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Creating Your Own Avatar For Facebook and Other Social Media

An avatar is a representation of a person in the form of an icon. �'gravatar' is the more commonly used term now and it means a 'globally recognized avatar'.

When you create an avatar, you can use a real photo of yourself for instance, or you may want to use a graphic or caricature instead.

You can use these icons to represent you as you visit websites, blogs, and social media sites when leaving comments or when creating your personal profile. As you leave comments and make posts more often, your gravatar will become recognized. Others may soon begin to recognize your icon and may even follow your posts.

A gravatar may very likely become part of your personal branding, so if you plan on having an online business, it's best to consider what to use at some length before creating your own avatar.

In visiting websites and blogs, you may find some representations which are less attractive or appropriate than others. Creating a silly or inappropriate gravatar might seem like great fun when just socializing, but this could be a big problem if you are in the process of building a successful online business as part of your personal plan.

A business logo might be used as a gravatar. Be sure to check the sites you visit for their rules regarding the use of logos, but it's a great way to get known around the web by getting your logo as your icon.

Creating your own avatar is simple and can be done for free. It's best if you already have a photo, logo, or design ready to use. All you have to do is then upload them to the site where they are resized automatically to the average gravatar image. The average size is 80x80 pixels. These are then attached or linked to an email address you provide. There might be the need to have a couple of different ones if appropriate.

Once you have created your own gravatar it is then associated with your email address. Now when you post a comment to a blog and use this particular email address in your signature, your gravatar will now appear with your post.

If you have multiple email addresses in use, you can assign the same gravatar to each one or create a different icon for each address you use on the web.

The steps necessary to create your own gravatar are:

Select the image you want to use and note where this file is located
Decide what email address you want this image associated with
Set up a free account at a gravatar creating website of your choice
Login
Add email address you want to use
Upload image
Select image for email
Start posting comments in forums, Facebook, other social media sites and blogs and use the email you just set up with your new gravatar

Have fun but again, remember that whatever image you use, will become part of your personal branding so choose carefully.

Deb Marsden is an experienced Internet training customer support manager.

Deb and her good friend and equally experienced customer support gal,Lee Ann, have joined forces and offer their services to computer newbies and not so newbies, solve issues they may have in learning how to use their computer.

Be sure to check out their [http://1-800-showmehow.com/show-you-how-videos]'How to Videos'.

Also, for those Internet entrepreneurs who want help with their personal branding...this team has lots to offer.

Looking for help with your Personal Branding? This short video will give you ideas for your own [http://bit.ly/94AYJy]personal brand.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Creating-Your-Own-Avatar-For-Facebook-and-Other-Soc...] Creating Your Own Avatar For Facebook and Other Social Media

Tips For Making Secure Online Payments

Determine whether or not the site utilizes a SSL (secure socket layer) or TLS (transport layer security). TLS and SSL (the predecessor of TLS) are encryption protocols that encrypt information when transmitted from one point to another via the Internet. There are a few ways to find out if the site is using encryption. First, check the URL of the website at the top of the browser. While most sites start with "http" a secure website will have "https" in the URL, the "s" indicating the web page is hosted on a secure server. Another indication a page is secure is a "lock" icon displayed somewhere on the browser (the icon will appear regardless of the browser being used). If you double click on the lock, you can view the valid security certificate for the site. Some sites may utilize an icon of an unbroken key, which also signifies the page is secure.
Read through the terms of service and or privacy policy provided by the merchant on their website. The information should detail the security measures they take to ensure your credit card number and other personal information remains secure when stored on their servers. Other places you may find this information on a merchant's website include the frequently asked questions or the "about" page.
Don't disclose your credit card number and other personal information (including mailing address and rel=nofollow [http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/]social security number) to just anyone - only provide payment information to online businesses you know and trust.
If you have any doubts, contact the company or merchant directly to ask if sensitive information is encrypted before you make a purchase. Similarly, only shop with companies you are familiar with.
Keep detailed, accurate records of all rel=nofollow [http://www.globalcollect.com/payment-methods/payment-processing/]online payments you make. This way you can dispute any fraudulent or suspicious orders made with your card. Also, routinely check your bank and credit card statements for any suspicious or unauthorized activity. [http://www.globalcollect.com/payment-methods/payment-processing/]Online Payments

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-For-Making-Secure-Online-Payments&id=4332086] Tips For Making Secure Online Payments