OpenSQL Camp Starts Tomorrow!


So the good news is that the inaugural OpenSQL Camp is going to be an awesome event with mouth watering sessions by noted experts. The bad news (for me) is that I won't be attending it, which makes me sad. I cannot leave my town because my wife can go into labor anytime now.

The session list looks great! Congratulations and thanks to Baron, Sheeri, Ronald, all the sponsors and contributors for organizing the first OpenSQL Camp.

I will be watching PlanetMySQL closely for juicy blog posts. Hopefully, the one and only Sheeri is taking her camcorder!

Stack Overflow: Q&A Site


Today I discovered Stack Overflow, a collaborative site that focuses on technical Questions. You can ask questions related to any language, apparently without having to register. The site is currently in beta. There are also a few MySQL questions that are currently unanswered.

Scalability As A Functional Or Non Functional Requirement

I am currently tasked with writing Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document for a project. Effective sharding (based on specific criterion) and Scalability are key requirements of the project.

Scalability is traditionally classified as a non-functional requirement. My question to the community is that if scalability is crucial to a project, would it still be classified as a non-functional requirement? Are their cases when scalability requirements would be best classified as functional requirements?

Open Source Pony Tail

Sorry for not updating this blog regularly. My wife's due date is soon so I've busy.

Anyway, I wanted to share this very funny interview with Jonathan Schwartz (puppet):

How do i connect to a mysql server from my windows machine?

Hi, ive been playing around making websites with php, and i want to create a mysql database. Ive got a book that tells me how to do it but it doesnt actually tell me how to connect to my server. Iv registered webspace that allows mysql databases, but how to I connect to it through a command prompt on my windows machine? Is there any software I have to install? Thanks for any replys, Ben.

In order to connect to the mySQL database server, you will need a mySQL client of some sort. Your hosting provider probably has phpMyAdmin installed, which is a Web-based client that needs no software installation on your part. If your hosting provider has Webmin, you can use its mySQL module, which is like phpMyAdmin but not quite as well designed.

phpMyAdmin will almost certainly be adequate for your needs, but if not, you can install a client of your own. Just find a client you like — mySQL provides graphical clients at http://www.mysql.com/products/tools/ , and also a command-line client; other popular choices for Windows are SQL-Front ( http://www.sql-front.com/ ) and Navicat ( http://www.navicat.com/ ). You might also want to look at Power*Architect ( http://www.sqlpower.ca/page/architect ), which is a data modeling tool that has some client functionality as well.

For security reasons, some hosting providers disable access from remote clients, so phpMyAdmin may be your only option.

When you've found a client you like, you will need to give it connection information so it can find your database server (unless it's your host's phpMyAdmin installation, which will be preconfigured). Your hosting provider will give you that information, which you will also need for any PHP scripts that communicate with the database.

How to Choose a Web Hosting Company

Given the sheer number of web hosting providers, making the decision as to which one to go with can become a daunting task. What many people don’t realize is that the wrong choice can introduce a “single point of failure” into your otherwise successful online business. In this articles, I will discuss some of the major factors you should consider before you make that choice.

If you have always wanted to know more about this topic, then get ready because we have all the information you can handle.

interval AND BANDWIDTH

The most usual thing people look for in a hosting source is the total of floppy storeroom cosmos and “bandwidth” vacant to them. While these are indeed important, they should not forlorn be the deciding truthors. truth is, most sources nowadays allocate more floppy cosmos and bandwidth than most people would want. As I explained in an past thing, 5-10 Gigabytes (or more) of storeroom is A LOT of storeroom. Most people will never want this greatly. If you alprompt have your website intended and prompt to go on your own notebook, plainally right-click the folder and choose properties to verify how greatly cosmos it needs. Even if you use backend databases (e.g., MySQL, MS ACCESS), the gigantic margin of sites would never come close to requiring 5GB or more. As long as the hosting sources you are considering give you that 5GB or more, you will be excellent in all but a few underdone suitarguments. If you realize you want more at a later time, make surely your source gives you an painexcluding upgrade avenue to a hosting design with a advanced allocation.

The same thing applies to bandwidth. Many, if not most, sources now give bandwidth allocatioins of 200Gb/month or more. That total would be more than adequate for most small businesses. Let’s look at an example. If each visitor to your site uses, on ordinary, 1MB of bandwidth to side through your pages, a 200GB/month bandwidth allocation would sell 200,000 visitors/month. Even if each visitor browsed an ordinary of 10MB on your site (which is decidedly dodgy), you could still sell 20.000 visitors/month. Of course, if your business truly explodes into a massive victory, your failsafe fallback locate is choosing a hosting source that allocates for a painexcluding upgrade avenue.

Keep reading further to learn how this topic can benefit you, as the rest of this article will supply you will the needed information.

communal VS. DEDICATED HOSTING

In a common hosting environment, your site is sited on a server that also grants hosting for a number of other people. You have your own cosmos, your own domain and the respite, but other people are also with the capital of that server for their sites. There is no chance of your pages viewing up on the other people site, or associate versa. Each site has its own sole set of folders, logins, and so forwards.

likewise the truth that common hosting expenses considerably excluding, the important consideration for most people is that the hosting circle prop workers administers the server. If there is a catch with the server, they have to fix it, not you. When the working technique or other technique software wants to be upgraded, they do it. All you care about is your own site and the pages enclosed on it.

For a large number of small businesses, common hosting is more than adequate. In a common hosting environment, there is no want for you to have official skill of Windows or Unix server administration. Thats not your soul business so why would you want to take that on?

In some suitarguments however, there may be exact reasons why superstar wants to administer their own server. These generally need people who have specialized needments. In that argument, a dedicated server would be the decision of choice.

In a dedicated server environment, you have packed manage over everything. You configure the server the way you want it. You ensconce working technique upgrades and patches, and you fix stuff when they crunch. You verify what components run on the server (e.g. ASP .NET 1.1 or .NET 2.0). You verify if the server runs CDONTs or some other mailer series. Its almost as if the server were in your home or place of business, excepting that you are administering it distantly.

Again, in the gigantic margin of suitarguments for a small business, common hosting would be the preference. In those suitarguments where a dedicated server is vital, most hosting companies grant that, along with the headaches.

expense

It is amazing to me what some hosting sources trust for their serassociates. It is even more amazing that so many people pay these worths. Let’s consider a few of the “low end” hosting designs untaken by some of the “big boys” in the web hosting sector.

One of them trusts $9.95/mo for their plain serassociate. They also need a $25 system fee. For that, you get 2GB of storeroom cosmos and 20GB of bandwidth. Another trusts $14.95/month. With that, you get 500MB (MB, not GB) of storeroom, and 30GB of bandwidth. Are you kididng me?? There are thousands of hosting sources that will give you 10 period these totals for $5/month or excluding. And if you relate other skin, you will find that in most suitarguments, these other sources also give you more in language of dispatch accounts and other “boundlessbies”. It pays to relate. For those who want to expend lookalike, or even triple, for domains and web hosting, go right before. It is your money after all.

Of course, you can forever go with a boundless hosting account. You cant beat the worth. But that doesnt routinely allocate you to use your own domain. You just become an increase of superstar elses (e.g., somehostingserassociate.com/yoursite). That doesnt do greatly for your branding. With boundless sites, you can also presume a boatload of ads that the hosting circle puts there. I disbelief that is truly the aura you want to portray to your customers.

HOSTING supplier VIABILITY

Many people overlook this consideration, but liability so can be a important gaffe. The last thing you want is to get a great site online, jerk getting a ton of visitors and sales, and then have your hosting circle go stomach-up on you. Its happened all too regularly.

It is to your help to make surely that whoever you host with will be there tomorrow, next month, next year and five days from now. You would be astounded how many hosting companies are run by a single self out of the basement of their home, or how many of them are working on a shoestring.

Dont be anxious to ask a possible hosting circle where their servers are located, or how many people are on their workers. I have confirmed in other stuff that it is truly important for all businesses to have a issue Continuity chart. Ask your possible hosting circle if they have one. Ask them what happens to YOU if there is a fire in their server knotty. And dont be anxious to ask them what happens to the circle if the possessor gets hit by a beer truck on the way to work. It happens.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Depending on the wants for your online business, there are numerous other truthors to consider when choosing your hosting source:

- how many dispatch accounts do they grant?

- do they grant “Blog” software or do you want a 3rd-group plugin

- do they grant “Discussion Forum” software, or do you want a 3rd-group plugin?

- do they grant a “shopping drag”?

- do they grant “business accounts” if you don’t alprompt have one?

- do they grant “SSL” certificates for obtain transactions?

- what is the upgrade avenue for adding skin at a later court?

- do they grant robust transfer statistics?

You may not want all these skin, but if you do, it’s easier to go with those that are integrated into your hosting design. affect what YOUR wants are, then choose the hosting source that gives you the best combination of worth and skin.

.

Startup Scalability Strategies @ Startonomics

Tomorrow morning I am presenting a session, Startup Scalability Strategies, at Startonomics, a conference being organized by Dave McClure and Deal Maker Media. The sessions will be streamed live using UStream. Check the Startonomics website at http://startonomics.com for more details.

Also check out my guest blog post titled How Important Is Scalability written for Startonomics blog.

How to Effectively Plan an Affiliate Site

How to Effectively Plan an Affiliate Site Copyright 2005 by
Shannon Herod

I was running out of patience and the hatred of it all was
setting in. Whirling around the net searching for that one piece
of gold that was going to set everything in motion and bring a
windfall of cash was just a big waste of time. Thousands of
dollars wasted and countless hours wasted with not one single
return of investment.

That was the way that I started my business. As you can imagine
I was getting nowhere fast. Setting up running and profiting
from an Internet business takes more than just a web site, an
e-mail account, and a computer. You need a plan of action, what
direction are you going to go with your web site, what products
will you promote, what other sources of revenue will you have,
and many other factors will determine your success.

Affiliate Game Plan

I can give you a quick glimpse or taste of a simple plan that
you can put in effect. This plane is going to focus on affiliate
marketing in the arena of Internet marketing.

OK, here is a simple little plan but at least it’s a plan.

The first thing you need to consider is the products or
services that you will be promoting. There is a ton of different
products and services available for you to promote. Finding the
right one that pays is the most important part. When considering
what you will promote you need to look at a few different areas.

1. What percentage does that product pay 2. How well does the
sales page convert 3. Does the sales page have cookies and how
long does the cookie last 4. What is the minimum payout and how
often do they pay 5. How long has the Company been in business
6. What type of reputation and customer service does the company
have

These are a few things that I consider when looking at a product
to promote. Always try and test a product before you put your
name on a recommendation for that product. Just as this you are
going to open a brick and mortar business your reputation is
very important.

Web Site and Hosting

Next you need to consider the type of site you will build and
the hosting company you will use. Your web site will be your
virtual real estate and you need to assure that is in a good
location. You can find many hosting options by just going to
Google and doing a search for hosting company. When choosing a
hosting company here is a few things that I consider.

1. How much bandwidth do they offer 2. How much disk space do
they offer 3. How many mysql databases do they offer 4. Can I
host multiple web sites from one account

As a beginner those four things should be the only things you
really need to worry about. As you become more experienced and
building web sites and programming there’ll be a few other
options you will consider, but for now I think that should do.

The type of web site you build is going to be very important.
Don’t worry if you are a complete moron when it comes to HTML
there are plenty of what you see is what you get (wysiwyg) web
site builders available just go to Google and search for web
site builders.

A simple direct response web site should be your goal. You do
not need to worry about building a fancy web site with a ton of
graphics and fancy navigation bars. That piece of information
alone should take your fear out of trying to build a site.
Remember keep it simple stupid.

A direct response web site is just what it sounds like. Your
main goal should be to capture your visitors’ name and e-mail
address. You can do this by giving away a free report that you
produced or by getting a report that has giveaway rights.

Build a List

You are going to want to build an opt in e-mail list so you can
keep in constant contact with all of your leads. To do this you
will need an autoresponder to make your life a whole easier.

Your goal with your opt in e-mail list should be to build a
relationship so you can offer products that you recommend. Once
you have a list that trust you making money is very simple.

The Process of Profit Maximization

Now there is a process you are going to want to take your
visitors through in order to maximize your profits, here it is
in a short description.

From your opt in page you will want to lead your visitor to a
thank you page that should offer some sort of up sell. Your
thank you page should exit to the product sales page. Even will
need to follow up with your new lead on consistent basis and
offer information to help your new customer and occasionally
recommend a product that you believe in.

That is a short version because I’m not trying to make this book
just a quick little plan for you to follow.

That is a real quick plan of action that definitely need some
more consideration, but hopefully it will get your wheels
turning so you can expand on this idea to fit your business.
There are many different things to consider like traffic
generation and support but that is a whole new subject.

Do some research and try to expand on the ideas listed above.
Your business should have goals and your goal should have plans
of action. Put your mind to work, work up plan, and work your
plan and success will be right around the corner.