.NET : Solving The Multiple Inheritance Issue Under .NET Platform

By Thomas Kaloyani

.NET platform does not support multiple inheritance. Do not confuse multilevel inheritance with multiple inheritance. With multiple inheritance we can have a subclass that inherits from two classes at the same time.

Let's suppose we have an application that has a class Customers and another class Vendors. If you wanted to combine these two classes into one CustomerVendor class it would be a combination of Customers and Vendors just like the diagram below.

Please copy the following link into a new browser windor to view the diagram: http://www.vbprofs.com/images/Article Images/VBNETinheritance.gif

In the above diagram we see how the CustomerVendor class inherits from both of those classes.

Multiple inheritance is complex and can be dangerous. The advantages of code re-usage prevail over complexity is up to your choice.

Multiple inheritance is not supported by VB.NET or .Net platform. Instead of multiple inheritance we can use multiple interfaces to achieve similar effect to multiple inheritance.

In VB.NET all objects have a primary or native interface, which is composed of properties, events, methods or member variables declared using Public keyword. Objects can implement also secondary interfaces by using Implement keyword.

Sometimes it is helpful for an object to have more than one interface, allowing us to interact with the object in different ways. Inheritance allow us to create subclasses that are a specialized case of the base class.

Example

Sometimes we have a group of objects that are not the similar, but we want to handle them the same manner. We want all the objects to act as if they are the same, even though they are different.

We can have some different objects in an application, such as customer, product, invoice etc. Each object would have a default interface appropriate to each individual object, and each of them is a different class. No natural inheritance is implied between these classes.

Let's suppose we want to print a document for each type of object. In this case we'd like to make them all act as printable object. To accomplish this we can define a generic interface that would enable generating a printed document. By implementing a common interface we are able to write a routine that accepts any object that implements a printed document.

To conclude, by implementing multiple interfaces in VB.NET, we can achieve a similar effect to that of multiple inheritance.

About the author:
Thomas is an experienced Visual Basic developer, with expertise of 7 years developing financial applications. His main IT skills are VB, SQL, Crystal Reports - should you need a VB developer for your projects feel free to contact Thomas through his personal website at http://www.Kaloyani.comor through http://www.VBprofs.com


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Keywords, Competition And Being Number One- Uncovering The Algorithm

By John Krycek

By following these steps you will see that most closely guarded secret-- the search algorithm. Remember the movie "The Matrix?" The Matrix is there, you just can't see it. So is the search algorithm.

It's easy to pay a Search Engine Optimizer to give your pages some ranking power. Unfortunately, given the inherent time factor involved in climbing the ranks, your money may be long gone before you know if you've spent your money well.

THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL

Forget any advertisement you see for instant number one search results or automated this or that. Most are scams, and the ones that aren't might get you positioned, but it will be very short lived.

Search engine optimization is an ongoing process. Achieving and maintaining a high rank, especially on highly competitive keywords, requires constant maintenance. If you do find a legitimate SEO firm, it is well worth the money to pay their monthly maintenance fee and let them continue to help you after the initial project. At least for 6 months or a year as you establish yourself.

In this article we'll look at some of the intricate and complex tasks of optimizing a page for long term ranking power. You will learn how to read between the code and the content to find what is necessary to bring you to the top. Being number one is easy to say, but is quickly overwhelming when you stare at tens of thousands of pages you want to out rank. So how do you begin?

The starting line on the road to that first page SERP (search engine results page) ranking is not as blurry as you might think. In fact, you can uncover the starting line, the route, and all the scenery along the way to the finish line without knowing the search engine algorithm.

STEP 1- YOUR KEYWORDS ARE THE CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT OF GRUELLING DAYS OF WORK

If you have investments in the stock market you know how much research and thought goes into choosing those securities. Now take that same effort and multiply it by three. That's how much planning and revision your keywords should take.

A simple, broad key phrase like "shoes" could hypothetically bring you up in a countless stream of different searches. Women's shoes, baby shoes, sneakers, high heels, etc. If somehow you manage to settle into a good ranking (which would be difficult) you would have more traffic on your site than you could handle. But traffic is worthless is it doesn't get to it's destination. Chances are, you weren't that destination.

Your keywords must be focused and precise, specific to what you are selling. Using a key phrase like "Gucci mens black leather loafer" will bring a targeted lead to your site. You may not reach as many people as the more generalized keyword, but the people that do come to you have a much deeper interest in the specific product you are selling.

Therefore you have much greater chance of converting that targeted lead to a sale. Your keywords are your magic beans, your winning lotto numbers, your energizer bunnies, your sales force, whatever you want to call them. They must be perfect.

STEP 2- WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE? LOOK AT WHO ALREADY IS

Competition Analysis- no SEO book can give you this information.

Now take your keyword list and type them into a search engine. Who comes up in the first ten results? That company that is number one is because they have most closely matched what the search engine algorithm says should be number one. You can learn a great deal from them.

A. INTERNAL FACTORS

Take that number one page, and the other top 9 pages and study them, look at the code, break them down. You are looking at the first half of what is needed to rank in the top 10 pages for your key phrases on that particular search engine. The list of what to look for is enormous.

Studying the Internal Factors on a page is taking it apart to see how it's put together. Not how it works, but statistical research into the precise construct and layout of keywords and phrases in relation to each other within the page.

Start with these areas:

URL address, Page Title, Meta description, Meta Keywords, First sentence on the page, Body copy, Bold or Emphasized Phrases, H1 or other tags, Alt Tags, Navigation system

In each of those sections, look at:

Keyword densities- the number of times your phrase and each word in your phrase appears compared to the text around it

Where and in how many times the same phrase and words appear in different sections

The word and character position of each phrase in each

The total number of characters

The total number of words

The quality and thought of the content

Beginning with these comparisons should keep you quite busy for a while. A spreadsheet is quite useful. Some commercial products are also available that can make this daunting task much more feasible. Keep looking for other patterns and differences. You want to duplicate them in your own page. NOT copy and steal. You want to mimic the patterns that are bringing that page to the position it is. Then move onto to examining the external factors of these pages.

B. EXTERNAL FACTORS

External factors of a web page deal with the links to, from and within a web page, both inside the same site, and out into the web. This analysis usually takes more time because it involves more dissection of pages beyond the one you're trying to optimize.

In this analysis as with Internal Factors, you want to compare and contrast your page versus the top 10 competitors, find similarities and differences. Here is a list of criteria to get you started.

Number of internal (to the same site) on that page

Number of external links

Number of links pointing TO that page* (see below for details)

The link/anchor text- which keywords are used and where

Google Page Rank value of incoming links

Alexa Rank of incoming links

*To get a listing of the links that point to a site, type the following into Google, MSN and Yahoo searches: "link:www.domainname.com". Google tends to only show a small portion of the links back, but MSN and Yahoo will give you much more pertinent data.

Now you want to compare the content on each of these pages to the one they point to. Is it of similar theme, in what context does the link back appear and where. Subject of much debate, the consensus is that Google Page Rank does not mean what it used to. However, if it is in some fashion a measure of how significant or "important" a site is, it is worth looking more closely at the sites that link back that are of high page rank.

EVEN A SURGEON USES TOOLS

Now, this is definitely a ton of work to do all by hand. There are software programs that can help do some of the digging and mathematical computations for you, figuring out densities and organizing information.

Tools like this are definitely ones a professional SEO will have in their arsenal. But remember, these are tools, not miracle workers. It takes a human being to evaluate and realize connections, similarities, draw conclusions and interpret the data. Then, you have to extrapolate this data.

Remember, you want to do one better than every site you just examined. To do that you have to draw some conclusions and make some educated guesses and link to even better sites.

FINAL THOUGHTS

You have access to the inner workings of every page that you want to beat. Learn from them and do one better. This process is not a one-time shot. It is ongoing. Check your key phrases every week. Do the same people still rank in the top ten?

Some have probably moved. Remember too that they're going to adapt to maintain their positions too. If you want the ranks, you have to spend the time, and not just once, or pay someone to do it for you.

Don't ever believe anyone who says they can guarantee any kind of results. And ask them how they will optimize your pages. If they explain to you something like the above, then you've probably got yourself someone experienced and honest. You money will be well spent and you'll quickly recover it.

About the author:
John Krycek is the owner and creative director of http://www.theMouseworks.caweb design in Toronto. Learn more about search engine optimization and internet marketing in easy, non-technical, up front English!


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Searching The Internet For Information The Google Way

By Sandra Stammberger

The Internet today is an ever growing database of knowledge. But as with almost anything in life there are some negative things attached to this aspect of Internet.

First, the Internet is not an ordinary encyclopedia, i.e., an organized knowledge database. The Internet is more like a disorganized database to which everyone can contribute. Because of the diverse and widespread information input and the requirement to find specific information when one needs it, there is a need to bring some sort of organization to the Internet community. Today there are web directories and search engines as two of the most useful mechanisms responsible for bringing order to the Internet.

Web directories organize links to many places on the Internet where information about a specific topic can be found. Web directories can have a general or topic specific focus and are usually organized into several categories based on the topic. Web directories are good sources of information if they are well-maintained with regular updates. They are usually maintained better by human actions than by automated software. Computers still cannot determine the relevancy of certain text as effectively as humans. A good example of a human edited directory is dmoz - Open Directory Project, (http://www.dmoz.org). It is the largest and most comprehensive human-edited directory on the Internet, maintained by thousands of volunteer editors.

Search engines are yet another tool that helps you find information on the Internet. There are many search engines on the Internet but the biggest and the most popular are Google, AOL/Netscape, Lycos and MSN. Some of them also have their own web directories, which are often comprised of dmoz data combined with their own data.

Search engines, however, are different from web directories. They do not categorize links to web places like web directories do but they allow users to "search the internet" using specific search terms. However, it should be noted that what is really being searched at the moment you submit your inquiry (in the form of a search term) is, in fact, a database. These databases are constantly updated and upgraded with so called 'search engine spiders' which search the Internet all the time looking for new and recently updated websites.

So what search engines can help you do is to find which pages contain, and are the most relevant to, the search term you have used. For determining the relevancy of a page to the search term, they use complex algorithms which are not completely revealed to the public. The reason for this is that these algorithms, once known to public, could then be used to adjust a site's ranking, ignoring the fact that the content of the website must be relevant to what people are searching for. Search engines want visitors to return to their websites and thus need to provide quality. This quality is relevant results for a visitor's search inquiry.

With the basic operation of web directories and search engines now explained, what are effective ways to use them to obtain relevant information?

Here are a few simple tricks that many people do not know when searching the Internet for information using various search engines. Let us look at Google, since at the moment Google (http://www.google.com) is the most popular, and thought by many the most comprehensive, search engine.

When you search for something on Google you may get a variety of results, some more and some less relevant to the original search inquiry. For example, you may end with results from various newspaper articles that merely mention the search term, but the content may be totally unrelated to the search inquiry. A good technique to minimize those unrelated results are to place "intitle:" or "allintitle:" before your search terms.

The "intitle:" option is used when you search for a single word search term and anything you write after that word will not be affected by the intitle option. So if you want a phrase to be affected by the intitle option you will use "allintitle:" instead. E.g. "intitle:cars" but "allintitle:used cars" (without the quotation marks). Note that there should be no space between the colon and your search term.

A similar effect can be accomplished with the options "inurl:" and "allinurl:" but here Google will restrict the results to show only those results where the URLs contain the word or phrase you have searched for.

If you are searching for a definition of a term, Google offers help here too. You have to type "define:" (without the quotation marks) followed by the word or words you want defined. If Google has come up with that definition on the Internet it will be displayed for you at the top of the search results. Please note that if you enter more words after "define:" Google will see those words as a phrase.

When you have a URL of a website that interests you (e.g. www.example-url.com) you can find all the websites that link to that site, all the websites related (similar) to that site and check what info Google has on that particular site.

You will use "link:" followed by the URL of your choice (e.g. "link:www.example-url.com" - without the quotation marks) when you want to find all websites that link to that site. The prefixes "related:" and "info:" are used in the same way.

Should you wish to search only a certain website, not the whole Internet, you can use "site:" following with the URL of the website you wish to search. But note that the search term here comes BEFORE the "site:" which is followed by the URL of the website. E.g., "download linux site:www.linux.org".

The only time the quotation marks are used in searching is when you are searching for a phrase and not combined with any of the above mentioned prefixes. For example, "searching the internet" with quotation marks will search for the exact phrase and "searching the internet" without quotation marks will search for the places where the words "searching", "the" and "internet" appear not strictly in that order. Logically by using quotation marks when searching you will get fewer results but more relevant ones while without the use of the quotation marks you will get more but usually less relevant results.

This explanation and these little tricks should help you use the Internet more efficiently in the search for information and should improve the quality and relevance of your search results.

About the author:
Sandra Stammberger is the owner of Insider Scripts. At Insider Script’s programmers are working around the clock to develop affordable, powerful money making scripts that will help you drive traffic to your business. http://www.insider-scripts.com


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Choosing The Blog Software That’s Right For You

By Angie Noack

If you’ve been hearing all the buzz about blogging and want to know what it is and how to get started, this article is for you. Here we will discuss what blogging is, what blog software you’ll need, and what you can do with it.

What’s a blog?

A weblog – blog for short – is a type of website. Blogs are unique from other static website in that they are usually updated often. The main page of the site usually contains the most recent post or posts of the author or authors of the website. Also, blogs often also allow readers to post their comments directly to the site.

All of the factors work together to make blogs a very popular form of website creation, and online community building. If you’d like to try your hand at blogging, here’s how to get started.

First, decided on the topic of your blog. Maybe you want to keep a diary of your daily life for your friends and family. If there’s a topic that you are interested in, say, politics for
example, blogs are a great way to discuss and share your interests and comments on current topics related to your interests.

Once you’ve decided on the topic of your blog, you’ll want to choose a blog software program. The great thing is, some of the best programs and blog services are free!

Many blogging services are based online, such as blogger.com. Just visit these sites and register with them – many will give you free webspace and allow you to start blogging immediately.

If you want to register your own domain name and run your blog on your own server, you will need to install server side blog software. Not to fear, many webhosts come with an automatic installer called fantastico that will make getting your site up and running quick and easy.

Some of the more popular free blogging software programs are Wordpress and B2Evolution. Doing a search for any of these will get you the free downloads if they are not available through your webhost.

Blogs can be useful for building many types of websites. Examples include, corporate sights for keeping employees and customers up-to-date, travel diaries, niche websites on
specific topics, interactive community websites, and more. The ease of posting and editing your blog website online makes blog software useful for many purposes.

About the author:
Angie Noack is a business strategist with a sharp edge for technology. With her unique ability to combine these two skills, she's able to help businesses save time and increase profits. You can find her online at http://www.liquidblogging.com/blogs.php.


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Should You Upgrade Your Hardware PC?

By Tony Gevano

What if you found that your computer is out of date? You probably want to upgrade your computer since you have no choice to do so. Your works depend on your hardware computer upgrade. That’s how you going to have a good result.

But before you make any further step, try to learn about your computer. Search all options and ask for advice. Only after this you can go and buy a new component. It’s also useful to check if you really need an upgrade.

Sure, it’s not funny if you keep your old computer but you still loose data when you do your works. Its just a matter of time before you experience a hard drive problem when you still using your old computer. You dont want to loose your data, right? Of course most people only think of backing up their data after they experience a problem. Don't set yourself up for a data loss disaster. Check what hardware you need for your computer.

If you have problem with your hard disk, such as crash when you do your work, better you have it renewed. Most people upgrade their hard disk to increase the size so that they can use it for games, movies and playing a lot of music. A 20 GB hard drive is sufficient to keep new office and internet applications, and all your files and data. A medium sized hard drive would be around 40 GB and the maximum would be around 60 – 80 GB.

You can choose which perfect for your work. Of course the price is also depending on the capacity of your hard disk. If you are a gamer, you may want to have high capacity hard disk such as that 60-80 GB. But if you just used it for your writing, a 20 GB is more than enough.

Another hardware you may need to upgrade is the RAM or Random Access Memory. This memory keeps data that is being worked on now and may or may not be transferred to the hard drive that represents the long-term memory of the computer. Current processors can perform an enormous number of operations per second. Almost all computer have 64 MB RAM and often 128 MB. If you want to run newer applications on your PC then you must upgrade to 128/256 MB RAM. A lot of people who upgrade from 98 to Win 2000 discover that their computers lock up very often. This is because they don't have enough RAM.

So, those are only some part of hardware you might want to upgrade. There are others such as motherboard, CPU or port which you can upgrade. Your action depend on your need.

About the author:
Tony Gevano interest in observing people's way in choosing things has made him become a writer in various kinds of materials. He wrote almost anything he likes. You find his writing in different Website, among them is in http://www.d-tools.info


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Making Money With A Content-Oriented Website

By David Risley

Many websites out there have quite a bit of content, but are untapped as a resource for making money. Countless webmasters have heard the stories about getting rich working from home on their website. Yes, many people have done it. Yes, those who got in early on it did pretty well, but as I tell people fairly often, the ways to make money online are only limited to your imagination. The internet is the most free medium on the planet. Now, a website which directly offers a service or product is a no-brainer. You promote that produce or service and sell it and you make money. However, if your website is a nice library of content, but with no services or products to provide to the visitors, how can you make some money with it? There are ways and here are a few of them:

* Traditional Banner Advertising
* Form a subscription service
* Host contextual ads
* Sell affiliate products
* Sell your own content

Banner advertising is the most prevalent method of generating revenue from content sites. Content sites are valuable to internet advertisers. After all, what gives any content site value is the eyeballs looking at it. Its like an internet highway. In the real world, people will pay to put billboards on the side of well traveled highways. The same occurs online. Well trafficked websites are valuable for advertising. If your content site does not have much traffic yet, then get busy promoting, because the traffic is what gives your site value. Without the traffic, your content is worth very little in the real world.

There are many sources of getting advertising in your website, and the easiest is to join a network. A few networks are Burst, Tribal Fusion, Rydium, FastClick, and Google Adwords. Each network has its own requirements for applicants.

Offering a subscription service is another method of generating revenue. The trick here is to figure out what to offer. The best bet is to survey your public for what they need and want from your website and what they are willing to pay for. If your content is updated routinely, you might be able to charge people a fee for accessing it. You might also offer enhanced services of some kind for subscribers. If you have an online forum, you could possibly offer access to private forums or other enhanced profile capabilities for a small fee. The trick on this is to offer something for free. It is the free content which will bring traffic to your website, so finding the balance is something you will need to work out.

Affiliate programs are something you can get into as well. In this case, you don't have to come up with the product yourself, yet you can bring attention to it and get visitors to purchase them from you. Find affiliate programs in which the products offered are relevant to your site. You want something that your public will be interested in. Amazon.com has a popular affiliate program in which you can offer books for sale on your website for a commission. You can also go to the affiliate networks to search for programs. Some well known such networks are Linkshare, Commission Junction and Regnow.

You can also come up with and offer your own products. This is where some imagination comes into play. One possible idea is to author and sell an e-book. You could sell white papers for your visitors to solve certain problems they may have. There are a number of things you can do, and it depends on the type of site you have. On the internet, though, your best bet is to sell your knowledge and expertise. It is a 100 rofit margin (after your initial investment of time to put it together).

The trick in any of these ideas is to survey your public and find out what they need and want. People love to express their opinions, and you should not be sitting there guessing at what people want and would spend their hard-earned money for. Ask them!

About the author:
David Risley is a web developer and founder of PC Media, Inc. (http://www.pcmedianet.com). Specializes in PHP/MySQL development, consulting and internet business management. He is also the founder of PC Mechanic (http://www.pcmech.com), a large website delivering do-it-yourself computer information to thousands of users every day.


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Microsoft Great Plains worldwide help & support

By Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Great Plains ISVs, VARs & Microsoft Business Solutions consultants has now official Great Plains Strategy Guide, which reassures customers worldwide in Great Plains version 9.0 support to be available for at least 5 years. Microsoft Great Plains 8.5 release is cancelled and version 9.0 should be available shortly. In this small article we’ll give our highlights to our current and potential customers through our worldwide newsletters and articles subscription channel
• Microsoft Dexterity source code subscription reopening. Here is our opinion as long time Great Plains Dexterity development company. In order to boost Microsoft Great Plains ISV and third party product development & integration – former Great Plains Dexterity source code should be available. Well – you should not expect the same openness as it is for Microsoft CRM SDK – but if you are not MBS Source code ISV partner (especially new companies, who does Great Plains remote support from India, Philippines, Pakistan, China) should benefit from this program. The price is a but higher than in was in the 1990th – but it is still a good launch up opportunity.
• German, Continental French and Iberian Spanish GP. It will not be translated into these languages. GP customers in these countries (in Quebec – it will be supported – Canadian French) should migrate to MBS modules suites. Microsoft reserves the right to make a statement later on. In our opinion – the migration path will be from Great Plains to Microsoft Navision and/or Axapta – these two products are positioned for complex international taxing and languages. Of course – Project Green might be the final solution, if it will be ready by 2010
• Latin America, USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Asia, Western & SouthAfrica. All the counties with English language, Canadian French and Spanish speaking South America will be supported
• XML Web Services. Similar to Microsoft CRM SDK – Great Plains will be exposed to web developers. For now we are not sure about the fate of eConnect – if it will become of the foundation of these web services and if web services will allow you to post transactions in Great Plains or not.
• SQL Server Reporting services. Again – this is our hope – that Microsoft will try to get away from Crystal Reports recommendation to its own SQL Server reporting. Our company had been supporting Crystal Reports design and development for our clients for the very long time – since 1996 and we see very good opportunity to switch to Microsoft native solution.
• Microsoft CRM & Great Plains tandem incentives. If customer purchases a bundle of two products – it should have incentive discount. We should applaud this decision, as being both – MBS Great Plains and MS CRM customization, implementation and support company.
• Great Plains Verticals. Microsoft Great Plains version 9.0 will have vertical supports: Food & Beverages. Distribution, Sate & local government, etc.
You can always appeal to our expertise. Give us a call: 1-630-961-5918, 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com


About the author:
Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.
We are serving USA Nationwide: CA, IL, NY, FL, AZ, CO, TX, WI, WA, MI, MA, MO, LA, NM, MN, Europe: Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Middles East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, OAE, Bahrain), Asia: China, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, South & Central America: Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Chili, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico



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The ABCs Of Computer Memory

By Ron King

Computer memory is called Random Access Memory (RAM). The information stored in RAM can be accessed randomly, rather than sequentially. This means that data can be found in any location at the same rate of speed. Other storage media, such as CD-Rom and hard drives, must wait while the drive spins to the correct location before the data can be accessed.

Computer memory is simply a storage area for the program code and the data that program uses. Computer programs use RAM to write and retrieve information, allowing for fast data retrieval and manipulation.


How Much RAM is Enough?

Simply stated, the answer is, as much as possible. Keep in mind, though, once you've reached a certain upper limit, which is determined by the computer program(s) used, investment in more memory will see a diminished return.

Adding more memory is one of the best ways to maximize computer performance. If you compare 2 identical computer systems, the one with the most memory will over-all be the faster. More RAM allows the computer to place more program instructions into memory, relying less on the slower hard drive.

Think of 512 Megabytes (MB) as the base standard for a modern computer. With that you can multi-task (run several applications concurrently). For instance, you can check email and download MP3s, without noticeable sluggishness.

Some applications, however, are more memory-hungry than others. Graphics programs, for example, are notoriously greedy. Memory needs are further exagerated by the operating system used. Microsoft Windows is far more demanding than, say, Linux. Currently, most PCs use Windows, though.

Should you notice your computer slowing down, consider adding more memory. Before committing to that option, however, try de-fragmenting your hard drive with a utility (program) designed for that sole purpose. A fragmented hard drive is a common cause of stalled computer performance.


Types of RAM

Right now DDR SDRAM is the most popular memory module. DDR stands for Double Data Rate, which means that the memory can be accessed twice per clock-cycle. SDRAM, the acronym for Synchronous Data Random Access Memory, has been the standard for memory modules for nearly a decade.

To add memory to your computer, you must install modules with the correct contact layout. Before purchasing new memory, you must know which type your motherboard will accept. The most common form factors are 168 pin, 184 pin and 200 pin.

You'll also need to know whether there are slots available on your motherboard. If all the slots are already in use, you'll have to replace 1 or all of the current modules with higher capacity ones. If there is at least 1 free slot, you can simply buy a new memory module and insert it in the empty slot.

A word of caution: whereas some motherboards can accept either SDRAM or DDR SDRAM, the 2 types cannot be mixed. You must decide on 1 or the other. Check the motherboard manual first to determine which kind of memory your computer requires.

And finally, when you are ready to install your brand new memory module, make sure of 2 things: the power is off (for your safety) and you are electrically grounded (for your computer's safety).



About the author:
Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit http://www.build-computer-now.comto learn more about this fascinating subject.

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.


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Build Your Own Computer or Buy?

By Ron King

Just look inside a computer case. At first glance, all those wires and components can look terrifyingly complex. And thinking about putting them all together by yourself may seem impossible.

Not to worry! Even though they are the products of advanced technology, the various pieces of a personal computer (PC) fit together with simple connections. If you can use a screwdriver and follow simple instructions, you can build your own PC.

Don't be intimidated by the task of connecting the computer components together. Many of the internal connections are molded so that it is impossible to fit them together the wrong way. If you have ever assembled a child's toy, you are more than capable of assembling a computer.


Advantages Of Building Your Own

You are probably asking yourself why anyone would bother to build a PC. After all, you can buy a cheap computer in almost any retail store.

If cost is your only consideration, you probably are better off buying one of those cheap machines. But if you have any special requirements for software or hardware, you’ll benefit from the total control over the type and quality of components you get from building your own PC.

You can save some money, too. Although you probably can't match the price of the cheapest preassembled PC, once you begin adding on the inevitable customized hardware, the costs go up anyway. Suddenly building your own computer starts looking cheaper. And don't forget--those super-cheap PCs are bare-boned systems. Unless you need a computer only for basic word processing and e-mail, you will probably have to upgrade anyway.

Building your own PC can be a great learning experience. You will gain a better understanding of how the various components work together, knowledge that can be useful for troubleshooting. If your computer ever breaks down, you may be able to pinpoint the problem and fix it yourself, saving money on expensive repair bills.

You are virtually guaranteed to get the best computer when you build your own system. Big retailers often use cheaper OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) components to cut down on costs. Components like these can compromise the performance of a computer system. Although you can buy OEM components yourself, the trade-off in reliability and stability is usually not worth it. Brand name components are just a bit more expensive, but are well worth the cost.

Disadvantages

The major disadvantage in building your own PC is that you don't get a system-wide warranty. For example, if a malfunctioning motherboard fries your memory chips, you may not be able to get compensation for the damaged memory. If something like this happens with a store-bought system you could probably get the whole computer repaired under the warranty.

However, if you buy all your components at the same time from the same retailer, you are more likely to be compensated for this kind of situation.

Time is, of course, a factor. But it is educational time. And if you enjoy tinkering at all, it counts as fun time as well.


The Bottom Line

Building your own PC has a lot to offer. You'll be assured of getting the best components available, which translates to the best and most reliable computer for your money. You will learn about computer components and how to choose parts with the best performance. When it comes to servicing your computer, you may be able to solve and fix the problem yourself.

Oh, and one final advantage. The bragging rights of telling your friends that you built your own computer. Priceless!



About the author:
Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit http://www.build-computer-now.comto learn more about this fascinating subject.

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.


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Information Highwaymen and Your Domain

By Lois S.

You go to work every day at the store you own, and one morning, your key to the door doesn't work. You look in the window, and the display items have changed. A stranger is behind the counter. But when you call the police, they can't do anything because the company papers now indicate that the store belongs to the stranger.

The above scenario isn't likely to happen with a bricks-and-mortar store. Because of insecurities in the domain registration system, however, information highwaymen could take over your online business.

As with identity theft, domain thieves steal your identity -- the identity used to register and configure your domain name. After that, your website, your email, your online business, and possibly your reputation are theirs.

Domain names at risk of theft

While theft is a risk with all domain names, domains most at risk are more valuable ones. Domains with dot com extensions have a higher resale value than domains with other extensions, and domains with high traffic or valuable keywords are also more likely to be targets.

The motive behind domain hijacking is usually monetary, but it may be personal. If anyone wants to attack you, stealing your domain name is one way to do it.

How domain theft happens

When domain hijackers steal your domain, they gain access to the domain's Whois records. They can modify the domain's nameservers so that the domain points to a different server. They can also transfer the domain to a different registrar.

Either way, site visitors will find themselves at the website of the domain hijacker instead of at your site. All domain email will go to or through the other server instead of to you. All you'll have left is a website without public access because your domain isn't pointing to it any more.

How can this happen?

Domain hijacking methods
- Domain hijackers send forged faxes to the domain registrar, impersonating the registrants.
- Domain hijackers hack into the accounts of free email addresses listed in Whois records and use those addresses to obtain domain account information.
- Domain hijackers send out fraudulent email renewal notices, and registrants unknowingly transfer their domains to the thieves.

Registrar non-action

- The gaining registrar (the registrar that the domain is transferred to) doesn't obtain approval from the domain name registrant or administrative contact as required by ICANN Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy.
- The losing registrar (that the domain is transferred from) doesn't notify the registrant of the transfer during the five-day pending transfer period. During this period, the registrant can cancel or deny approval of the domain transfer --- if the registrar notifies the registrant of it.

Registrant carelessness
- The registrant forgets to update Whois details or to renew the account.
- Someone with access to the registrant's records steals the information.

Domain name disputes

If you discover that your domain has been hijacked, contact your registrar immediately. If your registrar is unable to resolve the situation, the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) Transfer Dispute Resolution Policy (TDRP) applies.

By going the above arbitration route, you don't have to argue your case in person. On the other hand, all you can get back in the process is your domain (and not necessarily that). For a lot more money, you can take your case to court, where you can seek compensation for damages in addition to the return of your domain. This process takes more time, however.

You may be able to proceed both ways – get your domain back via ICANN domain dispute resolution procedures and then go to court to collect damages. You can also appeal a domain arbitrator's decision in court.

How to protect your domain name

Protecting a domain name is similar to protecting a bricks-and-mortar store from burglary. With a combination of precautions in place, thieves will find it difficult or impossible to gain access.

Your domain account information
- List your name for the administrative contact, and use your full name.
- Create a complex password with letters (both upper case and lower case) and numbers. Don't use any real words or personal information in it. Make it long. Make it unique – don't use the same password for anything else. Change it periodically.
- Keep your domain login name, account number, and password in a place where only trusted people can access it.
- Use a valid contact email address that doesn't use the domain it's for. Be sure that this email account also has a complex password. If you're going to be offline for more than a few days, have someone else check the email for this account.
- Don't use a free email address such as a Hotmail or Yahoo address. Domain hijackers target domains with free email addresses in the Whois records. After they've cracked your email account password, the support you need to get your email account back will probably be slow, giving the hijackers plenty of time to take over your domain.
- Update your Whois record whenever the information in it changes.

Your domain account features
- Choose a domain registrar that sends registrants transfer pending notifications when a domain transfer is taking place.
- Consider protecting your Whois details with a registrar that offers a private domain name record. With this feature, your registrar's data appears with your Whois record rather than your data. The downside of using this feature is that your business may have less credibility because you're hiding who you are.
- Register your domain for a long time period, and set up calendar reminders to renew it before it expires.
- Set up your domain to be renewed automatically if your registrar offers this feature.
- Use the Registrar-lock mechanism if it's available through your registrar. When a domain is locked, it cannot be modified or transferred unless the registrant unlocks it or follows the domain transfer process.

Other domain security measures
- Set up a free Whois monitoring alert email service and add your domain to your monitoring list. You will receive email notifications whenever the expiration date, registrar, or status of a monitored domain changes. (Whois does not have data on all domain extensions.)
- Make sure that someone checks your website every few days, preferably daily.

About the author:
Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for http://www.websitesource.com and http://www.lowpricedomains.com with experience in the website hosting industry.


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