaming of a radio talk show or an interview. It can also contain archived materials, such as past shows, the equivalent of books-on-tape, and the like.

A web site developer can team up with the audio content provider, using cost and revenue sharing in order to make the enterprise beneficial to both.

The success of such a venture can be heightened by the use of low-cost audio. For instance, the audio could consist largely of streaming or recorded conversation about hot topics in international affairs, national politics, the economy, and trends and issues in our ever-changing culture, philosophy, and religious expression.

The likelihood of success can also be heightened if the format involves the same basic co-hosts, with the occasional invited guest, where the co-hosts are knowledgeable, clear-speaking, with a sense of humor; but who also often find themselves on opposite sides of the issue under discussion. The spark of life attracts the visitor.

And believe me, there are audio content providers with in-demand audio ready to team up with the right web developer. I know, because I am co-host of the US Virgin Islands-based and currently broadcast-based talk radio program known as Island Insight, with my co-host Randall Scott Johns. We are ready to move on to the web with live, streaming conversation, as well as archived shows. There must be others out there as well, ready to provide you with the content you need.

So, get ready for the future, for the future is now. Get the word out that you know how to do it and you are ready to design a high-quality product. Be a part of the future, and have fun doing it.

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NUMBER 1 : INTERNET USERS REMEMBER WHAT THEY HEAR
Did you know that Internet users remember only 20% of what they read while remembering an amazing 70% of what they hear? Audio on your website will help your message stay with fresh your visitors for longer.

NUMBER 2 : AUDIO INCREASES SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Using audio to convey a personal message to entice visitors to subscribe to your newsletter will result in up to 400% more subscribers than using traditional subscription marketing methods.

NUMBER 3 : AUDIO WILL KEEP VISITORS ON YOUR SITE FOR LONGER
Using audio on your website helps to keep visitors on your site for longer. The longer visitors stay the more informed they are about your product and services and the more likely they are to buy your product or service.

NUMBER 4 : AUDIO ADDS CREDIBILITY TO YOUR WEBSITE
Adding your own voice to your website helps prospects identify with you personally, warming them to your products and services in a way that cannot be achieved by any other existing marketing technique and converting more prospects to buyers.

NUMBER 5 : AUDIO PUTS YOU MILES AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITORS
While your competitors still hang around in the dark ages of Internet marketing, placing audio on your website gives you an enormous competitive advantage. Visitors will trust you more than your competitors and trust is the number one vital ingredient for making visitors part with plastic.

NUMBER 6 : AUDIO EHANCES EMAIL AND NEWSLETTER COMMUNICATIONS
Used in emails and ezines, audio allows you to communicate personally with your clients and subscribers, creating rapport and warming your market in a way not possible with text and graphics.

NUMBER 7 : AUDIO IS CHEAP
Basic streaming audio buttons can be put on your website for as little as $19.95. Even the most advanced solutions cost around the $97 mark! Considering the uumph these little audio buttons give your site, a once off payment of 97 bucks is not a lot to part with!

NUMBER 8 : AUDIO IS SIMPLE TO USE
You don’t have to be a techie geek to put audio on your website. Most of the solutions out there require no html or flash know how at all. They are designed to be user friendly so even the technophobe should have no problem getting the job done quickly and easily!

What are you waiting for … go add audio now!

Posted by Alex | 1 Comment »

We are very happy to let you know we have a few new services:
Master Reseller Plans
enables you to create multiple sub-reseller accounts within your reseller account and sell these to your clients as multiple-domain accounts. All resources for the sub-reseller accounts you create are taken from your main account — create as many sub-resellers as your resources allow. Your customer won’t know that his account is a sub-reseller account unless you tell him. Same s with your main reseller account this is a completely transparent solution, we will never contact your customer. What’s more, even your reseller can create reseller accounts if you permit him to do this. You are able to set the limits on these.

A SAMPLE:
Carl subscribes to a sub-reseller enabled cPanel “Reseller Hosting Plan #1″ that comes with 10,000 MB of space and 150 Gig of bandwidth. Carl decides to offer these three types of cPanel reseller accounts:
• Reseller Plan A: 1000 MB, 15 Gig bandwidth, up to 10 domains: whatever pricing
• Reseller Plan B: 2000 MB, 30 Gig bandwidth, up to 50 domains: whatever pricing
• Reseller Plan C: 3000 MB, 50 Gig bandwidth, up to 100 domains: whatever pricing
He can create 10 Reseller Plan A accounts or 5 of type Plan B or 3 of Plan C, or a mix of these. Say Carl sells four Plan A and two Plan B accounts, then he is still left with 2000 MB space and 30 Gig bandwidth for his single domain hosting plans.
Will my customers know I’m a reseller?
Only if you tell them. We will remain invisible to your customers. All of our name servers are anonymous, meaning there is no website set up on those domains. We will never contact your customers.

Shoutcast Audio Streaming
is a solution which permits anyone to broadcast audio to listeners across the internet.

Thousands of broadcasters around the world are waiting for you to tune in and listen.
Shoutcast is a Streaming Media Technology solution which permits anyone to broadcast audio to listeners across the internet. Listeners can tune in through any media player: Shoutcast´s underlying technology for audio delivery supports MP3, MP3Pro, ACC, and ACC+ Audio technologies, and can deliver audio in a live situation, or can deliver audio on-demand for archived broadcasts.

You basically become your own radio station, but instead of broadcasting through radio waves, you broadcast through the internet. Your listeners can tune in through any supported media player, such as Windows Media Player, Winamp, iTunes, RealPlayer, etc.

What do I get with my BYOHosting.com SHOUTcast hosting account?
Our Shoutcast Audio Streaming plans offer instant setup and no setup fees! Your Shoutcast Audio Streaming includes webspace for your mp3 file and your website. PHP and Perl support is included. You can control all aspects of your Shoutcast radio server through your control panel, including adding audio tracks, building playlists, broadcasting your Shoutcast station, and monitoring / controlling listeners.

Posted by Alex | No Comments »

The first thing I must say is it’s a mine field out there, and you must take time to look at what it is you are going to do in your business.

If an affiliate program is your choice then make sure that it pays down 2 levels and is well established, and pays you a good commission for your work!

There are a number of things to take into account at this point, what amount of time do you have to dedicate to your new online business! Why do I ask this question, because it’s all too easy to jump at several opportunities when you only have the time to do justice to one.

Remember if you are serious about making a living online pick one opportunity and run with it, use the resources and tools listed to help you max out the best from any opportunity you join, and then when you start to get results, and you will, apply the same system for as many business opportunities or products as you like!

So where do we start, well you need to choose for example an affiliate program then we need to take it to market. Now this is where things get interesting. How do we do this! There are some things that you must have if you are going to have any success online!

(more…)

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