I have just taken an entire website and gigabytes of data offline. It covered a highly successful series of conferences on the data economy. It brought together thought leaders and key decision-makers from around the world for annual retreats – over a decade ago. And now it is gone.
Every year, some thousands of sites – including ones with unique information – go offline. Countless further webpages become inaccessible and instead of information, users encounter error messages.
Where some commentators may lament yet another black hole in the slowly rotting Internet, I actually feel okay. Of course, I, too, dread broken links and dead servers. But I also know – forgetting is important.
In fact, as I argued in my book, Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age, all through human history, humans reserved remembering for the things that really mattered to them and forgot the rest. Now the internet is making forgetting a lot harder.
Built to forget
Humans are accustomed to a world in which forgetting is the norm, and remembering is the exception.
This isn’t necessarily a bug in human evolution. The mind forgets what is no longer relevant to our present. Human memory is constantly reconstructed – it isn’t preserved in pristine condition, but becomes altered over time, helping people overcome cognitive dissonances. For example, people may see an awful past as rosier than it was, or devalue memories of past conflict with a person with whom they are close in the present.ADVERTISEMENT
Forgetting also helps humans to focus on current issues and to plan for the future. Research shows that those who are too tethered to their past find it difficult to live and act in the present. Forgetting creates space for something new, enabling people to go beyond what they already know.
Organisations that remember too much ossify in their processes and behaviour. Learning something new requires forgetting something old – and that is hard for organisations that remember too much. There’s a growing literature on the importance of unlearning, or deliberately purging deeply rooted processes or practices from an organisation – a fancy way to say that forgetting fulfils a valuable purpose.
Choosing to remember
Our human minds developed a rather effective mechanism to balance remembering and forgetting. Humans don’t have to do it consciously. In fact, people very rarely can – or can you – forget something I tell you to forget? The brain does it for us, mainly, during sleep.
This system is far from perfect – yes, I do forget things I wanted to remember, and recall things like phone numbers I no longer need – but it is working sufficiently well to let us think, decide and act in the present.
Historians have preserved photographs that they deem important – like this shot of Abraham Lincoln in the main eastern theater of the Civil War, Battle of Antietam. Credit: Library of Congress
Because humans have always forgotten so much, we learned about the importance of preserving the things that really matter. We have not preserved every commercial invoice from the 1800s, but kept photos of important or illuminating moments.ADVERTISEMENT
Of course, people make mistakes, and recorded memory reflects the choices of those with the power and the means to preserve. But even these biased memories are being constructed and reconstructed all the time, amended, augmented, sometimes even disregarded.
The internet is threatening this mental balancing. For the first time in human history, remembering is the default – simple, easy and seemingly free – and forgetting is hard.
Think about your photos, your tweets, your documents. Our digital systems keep them and you have to take action to get rid of them. I rarely do. It’s too tempting, too easy to just save everything.
What’s more, powerful, ubiquitous search has made this enormous amount of digital memories easily and swiftly accessible. Far more often than before, people now stumble over our collective past as they travel the net or look at their favourite social media. For example, Facebook’s On This Day feature caused distress to some users when it unexpectedly surfaced posts about deceased loved ones.ADVERTISEMENT
That would be okay if humans had developed mental mechanisms to discount the past when it no longer tells us something relevant to the present. But humans never had to develop ways to forget deliberately. Because forgetting was automatic, when people remembered things or were reminded of them, they gave them significance and importance -– why would they otherwise remember?
In the internet age, many things are remembered that have long lost their relevance. This strains people’s mental processes, as recall of something they thought they had forgotten suddenly creates questions about what past information is still relevant and what isn’t. People can’t help asking these questions, much like they can’t consciously forget – or at least not in most cases. This increases the chances for errors.
If someone is reminded of a person’s misdoing decades ago, they often can’t help but be shocked. They judge the misconduct in the context of the present.
For example, a Canadian psychotherapist was banned from entering the US, because an immigration officer checking his ID was searching his name on the internet and discovered that he confessed in a scholarly article to taking drugs many years earlier. A young woman was refused a teacher’s certificate because she had posted a photo of her online that showed her with a drink in hand and that photo was discovered by her university.
1. Click on START > All Programs > Microsoft Office > Microsoft Outlook 2010. Outlook will open up to a welcome screen then to Account Configuration. Click on the Yes radial and click on Next>.
2. Put a check mark in the box for Manually configure server settings or additional server typesand click on Next>.
3. Choose the Microsoft Exchange e-mail service. Click on Next>.
4. In Microsoft Exchange Server: field, type webmail.tamhsc.edu. In the User Name: field type your HSC login user name then click on More Settings… button.
5. Click on the Connection tab, then put a check mark in the box Connect to the Microsoft Exchange using HTTP then click the Exchange Proxy Settings… button.
6. In the https:// field type webmail.tamhsc.edu. Put a check mark kin both On fast networks…..and On slow networks….. Change the Proxy authentication settings to Basic Authentication and click OK.
7. You will receive a pop-up, click OK.
8. Click on Finish.
9. You will get a pop-up box like this one EVERY TIME you open up MS Outlook. This is how you log on to the HSC e-mail system. In the User name: space type tamhsc\your username and then your password. Make sure you type “tamhsc\” or Outlook will not connect and will produce and error.
Your first instinct, when you start to do something new, should be git init. You’re starting to write a new paper, you’re writing a bit of code to do a computer simulation, you’re mucking around with some new data … anything: think git init.
A new repo from scratch
Say you’ve just got some data from a collaborator and are about to start exploring it.
The first file to create (and add and commit) is probably a ReadMe file, either as plain text or with Markdown, describing the project.
Markdown allows you to add a bit of text markup, like hyperlinks, bold/italics, or to indicate code with a monospace font. Markdown is easily converted to html for viewing in a web browser, and GitHub will do this for you automatically.
A new repo from an existing project
Say you’ve got an existing project that you want to start tracking with git.
Go into the directory containing the project.
Type git init.
Type git add to add all of the relevant files.
You’ll probably want to create a .gitignore file right away, to indicate all of the files you don’t want to track. Use git add .gitignore, too.
Type git commit.
Connect it to github
You’ve now got a local git repository. You can use git locally, like that, if you want. But if you want the thing to have a home on github, do the following.
But I use git@github.com:username/new_repo rather than https://github.com/username/new_repo, as the former is for use with ssh (if you set up ssh as I mentioned in “Your first time”, then you won’t have to type your password every time you push things to github). If you use the latter construction, you’ll have to type your github password every time you push to github.
Hello Guys, I am back again with new article and new problem in Window 10. We found a new problem in April 2019 Window 10 Update. In this update PCs fails to boot up / Freeze after installing 9th April Windows Updates and Rebooting the system. If you have any issue regarding this update mention in comment section.
Symptoms:
The PCs fail to boot up / Freeze after installing Windows Updates of 9-April-2019 and Rebootingthe system.
There are also some instances reported of PCs slow-down especially on Windows 10 1809.
Affected Operating Systems:
As of now we have cases reported on Windows 8.1 and below (Windows 8/Windows 7).
Few cases reported on Windows 10, Windows 2008, Windows 2012 as well.
While we have observed other AV vendors facing similar issues with Windows 2008 and 2008 R2, Windows 2012 or 2012 R2 running on their system.
Windows 10 – System slowness only.
Windows Updates causing the issue:
Windows 7: KB4493472, KB4493448
Windows 10: KB4493509
Information on Windows 9-April-2019 Update Release:
For more information on Microsoft Windows 9-April-2019 release notes, click here
Workaround:
Those who have installed these updates but haven’t rebooted their PCs might encounter similar symptoms. As a precaution, we recommend users to uninstall the contentious Windows KB updates prior to rebooting.
Follow the steps listed here to uninstall the Windows KB Updates.
For customers affected by this issue, we recommend rebooting the PCs in Safe Mode and Uninstall the Windows KB Updates.
Follow the steps listed below to reboot the PCs in Safe mode and uninstall the KB Updates.
Once the Windows KB is uninstalled, disable “Automatic Windows Updates” by following the steps listed here.
After successful un-installation of the Windows KB updates, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Note: While disabling Windows Automatic Updates is not recommended and should be used only as a temporary measure to avoid download and installation of the contentious Windows KB updates. Once the issue is addressed, please do enable Windows Automatic Updates.
IMPORTANT:
It is not necessary that all users observe these symptoms as it is potentially related to a timing issue during the boot up process and not reproducible all times.
This KB Article will be updated with additional information on an ongoing basis and we recommend you visit this page to get the latest updates on this issue.
Please get in touch with Our TheTechWin Technical Support Team for more information or any assistance related to this issue.
Hello Guys, I am back with my new article on Smartphone Safety, If you are Smartphone user then you need to know about Smartphone Security and How can you Secure your Smartphone. If you any issue and query mention in comment section.
Smartphone security is not a new concept in itself, but its scope is changing everyday. While smartphones were used as a mere means of communication in the past, they are being used to store everything from important work-related details to Personal information.
If a potential vulnerability causes your smartphone data to be compromised, then it might turn out to be a potential catastrophe. They say prevention is better than cure.There are many ways how your smartphone’s data might be hindered. If you use a smartphone, it is a smart idea to stay updated about the kinds of potential threats and the preventive measures against them.
Theft Proof your Mobile Data
Taking preventive measures to theft-proof your mobile data saves you much trouble later Because Smart Phones data is too sensitive. We have many confidential files, password etc in our Smart Phones so we need to stop Malware makers and phishers on their tracks by taking these preventive measures into account:
Lock your mobile As simple as it sounds, locking your smartphone is one of the most basic things that you can do to ensure smartphone security. If your phone gets lost by any chance, a simple PIN lock can prevent someone from immediately doing any harm to your personal data. It gives you the time and the chance to block your details or block access to other important data. Locking your Phones data is as simple as setting a PIN code, pattern lock, password or Fingerprint lock.
Password A password is a strong and secure way to lock your phone. Passwords can be difficult to guess, and it can help ensure that your personal data remains personal. However, typing a wrong password into your mobile phone several times a day Smart Phone automatically lock. Use passwords only when you need the highest level of security.
PIN A PIN code can turn out to be a simple alternative to a password. It can be shorter, easier to remember and easier to type in several times a day. Using a 4 digit pin is a good solution, as there are 10 thousand different combinations. Just make sure not to choose something password like 1234 or 4321.
Pattern Lock A pattern lock allows you to draw a pattern using a grid of nine dots. You can create a huge combination of patterns, and it is easier to enter multiple times throughout the day. However, patterns are only as secure as the kind of pattern you create. Another con of using a pattern lock is the fact that someone can easily remember your pattern by just looking over their shoulder.Patterns are recommended only if you have nothing to worry about.
Fingerprint Sensor Every smartphones have not fingerprint sensors. However, all new models of smartphones being shipped nowadays have fingerprint sensors embedded in them. A fingerprint sensor is by far the most secure and fast means of unlocking your phone. The only problem is that not all smartphone have a proper placing of the fingerprint sensor. Fingerprint sensors are hence the most recommended means of locking your smartphone. Use a PIN code or password only as a backup.
Add protection Use the security features that come in your Android/ iPhone devices. Apple(iPhone) device users can turn on the “Find My iPhone” feature in iCloud, which might come handy in locating a missing device and erasing important data using an activation lock feature and same thing you found in Android devices. Android device users can turn on the “Find My iPhone” feature in Android Administrative Function.
Set strong passwords Be it your social media accounts, or your banking login accounts, setting a strong password everywhere is mandatory. Your password should be a unique combination of letters, numbers and special characters and it should be difficult to guess. Do not use the same password everywhere, and use a password manager to keep track of all your passwords. If you want to add some extra security layer on your account you can also start Two Step Authentication Security System.
Use apps from the Google Play Store or the Apple Store Apple Store and the Google Play Store continuously remove fraudulent apps from the marketplace. Rarely we have found, Google and Apple do fail at protecting the influx of fake apps that seep into the Google Store and Apple Store unknowingly. We can said that the Google Play Store and Apple Store are safer than ever now and downloading apps from these stores are comparatively more secure than downloading bogus apps from unreliable third-party applications.
Use device encryption Encrypt your Android / iPhone to encrypt the data in your Smart phone. Encryption differs greatly from a simple PIN or password. Even if a hacker gets in through the lock screen, your personal information is rendered useless/unreadable unless they have the encryption key. The downside to encrypting your mobile data is that it takes you longer to log in to your Smart phone. However, using device encryption takes security one step further and is usable when you have extremely vital/confidential data in your smartphone. If you are an iOS user, setting device encryption is as simple as setting up a Password(Passcode) to lock your device. The option can be found under Settings > Passcode. If you are an Android user, note that The lock screen and device encryption are separate entities but related with each other. You cannot encrypt your data without turning on the lock screen. To enable device encryption, plugin in your device, set a strong password and navigate to Settings > Security > Encrypt Device. Once you encrypt your Smart phone, you cannot turn it off without factory resetting your phone.
Use a Virtual Private Network Use a mobile Virtual Private Network to ensure that the free Wi-Fi you use when you have that sip of coffee on the way to work does not come back to big bite you. However, make sure that you do not use a free VPN service as they usually don’t work.
Use an Anti-Virus Software Always use a suitable, paid, anti-virus software to prevent malware from attacking your smartphone data. Some smartphone security anti-virus software also offers the feature of phone tracking, which might not work as expected, but are good-to-have as extra features.
Delete unused applications Constant security updates of apps make the apps secure. However, not all apps regularly release patches, hence stagnant and unused apps might turn out to be an open door for a possible attack. Delete unused apps to reduce the chances of an attacker entering your phone to obtain confidential information.
Turn off unused connections Turning off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use does not only save your battery life but it can also prevent your smartphone from possible attacks. Open network connections can be used to attack you Hence, it is advisable to turn off all connections when they are not in use.
Mobile Threats and Scams
Mobile threats and scams have become a rampant problem as smartphones are in the hands of every average person in this time. There are some common types of fraud committed through mobile devices that one should be aware of:
Phishing Phishing is one of the easiest ways for scammers to steal personal data. You get a message, asking to enter your login information. This information is then used to make purchases through the app to which you revealed the information. The same login information can also be used to gain access to other apps that you use since a normal user has the same login credential across several applications.
Vishing Vishing is much like as phishing and is its telephone equivalent. It involves the act of calling unsuspecting users by appearing to be a legitimate business. Scammers then extract useful and important information by making the victim think that they will profit. For example, a scammer might call you by pretending to be your bank and asking you for your PIN, or call you as an IRS agent asking for your tax details.
Fraudulent websites A smartphone has a smaller screen than that of a desktop computer. Hence, it is difficult to differentiate a fraudulent website from a real one in a smartphone than on a computer. The difference in the logo, quality, and display of the website is un-noticeable in a smaller screen. The use of phony websites and information tampering using fraudulent websites are thus more common on a smartphone.
Subscription fraud Fraudulent users gain access to a person’s information and use it to sign up for an expensive subscription. This kind of fraud falls among the most common mobile frauds.
Stolen devices If your smartphone gets stolen or lost and found by someone, fraudulent users can use the device to make purchases through apps.
SMS Fraud SMS fraud usually involves sending SMS on behalf of a user, without his knowledge. The SMS is sent to make a purchase, which the user is unaware of. The payments received by the purchase then benefits the fraudulent user.
Phantom apps Fake apps of well-known companies can also prove to be a big scam that lures users to pay fraudsters unknowingly. For example, a phony version of Google Wallet was released in 2014, that tricked users to paying money for cheap cars.
Drive-by downloads The malware installed into your phone without your consent is referred to as drive-by downloads. Visiting the wrong website can generally trigger these drive-by downloads to be installed in your mobile device and after installation causing harm later.
Viruses and Trojans Viruses and Trojans attacks on your mobile devices by attaching themselves to legitimate programs and later hijacking your smartphones system. Viruses and Trojans can also send premium, costly, text messages.
Network spoofs Network spoofs are fake access points set up by hackers to look like Wi-Fi networks. They are set up in high traffic locations with names like “Free Wi-Fi” or “Hotel’s, Coffee House Wi-Fi” to lure users into creating accounts to log in. Most people generally use the same login credentials to log in to several places. The same username and password obtained from this account are used to gain access to the duped user’s email and other important details.
How to spot Fake Android Apps?
One of the major mobile scam on trend nowadays are fake Android apps that act as masters of disguise and cause harm to your personal or important data. Copycat apps are released extensively on a daily basis. It is difficult to keep track of which app is genuine and which is not. It is too important for every smartphone user to know how to spot fake android apps and ensure their smartphone security.
Research Before you download an app, do some background research on the number of downloads, app details and the number of reviews/comments that the app has. In some cases, lesser reviews might be an indication of a developer just starting out. In other cases, it might be a scammer intent on tricking you into downloading their malicious app.
Read reviews/Comments Short and vague reviews or very less number of reviews are often the sign of malicious apps. Some reviews/Comments can also give you an insight into the pain shared by other users who have been duped by the app.
Notice details Notice all details like the images and design of the app. If they look unprofessional and shoddy, it is probably a fake Android app put together to dupe unknowing users.
Watch out for clones Most malicious and fake apps are the clones of the more popular apps. Examine the name of the developer and read reviews/Comments carefully in order to differentiate between the original app and the fake one.
Read the documentation Good developers usually push out some minor description of what the app does. Read the documentation carefully to figure out if the app has just been pushed out to lure customers, or if it has actually been created with care.
How Free are Free apps?
Everyone loves free stuff or things. However, everyone also knows that not many things are actually free. The internet is full of free things to offer. How free are free apps? Have you paused before downloading a free app? Do you ever pause to realize that when you download a free app, you give something in return, i.e., your personal information or some details?
Why is your personal information important?
Information is a commodity. Facebook, Google and many app/websites offer free services but collect, sell and analyze user data on behalf of advertisers. The information we share for free is monetized in a big way. When using an app for free, you are giving away your valuable information in return.
Every time you download a free app, you generally share:
Your browsing history
Your SMS app
Your contact list
Access to your camera
Access to your phone’s app activity
Access to manipulate your cookies
This data is analyzed and used to deduce the advertisement content of products that you are most likely to purchase.
How do free apps earn money by using your personal data?
Since it’s established that free apps are not actually free and take up your personal information in return, read on to find out the ways how free apps earn money:
Online games Applications like WeChat (a messaging app in China) earn money through their online games which require purchases to unlock these special features.
Advertisement Online advertising is a big business, and it is driven by the personal data that you share with the free app. Most free apps also earn money through advertising the products that you are most likely to purchase.
In-app purchases Some applications allow the user the download the application for free, but require money to unlock special features like Truecaller and many apps.
Add-on services Many free applications like LinkedIn earn by offering add-on services. They obtain revenue from providing a platform for these add-on services.
How to protect yourself from free apps?
A huge percentage of top free Android and iOS apps have found to pose some risk to the users. Every Smart Phone user need to know ways to protect yourself from free apps and prevent your personal data from being used.
Be careful of what you install You might be asked by app to grant various permissions. However, when you are granting permission to a free app, make sure you review the permissions first. For example, if you download a calculator, it does not make sense for the calculator to access your photos, contacts and other mobile data. Sometimes, just some common sense can save your personal data.
Stay updated Install your mobile updates as soon as they are available. Updating can be a gruesome process and can hamper your activities, but the updates are usually packaged with security updates that are essential in ensuring safety against unauthorized access of data. So always update your Smartphone apps when you found updates of your apps.
Check your installed applications You might have at some point in time, given unnecessary permissions to some free apps that you have downloaded. Review the installed applications and the permissions provided to them from time to time. Changing and reviewing application permissions can prevent the misuse of your important or personal data.
Note:- Always update your Smartphone Security and apps for new security patches. If you have any query mention in comment section.
According to CEO Stephane Kasriel, Upwork gets 10,000 new signups EVERY DAY.
As the site grows more popular, they’re also becoming more selective with who can apply for jobs. Lately, I’ve been getting an increasing number of emails from readers who are having a hard time getting their profile approved.
I know this can be frustrating. So today, I’m going to share the proven strategies my team and I have tested behind the scenes to increase your profile’s chances of being approved by Upwork.
Before we dive in, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:
1. Upwork’s rejection policy is a GOOD thing. Because it’s the best freelancing site in the world, a LOT of people want to make an account. Having a screening process means that when your profile does get approved, you’ll face far less competition and your account will be even more valuable.
2. When Upwork rejects a profile, it’s not happening randomly or arbitrarily.When a client searches for freelancers, Upwork uses an algorithm based on a specific set of criteria to determine who shows up, and in what order. While the account approval process may have a human component as well, it’s likely that the first “line of defense” is an algorithm similar to what they use to deliver up search results. If you take time to think about WHAT Upwork is looking for and WHY, you can take steps to significantly increase your chance of being approved. (These steps will also give you a better shot at being hired and quickly boosting your freelance career.)
3. If Upwork rejects your profile, it’s not the end. Even if you don’t get approved, you can always make some changes and resubmit your profile. There’s no reason to stop trying if you’re rejected the first (or second, or third) time.
1) Show Upwork you’re a serious professional – right from the start
When you sign up for Upwork, you’re not just creating an account. You’re creating a freelance BUSINESS (or taking an existing one to the next level).
From the very first step, Upwork makes it clear that they’re looking for people who take freelancing as seriously as they do.
For example: when entering your email address, Upwork shows a preference for business email addresses (e.g., yourname@somecompany.com) over personal emails (e.g., Gmail or Hotmail.)
Upwork wants its freelancers to win jobs and earn big money. To help make this possible, they’re always monitoring the balance between the supply of freelancers and the demand of jobs.
If too many freelancers are applying for the same types of jobs, it can put a strain on the market. To preempt this, Upwork may reject your profile on the grounds that there aren’t enough opportunities for the combination of skills and work categories you chose.
One way to prevent this from happening is to give Upwork as much information about your capabilities as possible to show you’re open to doing different types of work. This way, they can evaluate your profile against a larger pool of potential jobs.
What NOT to do — this freelancer doesn’t give Upwork much to go on.
3) Never choose just one work subcategory
After you choose a service, Upwork will ask you which “types of work” you’re able to do. The more of these you choose (up to 4 max), the more jobs you’re telling Upwork you’re likely to do.
You don’t need to have an ounce of professional freelancing experience to choose these. If you see something you can do, let Upwork know.
Keep in mind, a lot of job types overlap which can make it even easier to find relevant options. For example, if you can do “Article & Blog Writing,” you can probably write “Web Content” as well (do you know any blog that isn’t on the web?).
If you run out of options, you can always choose the “other” option, which is listed under every type of service.
Every work category has an “Other” option you can select to broaden the jobs you’re eligible for.
4) Try your best to list the maximum number of skills
You don’t need to be a world-class expert to say that you have a particular skill. You just need a basic knowledge and familiarity with the topic. For example, if you’ve read blogs about using the web to sell products, you can list “Internet Marketing” as one of your skills.
With that said, be sure to only list genuine skills that are relevant to the service you offer — even if it means you’ll end up with fewer than the maximum of 10 skills. (Example: If you want to be a freelance web developer, don’t choose something like “Microsoft Word,” even if you’ve been using it since you were in elementary school.)
There are too many skills for Upwork to list them all out, so feel free to “go crazy” and type anything you can think of into the search bar. You never know what may pop up in the suggested skills.
Another great way to quickly find ideas is to check out the profiles of other freelancers who offer the same service to see what’s available.
For example, let’s take my profile:
These are the exact skills I have on my Upwork profile right now
As you can see, I didn’t stop after adding just the “Copywriting” skill. I also included:
Other common ways of saying Copywriting (ex: Sales Writing)
Related fields I advise clients on (ex: Internet Marketing)
Fields that rely on copywriting (ex: Lead Generation)
Specific types of copy I can write (ex: Landing Pages)
And specific tools I have experience with (ex: ConvertKit)
5) Don’t undersell your experience level
In addition to categories and skills, Upwork asks you to select one of three experience levels.
As you browse jobs, you can actually see the number of jobs available for each experience level.
Upwork uses this information to determine which jobs you’re likely to qualify for.
One mistake I see people make all the time is underselling their experience. Just because you don’t have freelancing experience doesn’t mean you don’t have any experience at all.
If you’ve held a relevant job with a traditional employer, you should probably choose “intermediate” or “expert” — even if this is your first foray into freelancing.
Depending on how much you’ve done, you may also be able to bump up your experience level from having done lots of work outside of a regular job (like volunteering, or doing projects for family and friends).
With that said, if you really are entry level, that’s OK too. When I first started freelancing, all I had for experience was a few dead-end jobs that had nothing to do with copywriting. I didn’t let that stop me, and my only regret is that I didn’t start freelancing sooner.
6) Let Upwork calculate a personalized “rate tip”
A lot of freelancers don’t know this, but when a client posts a job, Upwork shows them how much they can expect to pay.
An example of the rate suggestions a client sees when posting a job (these numbers are for a copywriting job specifically)
But when you’re first setting up your account, you should try to start with a rate that falls within Upwork’s suggestions. If your hourly rate is too far removed from what similar freelancers are getting, Upwork may think your profile isn’t competitive enough.
Luckily, Upwork will show you rate suggestions that match what clients see.
The rate tip that they provide changes depending on the skills, experience level, and work categories you chose.
If your rate is too low, raise it. Being the cheapest freelancer isn’t just a bad strategy for winning jobs, it will also hurt your account’s chances of being approved.
If your rate is higher than the suggested tip, you may want to consider adjusting it for now. You can always raise it later if you’re feeling confident.
A higher than suggested rate may also be a sign that you’re underestimating your experience level. Remember: just because you don’t have freelance experience specifically, doesn’t mean you have no experience at all. Traditional (and non-traditional) work experience counts too.
7) Make sure your title isn’t too vague (or too specific)
As I mentioned above, Upwork tends to give preference to freelancers whose skill levels are in high demand. If your title section is vague (e.g., “Consultant”), it may be considered low-effort.
On the other hand, if it’s too specific (e.g., “Legal representation for underwater basket weaving companies”), Upwork may think you’re not interested in any other jobs.
You can always change your title later, and creating a great one will also be much easier when you’ve had more time to see what types of jobs and clients are available.
8) Go beyond the bare minimum with your profile overview
Upwork’s algorithm is designed to accept serious and committed freelancers, and weed out the ones who appear to be taking shortcuts. Even if you’re planning to come back later and finish, Upwork has no way of knowing that.
People often get tripped up in the “overview” section, since it takes a bit more time than clicking a button or typing a number.
While your overview doesn’t need to be perfect right off the bat, you can and should take the time to write a strong profile overview if you want your account to get approved. This not only shows Upwork that you’re serious, but will eventually help you win jobs too.
9) Yes, you DO have employment history
You almost surely have some employment history — even if you don’t think you do. Even if you’re fresh out of school and you’ve never had a “real” job, don’t assume you have no experience to share.
For example, if you’ve done any freelancing work in the past, that counts as employment history even though it isn’t from a traditional 9-5 job. One clever freelancer did just that, describing her service and listing out recent clients:
If you’ve taken clients before, freelance experience works great as employment history
You can go even further with this and write a separate entry for a few of your most impressive projects too.
If you’re new to freelancing and haven’t worked at a relevant job in the past, figure out a way to make your unrelated job relevant. One great example of this comes from one of my students, Daniel, who seamlessly bridged the gap between his career as an electrical engineer and his ability to write great copy!
If you can link copywriting to an engineering job, ANYTHING is possible
10) Include ALL your education (not just college degrees)
Include as many education items as you can, and write a detailed description for each one to show its relevance to your expertise.
I went to college for all of a week, and I still added it to my profile:
In addition to traditional education, you can also include school projects you worked on, online courses you’ve taken, mentorship programs you’ve done – even relevant books you’ve read. Use your creativity.
For example, on my profile, I mentioned that I took Ramit Sethi’s Zero To Launch program and related what I learned about building a business to my freelance services:
Education means more than just college degrees
11) Treat your profile like a resume
Many recruiters for traditional jobs will instantly reject a resume if they see even a single typo. You need to take your Upwork account just as seriously.
Proofread each section carefully (including title, overview, education, and experience) looking for typos, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors. Properly capitalize the names of schools, companies, and other organizations.
It can be hard to catch your own mistakes, so ask someone else to help proofread if you can. Paste your overview into a program with spell-check like Microsoft Word, or use a dedicated tool like Grammarly to see if you missed anything. If you can use spell check, so can Upwork’s account approval algorithm.
12) Bolster your profile with a few portfolio pieces (or make some quickly if you don’t have any)
This option isn’t actually available during the initial signup, but creating a portfolio may just put you “over the top” if you get rejected the first time (the option will become available after you submit your first profile, and you can edit it immediately).
If you have relevant samples of past work, add it to your portfolio and fill out as much information as you can. You’ll be able to select a work category and subcategory, as well as tag the portfolio item with skills. Be sure to write a detailed description that explains what the sample is and why it’s impressive.
13) Have your other professional accounts “vouch” for you
One easy way to show that you’re worthy of an Upwork account is to link your other professional accounts (available under profile settings).
These accounts won’t be displayed publicly on your profile, but Upwork uses them to get more information on what types of jobs you can do.
If you’re a programmer, linking to an active GitHub account can supplement the skills and work categories you chose. If you’re a graphic designer, you’ll get a similar boost by linking a Dribbble account.
Of course, if you’re like me and only have a personal Facebook filled with family pictures, you can always just skip this.
14) Prove yourself with Upwork’s skill tests
Upwork offers hundreds of skill tests that cover a wide range of fields. Choose a few that are relevant to your service, and give them a shot. High scores are impressive to clients, and will look great to Upwork too.
If your score isn’t as high as you’d like, no worries! You get to choose which test results you want to show the public, so there’s zero risk. Just hide any tests you aren’t happy with, and you can even retake them after 90 days.
Don’t ask me how I got this screenshot
15) Keep improving your profile and try again
If your profile isn’t approved the first time, don’t panic. You can submit it again after making some changes.
Try adding more experience and experimenting with different skills, subcategories, and rates. Make sure to keep track of the various combinations you’ve submitted in the past and take into account any feedback that is provided by Upwork.
Remember, there’s no limit to how many times you can submit your profile on Upwork so don’t get discouraged. Continue to add new skills to your repertoire whether it comes from a book, your job, or by taking advantage of all the free information available online.
Get ready to start winning
Getting your Upwork account approved is only the first step in a much bigger online freelancing journey.
So you’re thinking of taking the plunge into YouTube for your business, are you? It’s a smart move, given that 300 hours of video are uploaded every single minute to the platform, but it may not seem as easy as it was to learn how to create a website. Relax – we’re going to give you a breakdown of some basics to get your YouTube business channel up and running.
It’s time to put on your director’s hat! Here are the steps you need to start a Youtube channel:
Start with the basics
Fill in the about section
Channel your art
Know your market, know your content type
Lights, camera, trailer!
Upload your first (official) video
Optimize for search
Stay consistent
Integrate your channel in your website and social
Engage with your community
Think about investing in YouTube ads
Analyze, optimize, repeat
01. Start with the basics
The first thing you’ll need to do is actually create your business channel, and YouTube makes it incredibly easy to do. With just a couple of clicks, you’ll be ready to dive into setting up your new channel.
Sign into YouTube and click on the user icon at the top right of the screen
Click on the gear icon to get to your account’s YouTube Settings
Click on Create a new channel
Then choose “Use a business or other name”
Add your Brand name and click create
02. Fill in the about section
Next, you’ll want to fill out your profile and channel description; this is the first option you see after you have created a channel. Here, you should describe your brand and what viewers can expect to see on your channel. This is also a great place to add links to your website and other social media networks that you use. This description will appear in more than one place on your channel, so be sure to put your best foot forward when filling it out!
03. Channel your art
When you go to a YouTube channel, you’ll immediately be greeted with a large banner displaying the channel name. This is your cover photo and is prime real estate for introducing your brand.
You can make your cover photo as extravagant or minimal as you’d like, but just make sure that your brand is the focal point, as it’s going to be the first impression someone gets upon entering. Luckily, there are a great assortment of tools to get you started if you don’t happen to be a seasoned graphic designer. Friendly reminder: YouTube recommends uploading your cover photo at 2560 x 1440 pixels with a maximum file size of 4MB.
04. Know your market, know your content type
Since you’re starting a YouTube channel for your own business, you should have more than enough source material to work with, and you can approach your video content in more than one way.
If you have a complex product and want to empower your customers to learn more about it, video tutorials might be a great avenue for you. Want to show off great reviews from your customers? Testimonials may be the way to go. Even better, do both! This way, your channel has a variety of content to consume, which can resonate with different viewers.
You should also create content that’s aimed at your target demographic of your business.The more that you cater to your target market, the more likely they will want to look into your business services.
05. Lights, camera, trailer!
Like your channel art, you’ll also want to create your channel trailer. Channel trailers are usually short and sweet, and are a good introduction for new visitors. You can let your audience know who you are, what your business is all about and what kind of content they can expect to see in the future. Creating your channel trailer will also be good practice leading up to your first video.
06. Upload your first (official) video
At this point, you’ve probably done a fair amount of research about your first video, and if you already have your channel trailer under your belt, you have a bit of practice as well! Now it’s time to take and say “action.”
Once you’re done filming and editing your first video, it’s time to upload it. Given that YouTube relies on video uploads, you’ll find the upload option at the top right of the screen when you log into your account.
You’re not done yet, though!
07. Optimize for search
When uploading a video, you’ll be asked to fill in a title, description, and tags. These are essential components to have your video easily discoverable in YouTube search, so don’t skimp on them!
Much like SEO for your own website, YouTube has its own set of parameters for you to optimize your video for search. Fill these sections out to the best of your ability using keywords to describe the video and your business. A keyword-rich (but not heavy) title and description can go a long way and you’ll be able to see what works for your videos as you progress.
If your video is well optimized for YouTube itself, this can extend to search engines as well. As a Google-owned product, YouTube has tight integration with the search giant. If you play your cards right, you’ll find your videos ranking high on both YouTube and Google.
08. Stay consistent
Don’t expect success if you plan to create a YouTube channel, upload one video and then neglect it completely. Creating a successful YouTube channel takes time and effort, and viewers expect consistency from the channels that they subscribe to. After your first video, be sure to plan the next few videos ahead of time.
Unsure if you’ll have time to shoot a video every week or every other week? Not a problem! Take a day out of your schedule to shoot more than one video and release them on your own schedule.
09. Integrate your channel in your website and social
You have a website and now a YouTube channel. Great! Now it’s time to share your videos outside of YouTube and your website should be their first stop. Here are a couple of ways to showcase your videos on your website.
Front and center: Your videos take time and effort to create, so why not show them off? You can add your YouTube video to the home page on your website so it’s one of the first things that a visitor will see!
Blog all about it: If you have a blog on your website, then your YouTube videos have a home away from home now. You can embed them right into new blog posts and even tell your website subscribers by sending a newsletter!
10. Engage with your community
YouTube wouldn’t be what it is today without viewers actively viewing and engaging with video content that businesses like yours and people like Jenna Marbles create, so make sure to engage back!
You need to build a community around your channel, and engaging with your viewers is a very important step. Reply to comments, ask and answer questions, and most importantly, listen to them! Your viewers want to watch your content, so remember to give them what they want.
With a well-nurtured community, you’ll likely get some free word of mouth advertising in the process, too.
11. Think about investing in YouTube ads
Ready to take things to the next level? At some point, you may want to look into investing into YouTube Advertisements to get your brand out there even further. Even if you’re not sure where to start, there’s a wealth of information available to you to get you where you need to go.
If you’re looking to target a specific age group, gender, interest, or location, YouTube Advertising can help you do it all.
It’s not imperative that you use YouTube ads, but it could very well be a suitable offering for your channel. Just remember that with the right combination of content and engagement, much of your growth will be organic. YouTube ads can just be the icing on the cake.
12. Analyze, optimize, repeat
Even the best can do better. Once you have a foothold on your channel, it’s time to get a bird’s-eye view of how it’s performing. YouTube Analytics will help you along the way and will guide you in the direction of how you may want to optimize your videos for the future.
Analytics will allow you to get insight on the people who are watching your videos, which allows you to hone into your target demographic even further. It’ll also give you a better idea as to why one video may have performed better than another. It’s a powerful tool for your budding channel.
WordPress is well-known for its ease of installation. Under most circumstances, installing WordPress is a very simple process and takes less than five minutes to complete. Many web hosts now offer tools (e.g. Fantastico) to automatically install WordPress for you. However, if you wish to install WordPress yourself, the following guide will help.
Before you begin the install, there are a few things you need to have and do. Refer the article Before You Install. If you need multiple WordPress instances, refer Installing Multiple WordPress.
Here’s the quick version of the instructions for those who are already comfortable with performing such installations. More detailed instructions follow.
Download and unzip the WordPress package if you haven’t already.
Create a database for WordPress on your web server, as well as a MySQL (or MariaDB) user who has all privileges for accessing and modifying it.
(Optional) Find and rename wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php, then edit the file (see Editing wp-config.php) and add your database information. Note: If you are not comfortable with renaming files, step 3 is optional and you can skip it as the install program will create the wp-config.php file for you.
Upload the WordPress files to the desired location on your web server:
If you want to integrate WordPress into the root of your domain (e.g. http://example.com/), move or upload all contents of the unzipped WordPress directory (excluding the WordPress directory itself) into the root directory of your web server.
If you want to have your WordPress installation in its own subdirectory on your website (e.g. http://example.com/blog/), create the blog directory on your server and upload the contents of the unzipped WordPress package to the directory via FTP.
Note: If your FTP client has an option to convert file names to lower case, make sure it’s disabled.
Run the WordPress installation script by accessing the URL in a web browser. This should be the URL where you uploaded the WordPress files.
If you installed WordPress in the root directory, you should visit: http://example.com/
If you installed WordPress in its own subdirectory called blog, for example, you should visit: http://example.com/blog/
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