What You See Is What You Get!

Hello everyone! Today's OLA Tuesday Tidbit explores the world of WYSIWYG Editors, & the need for OLA members to learn how to use them. Many members enjoy making auction templates, store backgrounds & chat signatures with colorful graphics, unique images & distinctive font styles. This creativity is more easily achieved with the assistance of an outside WYSIWYG editor.

WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get, used in computing to describe a system in which content displayed during editing appears very similar to the final output, which might be a printed document, web page, slide presentation or even the lighting for a theatrical event.

The phrase was originally a catch phrase popularized by Flip Wilson's drag persona "Geraldine" (from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in the late 60s and then on The Flip Wilson Show until 1974), who would often say "What you see is what you get" to excuse her quirky behavior.

(I loved that show! Didn't you?)

For the past year, I've been touting the editor at Creating Online. It is simple to use, and fulfills all my needs in making auction templates, etc. However, Creating Online has one drawback... it does not operate well within Mozilla Firefox browsers. Like many users, I have gotten away from using Internet Explorer, preferring the security & ease of Firefox. What to do???

After getting frustrated with searching editors online, I contacted my buddy Rowen, at OnlineAuction.com. He actually gave me links to 4 different editors, and after doing some research, I have found one that I really like! It is from Trellian WebPage, it's a download, & it has capabilities to help someone publish a web page. So many new gadgets to investigate! What I needed, (the editor), was easy to locate and use, & I am looking forward to learning the rest of their tools. Check them out!

While I was surfing the net today, I also ran across an interesting blog from ProBlogger, Darren Rowse. He surveyed online users about what would they prefer - to have more blog readers or more Twitter followers. Twitter may be new, but people are flocking to it by the thousands, & while it did not get many of the votes in his poll, many people would be interested to see if the results would change in a year from now. I am following Darren on Twitter now, because he's a social media participant & a full time blogger, & I think he will have many, many informative posts. I hope you'll all take a moment to check out his blog! And do tell... how would you have voted?

FLEAPIRATES TUESDAY TREASURE:

Artesania Rinconada # 38 Rabbit Figurine. This treasure is now retired. Excellent condition, with no chips cracks or breaks. Artist signature is on the bottom. Measures 2 inches tall x 3 1/4 inches wide. Weighs 6 1/2 ounces. Hand-carved & detailed in fine grain earthenware ceramic material.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Artesania Rinconada was founded in Montevideo, Uruguay, by twin brothers, Jesus & Javier Carbajales. Born in Spain, the twins moved to Uruguay in 1936, when the Spanish Civil War erupted, but never forgot their spanish roots. Focusing upon nature, they released the Classic Collection in 1972. Over the years, other collections have been added, such as, The Silver Anniversary Collection, Rincababies, the Emerald Collection, and the DeRosa Box & Dolls Collections. Highly collectible, these figurines are still widely popular in stores today. Many of the older pieces are now retired and difficult to find.

Click HERE to see the details of this auction!

Click HERE to browse other collectibles in my OLA House!

OLA Wednesday What-Not!

Sorry OLA folks...
I am a day late in publishing my OLA Tuesday Tidbit!

A darn cold got me down yesterday. Grrrr....Kids are always bringing those things home from school! What do you do when a cold strikes? I reach for the Echinacea!

Echinacea is a genus of nine species of herbaceous plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly called Coneflower. All are strictly native to eastern and central North America. The plants have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming from early to late summer. Some species are used in herbal medicines.
(Thanks Wikepedia!)

I prefer the brand Nature Made, as it is easily obtainable at my local drug store!

The important thing to remember about echinacea, is that you should take it at the first sign of illness. And take it for no more than 10 days! It will not prevent you from being sick, but it will lessen the severity of your symptoms.

Another way to enjoy the benefits of echinacea is to brew some tea! The brand Traditional Medicinals offers a number of great tasting, effective teas, including one named Organic Echinacea Plus. (I like Throat Coat, too!)

And now, since I am feeling much better today,
let's talk about the OLA Tuesday Tidbit...
shall we call it the OLA Wednesday What-not?

Last week we talked about the importance of disk clean-up. Cookies and cache. Did you also know that it is imperative to your computer's well being to defragment?

Defragmentation is a process that reduces the amount of fragmentation in file systems. It does this by physically organizing the contents of the disk to store the pieces of each file close together and contiguously. It also attempts to create larger regions of free space using compaction to impede the return of fragmentation.

This process helps your computer run faster and more efficiently!

Your computer should have a disk defragment utility already installed. Many owner / operators feel that the services that are automatically provided with your computer are slow and lack the ability to perform at optimum capacity. With that in mind, several down-loadable versions are available.
From Rowen, our resident OLA tech guru, is the following recommendation:
http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag

Check it out! And remember that defragging, like clearing cookie and cache, is routine maintenance, and should be regularly scheduled based upon your personal usage and needs.

Finally, have you all joined Twitter? If you haven't, I watched a great video on YouTube that you may enjoy... it is a short seminar from Evan Williams, one of the founders of Twitter, and he talks about the many ways in which Twitter is now being used. I highly recommend that you watch it HERE. And be sure to find me on Twitter, under the profile fleapirates!

FLEAPIRATES WEDNESDAY WHATCHAMACALLIT:

Caribcraft Solid Mahogany Pear Shaped Serving Tray
Click on the title to visit the auction!
Available at OnlineAuction.com, for a starting bid of only $8.99!

Browse other collectibles in my store, by clicking HERE!

OLA March Scavenger Hunt Is Over!

The March OLA Scavenger Hunt is now over!

It was a huge success...
thanks to our 20 great players!

I'd like to congratulate our winners:

KIDATHEART10
Who had 23 out of 24 answers correct!

YAWNINGDAWG
Who had 20 out of 24 answers correct!

And,
BEDDING4ME
Who was chosen in a random drawing
to win a package of DraggonTurds!

Have you checked out
OnlineAuction.com?

Our goal is to create the world's finest, and most fair online auction.
If everyone has the opportunity to sell at a low cost everyone benefits.
How? Because, when a seller doesn't have to absorb high commissions
and listing or re-listing fees, both the seller and buyer win.
The sellers win because they can be more competitive
by selling their items for less, and still make more.
This will promote more sales because the buyer gets a better deal.
This helps OLA to grow faster
and bring in more people to buy and sell
and this cycle will continue.


See me at FLEAPIRATES PLUNDER
for a variety of vintage collectibles!

Alphainventions

Just joined http://alphainventions.com!

Anyone who blogs should check this out.
Still taking it in, but it seems easy to use,
and fun to read the various blogs!

Good way to increase views!

And when you're done,
stop by Fleapirates Plunder,
for a variety of affordable, vintage collectibles!

Clear that cache!

Today's OLA Tuesday Tidbit is all about cookies and cache! No, not that kind... I'm talking about the cookies that are stored in your Temporary Internet File folder! Do you know what they are and what they do? And more importantly, do you clean out those files regularly?

There is a great article on Wikepedia about cookies. I won't recite it here, but you should take a few minutes and read it. Click HERE! Basically, cookies are bits of information that websites attach to your browser in order to perform certain tasks. They're not all bad! For example, cookies can hold your login information, keeping you signed in to a website until you sign out. Some cookies hold your preferences, like backgrounds, (skins), and font type, colors and graphics. Others keep track of things that you have added to a shopping cart, simplifying your checkout. They have a variety of purposes.

If you are a frequent web-surfer, you will accumulate many cookies stored in your Temporary Internet Files folder. This may become a problem, when the hard-drive memory that those cookies require gets over-taxed. Your computer may operate slower or less efficiently! Every so often you should clear out those cookies, to make room for more.

Cache can cause the same clogging in your computer's memory. What is cache? Cache is a copy of everything you've seen and everywhere you've been on the web. Your computer holds these images, sounds, urls and text in it's memory, to help it load pages faster the next time you visit that page. Did you ever notice, when visiting a website for the very first time, that the page loaded slower than your normal sites? That's because your computer didn't have it in it's memory! Loading times are also affected by the size of the files being loaded, the speed of your processor and how busy the internet is at that certain moment.

Now cache is good, too. It allows you to access regularly used information faster. Keep in mind, though, that if it's in your cache, what you'll probably see first is older content. For example, in web pages where the content is changed constantly, like CNN, the first time you visit, you might be reading a story about Bloody War Crossing the U.S. Border. If you do not clean the cache, your next visit will likely take you back to that same homepage. One option to get recent posts is to hit the re-load button, where your browser will ask the domain for the most current content. Another option is to keep that cache clear!

Too much cache is not good, and can result in your browser not operating correctly, or operating at a much slower pace. Periodic cleaning of cookies, cache and temporary internet files will keep your browser operating at peak performance. The amount of time between cleaning varies between users... you must develop a routine that you are comfortable with. It's not a difficult task, but it's one that should not be forgotten!

For those of you who do not know how to clear these files, your browser's website should offer instructions. I've also found a great page from the Indiana University, which details instructions for most of the popular browsers.
Find it HERE.

Another service I use to clean my temporary files is CCleaner. From their website... CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! This program downloads fast, is easy to operate, is customizable, and can eliminate the need to clear from your browser's command. Check it out!

Now I must mention one more thing for you OLA users... Rowen cleans his out when he logs ON... I clean mine when I log OFF... every day! It really matters not WHEN you do, only that your browser must also close, to completely rid itself of the files. As an additional step, it's a good idea to re-boot, too. (This is why I like to clean when I sign off! Then I close the browser and power off the computer.)

If you're having trouble with signing into OLA, or pages not loading, or links not working, it's a good idea to try these steps before becoming alarmed. Usually a clean-up will get you back up and running smoothly!

If you're still having trouble after that, help is only a post or a phone call away. OLA Chat Forums are filled with friendly members who are willing to offer assistance on many topics! Additionally, the OLA staff is available
Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm PST, at the following number:
1-800-900-2828.
Give 'em a call... you'll love the great customer service!

FLEAPIRATES TUESDAY TREASURE:

98 Topps Stars Bronze

JIM THOME

# 132
Sequentially Numbered 8517 of 9799
Cleveland Indians

Click HERE to visit my Fixed Price listing for this trading card!

Or, click HERE to visit Fleapirates Plunder!

Keystonewear EPNS Teapot, Sugar and Creamer

JUST LISTED!

From Fleapirates Plunder,
a Keystonewear EPNS 3 piece Set,

with teapot, sugar and creamer,
in excellent vintage condition!

This set has differing Keystonewear marks,
visible on the bottom of each piece.

I used Wright's Silver Cream to polish these up,
and they are really nice!
ELECTRO NICKEL PLATE SILVER
You'll find a few scratches from previous storage and use...
nothing I wouldn't have expected in a vintage set.

The creamer has a small dent,
and a couple of small places where the finish has eroded.

The sugar bowl also has some finish wear
starting to appear on the bottom edge.

The finish on the teapot is in the same condition as the other pieces...
what I must point out is that the lid on the teapot
has become disconnected from the rim.
Originally welded on,
and breakage is not noticeable unless you remove the lid!

Please pardon the reflections on my photos!
If you'd like additional photos, please don't hesitate to ask... I'll try!
(They're very shiny!)

Click HERE to visit this auction.
Starting bid is only $9.99!

And be sure to stop by my store...
FLEAPIRATES PLUNDER!

Check out Seller's Arena!

Today's OLA Tuesday Tidbit

comes from MetzyMom!



Metzy and I had a nice talk the other day
about the different kinds of ways OLA sellers
can promote their stores and their items.
There's quite a few options, actually,
and I wonder how many people are taking advantage of them?

One of my favorites is Oodle.
You've all heard me tout the benefits of
copying and pasting your items to Oodle!
And I am often posting a variety of places
to add your store links, such as:
EveryPlaceISell,
FreeWebSubmission,
and INeedHits.

But today, let's take a look at Seller's Arena!
I admit, I became a member there some time ago,
and I have not, to date, used it to it's potential.
Just this week, I made my first blog there.
Yes! They offer blogs!
And according to Metzy, the blogs she has posted
have had very good search engine results!

In addition, Seller's Arena offers a forum,
where you can meet & chat with other sellers,
from a variety of venues.

They have an Arcade,
which is filled with fun games!

They just upgraded their Link Directory,
where you can place a link to your store.
(THIS IS GOOD SEO!)

And they showcase a place to offer your wares,
directly to other Seller's Arena members.

It's time for me to put a little more time
into this valuable site...
won't you join me?



And I'd like to remind everyone
of all the great things that are
happening at OLA!

The QA Sale is ongoing.
Enter the letters QA into the search engine at OLA,
to find pages of items, starting at bids of only .25 cents!

The Scavenger Hunt is now taking sign-ups!
First Prize is $100 in Auction Credits,
courtesy of OnlineAuction.com.

The Wednesday Wave is tomorrow night.
Bargains abound!

And don't forget to tune into
OLA-RADIO
Thursday night, at 8pm CST!


Fleapirates Tuesday Treasure:

YOU ARE SPECIAL TODAY
Decorative Plate - Made in Japan
Only $1.29 on Classic Auction!
Click HERE to view the details.
Or click HERE to visit my store!

OLA Scavenger Hunt is preparing to start!

OLA SCAVENGER HUNT!

This is NOT a special sale, but a MONTHLY game!

The BEST part of this game is that it requires NO BUYING!!!
You may buy, but you don't HAVE to!
It will increase visibility, increase views
& has the potential to increase sales.
Think of it as free advertising... with a fantastic PRIZE!!

FIRST PRIZE
for scavenging the most items using the clues provided
will be $100 in FREE listing enhancements,
compliments of OnlineAuction.com!

Fleapirates will also give a second place prize for the runner-up,
and everyone who plays and gets at least two clues
right will have their name placed in a drawing for another prize...
a bag of DraggonTurds, courtesy of DraggonTagger!

Sign ups run for 1 week (Mar 8th- Mar 14th)
The game will start on Sunday, March 15th at 2 PM EST,
and run through Sunday, March 22nd at 2PM EST.

The object is to read a clue,
and search through the players' listings
to find the item that matches the clue.

You won't know WHICH clue goes with which player
until you look through all of their listings
AND there may be some trickery by someone
buying some things as they find them
(because they THINK they have the right item)
so that you can't find them!

The player with the most correct items
by the end of the game wins!
In case of a tie,
the player with the most correct items
who submitted them FIRST is the winner.

Click here to get all the details!

Open to current & new OLA Members!

Examples of clues from other Scavenger Hunts:
Clue: "For this couple Love is not a good thing."
The answer was a pair of Disney Mickey and Minnie Mouse Tennis Figurines, with "love" referring to the term love in tennis.

Clue: "Cinderella's purr-fectly blue shoe."
The answer was a Fenton Colonial Blue Glass Cat Slipper

Don't be shy, give the game a try!

Who needs to learn HTML?

You do!

Case in point...
some of our OLA users have recently
had a problem with their chat set-up.
They had been using an html editor,
& suddenly they experienced glitches in their signatures!

TODAY'S TUESDAY TIDBIT,
courtesy of Rowen, at OLA:

Using an html WYSIWYG editor
does not guarantee good html code.
Also, IE users are more prone to have
a failure in the html area of chat setup.

Example:
A member was using an editor that produced poor code
that affected their ability to edit this area while using IE.
(Bad code here can result in the submit button being unavailable in IE.)

Solution:
1. Learn html code & don't rely solely on the editor.
2. Use fire fox,(it's more stable in this area).

Bottom line:
If you are going to use a tool, any tool, learn the correct way to use it.
After all.....Anything worth doing is worth doing well!

Great advice!
So how do you learn html?
Start with the basics.
In the OLA New Users Chat Forum,
you'll find a variety of threads to help you
learn the basics of not only OLA procedure,
but html, too!
We've got a bunch of helpful users,
like Aesthetics48, who started the discussion.
Others have added information along the way,
& you're welcome to practice in the
OLA Shop Talk Forum.
Don't forget to ask questions, if you've got 'em!

Are you all using Oodle?
Oodle feeds their listings to all the
major search engines, & then some!
This is an excellent way to build
back links for your internet presence.
Ther are sure to be other sites similar to oodle.
Find 'em & use 'em!

And last, but not least,
a nod of recognition to
SUPERGRANNY,
for earning the title of
OLA'S Seller of the Month!

FLEAPIRATES TUESDAY TREASURE:

Lenox Bud Vase
Classic Ivory with Rose Blossom

Two available - $4.99 each!