Ok, so those of you that are regular visitors to Seounique may or may not have noticed a few blog changes happening. For those of you who are not aware of my changes:

• Added social bookmarking buttons after each post
• Added a contact page (roll on the spam)
• Added an advertise page to offer spots on my “Top Spots“
• Updated blogroll and included “Seo Blogs”

I hope all these features will help with the usability of the site and make performing actions that little bit easier. As to why I have started to add “Seo Blogs” to my blogroll is quite simple. Nothing in this world is free as many people know (not all) and I have a list of around 20 seo blogs I visit on a regular basis which part of me thinks I should link to. As much as I would like to send them over a little complementary link juice I just can’t justify it at this point. Although 2 sites that have given to the site in different ways will now be positioned on Seounique.

I will only be linking to SEM or SEO blogs as thats what my readers find interesting, so no gambling yada yada…

If you feel like you could offer something to the site (however little) and join in with my sometimes rambling discussions then let me know and you could see your link here.

1. When you login to Mixx or visit the domain (depending on your browser setup) you automatically see how your stories are performing and you can see what stories have been submitted by your friends.

 

2. The submission process is clean and friendly, I could quite happily sit down and submit hundreds of stories, photos and videos without feeling confused.

 

 

 

3. It’s easy to create a good friend and fan base, and your friends are displayed in your account page.

 

 

4. Karma points encourage Mixx users to interact, be nice, start conversations and be part of the community.

 

 

5. You can buy Mixx products, such as a stylish Mug, all your co-workers will know where you go to bookmark, drink with pride!

 

 

 

6. The Mixx lounge and tools are easily accessible at the bottom of the page giving you access to feeds and other Mix goodies.

 

 

 

7. They have a unique social awards system to once again encourage people to be active and friendly!

 

None of these features are particularly mind blowing or revolutionary but the way the site is put together it adds a sense of well being to the site. I’m yet to see the harassment of members by others, it reminds me of stumble when it first started.

Mixx is already a fast growing social bookmarking site but with these features standing out to me I can see very big things for Mixx in 2008!

I suppose it was inevitable at some point but yesterday afternoon my dedicated server was compromised and all 12 of my websites were disabled.

I thought about it long and hard whether or not to blog about it as I’m sure it happens to many people on a regular basis. At the time I was distraught, I thought that over 2 years of work had been erased at the click of a button!

Luckily my server had been backed up by my hosting company so it was a matter of contacting them and getting the problem fixed within minutes. It made me think however that some bloggers and website owners out there might not be as lucky as me. I for one will be taking extra measures in the future to make sure I never feel like I did for that short period of time on Sunday again.

1.    Make weekly backups of your files from FTP
2.    Backup your databases on a regular basis
3.    Increase server security with an advanced software firewall or hardware firewall
4.    If you experience a hack, change all server passwords
5.    Choose a hosting solution that includes backup, it costs under $10 per month and is worth it for piece of mind.

Heart attack over, and look forward to a new week of seoing!