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Web Hosting - Why Backups Are Essential One thing most web site owners have little time for is... anything! Anything other than focusing on their site content and the business or service it supports and the information it provides, that is. That means that administration often suffers, as it frequently must. There's only so much time in the day. But the one thing that you should never let slide are backups. They are like insurance. You rarely need it (you hope), but when you do you need it very badly. Performing regular backups - and testing them - doesn't have to be a nightmare. A little bit of forethought and effort and they can be automated to a high degree. And, they should be tested from time to time. Even when a backup appears to have gone without a hitch, the only way to know whether it's of any value is to attempt to restore the information. If it can't be restored, the backup is worthless. Even when the web hosting company provides the service, there is still some planning involved for the site owner. Hosting companies often rely on one or both of two methods. They backup everything (called a full backup), then backup anything which has changed since the last full backup (called an incremental backup). Of special interest are any configuration files that have been tailored. If you've modified the default installation of a software package, you want to be able to recapture or reproduce those changes without starting from scratch. Network configuration files, modifications to basic HTML files, CSS style sheets and others fall into the same category. If you have XML files, databases, spreadsheets or other files that carry product or subscriber information - about items purchased, for example, or people who signed up for a newsletter - those should get special attention, too. That's the lifeblood of your business or service. Lose them and you must start over. That can break your site permanently. It should go without saying that all HTML and related web site files that comprise visible pages should be backed up regularly. It isn't necessary to record every trivial change, but you can tailor backup software to exclude files or folders. Usually they're so small it isn't worth the trouble. But in some cases those small changes can add up in scenarios where there are many thousands of them. Here again, the backups are worthless if they can't be used. Even if the hosting company charges for doing so, it's worthwhile to test once or twice a year at least to ensure the data can be restored. That's especially true of database backups, which often involve special software and routines. Database files have a special structure and the information is related in certain ways that require backups be done differently. Developing a backup strategy can be straightforward. Start simply and review your plan from time to time, modifying it as your site changes and grows. But don't neglect the subject entirely. The day will come when a hard drive fails, or you get hacked or attacked by a virus, or you accidentally delete something important. When that day comes, the few minutes or hours you spent developing and executing a backup plan will have saved you days or weeks of effort.

Ways to Quit your Job Yet Still Maintain Positive Ties Just as there are ways to get jobs, there are also ways to leave jobs--especially one where you have cultivated relationships. Moving on to a new position does not mean that you have to leave on bad terms. Get the job you want without leaving your current job on bad terms. Choosing to leave one job for another one is a decision that is often unavoidable. In order to progress in life, changing jobs may be necessary. Whether it is increased pay, more room for advancement or a better work environment, changing jobs is a natural part of life. While some employees leave jobs because they are unhappy, other employees leave because they simply need or want a new job. These employees may have great working relationships with their employees and co-workers. They may even have good personal relationships with these people. Extenuating circumstances like friendships can make it difficult to move from one job to another. However, this necessary move can be made without destroying ties that are important to you. Being professional and careful when leaving your job can make leaving much easier. First of all, do not tell anyone you are planning one leaving. No matter how close you are to your co-workers, keep your intentions quiet. Arrange interviews during times that do not conflict with your current job. You do not want to miss work for an interview. Remember your current employer is an excellent reference for you. Maintain your good reputation at your current job. Continue to do a good job and care about your particular position. Using the company phones, e-mail or fax machine to contact your new potential employer is not appropriate. Use your own devices to contact the interviewer. Until you have the new job, things should be business as usual on your current job. Also, never give your notice at your current job until you are sure that you have the other job. Having to retract a two-week notice because you prematurely gave it is a sure way to cause friction. Once your new job is secure and you have given your tow week notice, continue to be a good employee. Be on time for work and complete your projects. Remember, no matter what your new job is, you have obligations to your current job. Write out your notice. Compose a nice letter thanking your boss and co-workers and provide two or more weeks notice. By giving a written and dated letter no one will be able to dispute the length of your notice. Also, you will be providing a professional and considerate notice. Allow your co-workers and bosses to say goodbye to you. If they want to take you out for a drink on your last day, oblige them. Enjoy celebrating an end of an era. You may keep in contact afterwards but you probably won’t be working together again. Let them know that you realize this and that you leaving is not personal. Sometimes, no matter what you do, some people are not going to be okay with you leaving a job. There will always be someone who thinks that you getting another job is not a good idea for you. This is especially true for co-workers or bosses who you have a relationship with. Some of that is probably coming for the fact that they will miss you being around the office. Others can be envious of your boldness. It takes a lot to leave a comfy work environment for a challenging job. There is no way to please everyone. In these cases, just remain positive and ignore any backlash you may face.

The Ins and Outs of Free Writing Contests (free writing contests) Free writing contests are available by the thousands. They are virtually a dime a dozen on the Internet. No matter what your niche is in the writing community there is a free writing contests out there for you. How do you know which ones to enter and which ones are legitimate? That’s simple. You do what you do best-- research. While providing the story for the free writing contest will probably be the easy part, researching the thousands of available contests will be a daunting task. If this is un-chartered water for you, you have the start at the beginning. Finding what free writing contests are available. Grab a notebook or start a word document and list the contests that are available. Beside each contest name you will want to put what kind of writing they are looking for and when it needs to be done by. By doing this first you will be able to eliminate any that do not coincide with your writing niche or with your schedule. Now the free writing contest research begins. Finding out if a contest is worthwhile and legitimate is comparable to running a background check on a person. First check the contest website. Do they have all contact information available? Do they tell you what company is hosting the contest? If they are not, you will have likely found warning number one that it is a scam. So scratch those off your list or at least move them to the bottom until you can find out more information on them. Start asking around to colleagues and writers groups. Search the writing forums and the Internet scam sites. The Better Business Bureau is also a good place to look. Once you narrowed the free writing contests down to the legitimate ones, read the contest rules and regulations. Some contests require you signing over all rights to a story even if you don’t win. Are you willing to do this? Giving up rights to you writing is a lot easier to do when you are getting something in return. After you enter there is no going back, so make sure this is what you want to do. The final thing you need to look for is if the contest is just a cover up to get you to buy services or products. This does not necessarily mean they are a scam or don’t actually award winners. It simply means that they will try to entice you to use their critiquing services or offer you a book at a reduced fee that your work will be published in. Being published sounds like a great deal but is it a book that carries prestige that people are going to see? Many authors think that writing contests will launch their career into a successful endeavor. This is not the case, especially for free writing contests. Even winning the grand prize of a smaller known contest is not going to affect your literary journey. Even though they may not springboard your career, there are good reasons to join writing contests. You will get unbiased opinions and valuable feedback from the judges. If you make it into the higher rounds, editors could also see your writing. Ultimately whether you enter a free writing contest the choice is yours. Just ask you self if the time spent writing and researching the piece you choose to enter is worth writing for free in most cases. The critique and feedback may be the most worthwhile thing you receive from the contest. But then again the judges opinions are a dime a dozen just like the contests.