The "NEW" ActiveRain Blog Customizer – Version 2.0

YEAH!  The “NEW” AR Blog Customizer was released over the weekend, and is now up and running.  Thanks to Brad Carroll over at Dakno, the AR Blog Customizer was birthed a few months ago, and added to the network allowing members to customize the headers and backgrounds of their Blogs. In fact, it was such a hit, we ended up taking too much space on Brad’s company server. 

So, we have had to move all the data and information over to our own ActiveRain servers.  You may have noticed that if you were using the 1.0 version, you would get a “temporarily unavailable” message.  Not any more, you will no longer have to go to ActiveRainCustomizer.com.

The ActiveRain Blog Customizer:

5 EASY STEPS:

1.  Go to your “My Home” page and you’ll see the “CUSTOMIZE” Blog link:

2.  Click “Browse” to find and select your Blog Background Image on your Computer

Your current Background Image will be displayed – We added a “NEW” delete option
(Your Background Image will “Tile” if too small, “Cut-off” if too large – you’ll need to just experiment)

3.  Select your Custom Colors to match your Design and Blogs’ Personality

4.  Next, Import Your Header or Customized Image

(Best Header/Banner Size is 950w x 125h)

You can create custom headers and images easily at Picnic.com,

or by using your own photo or image editing software.

5.  Click “Save Changes” and you’re DONE!

 

REMINDER: You no longer have to go to ActiveRainCustomizer.com
YOU CAN REMOVE THE SCRIPT FROM YOUR BLOG DESCRIPTION BOX NOW >>>>>

The “NEW” AR Blog Customizer is very easy to use, and very stable.  No more logging in or passwords.  You can now make modifications and changes to your Blog as regularly as you like.  You WILL need to be logged into ActiveRain in order to use the New 2.0 Customizer.  Thanks for your patience while we made these upgrades and changes, I know many members will be excited about this post and the new customizer. 

I know where you’re going next…  LOL~  

HUGE Kudos to Jorgen Hahn, VP of product development, who has been working non-stop these past couple weeks to get this completed.  Please take a moment to thank him, you have no idea what he goes through on a daily basis just dealing with technical issues and staff like me.  (ha-ha)  It can be a thankless job at times, and I truly appreciate all his hard work and efforts keeping the “Rain” up and running “Raining!”

BTW – As an added bonus today, you’ll notice Jorgen also cleaned up all of our “Tag” clouds by creating a pull down menu on your side bar.  This keeps our Blogs neat, clean and tidy.  Wasn’t sure if anyone noticed this new feature, I think it looks and works great!  Thanks Jorgen. 

Here are the Details regarding the “TAGS” and “SEO” for the curious.  🙂

ActiveRain and Your NEW Twitter Settings

Mark this day as another that will go down in History as an “AWESOME NEW FEATURE” added to the ActiveRain Network.  We have added and are rolling out Twitter auto-feeds for your AR Blog posts.  If you have a Twitter account already, you can set yours up now.  If you don’t, you’ll need to go to Twitter.com and set one up.  It will take less than a minute.

What is Twitter?  It’s micro-blogging.  “Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. Updates are displayed on the user’s profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone being the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS, email or through an application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.  Several third parties offer posting and receiving updates via email.”

Setting Up Twitter on ActiveRain:

The process for setting up your Twitter Account on ActiveRain will literally take you 10 seconds.

• Click On “My Home” at top of this page

• Click on the “My Settings” link on left side of page

• Scroll down to “Twitter Setup” and enter your info

• Put in your Twitter user name and password, Click Update

When you create a new post now (if enabled), Twitter will automatically place an announcement in your twitter feed and profile including the Title of the post as well as a link to your post.  We are looking at adding an option on the “New Post” page that allows you to select which posts you want to tweet.  Now go post in the rain, and let the outside world and your followers know.  You can follow me on Twitter here: Follow ActiveBrad

Here are some other Twitter related sites you may be interested in checking out.  Enjoy this new feature, it will certainly drive more traffic to your Blog posts and it’s so easy to use.

• Twitter Apps – Twitter 3rd Party Apps  
• Twitstat – Real time Twitter Analytics   
• TwitPic – Stores Photos Taken from Phone
• TWhirl – Another Twitter Use Interface  
• Twitterrific – For your iPhone or Smart Phone            
• For More – Go to Twitter Fan Wiki

Enjoying The "Journey" of Lifetime!

Last week, I had the chance to take my family to go see Cheap Trick, Heart, and Journey at the Pavilion. Talk about a flash-back from the eighties. WOW!  What really made this show and evening so special, were my kids getting to see some of the musical talents of bands and friends that my wife and I have grown up with over the years.  Music and people that were/are a huge part of our lives, and that shaped our memories and future.

The evening was full of surprises for my kids, it was a night they’ll never forget as long as they live!

Cheap Trick Opens the Show with Nothing but Their Classics

Heart Takes us Back Through Time and Down Memory Lane

Journey Takes us on the “Journey” of an Unforgettable Evening

After the show, Jonathan invited us backstage so the family could meet and greet the band.  I can’t even begin to tell you what an impact this had on our kids.  Getting to meet him finally, along with Neal Schon, Arnel Pineda and Ross Valory was not only a dream come true for them, it was the most inspirational moment of their lives.  You should have seen their faces.  You could see the stars and dreams unfolding right in their eyes. Life for them this night, was much more than just a fantasy, it was surreal. I put together a photo collage so they can enjoy and remember this night forever.  Hope you’ll enjoy it too. 🙂

 

These are some of the shots we were able to get from our seats. The sound was awesome and the performances were incredible, it was a night we’re glad we didn’t miss. Great seats too, 10 rows back.

 

We want to thank our friends from Heart, Cheap Trick and Journey for an unprecedented evening, and especially Jonathan Cain for making it all possible, and for making the entire concert experience spectacular from beginning to end. Our family had the best time ever, Thanks Again. 🙂 If you EVER get the chance to see Journey “Live”, they are a MUST see. They are simply incredible. Arnel Pineda is every bit as good as Steve Perry or better, and their live performance is just sensational!

We’re forever your fans and friends…Faithfully!

We have some awesome videos and audio recorded, that any of you are welcome to see and hear, so come on over to our place sometime, but I do respect the copyright laws and these fine musicians enough to avoid the temptation of posting them here on my Blog. (It’s Killing me though …LOL) Instead, I endorse and suggest you go out and buy Journey’s newest CD “Revelation!” You won’t be disappointed. 🙂

New Members – Video Explanations – Social Media, Blogging & MORE!

There are so many things to learn once you join ActiveRain.  How to create links, add photos, use HTML, don’t spam or hijack, add video etc., not to mention Channels, ReBlogging, Outside Blogs, Localism and the Referral Network just to name a few.  It’s no wonder some of our new members and visitors get a bit  overwhelmed in the beginning. 

In this post, I am hoping to help YOU understand some of the concepts of what these things are, and why they are here, before you dive head first into ActiveRain’s Social Networking and Blogging Forum.  Then there is all the other stuff you can learn about here.  RSS, Wiki’s, Twitter, Flickr and so on.  You will frequently see and hear many of these words and terms in your Journey here on AR.

No matter where you are in the process of learning all this stuff, there will be something below that you may need or want to know more about.  I am using “Video Explanations” as a resourse to try and explain many areas of Social Media, Networking, and Blogging etc.  It’s “Plain English” and in simple, easy to understand terms. 

These are some Commoncraft Videos and others created to share the following insights with you.  I hope this will help our newer members get a better understanding of why and how to use Social Networking, WEB 2.0, Activerain, and other social media platforms to their benefit.  My goal: To create the desire and reason for you to “Get Started” in your efforts here.

Social Media & Networking

• What is Social Media – What is it really all about?  – SEE VIDEO

• What is Social Networking – Do I need to to be doing this? – SEE VIDEO

• What is a BLOG – What’s the BIG DEAL? – SEE VIDEO

• Over 50 Million Blogs – How Do I keep Up?  What is RSS? – SEE VIDEO

• Web Search Strategies and Why “Keywords” are important – SEE VIDEO

• Micro-Blogging – Real Time Updates and Marketing on Twitter – SEE VIDEO

Social Sharing & Collaboration

• Social Bookmarking – Why not just use my browser? – SEE VIDEO

• Using and Sharing Documents – Will this work on a Blog? – SEE VIDEO

• My Gads – A Sharing tool For the Real Estate Industry – SEE VIDEO

• Social Photo Sharing – What is the benefit of that? – SEE VIDEO

Tools and Tech Stuff

• Google Maps on your Phone – Will this help my Business? – SEE VIDEO

• Should I be Podcasting – Who is this for and why?  – SEE VIDEO

• Wiki Wiki – What is a Wiki? – SEE VIDEO

• PR Web – Are you getting your news releases out? – SEE VIDEO 

So Why Should I be on ActiveRain?  –  SEE VIDEO

Now that you have a better idea of what type of information is available here and what the new Social Media and Marketing WEB 2.0 Platform is all about, be sure to check out the “Getting Started” link here on AR so you can jump right into the “Rain” and start getting your feet wet!

Here’s Some More How -To Post’s For New Members – Wishing you all the best in your WEB 2.0  Journey.

Feel free to check out my ActiveRain Outside Blog Too, You’ll find more posts like this there. 🙂

Is This Really 1929 – 2.0?

Some financial pundits are hailing this last week’s bailouts, bankruptcies and market crash as the most significant since 1929. Former investment banker Pat Kitano will be on Rain Radio today at 11:00am PDT, to sort out the two opposing theories on the market – is this the beginning of Financial Armageddon or is this the massive market cleansing process that investors have been waiting for so that we can call it a bottom?  Come join us today on BTR and RainRadio to hear Pat “Voice” his views on everything from 1929 – 2.0 to the Bailouts and economic forcast and future of our great nation.

Click Here To Join Us

To Ask Questions LIVE 

Call-in Number: (347) 677-1643

 

Pat is an ActiveRain Member, also with Transparent RE.  Pat is currently co-Founder, Managing Principal of Domus Consulting Group, a management consulting firm working with real estate brokerages, media/publishing companies, and Web 2.0 companies to develop social media strategies, and with venture investors on new business models.  He’s a regular speaker and commentator on real estate industry and technology issues and is always on the lookout for a “transparency” angle. Since graduating from Cal Berkeley (Geophysics) and Columbia University (MBA), he’s been involved in four competitive industries – films, investment banking, internet technology and real estate.

Pat has been helping to put on the Social Media Networking and Marketing Webinars for many of our ActiveRain members.  His Blog, Transparent Real Estate covers strategy, innovation, economy, intelligence, and technology.  Our webinars take place every Friday morning at 9:00am PDT and 12:00pm EST.

 

“Domus Consulting Group is a leader in the development of a new social media platform they simply call the “Social Media System“. This system enables companies, organizations and groups to create powerful effective social networks WITHOUT REQUIRING THEIR PARTICIPANTS TO BLOG. Using various popular applications like Twitter and Friendfeed, and bookmarking tools like del.icio.us, our Social Media System facilitates real time news wires. We developed the System because blogging can be challenging, but participating in the various social media is easy and fun.”  Pat Kitano

For upcoming future shows, or to hear any previous shows on RAIN Radio, you can listen to all our past guests and archived broadcasts at BTR.  We really are trying to make a difference, just one voice at a time.

The Petrified Forest Whispers Happy Birthday Today

For a long time now, my mother has spoken of this place and a time where a tremendous earthquake shook the Country…the earthquake was so violent that it hurled down the Giant Redwood trees like matchsticks.  Fire, ashes, and molten lava came out and coursed down the valley in which now lies the “Petrified Forest!”  She has always wanted see this place, so today, for her Birthday, her wish was finally granted.

Debra and I decided to take my folks to this enchanting, mystical and fascinating place located in Calistoga, California.  It’s a Registered Historical Landmark #915, and is a must see if you ever get the chance.  You’ll see much of it here as I share this special day spent with Mom.  It was a step back in time, over 3 million years ago, and a walk on the trails of the Petrified Redwood Giants.  What once stood as towering trees, is now just the “Rocks Of Ages!” 

How was this wood and forest petrified?  Water laden with silicates in the Volcanic ash seeped down into the gaps left behind by the decomposing tree fibers; replacing the wood cell by cell with crystallized silica until the entire trees became stone. Some of the silica formed into a colorful glass-like gemstone.  Seeing the petrified wood all around us was spectacular.  You’d never know by looking at these trees that they were like cement.  It was just awesome to see and touch. 

The best part of today was seeing my Mom have so much fun.  I think she really enjoyed the trip.  She was finally getting to see a place she’s always wanted to go, and at the same time, celebrating her Birthday in the forest with us.  She got souvenirs, exercise, enjoyed the fresh air, and now has some memories that she’ll treasure forever.  We enjoyed a nice “Birthday” lunch on our way back at place called Villa Romano’s, some of the greatest Italian Food you’ll ever encounter…really!  

I just want to say to her, thanks Mom for spending your very special day with us, for being such a great trooper out there in the forest, and mostly, for putting up with me all day, and for all these years.  You have been the “Giant Redwood” that I have looked up to all my life, and the “Rock” that has inspired me to always give my best in everything I do.  Today we celebrate YOU, your Birthday, and all that you stand for and represent which is: Love, Honesty, Integrity, Humbleness, and Selflessness. 

You’re the best role model a son could ever have, you inspire me to this day to be more like you in every way.   You are so loved, appreciated and respected, more than I could ever express or put into words.  I hope you’ll celebrate your Birthday with us for many years to come.  You’re the QUEEN, my Mom, my Mentor, my Inspiration, my Hero, and my very very best friend forever. I love you!!!

RETaggr – Can It Really Do All That?

My ActiveRain Blog sidebar has forever been a hosting ground for widgets, gadgets, gizmo’s, buttons, and anything else I could place there that didn’t break my Blog or the AR Network. LOL  Most of the buttons there were just links to other Blogs and sites where I participate.  The others were just on-line tools and services I wanted to share.  There are so many Social Media Networks and great sites out there, it was getting really hard to decide which ones I should have on my Blog’s sidebar.

             

                    

            

Today, I got rid of them all!  All except the ones I still need for subscribers, tracking and promoting events and information.  They have been replaced with REtaggr.  It’s one small step for a widget, one BIG step for Social Networking and Bloggers.  If you are already on sites like FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MyBlogLog, etc., there’s no need to add those buttons to your sidebar or website anymore.  Just use the RETaggr widget or chicklet, it’s FREE.

The best part of RETaggr is that if you don’t see the service, network or site you’re already on, just add it.  You can add any website, Blog, or Internet site you chose by using the “ADD” feature you’ll find on their site.  They even have an ActiveRain Icon listed as an option to add as one of your Blogging sites.  There are some really great features and other benefits of using RETaggr, but just the fact that it allowed me to cleanup my sidebar a bit made it worth posting about.  haha!  Check it out, I think you’ll really like it, I do. 

To the right is my REtaggr widget, just hover your mouse over the chicklet and the card opens up.  Then click on the “more” link to see all the buttons, widgets, and gizmo’s I was able to remove from my sidebar today.  YEAH!  Adding other Blogs, Websites and Widgets to REtaggr is unlimited, and the widget gets updated Real Time as you add or make edits.  No cutting and pasting the code every time you make a change.  REtaggr, you’re it!  🙂

  A Great Tool for Blogs, Websites, Email Signatures, and On-Line Business Cards.

Disabled Comments or The Disabled Post

I have been on ActiveRain now since February of 2007, and been a full-time employee since March of 2008.  I’ve received over 3000+ member emails, 20,000 comments and have been asked every question I think there is to ask (some multiple times..LOL) and still, no one has ever asked the question about disabling comments. 

So I want to have this quiz/contest….

Why is there an option to disable comments when creating a new post?  We rarely, or hardly ever see anyone that uses this “Disable Comments” feature. Hmmm…

The first and correct/BEST answer will receive 1000 bonus points.

Think about it, everyone has seen it, we all know it’s there, no one talks about it, it’s hardly used, so what gives?  This should be fun, but I’m really looking for the answer that is the closest to the reason this option exists for our members. There really is a correct/best answer.

Thanks for playing.  I guess I won’t use that feature on this post!  LOL!~

Video Audio Indexing – Converting Your Voice and Audio To Text

For the past few years, we have had the ability to convert “Text To Speech” (TTS) on our computers.  We can even select a male or female voice to read back text in a Word Document or on the computer screen.  My son, a college student, uses the TTS “Speech synthesis” feature to have his computer read back stories and articles for homework assignments while he multi-tasks on other programs and applications.  Well fasten your harnesses…

It was recently announced that Video can now be searched on Youtube.com using audio converted text. WOW! So what does this mean?  What you say in your video will be converted, indexed, and now searched by viewers and consumers using keywords and phrases.  This is a new and exciting time for the Video enthusiasts.  Video and SEO?  Until now, the only searchable part of any Video was the “Title”, “The Description”, and “limited” tags or keywords.  No longer will this be the case.

See how Adobe Works to Make Video Search Indexing Easier, or how  Adobe Makes Flash Content SEO-Friendly.  “Adobe is providing optimized Adobe Flash Player technology to Google and Yahoo to enhance search engine indexing of the Flash file format and uncover information that is currently undiscoverable by search engines.”

It’s only a matter of time before ALL search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN, and the others will incorporate this into their search options.  See how Google Labs is working with Audio Indexing and testing this right now with “Search what the politicians are saying”, I think you’ll be surprised and impressed.  It is predicted that video will be a $3 Billion Dollar Business by 2010. Video is what’s hot and happening, otherwise these companies would not be investing this kind of time, money and research into its “Searchable” Future.

More Great Articles and Posts On Video:
Video Marketing & Video SEO Best Practices WhiteSheet
Video SEO: Tips for Clips that Capture Results

Reel Dwellings TV meets RAIN Radio

Sounds like a Terminator meets Alien showdown, but it’s not… it’s better!  Today we have Tara Jones from Reel Dwellings TV on the show talking about Video and how to take it to the next Radical Level. 

Tara Jones is an experienced Professional Video Host.  She’ll be discussing various aspects of Real Estate Video and how it affects today’s Industry and YOU.  Tara will share answers on many of the questions we all have about Real Estate Video. 

When to do it yourself vs when to rely on the pros?  How to over come the fear of video and how to best use it to sell homes and communities.  What makes a good video, what makes a bad video, and why video is so important in today’s Real Estate market?

What’s the best camera for video?  How much does it cost to have the pros come in? What is the future for Real Estate and Video?  What are the biggest Challenges shooting, editing, uploading etc.?

About Tara: Tara and Reel Dwellings TV are taking real estate video to new heights. 
No more boring still photos fading in and out while listening to bad jazz music.  Professional videographers, expert editing and experienced on-screen talent make real estate video engaging and dynamic.  If you are looking to showcase a neighborhood, highlight your services, or take your virtual tours to a higher level, then join our show.

 

Tara has already put up some very useful “Help & How-To” posts here on ActiveRain.  She has also helped a few AR members cross that threshold and assisted them into the blazing hot video scene.  Check out her Blog here on ActiveRain, you won’t be disappointed. It’s ALL about “video” with some great tips, tricks, and techniques.

Meet Tara Jones from Reel Dwellings TV and ActiveRain

Come join us, ask questions, or just listen in.  We’ll be live on the air at 2:00pm EST, 11:00am PDT.  Just go to RainRadio for all the details.  Join me every Thursday at the same RAIN time, same RAIN Channel. 🙂

I’m really excited to have Tara as our guest.  I was very fortunate to meet her in person at the Inman Connect in San Francisco a couple months back, and I’m really looking forward to her sharing her experience and wisdom that she has gained over the many years of doing video.  Listen to R.A.I.N today, as Tara expands on some of the thoughts and ideas she has already been so generous in sharing with us on AR.