__________________________________________ 互户互户互户互互户互)  Merle's Mission Ezine- "The Best of the Net Straight to your Door" Jan 30th,2003 Issue #105 ISSN: #1527-3105 Edited & Published by: Merle- Merle@MerlesWorld.com http://www.MerlesWorld.com/ Tell A Friend: http://recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=3463949 __________________________________________ 互户互户互户互互户互)  NOTE: This newsletter is by subscription only. The only way it could have ended up in your inbox was by your subscribing to it. If you no longer wish to receive it please see the link at the very bottom of this ezine. ****************************************** Donations Wanted: If you enjoy this ezine and feel you have gained valuable information from it, please make a donation through Amazon's Donation Service. Your small gifts will help support the website and this newsletter (and bones for "the boys"). http://tinyurl.com/21se ______________________________________________ Sponsor ______________________________________________ Profitable Webmaster Forums!!! http://www.PromoJunkie.com Promojunkie.com Webmasters Forum was started with one goal in mind. Website success! Come join our forums and network with other successful Webmasters who run profitable websites and share their valuable experience & advice! Chat about search engine rankings, eBay selling techniques, domain reselling, profitable email marketing, web hosting issues and be sure to announce your websites and services! PromoJunkie is always FREE and it takes less than 1 minutes to sign-up! Come share, learn, and profit with us! http://www.PromoJunkie.com __________________________________________ 互户互户互户互互户互)  Relationships... "Being divorced is like being hit by a Mack truck-if you survive you start looking very carefully to the right and left." Compliments of http://www.Coolsigs.com ----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>> E D I T O R' S N O T E ----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>> Hey gang! It's that time again. Time for a brand new issue of Merle's Mission. If you're a new subscriber welcome. I hope you enjoy getting email from a woman who's half cocked, living in sin and whose best friends in the world are her two dogs. Scary, ay? I promise if you give me a chance I'll grow on you. To those of you who are wondering how the wedding went let's just say I'm glad it's over. Dad went off to his honeymoon in Florida for a week. Speaking of Florida it's probably much warmer there then here in Ohio. We've been freezing out "tushes" off for over 3 weeks now. Spring can't come fast enough for me. It's cold...cold....cold...We had a high of 17 yesterday which felt like a heatwave and today the sun actually made an appearance which is a major accomplishment in Cleveland. Everyone still fighting with the sp*m filters? See, I can't even say that word for fear of tripping it. Anyone who publishes an ezine will tell you how horrible it is trying to get your ezine into the hands of your subscribers these days. Don't get me wrong, I use filtering software myself so I know it's a necessity, but it grabs a lot of good stuff too. For example, this ezine. I personally go through the the folder that the filtering software dumps to before I delete it but many people don't. Maybe because they don't want to spend the time or maybe they just don't care. I always find something important in there. Let's face it sp*m filters are not perfect. I wrote a new article on this which will be out in a few weeks. I took "Teddy Bear" to the Vet's today for a few shots. He was quite the grown up. The doc says he's a "Perfect specimen". The "Ted Man" is not big on courage, but he's a wonderful companion. He sort of reminds me of the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, he just needs "a little courage". The people who bought him before me when he was just a puppy, abused him, so he has a few issues. Hey, don't we all? I've picked another winner for a free ad in this ezine. The winner is Norman Holden! If you're reading this reply to the email I sent to you with your ad copy and I'll get it in the next issue. If you'd like a chance to win a free ad in this ezine simply fill out the demographic survey whose link you'll find at the bottom of this newsletter. You really can win. Every time I write a new article I send it out to a list I maintain of publishers and website owners for possible inclusion in their newsletters or on their sites. If you'd like to be included in that list, send a message to mailto:addmetothelist@merlesworld.com As usual I've rounded up some great resources for you so let's get started. If you have any comments you can send them to mailto:merle@merlesworld.com Merle http://www.MerlesWorld.com http://www.EzineAdAuction.com http://www.MCPromotions.com -------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE -------------------------------------------------- => 1. News From the Net => 2. Feature Article- Create Your Own Custom 404 Error Page => 3. Webmaster Resources => 4. Promotional Resources => 5. Other Ezines of Interest => 6. Just for Fun or Useful => 7. E Books and Things of Interest to Publishers => 8. Freeware and Shareware to Download => 9.Subscribe/Remove Information --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. NEWS FROM THE NET -------------------------------------------------------------- Man Eases on Ebay Libel Claim http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-982389.html ---------- Messenger Pop Up Sp*m Makes us Sick http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/29121.html ------- Ebay Means Business http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/buyersguide/article.php/1576811 ----- Register.com Battle Picks up Steam http://www.crainsny.com/news.cms?postDate=2003-01-30&newsId=5031 ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>> Please Support our Sponsors ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----sponsor adv Here's How I Raked In $93,424.07 Since March 25th! Frankly, I'm a little embarrassed that someone else discovered this breakthrough before I did. http://www.mininggold.com/?50034 --------------------------------------------- 2. FEATURE ARTICLE --------------------------------------------- "How to Create a "Custom 404 Error Page" and Get Your Lost Visitors Back" By Merle http://MCPromotionsPress.com One thing that's certain on the Web is nothing stays the same for very long. This is especially true when it comes to pages of your website. When you first create your site you may think you'll never need to alter the structure. But as your site grows, chances are there will come a day when you need to move or change the names of existing pages. So what's the problem, you ask? Well, if you've been busy promoting your website (and you should be) specific pages are going to be out there in "cyberspace" listed in search engines, on other websites in the form of link swaps, in directories, articles, etc. It would be impossible to contact all of these people and give them the new url- So what's a Webmaster to do? Create a custom 404 error page. A custom 404 error page is a special HTML page that you create on your server that auto- matically comes up if someone types in a wrong url, misspells a url, or tries to call a page from your server that no longer exists. By creating one of these pages you can capture what would be "lost traffic" and send them to the correct place or guide them to a new page. So what does a good custom error page contain? There are important ingredients you'll want to include: 1) Contact Info: Tell them how they can reach you by email or phone. 2) Brief Explanation: Tell them why they have reached a page that no longer exists or has been moved and give them other options. 3) Include a valid link menu, site map or search function so they may still find what they are looking for, or perhaps another page. So now that you know what to include in your error page you need to create it, and give it a name -- something like "error404.html." Once that's done, you need to connect to your web server and look in the root directory for a file called .htaccess You may not see it using your FTP program because all files that start with a dot are hidden under UNIX and Linux systems. You can fix that by changing your file display filter to "-la" (list all). If you still don't see it you'll need to create it. Make sure it is named with the .dot in front of the htaccess, like this: .htaccess. If the file is already there, open it up and add the complete path to your error page like this: ErrorDocument 404 http://YourDonain.com/404errorpage.html Make sure the text is all typed on 1 line and you leave a space on both sides of the 404 part and that the E and the D in ErrorDocument is in caps. Now just FTP this revised .htaccess page and your 404errorpage.html up to your server and you're done. Test it by typing an incorrect url into your browser and make sure your new error page is working correctly. From now on you'll never need to worry about losing another visitor due to 'rearranging the furniture," so to speak. By helping your visitors get to where they want to go, you'll be helping them and yourself to a visitor who would otherwise been lost in space- and that's a good thing! **************************************************** Merle http://www.EzineAdAuction.com "Where some of the BEST Deals in Ezine Advertising are Made" Buy & Sell Ezine Ads in a live auction setting! Download this FREE e-book on how to "Write Winning Ezine Ads" http://www.ezineadauction.com/ebooks/greatezineads.pdf Join our New Affiliate Program and Make Cash Referring Others https://www.clixgalore.com/AffSignup1.asp?AdvProgID=1168 ***************************************************** ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>> Please Support our Sponsors ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----sponsor adv/ Learn How To Design Your Business Website In Less Than 10 Days! Webdesign for beginners to advanced. Milana shows you how easy it really is! Every Webmaster's Dream, everything you need to know! Milana teaches you how to set things up right the first time. In non-tech terms for beginning Webmasters. 17 Tutorials Included http://www.profcs.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=55659 ------------------------------------------------ 3. WEBMASTER RESOURCES ------------------------------------------------- COLOR AND DESIGN Here's a nice free course on site color and design. Sign up to be notified by email when they load up each weeks new lesson. Very nicely done. http://www.westciv.com/courses/free/index.html --------- FR*E CGI FORMS If you need a working form on your site but don't know the first thing about CGI or maybe you're with a cheap web host who doesn't supply you with a CGI bin. Free CGI Forms allows you to get a form up and working on your site using their free service. If you need more options you can opt for their pay service which runs from 3 to 15.00 a month. http://www.freecgiforms.com/ -------- EZBEST HOST Web hosting for only 2.95 a month? Yepper, hard to belive but true, check out the features here. http://www.ezbesthost.com/ ------- FR*E PHOTOS AND WEB TEMPLATES It's hard to find good free photos for a website. If you don't want to pay high fees to buy your own check out the free selection of high quality photos and website templates at this site. http://www.27stars.com/web_graphics.html ====================================== Tip ====================================== Cascading Style Sheets are a great way to easily update fonts and styles on your website. (please disregard the periods before the brackets below they are just there so the code does not launch in your browser) CSS can be used in three ways: 1) Inline: Used in the code on the pages themselves like this .

your text here

. 2) Link to a separate style sheet in between the tags like this: .. 3) Put the code within the tags of your pages like this: . =========================================== ----------------------------------------------- 4. PROMOTIONAL RESOURCES ----------------------------------------------- "Unsold Ad Inventory?" Here's the quickest way to sell it and increase your ad sales on a regular basis. EzineAdAuction allows you to post your ad space in a fun auction setting. No fees to you unless a buyer is found. Hurry in today and find out why publishers love to sell their ad space at http://www.EzineAdAuction.com ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>> Please Support our Sponsors ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----sponsor adv/ How I make $1,000 a week selling Mary Kay Strictly Online Start a Cosmetic Business with 61,000 visitor exposure per month. Earn $600 in 48 hours. Perfect for women, men and couples. No Skincare Classes, Facials or Selling Required. http://www.beautyconsultantcareer.com/career_info.htm ---------------------------------------------- 5. OTHER EZINES OF INTEREST ---------------------------------------------- If you'd like to swap ads with this ezine please send your requests to mailto:adswap@merlesworld.com Please include your ezine name and the number of subscribers. --------------------------- Do You Know How to Get Traffic? M.C. Promotions Press Ezine is sent out twice a month featuring tips,tools,links, and marketing and promotion articles that will help you masterthe art and science of Internet Web Site Promotion. Containing the HOTTEST Marketing Techniques, traffic generators, SECRETS of search engines and much more. If you want more traffic and are trying to create an online presence, this ezine is for you.To subscribe send... mailto:subscribe@mcpromotions.com ------- ParentPreneur Weekly Ezine is geared towards parents working from home. Subscribe today and get HOT news & access to the latest tools & tips for home workers. All new subscribers will receive FREE gifts mailto:mcp-subscribe@parentpreneurclub.com http://www.parentpreneurclub.com?s00mcp ======================================================= <<<< T H E O R I G I N A L E Z I N E - R I N G >>>> Free Samples of the Best Internet Marketing Ezines ... Previous: mailto:mewsletter@autobots.net Next: mailto:2000fastracksample@sendfree.com *Full List and 3 Freebies: mailto:ering15@writead.com* ======================================================= -------------------------------------------- 6. JUST FOR FUN OR USEFUL -------------------------------------------- WHAT IS MY IP There will come a day when you need to know your IP address. Just go to this site and it will be displayed in the browser in all it's glory for your little eyes to see. Handy. http://www.whatismyip.com/ ------ SHOOT IT Do you have any hidden hostilities? I know I do. Ever feel like grabing a gun and just shooting someone? OK, you don't have to answer that but you can do just that at this site. Upload a photo of someone you hate and shoot away. Great fun and you won't have to hide the body when your done. http://shoot-it.org/with_flash.html --------- DAILY CONFESSIONS Feeling guilty? Who needs to go to church to confess their sins when you can do it online. If you're squeaky clean and have nothing to confess of your own you can delight in the sins of others. http://www.dailyconfession.com/ ------- SIMSLOTS Do you love slot machines? If you can't get to Vegas head for the next best thing. Virtual reality gambling at the touch of a mouse. Great fun! http://www.simslots.com/ ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>> Please Support our Sponsors ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----sponsor adv/ "Increase Your Subscriber Base Fast" If your e-zine list is taking too long to build, there are others that will build it for you, and for free. Get the details on how this system can start working for you in less than five minutes. http://www.subscriptionrocket.com/cgi-bin/r.cgi?r=3410 ---------------------------------------------------------- 7. E BOOKS AND THINGS OF INTEREST TO EZINE PUBLISHERS _________________________________________________ INCREASE YOUR EZINE SUBSCRIBERS Get free quality opt-in subscribers to your newsletters by sharing a popup subscription page on your website. Have 15 plus websites getting you subscribers for FREE. Each member places the newsletter signup window on their website's MAIN page. A site visitor then sign's up for a selection of newsletters. The newsletter subscribers are either automatically added to your list (NOW) or added periodically (Batch.) Depending on website traffic our members get from 10 to 300 subscribers a DAY. http://www.personalizedpartyfavor.com/freenocatch.htm ---------------------------------------------- 8. FREEWARE- SHAREWARE- TRIALS TO DOWNLOAD ---------------------------------------------- THE NOTES BAR Save notes and links in a new IE panel. Access anywhere. This could come in handy and it's free. http://www.memobook.com/_3.asp --------- AD SHIELD- BANNER AD BLOCKER "AdShield is a freeware banner ad blocker that improves browser performance and usability by suppressing the download and display of ad images, pages and popups. Even if you have a fast connection to the Internet you'll benefit from improved browser window and browser cache utilization. Download your free copy today!" http://adshield.org/ -------- DAVES SEARCH TOOLBAR "Dave's Quick Search Deskbar is a tiny textbox that Dave Bau designed for search hounds with weary mouse- fingers. Unlike the Google Toolbar, this little deskbar lets you launch searches without starting a web browser first, directly from your Windows Explorer Taskbar. " http://notesbydave.com/toolbar/doc.htm ------- GHOSTZILLA BROWSER "Ghostzilla browser shields you from the looks of people around You when they try to see if you are surfing the Web. With Ghostzilla,they see your normal work screen. You see the Web page, drawn to appear inside your work application and to look like that application to a bystander. If someone comes too close, move the mouse away from the Web page and it disappears, leaving the original application frame. When the coast clears, another mouse move brings Ghostzilla and the Web page back inside your application."This is a great tool to use at work so you won't get busted surfing the Web when you should be working. Free. http://www.ghostzilla.com/ ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>> Please Support our Sponsors ---<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----<<+>>-----sponsor adv/ FCS Hosting and Website Design Featured Design Package 5-Page Package - $250 - Includes Hosting! Other packages also available http://www.jim-fran.com/fcs/webdesign.html ------------------------------------------ 9.IMPORTANT STUFF ------------------------------------------ Well, that wraps it up,once again thanks for joining me. If you have any comments please send them to comments@merlesworld.com or visit http://www.MerlesWorld.com For advertising rates for this ezine send... mailto:advertising@merlesworld.com Current subscriber base is over 2,400- My list is clean as all email addresses are removed the very first time they bounce. Back issues can be reviewed here... http://www.MerlesMission.com If you would like to be taken off our mailing list: send mailto:removeme@merlesworld.com or click on the link at the very bottom of this ezine to take care of it yourself. If you are not a subscriber and would like to be send mailto:subscribe@merlesworld.com *********************************** For more information: http://www.MerlesMission.com *************************************** For great web hosting or if you're in need of a programmer contact mailto:DavidBlack@SiteDesignandHosting.com He's wonderful and an expert at what he does. Tell him "Merle" sent ya. P.S. I am currently in need of testimonials for this ezine. If you enjoy it please let me know. Send to mailto:testimonials@MerlesWorld.com ========================== If you haven't yet filled in the subscriber survey, get your free gifts by doing it now..and be entered into a drawing for a free ad in this ezine. Winner pulled twice a month. You'll find the survey at: http://www.advancedsurvey.com/ when there put 901 into the survey number box at the top left to take the survey. -------------- I'm now offering my articles for syndication on your website All you have to do is paste SOME code where you want the article to appear and every 10 to 14 days when I update it on my end it will display a fresh article on web design/ maintenance on your site. Easy to do and gives you fresh content without any work whatsoever. For more info and to get to the code go to.... http://www.merlesworld.com/SyndicationColumns/syndication_columns.htm Thanks for being a subscriber and I'll see you next time! If you enjoy this ezine and would like to make a small donation please go to ... http://tinyurl.com/21se ----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>----<<>>---- IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER ========================= Disclaimer: Merle's World does not accept any responsibility for any liabilities as resulting from any claims in this newsletter or by the advertisers in it. This newsletter is for informational purposes only. We respect your privacy and do not share our mailing list with anyone. All content provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Copyright 2001-2002-2003 All Rights Reserved