it has been some time since my last post as I have been creating and managing my own empire in the world of Russ.

Actually, I have been busy managing other blogs as after the success of this one, I was approached to write and edit for several other blogs which I have sealed my lips to mention. Suffice it to say I help develop and make successful some of the top blogs on the Internet, only to stuff the wallets of my superiors. OOOO how I hate the word "superiors"!

Don’t get me wrong, I loved….no…liked my bosses a bunch and appreciate the opportunity they gave me, but it’s just not the same as running your own blog(s) and having the freedom to say exactly what I want to say, when I want to say it. Therefore, after a long hiatus, I am back to give you more of what you want in the widget world.

It appears Microsoft still hasn’t learned that a widget is a widget and not a gadget. I guess some habits are hard to break, but I will not buck the system and the choice of the people and continue to call these little suckers widgets, though I may not capitalize the word as if it were a person any longer. That’s right! I have accepted the fact that my friend the Widget, (oops, I capitalized him/her again) is not a person but only much more reliable and fun to hang around.

Enough of the hoopla!

That’s all for now, as I only wanted you to know I am back with plans to post as often as necessary to keep you informed of how widgets can change your life. OK….maybe a stretch, but widgets certainly make your online web design life easier and I look forward to getting this puppy rolling again.

In the mean time, feel free to peruse the site and widget your little heart out.

Don’t forget to sign up for the latest RSS feeds so you’ll know whenever I add new content.

Off I go to find a dating widget so I don’t have to spend the holidays alone.

Everybody knows it’s important to get links coming into your site.

Not everyone knows reciprocal linking is dead.

Wake up! Reciprocal linking is DEAD!

The search engines have become wayyy too smart, and recognize when two sites are linking back and forth to each other. This worked like a charm until recently. The big boys search engines have changed their tune in a big way.

Don’t get me wrong…reciprocal links will not hurt you, but they no longer carry the weight they used to. Too many people simply abused the system and the game has changed.

Introducing 3WayLinks – click here

If you do not give a hoot about your sites ranking in the search engines, play a little Pac Man Widget while you wait on the rest of us.

Grab your shovel and start digging cuz this baby is sparkling gold!

If you are a blogger and do not yet have the BlogRush Widget, you are losing free traffic. It’s as simple as that. In just 3 short days, and a relatively new blog, I have managed to earn 8,123 credits. Not too shabby and best of all it’s freakin free traffic by simply installing the BlogRush Widget.

BlogRush Widget Tips???

If you have installed already, be sure to read this interesting post regarding ways to create your posts to optimize your BlogRush click thrus. Some really great points and debatable suggestions are made and worthy of discussion.

I’m "all in" for a clean looking blog…but remove my Digg button? Remove my social networking icons? Is it really that big of a deal?

Personally, I would recommend SnowBoardJohn (the poster) add a little jazz to the blog the post was made from so we can see how big a genius he really is. Maybe a social bookmarking icon would add a little color to his blog and make my eyes go mmmmmm, this guy knows what he’s talking about.

I do like most of what he says, and especially the way John posts a link at the bottom of each post which reads If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Soooo. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Anybody seen my Widget?

BTW, if you have not seen the BlogRush video yet, here ya go…

Register For Blogrush.com

I’ll make this short and sweet…

By request, I have found an excellent resource for RSS feeds.

AllRSS.com links are to major collections of RSS feeds. The web site says this list will “eventually be turned into a database.” It’s good enuff for me already! Except, when I tried to subscribe to his feedreader, I had to have a Facebook account. What tha?

Anyway…

If you need a feedreader:

Browser-Based
The following Web browsers have built-in feed readers

Mozilla Firefox (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Opera (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Internet Explorer 7.0 (Windows)
Safari (Mac)

E-mail Programs
The following e-mail programs have built-in feed readers

Mozilla Thunderbird (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Outlook 2007 (Windows)
IntraVnews (Windows, plug-in for Microsoft Outlook)
R|Mail (Web-based service that sends feeds to any email account)

Web-Based Services
All of these services are free, and will work with any recent Web browser. All require registration and show ads as you read your feeds.

My Yahoo
Google Reader
Bloglines
Newsgator
My MSN
My AOLYou’re welcome! :0-)

If you know of other similar sources, please comment and let everyone know!

I am also interested in the ways you use RSS and Widgets. Give up the goods and show us whatcha’ got.

Uh…Has anybody seen my Widget?

Here’s what they say:

By adding the BlogRush Widget to a blog, a blogger can get instant distribution for their latest blog post titles across a network of related blogs.

BlogRush users earn "syndication credits" (the right to have their blog post titles shown inside a widget on another related blog) based on their own traffic (loads of the widget) as well as the traffic of other users they refer to BlogRush. Users can automatically refer others to BlogRush via special links on the widget, as well as through the promotion of a special referral URL they are given.

BlogRush is a "Cooperative Syndication Network" that rewards its users for their contributions to the network — from the impressions they provide of the BlogRush Widget to the referral of other users through 10 ‘generations’ of activity and the impressions of the widget that they provide. BlogRush was designed to be incredibly viral and to provide its users with tremendous distribution leverage to receive exposure for their blog content (onto related content blogs) that they could never achieve on their own; at least without a massive advertising budget.

BlogRush is the brainchild of Internet entrepreneur, John Reese. Mr. Reese is the founder and CEO of Income.com, a soon to be launched social network and media company for entrepreneurs. BlogRush is the first Web property of the Income.com Network, a network of sites and services to help entrepreneurs and business owners succeed. Income.com is based in Orlando, Florida. Blogrush.com

Add this free puppy to your blog and you could start driving free traffic to your website within minutes.

Register For Blogrush.com

Know what I mean?

I remember it was not that long ago, I had no idea how a feedreader worked. It seemed mysterious, simply because I didn’t understand three little letters (RSS). Don’t get me wrong, I have been creating websites for over a decade, but the feedreader stuff sorta seemed bigger than I was able to absorb.

I don’t know why! I didn’t know anything about it at the time. (call me brains)

If I had known then, what I now know about “RSS” and feedreaders, I could have shaved weeks off of lost time. If I had only understood how to use them to bring websites and blogs to me, rather than me having to go to it.

Let’s not get too “techie”. Let’s get it “jussst riiight”

We’ll start by saying this in NOT rocket science! If you can check your email, you can set up your feedreader.

Watch this video to better understand what RSS does.

Pretty simple huh?

I love the high tech graphs dude uses.

Just goes to show you do not need high tech equipment o explain something high tech. Good job whoever you are “video maker”!

Next step… now you knwo what it can do, so, you’ll need a feed reader.

Here’s a good feed reader from google. There are several to choose from, but let’s get you running quickly and not distracted by all the choices. Trust me, Google will suffice.

If you must….here’s more as shwon from Consumer Reports!

Browser-Based
The following Web browsers have built-in feed readers

Mozilla Firefox (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Opera (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Internet Explorer 7.0 (Windows)
Safari (Mac)

E-mail Programs
The following e-mail programs have built-in feed readers

Mozilla Thunderbird (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Outlook 2007 (Windows)
IntraVnews (Windows, plug-in for Microsoft Outlook)
R|Mail (Web-based service that sends feeds to any email account)

Web-Based Services
All of these services are free, and will work with any recent Web browser. All require registration and show ads as you read your feeds.

My Yahoo
Google Reader
Bloglines
Newsgator
My MSN
My AOL

Desktop Applications
These programs run on your computer, and will check feeds automatically whenever they’re running. Those marked with a “$” are commercial software; the others are available for free.

Omea Reader (Windows)
SharpReader (Windows)
FeedDemon (Windows, $)
NewzCrawler (Windows, $)
NetNewsWire Lite (Mac)
NetNewsWire (Mac, $)
PulpFiction Lite (Mac)
PulpFiction (Mac, $)

Once you have your feedreader installed, TEST IT OUT…

Click the orange icon >

Select Google from the top of the page, and… BAM!

The next time I add an informative post (or not), you’ll automatically receive it in your feedreader and it’ll be there the next time you log into your account. If you also have Google mail, you can click the account link on the top right and easily switch to your email account.

Ta Da!

And that….ladies and gentlemen, is how a feedreader works for you!

While I’m at it, let me give Google a plug, (like they need it). Google has some really cool tools! If you are not aware of their offerings, click here.

Rogerdat?

Tags: amazon widget, radio widget

Here’s the demo:  Dapper Demo

Home Page:  Dapper.net

Tags: travel widgets, amazonwidgits

In the past maybe…not today!

Indeed, RSS used to be reserved for the brainiacs. The mindless (who are you looking at) now have a shot playing with the big boys. Especially if you learn how to create these for yourself.

Does this Widget look familiar?

and, yes…you can scroll

It should look familiar to my regular readers, because this is an RSS feed of
this very web site, Widgets-Blog.com

If you are already using Feedburner to track your RSS feeds, Springwidgets.com is in beta testing where you can easily add, resize, change colors, link images, and load RSS feeds into your website or blog like never before.

At the time of this post, you will see this Widget displayed on the right hand menu bar. This way, when visitors…uh…visit… no matter where they enter will be able to view the latest posts.

A note about this RSS Widget: I tried to resize in order to fit into my side bar, but it made it difficult to read with long subject line posts.

HTML, Facebook, Friendster, Blogger, Hi5, Xanga and email friendly.

Get Bloggers RSS Widget

God I love this stuff!

Tags: downloadwidgits, cell phone widgets

My favorite right now is Feedzilla.com

Why?

Variety!

Oh…you wanted a Widget for YOUR site??? No prob!
See my other post for RSS Widget for Bloggers

Tags: mobile phone widgets, mobilewidgit