Why Arent You Using CGI – Web
Why Arent You Using CGI
Michael Southon
The very name CGI used to send chills up my spine. For years I put it in the too-hard-basket. But like most things in life, CGI is not as scary as it seems. If you have a cgi directory on your website and you know how to FTP files, chances are you can have a CGI script up and running in less than 20 minutes.
CGI Common Gateway Interface is not a programming language but a standard that allows visitors to interact with your website. CGI scripts can be written in a number of different languages but most are written in Perl Practical Extraction and Reporting Language.
This article gives you details of five free CGI scripts that will do the following:
Mail out your Newsletter from your server
Track the number of times your free E-Book is downloaded
Rotate banners on your website
Create your own auto responders
Allow visitors to recommend your website to friends
At the end of this article are details of where to download these 5 free scripts. But first, here are some basic guidelines on how to configure and install CGI scripts:
1. CGI programs usually come in a zip file. Unzip the file and open the README file. This document will give you instructions for configuring the program file.
2. Open the program file using a text editor such as NOTEPAD the program file will usually have the file extension .cgi but may have other extensions such as pl.
In most CGI programs you will have to configure the following 4 items:
a the path to perl
This is where the perl program resides on your server. The path will usually be:
#!/usr/bin/perl
but could be:
#!/usr/local/bin/perl
If youre unsure what your path to perl is, check your web hosts online manual or FAQs. If you cant find it there, simply ask your web host.
b the path to sendmail
Most CGI programs notify you when your visitors have completed a particular action, and for that, the program needs to know where the sendmail program resides on your server. The path to your UNIX sendmail program will usually be: /usr/sbin/sendmail
But it could also be something like this:
/usr/lib/sendmail
Again, check the documentation on your web hosts website, or simply ask your web host.
c the absolute path to your CGI directory
The absolute path tells the CGI program exactly where to find the file or files that it needs to open. Unfortunately, the absolute path to your CGI directory is not
Using Photos As Graphics In Marketing Your Business – Digital Cameras
Using Photos As Graphics In Marketing Your Business
Valerie Siple
More and more businesses are seeing the value of photography in marketing their business. Websites, html emails, business cards, banners. Scanners and other digital equipment is HOT! What do you need to know about the subject of photography to take advantage of photos in your business
Many memorable moments would be lost and long forgotten without photography. The most important thing to photography is light. The camera is a precise instrument for capturing light. The word "camera" in Latin means room. The name camera comes from the first invention towards capturing the world on film, the camera obscura or dark room.
This invention came about in the 14th century and was used by such artists as Da Vinci and Michelangelo to more accurately draw their subjects onto paper. The invention of this box made way for more advancements in cameras and photography.
There are five essential items in cameras that make photography possible. They are exposure, refraction, plane of focus, angle of view and aperture. Exposure is the amount of time a camera lets film be exposed to light. Refraction is the bending of light through the lenses of a camera. Plane of focus is the area where light reforms an image in the film. Angle of view is the angle created on a lens when you take the two outermost points you can see through a lens and diverge them to the exact center of the lens. The angle created will be the angle at which the camera can take pictures at. Aperture is the amount of light a lens allows into the camera.
The camera obscura, as mentioned previously, was a large room with a small hole where light could pass through. The development of the camera obscura took two tracks. One of these led to the portable box device that was a drawing tool. In the 17th and 18th century, many artists were aided by the use of the camera obscura.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the camera obscura was ready with little or no modification to accept a sheet of light sensitive material to become the photographic camera. The other track became the camera obscura room, a combination of education and entertainment.
In the 19th century, with improved lenses that could cast larger and sharper images, the camera obscura flourished at the seaside and in areas of scenic beauty.
Of course now there are much more practical ways to take photographs. From the traditional 35mm cameras to the newest cellular phones equipped with digital cameras. Big ones, small ones, and anything else you can think of. There is a camera to fit your needs and lifestyle, or even your color preference. The world of photography has certainly grown a lot over the years. Taking into consideration your usage when purchasing is key to investing in the proper equipment.
About The Author
Valerie Sipple is the webmaster of:
http://www.rgphotography.com
a great resource for everything about photography.
Using Demographic Data For Your Direct Mail Marketing Campaign – Casino
Using Demographic Data For Your Direct Mail Marketing Campaign
Frank Levert
Targeting high potential markets with a direct mail marketing campaign can be a very affordable and efficient way to get new customers for most companies and entrepreneurs but how can you find a way to reach those high potential markets Using demographic data could be your solution.
In the United States, demographic data is easy to get through the US Census Bureau website. Although, understanding how to extract data from a database and segment markets in a way to identify which market would be your best target for a direct mail marketing campaign requires great knowledge of census data and market segmentation techniques. Acquiring this knowledge takes time and hiring a full time employee that is expert in market segmentation can be costly. Since the whole purpose of using demographic data for your direct mail marketing campaign is to save money and increase benefits, buying mailing lists or a market segmentation system might be the smart choice.
When purchasing a mailing list, it is important to learn about its selection process. Do you want a business list or a residential list Do you want to target markets with a household average of 40 years old or would you rather target markets with a younger population Demographic data used to build a mailing list can make a huge difference on your return on investment. Imagine having an online casino and then get a list of zip codes in which a very high percentage of people recently visited a casino and purchased online with their credit card, have a high income, no kids, etc. That would make people living in those zip codes very high potential clients for your online casino right Can you imagine using such demographic data in your advantage for a direct mail marketing campaign!
Sounds good As mentioned before, buying mailing lists or a market segmentation system based on demographic data for your direct mail marketing campaign is cheaper than hiring a full time employee specialized in market segmentation or direct mail marketing but its still an important investment that requires some research. Many companies are offering such mailing lists, market segmentation systems, specific industry solutions and direct mail marketing solutions. Its now up to you to find the right data provider for your business and achieve succesful direct mail marketing campaign using demographic data!
About The Author
Frank Levert is a graphic/web designer, multimedia artist, copywriter and marketing professional with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He is now the owner of Netmar Solutions, a company offering a whole spectrum of internet and marketing services for small and medium size businesses.