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II. Web Site Tips and Techniques
Create a new web browser page versus leaving your site
One of the recommendations of most web design consultants is that when you get a visitor to your site, keep them there. One way we often lose a visitor is when we have a link on our web site that takes them to another web site. An easy way to keep your site session intact is to create a new browser window for the linked site. When they link to the site, a new browser window will automatically display for the "go to" site and your initial web site browser window will be active but in the background. This way, the user will always come back to your site when they delete the new linked pages. It will help your users see your site last and avoid losing them in the Internet maze.
To do this, insert the following code into your web page html code.
<A HREF=http://www.somesite.com TARGET="whatever">Check this out</A>
On your original web site, you will see a link titled, Check this out. Once clicked on by the user it will open up the web site ( http://www.somesite.com ) into a brand new window. Change the code of both of these elements to suit your needs. The TARGET="whatever" opens up a new browser window titled "whatever". Browser windows actually have names. If you want to direct another selected link to the same window (so you don't open up dozens of windows), simply use the code in every link to use the TARGET ="whatever".
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III. Product/Service Review
Adobe Acrobat
Most people know about Adobe Acrobat Reader, the free tool you use to view PDF files. What a lot of people don't know is that Adobe Acrobat is actually a very powerful tool (the version with a cost), and not just a PDF file reader. If you have used the reader module, you have seen a lot of the power of Adobe Acrobat in that it works very similar to a book, moving from page to page and giving you the ability to print the entire document or just a few pages as you wish. It's a very flexible tool.
So what does the paid version offer that the reader does not ? The full version of Adobe Acrobat allows you to create PDF files from many sources including Microsoft WORD, EXCEL, and POWERPOINT with a single click. It also gives you considerable security control over the PDF file that is created. For example, you can place password protection on the entire document or for each page.
You also have the ability to create the PDF file with certain limitations. For example, it can be created with or without the ability to extract text from the file (ie. copy and paste), ability to print or prevent printing, etc. This tool provides excellent features and flexibility to allow you to protect your document to whatever extent you want.
There is another neat offering from Adobe. If you don't want to pay the $249.00 price ($99.00 for upgrades), Adobe offers another means of using Adobe Acrobat. You can pay by the month. Yes, you can pay $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year for unlimited file creation capabilities using their online approach. It works great. The only stipulation is that you have to sign up for at least a year. Pay it all in advance and you save.
One other great way to determine how Adobe Acrobat works and whether it provides you the features that you need is to try their free trial offer online. Yes, you can create up to 5 PDF files from any viable source such as M/S Word or M/S PowerPoint for free This offer works great as well and the conversion takes place with just a click or two - very nice. This offer is available at web site https://createpdf.adobe.com/index.pl/2938455373.02578?BP=IE .
So, if you have a need to share a document among many users and you aren't sure they have the proper software, convert it into an Adobe PDF file. All your users can obtain Adobe Acrobat Reader at no charge easily off the Internet and you're in business.
For more information on Adobe products, visit www.adobe.com .
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IV. Business Entrepreneur Thoughts
Give your "Start-up" time !
One of the toughest things about being a "type-A" personality is in having patience for things to happen. I must profess that I have this challenge in a major way. Having been an IT Manager most of my life, I have gotten used to the idea that you go about business in a very simple manner:
Identify issues and risks
Determine priorities
Focus resources on the priorities
Communicate your actions
Monitor the activities and "tweak" where necessary.
In other words, identify, prioritize, and execute. I've often characterized myself as a "problem solver", a "business strategist", even a "fixer". It has always been second nature for me to see things, evaluate options, and implement a strategy.
Trying to start a new business is something else. There are many similarities in managing an IT organization to trying to start a new business venture. There are also big differences that take a bit to get adjusted to.
The toughest for me has been in having the patience to know that any new venture takes time, , , and a lot of work. I have never minded the work, but the patience concept is a tough one. The point with all of this is that if you plan to start a new business venture, plan on everything taking at least twice as long and requiring twice the work to get it going than you think it will.
Very few ventures hit a homerun right out the gate. Most successes come from planning, deliberate action, follow-up and perseverance. Perseverance is the key word here. If you don't have the energy and the personal fortitude to stick with it and to pursue your dream even in the toughest of situations, you shouldn't bother trying to get it off the ground.
When you build business projections, be extremely conservative in the beginning. The results are probably going to be less than what you hope they will be in the early days and months.
The bottom line - give yourself ample time to allow the new business venture to develop and to gel. It doesn't happen by itself for sure, and any business worth while takes time to mature. What's that old saying, "crawl, then walk, then run" ? Most things in life are like that.
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V. Other
Dorine.com - a unique Internet shopping experience
Want to buy a gift that will always be unique for a special occasion ? Christmas is coming, you know. Take a look at www.dorine.com . There you can purchase online through a secure socket server many unique items as well as find free decorating tips.
Dorine.com offers several unique shopping areas as follows:
Dorine's Featured Artists - the beginnings of a diverse artist group hand picked by Dorine to be featured on her web site. Take a look at Harold Rigsby's animal pastels. They are so lifelike, you will think they are photographs.
Dorine's Creations - hand painted items for the home from Dorine's original work.
Dorine's Home Accessories - hand picked home accessories that are fun and certainly unique.
Dorine's Internet Mall - more than 100 retail web sites that offer everything from jewelry and electronics to office supplies and clothes. Excellent selection from companies like The Sharper Image, Martha Stewart, and Office Depot.
Free decorating tips and crafty projects are included as well in:
Dorine's Tips and Techniques - a growing list of decorating projects that are simple to do and that add great character to your home.
Dorine.com is a web site that will be growing over time to offer more and more selections and variety to provide a truly unique place to shop. Do your Christmas shopping early with a late summer sales special that is taking place in Dorine's Creations and Dorine's Home Accessories departments.
www.dorine.com
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A Word About MDE Enterprises
MDE Enterprises provides IT consulting services and IT Management training resources.
As a consultant I want to help companies achieve more. In these times, it's more important than ever for a company's technology organization to produce in a manner that meets company objectives. Easier said than done.
If you are interested in more insight into what it takes to be an effective manager of technology resources, take a look at my IT Manager Development Series. This a set of 10 publications takes a practical approach in discussing key aspects of what it takes to be a successful IT manager. Each publication is complimented with examples and tools to help the reader achieve more.
If you are interested in learning more about this series of publications, you can take a look at the Table of Contents for all the publications and order online at www.mde.net/CIO .
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The opinions expressed here are purely those of the editor, Mike Sisco.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without the express written consent of the author.
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Thanks again. Until our next issue, work smart, do good things, and have a great day.
Mike Sisco
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