Wordpress Issues
We have been experiencing some intermittent issues with Wordpress over the past few weeks, in particular many of our backlinks will stop working periodically. Please bear with us as we make the necessary adjustments. Should you require information you are unable to navigate to please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be more than happy to accomodate you!
12/15/2009
Wordpress Issues
12/01/2009
Serpentine Series Computers Now Available!
Serpentine Series Computers Now Available!
I am sooo proud to announce that we have finally developed a set of standard computer models for the Serpentine Series..
The serpentineHOME, serpentineOFFICE, and serpentineGAMER computers are custom builds designed with the end
user in mind from top to bottom. Each computer model includes parts that have been carefully selected to provide our
customers with scalability for future upgrades, with the reliability high quality components and at a price that is
highly competitive with Dell, HP and others…
Our new website will also be launching VERY soon and it has been enhanced to make ordering your standard series or
customized computer build easier than ever!
10/27/2009
So I changed my mind….
OK, so maybe not black and burgundy. I decided to go with more “earthy” colors I guess you could say. Maybe it’s the season that inspired me, I am still not sure. Nonetheless I am thrilled to have the facade of my building repainted and hope my neighbors are enjoying it as well!
10/07/2009
ClintonCountyNightlife.com
ClintonCountyNightlife.com
First launched in June of 2009, Clinton County Nightlife was created as a central resource for a variety of information about the local community and events. This site is full of things to do and places to go including restaurants, bars and lounges, as well as listing times and locations for upcoming live music performances, festivals, benefits, DJ’s and more…
To date, the listings for local restaurants and bars, as well as events within the calendar have been maintained by Serpentine Web Solutions free of charge. Much like everyone else, we enjoy the benefits of this centralized event resource! Chances are, your business or band is already there—but if not you should let us know so that you can be involved!
Each month, thousands of web browsers visit Clinton County Nightlife to find out what events they might want to attend or to view the extensive listings of local businesses. This audience includes not only visitors from the local community and the St. Louis area, but also viewers nationwide and beyond via the Internet!
Given the popularity and growth of the site and the potential benefits for all local businesses, advertisement options are now available and space has been allocated within the website for this very purpose! We look forward to hearing from you as you get more involved in this exciting new way to connect with new customers and keep your current customers informed!
Facelift
Over the next couple of weeks I am hoping to have given the front of my building a well-deserved facelift! As much as I love the architecture and layout of my office space, the years have not been too kind and I think that a fresh look outside would be fantastic! I am also going bold– so expect to see a new black facade with burgundy columns to compliment my window lettering. I am also going to be rehanging my sign soon for anyone wondering where it may have gone off to. : )
I am very interested in revitalizing the downtown Carlyle area in any way that I can so I guess the best place to start is with my own storefront!
08/22/2009
Search Engines
How Do Search Engines Work?
Web crawling | Indexing | Searching
Web search engines work by storing information about many web pages, which they retrieve from the Internet or from web designers who submit websites for review. Pages are retrieved by a web crawler, an automated Web browser which follows every link it sees. The contents of each page of a website are then analyzed to determine how it should be indexed. Data about web pages are stored in an index database for use in later queries.
Some search engines, such as Google, store all or part of the source page as well as information about the web pages, whereas others, such as AltaVista, store every word of every page they find. This cached page always holds the actual search text since it is the one that was actually indexed, so it can be very useful when the content of the current page has been updated and the search terms are no longer in it.
This problem might be considered to be a mild form of linkrot, and Google’s handling of it increases usability by satisfying user expectations that the search terms will be on the returned webpage. This satisfies the principle of least astonishment since the user normally expects the search terms to be on the returned pages.
Increased search relevance makes these cached pages very useful, even beyond the fact that they may contain data that may no longer be available elsewhere.
When a user enters a query, e.g. baseball cards, into a search, the engine examines its index and provides a listing of best-matching web pages according to its criteria, usually with a short summary containing the document’s title and sometimes parts of the text. Most search engines support the use of the boolean operators AND, OR and NOT to further specify the search query. Some search engines provide an advanced feature called proximity search which allows users to define the distance between keywords.
To date, hundreds of search engines exists although only four share 99% of the Internet User Market. Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and Ask in that order are currently the top engines used on a regular basis. Other less-known engines are available though, some of which offer interesting and innovatice approaches to how we search the Internet. Some noteable mentions would include: Kartoo.com, ChaCha.com and Dogpile.com….
Recently, Microsoft has form a “behind the scenes” partnership with Yahoo! to introduce “Bing.com” a new and highly comparable engine that very well may give Google a run for its money in the coming months and years. This engine is a refreshing newcomer with the clean and simple appeal Google’s homepage but without all of that dead white space! Check it out ~~ you may like what you find…Bing.com
Email Client vs. Web-Based Login
Email Client vs. Web-Based Login
Understanding the differences, benefits, drawbacks, etc. of the various methods for sending and receiving email can be difficult for many end users. Without the exposure one might gain within an office environment or through technology-based education, where and how email is being handled on personal and business computers may not always be clear. Email clients, such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Lotus Notes are programs that are installed, configured and executed on the local computer. These programs are designed to communicate directly with an email server (located with your email provider) to regularly pull copies all emails to the local machine for storage.
Email clients typically come packaged with other features, such as a Contact Database, a Calendar, and a number of interchangeable options. Information can easily be imported and exported, many emails are stored and can be accessed offline and launching the program is fast and easy, although an Internet connection is necessary for new emails to continue coming through from the email provider.
Web-based email, such as Yahoo or Gmail require users to first go to the website of the respective provider and then login with a set of credentials. This form of email often includes a Calendar and Contacts Database as well, although importing and exporting this information for use outside of the web-based environment can be difficult at times or not possible at all. All emails are kept on the email server so no emails are available locally in the event of a lost Internet Connection. Unlike the locally installed email client, however, a web-based email program should be readily available from any computer with an Internet Connection and is ideal for mobile users.
08/02/2009
Classes
Computer Classes : :
I have had a few requests for computer classes to date and would love to hear from customers and non-customers regarding the computer-related topics that interest them the most…
For anyone who is not already familiar, computer classes are offered from time to time by Kaskaskia College which may be a viable alternative in the meantime. And although I would love to help my local community expand their knowledge of computers, software, and everything in-between in the near future, I primarily want to determine where and how my services could be most beneficial beforehand.
Send a comment on your thoughts in this area and I will definitely place them under serious consideration….
Am I in the right place?
Am I in the right place?
The transition from working freelance at home (admittedly in my pajamas on occasion) to the 9-5 of a storefront business has been less difficult than I had anticipated. In fact, I am beginning to appreciate the benefits that my new office provides in terms of street visibility, extra space and the amazing front windows that drew me to the venue in the first place. While planning the layout and decor of my store I envisioned the many technology or computer related stores I have ever visited: racks of packaged computer parts, display cases, dismantled computers, and an interestingly institutional feel. Ultimately, I decided that I was going to do things a bit differently….
As a visual artist who has been painting since the time I could wield a paintbrush, I chose to bring original artwork into the front reception area of my office, to provide a clean and sophisticated reception area where no computer parts can be found and to place my office beside the front door so that whenever possible I can greet my customers personally. I chose to focus on the notion of a design studio as opposed to an imploded electronics laboratory in the hopes of helping customers to feel comfortable and welcome.
Alternatively, the challenge of creating custom graphic art, whether for advertisement, company logos, or an entire website can be amplified in a cluttered environment where no inspiration or organization can be found. So for any of my current customers who are still wondering where all of those computer parts are hiding, or for potential future customers who might one day walk in and question whether or not they have entered the wrong door, you have indeed found Serpentine Web Solutions, where things look a little bit different–because they truly are different here!
07/31/2009
Computer Purchases
The Big Questions : :
Among the more common questions I receive from customers, “Which PC should I buy?” is one of the most frequent. And while I commend the large computer manufacturers for their keen ability to import large quantities of computer parts at a discount low enough to ensure affordable mass-production PC’s for the public, I cannot help but point out to customers the tendency of such companies to sacrifice quality for the sake of cost. There are also certain manufacturers who insist on integrating their components so tightly with their vendors that upgrading or replacing a hardware component with a more economical or abundant solution is not even an option. ….And then of course there is the outsourced customer support that we all know and love to consider….
A custom computer build currently is and will most likely continue to be my professional recommendation. A custom computer can be designed to accommodate the needs of any user, from the most basic web browser to the advanced gamer. It can be customized to suit your personal or business style aesthetically, and the components are of a much higher quality and scalability. The highlight of it all, however, becomes apparent when, should the ocassion ever arise where hardware support is needed, you can make a phone call to the individual who originally built the computer, not a phone operator in India who will undoubtedly forget you even existed after hanging up from a four hour troubleshooting session that leaves you frustrated and most likely no closer to a solution than before you called…sound familiar? Learn More…