Setup your website: Buy a domain with exact or near exact matching keywords. For example HuntingKnivesInfo.com.  Use Google AdWords to do keyword research.  Install WordPress and all of the standard plugins for analytics (very important, more on this later), webmaster tools, social media, SEO plugins (very important, again, more on this later), Caching (IMPORTANT), AdSense… ok fuck it. All of these plugins are important here is a list:

Akismet auto-fight spam. I did not install this until I was overwhelmed with thousands of comment spam. Blackhaters use tools such as ScrapeBox to blast out thousands of comments. More on this later.

All in One SEO Pack proper tags and meta data is important. Google it.

Google Analytics by Joost de Valk there are tons of GA plugins. I like this one the best because it gives you the option to track out-bound links. I used this data to negotiate my latest advertising deal. In fact I used a lot of GA data across multiple sites to demonstrate value to my advertisers.

Google XML Sitemap I am on the fence with sitemaps these days. It seems that the Google Bot crawls so fast that you do not need this. I do it anyway for good measure. Do not be lazy.

Quick AdSense This plugin is awesome. All you have to do is paste your AdSense code and tell it where you want to appear. Top of post, middle post, bottom of post. You can rotate ads and it also has a widget function. Very cool shit.

SEO Search Terms Tagging 2 This plugin will get you into a lot of trouble. My site got shut down 3 times because of it and the long term effects are yet to be determined. Basically it takes popular relevant search terms and displays them at the bottom of a post. It also has a widget. The kicker is an option that links to an automatically generated search page. These pages get indexed. I had over 400,000 at one point. This meant a few things. Most important, I get a shitload of long tail page titles, in turn, lots of traffic. The caveat is the Google crawl rate. This blows up bandwitdh and wreaks havoc on a shared hosting environment. You will need to pay for VPS or Amazon EC2 and install caching, which leads me to my next plugin.

W3 Total Cache I do not know much about caching so I just enabled everything except the content delivery network (CDN) features.

Ballin'

The site has a shitload of Flash. From the login pop up windows, to the data visualization elements. The site rarely works, which is a shame because I love the new Nike+ GPS application. The old versions with sensors and pedometers were a pain in the ass and unreliable. Between the hardware and software issues, I stopped using Nike plus for a year.

Several years later, Nike+ is still riddled with non-functioning flash. But do not fear, HTML5 will soon be here according to this tweet sent out.

[UPDATE]

An email was sent out today Sept. 2nd, 2011 that addresses the issues and proposes solutions:

Dear Nike+ Member,

It’s been a tough couple months for Nike+. We know from the feedback that there have been a number of issues, including logging in, syncing devices, sharing runs and editing profiles. Not everyone has been affected, but if you have experienced any of those problems, I’m genuinely sorry. Running is supposed to be pure, simple and uncomplicated. And Nike+ is supposed to enhance it, not make it more complex.

Just like you, we hold ourselves to incredibly high standards, and right now Nike+ isn’t living up to them. There are lots of reasons why these problems began, but this letter isn’t about the excuses. This letter is about what we are doing to fix them and what’s coming next.

As of today we have increased login speed and eliminated a majority of login failures. We have improved your ability to sync devices, log runs and post information to Facebook. We are also working on a new version of the Nike+ GPS app that will be released shortly. It will introduce some great new features and address some of the recent bugs.

Things are better but we aren’t done yet. We’re working on a brand new platform for Nike+ that includes better coaching, maps and challenges. It will be much faster, more social, and easier to use, providing more information and analysis of your runs. Also in the works are some really exciting new products and services. We are committed to relentlessly improving and innovating to ensure that, just like you, Nike+ is never standing still.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you have any thoughts or questions please email us or go to our Facebook page and we’ll get back to you.

Thanks for your patience. We really appreciate you being a part of the Nike+ family. There are great things to come.

Jayme Martin
VP/GM NIKE Running

He currently has an exhibit at Summit Art Space in downtown Akron, OH. Bryan specializes in Urban Art. He captures the raw grit of North East Ohio cities such as Akron and Cleveland. His very distinct interpretation on these urban cityscapes is captivating and inspiring. If you’re in the Akron area, be sure to check out his exhibit as well as other awesome works of art in this space.

Pros: An amazing Super AMOLED 4″ display that in my opinion trumps the iPhone 4 display. It is running pure Gingerbread (Android 2.3). Decent battery life which lasted all day of heavy use (Google Talk, Foursquare, Twitter, phone calls, GPS, Navigation, WiFi, Camera, Angry Birds Rio). The 5MP camera also rivals the iPhone 4. I also like the way the curved glass feels against my face.

Cons: Kinda wonky and lagging at times. Android still has a long way to go to be at the same level as iOS. The 1GHz Hummingbird processor is at the end-of-life cycle. This doesn’t bother me considering I got the phone for free and there really isn’t another Nexus phone on the horizon. There is no micro SD card slot. Not sure why this is a problem, but I feel deprived. The cheap Samsung plastic casing is a let down considering it’s predecessor (Nexus One) was metal. No “4G” (HSPA+). The future is uncertain for 4G (LTE, WiMax, HSPA+) and so are the early iterations of these phones. I’d rather stick to 3G until the dust settles.

Overall, this phone is a win. I am loving the Google services integrations which iOS falls flat on. It’s good to be well rounded and versed in both platforms (Apple fanboys can eat it). I tend to lean towards Android for various reasons. Until the iPhone 5, LG Optimus and Droid Bionic arrives, the Nexus S is top dog in the smartphone market.

If you would like to waste even more time on this aging topic, check out me babbling and unboxing the Nexus S:

Solution: Research the area you are visiting for cheap/free parts to build your camera stabilizer. Build the prototype to spec before you leave based on said researched parts.

I am traveling to Bocas del Toro, Panama, a small town in the middle of no where. The location is only accessible by boat. It is in the middle of the jungle so my original prototype (in my head) was going to be made of bamboo and banana leaves. Instead I went into my garage and found some comparable pieces:

The only thing I need to acquire in Panama is the metal shaft. Everything else can be safely/easily transported on an airplane, at least I hope. Either way I plan on getting groped and strip searched.

The second iteration of this prototype includes the housing from a cheap tripod. It fit on my original prototype nicely. It adds some weight, but that can be rectified by either bending the metal shaft or adding a bolt and washers to the base. Stay tuned for test videos and further improvements.