A recent article in the New York Times addressed how singles in the online dating world should discuss their approach to money in their online profile.  If you’ve got it, should you flaunt it?  Or worse – if you don’t have it, should you fake it?  Is there a shame in being a conservative spender?  Or can being fiscally responsible make you more appealing to other sensible spenders in today’s wayward economy?

There’s no question that disputes relating to money cause a good percentage of divorces and that having a shared approach to the family’s finances can reduce the incidence of these breakups.  With this in mind, some online dating sites such as eHarmony include questions about your approach to money in their personality assessment.  But for most people, financial philosophies are based not only on rational thought but on an emotional component that is often difficult to pin down.  And yet, I’d like to suggest that even if we can’t identify exactly how we feel about money, it’s still an important factor to consider when looking for a mate – a factor that is probably more important than what colors his eyes and hair are, although these questions are asked by every single online dating site.

In today’s world of online dating, singles are encouraged to evaluate others based upon their salary (if they choose to share that information) or their silence (if they don’t).  I’d like to suggest, however, that these questions are entirely misleading.  If a single chooses not to divulge his salary range, is he quietly asking you not to judge him on his income, or is he embarrassed by the number?  And if he does submit his salary range, is it something you can really learn from?  It seems to me that what’s more important than the number is how a potential partner spends his money.  Does he live a lavish lifestyle by spending his money too freely?  Or does he remain grounded and fiscally responsible while squirreling money away for his children’s education or his future wedding?

Unfortunately, there is no real way to judge these types of issues until you meet a potential suitor in person.  And herein lies my hypothesis that while you should be aware of money as an important aspect of every relationship, it’s not one that should be judged when reading someone’s online profile.  It’s surely awkward to ask someone about their spending habits before you’ve met them, but it is something that you can tell about a person in a first meeting.  Does your date offer to take you to a coffee bar or to an upscale bistro?  Does he arrive in a sensible Nissan or a Porsche?  How do you feel about his choices?  Only when combining your rational thought with your emotional comprehension of the person can you truly make a decision about whether or not this suitor has a financial outlook that you can live with.

So don’t judge a potential suitor by the salary range listed in his (or her) profile.  Instead, make sure that other interests match up and keep your financial outlook reserved for future evaluation.

If you’re frustrated with the world of online dating, you may feel alone – but you’re not.  Still, as you see your friends happily wedded while you’re still waiting for Wednesday night’s blind date, you’re probably wondering what it is that’s undesirable about you, or why it is that no suitable partners can appreciate your good qualities.  It may make you feel a tiny bit better to know that others are equally perplexed.

Lora-Ellen McKinney, a psychologist, health-policy analyst and writer seems to have it all.  She’s talented, educated, employed, healthy and attractive.  Why then, can’t she find love online?  In her new play, fully titled “Welcome to the Freak Show: Match.Dot.Bomb”, McKinney chronicles her online dating experiences in a way that’s poignant, funny and sadly realistic.   McKinney has the uncanny ability to put into words the experiences that most women try to block out or are too flustered to retell.  Perhaps most importantly, McKinney is able to weave her story into a lesson for other women who engage in online dating so that they hopefully won’t face the same frustration that she has.

The show is directed by Shanga Parker, an award-winning theater artist and an accomplished director, and can be seen at Hugo House in Seattle on August 16th and on November 12th at the B2 Fine Arts Gallery in Tacoma, WA.  And, while it might make an interesting first date conversation, you may want to consider taking a friend instead of a beau.  After all, you never know if the companion you’ve met online is one of the men that McKinney parodies.

If you’re researching different web hosting plans, you’ve probably noticed that many web hosting packages come with free advertising credits.  But if you’ve never had a website before you probably don’t know how or when to use these advertising credits.  And if you’re not familiar with social media, these advertising credits may not hold that much appeal.  But with a bit of understanding and explanation you may begin to realize just how valuable these credits can be.

The benefits of online advertising credits:

Things to Know about Facebook Credits:

• You will need a Facebook account to use Facebook credits.
• Facebook credits received from most web hosts can be used for both new and existing accounts.
• You can use Facebook credits to promote your company’s Facebook page or to promote your website directly.
• With Facebook advertising you can target people who have interests in line with your product or service.
• When creating ads with Facebook credits you can schedule them to run at certain times or on certain days.
• Facebook offers comprehensive tracking and analytical tools to help you understand the successes and failures of your ads.

Things to Know about Google AdWords Credits:

• Google AdWords credits are most often valid only for new AdWords accounts. 
• If you have an existing AdWords account that is currently pointing to your website you’ll need to use your free advertising credits for a different account point to a different website or for a new account that uses a completely different set of keywords to point to the same website.
• You will need to enter billing information when setting up your AdWords account.  Even though you are using free advertising credits you’ll be required to pay a small activation fee.

Things to Know about Yahoo! Credits:

• Yahoo! Credits work similarly to Google advertising credits. 
• You will need a new account to use Yahoo! advertising credits.
• Fewer people use Yahoo!’s search engine than Google, but some studies indicate that those who use Yahoo!’s search engine may be more likely to convert. 
• A planned merger between Bing and Yahoo! will likely change the face of this type of advertising, so it’s worthwhile to proceed cautiously when planning your ads, in the hope that in the future this search engine will see a boost in traffic.

Good luck with your new web host and your free advertising credits!

A web design service is a web design service…or is it?  Wix, a relatively new do it yourself web design service, aims to prove that not all web design services are created equal.  And while the service’s drag and drop site builder is great, one could argue that it’s not substantially different than other drag and drop editors.  Wix’s extras, however, are what truly set this company apart.  If you’re a smart consumer, you won’t purchase a web design service because of its extras alone…but if you’re savvy, you’ll realize that the addition of these perks to a rather sophisticated site builder make Wix a noble competitor in the running to become the best do it yourself web design service.

What makes Wix stand apart is that it looks like a web design company but acts like a web hosting provider.  While hosting services such as iPage and Just Host offer free advertising credits, few (if any) web design services offer similar credits…until now.  As a new partner of Network Solutions, Wix is now offering $50 in Facebook ad credits and $75 in Google AdWords credits.  In addition, Network Solutions will be hosting any site created by Wix for free for one year.

Another benefit of the Wix premium plan is integration with Google Analytics, a feature that is not only rare in the world of web design, but is not especially common in most web hosting packages either.  Google Analytics is a program designed and supported by Google that allows site owners to see who is coming to their site(s), where their visitors are coming from and what pages are getting the most traffic.  It is a great way to learn about your user behavior so that you can maximize the success of your site.  And, while it may be a free tool, having it integrated into the Wix package (and having support available to help) provides a dramatic advantage.

A final perk of Wix is that it makes it incredibly easy to create a Flash website.  While many other web design services support Flash files or offer Flash templates, none offer the customization abilities that Wix offers.  Although this is not a specifically new offering, it’s important to realize that if you want to create a Flash site Wix will offer unparalleled options.

There’s no uniform do it yourself web design service that will serve the needs of every webmaster or business owner.  I am merely suggesting that if you’re looking for a reason to choose one from a handful of do it yourself web design companies it’s worth looking beyond the standard offerings to see how each service enhances their service.  Because after all, being a smart consumer is about getting the best bang for your buck with a product or service that works – and Wix is clearly giving other web design companies a run for your money.

Dating when you’re a single parent is generally scarier (and less convenient) than dating when you’re completely unattached.  You’ve got to worry about finding someone to accept (and hopefully love) both you and your children.  You’ve got to worry about finding someone stable, someone safe.  And, many times, you’ve got to worry about babysitting.  The good news is that online dating is a great way to connect with people at a time that’s convenient for your hectic life.  The bad news is that meeting others online always comes with additional security concerns, which are often compounded when there are children in the picture.

If you’re looking for some guidance before you enter the world of single parent online dating, you’ve come to the right place.  Follow these tips for a safe and successful single parent online dating experience.

1. Never post pictures of your children on your profile pages. For many parents (both single and in committed relationships), children are the apple of your eye, your pride and joy, the air you breathe…you get the idea.  But although online dating sites are designed to be safe, you never really know who will stumble across your profile.  Why expose your children to strangers unnecessarily?  When posting your profile on any online dating site, make sure to keep your children out of the snapshot.
2. Consider using sites that aren’t specifically for single parents.  This may sound counterintuitive, but many single parents feel more secure safeguarding this information until they’ve established that their potential suitor is a safe person.  Match.com, for example, is extremely popular as an outlet for single parent online dating.  Likewise, you can also try unconventional options like meeting people through Craigslist or other community websites.
3. Try dating sites that are specifically for single parents.  If the previous suggestion doesn’t appeal to you, try the other extreme.  Sites like Single Parents Mingle make it easy to find other singles that have gone through similarly difficult times, which may make them more appropriate matches for you.  You should still be wary of giving out personal information (especially as it pertains to your kids) so that you’ll ensure your family’s security.
4. Do a background check.  You don’t need to hire a private investigator to get the full scoop about your potential suitor(s) – you can do it simply with services that specialize in quick background checks starting at $15 and up.
5. Dress appropriately.  In the world of single parent online dating you’ll find many people who are desperate to leave the world of single parenthood behind.  Even if you’re one of those people, you wouldn’t want to transmit that message to a potential partner on the first day.  You’ll want to stay reserved, cautious and somewhat conservative until you’ve confirmed that the ‘coast is clear’. Save your mini-skirts and low-cut tops for the second or third date so that the partner sitting across from you won’t mark you as an easy target which can leave you and your children vulnerable and open to heartbreak.

Stay tuned for more online dating safety tips and feel free to share your own stories so that nobody else finds themselves in the same uncomfortable situation!

In these days of tight budgets and constant expenses, it’s normal to want to find free alternatives to paid services.  Web hosting is one area in which there are several respectable free options – if you’re willing to compromise on certain aspects of your website.  The question becomes, however, when it is necessary to pay for web hosting services and when is free hosting a viable option?  Here are some things to consider when making this important decision.

1. Do you want a custom domain? Many free hosting services require you to take their domain name onto yours.  In other words, instead of having mysite.com, you’d have mysite.yolasite.com if you’re using Yola’s free hosting service and a similar extension if you’re using the free services offered by Wix, Network Solutions or one of the other dozens of free hosting providers available.
2. Do you want an ad-free website? Many free websites impose placement of advertising on websites built through their platform.  This may not bother you if you’re starting a family blog (or even a personal blog) or are just using the website to test out the features of the web host before committing.  If you’re looking to create a professional web presence, however, you may not want irrelevant ads cluttering the design of your site.
3. Do you need significant storage space or bandwidth? If you’re planning on hosting a site that contains video or audio files, you may need more storage space or bandwidth than most free web hosting service offer.  Likewise, if you’re planning on having heavy traffic to your site or hosting a database for your site, you’ll need a significant amount of storage.  Many free web hosting providers offer only 5-10 MB of storage, which is insufficient for sites that are more than just a few pages of text.  If you’re looking to post your artistic portfolio, to sell items through a product database or to stream videos directly from your site, you may want to pay for a web hosting service such as FatCow which offers unlimited storage for a very reasonable monthly fee.
4. Do you want a completely custom design? If you’re choosing free hosting services through a web design company that offers a free package you’ll likely be limited to specific design options instead of having the flexibility to choose from the full array of options.  If you’re choosing a free hosting option through a hosting provider such as i6Networks you’ll probably have full customization abilities – if you have the technical prowess to design and build your own site (and if you don’t, you’ll need to pay a significant sum for this service).
5. Do you plan to expand the scope of your site in the near future? If so, you’ll need to consider whether you’ll eventually outgrow your free hosting plan, and the expense that will be involved in transferring it to another web host, domain name or design.  These fees can add up – so if you think you’ll need to pay them soon, you may end up saving more money by paying for web hosting straight from the outset.
6. Do you want a search-engine-friendly site? Many free websites are not particularly search-engine-friendly and will not assist you in achieving natural web traffic.  If you’re looking to expand your audience through search engines, you may want to consider a paid web hosting service that is located in your country so that you can better target the audience you’re looking for.

Although free stuff always sounds appealing, when it comes to free hosting it’s important to remember that saving money now may not actually save you money in the long run.  However, the true benefit of using a free hosting package is because it allows you to test out the hosting service (and web design service when relevant) to see if you like it and whether you want to continue using this service in the long run.

There are so many ways in which a divorce can be complicated, exhausting and painful- but it doesn’t have to be.  Thousands of unhappily married Americans are discovering that the internet can be use for more than just email and Facebook- it can also be used to procure a quick and easy divorce.  Divorce legal forms are popping up on hundreds of websites, and they make it possible for couples to reach an amicable settlement without shelling out thousands of dollars in legal fees.

If this is your first divorce, you may not be familiar with the procedures and requirements of filing for a legal divorce.  You may have questions about what you’re entitled to, how the procedure works or how to properly proceed.  In these cases, you’ll likely need more than a service that will file your divorce papers- you’ll need one that can offer divorce legal help.  Fortunately, there are many reputable online legal form websites that offer both online divorce forms and divorce legal help.  These services are likely to cost more than simply purchasing the necessary documents, but they will still cost substantially less than hiring a divorce lawyer.

In addition to the affordability of filing divorce legal forms online, this type of filing is remarkably convenient, and is truly eases the process for those who are going through this busy time in their lives.  Why waste time running to a lawyer’s office to sign the papers, when you can do it from the comfort of your own home?  Proper online legal form websites will make it clear exactly which forms you need to fill out and what information you need to provide in order to complete your filing.

Although divorce is seldom an enjoyable process, it is possible to have an easy divorce (and a completely legal divorce) by filing the paperwork online.  Don’t be alarmed if you’re uncomfortable with the process- many services allow you to fill out the paperwork for free before paying, so that you can make an independent determination about whether you want to proceed with an online filing.  It’s completely normal to feel apprehensive during this time, and there’s no reason why online divorce legal forms should contribute to the anxiety.  There are enough reputable online legal services that can make it possible to receive a legal divorce without the headache and hassles- don’t be afraid to shop around until you find one that is right for you.

It’s fairly common knowledge that Google’s search bots love WordPress blogs. Whether or not you actually implement any SEO (search engine optimization)strategies for your blog, using a WordPress blog will most likely get you more natural traffic than the other platforms such as Blogger and Typepad. If you do use WordPress, there are lots of great plugins that can help optimize your pages and give your SEO standing a boost. In this post I list 2 specific SEO plugins, although I hope to follow up regularly with other valuable plugins in the future.

All in One SEO Pack – This super popular plugin is streamlined for some of the best SEO practices on WordPress. It helps you optimize your titles, descriptions and keywords, as well as avoid duplicate content issues.

SEO Tag Cloud Widget – If you have a tag cloud, which for SEO purposes I suggest you do, this plugin will display the tag cloud in a SEO-friendly way, using html markup.

Getting your blog ranked on the search engines can be a long process, but small changes like these can help you get “Google Love” faster.

This is it. You are on your own – no longer an employee, but a small business owner or a freelancer. It’s exciting and scary at the same time. Finally, you get to do all things you wanted to and fulfill your dreams. On the other hand, job security gets a whole new meaning.

There are many advantages about being a business owner, and some disadvantages, as well.  Here’s a quick look at what to expect.

Pros

1. You are your own boss - No more annoying authoritative figure that hovers over you all day long. No need to pretend you respect a person that’s a total failure. No one to boss you around but yourself.
2. Flexible time - You set your own meetings, there’s not set time in which you need to get up and get to the office, and you can decide when you’ve had enough work for the day.
3. No office politics and quarrels - No more fighting about where to go to lunch, or what music you can hear in the open space. You are now master of your domain and get to decide how things are done.
4. Lower expenses - If you are working from home, which a lot of small business owners are, then you save a lot of money on commuting, eating out and formal clothing.
5. Choosing your clients – As an employee in a company, you pretty much take the clients given to you, no questions asked. As a business owner, you get to choose those you want to work with. You can even choose NOT to work with a specific client, if you consider them to be too much trouble.

Cons

1. Income isn’t a sure thing - When you were on a salary, paid by someone else, you basically knew how much you earned each month, and could plan your budget accordingly. As a freelance or a small business owner, income depends on the amount of projects you have and your own marketing efforts. Being independent means that you have periods of feast or famine, and you have to be prepared for that.
2. The work day is never really over - Although your time is much more flexible now, you can still find yourself working late hours and answering phone calls on the weekends. You will find yourself thinking about work and projects a lot more than when you were an employee.
3. You can’t slack around - There’s no one to take the blame for you when a project isn’t finished on time. You have to have a work discipline and finish your tasks on time – and there’s no one to tell you to do that. It’s not easy to avoid distractions and procrastination, but you have to do it anyway.
4. Bureaucracy -  Meet the authorities! Now you don’t have a choice and you have to deals with aspects of bureaucracy you’ve never met before. Hiring an accountant or a lawyer might help, but you can’t always afford it and many times you’ll have to deal with the authorities yourself.
5. You can’t stop marketing yourself - It’s not easy to sell yourself, but you have to do it. Basically, you have to do it all the time, because you need to make sure you have a constant flow of projects to insure an income. A lot of people find this task problematic and difficult. There are many ways to market yourself these days, with the help of the internet, and it’s easier than it used to be. Still, you can’t stop marketing yourself when you own your own business.

If you’re like me, you may think that getting internet on your cell phone is the greatest thing since sliced bread – or at the very least, the greatest thing since the invention of Slurpees. But I may have just stumbled upon something that makes mobile internet even better; after testing out dozens of cell phone apps and useless services (not to mention malfunctioning software), I came across fring, a cell phone VOIP service that has can dramatically change the way you use your cell phone.

Fring is a cell phone application that allows you to communicate on all of your social networks directly from your cell phone. There are many applications that let you access twitter, facebook and the like. But what I love about fring is that it allows you to use Skype, Google Talk, Gchat, MSN Messenger, ICQ and AIM (among other services). What this means is that you can speak with people without using your cell phone minutes. Instead of making a direct-dial phone call, you can login to this cell phone VOIP service and use Skype to carry on a conversation, FOR FREE. You can also chat with people without having to sling text messages back and forth (which can detract from your monthly allotment).

Fring may not be as helpful to you if you make a lot of calls to people who aren’t using one of your social networking tools. But since I am a professional Skyper and a social Gchatter, I can stay in touch with people constantly without having to use up my precious minutes. Right now, I still connect to most of my contacts as they sit at their desks…but I suspect that as more and more people download fring’s free cell phone application, we’ll be able to stay in contact from anywhere, which will further reduce the amount of minutes I need to use…which will hopefully mean that I can downgrade my cell phone plan and save some money. I can even use video chat from fring!

Fring works on thousands of devices across multiple platforms including iPhone/iPod touch, Google Android, Windows Mobile, J2ME & Linux devices and operates on any 3G, GPRS, EDGE and Wifi mobile internet connections. It is easy to use and has a comprehensive support platform in case you encounter any problems (which I haven’t yet). Fring may be a relatively new company, but they are clearly pros at discovering he needs of the modern-day consumer.