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There are three software applications that I use most on my computer: Windows XP, MS Word, and Firefox. By far my favorite application is Firefox.

Yesterday, I was talking to some friends about how I think that we are living in the most exciting times. I used to envy my grandparents who saw the first cars, airplanes, and rockets. But now, I think that the creation of the Internet has trumped these prior innovations. Okay, I am sure that I will not get universal consensus on this, but you have to admit that the Internet is pretty darn great.

Since one of my favorite past times is surfing the Internet, I am always looking for Firefox tips and tricks. Here are 10 great firefox tips. For you power users I hope there is at least one in this list that you did not know about before. If there is, then I am going to consider this article a success.

• Customize your firefox toolbars - If you right click next to the Help menu, you can select customize. From this screen you can totally customize your toolbars. You can add items to toolbars and move items from one toolbar to another. This is a great way to regain valuable real estate with Firefox by getting rid of buttons you never use. You can consolidate two or more toolbars into one.

• FoxMarks Extension - If you work on more than one computer, this firefox extension is awesome. FoxMarks allows you to sync you firefox bookmarks on multiple computers. I hate when I bookmark something during the day at my work computer, and then go to read it at night on my home computer.

• Restore Closed Tabs - Have you even closed a tab by accident?  I am sure you have.  We all do it.  I usually swear a few times.  Well, now I won’t get yelled at by my wife for swearing.  If you hit Ctrl + Shft + T you can restore your closed tabs.

• Use Pipeline - Increase your page load speeds by turning on Firefox’s pipeline function.  You turn pipeline on by going into Firefox’s about:config screen.  To do that just type in about:config into the address bar.  From this screen enter true for network.http.pipelining and network.http.proxy.pipelining.  Then set the network.http.pipelining.maxrequests to 8.  This will allow you to open up to 8 pages at one time.

• Delete the Go Button - Who uses the Go Button?  I don’t.  In fact it ticks me off that it is even there.  Well, I figured out how to delete it.  Again, go into the about:config screen and set the browser.urlbar.hideGoButton to true.

I hope that at least one of these tips was new for you.  The one that has significantly increased my love for Firefox is FoxMarks.  Maybe I will do a separate post just on this.  I hope you enjoy these firefox tips.  If you have any favorite firefox tips, share them in the comments.

If you are not promoting your blog offline, you are wasting a huge opportunity to grow your blog.  Each day you are with people that you have a personal connection with.  These offline relationships are very powerful.  Therefore, you need to tell people about your blog.  One of the best ways to tell people about your blog is by handing them a business card featuring your blog.  Today, I found an offer for free online business cards.

Clicking the link above will get you 250 free online business cards.  Think about this, if only half of those people visit your blog that is 125 new visitors to your blog.  This is an excellent, but overlooked way to do blog promotion.

Why don’t people focus more on offline blog promotion?  I believe that the biggest thing that keeps people from promoting their blogs to friends, family and acquaintances is shyness.  Bloggers are more comfortable promoting themselves in the secluded online world.  There is a distance that you can maintain in the online world that is non-threatening.  Bloggers are embarrassed to tell others that they have a blog.  You need to get over that right now.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get your 250 free online business cards.  Start marketing your blog offline today.

Here is a quick video that I created at Animoto.

Yesterday I went to Borders Bookstore and picked up a coins magazine.  I couldn’t believe how interesting it was.  I love going into bookstores and reading through magazines, but few interested me as much as this one.  It was also very helpful in finding niches for build a niche stores.  One article lead me to create this cool page on my US Coins Store website - Indian Head Gold Coins.

I find that magazines are one of the best things for brainstorming niches.  The advertisements in the magazines show you immediately that there is a market for the products that are being advertised.  Advertising in magazines is very expensive and if the advertiser can make enough from its magazine advertisement, you know that people are buying the product.

Therefore, if you are having trouble finding niches to write about on your blog, check out your local bookstore’s magazine section.  You might find an awesome niche about 20 Saint Gaudens Gold coins.

Yesterday eBay announced that it was leaving Commission Junction.  Most people around the net were discussing this move generally.  However, for me, I was concerned how this news would affect the Build A Niche Store software.

In my last post, I mentioned that I was just about to start a new online income stream using the Build a Niche Store software.  BANS is a great software script that allows you to quickly set up websites that promote ebay products.  The BANS software allow you to constantly pull in ebay auctions to your website so that you can get people to come to your site then purchase ebay products and you make an affiliate commission.

All weekend I was trying to buy BANS.   Unfortunately, the BANS site was offline all weekend due to a server attack.  I woke up on Monday already to buy the BANS software download and then I read about ebay leaving the Commission Junction affiliate network.  I don’t know how this is going to affect BANS.  I bet that the BANS software will be quickly updated to make it compatible with ebay new in-house affiliate program, but I am still concerned.  I sent an email to the Build a Niche Store Company yesterday, but so far I have not heard back.

Despite this ebay news, I think that I will still buy the BANS software on faith that it will work with the new ebay affiliate program.  But, I wanted you guys to no about this issues.