It totally sucks to lose important work files and information, pictures of friends and family, songs, all because you don’t think that your computer is going to go dead on you.

Well guess what?

Computers     fail     all     the     time…even really good ones!

It happened to me with a 3 year old Macbook Pro. It was running kinda slow so I hit “restart” and it never, ever started again. Luckily, I had most of my files on two External Hard Drives, but not everything, because I was manually doing the back-ups to the Externals and I just didn’t do it every day, ok? I mean, I was busy!

After that happened I decided to get an automated virtual back-up, so I didn’t have to think about it and also because what if something happened to my External Hard Drives? Like they failed? Or got stolen? Or if my office burned down? Or a hippopotamus got loose and trampled my equipment?

So I got BackBlaze, for $5 a month and I can back-up everything. And it’s easy. And now I don’t think about failing or theft or fires or rampaging hippopotamus.

So there.

Sign up and use my affiliate link to say “Thanks Ritama for recommending such an awesome service!”  Click HERE.

Totally recommend this company  – BackBlaze

Read my previous post on WHY backing up is important:
http://ritamawebdesign.com/why-an-off-site-file-back-up-is-important

And then get backed up, OK?

Why???? Well, I love overkill.

No, really it’s because even if  you have your files backed up on an external hard drive (which, at the very least you should) they could still be lost due to theft, fire, flood, or just plain old crashing. And losing all your stuff sucks – big time. My computer crashed a couple of years ago – nothing dramatic, I did a “Restart” because it was running slow and…..it never came back on! Luckily, I had all my applications, files, music and photos backed up on external hard drives, so I was safe. But it could have been awful. So don’t be in a position where you are cryin’ like a baby if all your data disappears! Get backed up – NOW!

Here’s a good article on WHY backing up is important and why you need to do it. I read it on Top Ten Reviews:

Superheroes need it, police rely on it and everyone that uses a computer should use some form of it. In the world of mainframes and microchips it’s called data backup or data recovery and it can mean the difference between a slight computer setback and living through your own electronic apocalypse.

Let’s face it; our computers are a bigger part of life than ever before. We shop, work and play using computers. They’ve replaced stereos, encyclopedias, even the mailman. They’ve become journals, photo albums and canvases for our art.

But computers aren’t perfect. Files become corrupt, motherboards malfunction, CPUs call it quits taking our precious data with them.

The best defense is data backup software. Backing up data is vital for businesses; lost information can cause a major crisis or worse, lead to business failure. Individuals who don’t backup computer data run the same risk. While this may not cause financial ruin, it can certainly be frustrating and even heartbreaking.

So why do so few of us practice data backup?
Here are the common excuses:

“I’m too busy to backup my computer.” We are busy, work, family and friends fill our days and leave us little time for boring things like computer maintenance. But today’s backup software manufacturers make it easy. Through scheduled backups, your system can automatically perform a backup that fits your needs at an interval you choose—without interrupting life.

“I don’t know how to backup data.” Like preparing for a natural disaster, most of us understand how important data backup is, but don’t know where to start. A big step is deciding how you are going to store the data you backup.
One option is Removable Backup Media, but this only narrows the field a little. You could buy a million 3.5″ discs or perhaps invest in a larger-capacity external Zip drive. You could take the plunge into writeable CDs or stretch out your legs with the help of an external hard drive.

Another good data backup option is to backup to an FTP location, which allows you to backup a file, a folder or your entire hard drive to a separate location online.

“My computer won’t crash.” You’ve had your computer this long and haven’t had problems so far why worry about computer backup now? Think about it you wear your seat belt even though you don’t expect your car to crash everyday. Data backup is about protecting your data’s future, but with computers, it isn’t if you crash, it’s when you crash.

In today’s high-tech world of sneaky spyware and venomous viruses, you are in more danger of data loss than ever before. Computer viruses grew by as much as 11% during 2003 alone.*

Like tires on your car, the electronic circuits your computer rides on will eventually wear down and blow out. When this happens, you can either grieve at your loss or simply restore your data with data backup software.

So with that said, how does one choose the right backup software? There are many varieties available—some suited to a growing business and others for growing families. Some backup software is for technical experts, other packages for the technically challenged. To help you choose, check our Data Backup Software Review Homepage, where you can compare backup software features side-by-side and read reviews on top backup and recovery software.

Ritama Note: I use BackBlaze and love it.

*References
Beauprez, Jennifer, The Denver Post: Experts fear ‘digital Pearl Harbor’. Mxlogic.com. (2003).

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

1. Use the “site:” operator to limit searches to a particular site. I use this one all the time, and it’s particularly handy because many site’s built-in search tools don’t return the results you’re looking for (and some sites don’t even have a search feature). If I’m looking for WWD posts about GTD, for example, I could try this search: GTD site:webworkerdaily.com.

2. Use Google as a spelling aid. As Rob Hacker — the WWD reader I profiled last week — pointed out, entering a word into Google is a quick way to see if you have the right spelling. If it’s incorrect, Google will suggest the correct spelling instead. Additionally, if you want to get a definition of a word, you can use the “define:” operator to return definitions from various dictionaries (for example, define: parasympathetic).

3. Use Google as a calculator. Google has a built-in calculator — try entering a calculation like 110 * (654/8 + 3). Yes, your computer also has a calculator, but if you spend most of your day inside a browser, typing your calculation into the browser’s search box is quicker than firing up your calculator app.

4. Find out what time it is anywhere in the world. This one’s really handy if you want to make sure that you’re not phoning someone in the middle of the night. Just search for “time” and then the name of the city. For example, try: time San Francisco

5. Get quick currency conversions. Google can also do currency conversion, for example: 100 pounds in dollars. If you would like to convert minor currencies, be sure to be specific about the country. So, if you want to find out how many nuevos soles your dollars might buy, you could try: 100 dollars in Peruvian nuevos soles.

6. Use the OR operator. This can be useful if you’re looking at researching a topic but you’re not sure which keywords will return the information you need. It can be particularly handy in conjunction with the “site:” operator. For example, you could try this search: GTD OR “getting things done” site:webworkerdaily.com

7. Exclude specific terms with the – operator. You can narrow your searches using this operator. For example, if you’re looking for information about American Idol but don’t want anything about Simon Cowell, you could try: “american idol” -cowell

8. Search for specific document types. Google can search the web for specific types of files using the “filetype:” operator. If you’re looking for PowerPoint files about GTD, for example, you could try: GTD filetype:ppt

9. Search within numerical ranges using the .. operator. Say, for example, you want to look for information about Olympic events that took place in the 1950’s, you could use this search: Olympics 1950..1960

10. Area code lookup. Need to know where a phone number is located? Google will let you know where it is, and show you a map of the area, too. For example: 415

The book is easy to understand and there is a companion CD with a video for each chapter. I’ll be giving this book to my clients as part of their “project package” and will be recommending it to everyone I know that works with WordPress

WordPress 24-Hour Trainer by George Plumley

Don’t let WordPress intimidate you. WordPress 24-Hour Trainer is a unique lesson-based book that walks you through the essential parts of WordPress. Each lesson is streamlined to teach a specific aspect of WordPress, helping you to focus on just what you need in order to get the task accomplished. If you learn better visually, this book provides you with a video to accompany each lesson.

When I got the opportunity to write a book about WordPress, I wanted to write something for the day to day users who need to quickly find an answer to common questions but at the same time be able to learn WordPress from the ground up, step by step.

Wiley’s 24-Hour Trainer series was a great vehicle for that kind of book, because they take a lesson-based approach combined with a DVD of video tutorials.

WordPress 24-Hour Trainer is a series of 38 lessons that go from installation to editing images to optimizing your site for search engines.  You can use it to start a website from scratch or to help you use a WordPress site that someone else built for you.

And when I say “website” I mean website.  This is not a book about blogging, it’s a book about WordPress as a content management system for all types of websites.

Buy it on Amazon

Visit George’s web site too – which has great video tutorials as well:
www.seehowtwo.com

Hey everyone,

I’ll be hosting a WordPress Event on March 31st with Pam Nilzon and Lori Richardson at the Book Fare Café in the mezzanine of Village Books in Fairhaven from 5 – 7 pm. You need to be a Biznik member to attend (it’s free to join!). If in the neighborhood, please come on down! If you are a Biznik member, RSVP here:

http://biznik.com/members/ritama-haaga/events/wordpress-soire

If you are not a member of Biznik and want to join, please click here to join up (upper right hand corner “Sign Up” link on the site) and then RSVP on the link above. You have to be a member to attend the event!

Below is an outline of the event:

This event will give you a broader understanding of the powerful WordPress software and how your business can benefit using it.

Learn how you can manage your own web site with the latest web-based software and gain more knowledge of the options that are available with WordPress.

WordPress has free templates and hosting and also offers a more customizable version with your own domain and email accounts. We will be covering both aspects of this wonderful program so you can see what will fit with your needs.

Ritama and Pam co-create custom WordPress sites and will be sharing their expertise and knowledge at this event. We’ll start with an overview of the program and then have a question and answer session. No question too big, too small, or too stupid.

We’ll be meeting at the delightful Book Fare Café in the mezzanine of Village Books in Fairhaven – soups, salads, sandwiches, treats, coffee & tea are on the menu.

Please visit Ritama’s web site to see some of the WordPress sites Pam & she have created: http://ritama.com

Looking forward to seeing you there!

My friend Jim Witty’s book just came out!
Meet Me In The Badlands – Exploring Central Oregon with Jim Witty

If you are in Oregon – you gotta get it! If you are traveling to/through Oregon, you gotta get it! Basically, you gotta get it – get it? Tons of trails and wonderful stories to go along with.

It’s just beautiful and I am so proud of him and his amazing family and friends for getting it finished. Jim died suddenly last year and didn’t get a chance to complete the book he had started. Close to a year after he left this planet, his book came out – it’s quite an accomplishment for his friends and family.

Go here to get the book: http://jimwitty.com/

Here’s some more info about Jim from the book’s web site:

Jim Witty wrote the Outings column for The Bulletin in Bend Oregon. In his articles, he took you with him on the trails, lakes, rivers and mountains of central Oregon. Jim’s unique writing style won him many fans. He wrote like he was: friendly, outgoing, enthusiastic and humorous. No wonder his readers felt like they knew him, even though they never met him.

After Jim’s untimely death in 2008, family and friends took it upon themselves to finish a project he was working on for years… to publish a book of his articles. With the help of The Bulletin and countless volunteers, this dream is a reality.

Jim wrote, “The country of my affection lies to the east…”

Meet Me In The Badlands is titled to give tribute to Jim’s favorite area in central Oregon. His spirit lives on in the Badlands.

Jim Witty was a son, brother, husband, father, friend, writer, musician, singer, lover of rock n’ roll, but most of all, a free spirit and a loving soul.

WordPress.COM & WordPress.ORG

WordPress made its name as a blogging software. But WordPress has morphed into much more than that and along the way it has created some confusion as to what sort of features it offers and which WordPress is for the casual user and which WordPress  is for the web developer. Hopefully this article will help explain the differences between these two WordPress options.

With WordPress, you can just have a blog, or a web site, or, you have a WEB SITE with a BLOG on it, like my site does.

Since I don’t have all day to go into the difference betwixt a blog and a web site, go to these sites for further illumination if you desire:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_site

True fact: a blog IS a web site – as it is a site on the web, see? But a blog is usually set up so the owner can update the content themselves on a frequent basis.

Having a blog on your web site will help keep the content fresh – notice how I post new info on mine every week or so? And Search Engines like seeing fresh content and will give your web site higher placement if you keep your blog updated, which will make it easier to find you on the internet.

One of the main features about WordPress – and one reason why we use it in my company – is that is has a fantastic Content Management System (CMS) and this CMS will enable YOU, the user, to go in and update your site all by yourself – which is pretty cool.

Up until just a few years ago, we had to custom make CMS for clients – and it was expensive. With the advent of WordPress, we can use their pre-made CMS framework and modify it to suit our needs. This makes setting up sites easier for us and more cost effective for you, since we no longer have to do as much custom coding.

WordPress is Open Source Software, which means it has a huge developer base, talented people who are constantly working on improving it and adding more features/widgets/plug-ins. Also, millions of people are using WordPress, from Aunt Betty to CNN.

Because so many people are invested in this software on so many levels, we feel it is here to stay for the long-run, we trust it and we love using it.

••••• WORDPRESS.COM – www.wordpress.com

The .COM site is where you can pick out a template and set up a site for free – it will be hosted by WordPress.com

That’s right, you can go to http://wordpress.com right now, all by yourself, and set up your own blog web site. For FREE.

Keep in mind that these templates are not as robust as the ones offered on the .ORG side. But…hey, it’s FREE. So, don’t say I never gave you nuthin’! I just gave you a free blog at WordPress!

Go to my blog and see my tutorial recommendations for setting up your free blog:
http://ritamawebdesign.com/category/wordpress-tutorials

However, if you are not comfortable with setting up a blog on your own, or get confused mid-way through the process, here’s what my company can do in regards to WordPress.COM:
• Consult with you on setting up a free WordPress blog, answering basic set-up questions, show how to manage it, etc… hourly rate.
• Set up the free WordPress template that you pick out, add pages, etc… and then show you how to manage it – hourly rate ($85 an hour). Basically, we’ll make a “turn-key” blog for you so you can move right in and settle down and just start blogging to your hearts’ content.

••••• WORDPRESS.ORG- www.wordpress.org

If you want a site with more options in terms of individual domain names, associated emails, design and features, you’ll want the .ORG side.

The .ORG site is geared for developers, it will talk to you like you are developer and will assume you understand what a MySQL database is. If you are already lost at MySQL, just don’t go there, ok?

On the .ORG side there are more options available as far as custom designs, features, widgets and plug-ins go. Basically, you can do more with this side of WordPress than you can with the free version. But, it will cost you because you will be hiring my company to do all this stuff for you. 

To use the .ORG features, you have to have a domain name and a web host. I recommend Tigertech for domain name registration and web hosting – their hosting fees are about $7 a month, that includes free domain name registration – it’s a fantastic price and they are a wonderful web host.

Here’s some basics on what I can do in regards to WordPress.ORG:
• Set up the WordPress software on your web host
• Mildly modify a WordPress.ORG template to your specifications
• Make a custom site for you using the WordPress.ORG stripped down template

All .ORG possibilities are given a written proposal for cost.

FREE WORDPRESS.COM SITE EXAMPLES
Free templates and hosted on the WordPress server for….free:
http://blissdogyoga.wordpress.com/
http://sahoa.wordpress.com/
http://sunshinelollipop.wordpress.com/

WORDPRESS.ORG SITE EXAMPLES
With registered domain name & hosted on private server, slightly modified templates from the .ORG side:
$1,200 – $1,500 range
http://samishneighborhood.org/
http://traceypitts.com/

The following are custom graphics on a “skeleton”  WordPress template (using just the “bones” of the template):
These are $2,200 – $2,800:
http://donaleensaul.com
http://marthasherrill.com
http://whatcomwomensnetwork.com

Much as we love WordPress, it’s not the right platform for every job. We have other web site options to suit your needs.

This is a pretty good step-by-step tutorial to get you up and running if you are unsure of how to get started. Go to wordpress.com and set up a blog while watching the video. This video is NOT put out by WordPress, just an avid user.

The guy, Chris Abraham, that does the video is kidding around when he acts like he doesn’t know what he’s doing! He’s a geekasaurious.

OR, Click HERE to watch it on YouTube

WordPress does recommend some tutorial books, http://wordpress.org/about/books/

I have WordPress for Dummies (doh!) and it’s quite good. More info than the casual user needs, but should cover everything for the novice and anyone interested in venturing into the .ORG side of WordPress.

Also, lynda.com has an on-line training library you can subscribe to – but that might be an overkill commitment for the casual user. However, if you are web inclined and want to learn about WordPress and other programs, it’s a great resource for a few bucks a month.