How to use WordPress features and a few others to easily fight spam and bots!

Take a few moments to protect you and your visitors from spam and bots!

There is nothing worse then working hard on blogging, SEO or simply building your website and your brand, only to have your first comments and inquiries be from “bots”. Bots are automated visitors that spam your comment boxes in order to farm for email addreses, leave links to their website and sometimes to place dangerous spyware on your website.

WordPress makes it very easy to stop these spammers dead in their tracks. We will cover three simple techniques to make your website spam proof and keep your comment section clean.

1. Captcha Plugins. I’m sure everyone has seen “Captchas”. A Captcha is a human verification form which asks the visitor to read an image and type the letters and/or numbers into a form box. Only humans can read the image, which makes it impossible for bots to complete the form.
   1. Here are several captcha plugins:
      1. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/simple-captcha/
      2. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-captcha-free/
      3. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/si-captcha-for-wordpress/
2. Email Images. The best way to have your email spammed is to place your email in text on a contact page or anywhere else on your website. A good practice is to either spell our your email addresses (gilbert AT wpchemist DOT com) instead of (gilbert@wpchemist.com). As of now, bots cannot read email addresses when typed out.
   1. Another option is to use paint to type your email address and then save it as an image. Notice the following email address is actually an image and not text. Bots cannot read an image.
3. Form Box. Another alternative to email addresses is a form submission box. Depending on the form box you are using, you can alter it and rename all of the fields.
   1. SurveyMonkey.com is a great way to not only control spam, but to automate email campaigns for those who fill out your forms. It’s free and you can create as many forms as you want. Here is a great example of form box http://productivityjunkies.com/products/how-to-self-host-using-wordpress-org/
   2. The WordPress Plugin “Contact Form 7” http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/ is an easier alternative to surveymonkey, but it doesn’t have email campaigns.

There are a lot of ways to protect yourself from spam and bots, but whatever you do, just choose something.

Once spam has gotten out of control and your email address has been sent all over the internet, there it is typically too late.

If you have any questions, and would like further instruction, simply:

A fake Jamaican took every last dime with a scam.
It was worth it just to learn some sleight-of-hand.
Bad news comes don’t you worry even when it lands.
Good news will work its way to all them plans.
We both got fired on exactly the same day.
Well we’ll float on good news is on the way.

Listen To More Sunday Jams -

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” -Marcus Aurelius

I started off this real estate coaching video about the story about how two different sales people look at a situation with different outlook and how that can determine attitude. How do you currently look at the current real estate market? How about your current local real estate market?

I loved the Ted Talk by Derek Sivers, that the opposite is also true. It really is about perspective. Not right or wrong, just that competing realities can and do exist. And the only way to get yourself to see a new reality is to change your perspective. The only way to get someone to see a new reality is to change their perspective.

The first step to changing your perspective is re-framing your thoughts, ideas, words and approach.

The second step is re-frame your words, presentations and approach to your clients so they can change their perspective.

The Law of Scarcity can effect our approach and attitude. Sometimes the only way to change your own perspective is to bring in someone from the outside.

Most of what I do in coaching is getting people to take a new look at things. To reflect and revisit.

For example, one question I ask in coaching appointments when dealing with time management challenges is  “If it could get done, how would you do it?”. That question is meant to re-frame how my coaching client looks at their situation.

If you are not getting the results you desire, the first thing I recommend is looking at your own way you perceive things . So, how are you going to gain a new outlook on things? How are you going to re-frame your thoughts, ideas, words and approach?

I actually needed to go re-watch my own video to remember what I was sharing with you today, so I knew what to write in this little blurb here.

You can`t get much done in life if you only work
on the days when you feel good. – Jerry West

I’m running a fever, sore throat, feels like someone is trying to stuff rocks into my eye socket, ya know all that jazz? So what do I do when I’m not feeling well?

I still need to get things done.

I’m low energy, I don’t have motivation, but I have coaching clients I need to meet with and do phone conversations with. So how do I get things done when I’m not feeling well? My secret is to not rely on motivation and energy to get things done. I follow my 1-2-1 Business Development System for the day. I follow the schedule on my calendar. I do the things on my TeuxDeux list.

Low energy, lack of motivation are not good excuses for not getting things done.

How do you make sure you get things done when you feel low energy or lack motivation?

If you want help getting things done, take a peak at my coaching program

In this Productivity Nugget I share how you can do anything but you can’t do everything. Greed and ego gets in your way. You want to do everything yourself and keep all the money yourself.

If you know what to do and how to do why don’t you have what you want?

I lead my clients to the next level of their business

Learn more by clicking below

Confusing Fear and Focus – Productivity Nugget #50

Outside Perspective – from a coach, consultant or caddie – Productivity Nugget #026

Focus On The Top Priority – Goal Setting – Productivity Nugget #030

Get yourself a  copy of Socialnomics written by Erik Qualman

You can also follow him on twitter

You might want to also check out this fun presentation, also about Social Media ROI

The Brandbuilder Schools us about Social Media R.O.I

How are you tracking your ROI?

“How was Santa going to find us?”

My parents tried to put me at ease that Santa would know where we were for Christmas. I was 5 years old and the Persinger family was going to Hawaii for Christmas. I didn’t know much about Hawaii, didn’t much care. I was only focused on one thing.

“How was Santa going to find us?”

The night before our flight was going to leave the entire Persinger family was in my bedroom, which also served as my parents office. My brothers and I were playing Nerf basketball, while my parents, I assume were working out the details of the family vacation.The vacation that I was convinced that was going to confuse Santa, leaving me to not get my Christmas presents.

And that’s when I heard it. Bells. I froze. More bells. Coming from above me. I looked up and started to hear foot steps on our roof. Then more bells. I looked at my parents,

“Do you hear that? What is that?”

I knew what it was in my mind. Santa had come early. Santa wanted to make sure that he got me my Christmas presents. I was sure of it. He didn’t want to risk not finding me in Hawaii. Besides, I saw some pictures of Hawaii and there was no snow, so I wasn’t even sure Santa would go there. Yes. It had to be Santa.

“Saaaaannnnntttttttaaaaaa!”

I screamed. Running to the door. My tiny five year old hands fumbling with the door knob, fighting to get it open.

By the time I ran down the hallway to the living room, there under the tree, presents. Presents that had not be there 15 minutes earlier. Wrapped. Bows. Big boxes. Little boxes. My stocking was full. And again I heard bells. Coming from outside. And then I heard,

“Ho! Ho! Ho!”

It was Santa. Santa was here. In my house. I didn’t see him, but I heard him. There are the presents right there to prove he was here.

I ran to the giant sliding glass doors and threw back the drapes. My hands pressed against the cold winter glass, cupping my face, trying to block the light to get a glimpse into the outside darkness. I was hoping for a glimpse of Santa or the reindeer or the sleigh.

That’s the magic of Christmas, the power of mystery and the joy of family. Still to this day my parents and brothers have never told me who or how Santa was there that night. We lived in the country, miles away from the closest neighbor.

It’s still clear in my mind. That bit of magic. The memory of that moment. And now the appreciation for my family to create that for me and still to this day for not stealing the mystery from me, so that I still have the belief of Santa and the magic of Christmas.

I wish you a magical holiday and hope you create something memorable for you and your family.

Darin Persinger

Goals however, sometimes can survive.

I have some serious goals for Productivity Junkies and other
businesses that I’m involved in developing. With these serious goals I
have a lot of projects that need to be completed to make these goals
reality.

This last week, I had an oral surgery and it derailed me hardcore! I
don’t remember the first 48 hours after the operation. The painkillers
that I have been taking have been pretty wicked and not allowed me to
have the normal “UMPH” I usually have to get everything done.

My plans were not surviving its collision with reality. No bother.
(That’s a phrase I picked up in Ireland, like No worries, Not a
problem.) I had so many other projects that I could finish up, that
didn’t need me to be high energy or have the ability to talk.

I shifted my focus to my eBook that I’ve been working on for real
estate agents that want to build a Sphere Of Influence business. I put
the finishing touches on it, designed and created the cover and
released it today. I’m happy to announce that, Stop Contacting | Start Connecting is released and ready for your download.

No plan survives its collision with reality. Your goals can live on though.

How do you counter reality when it gets in the way of your plans?

Click here to download for FREE!