Bing is shooting itself in the foot. Their webmaster section cuts them off from the vast majority of the visitors who could contribute the most to the site.
How so? Webmasters seeking to sign up for a Bing account are assumed to be using Microsoft web tools such as IIS. Since IIS is only used on Windows web servers, all others are excluded. Most websites are on Linux servers.
Bing could expand their market share by being inclusive, yet offer still more to those who use IIS for their sites.
Microsoft will remain an also-ran in email for the same reason as bing will remain an aslo-ran as a search engine. Their staff can’t see out their own Windows. This isn’t to take anything from the operating system, but to point out that not all Windows users wish to use ONLY Microsoft software.
Why should that matter? Microsoft makes the assumption that anyone wanting Hotmail will already have a Microsoft Passport, MSN account, Windows Live whatever, etc. or quickly sign up for one. The same is true at bing. Anyone can submit a website sitemap, but the webmaster tools are reserved for the privileged few and with the expectation that your website is on a Windows server utilizing IIS. While Microsoft could certainly endear bing to webmasters using IIS with a special suite of tools, the fact on the net is that far more sites are on Linux servers.
In short, Hotmail and bing could garner more market share by being inclusive than insisting on Microsoft loyalty.
Filed under: Microsoft
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The guidance posted here is ongoing and open to input from others. Worthwhile information can come from a high school student or a retiree.
Thanks for the advice. Will put it to work. Tom
Now if we could only get Microsoft on board.
Hey mate, thanks for writing but this page doesn’t format correctly in Firefox it is is overlapping.
The site as you currently see it is still a work in progress. The blog is being fleshed out with documents, etc. from the past. The graphics are also still an approximation of what they will become. In short, the site is not yet ready for general public display. That will come soon; within the next few months.
Meantime, to address your particular concern, it is apparrent that your display is set to 800 X 600 or less. This resolution was common for Windows 95, but computers with standard resolution monitors (both LCD and CRT) have been mostly set to 1024 X 768 since Windows 98. At this resolution and beyond (including widescreen) Firefox will render the site to full screen. This is the case at all resolutions above 800 X 600. You may find 800 X 600 easier to read, but the majority of sites you see will have a scrollbar across the bottom of the page requiring you to scroll side to side to get all the content.
A keyboard trick you can use on most browsers to make the page more legible is to use both the “ctrl” key and the “+” together to magnify or “ctrl” and “-” to reduce the view. This will allow you to use 1024 X 768 to get all the content and the keyboard shortcuts to make pages more legible.
Wherever did you obtain your theme?? It’s dazzling!
The theme is Palmixio, but it has been completely made over to the point it scarcely resembles the original. (The source website is no longer active, but it may still be available from WordPress.) This particular theme was chosen as one of the few fluid themes available any more.
I cannot sign up for your RSS feed. Please help?
There are 2 ways to get the RSS feed. In the sidebar scroll down to find the RSS link under META. Also, not so obvious, is the blinking star in the header is a link to the RSS feed. Note that this version of the site is a work in progress and will take the place of the current public version of the site affordablelaptopservice.com. When that takes place, You will need to update your feed.
I am unable to enroll in your Feed. Please help?
Stefan–
There are 2 ways to get the RSS feed. In the sidebar scroll down to find the RSS link under META. Also, not so obvious, is the blinking star in the header is a link to the RSS feed. Note that this version of the site is a work in progress and will take the place of the current public version of the site affordablelaptopservice.com. When that takes place, You will need to update your feed.
Pete
Hi, my english isnt the very but I imagine by regulary visits of your respective blog it will be far better in the next time. You have a beneficial wrting design that is simple to understand and can aids persons like me to learn english. I will be now a regulary visitor of your blog.
Susanne–
For the benefit of those who speak languages other than English as their native tongue, I’m adding a means to translate the text. In the sidebar, look for your flag or select from the dropdown list.
Pete
I don’ agree with the above post, and would like to take to task a few of the OP’s points. Not everyone will agree and though I am one of them, I do respect your right to have your view. Either way I have enjoyed reading Bing and Hotmail | Affordable Laptop Service.
Miranda–
I’d like to be able to utilize the webmaster tools at Bing without having a Windows Live Messenger (or other Microsoft account). If you know how, please let everyone know.
Pete
This is a quite helpful post. Do you mind if i translate it into German for my own users?
Hi–
I’ll soon be adding a translator to the sidebar. Pick the flag for your language or select from the dropdown list.
Pete
You showed up on Yahoo when I searched for you, great work!
Jesus–
It’s useful to know what works. What did you search for.
Pete
I was reading throught some of the posts and i locate them to be altogether remarkable. sorry my english is not exaclty the in truth best. would there be anyway to transalte this into my vernacular, spanish. it would in reality better me a lot. since i could compare the english lingo to the spanish language.
To translate the text on the site, select a national flag in the sidebar. If your preferred language isn’t represented by a flag, choose from the drop-down list.
Hey, just looking around some blogs, seems a pretty nice platform you are using. I’m currently using WordPress for a few of my sites but looking to change one of them over to a platform similar to yours as a trial run. Anything in particular you would recommend about it?
This IS on WordPress, with a re-worked Palmixio theme.
Hi. this is kind of an -unconventional- question , but have other visitors asked you how get the menu bar to look like you’ve got it? I also have a blog and am really looking to alter around the theme, however am scared to death to mess with it for fear of the search engines punishing me. I am very new to all of this …so i am just not positive exactly how to try to to it all yet. I’ll just keep working on it one day at a time.
The theme is Palmixio, which looks very little like the current site. Palmixio was chosen as a fluid theme, then modified over a period of months to arrive at the current version. Very little is left of the original graphics.
I¡¦ll immediately grasp your rss feed as I can not in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly permit me know so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
There is a form on the contact page to send email if you wish, but currently there is no newsletter.
There are 2 ways to get the RSS feed. In the sidebar scroll down to find the RSS link under META. Also, not so obvious, is the blinking star in the header is a link to the RSS feed. Note that this version of the site is a work in progress and will take the place of the current public version of the site affordablelaptopservice.com. When that takes place, You will need to update your feed.