Pro DNS and BIND guides you through the challenging array of features surrounding DNS, with a special focus on BIND, the world

Book Description

A few years ago, MySpace.com was just an idea kicking around a Southern California spam mill. Scroll down to the present day and MySpace is one of the most visited Internet destinations in America, displaying more than 40 billion webpage views per month and generating nearly $1 billion annually for Rupert Murdoch’s online empire. Even by the standards of the Internet age, the MySpace saga is an astounding growth story, which climaxed with the site’s acquisition by Murdoch’s News Corporation in 2005 for a sum approaching one billion dollars. But more than that, it may be the defining drama of the digital era.

In Stealing MySpace, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Julia Angwin chronicles the rise of this Internet powerhouse. With an unerring eye, Angwin details how MySpace took the Internet by storm by grabbing the best ideas from around the Web, encouraging pinup stars such as Tila Tequila to make their home on its pages and giving everyone freedom to experiment with online identities–including using somebody else’s identity.

Stealing MySpace introduces us to the site’s founders, Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, who dabbled in computer hacking, online pornography, spam, and spyware before starting MySpace. Although their street savvy, doggedness, and clubbing skills far eclipsed their tech prowess, they stumbled their way to success and soon found themselves at ground zero of a high-stakes war that pitted Rupert Murdoch against his frequent nemesis, the combative Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone. Angwin sheds light on the dizzying backroom deals that allowed Murdoch to snatch MySpace from Viacom’s grasp even as the MySpace founders remained in the dark about their own fate. Then she takes us inside the Murdoch empire as DeWolfe and Anderson lobby furiously to regain control of their creation.

Venturing beyond the business aspects of the story, Angwin also explores the Internet culture, a voyeuristic world in which MySpace must stay one step ahead of amateur pornographers, sexual predators, and “spoofers” who set up fake profiles (Rupert Murdoch himself tolerates dozens of phony “Ruperts” on the site) and cope with the general excesses and sometimes illegal acts of a community of account holders equal in number to the population of Japan.

In Stealing MySpace, Julia Angwin dishes on the epic real-world battle for control of a virtual empire. In a savvy, smart, fast-paced narrative reminiscent of Bryan Burrough and John Helyar’s Barbarians at the Gate and Michael Lewis’s The New New Thing, Stealing MySpace tells is the whole gripping story behind a breakout cultural phenomenon.

Julia Angwin on Stealing MySpace

Porn. Hacking. Spyware. Spam. Spy cameras you can hide in your shoe.

Prior to launching MySpace, the founders dabbled in all of the above. Relentless marketers and knockoff artists, their story also included a boardroom coup, broken friendships, betrayals, litigation and a pair of feuding media moguls–Sumner Redstone and Rupert Murdoch.

When I stumbled on the history of MySpace, I quickly realized it was not your typical Silicon Valley saga. There were no computer geniuses dropping out of prestigious universities, no fancy algorithms, no computers in garages. In short: The MySpace tale was manna from journalistic heaven–I had to write it.

It was also a serious lesson about the evolution of the Internet. The success of these ragtag marketers from Los Angeles demonstrated an important change in our culture: Technology had finally become relatively easy to use. Innovation was no longer confined to the digital elites. MySpace’s success was largely due to the fact that it put its customers first, and technology second.

Still, as it grew, MySpace’s lack of tech savvy has been its Achilles Heel. Today, MySpace is being forced to play technological catch-up to rival social networking site, Facebook, and it’s not clear if it will succeed.

The final chapter of the MySpace story has not yet been written. But the unlikely tale of how MySpace was born is one that begged to be told. –Julia Angwin

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars More interesting than I thought it would be
If Variety had a threesome with Wired Magazine and a ColdFusion manual, it would look a lot like this book. It captures a great story of an unlikely internet company (from LA no less) overachieving and does what I think is a great job of walking through the nuances that separate myspace from friendster and a lot of other companies nobody remembers.

I think this would make a fantastic movie as it highlights some over-sized personalities/egos, covers the torn friendships that often happen when startups and $$ are involved and shows how a company can capitalize on a shift in technology (digital pictures/mp3.s + broadband) before most people understand what has happened.

5 Stars Money, Greed, Hollywood, Spam, Spyware and Porn – Oh My
In Stealing MySapce Julia Angwin turns a complicated story of “theft”, greed, and luck into a comprehensible page-turner. It’s straight forward enough for the Social Networking novice, has enough detail and dirt to interest the technorati, and has plenty of facts and figures for the business crowd. Like Barbarians at the Gate it offers a fly on the wall look at boardroom maneuvering and backstabbing. And, Angwin has the good fortune of working with a varied cast of larger than life characters – Rupert Murdoch (the media titan), the pretty but talentless Tila Tequila, and every MySpace user’s first friend Tom Anderson to name just a few.

In addition to a business history of MySpace Angwin gives us a glimpse at the way internet companies cannibalize one another and lose ground by failing to innovate – MySpace copies and eclipses Friendster, Facebook copies and outshines MySpace… Twitter anyone? In the end Stealing MySpace is both a how-to and a cautionary tale about making it in the digital age. So, whether you’re interested in business, social networking, the tech world, or are just looking for a good read, this book will explain how we got to the point were congressmen are tweeting during congressional hearings and mothers surf the web to expose real-life and cyber bullies. Social networks are here to stay, you might as well know where they came from.

5 Stars Excellent, rarely heard perspective on social media history
The book occasionally lapses into excruciating detail on financial and biographical detail, but it’s a minor annoyance.

It is the best book on the emergence of social networks that I have read to date and contains perspective and first-person details that you cannot get elsewhere.

It’s good to read this book and be reminded that MySpace was initially no more than a “me to” copycat social network, that was underfunded, managed poorly and had to use second-rate used technology and used network equipment for nearly all of its early history. However, the slightly-insane founders worked like crazy 24/7, made some lucky mistakes such as a programming error that allowed users to customize their profiles (turned out to be a big hit!) and used…are you listening? – NON-internet means to help achieve critical mass – parties, networking and road tours.

If you are developing a social network read this book.

5 Stars The best book I’ve read all year!
Well written and engaging. Stealing Myspace chronicles Myspace from its ambitious and rocky beginning to its almost unrivaled internet prominence. Julia Angwin also provides insight into the various personalities and key players involved in Myspace’s ascension. Few things are left unexposed. This is a must read for anyone who has ever used Myspace or is simply wondering what’s behind the “hype”.

4 Stars “Great- Behind-the-scene BOOK!
This book offers an amazing behind-the scene, and insight to the makers of myspace. It takes you from myspace’s begining to the concequences it has had with the law, and all the other issues with organization and within the same people in the company. It has all the secrets myspace has been hiding and why it’s been hidden. The overall book was impressive. The issue is the author was way to wordy at times and used too much bussiness terms that the average reader might find hard to understand. Overall great story… inspiring as well…

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A line-by-line preparation guide to the completely new and revised Form 990 for nonprofit organizations

This workbook walks readers through the process of completing the complex and significantly revised Form 990 due for the 2008 tax year. Jody Blazek demystifies the process for financial professionals and nonprofessionals alike who are held accountable for the content of these forms. She provides guidance for responding to the many new questions, considering adoption governance policies and procedures suggested as appropriate by the IRS, and reforming data-gathering systems to capture requested information on the form. This book is an essential guide for every 990 filer, filled with instructions and comments about each part of the new form and schedules.

Jody Blazek (Houston TX) is a Partner in Blazek & Vetterling, a CPA firm focusing on tax and financial reporting for tax-exempt organizations and the individuals who create, fund, and work with them.

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To be successful in business you must be able to attract the right clients and persuade them to buy. However, on the internet, people only see what the search engines direct them to and the competition for those top spots is fierce. So how do you ensure that your business is front-and-center when prospects are searching for solutions? The answer is The Findability Formula. The Findability Formula is for anyone who wants to improve results from Internet marketing. The book is specifically written for business owners who are frustrated with a website that is not showing up in search results and not generating business. The Findability Formula will help readers understand how prospects and customers search for products and services on the Internet, and will show them, step-by-step, how to optimize their findability. The book will be a non-technical guide to effectively building and implementing, from the ground up, an Internet search marketing program that gets results. The reader will learn how paid search works, and how paid and organic search can work together to create optimum web visibility and reduce paid search costs over time. The basic message of the book is that there is a formula for findability and for converting prospects to purchasers.

Readers’ Benefits from The Findability Formula:
* A complete step-by-step approach to search engine marketing applicable to any product or service, The Findability Formula will include easy-to-follow instruction from chapter to chapter as well as launch checklists in the appendix.
* The most up-to-date search research and statistics available, including uncommon ways to connect with your online buyer.
* Shows the reader how to avoid common search marketing mistakes that cost big money. How to not be bullied and take control of in-house e-commerce department strategies and SEM agencies.
* A small company can compete successfully in search with larger, well-established competitors. How to work smarter to get even better search engine “findability”.
* Maximizes the reader’s investment. The reader won’t waste money by needlessly paying for “clicks” from customers who have no intention of buying. The investment in this book will be repaid thousands of times over.
* Saves time, money and energy in creating in-house search marketing programs and properly tracking results by keyword. Negates the need to hire outside SEM agencies

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Good place to start good results.
I will keep this short and simple. I am a web developer ( stuffdone.com ) but not an SEO expert. I thought I would start to learn more.

I bought the book.

I followed the instructions.

I now have THREE different sites on page one of Yahoo ( without paying them their $299 fee! )

and one on page one of Google. All within two weeks of reading the book.

It works !

The Findability Formula: The Easy, Non-Technical Approach to Search Engine Marketing

5 Stars Great Book for the Search Engine Marketing “Newbie”
This is a great book for anyone just getting started with Search Engine Marketing as the author gives a great overview of the steps needed to set up pay per click campaigns.

Advanced users might find it a bit basic, but that’s not who this book is designed for. This book is designed for the small business owner who knows Search Engine Marketing is an important web traffic driver for his/her business, needs to get up to speed fast, and wants someone to explain it sequentially.

The author does a great job in setting up Search Engine Marketing step-by-step in an easy to follow way that should be very helpful to anyone who has never run a marketing team and needs to learn to do this themselves.

There are more advanced books out there for those who need to delve into the nitty-gritty, but if you are just getting started, and are a non-technical person who wants easy to follow instructions, then this book is a must read.

4 Stars Could be briefer
While this book seems to get the basic points line up in a way that readers can easily digest them, it also wastes some of your time with basics that anyone interested in internet marketing must already know. A better book I would recommend (that also teaches you how to build a website in fewer pages) is called “Your Best Website.” I used it to build my site,[...]about social anxiety and I knew nothing about SEO or building sites when I read it.

4 Stars How to Get Your Website Found
Getting your business, website, or product found by customers in today’s Internet age is now almost entirely dictated by search engines, and those are dominated by Google. Lutze has put together what she called the findability formula. //Findability Formula// provides instruction on how search engines work, how search engine marketing works, and how to take advantage of both. While you need some knowledge of how computers and your website operate, Lutze gives easy-to-follow instruction, plenty of examples, and tips and tools to successfully market your product, whatever it might be. There are plenty of online tools that Lutze includes, with a summary of each at the end of each chapter. An efficient, easy-to-read book that is well organized and well worth the time and effort it will take to read it, and include into your online marketing campaign.

5 Stars A must read for small business owners.
The Findability Formula has enabled our business, Preppy Pet Suites, to grow at 20% per month! Heather makes the complicated world of ecommerence easy to understand and easier to implement. Using the book’s formula keeps us ranked high on Google and Yahoo. I can sincerely say that our new business would not be as successful without Heather’s help.

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This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version.

REMEMBER WHEN eBay USED TO BE A GREAT PLACE FOR SMALL SELLERS TO BECOME BIG SELLERS?

Unfortunately, recent changes at eBay have made online auctions less reliable and profitable. So where can you sell when you can’t sell on eBay? Online auctions are the past; fixed-price selling is the future. It’s time to move beyond eBay and first-generation online selling and start Selling Online 2.0. Second generation online selling means migrating from eBay to other online marketplaces, including craigslist, Amazon, and your own e-commerce website. You’ll need to make some new plans, learn some new skills, and change some of the things you do–but you’ll find that there’s more money to be made on your own than relying on traditional eBay online auction sales.

• Put together a plan to maintain your sales level and profitability–to counteract eBay’s changes
• Discover how to shift from auction sales to fixed-priced listings on the eBay marketplace
• Find out if running an eBay Store or selling on Half.com makes sense for your business
• Learn out how to sell locally on craigslist and other online classifieds sites
• Discover how to sell fixed-price merchandise on the Amazon marketplace
• Find out how to launch your own e-commerce website–and promote your online store
• Learn how to sell products across multiple channels–and manage multichannel conflicts

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Millers Selling online 2.0
I’ve got to recommend this too

This seems to be a book that covers all the bases – selling on Half, Amazon, eBay. It assumes you know about selling on eBay and it IS informative

Is it worth purchasing? Well, a lot of this is very basic (overview of eBay) so maybe if you can find this at the library

I did like Miller talking about eBays history and the changes that have made it more difficult to make money on the site for smaller sellers (particularly good on eBay – and talking about why fixed price auctions are the way to go – and showing why through figures)

Its a quick read. I would recommend the book highly. But then, its an overview of Amazon, eBay, Half, CraigsList..

An informative book nonetheless. I would have to recommend this

4 Stars Adds information and updates information disclosed in previous works so the reader in 2009 is informed about online retail sales

I liked this book. I’m not a fan of online retailing. But it can be done, and if a book does a reasonably good job introducing the reader to some good information on the subject, then I feel obligated to write a short review and post it on Amazon. This book is well written, well outlined & organized, and fills a void in the literature available on online retailing.

A few years ago I read and reviewed Unofficial Guide to Starting a Business Online (Unofficial Guides). I think I gave that book a 4-star as well. It did not fair as well with some other reviewers. But I think they were unjust. The instant book being reviewed probably could be called “Part II” of that book in my humble opinion. It adds information and updates information so the reader in 2009 is pretty informed on the topic of setting up a retail sales site or presence online today.

The Table of Contents (TOC) for this book is quite detailed. It will tell you exactly what is covered in this nice little book. I encourage you to take a look at the Search Inside feature Amazon offers for this book. It is there you can see the TOC for free.

Four other books that will probably interest you if you are into online retail sales are: Sell on Amazon: A Guide to Amazon’s Marketplace, Seller Central, and Fulfillment by Amazon Programs, Make a Fortune Promoting Other People’s Stuff Online: How Affiliate Marketing Can Make You Rich, ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, & craigslist 4 Everyone. They will supplement the material covered in the instant book being reviewed. I have posted reviews for each on Amazon. 4 stars!

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

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By programmers for programmers-the essential beginner’s guide to building websites with Joomla!

Want to build and maintain dynamic websites without having to learn HTML and CSS? Joomla! open-source web content management system and this beginner’s guide are all you need. This book walks you step-by-step through the process of building a website with Joomla!, providing detailed instruction in Wrox’s practical, programmer-to- programmer style.

The book explores key concepts and shows how each concept relates to the development of an actual real-world web site you can access online.

• Joomla! is an open-source web content management system used to build and maintain dynamic web sites without using specific web languages like HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
• Walks you step by step through the process of building a website with Jooma! and features plenty of examples of actual websites that illustrate concepts
• Topics include configuration; managing content, core modules, plugins, menus, and extensions; building custom templates; and performing troubleshooting; also provides advanced tips and tricks, and more

From configuration and management to troubleshooting and advanced tips, this is the book to get you up and running with Joomla!

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars A great way to get started with Joomla!
I came at Joomla with a lot of “technical” experience,… just not a lot with Joomla. I found this book was a great “quick step” to getting started.

One of the problems with Joomla is that it isn’t the most intuitive CMS. This book gets you up and running quickly with easy to follow steps.

Take in mind that this book isn’t super deep. It is just enough to get you up and running quickly. If you are looking to get deeper, I suggest that you may want to check out “Professional Joomla!” by Dan Rahmel.

If you want to get into using Joomla quickly, then check out this book!

5 Stars Must read for those new to Joomla
As a Web developer, I’ve had a chance to work with many proprietary and open source CMS systems. When I decided to advance my knowledge of Joomla 1.5, I picked up a copy of this book. Cory does a great job of explaining each component of Joomla and best practices when working in this CMS framework. I particularly like the “Try it out” and “How it works” sections of each chapter. Overall an easy to follow book to learn the ins and outs of Joomla and highly recommend for anyone looking to learn Joomla.

5 Stars Thorough and Understandable
I’ve used Joomla and Mambo since the early days. Throughout the years I’ve picked up quite a bit of a working knowledge of Joomla, though there were always things in and about Joomla that I couldn’t explain. Cory’s book takes a user all the way from installing Joomla for the first time through advanced Joomla tricks, all without being wordy or overly-in-depth.

Other Joomla books lose my attention too quickly because they either teach you the skills through lengthy exercises or through multiple paragraphs-worth of details. Cory does a good job of laying out practical advice and straight-forward techniques that are considered best practices for anyone who utilizes Joomla professionally or as a hobby.

This book won’t replace the Joomla API manuals sitting on my shelf, but I have dog-eared and highlighted more in this book than in any other Joomla book I own. It has really helped me round out my knowledge of the ‘little things’ about Joomla and has helped explain some of the Joomla quirks I’ve always wondered about. It is highly recommended for new and advanced Joomla users alike.

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You can get paid for online ad placement with Google AdSense! If you-ve ever considered using AdSense to improve revenue for your Web site, Google AdSense For Dummies will get you started. It-s loaded with tips to help you implement a successful AdSense program.

AdSense lets you generate income with ad placement on blogs and Web sites. Google AdSense For Dummies shows you how AdSense works, how to analyze cost per click and track AdSense results, and how to earn money from your blog or Web site without selling a product. Discover how to:

• Register and set up an AdSense program
• Track results with server logs, AdSense reports, and Google Analytics
• Boost AdSense income with search engine optimization techniques
• Apply Google guidelines by including relevant links and content, making your site easy to navigate, using a sitemap, and keeping links in good repair
• Fine-tune your Web site with beefed-up content to please Google and boost effectiveness
• Earn more with AdSense for RSS, streaming video, and referral units
• Design appealing ads and search boxes, and deal with ads from competitors
• Add video units to your site, design mobile ad units, and understand referral units

In Google AdSense For Dummies, author Jerri Ledford, a self-described -Google geek,- helps you make money with AdSense.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Guy, Great Book
This book is very good… I have read a few books on the subject and the 2 books I suggest are this one and & “The Adsense Code” by Joel Comm Fantastic Book. Also if you want to see my web site eBaySolver.com or eBaySolvers.com to find out about solving your eBay Problems.

2 Stars Book is all right but contains misinformation
The book is a decent introduction to AdSense, but contains serious errors.

I got a copy of the Dummies Guide to Adsense and on page 55 it tells you to put this code

User-agent: *

Disallow: /

in your robots.txt file to ALLOW robots to view your whole site. Wow. That code will EXCLUDE all robots from the entire server.

The correct code to allow all robots complete access is

User-agent: *

Disallow:

(or just create an empty “/robots.txt” file, or don’t use one at all).

I mean come on…the entire premise of the book is to get traffic on your site and here the author is giving you a “tip” that will shut you down completely.

2 Stars Not Very Usefull
Most of the stuff you find in this book are found online in google adsense. Infact, you may find the latest updates also. And i found this book is not very well organized. I am really surprised to see there are lots of gramatical mistakes too. There are some usefull links regarding adsense in this books. Except that, i dont think this book to be very informative.

5 Stars Excellent and Easy Very Detailed Advice on using AdSense!
I just finished this Google AdSense book and was very impressed with the detailed easy to follow information. Great for beginners or seasoned AdSense users as it has many tips for all on how to get started, improve and maintain a great ethical AdSense account. I can see where those who try to defraud the AdSense privilege would leave a negative review. For those who are honest and want to learn the many facets of Adsense this book is a must and well written! Nothing replaces this great hard copy in hand that has clear chapter titles and categories that are easy to find! Many illustrations that take you through the steps to set up your AdSense account, preferences, and much more. Very pleased and will search for other titles by this author!!!

1 Star DON’T EVER TOUCH THIS BOOK
Everything from this book can be found on the internet, just googling around and you will find all of them there. Save your $16.49 using Google.

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This book covers the entire process of building a website. This process involves much more than just technical knowledge, and this book provides you with all the information you’ll need to understand the concepts behind designing and developing for the Web, as well as the best means to deliver professional, best-practice-based results.

There is far more to building a successful website than knowing a little Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). The process starts long before any coding takes place, and this book introduces you to the agile development process, explaining why this method makes so much sense for web projects and how best to implement it. Planning is vital, so you’ll also learn how to use techniques such as brainstorming, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes to get your project off to the best possible start and help ensure smooth progress as it develops.

An understanding of correct, semantic markup is essential to any web professional, so this book explains how XHTML should be used to structure content so that the markup adheres to current web standards. You’ll learn about the wide range of HTML elements available to you, and you’ll learn how and when to use them through building example web pages.

Without creative use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), websites would all look largely the same. CSS gives you the ability to set your website apart from the rest while maintaining the integrity of your markup. You’ll learn how CSS works and how to apply styles to your pages, enabling you to realize your design ideas in the browser.

JavaScript can be used to make your website easier and more interesting to use. This book provides information on appropriate uses of this technology and introduces the concepts of programming using it. You’ll also see how JavaScript works as part of the much-hyped technique Ajax and in turn where Ajax fits into the wider Web 2.0 picture.

While a website is being built, it needs to be tested across multiple browsers and platforms to ensure that the site works for all users, regardless of ability or disability, and the book explains how best to do these tasks. Then, it discusses the process of launching and maintaining the site so that it will continue to work for all its users throughout its life-cycle.

The book concludes by covering server-side technologies, acting as a guide to the different options available and explaining differences between available products. With insights from renowned experts such as Jason Fried of 37signals, Daniel Burka of Digg and Pownce, and Chris Messina of Citizen Agency, Foundation Website Creation provides invaluable information applicable to every web project, regardless of size, scope, or budget.

In this book you’ll

• See how the Web has developed and the role web standards play
• Learn how to plan and manage the building of a website
• Learn how to separate content from presentation with HTML and CSS
• See how JavaScript can be used to enhance your website
• Learn how best to test, launch, and maintain a website

Summary of Contents

• Chapter 1 Introducing the Past, Present, and Future of the Web
• Chapter 2 Keeping a Project on Track
• Chapter 3 Planning and High-Level Design
• Chapter 4 Writing Markup with HTML and XHTML
• Chapter 5 Exploring Fundamental Concepts of CSS
• Chapter 6 Developing CSS in Practice: From Design to Deployment
• Chapter 7 Creating Interactivity with JavaScript
• Chapter 8 Testing, Launching, and Maintaining
• Chapter 9 Web 2.0: Using Ajax and Social Software
• Chapter 10 Using Server-Side Technologies
• Afterword The Business of the Web

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