It’s the day and age when speed matters, in more ways than one. Life is running along at a pace that’s racing – no one is willing to walk when they can run. So when it comes to the information highway we call the Internet, people expect things to happen in the blink of an eye. They’re not willing to wait around forever for your site to load, not when numerous other pages offer similar content at a faster rate. Even if they’re regular visitors who show you some amount of loyalty, they’re bound to turn traitors when your pages are always slow to load. And who can blame them for that? What you can do is make sure your page loads as soon as possible, even if your viewer is on a slow dial up connection. And for this, you must:
* Minimize the number of pictures and videos on your site. Use images and animation only when they’re absolutely relevant to the content and theme of your website.
* Go for optimized .png files when you use images on your page rather than the .gif or .jpg formats. If you’re forced to use .gif or .jpg files, use the former when resolution doesn’t matter and the latter when it does, like when you’re using photographs.
* If you must use pictures, make use of the HEIGHT and WIDTH attributes as well so that the browser knows how much space to allocate for your graphics and continue loading the rest of the page. Without these attributes, your entire page has to wait for the graphic to be loaded before the rest of the contents can be displayed.
* Use pictures that are small in size, but even then, don’t go overboard. For each separate file you use on your page, it sends separate HTTP requests to your server, thus slowing down your overall load time.
* Try not to put your entire page within a table because the webpage loads only after the full table loads. So your reader gets to see a blank page for a long time, especially if they’re on a slow connection. If you must use a table, break it up into two separate tables, with the first displaying the table header and a few links – this will buy you some time while the rest of the page loads so that your visitor is not driven to close your page on seeing it blank.
* Remove empty tags and whitespaces – this speeds up your page quite a bit and also keeps your code clean.
* If the information you have on one page is too long, split the contents over two separate pages rather than have your visitors wait for the entire page to load and then scroll down to read the text.
* Don’t put stuff that’s not needed or relevant on your pages – fancy graphics and media files (audio and video) may seem like good ideas when you think about them, but when implemented, they slow down your page and are more of a nuisance than you realize.
* Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) when writing your code to speed up page load times.
Anyone who uses a computer has heard about the importance of Internet security. From protecting your computer itself to protecting your privacy, identity, and your family’s safety, Internet security serves an important purpose. Exercise a little healthy paranoia while you learn the latest in research, news, and opinion when it comes to Internet security from these blogs written by professors, experts in the field, and those with experience they want to share.
Company-Sponsored Blogs
From Microsoft to Sunbelt and everywhere in between, these blogs associated with companies offer not only information about their specific products, but also information about the latest Internet security issues.
University and Research Blogs
Written by researchers and professors, these blogs offer a much more cerebral approach to Internet security.
Blogs Written by the Experts
Learn about Internet security from those who know best. These experts in the field share their knowledge, experience, and opinions via these blogs.
Protect Your Computer
From computer security tips to security fixes to stopping malware, these blogs offer plenty of information to help you protect your computer from harm.
Protect Your Self and Family
Identity theft, privacy issues, and vulnerability to predators are very real issues for computer users. Follow the advice and suggestions from these blogs to protect yourself and your family.
22 Oct
Posted by Site Administrator as Internet, Tips and Tools
If you haven’t heard about it yet, Google Chrome is a new browser from search engine giant Google. It offers a lightweight Internet experience and plenty of integration with Google services. There are a number of ways to enhance this experience, and we’ve detailed 50 of them here.
Tabs
Learn how to make better use of Google Chrome’s tabs with these tips.
Usability
These tricks will make Google Chrome just a bit easier to use for everyone.
Omnibar
Use these tricks to take advantage of Google Chrome’s useful Omnibar.
Downloads
Manage your downloads more effectively on Google Chrome with these tips.
Efficient Tricks
These handy tricks will help you use Google Chrome in a more efficient manner.
Personal Settings
Make Chrome feel a little more like home by using these tips.
Compatibility
You can make Google Chrome play nice with these tips.
Convenience
Follow these tips, and you can make using Google Chrome a bit easier.
Privacy
Keep your personal business and activities more private by following these tips.
System Tricks
Get more out of your Google Chrome system using these tricks.
Holiday shopping can really take its toll when you have gifts to purchase for all your family and friends. Between figuring out the perfect gifts, finding them, and paying for everything, it can be an exhausting effort that can leave you feeling tired and broke. Here are 50 great add-ons for your Firefox browser that can make the whole process much easier and a lot cheaper. From tools to help you find the lowest prices online to ways of getting costume coupon codes to streamlining your Amazon shopping experience, there are plenty of tools you can use to make sure you make it through the holiday season.
Compare Prices
Whether you want to keep an eye on prices at particular online stores or just looking for a good deal anywhere, these add-ons will help you find the best price around.
Coupons, Cash Back, and Discounts
No one wants to pay full price for something when there is a deal to be found instead. These add-ons will help you find everything from coupon codes to cash back to online discounts.
Keeping it Easy
If time is money, then you will definitely want to use these add-ons to help you get your shopping done quickly and efficiently. From shared wishlists to online currency converters, you’ll find something to help you get your shopping done more easily.
Amazon Shopping
Amazon.com has grown into one of the largest shopping opportunities on the Internet with all its stores all around the world. These add-ons are specifically made to create an easier and less expensive way to do your Amazon shopping.
In the Spirit of the Season
While giving to your friends and family, you can also make sure you are doing your part to help others with these add-ons that absolutely won’t cost you anything.
When was the last time you were sitting at your desk, bored, and gazing out the window wondering what kind of lucky lotto ticket was going to fall out of the sky and swoop you into the lifestyle of your dreams? The way we see it, you have two options: get off your lazy behind, go back to school, and demand a promotion, or stay on your lazy behind and log online to access these 50 free web tools that can tell you exactly when that lotto ticket will change your life. Welcome to our list of quizzes and tools that can (or at least try to) predict your future, from the silly to the serious.
Financial Future
This list of tools will help you figure out how much you’re worth, how long you have to save up to get a fancy new car, and whether or not your current budget will leave you broke and unhappy in retirement.
Love and Relationship Future
Is the guy or girl you’re dating really The One? Find out who you’ll marry, if you’ll get divorced, and what personality your baby will have when you try out these tools.
Educational Future
What college major will make you happiest? Let these education tools and tests guide you in the right direction.
Career and Professional Future
Everyone needs a little guidance when it comes to career planning. These tools can shine some light on career switches, picking the best job for your personality, and projecting your salary over the next several years.
Health and Medical Future
Make use of these tools to find out if cancer, Alzheimer’s or any other disease is in your future.
Just for Fun
If you’ve taken all these tests just to realize that you’re broke, you’ll die alone, and you’re stuck in a dead end job, cheer up with these just-for-fun quizzes.