The World Wide Web is always growing, and more information is exchanged inevitable, there are more threats of things like fraud, manipulation of information, identity theft and virus attacks. Companies and users of the Internet have always been aware of the dangers of the Internet, and have therefore taken steps to protect themselves against malicious software and stealing information.
In addition, a right to privacy is constantly under increased because employers have the capacity to monitor e-mail, Web browsing and instant messaging conversations. A proxy site, type HTTP, can be used by surfers to protect their online identity.
This occurs by hiding their IP addresses so they can not be traced. Every computer and device connected to the Internet has a unique identifier called an IP address that enables communication and precise identification through the World Wide Web. People who prey on Internet users can use their addresses to trace the people browsing habits and enable them to obtain important information that should not be in the hands of others.
Employers will use the IP address of company computers, along with various other methods, to track employees Internet habits while at work. The debate of privacy comes into play here but the law will normally take the employers side here. Because of these issues, more and more people have turned to proxy surf HTTP proxies to enable them to protect their privacy in their surfing habits online.
HTTP proxies allow a person to surf the Internet anonymously, acting as a middle man between the users computer and the Internet. The user can visit any website they want to under the disguise of a anonymous IP address. A HTTP proxy can keep prying eyes off the Internet users web surfing habits. They also have the advantage of being compatible with any type of browser.
However, a HTTP proxy is not always secure and therefore have their disadvantages. Some are left open, either by poor management or just malicious intent. Open HTTP proxies can expose the user to problems like piracy attempts and manners of fraud.
A web based proxy is usually safer to use and can be neatly as efficient as HTTP proxies, but do have their drawbacks. A web proxy can be slow and can contain errors in the display information and cal also crash while the user is browsing. Some are better than others so research and experimentation is needed to find a reliable one that will cater for the users needs.
Proxy site networks is another option available to ensure that web browsing is secure, anonymous, and reliable, though they too have potential drawbacks in inter-networks administration, bandwidth issues, and availability. There is a growing demand for anonymous web browsing and it will only increase so more options are continuing to become available.
However, for every advance in anonymous web browsing, there is a counter advance in Internet espionage. Never assume that the Internet is an anonymous place because it is not. Only if you take certain steps disused in this article can you then minimize the likelihood of prying eyes and other problems.
The author lives in England and has his own proxy website online. It provides some reviews on some good products available on the market. You are welcome to go and visit it for more information. I hope you find the site helpful.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
All About Cheap Refurbished Laptops
Refurbished laptops are cheap as alternatives to the brand new, more expensive models. Many people wonder exactly what the cheap laptops are refurbished, and if the risk of not buying new is worth the money saved.
Before buying cheap laptops refurbished, be sure to look over magazines published on the models you are considering. Not only that, but what is very useful in the hunt for cheap laptops refurbished are side by side comparisons. They are very cheap compared to laptops refurbished which are all types of brands and models. Many people will find a certain brand and model they like, then buy a cheap laptop renovated.
Refurbished laptops are very cheap compared to new laptops. Poor or faulty components have been found and repaired or replaced. When the negotiation is that these laptops refurbished by law can not be sold as new, so they must be sold at discounted prices used. Stores still sell laptops refurbished cheap for consumers to make a profit, and the consumer pays less for almost any new model. The cheap laptops are refurbished tested and tested to ensure they operate as a brand new, never out of the box model.
Many consumers specifically search out cheap refurbished laptops because they can then afford a higher end model that they would otherwise not be able to afford. Many of the brands of laptops that are discounted are brands like Dell, IBM, and Sony. What is even better is that often the manufacturers will also include a certain timed guarantee on the unit, usually being either 30, 60, or 90 days. Chances are that if something is going to wrong with the unit, it will be during the first thirty days. Brand name manufacturers often are the ones that sell these cheap refurbished laptops directly from them, and other merchants sell the laptops in their online discount stores.
Cheap refurbished laptop experts often claim that you need the most memory available and the largest hard drive if you want to do anything other than just basic computing. When people are looking for the cheap laptops, though, this is often not what they are aiming for. People usually are just looking for the best machine that can fit their budgets. If you will be emailing, surfing the web, and word processing, which is what most consumers are interested, cheap refurbished laptops are the way to go to save money and still get a great computer.
Before buying cheap laptops refurbished, be sure to look over magazines published on the models you are considering. Not only that, but what is very useful in the hunt for cheap laptops refurbished are side by side comparisons. They are very cheap compared to laptops refurbished which are all types of brands and models. Many people will find a certain brand and model they like, then buy a cheap laptop renovated.
Refurbished laptops are very cheap compared to new laptops. Poor or faulty components have been found and repaired or replaced. When the negotiation is that these laptops refurbished by law can not be sold as new, so they must be sold at discounted prices used. Stores still sell laptops refurbished cheap for consumers to make a profit, and the consumer pays less for almost any new model. The cheap laptops are refurbished tested and tested to ensure they operate as a brand new, never out of the box model.
Many consumers specifically search out cheap refurbished laptops because they can then afford a higher end model that they would otherwise not be able to afford. Many of the brands of laptops that are discounted are brands like Dell, IBM, and Sony. What is even better is that often the manufacturers will also include a certain timed guarantee on the unit, usually being either 30, 60, or 90 days. Chances are that if something is going to wrong with the unit, it will be during the first thirty days. Brand name manufacturers often are the ones that sell these cheap refurbished laptops directly from them, and other merchants sell the laptops in their online discount stores.
Cheap refurbished laptop experts often claim that you need the most memory available and the largest hard drive if you want to do anything other than just basic computing. When people are looking for the cheap laptops, though, this is often not what they are aiming for. People usually are just looking for the best machine that can fit their budgets. If you will be emailing, surfing the web, and word processing, which is what most consumers are interested, cheap refurbished laptops are the way to go to save money and still get a great computer.
About the Author
For more information on cheap refurbished laptops, please visit our website.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Data Backup - The Problems & Solutions
Despite the importance of information within any business, the vast majority of small businesses do not have adequate backup and data recovery systems in place. Even when a solution is in place it is often fraught with problems; some of which are only discovered when it’s too late.
Home users are no different; often storing treasured photos of occasions never to be repeated in one place with no copy!
So why don’t we protect the information on our computers?
At The PC Support Group we have looked into this and it would appear that a combination of factors contribute to this potentially dangerous situation.
The first issue is simply that most businesses, particularly smaller ones, don’t fully appreciate the value of the information they have stored on their computers and believe that manually retrieving it (presumably by making a few phone calls and checking old paperwork) is a relatively trivial process.
This belief seems to stem from the fact that most businesses develop from the knowledge and skills of one or two people. Those people are often the major decision makers in all areas for some time and, due to day to day activity and pressures, they don’t realise the quantity or quality of information that is building up to help the business operate. As a result they don’t put protecting that information very high on the agenda.
Those that have recognised the need to protect their data are then faced with the challenge of knowing what the threats are and how to protect against them.
Data can be lost through hardware failure, software problems, malicious software such as viruses, theft of equipment, human error or major physical disasters such as fire and flood. Considering all these issues can be a major challenge in its own right.
The next issue is that backup solutions are notoriously difficult to run and manage reliably - no one wants to take day-to-day responsibility for them and all too often they are left failing for prolonged periods.
Finally we have the old favourites: time and money. With all the other pressures placed on small businesses it is natural to put data backup on the “to do” list. Spending money on marketing and sales is seen as more important, so protecting the data will just have to wait… after all, it’s not likely to fail, is it?
So let’s look at a few statistics:
• Half of all companies that lose their data go out of business overnight (Source: Baroudi Bloor International - research firm)
• 93% of companies that lost their data for 10 days or more filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster (Source: National Archives & Records Administration)
• 34% of companies fail to test their backups, and of those that do, 77% have found backup failures (Source: Home Office Computing Magazine)
Pretty scary stuff! Clearly taking care of your information is paramount to any business and is sensible from a home user’s perspective too.
So what is data backup and what are the options these days?
Data backup is the act of ensuring your important information (which could be customer contact details for a business or cherished photos for a home user) isn’t only stored in a single place, which leaves it vulnerable to being lost through damage or theft. Since a backup system contains at least one copy of all important data, the risk of total data loss is minimised. And any data loss does not result in a total standstill of the business or heartache for the home user. Using the backup data, the system can be restored and normal service resumed.
Finding the right data backup solution can be confusing. It depends on what to backup, how to backup and what type of computer or network is being used. It might sometimes seem difficult to choose the right backup solution. Not because they are difficult to find, but because there are so many of them.
For small quantities of data you can consider simply copying it to a CD or a memory stick; both are cheap and easy to use. The main problems with these are that they are limited in what you can store and more importantly you have to physically remember to make the copy and then file it appropriately.
For larger quantities it is recommended that a local backup is made to another system such as a Server or an external hard drive. This protects you from the most common data loss issue - hardware failure. Your entire system is stored on an hourly, daily or weekly basis to a permanently connected independent disk, ready to be restored at any time. Depending on how sophisticated the solution is, you may be able to quickly search for and retrieve individual files that have been accidentally deleted… Data Backup isn’t just for total system failures!
To guard against major disasters such as flood or fire, where your entire office or computer room is destroyed, off-site storage is required. There are two ways in which you can do this. You can sign up to a service that automatically creates a backup of your critical files over the internet to a secure off-site location. Alternatively, or in addition, you can take a manual backup which stores a password protected image of your entire system onto portable disk drives that are taken off site on a rotational basis. The main advantage of this is that a complete system can be more rapidly restored than from a backup of only files and folders.
Choosing a backup system, setting it up and then managing it can be a complicated undertaking. Luckily there are companies, including The PC Support Group, who offer data backup and recovery services to both businesses and home computer users to take all these headaches away. If you decide to use on of these then you need not worry about the technicalities, process or intricacies of the data backup procedure.
One thing is certain, if you don’t arrange to have a data backup, it is not a case of if you lose your data but when, and the consequences will be at least upsetting or in the case of a business, could be catastrophic. Don’t delay, act now!
Resource Box: For further information on data backup and recovery solutions, or for any other computer support related matter, contact The PC Support Group via our web site www.pcsupportgroup.com or call us on 0845 2233116.
Home users are no different; often storing treasured photos of occasions never to be repeated in one place with no copy!
So why don’t we protect the information on our computers?
At The PC Support Group we have looked into this and it would appear that a combination of factors contribute to this potentially dangerous situation.
The first issue is simply that most businesses, particularly smaller ones, don’t fully appreciate the value of the information they have stored on their computers and believe that manually retrieving it (presumably by making a few phone calls and checking old paperwork) is a relatively trivial process.
This belief seems to stem from the fact that most businesses develop from the knowledge and skills of one or two people. Those people are often the major decision makers in all areas for some time and, due to day to day activity and pressures, they don’t realise the quantity or quality of information that is building up to help the business operate. As a result they don’t put protecting that information very high on the agenda.
Those that have recognised the need to protect their data are then faced with the challenge of knowing what the threats are and how to protect against them.
Data can be lost through hardware failure, software problems, malicious software such as viruses, theft of equipment, human error or major physical disasters such as fire and flood. Considering all these issues can be a major challenge in its own right.
The next issue is that backup solutions are notoriously difficult to run and manage reliably - no one wants to take day-to-day responsibility for them and all too often they are left failing for prolonged periods.
Finally we have the old favourites: time and money. With all the other pressures placed on small businesses it is natural to put data backup on the “to do” list. Spending money on marketing and sales is seen as more important, so protecting the data will just have to wait… after all, it’s not likely to fail, is it?
So let’s look at a few statistics:
• Half of all companies that lose their data go out of business overnight (Source: Baroudi Bloor International - research firm)
• 93% of companies that lost their data for 10 days or more filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster (Source: National Archives & Records Administration)
• 34% of companies fail to test their backups, and of those that do, 77% have found backup failures (Source: Home Office Computing Magazine)
Pretty scary stuff! Clearly taking care of your information is paramount to any business and is sensible from a home user’s perspective too.
So what is data backup and what are the options these days?
Data backup is the act of ensuring your important information (which could be customer contact details for a business or cherished photos for a home user) isn’t only stored in a single place, which leaves it vulnerable to being lost through damage or theft. Since a backup system contains at least one copy of all important data, the risk of total data loss is minimised. And any data loss does not result in a total standstill of the business or heartache for the home user. Using the backup data, the system can be restored and normal service resumed.
Finding the right data backup solution can be confusing. It depends on what to backup, how to backup and what type of computer or network is being used. It might sometimes seem difficult to choose the right backup solution. Not because they are difficult to find, but because there are so many of them.
For small quantities of data you can consider simply copying it to a CD or a memory stick; both are cheap and easy to use. The main problems with these are that they are limited in what you can store and more importantly you have to physically remember to make the copy and then file it appropriately.
For larger quantities it is recommended that a local backup is made to another system such as a Server or an external hard drive. This protects you from the most common data loss issue - hardware failure. Your entire system is stored on an hourly, daily or weekly basis to a permanently connected independent disk, ready to be restored at any time. Depending on how sophisticated the solution is, you may be able to quickly search for and retrieve individual files that have been accidentally deleted… Data Backup isn’t just for total system failures!
To guard against major disasters such as flood or fire, where your entire office or computer room is destroyed, off-site storage is required. There are two ways in which you can do this. You can sign up to a service that automatically creates a backup of your critical files over the internet to a secure off-site location. Alternatively, or in addition, you can take a manual backup which stores a password protected image of your entire system onto portable disk drives that are taken off site on a rotational basis. The main advantage of this is that a complete system can be more rapidly restored than from a backup of only files and folders.
Choosing a backup system, setting it up and then managing it can be a complicated undertaking. Luckily there are companies, including The PC Support Group, who offer data backup and recovery services to both businesses and home computer users to take all these headaches away. If you decide to use on of these then you need not worry about the technicalities, process or intricacies of the data backup procedure.
One thing is certain, if you don’t arrange to have a data backup, it is not a case of if you lose your data but when, and the consequences will be at least upsetting or in the case of a business, could be catastrophic. Don’t delay, act now!
Resource Box: For further information on data backup and recovery solutions, or for any other computer support related matter, contact The PC Support Group via our web site www.pcsupportgroup.com or call us on 0845 2233116.
Canon Pixma IP 2600 – Review
There are various models and brands of printers that are available in the market but Canon Pixma IP 2600 is a new innovation in itself. If you compare Canon Pixma with older models of printer you will find the difference.
This latest model of printer has slim and stylish body with sleek exterior of 5.6×17.4×10 inches. It is more convenient and finished than ever. It does not take more space and can be mixed with IPod and desktop accessories. If you are looking for budget printer then Canon PIxma is the best choice for you. The control panel of the printer is just limited to power button an power button. The power input and USB port are located on the back side of printer. You can also print your pics through digital camera.
The printer cartridge is available in three colors and with standard black cartridge PG37. These cartridges are low consumption cartridges. The black cartridge consists of 11 ml of ink and color cartridge contains 9 ml consisting of 3ml of each color including cyan, magenta and yellow however you can buy cartridges of high consumptions that are little expensive than these cartridges. You can print large quantity of papers and your daily cost of print decreases.
In speed test, the Canon Pixma has outperformed and it just prints like flash and gives outstanding results. It approximately print 6 pages per minute with black print that is equitant with expensive printers like HP Deskjet D4260 and Lexmark Z845. It has successfully passed all quality tests and never created blur even in the low amount of ink in it.
The photos printed in the format of 4×6 are impressive and reviewers have admired this printing. This budget printer is just launched in the market and received good comments from consumers. You can buy this printer in the price of £50.
Resource Box: Nouman Umar
This latest model of printer has slim and stylish body with sleek exterior of 5.6×17.4×10 inches. It is more convenient and finished than ever. It does not take more space and can be mixed with IPod and desktop accessories. If you are looking for budget printer then Canon PIxma is the best choice for you. The control panel of the printer is just limited to power button an power button. The power input and USB port are located on the back side of printer. You can also print your pics through digital camera.
The printer cartridge is available in three colors and with standard black cartridge PG37. These cartridges are low consumption cartridges. The black cartridge consists of 11 ml of ink and color cartridge contains 9 ml consisting of 3ml of each color including cyan, magenta and yellow however you can buy cartridges of high consumptions that are little expensive than these cartridges. You can print large quantity of papers and your daily cost of print decreases.
In speed test, the Canon Pixma has outperformed and it just prints like flash and gives outstanding results. It approximately print 6 pages per minute with black print that is equitant with expensive printers like HP Deskjet D4260 and Lexmark Z845. It has successfully passed all quality tests and never created blur even in the low amount of ink in it.
The photos printed in the format of 4×6 are impressive and reviewers have admired this printing. This budget printer is just launched in the market and received good comments from consumers. You can buy this printer in the price of £50.
Resource Box: Nouman Umar
Windows Has Detected Spyware? Get Rid of Spyware Now
Sometimes when you looking for spyware removal software and anti-virus program, you suddenly face a pop up windows that ask to click for instant scan your pc so never do it because it can infect your system instead of removal an existing one.
Spyware can cause serious problems to your system and you can damage all of your data at once if you don’t get this spyware fixed. It not only endangers your pc performance but can be harmful for the theft of your personal identity. Your personal information can be misused and you can suffer with huge loss.
If you detect any spyware in your pc then you have to find a way to get rid of this before it incurs more damage to your system. You have to first find out ways that have infected your system so that you can block those doors that can make you safe in future.
Process Killer software:
Whenever you detect any of the virus or spyware in your system then first of all you should use a process killer that can disinfect your system and point out those areas that are highly infected and need immediate action. Once you indentify those areas, you can simply remove those spyware with the help of spyware removal or anti-virus.
The process killer do the major responsibility and de-stabiles or de-activate spyware then you can remove it easily.
Kasper Sky:
You can use this software that is highly effective in removal of spyware and virus through your computer. You can simply remove all viruses by using this software and it can also protect your computer in future. This is the way you can get rid of spyware and viruses.
The process killer is freely available online to various websites and you can simply download it to scan your system root and partitions.
Resource Box: Nouman Umar
Spyware can cause serious problems to your system and you can damage all of your data at once if you don’t get this spyware fixed. It not only endangers your pc performance but can be harmful for the theft of your personal identity. Your personal information can be misused and you can suffer with huge loss.
If you detect any spyware in your pc then you have to find a way to get rid of this before it incurs more damage to your system. You have to first find out ways that have infected your system so that you can block those doors that can make you safe in future.
Process Killer software:
Whenever you detect any of the virus or spyware in your system then first of all you should use a process killer that can disinfect your system and point out those areas that are highly infected and need immediate action. Once you indentify those areas, you can simply remove those spyware with the help of spyware removal or anti-virus.
The process killer do the major responsibility and de-stabiles or de-activate spyware then you can remove it easily.
Kasper Sky:
You can use this software that is highly effective in removal of spyware and virus through your computer. You can simply remove all viruses by using this software and it can also protect your computer in future. This is the way you can get rid of spyware and viruses.
The process killer is freely available online to various websites and you can simply download it to scan your system root and partitions.
Resource Box: Nouman Umar
Create a Bootable USB Flash Drive to Boot Your System
A bootable flash drive is a memory device that anyone can make that facilitates users to boot their windows on any computer by just plugging your flash disk into the computer USB port.
The bootable device is primarily used for two purposes:
• To boot up your computer or windows in case of any troubleshooting.
• Sharing applications and windows programs on different physical locations like from office to your home.
First of all you need to make changes in your system BIOS so that it allows you to configure your flash device to run as boot device. When you enter your flash drive into computer port then it pops up into BIOS items on the setup screen. Then you can select your USB as first boot device in the option of boot sequence. While in some cases, you need to press F10 button to select your flash memory device for boot setup.
However you will also need software that will allow you to make changes into Windows to run on flash memory device. There are many software but I have used PE Builder that is easy to install and configurable. You can download this software from any website and install it on the same directory where you have installed your windows. You have to make a folder on the root directory such as C: PEBUILDER3110a that is called as SRSP1 to download windows Server 2003 from this software.
You will only need two files Setupldr.bin and ramdisk.sys. Don’t disturb any other file because it may corrupt your existing windows.
When you get these two files on your system then you can run PR Builder software and press shift button so that it don’t get auto-start on launching of CD. Start PE Builder manually. When the Source field on the main PE Builder screen, enter the letter of the drive in which you put the CD. Check to see that the Output box contains BartPE and that the “None” option is selected in the Media Output panel. Once you have this entire squared away, click Build. You can watch the progress of the compression.
When it’s complete you’re prepared to format and copy the Windows XP Professional bootable image to the UFD with the BartPE USB Installer. Open a Command Prompt window and use the CD command to switch to the pebuilder3110a folder. Next, insert the UFD into a USB port; note the drive letter to which it is assigned, as you’ll need to enter it into your next command prompt that you type.
Suppose that that you have assigned the drive H: you need to type this command pe2usb –f h:
When the process is complete then you can exit the program and can use flash drive as bootable drive.
Resource Box: Nouman Umar
The bootable device is primarily used for two purposes:
• To boot up your computer or windows in case of any troubleshooting.
• Sharing applications and windows programs on different physical locations like from office to your home.
First of all you need to make changes in your system BIOS so that it allows you to configure your flash device to run as boot device. When you enter your flash drive into computer port then it pops up into BIOS items on the setup screen. Then you can select your USB as first boot device in the option of boot sequence. While in some cases, you need to press F10 button to select your flash memory device for boot setup.
However you will also need software that will allow you to make changes into Windows to run on flash memory device. There are many software but I have used PE Builder that is easy to install and configurable. You can download this software from any website and install it on the same directory where you have installed your windows. You have to make a folder on the root directory such as C: PEBUILDER3110a that is called as SRSP1 to download windows Server 2003 from this software.
You will only need two files Setupldr.bin and ramdisk.sys. Don’t disturb any other file because it may corrupt your existing windows.
When you get these two files on your system then you can run PR Builder software and press shift button so that it don’t get auto-start on launching of CD. Start PE Builder manually. When the Source field on the main PE Builder screen, enter the letter of the drive in which you put the CD. Check to see that the Output box contains BartPE and that the “None” option is selected in the Media Output panel. Once you have this entire squared away, click Build. You can watch the progress of the compression.
When it’s complete you’re prepared to format and copy the Windows XP Professional bootable image to the UFD with the BartPE USB Installer. Open a Command Prompt window and use the CD command to switch to the pebuilder3110a folder. Next, insert the UFD into a USB port; note the drive letter to which it is assigned, as you’ll need to enter it into your next command prompt that you type.
Suppose that that you have assigned the drive H: you need to type this command pe2usb –f h:
When the process is complete then you can exit the program and can use flash drive as bootable drive.
Resource Box: Nouman Umar
Saturday, October 11, 2008
How to Make a Success of Your Software Project?
Outsourcing in the Virtual World
With outsourcing becoming the most preferred business strategy in recent times, several small and big businesses have reaped huge benefits in terms of costs, quality and speed. The outsourcers make a bee-line for cheaper countries like India which have abundant English speaking skilled programmers and other professionals and the quality of services delivered is comparable with the best in the world. Plus it is available at minimal prices.
Thanks to the World Wide Web, we now have the cyber marketplaces for outsourcing in the virtual world. These are basically web portals which act as a dedicated point of contact between the outsourcers/ buyers and service providers/freelancers to strike a deal. They enable the service buyers to find the kind of professionals they need and the freelancers to find buyers for their services. All kinds of services are traded here ranging from copy writing and a simple logo design to hardcore programming like C/C++, Java, .NET and software development!
Projects
The buyers or the project managers as they are often called, convey their need for outsourcing by posting their projects on a web portal. Qualified freelancers come and bid their prices for those services. The project manager then chooses the best bid and closes his project. The chosen freelancer and the buyer are then put in contact with each other by the web portal.
Every project posted attracts several bids, leaving the project manager spoilt for choices as well as a little confused over who to choose. But it is not as easy as it sounds. Not all projects are carried out to their successful completion for various reasons, a few get mired in disputes, sometimes the bidding period expires and the project gets frozen without the project being awarded to any freelancer. How to avoid such situations? And how to make a success of your project? These are some of the issues we shall try to deal with in the following lines.
What goes into the making of a successful project?
A project can be certified as successful only when the project manager is satisfied and happy with the end-result! Success of a project is established in six consecutive steps:
1) You have a clear and realistic set of expectations from posting the project
2) You prepare your text for posting accordingly and post the project
3) The project attracts the kind of freelancers it needs
4) The most deserving freelancer wins the project
5) The project is completed under the supervision of the project manager in time.
6) The end-result is a quality product.
How to post a Project?
Before a project manager posts a project, he must analyze his own requirements carefully. Posting a project should not be viewed as an end in itself. It is rather a means to achieve the end of-- being able to select the freelancer you need. Understand the whole process of your project thoroughly and finally settle on a realistic set of expectations. Only then go ahead with the posting.
A posting is good and effective when it serves its purpose of attracting your targeted freelancers and has enough details for the freelancers to make an informed bid on the whole project. So, you’ve got some work to do here! After all, your posting is going to speak on your behalf. It must communicate clearly and effectively. So, the content should be lucid, to the point and easy to read and understand. Typically a good and effective posting covers the following areas:
· Your introduction (Usually, this portion is skipped by most managers. Or, this could be short and terse. A project manager can choose as per his/her individual approach and preferences.)
· Job type (Here, you mention the basic skill-set needed to carry out the job. e.g. C/C++, SQL, Graphic design etc.)
· Necessary job specifications (You give details about the job
aspects. e.g. “we need you to handle x, develop y and create z as a part of the project.” The purpose is to give the bidders a clear idea about all the work involved in the project so that they make an informed bid.)
· What are your time constraints? (Your can mention your expected time for project completion. Try to keep a reasonable time-frame since that would translate into a better quality for you.)
· What is your estimated budget? (Here, you quote a tentative price you are ready to pay for the said services which should ideally take in to account the skill set and expertise you are asking for, as well as the time and labor needed. You can specify the exact price or mention a range. Sometimes, the project managers mention ridiculously low prices or entirely skip any mention, in anticipation that this would lead to great cost savings but that could also translate in to a shoddy service as well. So, one should not hesitate to pay the deserved price. Outsourcing as well as competitive bidding is already lowering your costs a great deal.)
· Project’s open time (This is the time-span of the active project i.e. from the time your project is posted till the time it expires. This time is given to the project to accumulate enough number of qualifying bids.)
· Do mention your terms and conditions, confidentiality agreements or special requests, if any.
TIP--It’s not a great idea to circumvent business ethics and deliberately make a hazy posting that doesn’t give the bidders a fair idea about what they are signing up for! Eventually, you might need the services of the same freelancers again!
Remember, a comprehensive posting about the project would prevent repetitive questioning from the bidders, would save you from any disputes later on and also cast you in the light of a sincere business person. No wonder, good postings are always flooded with qualifying bids. I hope, you are ready to post a good project by yourself!
Sort out, correspond and confirm
After you’ve posted your project, you give some time for the project to accumulate sufficient number of qualifying bids. Meanwhile, you can go through each bidder’s profile, message, bidding details, pm’s and other files they have attached. Once you’ve sorted out the bids and have sufficient suitable candidates to choose from, you can begin to correspond with the good and promising bidders through the messaging system provided by your portal. You can keep on eliminating bidders from your list when they don’t meet your expectations. You can ask questions and demand sample work in order to confirm their credentials and gauge their suitability for your project. Subsequently, before the project period expires, you need to zero in on ‘the’ one! Once you finalize the winning bidder, the project is deemed closed.
(Several portals charge exorbitant amounts from both buyers as well as service providers. Some even charge for signing you up. www.e-guru.in is the one portal that is secure and reliable, and doesn’t charge the buyer anything for posting a project. Besides it offers a host of other benefits and features for the buyers, like its secure escrow payment system which acts as a safety net for the buyers.)
Project Implementation
Now comes the time to get some work done! Since, you would be given contact details of the contracted freelancer; you can convey your needs in greater detail and co-ordinate with him/her on how to go about the project. You can communicate via a variety of means like e-mails, IM, WebEx, Net meeting etc. Now the ball is in your court. You need to be pro-active at all the project stages, in monitoring and guiding your service provider as per your requirements. I am sure that henceforth, your project would take up your desired shape with the expert help of the professional you chose.
Conclusion
Belief in business ethics, professionalism and mutually beneficial business practices go a long way in determining your long-term success as a business person. With this note, I urge you to make the most of the opportunities that are there because of the internet. You now have the tools and the insight to make your projects an astounding success. Happy Posting!!
By Jason T
With outsourcing becoming the most preferred business strategy in recent times, several small and big businesses have reaped huge benefits in terms of costs, quality and speed. The outsourcers make a bee-line for cheaper countries like India which have abundant English speaking skilled programmers and other professionals and the quality of services delivered is comparable with the best in the world. Plus it is available at minimal prices.
Thanks to the World Wide Web, we now have the cyber marketplaces for outsourcing in the virtual world. These are basically web portals which act as a dedicated point of contact between the outsourcers/ buyers and service providers/freelancers to strike a deal. They enable the service buyers to find the kind of professionals they need and the freelancers to find buyers for their services. All kinds of services are traded here ranging from copy writing and a simple logo design to hardcore programming like C/C++, Java, .NET and software development!
Projects
The buyers or the project managers as they are often called, convey their need for outsourcing by posting their projects on a web portal. Qualified freelancers come and bid their prices for those services. The project manager then chooses the best bid and closes his project. The chosen freelancer and the buyer are then put in contact with each other by the web portal.
Every project posted attracts several bids, leaving the project manager spoilt for choices as well as a little confused over who to choose. But it is not as easy as it sounds. Not all projects are carried out to their successful completion for various reasons, a few get mired in disputes, sometimes the bidding period expires and the project gets frozen without the project being awarded to any freelancer. How to avoid such situations? And how to make a success of your project? These are some of the issues we shall try to deal with in the following lines.
What goes into the making of a successful project?
A project can be certified as successful only when the project manager is satisfied and happy with the end-result! Success of a project is established in six consecutive steps:
1) You have a clear and realistic set of expectations from posting the project
2) You prepare your text for posting accordingly and post the project
3) The project attracts the kind of freelancers it needs
4) The most deserving freelancer wins the project
5) The project is completed under the supervision of the project manager in time.
6) The end-result is a quality product.
How to post a Project?
Before a project manager posts a project, he must analyze his own requirements carefully. Posting a project should not be viewed as an end in itself. It is rather a means to achieve the end of-- being able to select the freelancer you need. Understand the whole process of your project thoroughly and finally settle on a realistic set of expectations. Only then go ahead with the posting.
A posting is good and effective when it serves its purpose of attracting your targeted freelancers and has enough details for the freelancers to make an informed bid on the whole project. So, you’ve got some work to do here! After all, your posting is going to speak on your behalf. It must communicate clearly and effectively. So, the content should be lucid, to the point and easy to read and understand. Typically a good and effective posting covers the following areas:
· Your introduction (Usually, this portion is skipped by most managers. Or, this could be short and terse. A project manager can choose as per his/her individual approach and preferences.)
· Job type (Here, you mention the basic skill-set needed to carry out the job. e.g. C/C++, SQL, Graphic design etc.)
· Necessary job specifications (You give details about the job
aspects. e.g. “we need you to handle x, develop y and create z as a part of the project.” The purpose is to give the bidders a clear idea about all the work involved in the project so that they make an informed bid.)
· What are your time constraints? (Your can mention your expected time for project completion. Try to keep a reasonable time-frame since that would translate into a better quality for you.)
· What is your estimated budget? (Here, you quote a tentative price you are ready to pay for the said services which should ideally take in to account the skill set and expertise you are asking for, as well as the time and labor needed. You can specify the exact price or mention a range. Sometimes, the project managers mention ridiculously low prices or entirely skip any mention, in anticipation that this would lead to great cost savings but that could also translate in to a shoddy service as well. So, one should not hesitate to pay the deserved price. Outsourcing as well as competitive bidding is already lowering your costs a great deal.)
· Project’s open time (This is the time-span of the active project i.e. from the time your project is posted till the time it expires. This time is given to the project to accumulate enough number of qualifying bids.)
· Do mention your terms and conditions, confidentiality agreements or special requests, if any.
TIP--It’s not a great idea to circumvent business ethics and deliberately make a hazy posting that doesn’t give the bidders a fair idea about what they are signing up for! Eventually, you might need the services of the same freelancers again!
Remember, a comprehensive posting about the project would prevent repetitive questioning from the bidders, would save you from any disputes later on and also cast you in the light of a sincere business person. No wonder, good postings are always flooded with qualifying bids. I hope, you are ready to post a good project by yourself!
Sort out, correspond and confirm
After you’ve posted your project, you give some time for the project to accumulate sufficient number of qualifying bids. Meanwhile, you can go through each bidder’s profile, message, bidding details, pm’s and other files they have attached. Once you’ve sorted out the bids and have sufficient suitable candidates to choose from, you can begin to correspond with the good and promising bidders through the messaging system provided by your portal. You can keep on eliminating bidders from your list when they don’t meet your expectations. You can ask questions and demand sample work in order to confirm their credentials and gauge their suitability for your project. Subsequently, before the project period expires, you need to zero in on ‘the’ one! Once you finalize the winning bidder, the project is deemed closed.
(Several portals charge exorbitant amounts from both buyers as well as service providers. Some even charge for signing you up. www.e-guru.in is the one portal that is secure and reliable, and doesn’t charge the buyer anything for posting a project. Besides it offers a host of other benefits and features for the buyers, like its secure escrow payment system which acts as a safety net for the buyers.)
Project Implementation
Now comes the time to get some work done! Since, you would be given contact details of the contracted freelancer; you can convey your needs in greater detail and co-ordinate with him/her on how to go about the project. You can communicate via a variety of means like e-mails, IM, WebEx, Net meeting etc. Now the ball is in your court. You need to be pro-active at all the project stages, in monitoring and guiding your service provider as per your requirements. I am sure that henceforth, your project would take up your desired shape with the expert help of the professional you chose.
Conclusion
Belief in business ethics, professionalism and mutually beneficial business practices go a long way in determining your long-term success as a business person. With this note, I urge you to make the most of the opportunities that are there because of the internet. You now have the tools and the insight to make your projects an astounding success. Happy Posting!!
By Jason T
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