Don’t mind me. I’m just testing out my new account here on MLG.

Awesome Face herself, Jenn, invited me to come and share some of my geekiness with you. I’m flattered and can’t wait!

(If you want to figure out more about me, check out my blog: Wench)

-Rini

Another great guest post by Web Hosting Search

If you’re new in the freelance web designer business there are a few things that you should know about. If you follow these “rules” you’ll have an easier time to understand how the business works and therefore have a greater chance of success. Working as a freelancing web designer can
sometimes be struggling and every tip is valuable. So, here are a few tips that help you become a freelancing success.

Know what kind of clients you want

Not all clients will be suitable for your business. Target yourself on the ones that match your criteria. Both you and your clients will be more pleased if you get what you’re looking for.

Charge appropriately services

Take a look at your competitors – what are they offering and what do they charge their customers? Don’t overcharge as this will scare away your customers but still, don’t underestimate your services.

Get paid in a timely manner

Also a no-brainer… As you’re doing your job you also have to make sure that you’re getting paid in a timely manner. Unfortunately, people like to stretch out their payment plans and for new-comers getting paid in time is often a must in order to survive.

Get a website

This might seem as a pretty obvious tip but you really have to set up an online portfolio so that people can find you on the web. Make sure that you include everything (contact information, about) they might need to know and the site has to look professional. And make sure your website is designed well, a bad looking portfolio site is indicative of your quality. If not, your business will have a snowball’s chance in hell of making it.

Provide web hosting only if you have the know how

You’ll notice that some web designers are offering “packages” which includes web hosting. We understand that it might be tempting to work with reseller web hosting, major companies will probably want a dedicated server, and present your potential clients with these popular packages. However, only do so if you have the needed knowledge.

Be realistic

As a new-comer it’s often easy think as if you’re going to be able to do everything at once. Be realistic with your goals and remember that it’s often better to grow at a slow and steady pace than rushing through things.

Plan ahead

This point might correspond to the previous one but good planning will be crucial for you and your business. First of all, you will know what to do and when to do it and secondly, your clients will know when they can expect the finished product.

Seek help when needed

There seems to be some kind of pride in the web designer business that is somewhat unhealthy. No one can know everything and if you need help with something – turn to a professional. It’s better to ask and learn than providing mediocre results.

Learn SEO

The web of today is much about working with SEO and it’s important that you learn how to implement it in your business/web design. Your customers will not only want to have cool looking sites – they also want to get found.

Find a good balance

Applying video/audio/images to a site is often much appreciated by the visitors but it has to be done in a balanced manner. Too much of anything will only get annoying and scare away people.

You may possess the brains and creative talent to create and develop beautiful sites but get started on the right path. Build up clients through word of mouth and of course on the internet. Be prepared for long hours and technical nightmares along the way.

Recently I added LaptopLogic to my list of blogs you should check out. I thought I’d give them a chance to explain a bit about their site. Definitely go check them out!

LaptopLogic.com is a friend site of Mustlovegeek.com and this post is written by them as an introduction of their site.

Face it – as geeks, we’re not like most people. Rave to your friends over the latest firmware hack, camera sensor, or Ben Heck masterpiece, and you’ll get uncomfortable stares and sympathetic looks. Luckily, we understand your obsession. Whether your passion lies with gadgets, video games, software, or the latest in future technology development, you’ll find Laptop Logic a comfortable haven for your inner geek.

So what exactly can Laptop Logic offer you?

Forums – Connect with others who share your interest in all things tech and gadgets, where you can discuss the latest laptop releases, ask a question, or debate whether or not a decaf cappuccino is indeed an insult to coffee.

Breaking Technology and Gadget News – Technology changes fast, and to stay in the game, you’ve gotta have the latest news, and you’ve gotta have it now. Find info on the latest and greatest releases in gadgetry, software, and the occasional company blunder on the Laptop Logic News page.

Articles and How-To Guides – Whether you want to watch TV on your laptop or become a tech-savvy super spy, you’ll find an article to meet your needs on Laptop Logic. Browse through our collection of tips, tricks, and guides to find comparisons on the latest notebooks, most popular operating systems, and world’s ugliest gadgets.

Software, Hardware, and Laptop Case Reviews – Will that laptop bag withstand your next adventure? Which hard drive performs the best under extensive use? Both of these questions and most are answered in the Accessories page at Laptop Logic, where you can read our extensive reviews and opinions on which bags were made with the modern geek in mind, hardware that withstand high demands, and a Universal remote that puts all other remotes to shame.

The Laptop Logic website is ever growing and expanding. Be sure to stay tuned for the latest news, gadget and laptop reviews, and share your thoughts or opinion in the forum.

Marian Merritt – the Internet Safety Advocate for Symantec – has graciously put together a list of tips for Must Love Geek and its readers. Just about everyone I know is on at least one, if not more, social networking site. After getting hacked about a bagillion times, I figured there was no better time than to share this guest post with you all.

The 411 on Using Social Networking Wisely

Let’s talk for a moment about the biggest threat to you when using social networking, and it’s not stranger danger. It’s reputational risk. Few of us, when young, give a hummingbird’s wing beat’s worth of notice to our reputations – you are only young once. I hate to tell you this, but lots of folks are using your online life to get a glimpse into your character. Future hiring managers, possible romantic partners, or potential roommates – we are all reviewing your social network pages (MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, etc) to decide what kind of person you are. Here are some tips to give you more control over your online reputation which means you can get back to worrying about what to wear to your interview to make a great first impression!

Using the privacy settings – nothing is configured safely or privately by default. You might think that if you limit your privacy then old high school friends can’t find you. That’s not true, you can still turn up in Search but you will have restricted your friends and family’s information, as well as your profile, from view.
· Facebook and MySpace – click “privacy” in the top right hand area for more information. You will need to login for changes to take effect.

Giving it all away – I know you think it’s convenient to put all your information in your profile, including cell phone number, actual birthdate, home address and so forth. But this makes all that information available to your wider network and depending on how you’ve set things up, that may include your friend’s friends. Since your friends might not be web-savvy and accept strangers as friends, who knows who can view your info? If your actual friends need to reach you, they either already have your information or can send you a message on the social network itself. Limit your profile information to what you would be comfortable with a stranger knowing about you.

Loading Up on Applications – not all applications such as games and quizzes are made equally. Sometimes they include malicious or dangerous code like viruses, even without the knowledge of the game creator. You might wonder how that can happen but there is a busy marketplace to help people create new social networking applications and people often download these from the web, without any actual coding knowledge of their own. Or you might not realize that all those applications in Facebook now have access to your profile’s information and can use it for marketing purposes? Be very judicious in accepting an invite to become a troll or whatever is the latest craze in your social network. If you think you’ve got too many, you can change your settings to block the application.

Just Because You Are Famous, Doesn’t Mean You Are Safe – even celebrities have had their social networking pages hacked. The most famous example was for R&B artist, Alicia Keys. Her MySpace page was hacked in the days just before her latest CD came out. Any visitor who clicked on her video clips was prompted to download a video player update. If you fell for that – uh oh – you were redirected to a Chinese hacker’s website where spyware was put on your computer. And more commonly, social networks are full of pretender pages that purport to be for the actual celebrity. I’ve yet to meet a celebrity who hasn’t had this happen to them. Even Rachel Hunter, the supermodel, had a faker pretending to be her teenage daughter on MySpace. Unless it’s a fan website, or you actually are friends with a celebrity, don’t add these punks as your friends.

Passing the Grandma Test – I can’t believe how many 14 and 15 –year old girls pose for their profile photo in their underwear. And if I can see their profile, that means their Grandma could too. (Assuming she is online and decides to check her beloved granddaughter’s profile out.) I think the world can get along without the photos of you doing Jello shots in Cabo or posing with the beer bong in the frat house. And you should already realize that it’s not just you on these social networks. It’s become common for interviewers to check a candidate’s profile out, to do online searches on candidates and use what is found to make decisions. That may not seem fair but this is what is happening. Make sure what appears online about you (and this includes in your friends’ pages as well) sets the right impression and improves, not damages, your reputation.
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I want to thank Marian for sharing her tips with us. It’s important to remain safe online. Anyone can get hacked and I assure you it’s a long, grueling process to clean up that mess. Not only do we as bloggers risk being hacked, but our lives are out there for everyone to see. Our employers can easily find us (I know because I search for new hires as my job.) Your profile picture says a lot about you. Keep Marian’s Grandma Test in mind while posting photos to the Internet.

I Google myself every month to see what pops up – not only my name, but different variations (Jen, Jenn, Jenny) as well as my usernames on my blogs and other social sites. It’s a great way to keep tabs on what’s popping up on you as well as catching someone pretending to be you. I’ve found some of my own blog content being used by someone else this way.

Giveaway!

The great people Symantec loaded me up at BlogHer this past July and I wanted to share some more of my goodies with everyone here.

I still have a bunch of items to giveaway including two Symantec software for both PC and Mac. I also have a lock for your laptop, some HP skins, “That’s what she said” post-it notes, T-Mobile Hot Spot prepaid card and more! Here’s how you can win!

1. Spread the word about Internet & social networking safety with your readers. Link to this post on your blog, Facebook, twitter, etc.
2. Comment back here with the link to your post, tweet, etc.

There will be a couple of winners so make sure to let your readers know about this giveaway!