Confessions of a Computer Program Hacker

As an independent Game developer, my Hacking skills were needed more than ever. First I needed to research a number of game engines to discover which would better serve the type of games I want to develop. I knew I wanted to develop adventure games. I had been playing adventure games ever since Sierra introduced the King's Quest series. I was impressed the growth of game GUI, story telling, and sophistication as I played each succeeding game. Too bad Sierra Jumped the Shark Tank with King's Quest 8.

My goal is to develop an adventure game with that sense of wonder I felt each time I played a new KQ game. I have been researching for about 12 months and working with my chosen game engine for about 8 months, Unity 3D.

Hacking will take on a new form for me here. I will do less code research in Unity 3D and more functionality research. Unity 3D already has a JavaScript interface for game activity and animation development, so my “hacking” will actually be outside the Unity 3D code itself and will more appropriately involve working with the traditional API's that Unity 3D provides.

I will need to rely upon other artists for voice, music, background, characters, and some programming as I continue to work on story development and puzzles which I will also require help with. In creating a successful game I will need a whole spectrum of Craftspeople to pull off what I hope will be a successful franchise of games that appeal to all ages.

Look for Booh and Babbot in The Haunted House Of Dracula, the first in their franchise game series. It is a work in progress.

Read more!

I knew I could now apply to the Amazon and HubPages Earnings program so I started with the HubPages Earnings first. I clicked on the link to apply on my earnings page since it was now active. It had a few very short questions, I answered these and was excited to know I was all set. I just had to let the traffic come to my site and watch the monthly earnings grow.

I then applied to the Amazon Affiliate program, which now had an active link on my earnings page as well. It brought me to a page with suggested answers to questions that will be given on the Amazon Affiliate site. I chose, “Get Started” at the bottom of the page and was brought to the Amazon Affiliate website. Here you can sign in with your Amazon username, unless you need to create an account, which you could do at this step too. Fill in the questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge and, ofcourse, with the answers given to you on the HubPages application page. This step was so simple and I was done before I knew it. The only thing I was confused about was all the directions on banners, links, etc on the Amazon site. You can ignore these notifications as a HubPage writer because you are given a Amazon Capsule on your tools panel when creating hubs.

You’ll need to now go into all of your current hubs and upgrade them for these Amazon earnings. Choose the Amazon capsule and add a product by either clicking on the choice for a specific product or to search by keyword. A convenient way to search for products is by opening a new tab with amazon.com and searching relevant items to your hubs there. You can then copy and paste the URL into the hubs capsule for that specific item to have it show on your profile.

Thus far, I’m about 4 days into my HubPages and Google AdSense activation and I have a total of $2.50. Ok, it’s not a lot but it’s a start. I need to continue writing quality hubs and continue with my social networking to create traffic to my profile. I hope this hub was informative and helpful for those just starting out either writing on HubPages or as an online writer in general. Happy hubbing!

Update: I just received a new Accolade today: the Popular Among Readers Award. This is measured by feedback given by other hubbers. I'm liked among my fellow hubbers and it feels great! Thanks Everyone!

More in Travel

Cruising on Carnival - Legend

Cruising the Western Caribbean on Carnival Legend

The Carnival Liberty Cruise Boat in Photos: Accommodations, Food & Ports

Read more!

Adsense is the best income generating program ever spawned! Why?

There is no product or service to promote. Only your domain. Webspace, an Adsense account, and highly targeted traffic is needed. Your success with adsense, you will soon learn, is as easy as driving s car or cooking a four course meal. The reality is Adsense Success and everything else has to be learned. When you learned how to drive a car it became simple and after a couple of months of driving everyday or so. It became second nature. Once you learn the Adsense formula and it's variables. The sky's the limit with Google Adsense


Related Articles


Adsense tips


AdSense Secrets 5 Review - 10 Google Adsense Tips


AdSense Secrets 5 Review-A Product by Joel Comm, New York Times Bestselling Author


Adsense Tips - Adsense Tips That you Can't Miss

Learn The Adsense Craft.

You can't cheat your way to success or for some a healthy adsense income. Just like anything other skill in life, it has to be learned. Everything that everyone knows was learned from a teacher(I.E. Anyone), a book, an article(I.E. Newspapers, Magazines, and the Internet), or by word of mouth. You have to learn the adsense formula and all the adsense variables. I have a A.A.S in Computer Programming and Engineering. So believe me I know how to give low-level instructions. No one can tell YOU how to make YOUR site a success, only guide you in the right direction.

The Adsense Variables

TT(High CTR) + Content = Adsense Earnings

Content - try to have a 1000 words of keyphrase-rich content. High CTR - highly optimized placement of the adsense code. TT - Highly Targeted Traffic

Yes that's it. The "Adsense Formula" is just a basic math problem and as we all know any on can learn math. We're not near finished. These variables the make up the Adsense Formula is the key to your success. Why refer to them as variables, because these Adsense elements constantly change and YOU are in full control of them. Imagine a indoor plant and its variables. Sunlight, Soil PH, CO2, Fertilizer, and Water. You control every variable and if each one is highly optimized then you will have a healthy fast-growing plant. If you highly optimize each adsense variable then you will in turn receive a healthy fast growing adsense income. Now that we have an understanding let's evaluate this "Adsense Formula."

Adsense Content

Keywords are a bad idea! High paying or not. In fact don't choose high paying keywords, not because of the saturation of SEO experts, but because keywords are to broad. Adwords is ying and Adsense is yang. Broad keywords have low payouts and ctr. You want to target keyphrases, so your site only displays high paying adsense ads, not .15 adsense ads from some beginner with one of your terms in their adwords campaign. There is a lot of free content online, but it is best to use unique content for search engine purposes. To accomplish this hire a writer or choose niche subjects that you are familiar with, so that you can write your own articles and e-books. Don't base your site on money rather than your passion. Example. My passion is computers and networking.




var ch_channel = 'ab_intext_article';

Adsense CTR

Optimal adsense ad placement is the heart of high adsense ctr. There are four locations on a webpage the receives the most clicks.

Just above the fold. The fold is the end of the section of the page you can view without scrolling.

All along side the left column.

In your content, if very interesting and informative.

At the end of your content after a reader finishes.

Adsense ad format effects ctr greatly whether or not they are placed in the right spots. Squares receive the most clicks, beginning with the largest and so on. The ads should blend with your page. Only the link title should be a different color than the text and url. No borders unless red or yellow. They attract viewer's eyes. The link color should match your site's links, but blue and red work the best. Incredibly Increase your adsense ctr up to 400% by placing related images above or to the left of adsense ads.

Highly Targeted Traffic

Yes, there is a difference between targeted traffic and highly targeted traffic. Someone looking for an online business would be targeted traffic to this article, but someone looking for an adsense business would be a highly targeted visitor. Why high quality traffic? Your Ctr will be amazing and unbelievable because all of your traffic will be looking for YOUR site. Don't be surprised if you have certain days where 97% of your visitors clicked an adsense ad. How? Blogs, Articles, E-books, Rss Feeds, and most SERP(search engine results page) traffic. Never use traffic exchanges or links from other sites unless their content is similar to yours.

Read more!

eBay’s Turbo Lister Program: Should You Use It?

Are you an eBay seller? If you are, are you familiar with eBay’s Turbo Lister program? If you are not, you may want to take the time to familiarize yourself with it, as using eBay’s Turbo Lister program can make selling on eBay as easy as can be.

eBay’s Turbo Lister program is a program that is available for download, free of charge on eBay’s website. What is nice about eBay’s Turbo Lister program is that it is easy to install and use. In fact, like eBay’s traditional way of listing items for sale, you are given step-by-step instructions. Even if you have minimal computer knowledge, you should still be able to use eBay’s Turbo Lister program, without any problems.

Now that you know exactly how you can get eBay’s Turbo Lister program, you may be wondering exactly what it is or how it can help you. See, when you download eBay’s Turbo Lister program to your computer, you can access it at anytime, even if you are not connected to the internet. eBay markets its Turbo Lister program to those who are high or medium volume eBay sellers, but it is also great for those who have dialup internet. Listing a large number of eBay auctions can tie up your phone lines, but with eBay’s Turbo Lister program you don’t even have to be online!

The eBay Turbo Lister program sets up all eBay auction listings or “Buy It Now,” listings the same way as it is done online, through their website. For instance, when using eBay’s Turbo Lister, you need to assign your item to a category, make a headline for your auction, write a detailed description of the item that you are selling, upload pictures if you have any, mention how your item will be shipped, as well as outline what methods of payment you will accept. As stated above, this process is easy, as everything is explained to you step-by-step. With eBay’s Turbo Listing program, listing on eBay is still as easy as it was before, if not easier with the ability to do so while not connected to the internet.

Speaking of not being connected to the internet, you may be wondering how your eBay items can be listed on eBay’s website if you are not connected to the internet. This is where the internet connection comes in. eBay’s Turbo Lister program enables you develop as many eBay auctions as you want, even thousands of them, without being connected to the internet. When doing so, you have the ability to save your listings for a later date; a time when you can sign online. Once you are connected to the internet, a simple click of the mouse and your eBay listings will automatically be uploaded to the eBay site. In addition to giving you the ability to work offline, you also have the ability to time your auctions, like if you want them to start or end at a certain time.

As mentioned above, if you are interested in downloading eBay’s Turbo Lister program, you can do so through their online website. Since downloading and using eBay’s Turbo Lister program is free, you are urged to at least give it a try. Should you not like the way that the program works, you could always return to listing your eBay items the traditional way, though the eBay website.

Read more!

Introducing the New eBay "Buyer's Credit" Program.

In an effort to compete with more 'traditional' shops, eBay has started to offer finance agreements though PayPal for expensive items. This means that, if the seller decides to offer it, you can now spread the cost of an item into affordable monthly payments.

This is good for buyers, good for sellers, and good for eBay. Buyers can get the kind of credit agreements they're used to in shops. Sellers can make their items more attractive to buyers who might not have all the money then and there, but eBay still pays the sellers upfront - they don't have to wait to be paid each month or anything like that. Buyers make their monthly payments to PayPal's credit provider instead.

The APR of the Buyer's Credit program is currently 12.9%. You can pay back $999 or more over 12 months, or $1,999 or more over 24 months. There are also interest-free options for purchases of $199 or more over 3, 6 or 12 months.

The reason why some of these credit offers sound better than others is that it is up to the seller to decide how good the credit offer should be and pay extra to PayPal to offer it. To give their buyer the best promotion, for example, of no interest for twelve months, the seller must pay 3.75% of the item's cost to PayPal.

Basically, this means that sellers pay less when the buyers pay interest, and sellers pay the cost of the interest on the interest-free offers. PayPal makes its interest either way, buyers are happy to get credit, and sellers are happy to sell more.

Can I Get This Credit?

On items over $199, Buyer's Credit is now being automatically offered to buyers in the USA only. Just click the link when you buy something for more than $199 and you will be taken through the application process, which includes a 30-second check on your credit history. Then you just go through the buying process as normal, and you get your item before you've paid a penny.

Why are eBay Offering This?

eBay say they want to "level the playing field", to allow eBay businesses to compete with the big chain stores, and they also want to promote PayPal as a payment method. Relatively few buyers can afford the more expensive items on eBay all at once, and so the introduction of Buyer's Credit seems likely to significantly increase prices and sales at the higher end of the market.

It is worth noting that you can use Buyer's Credit anywhere PayPal is accepted, not just on eBay. PayPal say it's "like a credit card - minus the card!" You don't get a card number - you can pay with credit with just your email address and password.

The only thing left to do now, then, is find the best deal for that really special item - the expensive thing you've been wanting for ages but could never afford. But how can you be sure you're getting the best price? Try our tips and tricks for eBay searching, in the next email.

Read more!

Affiliate Marketing Program Pitfalls

Even though affiliate marketing is an excellent way

to earn money, there are several pitfalls that you'll

need to be aware of. As long as people have been

earning money, people have also tried to figure out

how to earn more by doing a lot less.

All you need to do is a quick online search for

"work from home" or "making easy money". You'll

instantly find millions of websites, simply click

on a few and you'll notice that they all start off

the same. You'll see a guy with a big house and

a lot of money saying if you sign up, this could be

you - how far from the truth!

The only way you can earn a good, stable income is

to put in the hard work it takes. Before you join

any affiliate program, you need to do the proper

research. That's one of the best benefits of the

internet - finding the information you need.

All you need to do is search for the name of the

affiliate program that your intested in, adding

the word scam to it and see what pops up. You

should also join some work from home forums, and

don't be afraid to ask the right questions.

There are a few ways that you can tell what

program is most likely a scam. If a program

doesn't tell you their compensation plan unless

you sign up, watch out. A lot of programs won't

tell you what you'll be doing unless you buy a

kit for a set price.

With any program, there should always be 100% free

disclosure. You'll need to know what you are

going to be doing before you even start. If a

program doesn't tell you what you are going to be

doing or if you have to pay money first, you

Read more!

Google Adsense: Learning About the Program and the Most Important Rule

How Does Google Adsense Program Work For Webmasters Wanting to Earn Income?

Advertisers pay Google when someone clicks on their ads which are placed on pages that contain text. For example, if you write content about lawn mowers, you will likely see ads from lawn mower manufacturers and/or retailers on that page. When someone clicks on those ads, the advertiser pays Google and Google pays you. Of course, the advertiser is hoping the person that clicked on the add will actually purchase the lawn mower or whatever they’re offering.

In fact, Google is very strict about the integrity of this process. You are forbidden to click on your own ads. If you do, your Adsense account will be terminated and you might never get it back. You are also prohibited from asking others to click on “your ads”. It makes sense. Why would advertisers want to pay just so your friends and family could click on your ads when no one is really interested in purchasing the lawn mower or subject of the ad.

The good news is that it’s not necessary to “cheat.” Google Adsense is so easy you’ll make more money just going by the rules. Have or write interesting content that will turn up in search engines and you have “targeted” the right people to read those ads. Just think, somebody in Indiana buys a lawn mower and you get a commission!

What Not to Tell Others About the Google Adsense Program – The Most Important Rule

Sympathy only goes so far. Not only is it against the Google Adsense Program Policies but if you rely on friends and family members to click on your ads instead of diligently working the program, you’re cheating yourself – and the Google Adsense Program.

The “help me out” wail may work when your kid is selling outrageously expensive candles for the end of the year school party but it has no place in the Google Adsense Program.

Besides, if you’re asking people to click on your ads, that means you’re not optimizing your site for valid clicks as well as referrals. Use that same energy to polish your content and your site. When family and friends ask what you’ve been up to, you can proudly show them your hard work. When they see how excited you are, you’ll see your referral revenue go up.

Read more!

Google Adsense: How to Apply for the Program and Important Info on Paying Taxes

How to Apply to the Google Adsense Program

Applying for a Google Adsense account is quick and easy for any interested webmaster. Just point your browser to www.google.com/adsense and click on apply. Click on the drop down arrow under account type and select whether you’re an individual or business. If you’re not sure which one to choose, click on the question mark to the left. Next, select your country or territory.

Under website information, it asks for your primary URL. If you have your own website, list it here. If you are using a blogging site such as writingup.com or bloggingparty.com that URL goes here.

Select your website’s primary language. Google adsense supports Chinese (simplified), Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

Select the product you want on your pages. Adsense for Content means you will have advertising targeted to the content on your pages. For instance, if you write about flooring, you might have carpet ads on your page. Adsense for Search is for you to add a Google search box to your pages. To maximize your Google Adsense earnings, you will want to have both.

After that, it’s just the regular contact information and you’re all set. You should receive an email in 2 or 3 days letting you know if your application is approved.

Do I Have to Pay Taxes on My Google Adsense Earnings?

Google Adsense is required to collect tax information from those who participate in the program. If you’re a business, you’ll need to put your EIN number on your application. If you’re an individual, all you’ll need is your social security number. If you don’t have that information when you initially sign up, you can still apply for the Google Adsense program. But be advised that Google Adsense will withhold payments to you until they receive your tax information.

While Google does not withhold taxes or provide any tax advice, they will send you a 1099 once your earnings reach a certain amount. Of course, if you are a Non-US business and have no activity in the United States, you will not need to provide this information. For more tax information regarding the Google Adsense program, visit the Google Adsense Support site. For other tax-related questions or concerns, you can log onto www.irs.gov.

Read more!

Google Adsense: The Google Adsense Report and Why the Program is Original

Understanding the Google Adsense Report

When you log into your Google Adsense account, you are automatically taken to the page where you can view all your Adsense activity. On the Reports tab, you’ll see “Today’s Earnings.” This is the approximate amount you have earned today in your Google Adsense account. Earnings are not final at this point and could be adjusted for invalid clicks or fees.

It’s interesting to look at the breakdown. As you can see, Adsense for Content, which refers to the targeted ads appearing on the pages in which you have written content, is listed first. Here you will see the number of page impressions listed in the first column. While a page impression is generally the same as a page view, that is not always the case. For a more detailed definition of a page impression, see Google Adsense support, click on Your Adsense Account and then click on Your Adsense Report.

Next, you’ll notice the number of clicks. This refers to the number of times “your ads” were clicked on.

Page click through rate or CTR is in the next column shown as a percentage. It represents the percentage of the time an ad was clicked on after viewing your page.

Page eCPM which stands for effective cost per thousand impressions. It is calculated by dividing total earnings by the number of page impressions in thousands.

Don’t be intimidated by these statistics. The bottom line, your earnings, is what really counts. As you become more familiar with Google Adsense, statistics will become like second nature. First, just start.

How is Google Adsense Different From Other Ad Networks?

Primarily because it is Google and that carries a lot of clout just with name recognition alone. But here are some advantages to being a part of the Google Adsense network:

Getting started is fast and easy and requires no technical knowledge. Google Adsense even provides html code for easy implementation with clear instructions.

Google Adsense has both the Adsense for Content feature and the Adsense for Search feature.

Google Adsense not only provides keyword targeted ads but site targeted ads as well, maximizing your potential for revenue.

Google Adsense provides a filter so that you can choose not to run your competitor’s ads on your pages as well as filter other unwanted ads.

Google Adsense provides an extensive support site that is easily understood.

Read more!

Google Adsense: Don’ts for Using the Google Adsense Program

Google Adsense is a fun and easy way to make extra money. It’s important to follow the rules though as Google is serious about the integrity of this program. Not following the rules could result in your Google Adsense account being terminated. Here are a few Don’ts for using the program:

DON’T

Never, ever, ever click on your own ads. Google Adsense makes it very clear this won’t be tolerated.

Don’t ask your friends and family to click on your ads. Rather, earn money by referring them to the Google Adsense program.

Don’t participate in the Google Adsense program strictly for the money. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It will take time and hard work to make a profit.

Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything the first day. Although the Google Adsense program is extremely user-friendly, it may take a little time to integrate all the facets of the program. Be patient and above all, have fun!

Hopefully, these helpful tips will ease you into using the program and help you avoid mistakes that could possibly cost you a lot of time or money.

Read more!

Android Spy Purposes How You Can Use The Software Program

Whether we prefer it or not, Android spy software program and programs are here to stay. In actual fact, spy software has been developed for several cell operating programs, and the fact that it was developed for the Android working system tells us that companies assume that this technique will continue to grow in the future.

Nonetheless, what's it that Android spy software does? The reply is simple. It collects details about how the Android based cellphone is getting used and makes it accessible on a website so that the one that purchased the Android spy program can see it.

After all, Android spy software wasn?t meant to be an invasion or privacy or a strategy to break the law. In actual fact, it is unlawful to put in it on phones that aren?t technically yours. Not only it's illegal, but in addition tough to install in anyone else?s phone. You?d need to take it with out the individual?s permission, install the software on it, and return it without the individual noticing.

So, what can you do with it? Listed below are the three most common uses of the software:

- Finding out if your husband or wife is having an affair. This is maybe one of the most controversial of makes use of, but one of the vital common. With this software program, you'll find simply if there?s one thing to be nervous about or in case your thoughts is playing methods on you. Within the worst of cases, no less than you?ll be capable of begin a therapeutic process.
- Keeping track of your children. When youngsters are misplaced they usually don?t answer the phone, this sort of software program can bring aid to a frightened parent. Or, in case of an emergency, save quite a lot of treasured time.
- Monitoring your employees. We all wish to assume that our staff always use the telephones we give them for the good thing about the company.

Nonetheless, it?s really easy to try to cross private lengthy distance calls as enterprise calls with the intention to make the boss decide up the bill. This software will help put a cease to this practice.

So, as you may see, when folks use Android spy packages, it?s because they are defending their interests or their family. It isn?t about hacking into different people?s telephones or computer systems or e-mails. Just folks such as you and me, frightened about defending what?s beneficial to us.

In conclusion, the reality that Android spy software exists and is offered commercially testifies the trust that third firms have on the Android operating system´s future. In spite of everything, they're investing time and sources on it expecting to get a profit within the near future.

Read more!