Being so active within the Joomla Development Community and recently talking so much about the benefits of social networking recently I was thinking about all of the resources that I knew about that most other people using Joomla probably never knew existed. I thought I would share some of these valuable resources here with you.

For those that have a Twitter account and want to follow primarily Joomla related tweets here are a few links that you WON'T want to miss. You can follow everyone on these lists in one easy click.

Main list of Joomla Experts
http://tweepml.org/Joomla/

Some of the best Joomla Extension Developers
http://tweepml.org/Best-Joomla-Extensions-Developers/

http://tweepml.org/joomlaextensions/

Some of the best Joomla Template Developers
http://tweepml.org/joomlatemplates/

There are also 2 additional and might I add, very complete lists of RSS feeds from everything Joomla that you can imagine. 

http://start.joomlaworks.gr/

http://joomla.alltop.com/

Although this is a short list of resources in this blog post if you click on these links you will find that these links will provide you with an extreme amount of very valuable information right at your fingertips.

I suggest that you bookmark these links as they are constantly being updated and added to.

Enjoy!

The goal of most business owners is to make money. This often results with the selling of a particular product or service.  However, to sell that product or service business owners need to alert the general public.  Customer cannot buy a product or a service if they do not know that it exists.  That is why, as a business owner, you need to advertise your business. 
When it comes to advertising there are many business owners who literally cringe.  Are you doing this now?  There is a good chance that you are because many advertising methods cost money. As a business owner you want to make money not spend it, right?  Unfortunately, if you believe that all forms of advertising take money, you are sadly mistaken. Although you may have to spend money to make your business what you want it to be, there are ways to promote your business and the products or services that you sell without having to spend any money at all.

Is your curiosity peaked yet? There is a good chance that it is, rightfully so.  One of the ways that you can promote your online business, without having to spend a dime, is by using something that is readily available online. That thing is an online social networking website.  A large number of internet users, in fact millions of them, belong to at least one social networking website. 
When it comes to social networking, there are many individuals who think of online friendships or online relationships. While these types of relationships are the most common, did you know that social networking is also used for businesses?  In fact, that was originally how social networking got started.  If you are a small business owner, especially one that operates an online business, there is a way that you can use social networking sites to your advantage.

Although social networking websites are traditionally focused on those that would like to make online friends or develop online relationships, there are networking sites that are designed for business owners.  These websites will not only allow you to share your business information with other business owners, but it will also allow you to develop close relationships with those that share an interest that is similar to yours. Essentially, this means that you could not only learn valuable business information, but you could also walk away with a new business partner or a new friend.

As previously mentioned, social networking websites with a focus on businesses, are a great way to promote your business. However, this does not mean that you should completely forget about the other online social networking websites, the ones that are designed to make online friendships. Although you may not learn any valuable business tips by joining Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, you may be able to get new customers and new customers is exactly what your business should want and need.

If you are looking to join an online community, you will need to create your own profile or profile page.  If you are planning on joining a traditional social networking website, to gain access to millions of potential new customers, you are urged to be careful when making your online webpage or profile.  One thing that internet users hate is being solicited for business. This does not mean that you cannot use social networking to your advantage; it just means that you need to be careful with how you do it. Instead of creating a MySpace page or a Facebook and Twitter page for your business, you are advised to make one for yourself, but, of course, you will want to include information on your business.

By joining a social networking website, especially one that is popular and has a large number of members, you should be able to generate interest in your business, including the products or services that you sell. Who knows, but that interest generated could turn into sales; thus making your social networking experience more than worth it. 

Let's also not forget that one of the most important websites to join and promote your business using social networking tools could be your local Joomla! User Group such as JoomlaChicago.com

Have you ever wanted to join a social networking website before?  A large number of internet users have, but not all decide to join one.  If you are like many other internet users, you may be worried about the networks that can be found online. Many of these networks, including Facebook and MySpace have rapidly increased in popularity. This increase in popularity has led to a large number of members.  In fact, some might say too many members.

One of the many reasons why Facebook and MySpace have increased in popularity is due to the fact that they cover a wide variety of different topics, issues, and interests.  Facebook and MySpace do not focus on one particular group of individuals or one particular hobby. Instead, they invite all internet users to join.  While this may be good, it gives you a wide selection of online friends to choose from, it can also be considered bad. On many of these websites a competition has brewed.  That competition has been to see who can get the most friends. This may result in you not really getting an online friend, when you are supposed to be.

If you are looking to join a social networking website that is more focused on creating friendships or partnerships between internet users that have the same interests, you will want to focus on social networking websites that have a particular focus.  Many times, these websites are known as specialty social networking websites. Online, you should be able to find a number of these specialty social networking websites. Many have focuses on important issues, topics, and hobbies, such as pet owners, religion, travel, and much more. 
When it comes to many specialty social networking sites, many individuals want to know what sets them apart from the rest. Honestly, it is the community. As previously mentioned, specialty social networking sites tend to focus on a particular topic, issue, or hobby. This means that if you are a devoted Christian and you would like to speak to other Christians, you will want to join a Christian networking site and so on.  The difference between specialty social networking sites and traditional ones is that you will automatically be paired with hundreds, if not thousands, of other internet users who share the same interests, views, or beliefs as you.

Another one of the many benefits to joining a specialty social networking website is that you are, in a way, safer than those who are members of other networks.  Not all, but a large number of specialty networking sites require activation before joining the site. Before activation can occur, many internet users are required to state their reasons for wanting to the join the network or they may be required to fill out a small questionnaire, often pertaining to the social network in question. In many cases, this will help to determine whether or not an internet user really has an interest in the topic focused on by the network in question.
As previously mentioned, specialty social networking websites allow you to automatically be paired with a group of individuals who share the same beliefs, views, and interests as you do. This mean that you don’t have to spend hours researching a person or speaking to them, just to learn what they are or are not interested in. Essentially, this enables you to jump right in and start making friends, almost as soon as you are granted access to the site that you have chosen.

With so much hype being put on social networking websites these days I thought it would be a great idea to post an article with specific focus on your website profile. A great website profile could help you land that next big client. Or you never know, you could end up life long friends with another person that shares your interests. Whatever your interest, your profile is your billboard to the world.

How you would like to meet and communicate with other internet users, especially ones that share the same views and beliefs as you do? If you would then you may want to think about joining a social networking website, if you haven’t already done so. When it comes to easily finding and communicating online with other internet users, social networking sites are, perhaps, the best way to go.

If you are interested in joining a social networking website, the first thing that you will need to do is find a network to join such as JoomlaChicago.com. You can easily find a number of networks by performing a standard internet search. For the best search results, you may want to search with the words social networking or social networking websites.  In your search, it is likely that that you come up with a fairly large number of different networking sites.  Popular sites that may be included in your search results may include, but will not be limited to, MySpace, Orkut, Yahoo! 360, FriendFinder, FriendWise, Facebook, and Classmates.

Once you have made the decision to join a particular social networking website, whether or not it is one of the ones mentioned above, you will need to need to register with the site.  Even free networking communities require that you go through the registration process. Once you are registered, you should be able to start communicating with other community members.  Before you start communicating, you may need to develop your online profile or profile page, depending on the networking site in question. Although it may seem easy enough to create a profile, there are many internet users who are unsure exactly what they should and should not include.

Perhaps, one of the most important things to include in your online website is your picture. While a personal picture is optional, it is ideal. Many internet users enjoy taking to someone that they can see in their minds, without a picture this is difficult.  If you are looking to use social networking websites just to meet new friends you may not necessarily need to post a private picture, but you may need to if you are looking to find love online. When it comes to internet dating, many individuals will not even view an online profile if a picture is not included.

In addition to your photograph, you may want to include your name.  Now, when it comes to your name, you need to be cautious.  You are advised against giving your full name, especially if your profile or profile page contains a personal photograph of you.  In addition to your name, you may want to put down your location.  As with your name it is important to display caution.  Your picture, your address, and your full name can be dangerous, especially if it falls into the wrong hands. As much as you would like to fill your social networking profiles with personal information, you are advised to think about your safety before anything else.

You may also want to include information on yourself. This information may include your hobbies, issues that are important to do, your likes, and your dislikes.  With many social networking websites, including MySpace, you will find that there are preset profile fields for this information. In addition to preset questions or categories on your likes and dislikes, you may also find additional information, including fun questionnaires.  Many social networking websites will ask that you describe your favorite color, your goals in life, your most embarrassing moment, and so on. As with your other personal information, it is important to stay as vague and possible and not use any full names, especially real ones.

By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should not only be able to create an online social networking profile that is filled with valuable information, but you can do so while staying safe at the same time.  Your safety on the internet is in your hands, that is why it is important to think about safety, as well as internet popularity.

There is a wonderful little tool that was created by Denis Ryabov that allows your Joomla website to be readable in a pocket computer web browser. The PDA Plugin and Template. By installing a template (Which you can modify to your heart's content) and a simple plugin (Which requires really no configuration at all), you have a ready to go pda compatible Joomla website.

You can get the PDA Plugin extension by clicking here. 

There are some other things to consider when making your Joomla website "mobile ready". You may also have some compromises to accept as well.

The first thing you must accept is that you cannot display a full 3 column 1024x768 screen on a tiny mobile device screen. The approach I take is to place the main menu (left column) followed by the body. This means some planning when laying out your content. Decide what is important to the mobile visitor and keep it in the center or left column. 

You will also need to be more aware of your use of images on your website. Large images do not show up well in mobile browsers. They scew the screen and make it very difficult for  your website visitors to navigate. Also keep in mind that images take longer for your website to load in a mobile browser. Keep image size and usage to a minimum when optimizing your website for mobile users.

Keep your navigation very clear and easy for your mobile users to navigate your website when using mobile browsers. Your visitors may get frustrated if they cannot easily navigate your site or have to wait for long pageload times.

Keep in mind that some if not most of your installed Joomla extensions may not display properly or even work properly on a mobile screen or device. Some extensions may not be able to display in the intended format causing a very confusing layout for your mobile visitors to navigate.

Bottom line is that you need to consider who is visiting your website the most, and cater to those visitors. If you have the majority of your visitors coming from the mobile web then create your site for those visitors. make it accessible to them. Test your website with many different mobile browsers. Ask your friends to help you work out any display issues you might have by looking at your site on different mobile devices.

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