Yahoo! Joins Google Bandwidth Wagon

I was most happy to see today that Yahoo! has gotten on the bandwidth wagon. No longer does my Yahoo!Mail Plus account feature only 25MB of email storage. Now it's two gigs worth!

No doubt this is in large part due to the fact that Google's Gmail is enjoying 1000MB of free email storage. Not sure how Yahoo!'s free service stands up anymore, but I also don't care. I am more than happy to pay especially since they also removed graphic ads and promotional taglines. They already have some decent spam filtering. Now if they can just improve on that, I'll be all peaches and cream.

Check out Yahoo!Mail Plus for details.

Free MP3s Killed my Google Adsense Account

You hope it's going to last forever. Then *poof* it's gone.

I'm talking about Google Adsense. This exciting program allows you to put text ads on your website. The webpage owner gets paid each time someone clicks on one of those ads.

How much? It depends on how much advertisers are bidding. So the amount varies from 5c to a couple dollars for really popular ads.

Unfortunately, due to the extensive abuse of such ads several years ago, Google created a formula to stop potential abuse. And they told no one what that formula is. You can read their policy and terms. But I don't think that'll help. Why? Because today, I was banned from the program.

Hello Marc,

It has come to our attention that invalid clicks have been generated on the ads on your web pages. We have therefore disabled your Google AdSense account. Please understand that this step was taken in an effort to protect the interest of the AdWords advertisers.

A publisher's site may not have invalid clicks on any ad(s), including but not limited to clicks generated by a publisher on his own web pages, clicks generated through the use of robots, automated clicking tools, or any other deceptive software.

Practices such as these are in violation of the Google AdSense Terms and Conditions and program policies, which can be viewed at:
https://www.google.com/adsense/terms
https://www.google.com/adsense/policies

Sincerely,

The Google Team

Obviously, there are no details. Just I was banned.

So why? Have I been trying to boost the clicks to my website? Nope.

I mean, I'll admit to clicking occasional ads that look interesting. But knowing what happens when people abuse clickthru programs, I refused to do much more than something occasional. And 3-5 clicks a month ain't much. Usually, I tried copying the URL listed and pasting it into my address box.

So the other options: robots, automated clicking tools, deceptive software?

Man, I create generic webpages and that's it! I'm an idiot at anything more advanced.

So what then? My guess is I was getting too much traffic to one of my webpages. The page, Free Music Downloads - free ezine of mp3 free music downloads. That one page has done Extremely well in the search engines. It alone generates about 400 unique visits per day.

Before I removed the ads, which were in a 120x600 pixel box on the right-hand side of the page, the site was optimized for bringing in people interested in free music downloads. The ads were well-highlighted. I think I was getting about a 15-20% click-thru ratio with those ads, and earning decent money.

Now, Google did mention that you shouldn't put ads on webpages that thank you pages, or just passing through pages. So mayhaps this is legitimate. Course, if that were the case, I'd be HAPPY to remove the ads from that page if I could stay in the program.

Alas, it's too late.

Google Adsense Suggestion

So if you're using Google Adsense, take a warning. If you're getting more than a 10% click-thru ratio on your ads, Google will probably take that as a potential excuse to disable your account.

And of course, if you do offer Google Adsense ads, don't click them yourself. The system's setup as it is for a reason.


How to Make Money with Google

CompuBards Computer Repair

If you're looking for great computer repair with music to match, try the CompuBards. Andrew McKee started playing music professionally in 1999. He then pursued a very creative effor where he combined music with on-site computer repair service in Austin. This creative endeavor became, the CompuBards, Austin's Renaissance in On-Site Computer Repair Services.

Imagine two lads who show up to your doorstep, dressed in Renaissance Festival attire. They play music and then fix your computer. That's the CompuBards!

While it may sounds just like a novelty act, Andrew is ever so serious when it comes to running a great Austin computer repair service. He offers the same great service as he does with OEM Computer Repair Service, but music is added.

Course, this is still a novelty service. So it's pretty pricey to add music and computer repair, but hey, great music from the Live Music Capitol of the World, combined with great computer repair from Austin's Computer Repair God, and you'll find it's well-worth the expense whether you have a computer repair problem in Austin or New York City computer repair issues.

So if you want a fun and creative response to your computer ailings, give the CompuBards, Austin's On-Site Computer Repair Services a shot!

You'll be glad you did!

Find more info at CompuBards Computer Repair or call 567-3194.

Or see another Austin computer review/feature here. Here are a few more computer repair companies in Austin: Consider It Done Computer & Internet Services and Computer Nerdz. TheCityOfAustin.com also has a list of computer repair services.

Oh, and here's a webpage of computer repair humor.

Diskfaktory CD Duplication Review

I lost my main CD duplicator when MP3.com finally closed its doors. That really bit because MP3.com offered one-off CD duplication. Sure the quality was not the best, but considering we had six CDs completed, plus, a bunch of singles. It was our best outlet for CD duplication... at least until Diskfaktory came along.

I don't remember now how I found Diskfaktory, but it was through GuitarCenter.com's website. But the CD duplication price was amazing.

100 fully-packaged CDs for just $219 (after shipping). Single panel, full-color throughout. I really didn't see a better deal online. Cafepress, $8 for one-offs. I think there was a generic site that did $4 per CD like MP3.com, but lacked the packaging. Diskfaktory offered ALL the best CD duplication services at a reasonable price.

So, for my first solo CD, Soul of a Harper, I decided to try them a try back in December. I uploaded I 360kbps MP3s up to their website, and all the graphics. the CD came back and looks fantastic. No audio flaws. Graphics look great. It looks more professional than some of our earlier CDs! Plus, the turn-around was timely.

Since then, I've pressed other CDs: A Celtic Renaissance Wedding, Songs of Ireland, and Coventina's Well. Problems? A few.

First their order form kinda bites. They don't have a separate shipping and billing address section. So you have to talk directly to folks there. They'll give you a call, but considering I don't always remember my shipping address (different from my billing), it's annoying to say the least.

Second, Coventina's Well had a small skip on one song. I uploaded all the tracks, so I guess their Quality Control missed that one wee error. And I have yet to check whether the error stems from my MP3 or from the upload process. But hiccups do occur when uploading songs online.

Third, Songs of Ireland I made a master copy and mailed it to them. I didn't notice any probs when I sent it, but they said it had an error. So it did not pass their Quality Control. Glad they have the QC, but it was frustrating.

Fourth, they don't seem to use ID tags for the CDs... at least when you upload files. Not sure about the other.

The only other problem I see is fixing errors. I found some graphic errors on CDs that I made. I wanted to fix them. To do so, I have to go through the entire process of uploading graphics and sending a new master. There's no easy way to fix those errors. They will transfer the master from one project to another, but it costs $30 and the time to give them a call. Overall, not too big a deal, but bugs me nonetheless.

Bottom Line: Is Diskfaktory worth it?
My answer. Hell yes!

The pricing is the best. If you know you'll sell more than 500 CDs quickly, you might be better off trying out a different duplicator. The prices aren't as good in quantities of 500 or 1000 (10% and 20% off, respectively). But they're also not too shabby.

This is by far the best low-run CD duplication business I've seen online. I'd be happier if they fixed these problems, OR I found another one that was competitive, but I have yet to see a service half as good. If that's what you're looking for, head on over to Diskfaktory and start printing CDs.

ADDED 4/28/2005:
Diskfaktory started adding large runs. Great new addition and for just about a buck a CD. Pretty damned good deal.

Harry Potter Prisoner to Greatness

The new Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban is, to quote Ron Weasley, "Bloody brilliant!"

Yeah, I just got done seeing the new Harry Potter movie, and it is awesome. I enjoyed the first two movies immensely. But I was a bit disappointed, mainly with the graphics. Lots of fancy computer character generation, and yet it still looked fake.

I gave up at last worrying about it. But there wasn't much need because Harry Potter is no longer a prisoner to that bad habit. The graphics were beautifully done. The only rough spots were the transfer into motion. Like when Harry first jumps on the Hippogriff and takes off. You can sorta see the graphic simulation take over. But in the grand scheme of things, that's nothing!

Better yet, the acting is better!

Well, acting, directing, you name it. This story had SO much more emotion instilled in the story. It was an emotional broomstick ride: laughing, nearly crying, jumping with shock, scared for our heroes. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban just hit home. No doubt about it, this was the best movie yet.

Not having read this book, I can't say how tight it follows the script. I've heard conflicting reports. My sister was disappointed with the script, but she seemed to enjoy the movie.

Any case, keep your eye out for this DVD. I'll buy it when it comes out. Meantime, I'll just have to the book. Find Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban here.

Speaking of DVDs, keep an eye out on The DVD Review to find out how the DVD stands up to C. Wayne Owens' personal reviews when it comes out.

Oh! One final note.

I had snickering thought (tehe). Hermione's cat had a wee role in this third Harry Potter movie. I couldn't help, but have a sneeking thought to learn more about the kitty for my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD. But then I'll have a LOT of research to do. And I still haven't done my cat song for Red Dwarf. So many great cats and so little time.

That's it. Go see Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban now!

Tim Sweeney's "Successfully Playing Live" Review

I just bought Tim Sweeney's "Guide to Successfully Playing Live". It's a two-hour workshop on making your live gigs rock. I bought the double-tape recording because I admire his idea of giving away album samplers, and also, I remember listening to his "Living Room Sessions" and thinking it was intriguing. Fortunately, I can accept when I make a BIG Mistake.

Tim Sweeney's "Guide to Successfully Playing Live" bites!

Now I must admit, first, I had a bias. I've found many of the ideas Tim presents in his online newsletter seem to be out dated. He really doesn't seem to have a grasp of internet promotion, despite the fact that he's listed as a co-writer of The Complete Guide to Internet Promotion for Musicians, Artists, & Songwriters (which I haven't read). But I did at least overlook the fact that the recording was on two cassettes. I still have a cassette player in my car, so I wasn't too worried about this out-dated bit o'technology.

What bugged me... no irritated me was Tim's incredibly awful speaking skills. I sure as hell hope he's gotten better than he was here, because this was horrenedous. How many times did he say, "This is what I want you to do." Before long, I felt nauseous. "STOP telling me what to do." It was annoying to say the least.

But even worse was the waste of time. Tim spends the first hour beating around the bush. I got three decent ideas out of the first hour. The second tape was better. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about at this point. Even got a few more decent tips out of it. I just hope he's a better speaker now when he speaks at conferences than when he recorded this back in 1997.

My suggestion, don't waste your time! And money! If you want something inspiring trying, Bob Baker's "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook" or "How to Be Your Own Booking Agent & Save Thousands of Dollars. Tim Sweeney's book

If I still haven't frightened you away, you can find out more about Tim Sweeney's "Guide to Successfully Playing Live" here.