Did Hostgator Hijack Domain During Propagation?

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Mitch

Okay, so I haven’t blogged in a while, but this has got my blood boiling. I’m moving a website for a client. His old host became unreliable, so I recommend Hostgator because they’ve been very good to me. He opens the account, forwards me the Account Info email and I get to work moving his website over to this new server.

I first copy the site files and database over to the new Hostgator server. Then I log into GoDaddy and update the name servers. Simple, I’ve done this a hundred times. I use Google’s DNS, so it only takes a few hours for me to see the new server. But wait, that’s not the right site.

Hostgator Parking PageI check to make sure I entered the new DNS  properly. Yep. But I’m puzzled at this mystery site I am seeing, just a waste-of-space parking page with various links going to who-knows-where. Hey, this is wrong!

Okay, fire up the Hostgator chat. They have awesome support, so this should be fixed in no time. Um, wrong. After a lengthy back-and-forth, the Hostgator support guy pretty much tells me that the domain has not FULLY propagated, so that is why I’m seeing their parking page. There’s nothing they can do. Check back in 24 hours. Continue reading →

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Unexpected Audio On Your Website – Why You Should Rethink Having That Auto-Play Music or Sales Pitch

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Mitch

SallySally was at work. The job was boring and the piles of boring work heaped upon her never seemed to end. She decided a little break was in order. She logged onto her Facebook account, even though that was not looked upon well with her employer. Among the usual status updates and friend activities she noticed a link to a website that looked like it might be interesting. She clicked on it and was immediately greeted with music. It was loud, for she had recently watched a training video related to her work. Panic overcame her as she scrambled to turn off the sound, but it was too late. The boss peered over the edge of her cubicle wall and she knew she was in big trouble.

Jim was a skinny guy. He was sitting in his favorite chair in the living room one evening, laptop in lap, surfing the web. His wife wouldn’t be considered skinny, but Continue reading →

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If You Build It, Will They Come? Part 1

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Mitch

Search Engine OptimizationYour snazzy new website is all done and now you’re ready for that inevitable flood of traffic to come  knock down your door. It’s an awesome website, sporting a modern look, fancy features and lots of great information. People are sure to be impressed. After all, for what you paid to have it built, it better, right? Right! But nobody will be impressed until they see it. And that’s the real hard part when it comes to a new online presence. Continue reading →

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My Little Buddy Rootkit.Bubnix

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Mitch

My Little Buddy Rootkit.BubnixAnyone who is computer savvy inevitably is approached with the question; “Will you fix my computer?” Generally it causes an inner groan for us all. I’m not in the computer repair business, so I don’t consider myself as an expert on the subject. But I’ve had a lot of experience with PCs and Macs, so when a friend of family member makes the request I almost always agree. I don’t charge for the help, except for my expenses. I know there are good folks out there who are trying to make a living at computer repair, but it’s tough to say no to someone who works hard just to pay the bills each month. Having your computer go down these days is almost as bad as having car trouble. Continue reading →

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From Point A to Point B

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Mitch

A Google MapDon’t you hate when the map is wrong? You’re already running behind and now the building that the map says is there is nowhere to be found. How can that be? The Internet never lies! Well people on the Internet do, but not the maps. They are not people.

Ah, but they are. And people are prone to mistakes. Continue reading →

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What to Do When Your Webmail Gets Hacked

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Mitch

My email has been hackedThis week I’ve been helping out a friend who had his Yahoo email account hacked. They managed to get into his account and proceeded to start sending garbage to all of his contacts. It didn’t take long for these contacts to start complaining. “Hey, why are you sending me this crap?”. Getting hacked is not a pleasant experience. The feeling of being violated and helpless to do anything about it is no fun.

I’m seeing this more and more with other services like Gmail and Hotmail too, so I wrote up some tips to help you out. If you find your webmail has been hacked, here are the steps to take as soon as possible: Continue reading →

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10 Tips for a Happy Life with Email

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Mitch

10 Tips for a Happy Life with EmailEmail remains the most popular Internet communication method. Even as we witness the evolution of the Net on what seems like a weekly basis, email remains very much unchanged in its technology and importance in our everyday computing lives. Conversations may be taking place entirely within Facebook or Twitter these days, but still it is your email that defines who you are in the cloud. Everyone needs to have an email. It’s more important than having a credit card. Without an email address, your are nobody.

The future of email of email appears to hold little change. Although spam filtering and identity verification continues to evolve, the basics of email will stay as they are for the foreseeable future. This means that there is no better time than now to get your own email house in order so you can use it to it’s full potential and spend your precious time on the things that need doing in your life and business.

Here are 10 tips for a happy life with email: Continue reading →

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Goodbye Blackberry and Hello Android

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Mitch

LG Ally Android Cell PhoneLast week my trusty old Blackberry Curve died on me. Again. I called it trusty because I really liked it. It worked great for my needs. However, after the second failure — both resulting in an inoperable keypad due to exposure to too much humidity — I decided to make the switch to the vaunted Android powered phone.

I have to say I am quite Continue reading →

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PDF Files for Improved Document Exchange

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Mitch

PDF LogoI’m a Mac user. The type that really wants to keep anything Microsoft off of my Mac. So when people send me Word or Excel files I turn to Open Office to read them. This works pretty well in most cases. However,  when it comes to the more advanced content that Office can include, I’m never sure that what I am seeing is the same as what the author is seeing. Granted, I do have a PC with Office installed, but to move the file over takes a few extra steps I’d just as soon avoid. It sure would be nice if everyone exchanged documents meant for reading only in the universally accepted Adobe PDF format. Continue reading →

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New 1099 Reporting Means Big Headaches for Small Businesses

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Mitch

United States Captiatl BuildingEach month I get a newsletter from an accounting firm I’ve done business with. I generally skim the newsletter and look for the interesting tidbits that affect me. This month the lead article made me do a double-take.

Starting in 2012 all businesses will be handed a great new paperwork burden involving 1099 reporting to the government. As it is right now, business expenses totaling over $600 in the tax year, paid to a non-corporate entity, are subject to 1099 reporting. These expenses are generally for sub-contractors, sales commissions and other fees paid to a single recipient, but NOT corporations. Starting in 2012, slipped in with the recent health care reform legislation, 1099 reporting will be greatly expanded to include business expenses paid to corporations. The implications are scary.

Continue reading →

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