I’ve been working on a few different web sites for work the last 30 days and I’ve been doing a lot of the development in WordPress using the Thesis 1.7 theme.  I hit full on panic mode tonight when I was trying to tweak a custom function and added some bad pieces of code unknowingly to the theme footer.  I clicked on my “Big Ass Save Button” (of which I have renamed to a little bit classier version) and went to check on my site and poof! EVERYTHING on the site went blank.  I started breathing into a paper bag as I could not even login to the WordPress backend, like I said EVERYTHING was blank and nothing would load.  O….M….G….

So, if this happens to you, here is how you fix it:

1) Login to your host (cPanel) backend and re-name your Thesis file.  You can find it in your File Manager by clicking on Public HTML > wp-content > themes.

2) Select “Thesis_17″ and rename the file.  I just added four random numbers behind the 17.  This will cause WordPress to reset your site to the default theme allowing you to be able to log back in and getting rid of the kiss of death blank site screens.

3) Once you are logged into the WordPress backend.  Click on “Appearance” > “Editor” on the left hand side of the admin screen.

4) In the top right hand corner, select “Thesis” from the drop down box under “select theme to edit”

5) Click on “custom_functions php” in the right hand column.

6) Find the botched/bad code in the editor window and delete it.

7) Click “Update File” at the bottom.

Repeat step 1 above, except this time change your Thesis file name back to the original “Thesis_17″.  Meaning, erase the random numbers you added.

9) You’re almost done… Now go back to “Appearance” > “Themes” and activate your Thesis 1.7 Theme.

10) And now you’re done. Yay!!

I must tell you though, I had help getting to this point by perusing the WordPress support forums on this issue and also by reading this site.

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I got to know some great people while in Fayetteville this past weekend.  First, I got to know a fellow #sgftwitterchick, Jenny.  Jenny with a famous phone number.  We had an easy two hour drive across the border and there were no GPS errors like my previous Wordcamp road trip.  Then I met a kindred spirit, an evolved mommy who was absolutely hysterical.  And when I say kindred, I don’t mean in the mommy type way, but in the type 1 way as she told me a heart-wrenching story about how type 1 diabetes affected her life with someone she loved.  In addition to these fun, witty women, I also met Q-tip and his creative friend who let me in on their Google Wave for live blogging the event.  (Q-tip is not what you think, it is an alternative name I gave him to not use his real name on this blog. It is meant in the sincerest form of respect.) I’ve embedded the Wave if you want to read the collaborative group effort conference notes.

But only read it if you’re a nerd like me.

Blogging can be very effective, especially for the real estate professional that is on a tight budget.  You see, search engines constantly scrape the interwebz for fresh content.  Blogs offer this constant fresh content (that is if you update often) to these crawling search engines.  The more you blog, the more the search engines recognize you and push your content and your name to the top of their search engine ranks.

I didn’t realize this until business started increasing for my company back in 2006, shortly after we began blogging.  Most of the calls that we were getting were coming form the internet.  People had read my blog and Paul’s blog and watched our videos too.  So I randomly Googled the term “property management springfield, mo” and was shocked when I saw that Dizmang Properties was listed on the first page.  And, we hadn’t paid any kind of SEO expert a dime to get there!  When I started looking at some of the stats, I then realized that it was our blogging that got us there.

So…here’s to blogging.  And hopefully it’s a good inspiration and motivation to keep up with my own blogging.

To re-cap, The Donald and I have been selected to present our “8 Effortless Tips To Tackling Rental Property Management” seminar by the National Association of REALTORS® at the national conference and expo in San Diego, CA this November.  I am so excited about it as I have attended the national convention every year since 2001 and always find it to be inspiring.

Back to the video thing, the conference is offering all presenters the opportunity to post a two minute video about their session.  There are some pretty tight guidelines, understandably so, as they want the videos to project a professional image of the REALTOR® brand.  We submitted ours last week, and they have sent our video back.  I guess we weren’t very clear in delivering our “speaker’s tip” to entice people to attend our session.  They also said something about nail polish, but I lose track of the details.

Nonetheless, it’s back to the drawing board and I have been re-scripting the video and we are hoping to shoot it this week and upload the revised product.  I’m still hammering out details, but the tip that we will share is about using the power of Web 2.0 to advertise your available properties for free.  You know the drill, Google Base, Postlets, Craigslist just to name a few of my favorites.  Where I really need help is using some sort of creative, yet professional, way to deliver the goods.  Any suggestions?

I run multiple, and very different, areas of my life and they all seem to come together on both Facebook and Twitter.  Everything from my work in real estate and property management, to juvenile diabetes, to the committees and boards that I serve on for all things related to real estate and diabetes research.

The problem is that sometimes you can spend all day on Facebook and feel like you’re working…when you’re really not.  However, on the flip side of that coin, it can also do a lot of good.  Especially when it comes to bringing together your random groups of peeps and driving more traffic to your site.

I have found that I can get all of my random groups of peeps to come together when they read this blog, stay connected to their peeps and bring them along to my blog.  This is all thanks to a fun little thing called Facebook Connect that was released to users at the beginning of December 2008.  Beware, it can waste your time in trying to get it set up on your blog.  Believe me, I’ve been there.  But, once FBConnect is set up, then your blog visitors can use a single sign on or OpenID service to post comments and share those comments on their Facebook wall.  If they are posting their to both your blog and their Facebook wall at the same time, all that does is drive more traffic to your blog and that is what you want, right?!

Facebook does come in handy for more than just cyberstalking your high school buddies.  Get in there and try it.  As far as installing it, I would consult Google for that one.

So, in an effort to NOT talk about people in this blog post, I’m going to talk about people’s statuses.

I’m a big Twitter user.  No, it’s not because I like the feeling of people always knowing my bidness, but because I like knowing theirs.  I like knowing what my peeps are up to, it reminds me that my own crazy life is right in line with what would be considered “normal”.  I think of Twitter as the ultimate status update.  But then there is Facebook status updates, Instant Messaging, Friendfeed, LinkedIn, MySpace, and the three P’s…Plaxo, Plurk and Pownce.  (Just to name a few.)  I Googled the term “status update manager” and holy cow batman there were 10 pages of crap just for updating your status feeds!

I didn’t know that status was that important.  But as this online world grows tighter, I guess it is. I don’t use it, but there is the service of HelloTxt.  It seems to be pushed in the REALTOR world a lot.  What do you use (if anything)?  And, does it actually save you time or is it just another obsessive web 2.0 addiction?

I should look at it like this, if I keep my status updated it saves me several phone calls to my Mom. Time saver!  Now if I could just get my husband to obsessively update his status.

But, is it possible to make money quickly by just posting a few ads on your blog?  Now he’s lucky because the traffic to his blog is steady and good.  It’s not that easy because blogging takes time and establishing a good, well-read blog takes even more time.  So I’ve done some research and found some more ways to make some extra cash online.

Here are some other ways to make some extra cash all by doing what you love:

1. Big Stock Photo.  For all you photography nuts that take good pictures and have a steady hand with Photoshop, this is the site for you.  Take some breathtaking photos, create and account, follow the strict rules and before you know it, people will be downloading your photograph and you’re getting paid per download.
2. eJury.  I’ve actually been part of this one.  Create an account and enter which county you live in.  Attorneys in your county submit their case and are looking for your opinion.  Read the case and answer their questions.  They are real cases and you are paid a nominal fee for your “verdict”.  It involves a lot of reading, but a case usually takes you approximately 30-45 minutes to complete.  But you can look at it as catching up on the gossip in your county.
3. eBay.  Duh.  We’ve all been here.  Just clean out your crap and sell it.  Remember that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
4. Linkshare.  Linkshare has worked well for us because if you massage it right, you can make some quick cash by using their “private offers” that are sent to your e-mail and promoting those specific ones.  The thing I don’t like about Linkshare, is it takes time.  You have to place the ads right and really promote them.  But nonetheless, we have made money off of it.
5. The same as above with Amazon Affiliates.  This affiliate program works nicely in the ways of posting widgets and such on your web site, but I don’t ever seem to make any money off of it.  Again, it’s because I’m not placing them in the right places or promoting it because I just don’t seem to have the time.  Linkshare has worked a little bit better for me.
6. CafePress.  Designer people love this kind of site.  Create your design and place it on a t-shirt, mug, photo frame, you name it.  Then internet surfers that are looking for quirky, clever and witty gift ideas and they can download your design and you get paid. Nice.
7. Lulu.  This is a good site for writers who are looking to get their work published.  I’m currently using it for my eBook.  It’s not done, and certainly not published yet.  But once it is completed, I will use Lulu to take care of the formatting, publishing and downloading stats.  Not just the stats, they keep track of the actual downloading and payment procedures.  Then they will send a check for your work.
8. eLance.  Seems like everything starts with the proverbial “e” to make it sound techy.  eLance has been around for quite sometime.  And it pays well if you are a programmer, coder, or some other web geek that can write code for people.  But it also pays well for designers and art people that can create flyers, brochures and other promotional marketing items.  Be a virtual assistant.  Or hire one from this site.
9. Ether.  This is good if you’d rather talk on the phone than be on the computer.  Hey…some people are just better on the phone says the former telemarketing girl.  Basically, you set your price and people call the number (that you’ve set up) and ask you for your advice.  No this isn’t phone sex.  It’s life coaching on the phone.  Personally, I wouldn’t pay for it, because I’d probably end up with some lowlife.  However, if someone was lonely and wanted to pay me for my advice on what to do with their life, I’d do it.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  I haven’t done this one, nor do I plan to, but it falls into my research for making extra cash.  Besides that, some people reading this post are good at making up crap and statistics.  And you know who you are.
10. Software Judge.  I haven’t used this, but I might try it out.  Basically you give your opinion on software.  Software junkies like me love this kind of crap.  Download some wannabe’s stuff and tell them how it works (or not).  And then get paid for it.

So, I’m not sure if it’s worth it or not.  But again, desperate times call for desperate measures.  And it sure beats getting a second job and McDonald’s.  So I admire my friend for embracing paid blogging.  Let me know how it works out for you and if it’s worth the time you put into it.

Now Seth is an awesome speaker, he did a great and motivating presentation at this seminar that was jam-packed wall-to-wall with people (REALTORS). You know me, the girl-geek that loves the power of blogging, Web 2.0, API’s, widgets and RSS feeds, did a little research on Seth Godin before I met him. He wasn’t what I expected.

First, I am part of two different Facebook groups where Seth is not the creator of, nor is he part of them. So, I figured that I would look up Seth on Facebook, message him and add him as friend. I figured that he would be honored to have an enthusiastic follower (follower…not stalker). I did this a couple of weeks prior to meeting him in Las Vegas, but had not received any sort of response (and no “friend” confirmation either). Yes people, Seth Godin blew me off as a crazy stalker, not a follower.

During his presentation (before this photo was taken), Seth had told everyone in the room that he gets over 1,000 e-mails every day and in his own words, he responds to every one of them. Again, I would think that he would be honored to have people follow him (even on Facebook) and would respond to any messages there. Nope, he doesn’t. When I reached the table to have him sign my book, he was so rushed that he immediately came across as cold. So I quickly asked him why he hadn’t responded to my Facebook message if he claims to respond to every single one of his 1,000 e-mails everyday. In the big brush off as Seth squiggled a line meant to be autograph in the cover of my book, Seth said that he doesn’t “add Facebook friends or respond to Facebook messages”….my jaw hit the floor…WTF?!

So I got over it, but here is my WTF-thought-process of why I was so stunned by his icy comment regarding my e-mail to him. And remember, I’m a woman so I get all emotional and bent out of shape when blown off.

1. First of all Seth Godin, isn’t this your job? Don’t you make money by book buyers and fellow blog followers who link back to you? So why would you blow off one of those people who is a fellow blogger and is also part of the organization that just paid you a lot of money to come share your ideas with us?
2. No Facebook friends, no return Facebook messages? Then why have a Facebook account? Doesn’t this kind of defeat the whole social networking and power of Web 2.0 presence principle? This isn’t MySpace…if you’re worried about stalkers and strippers, then only let them see your Facebook limited profile to protect your privacy.
3. Didn’t you ever learn that when someone approaches you with a smile that you should be polite, return the smile and most of all don’t act like you’re above that person who just wants a autograph? Sign the book and say “thank you, it’s nice to meet you too” or “blog on” or “have a nice day”. If you don’t like people talking to you, or if you’re in too big of a hurry then I’m sorry Mr. Godin, you might be in the wrong business.
4. Doesn’t he [Seth Godin] see my cute, shiny, red BCBG shoes I am wearing? Those alone should make him stop for a second and actually look at me when he speaks to me, not blow me off. (I warned you…this is a woman’s emotional blow-off rant).
5. Seriously, a squiggle autograph is okay, but at least make part of it somewhat recognizable.  Not one that could easily be forged by my 4 year old son after his big brother wrestled him to the ground with the pen in his hand.  That way I might get more money for the book when I go to list it on eBay.

I know, I know.  I sound bitter.  I don’t mean to be.  In Seth Godin’s defense, I’m sure that he probably gets pestered by lots of crazy people all of the time and I’m sure that gets really old.   But I was just a little disappointed in his personality, I expected more.  You only get 3 seconds to make a good impression and I guess I didn’t do it for you Mr. Godin, but as karma has it, you didn’t do it for me either.  However, in the end this is what you talk about in your seminars.  Create a little controversy and you’ll drive more traffic to your blog.  And with all of the links back to you that I’ve provided in this one blog post, I’m sure you’ll get even more traffic.  So I may be “in the dip” of achieving an acquaintance with Seth Godin, but I’m learning when to stick it out and when to quit.

By the way…they really were cute red shoes.

I’ve always admired his passion for raising money for something that affects him so closely. A couple of weeks ago, we did the walk for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and things went really well. It has once again inspired me to be more healthy and to raise money for this cause.

So with all that said, my source of inspiration this evening has come from 3 little words.  One Million Dollars.  Doc, I wish you the best and I know you’re getting closer to that goal every day.  Thank you for being someone to look up to and emulate.