What Is The Meaning Of Drop-ship?

Help Center - www.LightInTheBox.com

Drop-ship is common among the Electronics retailing business. Drop-ship means a reseller instruct their wholesale counterpart, which may be located in a duty free zone, to ship out orders according to the reseller and delivering directly to their customers in a as and when basis. The reseller does not actually take the job of stocking, packaging and shipping.

Wholesale on the other hand means buying products in bulks and get a discount from it, then retailing it one at a time to make a profit. This is the conventional way of retail business.

With the internet kicking in around the world, drop-shipping does make sense after all. Most drop ship services only exist hand in hand with the internet so no one will know that you don't keep an inventory on-hand. You won't be able to sell products with your conventional store front without products, right?

Using Ubuntu Linux to Rescue Windows

When Windows Breaks, Call Ubuntu Linux - www.smallbusinesscomputing.com
April 2, 2010
By Eric Geier

Did Windows crash beyond repair? If so, you probably want to get your files off of the drive before you erase everything and reinstall Windows. This tutorial will help you do exactly that.

We're going to use Ubuntu's LiveCD mode. Ubuntu is a popular Linux distribution that's a free and open source alternative to Windows. The LiveCD mode lets you boot into and use the operating system (OS) without installing anything on the computer. You should be able to view your files and copy them to another drive, backup to discs, or transfer via a network. Now let's get started!

Read the complete Using Ubuntu Linux to Rescue Windows article

Google Gets Quake II Running In HTML5, Just For Fun

Google Gets Quake II Running In HTML5, Just For Fun - quake II - Kotaku

A trio of Google engineers have ported id Software's gib-filled first-person shooter Quake II to browsers— you know, for kicks—as a way to show just what HTML5 compatible web browsers are capable of.

Unlike other browser based games, like Quake Live, no plug-in is required to play this version of Quake. Of course, you'll need a "bleeding edge browser" that supports the HTML5 spec, like Google's own Chrome, but we'll all get there someday. (Check out Gizmodo's helpful "Giz Explains" feature on HTML5 for more.)

Here's how Google engineers did this in their spare time.

We started with the existing Jake2 Java port of the Quake II engine, then used the Google Web Toolkit (along with WebGL, WebSockets, and a lot of refactoring) to cross-compile it into Javascript. You can see the results in the video above — we were honestly a bit surprised when we saw it pushing over 30 frames per second on our laptops (your mileage may vary)!

That's kind of a big deal, especially to those of you who may be picking up an HTML5 supporting iPad this weekend. (No, don't expect to play Quake II in the iPad version of Safari just yet. But someday?)

Look ma, no plugin! [Google Web Toolkit Blog]

Zencart多语言URL设定SEO实施方案

Zencart多语言URL设定SEO实施方案 - SEO起点网络

[来源：来自网络] [作者：SEO起点] [日期：09-09-01] [热度：79]

从SEO角度看zencart的多语言实施方案
一般来说，网站的多语言实施有四种方法，详述如下（假设公司名称为abc，要实现中文和英文两种语言版本，语言代码分别为cn和en）

1，注册两个域名，比如：www.abc-cn.com和www.abc-en.com，或用子域名，比如：cn.abc.com和en.abc.com。两种语言的网站前台独立，后台可以独立，可以统一。阿里巴巴就是用的子域名方式。

2，只用一个域名，比如：www.abc.com，两种语言版本分别放在两个子目录中，www.abc.com/cn为中文网站， http://www.abc.com/en为英文网站。www.abc.com可以做成一个引导页，或直接301跳转到默认语言网站。两种语言的网站前台和后台都是统 一的。微软用的是这种方式。

3，只用一个域名，比如：www.abc.com，两种语言是通过url中传递参数来切换的，可以设定默认语言。比如默认语言为中文，打开 http://www.abc.com/test.php是中文页面，打开www.abc.com/test.php?language=en是对应的英文页面，打开 http://www.abc.com/test.php?language=cn是同样的中文页面。如果session被有效启用，url中附加的语言选项会用来改变 session中的语言变量，同一个session中访问同样的不带语言选项的url时，语言自动切换，比如访问完 http://www.abc.com/test.php?language=en后，再访问www.abc.com/test.php，就变成英文页面了。 zencart用的就是这种方式。

4，只用一个域名，比如：www.abc.com，两种语言是通过客户端的js脚本语言实现切换的，这种方式最简单，基本不需要改动程序。现在有些网站繁体中文页面的html源代码是简体中文，就是这种方法。

从seo角度来看，这四种方式如何评价？

Ethan认为，第一种和第二种方式都可以，各有千秋，第三种方式和第四种方式不可取。

先说为什么不可取。第四种，由于搜索引擎抓取页面时是略过js的，所以在搜索引擎眼里根本不存在切换过的语言页面，网站只有默认语言的页面。

第三种，以zencart为例，zencart的后台sessions菜单里有两项：强制使用cookie和阻止机器人sessions。这里面可以细分为三种情况：

1，如果强制使用cookie，由于搜索引擎机器人不接受cookie，不管是否阻止机器人sessions，机器人都无法启动session。

2，如果不强制使用cookie，同时阻止机器人sessions，则机器人无法启动session。

3，如果不强制使用cookie，同时允许机器人sessions，虽然机器人可以启动session，但程序会在页面里链接的后面会附上一长串 sessionid，这样机器人反复抓取一个网站后，会抓到大量内容一样而url不同的页面。这是一种普遍的情况，为了应付这种情况，搜索引擎机器人会自 动略去url里的sessionid，这就造成了机器人可以启动session，却无法获取sessionid的情况，等效于无法启动 session，服务器资源还被浪费了。

zencart一般设置为：关闭强制使用cookie，打开阻止机器人sessions，属于上述第二点，机器人无法启动session。但是由上 述分析可以看出，不管怎么设置，机器人都无法有效启用session，所以机器人只有在url中传递语言参数时才会抓取到该语言的页面。但从链接结构看，网站中这种页面属于终点页面，即只有一个链接指向这种页面。至少有两个不同的链接指向一个页面时，这个页面才有可能被搜索引擎收录，所以这种终点页面无法被收录。（此处有误，修正详见从seo角度看zencart的多语言实施方案 - 续）
"搜索引擎机器人会自动略去url里的sessionid"和"至少有两个不同的链接指向一个页面时，这个页面才有可能被搜索引擎收录"这两点只是seo界的常识，并没有严格的证明，但足以做为网站设计的标准看待。

再说说可取的做法。第一种和第二种都可取，因为同一个页面的不同语言版本分别对应了不同的并且是唯一的URL。zencart通过适当改造可以实现第一种或第二种方式，并且后台统一为一个管理界面，不同语言的产品信息统一在一个数据库中，便于管理和操作。
搜索引擎早已经很聪明了，不用太费心在SEO上，关键还是做好网站内容。zencart采用第三种方式，一样可以很好的被搜索引擎收录各种语言页面，Google看看 demo.zen-cart.cn"

"搜索引擎早已经很聪明了，不用太费心在SEO上，关键还是做好网站内容。"这句话是对的。Ethan早就写文章指出，只有网站内容有价值了，别人 才会愿意给你链接，搜索引擎是通过这些反向链接（如果其它网页上有链接指向你的一个网页，那么这个链接就是你的这个网页的一个反向链接）判断你的网站的质 量的，因而你的网站排名会较好。seo本身并不能使你的网站内容更有价值，所以说关键还是做好网站内容。

但是，在seo上是要费心的。Ethan认为，采用session机制实现多语言的网站，仔细审视这种机制在搜索引擎眼里是否有效，是十分必要的，这关系到网站大量的页面是否被收录以及是否获得好的排名的根本问题之一，决不属于"太费心"之列。

google网站管理员指南明确指出："允许搜索漫游器在不采用会跟踪其在网站上浏览路径的会话 ID 或参数的情况下抓取您的网站。这些技术对跟踪单个用户的行为非常有用，但漫游器的访问模式却完全不同。"这里"漫游器"就是"机器人"的意思。

具体可以用英文yahoo来分析一下，处于跟google商业利益的博弈关系，yahoo为我们提供了更详细的反向链接的信息。

PHP Server Side Includes (SSI) - include() VS require()

Server Side Includes (SSI)

You can insert the content of one PHP file into another PHP file before the server executes it, with the include() or require() function.

The two functions are identical in every way, except how they handle errors:

• include() generates a warning, but the script will continue execution
• require() generates a fatal error, and the script will stop

These two functions are used to create functions, headers, footers, or elements that will be reused on multiple pages.

Server side includes saves a lot of work. This means that you can create a standard header, footer, or menu file for all your web pages. When the header needs to be updated, you can only update the include file, or when you add a new page to your site, you can simply change the menu file (instead of updating the links on all your web pages).

http://www.w3schools.com/PHP/php_includes.asp

Ubuntu 8.10 approaches end-of-life

Ubuntu 8.10 approaches end-of-life - The H Open Source: News and Features

Ubuntu Release Manager Steve Langasek has reminded users that Ubuntu 8.10, code named Intrepid Ibex, will reach its end-of-life on Friday the 30th of April, 2010. Version 8.10 of the Debian-derived Linux distribution was released on the 30th of October, 2008 and was the first to feature an Ubuntu LiveUSB creator and an encrypted private directory for users. The desktop edition included, for example, GNOME 2.24, GIMP 2.6, Firefox 3.0 and OpenOffice 2.4. After the 30th of April, no new updates, including security updates and critical fixes, will be available for Intrepid Ibex.

Intrepid Ibex users are advised to upgrade to one of the current standard releases, Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) or version 9.10 (Karmic Koala), to continue receiving updates. The developers note that users wanting to upgrade to 9.10 from 8.10 will have to upgrade to 9.04 first. The standard releases are supported for 18 months of updates for both the desktop and server versions. Long Term Support (LTS) versions of Ubuntu are supported for three years for the desktop releases and five years for server releases.

The current development release is Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Beta 1, code named "Lucid Lynx", from earlier this month. The final version of Lucid Lynx is scheduled to be released on the 29th of April of 2010. Ubuntu is sponsored by UK based Canonical Ltd.

15 Games for Linux

Stop Wine-ing: 15 Games for Linux | Linux Magazine:

"While gaming on Linux has suffered some recent setbacks with id Software and Atari seemingly having abandoned the Linux platform, there are some bright spots on the horizon. (See Commercial Gaming, Coming Soon to Linux?.)

Many believe that Wine and other Windows emulation solutions may be their only recourse for high-quality gaming enjoyment. That, however, it not entirely true. There are plenty of smaller, independent gaming houses developing and releasing premium commercial games for Linux alongside Mac and Windows offerings. Search hard enough and you’ll find games ranging from low-resource puzzle solvers to 3D first-person shooters.

Let’s have a look at some of the games recently released for Linux and a few up-and-coming prospects for the future."