SEO or Spam Generation?

I've never been able to agree with SEO strategies the 'experts' use to promote websites. Perhaps I am not even a person who can talk about it due to lack on knowledge. But in last 5 years, being online I've heard, read and seen a few things about it. You have to build links and back links. You do it by providing your link to website directories, forums, by commenting on different blogs etc. You write articles about something and publish them in article directories with carefully adding you own website link as well. And what does people do? They go to a blog, "its very good" paste their link and run away. I hate such comments. They write rubbish content, non standard language in the name of article writing, insert a link and put in an article directory which is already full of such crap. When a user will go to Google to search a query, he will come across such directory articles on the topic he was searching. But what is the worth of such topic? Same things said in a different way, to avoid search engine plagiarism detection, sub standard language and content which is produced by someone at $1 per article, what can someone expect from it? So the user disappoints because the article is not helpful, rather it embraces him. I always hated such search results who come to my screen while searching useful content. The webmasters are creating spam, loading internet with tonnes of unnecessary, crap, spam data and there are websites who are happy to store it, show it in their showcase, and there are search engines who are happy to dive again and again in this pool of stenchy water to pull out this crap again and again. What are we collecting in the name of information? How much of today's Tera Byte data is useful and not the regeneration of same old crap, repetition of same thoughts again and again, a mixture of 10 similar articles in 1? I really wonder.

How to Add Google Authorship Markup in Blogger Posts

Noumaan shared a good information about blog authorship and all the stuff behind it. According to google's Webmaster Central Blog, they are going to add this link relation to Blogger and Youtube content in future automatically. Until then, instead of waiting do this simple tweak and you are on your posts with your google plus profile link as author link.
1. Copy this link to Notepad

<a href="https://plus.google.com/107301882632607014913/about" rel="author">Muhammad Shakir Aziz</a>

2. Replace the name with your name, and link with your G+ profile link.
3. Go to you Layout tab of Blogger.
4. Go to address bar. Replace blogger.g? part of the link with html?. Refresh the page, you are at html edit tab of old Blogger interface.
5. Check Expand Widgets check box.
6. Search for this line <span class='post-timestamp'>
7. Add the hyperlink for author created by you after this line. You can add "Posted by" before the link as well, without quotes.
8. And to make it perfect go to Page Elements tab, click Edit on Post Widget and uncheck "Posted by" check box.
9. You should be able to see you Google+ profile link instead of blogger profile link as your authorship link.
Enjoy until Google adds automatic linking to your G+ profile.

Getting Money

A few years back it was a great achievement for me was to get a few hundred rupees. I can remember myself teaching a student a home tuition for Rs 400. I had to travel almost half an hour on cycle to reach there and had to provide 1 hour. Once that was a great achievement for me. Then the life changed a bit, I taught in academies, typical tuition academies of our cities. I worked as a computer assistant and so on. It was 2007, perhaps when I met Talmeez. Talmeez is a great person, he works as a translator and while on a visit to Faisalabad he especially came to meet me. We had a talk for a while, he wondered how extra smart I was :-) (rather he was concerned that I am so weak physically as compared to my age, but that's what I always have been so I didn't worry on his comments). He encouraged me to do something for my livelihood along with education. He gave me idea to work as a Translator from English to Urdu, and Punjabi. At first, as I always do, I didn't take the idea seriously. I was busy in my self created busyness, doing nothing but busy. Then after in a few months I started exploring options how to work as a translator, the websites, the marketing options, the companies. I created a CV of mine (really poor one at that time) and started sending it to job posters (which allowed of course direct contact). And in a few months I started getting jobs. And now I earn, not regularly, but whenever it is possible to grab a translation project, I have reasonable money in my hand which usually goes to my MSc, M Phil etc fees. But I am happy. Allah provides me with Rizq this way, and I am thankful to Him. And now in mid 2011 when I am going to leave private school job, I'll consider blogging, specially for linguistics, to be my part time profession along with translation.

A Layman's Reaction on HP Killing WebOS

The news is pretty much old that HP is going to kill WebOS based devices. They acquired WebOS from Palm sometime ago and put a considerable effort behind the OS. There were a few devices like TouchPad out there and users were going to consider these devices. But now they are going to cut off any development in this regard, infact they want to focus on software business. If HP is going to leave hardware business, it means that perhaps in future we will not be able to get good laptops from HP, printers and other devices made by HP etc. I am a bit concerned about it. I like HP and its products and considered them reliable. Recently I've bought an HP Probook 4530s. I prefer to use printers made by HP. This is a bit shocking for me that the company is leaving the market. Its true that it would take a long time to gather the scattered business, and the wrap up the things. But it seems that I am not gonna like it. It seems to me that my laptop is alone in the universe, only one of its kind. Or perhaps it won't have any "children" as there would be no new models of laptop PCs. Well, these were thoughts of a crazy mind thinking wildly in the closing hours of fasting :-D. It might be the case that they are going to continue their laptop business and only wrapping up WebOS kind of stuff. This post is just a reaction written after watching so many news headings crying about HP Kills WebOS etc.

Private Schools

I am a teacher by profession but this is unfortunate that I've to teach in a private school of my city. I as fascinated by the name of this school exactly 1 year back from now. I, as a fresh graduate, needed a job and was almost dancing with joy when I was offered "internship" at this school. We, a group of 5 students, joined them as internees at a handsome amount (Rs 9000 was considered by us as a handsome amount being a trainee at that time). But the charm vanished just after a few months. We were time and again refused for any increase in pay. The environment was helpful in training but the disgrace and a kind of humiliation, undue pressure exerted on the employees was unbearable. Now after one year, we are only two there. And I am also planning to leave this school to concentrate on M Phil Applied Linguistics plus work as a freelance translator.

I admit that I've learnt a lot from there. I was trained from a raw teacher to a professional, I learnt how to deal with parents, how to contain my anger while teaching, how to teach effectively, but still I do not feel comfortable there. There is an air of mistrust. The junior staff is burdened with extra work while seniors sit and relax. The organization is always suspicious that this person is going to run away. They do not want to pay, so there is no incentive for hard working. The old crows, the teachers who are working there for several years are the only things which can survive in that environment, new staff usually runs away after one year, as I am now planning to go away.

Perhaps same is the situation with every private organization. But I've learnt one thing that these private schools are money making factories. The teachers working there are labourers in colourful clothes. And the product the produce is half Pakistani half English O/A level graduates who feel it very hard to integrate with traditional educational system of Pakistan when they have to pass entry tests for MBBS or UET (engineering). They are the children of factory owners, and their Faisalabad lies around Canal Road, D Ground, Madina Town, Peoples Colony and other posh areas of the city.

Well, the post is diverting from the topic. My aim was to write about the atrocities of these private employers who are sucking blood from the veins of nation on the name of education.

Google Acquires Motrola: Whats Next?

Well the news is pretty much old now that Google is acquiring Motorola. Big deal, yeah that's a big deal. But it was expected. 

Since the arrival of rivals like Facebook, the search giant is expanding its business horizon to other fields. It has been a long time when Google introduced Android, the once very celebrated 'open source' mobile operating system. I wondered at the time, how Google is going to monetize Android. Then we saw things like Android Market and other products based on Android which are money making machines for Google (not to mention mobile adds from Google on Android based gadgets).

But Android was not going well. Microsoft as always, jumped in the way and they started to ask the mobile phone manufacturers to pay on each sold device as they thought Android was infringing their copy rights and patents. This was not the case only. Apparently Apple, MS and other big dudes tried to undercut Google by buying patents from other companies. As Google accused them of being unfair. Well, this is a long story as MS clarified the statement and bla bla bla. The point here to mention is that Google was not having a solid ground regarding Android. The hardware manufacturers i.e. the smart phone makers were having trouble with legal status of Android, they had to pay MS etc on each device they sold and Google was unable to help them in this regard. Google was lacking mobile patents to support its claims in mobile market. And the biggest dispute was Oracle sued Google over Android. Folks can you imagine what a mess was created around Google and Android? And to add to the fire even Motorola was going to start war with other Android phone manufacturers over patent issues, see yourself.

So you can see the idea was good: create a mobile OS and promote it, earn money through selling Apps, Games, Adds, Services. But the mess which was created as a bi-product was creating serious hindrances for the search giant. And now the answer comes. Google is now acquiring Motorola. Possible outcomes? Well it is too early to say rather speculate about this but this is for sure that

• Android is going to be an official OS with a phone manufacturer behind it.
• Android is going to have patent support owned by Motorola.
• Apple and Microsoft are not going to like it.
• Google is going to have more focus on Tablets which will not be liked by Apple, HP and other Tab makers.
• Microsoft Windows Phone 7 is going to have tough time. Perhaps they will try to acquire already troubled old mobile maker Nokia, who is in deal with them to make Windows Phone 7 based smart phones.
• And last but not the least, the game is on. Other rivals will not sit calmly and watch Google grow. Its going to be hot out their folks, Wait and watch the battle of giants.

M Phil Applied Linguistics

I've the prospectus in my hands and the title says "2011 GCUF Prospectus". I am having this booklet in my hands and my soul is wandering around those moments which I've spent in this university millennia ago. Yes it seems I was there in another life. The days of MSc Applied Linguistics, the last and forever prevailing moments, I cannot forget them. At that time, 1 year back from now, I'd tried to write something. I'd tried to mourn on the loss, but I failed. I could not gather words, as if though my words had become meaningless. I was unable to say what I wanted to say. So considering myself a desert struck by drought with no single drop of water, I'd abandoned the effort to produce something. And now after 1 year, when I am supposed to be more wise, more practical, more mature and more professional, I am becoming saddened on the loss of my good old days. Sadness prevails in me, it adds to my feelings drop by drop and I feel myself a container filled with it. And when I move in my good old days, when I re-picture those moments, the parties, the joyness, the classes and even the hardest times of final examination I can feel this sadness within the deepest corners of my bones. I wonder why this is now, when I am supposed to be more stronger and ignorant of such things, why I feel it now. When nothing is left behind. The air itself has become a stranger to me, the place where I had sit for 2 years, my classroom, has made other friends, other ones like me who succeeded me on that same corner chair of last row. I wonder why I feel this now, when I am going to sit there again, perhaps on that same chair and bench and same classroom. Perhaps this is because now I wouldn't be able to laugh out loud, the parties wouldn't be that enjoyable, maturity would hinder with joy and innocence, torments of time and tension will dance in my head, the god of money will bend my attentions. Perhaps I wouldn't be that old shakir this time, I would be more selfish, more swollen in my ego and I. Perhaps I would be more like a prisoner behind the walls of my own self.