The Refresh Orlando Heirs

A couple of days ago, I was searching for a popular eBook online.

Now I’m not going to tell you the name of this eBook for reasons you’ll understand in the next few minutes.

Okay, so here I was, opening Google, entering the name of the eBook - clicking search, and checking through the first few pages of search results.

-> Forward to Page 5 of Google

I saw a link that looked like a PDF document.

Right click -> open in new window

There, in full glory, was the eBook I was searching for!

The complete eBook, mind you, not a trial or demo - sitting there for the world to download.

And this is a product that sells for over $25 online!!

Obviously I’m not going to tell you the name of the eBook because it would not be fair to the reseller.

But it just made me realise that one of the reasons digital theft is so prevalent is simply because… its so EASY!

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t condone theft of any kind - digital or otherwise.

But would YOU shell out $25 for a product that everyone can ‘legally’ download off the 5th page of Google?

Most people would just shrug their shoulders, hit the save button and thank their lucky stars.

Result: The opposite of $ KA-CHING $ for the sellers

One of the problems with selling digital products online is that it is so SIMPLE to do. So now everyone and their grandmother wants to do it.

But most newbies have no idea that it requires only a few simple steps to ensure a moderate degree of security for your downloads.

So here I’ve outlined the five most BASIC security steps That anyone selling digital products online must take.

These will take you only a few minutes to do, and you do not need any special software or programming knowledge.

1. ZIP THAT FILE

The biggest problem arises when sellers store their downloads as PDF documents, as in my experience above.

Now you should know that Google, Altavista and many other search engines can read and list PDF files.

While this may not be a problem for those adding content to their sites in the form of PDF newsletters and reports, it also means that you must never store a product you want to SELL as a PDF file (unless it is in a password- protected folder).

It gets worse. Google also converts your PDF files into HTML documents. So ordinary browsers not only have access to your PDF file, but - horror of horrors - they can download your SOURCE FILE as well!!

The next logical step is for them to customize it with their own links, compile it and sell it or give it away.

Result: The opposite of $ KA-CHING $ for the sellers …AND the author.

A simple way of keeping your files out of the reach of spiders is to upload them as a zip file. Search engines cannot look inside zip files (yet) and list their contents.

2. CREATE AN INDEX.HTML FILE

You MUST have an index.html file in EVERY folder. It acts like a curtain that keeps your files away from prying eyes.

A folder without an index file is like a house without walls. Everyone can enter and help themselves to the valuables.

The ‘index.htm’ file is the default file that opens when you click on the link here -

http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/

If you don’t create an index.htm or index.html file, you’d be allowing everyone to directly access the root directory of the folder where you store your downloads.

Here is a folder I uploaded to show you what happens when you DON’T have an index file.

http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/test/

As you can see, all the files stored in it are clearly visible and ready to download.

And yes, feel free to help yourself - I won’t accuse you of stealing

3. SHOW PEEPING TOMS THE EXIT

You can use a simple script to redirect peeping Toms back to your home page.

Here’s the easiest way to do it using what it called a “meta refresh tag.” Add it between the Header tags like this.

< META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" content="0;URL=http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com" >

Replace
< with <
> with >
” with “

Just replace my URL with your own in the example above and paste it into the head of your document (before your text).

You can see how it works by clicking on the test folder here.

http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/redirect/

Now even though you click on the folder URL, you will be sent to my home page.

4. SPIDER-PROOF YOUR DOWNLOAD PAGES

To prevent search engine spiders from reading and listing the download pages that link to your eBooks add the tag below in the head of the document.

This “Robot” tag tells the spider that this page is not to be spidered or indexed. As a result it should never show up on a search.

5. CHANGE YOUR DOWNLOAD LINKS OFTEN

To prevent unscrupulous people from posting your download links on forums or message boards, change the folder or file name where you store them from time to time, even if it means having to change the download links in your merchant account.

Using these methods will give you a good degree of satisfaction, knowing that you have taken the most basic steps to protect your digital valuables - and at absolutely no cost to you.

If you want greater security and more information on plugging the security loopholes in your website, check out a selection of digital download protection tools.

Priya Shah is a partner in the search engine optimization firm, SEO & More and writes an online marketing blog

There is an old English Proverb that goes like this a friend in
need is a friend indeed. How true! Having a special friend you
can turn to in good times and in bad is a beautiful and
splendiferous thing. Leo F. Buscaglia said: “A single rose can
be my garden…a single friend my world, “To illustrate this
point, let me tell you a story about friendship.

The Beauty of a Rose

I was walking through the forest and through the bushes I heard
weeping .I followed the sound of the soft cry until I arrived at
a woman sitting upon the snow .Her eyes were filled with tears
and her heart heavy from life. I sat upon the cold snow with her
and I offered her my shoulder and my ears.

“What is your name”, she asked”. I smiled at her and I said, “My
name is Faith, my middle name is hope and my last name is
compassion. I saw a faint smile come upon her face as I asked
her “what is your name? ” “My name is flower child and “I had
given up on hope, faith was something I was loosing site of and
I have no more compassion to give. ”

I asked her if I may read her a poem and through the poem I
showed her self-worth .That it was more important for her to
have self worth for when she loved herself others would love her
to. I showed her reality, that you can not save the world if
people don’t or won’t listen. I spoke of how important it was to
have a compassion for others.

I showed her praise, I praised her for staying strong when she
had given up on faith. I showed her patience as this was
something not easy for any of us. Things take time I told her.
Sometimes people just don’t want to accept what is in front of
them. I told her to please hang on that someday they may learn
respect. I then said to her this you see flower child this is
hope

We sat and talked awhile and I saw a smile come back through
flower Childs eyes. I picked up a wild Rose that was laying
there in the snow. I placed the rose it in her hand. It wasn’t
everyday you had roses in winter. This is friendship the most
important of all things in our life. It is truly as rare as this
rose in the snow. When you receive it cherish it and don’t ever
let it die.

Then I smiled, I handed her a piece of paper with my number on
it and I walked away. She called me the next day and I heard
join in her soft voice. She told me that she had thought of me
and I truly lived up to my name. I think she found her faith,
her hope and her compassion. She said she found it in me but I
think she had it in her all along. But what she did not have was
the friendship of a Rose or an earth angel to help guide her
along

We all need someone in life to say I believe in you. Friendship
is as rare as a rose in the snow. When you receive it cherish it
don’t let it ever die. Life is too short not to cherish those
who show us compassion. Don’t let silly things stand in our way.
For friendship is the beauty of a rose.

Dear -fish this- member,

It has come to our attention that your account information needs to be updated.

Please send us your social security number, your checking account number, a pint of Jack Daniels, and a large paper bag filled with twenty dollar bills. We are only doing this for your protection, and even though we have no intention of stealing your identity,because we have a hard enough time dealing with our own identitys we have now, we sure could use some extra spending money for our upcoming phish…. errrr…. FISHING excursions!

We know it would be nicer if we actually worked as hard to make an honest living, as we do to bilk.. errr help protect your account information, but what fun would that be?

We promise not to have have account information problems in the future, because we are the “Gods of account information problems” and can control these sort of things. Besides, we won’t be able to monitor your account anymore, because we will be assisting Mr. Humongatus Batutti from Niger, who has been unable to find anyone lately that will help him out of the grave financial disaster his Pay Pal account has gotten him into.

If you don’t update your account information you may not be able to read worthless drivel in the future, your bumper will fall off of your car,and fleas will infest your armpits.AND…we will put a heebie jeebie hex on you that only a safe harbor ebay email can clear up. O.K.- O.K.– we will only suspend your account! That way we can send you another phony…. errrr…. follow up e-mail to protect your account. We will only temporarily spend the $20.00 bills you send us and will re-deposit two hundred bags of twenty dollar bills and some Papa John coupons into your bank account by—oh—let’s say Thursday.

Please don’t respond to this email- or blog letter for that matter- because we will be busy bouncing all over the internet phishing…. err bilking errr… updating other account info –and why would you want to have any dialogue about your terminated account anyway!!??

AND if you send us info now, we will send you a cheap knockoff Rolex that will impress some other phony, and also toss in a set of Ginsu carving knives!!

click here to update your account records.

The account dude at -fish this-

P.S. If none of this interests you, we have some hot stock market tips we will be glad to sell you…

user agreement blah blah,ebay,paypal,nigerian humonatus,Rolex, viagra,etrade, official looking mumbo jumbo, brought to you by the makers of pesty cola…

…Hard to believe- but every day people are still falling for those phony spams and e-mails that circulate the internet.A day is coming when the bilkers won’t be able to hide anymore and we will be able to track the phony solicitations down. In the meantime–be careful out there on the information highway, and if you really want to part with your hard earned money I know this Prince in Pottsylvania who is having some trouble with his finances, and if you could just help him out…..

A.J. Klott is the author of the Fish wRap-a humorous book on fishing and the people and events that surround the fishing world. You can visit his site at http://www.twoguyswithflys.com