Karlonia.com

The relatively new but increasingly popular paid-to-read (PTR) program PersianPTC announced that it has added the payment processor AlertPay for cashouts, upgrades, and advertising payments, joining E-Gold and Liberty Reserve as viable payment options. The program also plans to add PayPal in the near future, which should increase its potential membership base significantly.

I had joined PersianPTC near the end of May as a way of reviewing the program and exploring potential advertising options for Karlonia. In the past I have had significant success in promoting paid-to-surf and other paid-to-read sites by advertising on text links or paid emails from PTR programs. It can be a relatively inexpensive way to gain referrals for various GPT programs or even for building opt-in lists as long as you remain aware of the target audience.

Although I was not very active at first, as it turns out PersianPTC is actually a pretty good program to keep in my repertoire of small earners and potential advertising venues. The paid clicks are always at least 1 cent each with some of them appearing as 2 or 3 cent banners at the top of the PTC page. The banner links do have 30 to 60 second timers on them; however, it possible to open several links simultaneously and have them all credit properly, which allows you to save time and finish all of your paid clicks within one or two minutes.

In addition to the usual clicks, there are also paid signups that can earn up to $1 per action. With this option, you simply go to the appropriate section of the site, click on one of the banners, and sign up with the program that the banner is linked to (as far as I know, all such programs are free to join). After your registration is confirmed, all you need to do is copy and paste the text of the welcome mail (sensitive information such as passwords can be removed) into the box that appears below the program’s banner in the paid signup section. After the program admin confirms that your registration is valid, your account will be credited with the stated amount of earnings.

As with almost all PTR programs, the really serious money is found in obtaining a significant collection of referrals. PersianPTC pays 25% commissions on referrals, which is higher than most other programs in this genre. They do not, however, pay commissions on multiple levels, so only direct referrals will count. The most likely reason for this is that PayPal does not allow multi-level commission structures for any programs that use its logo or services, so in order for the program to offer PayPal as a payment option, it must comply with these terms.

The minimum payout threshold for PersianPTC is $5. Most members are cashing out via E-Gold, but AlertPay, Liberty Reserve, and AlterGold are also available as payment options. There are ample postings of payment proofs and screenshots in the program’s forum under the “Payment Proofs” and “Success Stories” sections. Eventually I will post my own payment report when I reach the $5 amount and am able to cash out. Meanwhile, here are the admin updates for the past few weeks. The program started back in April of this year and now claims over 30,000 members.

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Just when I thought that everybody and their cats had embraced the idea of Web 2.0 technology, I ran across this survey from German IT security company Avira which found that two thirds of its website visitors did not like Web 2.0 for one reason or another and were not using it. Web 2.0 is a popular catch-all term that includes a wide array of Internet-based applications that allow for user interaction. These include social networking sites, wiki pages, blogs, RSS feeds, video sharing, file sharing, and a plethora of other hosted services. Here is a quick summary of the survey’s findings:

1. 14% of Internet users communicate more online than in person.
2. Privacy seems to be a major concern — 40% of survey participants opposed what they called “digital exhibitionism” and refuse to disclose any type of personal data on blogs, wikis, or other social networking sites.
3. 28% think that profiles on sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter do not make any sense.
4. 10% valued the information found on blogs.
5. 8% of survey respondents refused to use Web 2.0 platforms because of spam-related issues.

Since Karlonia.com uses a blogging format and therefore falls under the Web 2.0 umbrella, these revelations are a significant concern for me. The notion that only ten percent of Internet users are finding any useful information on my beloved blog seems pretty disturbing, but it also presents an opportunity for future growth. If the other 90% of “sheeple” out there can be reached and supplied with information that is targeted to their interests, we bloggers can significantly increase our incomes with well-placed affiliate links, AdSense units, or other forms of monetization.

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This article by Shannon Christman provides a good overview of the concept of fair trade products and organizations. The idea is an intriguing one for libertarians like me because it allows us to maintain an environment of voluntary exchange (that is, actual free trade) while also ensuring a degree of fairness and helping to alleviate some of the social problems that may arise from excesses of unrestrained capitalism.

I was reminded of this topic when I ran across a product from our local HEB store that seems to fall under this category. It is a bag of fair trade organic coffee that is sold by a company called Ruta Maya. The company is based in Austin, Texas but the product itself (coffee beans) is grown and harvested locally in the Chiapas region of Mexico. Here is the description from the label:

Shade-grown and handpicked by farmers on small, family-owned farms in Chiapas, Mexico, Ruta Maya organic coffee has exceptional richness that combines ancient growing techniques with gentle roasting to extract the ultimate in coffee depth and flavor. Founded in 1990 in Austin, Texas on the simple premise of creating a marketplace of superior products produced in Latin American countries and to return to the producers of those products a fair portion of profits generated, the Ruta Maya guiding principle is Oportunidades para las Americas (Opportunities for the Americas). The complete Ruta Maya line of products embodies Mayan, Mexican, and other Latin cultures working together with Texans to foster a universal message of respect and friendship through economic coooperation.

While I have not yet tasted the coffee or compared prices (my mother can probably give me a good review of these in the near future), the overall idea seems like a pretty good deal. Meanwhile, here is the text of Shannon’s article:

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This past week has seen a continuing surge in traffic to my wet cell phone page. It has now increased to over 2,000 visits within the last 30 days, as there seems to be an epidemic of people dropping their cell phones into lakes, swimming pools, and even toilets. Some people are also asking about overheated cell phones, but I’m not sure what to do about these other than replacing the phone or perhaps the affected parts if possible. Meanwhile, here are some of the other questions asked by our ever-inquisitive searchers.

what mean simple interest — Simple interest means that the interest is calculated and paid only on the principal amount each period (month, year, etc.). Therefore, the amount of interest that must be paid each period remains the same as long as the principal does not change. This is contrasted with compound interest, where the interest is added to the principal amount each period, such that interest in each successive period is calculated based on both the original principal amount AND the interest paid from previous periods. With simple interest, the calculations are performed only on the original principal.

Example: You have $10,000 in a savings account that pays 1% interest per year. Under a simple interest plan, you would be paid just that — 1% of $10,000, or $100, each year for as long as you kept the same amount of money in the account. However, under compound interest, which is what most banks use, you would be paid $100 after the first year, but after the second year (we will assume yearly compounding for simplicity’s sake — most banks actually compound interest monthly) the interest would be calculated on $10,100 (original principal plus the first year’s interest), so you would wind up with $101 as the second year’s interest payment, for a new principal total of $10,201. Over time, compound interest can be become a very powerful force; in fact, it is actually one of the most powerful forces in the universe according to the famous Albert Einstein quote.

how often alexa rank change — This depends somewhat on what your current rank is. From my observations, if your rank is in the top 100K, the rankings will be updated daily under the “Yesterday” column of the traffic details section. If your recent ranking is below 100K, you will see “N/A” under Yesterday but will have a ranking under “1 wk. Avg.” that will change approximately once per week. Meanwhile, the 3 months average (3 mos. Avg.) that is used to display the figure found on the Alexa widgets and reported by most automated software queries seems to be updated somewhere between once and twice per week regardless of the current ranking. For tips on how to improve your ranking, see my article on ways to increase your Alexa rank.

why people have ants in their houses — Usually ants find their way into houses because there is some type of accessible food source present such as leftover crumbs or spilled sodas. If wandering ants detect this type of food source, they will attempt to carry it back to their nest and lead the way for other ants to find it, which creates the familiar ant trails. It is also possible for people to have ants in their houses as pets (usually kept in enclosed “ant farms”) for observational purposes, although this is relatively uncommon.

what does salmonella look like magnified? — It looks like a flagellum, that is, it has an oval-shaped head with a group of long, thin, wavy tails attached and flailing along behind it. For a picture of what a single salmonella bacterium looks like, see my article on causes and treatment of salmonella.

do stumble upons count towards page rank — No. StumbleUpon is a social bookmarking site that allows users to surf through sites semi-randomly and vote for their favorite web pages by giving them a “thumbs up”. This does not have anything to do with PageRank, which is an algorithm used by Google to rank web pages in terms of their importance to the search engine. It is possible to increase your traffic from StumbleUpon by having users submit your pages and giving them more “thumbs up” votes; PageRank is primarily increased by gaining a higher quality or quantity of backlinks.

correct use of “people who” or “people that” — The correct form is “people who”. The word that is usually used in reference to inanimate objects, but if you are referring to people, you should use who.

why is scurvy not here today? — Scurvy is not as prevalent today as it once was (it does still exist, but its occurrence is less common) because its cause has been discovered and compensated for by most of the world’s communities. Specifically, scurvy is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) over a sustained period of time. Prior to the 20th century, this cause was not known, resulting in a relatively high incidence of scurvy due to a combination of poor diet and ignorance. Today, however, preventing scurvy is as simple as eating a few of the right fruits and vegetables or drinking a glass of Karlonian iced tea.

bank of america atm cash increments — According to my experience, Bank of America ATMs dispense cash in $10 or $20 increments, depending on the amount that you request. Occasionally, a particular machine will run out of $10 bills and may prompt you to re-enter a withdrawal amount in a $20 increment if this is the case. Most of time, however, I have not had any problems obtaining both types of bills from the ATM if necessary.

This group of homonyms is an issue that I have wanted to cover for several weeks. There are few things that give me that “fingernails on the chalkboard” feeling more than seeing someone spam a forum or email address by advertising their “web sight”. Now that I have worked through most of the others on my list, I hope to provide some enlightenment for people who are still misusing these words and unwittingly displaying their ignorance all over the Internet.

First of all, sight primarily refers to the ability to see or the act of seeing, that is, actually looking at something with your eyes. It is sometimes used in the more figurative sense of having a mental vision or focus. This word does not have anything to do with websites or references to academic sources. For example:

1. After nearly a month at sea, we sighted land and looked for a place to dock our ships.
2. The Republican Party has long ago lost sight of its purported philosophy of reducing the size of government and increasing individual liberty.

If the word is spelled as site, however, this can refer to a web site (a place on the Internet), or to a physical location where something is situated (such as a building or historical monument). For example:

1. When considering whether or not to purchase real estate for investment purposes, it is a good idea to inspect the site first so that you can make an honest assessment of the property’s real value.
2. Karlonia.com is a web site dedicated to increasing the personal and economic freedom of people throughout the world.

Finally, cite is a verb that means to quote or refer to another source as an authority or example. If used in a strictly legal context, it can also mean to summon before a court of law. For example:

1. While it is easy for students to cite Wikipedia as a reference, for academic papers it is generally recommended that they use more scholarly or less controversial sources of information.
2. It is common for attorneys to cite previously decided cases as legal precedent in the interest of gaining a favorable ruling for their clients.

Now we can look at examples of incorrect usage from other web pages:

Incorrect: This web sight will be updated regularly right up until Christmas. — message from the site owner of TravelingDogs.com/xmas

Correct: This web site will be updated regularly right up until Christmas.

Incorrect: Using information you find from other sources can make your site even more valuable, just make sure you site your sources and that your original works make up the majority of the information on your site. — Renee C. Quinn, “Making Your Website Better”, published at ipwatchdog.com

Correct: Using information you find from other sources can make your site even more valuable; just make sure you cite your sources and that your original works make up the majority of the information on your site.

Incorrect: Do carrots really improve your eye site or is that myth? — question asked by user “dwdrums” at askville.amazon.com

Correct: Do carrots really improve your eyesight or is that a myth?

Incorrect: Do you have any suggestions for what you would like to see here or on my web cite? — Daniel Mann at always-reforming.blogspot.com

Correct: Do you have any suggestions for what you would like to see here or on my web site?

Quick Summary: Sight is what you do with your eyes, cite is what you do with your sources, and site is a place where you try to make money on the Internet.

Online article publisher Triond.com released its July newsletter last week, focusing most of its content on providing tips to authors in an attempt to help them maximize the site’s advertising revenue. Triond is a site much like Helium; aspiring freelance writers or other authors can submit articles to the site in exchange for a portion (in this case 50%) of the advertising revenues earned from the page on which the author’s article is published.

In theory, this seems like a pretty good deal because it allows authors to earn a passive, residual income on all published articles for the life of the site. In practice, however, most authors who work for Helium, Triond, or other similar sites have reported that the earnings derived from publishing their articles are so small that it is hardly worth the time of setting up an account with the site and going through the required motions. In most cases, a better alternative is to publish the articles your own site and keep all of the advertising revenue for yourself or sell your articles directly through a site like Constant Content and earn more of a residual income through recurring sales of usage licenses.

However, for those of you who may be interested in Triond, here is the text of their latest newsletter:

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In a welcome development for search engine optimizers and bum marketers everywhere, Google has finally pulled back one of its metaphorical curtains and is now displaying the actual volume numbers for search queries through its AdWords keyword tool. When I first read about this yesterday, initial reports on other blogs were mixed and rather inconclusive; many people were reporting that the AdWords tool was still not showing any specific numbers but only the vague bar graphs as before. Although there was much speculation about the idea that Google was somehow geo-targeting this or was only displaying the new data for its AdWords customers, it has now been confirmed on the Google AdWords Blog that this has become a permanent feature. Earlier this morning I confirmed it myself by running the query “search engine optimization” through the AdWords tool and analyzing the numbers. Here is a screenshot of the results:

It should be noted that the volume numbers are still somewhat of an approximation, but they are precise enough for bum marketing purposes or AdWords targeting. After running a few different kinds of queries and studying the numbers a little more closely, I have determined the degree of precision that Google seems to be using. Here are my findings based on the figure that is given for the total monthly search volume:

1. less than 100 — results given are exact numbers
2. 100 - 1000 — results are rounded to the nearest 10
3. 1001 - 100,000 — rounded to the nearest 100
4. 100,001 - 1,000,000 — rounded to the nearest 1000
5. 1,000,001 - 10,000,000 — rounded to the nearest 10,000
6. 10,000,001 - 100,000,000 — rounded to the nearest 100,000
7. 100,000,001 and up — rounded to the nearest million

Although Google’s apparent intention for releasing this data is to assist AdWords users with their campaigns and thus retain more PPC market share, it has the beneficial side effect of helping us bloggers who are trying to optimize our posts for maximum search engine traffic and revenue. Most bum marketers have been relying on the free Wordtracker and Trellian Keyword Discovery tools, but these sometimes give “false positives” in the sense that the data for some long tail keywords is not always reliable and needs to be checked against another source before investing the time to write an article or create a new niche site based on the results. Presumably Google’s results will be more reliable, and they seem clearer and easier to interpret than those reported by the other free tools.

Some people have already speculated that this recent development will put the paid keyword tools out of business, although some products such as SEO Elite and Keyword Elite are so much more comprehensive and robust than any of the currently extant free tools that they are probably worth the money if you’re really serious about SEO and keyword targeting. In any event, I am happy to see that we will now have another easily available research tool to use for figuring out exactly how many people are already searching for our favorite keywords.

Today the Linkshare Corporation released its July newsletter to publishers. The first part of the newsletter was simply a summary of the company’s recently-held 2008 symposium; it seemed to consist of little more than congratulatory corporate back patting that most of you probably don’t care about, so I see no real need to reprint it here. However, below this text there was an “Easy Links” section that may be of interest to those of us who are into affiliate marketing or who may have signed up with LinkShare as a publisher at some point.

Apparently LinkShare is finally catching up with Google and Amazon in offering contextual product links that automatically detect the main keywords used on our web pages and serve up ads based on the content of the text. In other words, it works pretty much like the ubiquitous AdSense that most aspiring bloggers are already using. This is good news for people like me who are hoping to expand our affiliate marketing endeavors beyond the confines of Clickbank and offer a wider variety of relevant products to our readers from companies that have already been vetted for legitimacy and reliability.

Here is the company’s official explanation of the new pilot program:

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My brother, who runs a computer repair business, reported earlier today that one of his customer’s computers had been infected by a fake antivirus program called VirusIsolator (also spelled as Virus Isolator). After doing some research on this rogue program, I found out that some users are having it installed on their systems through Trojans such as Zlob or Vundo, although many others are simply being fooled into downloading the free “online security scaner” from the website VirusIsolator.com.

After someone runs a scan, the program will display several pre-written fake virus alerts regardless of the actual condition of the user’s system. Here is a screenshot of what these false reports look like:

The program will then use various advertising methods and fake alert messages to trick users into purchasing the full version of VirusIsolator. However, even after someone purchases the full version, the program does not actually remove any viruses or malware from computer systems; it is simply a scam designed to separate fools from their money and show them a little adware as a side benefit.

Fortunately the website reveals several clues indicating to savvy users that the program is likely not legitimate. The first paragraph of text content on the home page reads:

WHAT IS SPYWARE / MALWARE?

SpyWare is part of an overall public concern about privacy on the Internet2. Spyware collects your private information, and reports it to advertising providers, who will show you tremendous amount of advertising beyond your control. How Virus Isolator can help you?

So let’s see…we have an obvious typo (Internet2), an unnecessary comma, and an awkwardly worded last sentence (the word can should be placed before “Virus Isolator” not after it). These kinds of errors are a clue that something is amiss because a professional, legitimate company would at least take the time to proofread their own home page and clean up these kinds of obvious mistakes before releasing their product to the public. As if this wasn’t enough, the last question of the FAQ section provides another comical display of their questionable English skills:

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In this companion to his other article on the advantages of algae-based fuels, Aaron Turpen discusses some of the possibilities for using algae to create different types of biofuels. Interestingly, the author claims that these types of biofuels can be used in most existing engines without modification, something that would make them more practical than some of the other suggestions for alternative fuel sources. Below the article, I have included a series of videos that explain the process and methods for growing algae and using it to produce biofuels on a potentially large scale.

Many people are under the impression that only diesel fuel, also known as biodiesel, can be made from vegetable oil sources. This is normally the case when you’re talking about most vegetable oil sources. A notable and well-known exception is corn oil, which is used to make ethanol, a supplement (not replacement) for unleaded gasoline.

These restrictions are not true of algae, however. Because algae are fairly simple organisms with many thousands of species in nature, there is much diversity available from which different types of oils can be made. Also because of its simplicity, algae are relatively easy to manipulate into anthropogenic species.

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Search queries to my wet cell phone page have really taken off this week. At last count, the 30-day visitor total was up to 1,593, which translates into about 53 visitors per day who are dropping their cell phones into various bodies of water and then hoping that they can somehow be fixed. If I had the means to do so, I could probably make some good money by setting up some type of cell phone repair service, but for now I will have to be satisfied with commissions from whatever affiliate products I can find and use for monetizing the page. I should probably look into setting up some AdSense placements on there as well. Meanwhile, here are some questions from people who were searching on other topics:

Next leap year is when? — The next leap year should be 2012. The current year (2008) is also a leap year, but the relevant date of February 29 has already passed.

coke blak homemade — This is a page that has not been receiving much traffic recently, so it is good to see that there are still folks out there who are searching on this topic. I have a page on how to make coca cola blak, but the basic process is pretty simple - you can just use a regular coke and put a small amount of coffee (about half an ounce) into your glass before pouring in the coke. The taste is very similar to the “real” coke blak without all of the extra flavorings and chemicals that were included with the relatively high-priced product.

when are coke reward points counted — The reward points are counted after you log into your Coke rewards account and input a valid code from one of the eligible Coca-Cola products. These codes can be found under the bottle caps of most Coke products and on the insides of the cardboard packages that contain Coke beverages in the aluminum cans. By the way, Pepsi also has a similar rewards program that you can register for through Amazon.

symptoms of adult recovering from salmonella — Typical salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and general gastrointestinal problems. Dehydration may occur as a result of the diarrhea if adequate fluid intake is not administered to compensate. For more details, see my recent article on salmonella symptoms and treatment.

can you change statutory laws in tx — It is possible, but ultimately this must be done through the Texas state legislature. If you’re seriously trying to get a law changed, expect to deal with your fair share of politicians, lobbyists, special interest groups, and bureaucratic runarounds. Welcome to the world of politics!

make money by referrals mysurvey — In order to make money from referrals, you first need to sign up with MySurvey, which you can do here. After that you can apply for their affiliate program, and once you’re approved, you will receive a referral link and some banners that you can use to promote the program. If someone clicks through from your referral link and registers with MySurvey, you will be paid for each referral.

skills needed to be in keyforcash — You don’t really need many specialized skills for the KeyForCash program; it’s pretty much just typing and data entry. If you are able to type relatively quickly and accurately, this can help you to earn faster, but the program does not have any minimum speed requirements to join or receive assignments.

what is the meaning of goodbye — Goodbye is an English expression indicating that you’re about to leave, hang up the phone, terminate your message, etc. It is a relatively polite way of ending a conversation.

Trying to figure out whether to use the indefinite article a or an before a noun can be tricky for inexperienced English users. Many people seem to think that you should use a before a consonant and an before a vowel, but it is not quite that simple. The actual rule is that a is used before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound — these do not always match up with the letter itself! For example, one of the most common mistakes I have been seeing recently is the use of “a hour” instead of “an hour”. The latter is correct because the word hour actually begins with an o (vowel) sound; the h is silent. Conversely, we would say “a Ouija board” instead of “an Ouija board” because Ouija is pronounced with a w (consonant) sound.

This rule also extends to acronyms. For example, I have lost count of the number of times that I have cringed whenever I see someone write “a HYIP” on a forum or blog. This should be written “an HYIP” because the letter H is pronounced with an a (vowel) sound. However, if we were to write the acronym out we would write “a High Yield Investment Program” because the consonant h sound is now being pronounced as part of the word high.

Acronyms: A vs. An Usage Before A Given Letter

Because this rule can be tricky, especially for people who are hearing impaired and therefore may be unaccustomed to hearing what the letters sound like, I have attempted to clarify things below by first listing all of the letters that are initially spoken with a vowel sound and therefore require an before them if the letter is used in an acronym. All other letters are initially spoken with a consonant sound and will require a; these are listed in the second line below:

If the acronym begins with these letters, use an: A, E, F, H, I, L, M, N, O, R, S, X

If the acronym begins with these letters, use a: B, C, D, G, J, K, P, Q, T, U, V, W, Y, Z

For example, we would write an FBI agent, an SEO, and an LP member, but we would write a YMCA member, a QC inspector, and a USB port. Now we can look at some examples from the Internet where a and an have been used incorrectly:

Incorrect: New teeth in a hour is worth smiling about — headline of an online newspaper article at living.scotsman.com

Correct: New teeth in an hour is worth smiling about

Incorrect: I’m a idiot for buying this book! — reviewer “Kimberly” at search.barnesandnoble.com

Correct: I’m an idiot for buying this book!

Incorrect: Our Engineering and Technical division is currently working with a leading producer of steel related products in Plymouth, MN which has an immediate need for an Quality Technician. — job posting at aol.careerbuilder.com

Correct: Our Engineering and Technical division is currently working with a leading producer of steel related products in Plymouth, MN which has an immediate need for a Quality Technician.

Incorrect: I certify that I am an United States resident licensed to practice law in Wisconsin, and that all of the information I have provided is true. — Notary Public application for Wisconsin attorneys

Correct: I certify that I am a United States resident licensed to practice law in Wisconsin, and that all of the information I have provided is true.

Quick Summary: If in doubt about whether to use a or an, simply pronounce the word that is to appear after the article. If the first sound pronounced is a vowel, use an; otherwise, use a.

Earlier today I received a campaign update from Russ Verney of the Libertarian Party which suggests that the current fundraising drive for July 4th is actually going pretty well. Two days ago, the LP sent out a fundraising letter asking supporters to contribute a symbolic donation of $17.76 toward the current ballot access drive in celebration of the American Independence Day. According to today’s update, it seems that the response was mostly favorable:

Dear friend,

Yesterday, you may have received an Independence Day message from Bob and a request for your support.

I am very pleased to report that many of you responded and it was our best fundraising day since we launched the campaign!

We are only $10,500 away from reaching our goal of raising $88,000 by July 4th!

If you have not already done so, please make a donation today of $25, $50, $100 or even $10 if you can.

If you have already donated, THANK YOU! If you can, please try to contribute another gift today so that we can reach our goal by Independence Day.

Thank you for making yesterday our best fundraising day ever!

In Liberty,

Russ Verney
Campaign Manager
Bob Barr 2008

Meanwhile, before I republish the original fundraising letter below, I might as well leave you with some food for thought. As most of you already know, the 4th of July in the USA is traditionally celebrated with ample displays of fireworks, along with apple pies, barbecues, and other assorted festivities. As my mother was talking about the possibility of fireworks celebrations this morning, I was reminded of the wild celebrations in Shanghai that I posted about back in February when the Chinese New Year rolled around (scroll down the CNY page about halfway and watch the first video to see what I am referring to here). Then my mother mentioned that the police were stopping and ticketing any drivers coming into our city of Corpus Christi who had purchased fireworks from the local vendors who were stationed just outside the city limits. It is currently illegal to even possess fireworks in the city, and people who are caught with them face fines of up to $2,000 for each piece of contraband that is confiscated from them.

As I put the proverbial two and two together, I realized that we are now in a situation where people in a supposedly communist country (China) have the freedom to celebrate with fireworks at will even in their largest cities, yet in many American cities like ours the mere possession of fireworks has been criminalized! And this holds true for the very day on which we Americans are supposed to be celebrating our freedom and independence. Does anyone else find this situation disturbing, or at least a little odd? Does anyone in this blasted country actually care about freedom anymore?

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Most of us who have tried to make money from blogging are already familiar with the ubiquitous Google AdSense text link ads. They are designed to optimize themselves according to the main keywords present in the content of the web page in which they are included, and publishers earn money every time someone clicks on one of those ads. However, it is also possible to monetize a blog or other website by using the Google AdSense search feature. With this option, site owners can include a Google search box somewhere on their websites, and whenever a visitor enters a query into the box, Google will serve up any relevant search results either from within the site or from the Internet generally, depending on the parameters chosen by the site owner. As with standard search results pages, depending on the query some sponsored results may appear along with the regular organic ones. If a visitor clicks on one of the sponsored results, the publisher earns money on his or her AdSense account just like with the regular text link ads.

With sufficient traffic, this can get pretty lucrative. As I was thinking about what to write for this post, I was reminded of an article I read a little over a year ago which discussed the revenue sources of the Mozilla Foundation, owners of the useful and increasingly popular FireFox browser. It turns out that they had earned approximately $55 million in revenues during 2005, most of it coming from the Google search box that appears as the default start page for many FireFox users.

Yesterday I received an email from AdSense reminding me about this option because Google had detected that I was not yet using it. Apparently Google has recently improved its AdSense for search feature, and after reading about it, I decided to go ahead and implement it on this site to see how it would work. For now, I have replaced the old WordPress search box with the new Google custom search, but I have backed up the old code to a text file in case I ever need to revert to the old search function in the future. Meanwhile, I have the Google search box set up to open results for any queries in a new window; initially, these results will come from within the Karlonia.com site itself, but afterward you can choose the “Web Search” option to access results from the whole Internet if you wish.

Because it does a pretty good job of explaining the new features and how to get started with it, I have reprinted the email text below. I have modified it slightly in order to include the video that was linked to from the original email text; I have placed this in the appropriate spot just below the jump.

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Now that the beginning of the month has rolled around again, the SendEarnings GPT program has released its next monthly newsletter for July. This time they have launched a new feature called an “Insurance Center” that is supposed to provide members with information related to saving money on auto, home, health, and life insurance and allow us to do some comparison shopping to find the best rates.

Meanwhile, I had a commenter on my SendEarnings Payment Proof page yesterday who wanted me to “make sign up access quicker” with “better links”. Apparently it was not clear to some people that you’re supposed to click on the banner to get to their home page, and then click on the “Not A Member - Join Free” button to reach the signup page. Therefore, I will make my link a little more obvious:

Click Here To Join SendEarnings

Here is the text of the latest newsletter (yes, the banner is clickable too).

To better serve our members, we recently launched our Insurance Center. This new feature gives you money saving tips and provides a quick and easy way to get the best deals on insurance. Check out this new SendEarnings feature to learn, compare and save up to 40% on your insurance!

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