Alternative to Disqus for your Tumblr

A few months ago, I wrote about adding a commenting feature on your Tumblr using Disqus. Just today, I received a comment on that entry from Lee, letting me know about an alternative to Disqus.

Cmmnt.info is really simple. With only two pieces of code and no sign-up required, it's easy to install it in you Tumblr. There's no other links to distract you (Disqus has a lot of odd links and buttons), and visitors would only need to comment using their name and web address, which are both optional as well.

I've tried it out on my "Salamat Po" Tumblr and it's working great (although I need to figure out how to make the comment link nearer to the actual post than a previous post). I surprisingly got a comment in less than a minute of adding it up.

With its ease of use, it's really a great alternative to Disqus. I'd love to see some added features though, if it's possible, especially something like a tracking system for comments, or the option to receive email when people post a comment in your entries. It would also be great if there was an archive feature.

Give Cmmnt a try!

Update:
I edited the code to place the comment link above the title. IMPORTANT! When you move or edit the code, all comments will be gone!

Globelines complaint again

Here's a message I got from Globe just now.

GLOBELINES ADVISORY FREE Globe Advisory: your Globe Broadband/Landline service restoration period has been extended due to an ongoing technical update. Your service will be restored between the xx and XX week of November. As part of Globe's Bangon Pinoy program, you'll receive bill rebates for the period that u did not have service. Thank you.

First off, I already have my service back, thank you very much --- unless sometime between 9 AM and now, it's disconnected again and the message I received refers to that.

Second,if you're going to send an advisory about downtime and its expected resolution, please include a specific time of resolution. If you can't give an exact time, don't bother adding "Your service will be restored between the xx and XX week of November" because it's just going to piss us all off even more. Just say "We're fixing it and hope that we can get it back up soon." Not that it'll make your customers less angry at you, but still...


Third, you do not need a frickin' program to tell me that I'll get rebates for the time that I don't have DSL because THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE STANDARD IN YOUR SERVICE. Why should I pay for something I can't use because your service isn't working? You have to either pay me back or give me something in return. Sugar-coating it with cheesy program titles isn't going to work with me.

Lastly, you guys still owe me for the time when my DSL was down for two weeks last May, and again for another two weeks after Typhoon Ondoy. I received my bills on time and I don't see any rebate on those down times. I paid for those months, but I didn't get to use them because, oh wait, your service wasn't working. See #3.

I'm sorry if I'm ranting again. In fairness, the service is stable when it's up and running, albeit slower than their promised speeds. But when it's down, hay naku, start saying your prayers.

No Internet, no job

One of the biggest challenges an online freelancer can have is not having a stable Internet connection. Believe me, I've experienced this problem several times over in the past year that I've started online work.

I don't have to list down the reasons why it sucks. I'm sure all online freelancers have experienced this problem at one time or another. My ISP has a tendency to go down when it rains, and when its down, it's down for weeks at a time (as witnessed by my rants in this blog). Last May I didn't have DSL for two weeks, and early this month, it was for another two weeks. It's down again, and I have no idea when it'll be back up.

Without a decent Internet connection, obviously, you'll have a hard time working. There are work-arounds on this, such as working in an Internet cafe or hooking up to public wi-fi connections with your laptop. Both I've tried to do during my Internet downtime, but I still failed to work. Here's two major reasons why.

1) Internet cafes won't allow you to install programs. Now this isn't a problem for freelancers in general, but since I work with oDesk, I need to have their software installed on the computer to log my work time. The software has the ability to log offline time, but bottom line is, I need it on the computer.

2) Internet connection was down for most ISPs in my area. Now this sucks. Imagine having several services around you, and they all say that their service is down. Now how is that for a problem?

I still don't have service at home, but I am able to go online using my work connection. Obviously, I can't do freelance while I'm at the office, but I was able to get permission to use it for an extra two hours a day, so I should be able to utilize that.

Still, it's major inconvenience. I lost one project and I don't think the buyer was happy that I couldn't reply. Thankfully the other buyers were understanding, especially when I informed them I was working on the assignments as soon as I got back online.

Best solution I can think of for now is to get one of those wireless ISP services. Sun Broadband seems to be good, but the downside is I'm going to have to pay for two ISPs, one which I'll be using only sporadically.

Off to work!

Typhoon Ondoy

Hello everyone. I hope you're all doing well after all that's being on with Typhoon Ondoy. I haven't had a chance to update, as I lost my Internet service last Saturday and could only use the Internet at work.

Anyway, I'm sure you've read and head a lot about what has happened over the weekend. The greater Manila area, and nearby provinces, experienced the worst rainfall ever last Saturday, about six months worth of water in about six to twelve hours. Many families lost their homes and belongings, some were unfortunate to lose their lives. Those who made it safely to the evacuation centers were all just thankful that they still have their families together.

For those who wish to help, here's three sites that might prove helpful (via MLQ3's Twitter).

List of Places to Donate
Map Update Form (places that still need rescuing, etc)
Ondoy Victim Directory

Also,let's not forget the people in the provinces who were affected by previous storms and were still having trouble recovering. They could also greatly use your help.

Stay safe everyone.

Congratulations all around!

Early this month I received and email from oDesk saying that I made their Top 25 list of Best Freelance Writers for August 2009! I was really surprised because I only had one job and I felt that I didn't put enough hours on it.

Still, it felt really great to read that letter. Congratulations to the other writers as well!

Here's the rest of the best oDesk providers in all categories for August.

NTFS for Mac OS X

The other day, I got myself an external hard drive, Western Digital 320 GB Essential. My search for one was initially based on price, rather than features, mainly because I was assured that most pre-packaged external hard drives are plug & play devices.

I wanted to try out CD-R King's PQI external hard drives, but the branches I went too didn't have it in stock, and it never occurred to me to try inquiring online. I got my hard drive from Octagon at SM Marikina.

The original reason for the drive was so that I could finally get my files off the office computer. I had nearly three years worth of personal stuff there, and burning them on DVDs wasn't enough. I do have an online storage, 100 GB from Humyo, but I didn't feel 100% secure with it. So, external hard drive.

Transferring files from the office PC to the WD Essentials was easy. In less than two hours, I had all my files transferred. When I got home, I plugged the hard drive to my MacBook, started transferring files... and got the error that this file can't be moved to the hard drive because of some permission error.

Huh?

Since I didn't understand what it was, and I didn't have many friends who used OS X, I decided to search for some answers. Thanks to this article from MyFirstMac, I finally got it.

To make the long story short, it all goes back to the file format each operating system uses. Windows makes use of FAT32 or NTFS, while Max OS X uses HFS+, or Mac OS Extended. Mac can handle FAT32, but not NTFS. The result would be is exactly what I had: I can view my files, but I can't put new files into the hard drive.

There are two best ways to go around this. Reformatting the hard drive to FAT32 is not an option for me, as I had already 80 GB of files from my Windows XP machine.

First option was to use a program called NTFS for Mac by Paragon. The reviews of it are very good, so I was eager to try. Downside? Cost. It's US$ 30, probably reasonable, but something I can't afford to shell out.

Second option: use an open source program. My searching suggested using NTFS-3G, a driver that makes use of MacFUSE, a program that allows users to extend the capabilities of Mac OS X to run various third-party applications. Downside? According again to reviews/user feedback, transfer rate (especially if you use USB and not Firewire) is slower than usual. Upside? It's open-source, therefore free. Plus, users of other operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenSolaris, etc., can use this to read off NTFS files.

I tried it, and it works great. I can now transfer files from my MacBook to the external hard drive without difficulties. Just check out the links above. Enjoy!

Looking for your first oDesk job

So you've taken the oDesk Readiness Test, as well as some other tests that befit your skills. You've filled up your resume and from any person's point of view, it's impressive. You're now ready to look for your first oDesk job. How to do it?

My first job was offered to me, actually. I don't recall applying for it, as the topic was something I wasn't familiar with. The only thing I know about architecture and interior design were the things I read in my mother's books and magazines. My second job was pretty much similar. However, with both jobs, I learned along the way. Sometimes you won't find your "dream job" on oDesk. As a writer, I've yet to come across a job with a topic that I like from the get-go. However, you'll find that even the oddest topics can be quite fun and fulfilling. I feel lucky that the topics of the work I got were ones that I had some interest in, so it was easy to work on.

How to look for oDesk jobs

1. When you log in, you'll find a menu on the very top of the page. Choose "Find providers and jobs." You can either choose to click on it or from the drop-down box, choose "Find jobs."

2. On the next page, you'll see some search options to the left of the screen.



All you have to do is fill it in. You can type keywords of the type of work you're looking for, and choose from the options below. Since I'm a writer, I choose "Writing and Translation" from the category list. I usually leave the sub-category as it is, because sometimes find interesting jobs under other headings.

If you don't want to take the risk of getting "bad job openings," you can adjust the buyer facts. Feedback score would mean what people say about that person offering a job, while "any number of paid jobs" would mean that the company/employer has already had work done by someone and successfully paid them.

The time of the work can also be changed. I often pick hourly jobs, and work that requires ten hours or less because I can squeeze that in my day job hours. It's up to you though, as you know best how much time you can devote to the work.

Is this for me?
After you click on "search," a list of prospective jobs will show up. Browse through them, and click on the title to view the job details, as the list will only be a summary of what it's about. Each job lists when it was posted and when the job is planned to start. They'll also provide you details on what they want done and such. Don't hesitate to ask questions if you need some things clarified. Better to spend a time on that than waste time applying and finding out the job isn't for you after all.

Applying for the job
When you click on "Apply," you will be lead to a page where you need to type a cover letter. I'm not sure how formal a letter this should be, but if you have any doubts, oDesk provides a sample of good vs. bad cover letter. I also kept copies of my previous application letters and adjusted them as needed for the job that I'm applying for. Once, I tried doing an informal letter. I didn't get any feedback from that though, so if you must do the same, proceed with caution.

You can attach files to your letter too. These could be pictures or other documents that show samples of your work, and is often used by those who don't have sites.

Click on box on the terms and agreements, and your application has been submitted. All you have to do now is wait for the employer's reply.

Some notes
From my experience, not every application you send out gets accepted. Sometimes, you're even lucky if you get a reply. Most of the time I learn about the job when I receive a message saying it was either closed, or that I wasn't picked. I don't want to blame the employers on this, especially those that have many applicants (sometimes, the good and easy jobs get at least forty applicants).

Don't be discouraged though. Just because they didn't reply or you didn't get the job, doesn't mean they haven't read your application or looked at your profile. I've seen my profile marked as a favorite by some employers. This means that they like my work and are considering me for future work. That's a positive sign, especially since I've only had two jobs since I started out.

That's it for the basics of looking for jobs at oDesk. Hope that helps.

Tumblr comments with Disqus

I joined Tumblr last year after my friend Gilbz showed me his account. It's a blog service that has options that'll allow you to post specific items: music, videos, pictures, quotes, text, links, etc. Tumblr automatically codes it for you and will host most of the files you upload. Music is, however, limited to only one upload a day.

Tumblr has various other features like automatic crossposting to other blog platforms: Blogger, Wordpress, even Posterous. It also has the option where your posts will show up on Twitter. One thing I like about Tumblr is the queue post feature, where you can schedule posts at any time. Possibly the downside of Tumblr (for me) is the Tumblarity, which shows how popular or not you are in the Tumblr world. It goes up and down depending on your activity and how people interact with you. Then again, you can just ignore it. :)

Tumblr, however, lacks a decent comment system. There is something called "Answer," where other Tumblr members can answer a question you post. However, it's limited to only 140 characters and will be available only to those who have Tumblr accounts.

Enter Disqus, a commenting system that can be integrated into any blogging platform. It's a good add-on as it will allow you to monitor all comments to your blogs. Non-Disqus members will also be able to leave replies and you will be informed of any new comments that'll come in.

The good news is, Disqus can be used with Tumblr. After signing up for an account, you'll see an option on your dashboard that says "Add a new site." Click that.

You'll get a page like this. Just fill it up with your site's URL and the name.


Pick your blog platform. For this tutorial, I picked Wordpress, but if you're adding this to Tumblr, well, you know what to pick.


The next page will give you the code and how you will integrate it to your blog. With Tumblr, you would have to go under the "Theme" then click "Custom HTML." The first code Disqus will give you will be pasted before the {/block:Posts} tags for comment counter and permalink.

The Disqus code for Tumblr will be added somewhere after {/block:Posts}. This will contain the comment box itself. Note differences in the tags.

Once done, you'll be able to receive comments in your Tumblr blog. You can do this for every Tumblr you create.


This is how it looks like after the post


This is how it looks like when you click on it

Starting on oDesk

I've been seeing a lot of posts in the oDesk forums about newbies having a hard time with the site and its system. I understand that at first it's really daunting, especially since you have to take the oDesk Readiness Test. It wasn't a requirement early last year, but as more and more people join oDesk, it became mandatory. I joined oDesk a week after they implemented it, so I had to take the test.

Here's some simple tips to help you with oDesk.

• For the oDesk Readiness Test, I decided to play around the site first before I took it. Although the test question provides you a link to either the FAQ or the page where you can find the answer, it's best to be familiar with the site so you don't waste time searching during the test.


• Once you've passed, take other tests that would be relevant to your job. You can even take those that won't. If you fail, hide the test results from public view and retake it.


• Be truthful and realistic about your skills, achievements and accomplishments. Include links to sites, projects or portfolios that you have and are relevant to the job/field you wish to get. Keep them updated. Buyers want to know what they're getting before they commit. If you don't have the right experience and mislead them with your portfolio, they may put that in your feedback and further lower your chances of getting a job.


• Join the oDesk community for your country. It helps, believe me, especially when it comes to the concerns of payment methods, transaction charges and payouts. Plus, the people can give you support if you feel that you aren't doing well in job hunting.


• I stuck with looking for jobs in writing, as that's my forte, but I also started looking for work as an illustrator and web designer. Learn skills that are in demand (which you can find out about in the oDesk Trends) and branch out. Jobs will come your way more.


• Lastly, when you do get your job, devote your time, skills and energy to it as you would in a job you have to go to the office for. Just because it's a virtual job doesn't mean it's less important. Excellent work may net you another job with the client, or a referral.


• Once the job is done, leave a feedback and ask for one in return. If the client declines, thank them and move on. It's up to you if you want to do the same.

I've only been on oDesk for a year and had two jobs, but so far I have no complaints. I hope you have a great experience (as well as earn much) as well. Cheers!

oDesk Mastercard: Alternative way to get paid

About two months ago, I signed up for oDesk's debit card under Payoneer. Since I've been having problems with Unionbank's EON, I thought it would be advisable to try an alternative. Going through oDesk forums and some blogs show that Payoneer's service is good, stable and fast. The card itself is free, but there are monthly charges as well as transaction charges. Still, as an option to get my money from oDesk, I think it was worth trying out.



Signing up is easy. oDesk users can do so from the Payments tab of their control panel, then choose Payment options. Non oDesk users can also avail of it through Payoneer's website. Payoneer is a debit card that doesn't need a bank account, and works with Mastercard.

I didn't have much trouble signing up, although my initial application was severely delayed so I had to send an email asking for an update. After that, all I had to do was send a scan of a valid ID. They're rather strict with this and will accept only National IDs. I used my passport and had no trouble with it. In about a month's time, my application was approved and I got my card a few weeks later.

I was able to use my card to verify my Paypal, but to cash out, Payoneer is my main option for now. Here's how it goes:

In oDesk, click "Payments" in your control panel at the top of the screen and choose "Withdrawals". In the next page, choose your withdrawal method from the drop down box. If you have only one option, choose that. Note the charges that will be applied on the withdrawal method you choose.

Once your method is chosen, you will be given an option to choose how much you will take from your account. You can pick their the full amount or specify a smaller one. Note that the withdrawal fee will be deducted from the amount you will withdraw if you choose to take all the money, or from the remaining balance if you don't.

Payoneer's fees are as follows:
US$ 2 - oDesk to Payoneer
US$ 9.95 - Card activation (if you are lucky to get the card with no activation fee, you don't have to worry about this)
US$ 3 - monthly activation fee if the card has balance but no activity for a month
US$ 1- monthly activation fee if the card has balance and has a minimum of two activities for a month (withdrawal or using the debit card for purchases, etc)

Withdrawing funds usually takes about three days, but if you want to get your money immediately, you can pay Payoneer $3 and you'll get the money transferred to your card in about two or (or less). There's also a fee for every withdrawal ($2.15/transaction). I've only tried using BDO ATMs. Balance inquiry is free but when you are withdrawing bigger amounts of money, you get charged a fee. I remember withdrawing P9500 from an account that had P10,000 but when I checked my balance after I was surprised to see that I had only P200 left.

If I am not mistaken, I was charged the $2.15 withdrawal fee and possibly a fee from the bank because I took out more than P5000. I lost nearly P500 for that withdrawal alone, not counting the $3 charged so I could get my money immediately, and the $2 fee for oDesk to Payoneer transfer. It really hurts more when you see it in your local currency.

Payoneer is a great option if you need your money immediately, though in my honest opinion, the charges are quite high and would be a disadvantage if you are earning just enough. However, there are ways where you can minimize your charges, such as looking for a bank that has higher withdrawal limit and getting your money from oDesk to Payoneer at least four days before you need it. Again, Payoneer is a great alternative to Paypal if you don't have one.

For a more in depth discussion about Payoneer use in the Philippines, I turn you over to this thread at the oDesk forums. It's very informative & reading through the replies will get you answers to most questions you might have.