Friday, July 20, 2012
Indie Authors & Books: Bipolar Marriage eBook by Alice Madison Young
Indie Authors & Books: Bipolar Marriage eBook by Alice Madison Young: ‘I love you I hate you; a Bipolar Marriage’ by Alice Madison Young is a great eBook for anyone who is in a relationship with a bipolar pat...
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Paypal Blocked Thanks Hackers and YCN
I wrote about my experiences of being one of the almost half a million YCN contributors who got hacked when my email address and password were publically displayed for the world to see. Do those clowns at YCN really realize how bad their slack of security has hurt their writers? Honestly I do not think they have a clue. In their apology email they suggested we change our passwords, (no chit did that long before your email). However, changing the password is not going to help with some things. Well let me tell you, it was not as simple as changing a few passwords. The email address that was publically displayed is my main email. Even though, I did not use the same password for all those 100+ websites the email was used on 99% of them. Like many writers I have passwords to writing sites, promotional sites, websites which pay me to do advertising or blog posts on my own blogs. That does not even include the other professional websites that I belong too. When people tried to unsuccessfully log in my accounts and failed after a number of times, my account was blocked. With some accounts it is fine but others it is just a huge pain in the ass. Like my Paypal. Imagine getting blocked out of your bank, and your money taken by bandits. My Paypal account was hit over and over, at least eight times within the week following the snafu. I am grateful there is a zero spending limit on my account with Paypal, because the thieves cannot steal my money. However since most of the money I earn is paid through Paypal, I am effectively without money until the spending limit is lifted. Imagine what the clowns at YCN would do if their paychecks were held up for a week or more. ~~Goals do not happen as life does. You must work hard to make goals a reality!~~ |
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Snafu email/pass posted online affected the writers more than YCN
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By now, everyone has heard about the big snafu with a hacker releasing the emails and passwords of 450,000 freelance writers over at the Yahoo Contributor network. I was one of those writers whose email and password was publicly posted online for millions to see.
Most of those affected including myself, were notified by friends who shared the news reports by various websites. It was not until 2 days later that YCN sent their emails to those affected writers.
By the time YCN notified us, writers had changed passwords on various websites multiple times. Every time we fixed one, an attempt would be made on another of our accounts. I changed my face book and twitter accounts so many times it was unreal. It is a giant cluster smuck because some hack wanted to teach YCN a lesson.
Who is really suffering here? Sure YCN is suffering because some writers trust the site even less now. They lost money because they had to fix the mess they made when an employee posted unencrypted emails and passwords on line. To me paying an employee their hourly wage to fix their chit is not suffering.
The people who really suffered here were the writers. Many of us whose emails and passwords were posted rarely write on YCN anymore because the pay is very low. Instead we sought out private clients, other lucrative websites, and other forms of income making opportunities.
I spent the better part of 12 hours changing account passwords on over one hundred web sites that I use on a monthly basis for some aspect of work. Granted not all are money making sites, there are research sites and other typed of depositories and forums.
As I mentioned earlier some of those sites required the password be reset multiple times as different hackers got them locked down. This slowed my work right down. It caused me to spent time I should have been writing for income on changing passwords. I would have much rather spent the time writing to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads.
Some may wonder why I used the same email and password combo on so many websites. The answer is simple, it is ease of use. Can you imagine having to keep track of several hundred passwords? You can bet all my accounts have different passwords now, I keep them all on a spreadsheet on the other computer.
A hacker may snatch control of my Twitter but since my Facebook or Email passwords are different he will not grab control of the others without a lot of hard work.
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Thursday, July 12, 2012
Freebie Weekend Amazon eBooks
Indie Authors and Books is a group of great Indie Authors. On Friday July 13, 2012 we will begin having a free book weekend. This is our second event and we invite you to join us. Humor Spaztastic Zombies Tammy Lee Morris (July 14)
Fiction: Dark, Twisted Short Stories DestinySteps In (when bad things happen) Theresa Leschmann (July 13 and 14) Creepy Bits Tammy Lee Morris (July 13) Devil's Playground Mercy Meyer (July 13 and 14) Collection of Dark Short Stories Amy Browne (July 14 and 15)
Non Fiction Content to eBooks Amy Browne (14 and 15) I love You, I hate You- A Bipolar Marriage Alice Madison Young (July 13, 14 and 15)
Erotica Restraint Erica Chilson (July 13 and 14) Anticipation Sarina Asheford (July 13 and 14) 911 I need Help! Felicity Freedom (July 13, 14, and 15) If you are an Indie Authors who would like to join our Facebook group, please click this link. We formed this group to learn from each other and to help each other grow. We are very laid back, but we will not tolerate rudeness in any form. Join us to discuss all topics concerning indie publishing ~~Goals do not happen as life does. You must work hard to make goals a reality!~~ http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Browne/e/B004EW761G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 |
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Good reads at .99 USD!
In celebration of good old summer time, I have lowered the prices of some of my eBooks on Amazon! There truly is something for everyone! FICTION If you are in the mood for some short stories I have a collection of six short stories! In these six you’ll read stories in which Karma plays a big role. There is a nasty know it all man who lets his snake handle his dirty work, a single mom who has the world by the balls until she becomes a victim in a deal with the devil, while another woman gets away with murder! What really happens in a nursing home when dementia patients are mixed in among the healthy and frail patients, Elmer deceives everyone? Fiction The Devi’s Playground is a collection of short stories which all center around murder, deception, and of course lies. There is the crazy teacher at a private school who spikes the brownies and two innocent young girls are in the mercy of a sadistic big sister and her friends. Shiner’s diner has the best sandwiches but what happens when the guys who lay the big pipes for the natural gas begin to disappear? Chloe and her 2 best friends found a way to get rid of the men in their lives long ago. On her death bed as an old woman one tells how they got away with murder for over fifty years. Fiction Cheaters never prosper is a collection of short stories of three women who were cheated on by lovers. They all get revenge in unique ways, but only one pays the ultimate price. Kindle Single Story Fiction A short story about the revenge of a nurse with an axe to grind with an ex boyfriend. http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Christmas-Darling-ebook/dp/B0069Z362O/ref=la_B004EW761G_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1340293704&sr=1-12 Kindle Single Story Fiction Paisley is a portal jumping white witch who lives in two realms. It’s fantasy with a bit of romance tossed in. GAMES Bingo Blitz is a fun game on Facebook. This eBook gives some hints and tips to new players. http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Bingo-Blitz-ebook/dp/B005NU3KLI/ref=la_B004EW761G_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1340295333&sr=1-13 True Story For the fellow heart patients out there, I offer my 3x heart Attack Survivor eBook. I describe what happened to me and how I made the changes within my life so I cold be here for my kids and grandkids. Medical When your BBF gets a diagnosis of Inflammatory Breast Cancer, you need to educate yourself about the illness so you can help her remain positive. ~~Goals do not happen as life does. You must work hard to make goals a reality!~~ http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Browne/e/B004EW761G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 |
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Top 3 ways blogging beats content writing
Blogging beats writing content for editors who are slow to offer
upfronts. It is also more profitable and fun. When we content writers
write articles, we sometimes stifle ourselves to appease the editors in hopes
that they will give us a higher payment. When you blog for yourself you
have more fun. You search for the best key words and phrases and let the words
flow from the fingertips.
Another way blogging beats writing content is you can schedule
blog posts. With that content crap, you have to write every day to keep your
portfolio updated. If you are trying to engage a private client, sending
them to a niche blog is way better then setting them to a scattered content
writing portfolio.
Another way blogging beats content writing is the profits are only
shared two ways instead of three. Content writing at a content mill means
you are sharing profits with Goggle, the site and then you get your tiny cut. I
have seen click through rates of some of these key words and phrases trust me
with 42 views and 1 click through at the rate of .25 cents sure beats that
1 or 2 cents you’d make at a content site.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Bloomberg says Ban SODA, I say Ban added Salt
Michael Bloomberg who is the Mayor of New York City recently announced a ban of soft drinks in cups larger than a sixteen-ounce cup. He believes the citizens of New York City consume too much sugar. People across the nation are voicing their opinion and here is my opinion. I am a woman who is over the age of forty who enjoys soft drinks as much as the next person does. I have been known to walk into a fast food restaurant or convenience store and purchase the largest drink. As long as I can afford it, no one should tell me that I should not purchase it. If I was purchasing the soda with money given to me by the government then yes, I can see limiting this purchase. However, when I pay for the soda with money that I earned, no one should tell me that I should not purchase this soda. If I needed to limit my sugar for health reasons that is one thing, but I am not a diabetic and I am not morbidly obese. If I was a diabetic, who purchased these sugar-laden drinks and it increased my need for insulin, which is paid for by government money that is a different story. However, diabetics should be alert enough to limit their sugar on their own. If they do not well that is their own problem, as they will suffer the health consequences. If those diabetics are consuming excess sugar, and are living on welfare, need more insulin to keep their health in check, limit their soda by removing it from the items, which are approved for purchase with a welfare card. Those of us who do not make the laws can understand that no brainer. As a heart patient who does watch my sodium intake, I would love to see a ban put on the added salt restaurants add to food they serve. I do not eat at many places outside of my house because the foods prepared in restaurants and food that is made at convenience stores is salted before they are served or when they are prepared. Too much sodium pushes up blood pressure, and can cause a heart attack. This is what should be limited for the good of everyone, and not the soda! Heart attacks kill more people in any given year then consuming sugar does for the average person. Too much sugar does harm diabetics but for the rest of the population excess sugar makes them susceptible to other illnesses if they are predisposed to those diseases including obesity and diabetes. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention lists heart disease as the leading cause of death in the nation, while diabetes is the seventh leading cause. Almost 600,000 people die each year from heart disease while 68,000 die in that same year from diabetes. Those facts should speak loud and clear to any rational person. These statistics can be viewed on the CDC website. Mayor Bloomberg I encourage you to read those statistics yourself when you make proposals that effect the citizens in your city. If you were simply trying to create a media stir, then you have done that. I am sure there are more pressing matters you can fix within your city, than sugar consumption. ~~Goals do not happen as life does. You must work hard to make goals a reality!~~ http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Browne/e/B004EW761G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 |
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