This post is for Thesis theme for WordPress users.

There were few minor bugs with Thesis theme on the latest version of WordPress, 3.2. Thesis 1.8.2 release will fix the bugs, such as missing category page SEO controls. It also comes with a new feature: a dashboard news widget which will display the latest posts from the thesis blog.

If you are a Thesis owner, you can download the latest version here.

If you are NOT a Thesis user yet and would like to learn more about it, click here to check it out.

I’m excited about WordPress 3.2. I’ve been waiting for this version because of its new dashboard design and the full-screen editing mode.

WordPress 3.2 Full Screen Mode

There’s no doubt that WordPress 3.2.1 will be rolled out in just few weeks with some bug patches. You can wait until at least 3.2.1 comes out for a less-buggy WordPress, but I don’t care much.

This version is supposed to be faster and lighter, and it comes with few upgrades, such as multiple rotating header images and HTML5 ready Twenty Eleven theme. For more information about the changes and updates, visit :

http://wordpress.org/news/2011/07/gershwin/

Or Download WordPress 3.2

Not again! Google Wonder Wheel tool is gone with the latest Google Search interface change. Last time the tool disappeared in September of 2010, I was able to find it by turning off the instant search option, which was Google’s newest feature at that time.

Well, I turned off instant search option from search settings, and I still can’t find the Wonder Wheel. It was a perfect tool for brainstorming LSI keywords for my niche websites. It wasn’t the only tool, but I used it more than any other tools for LSI keywords.

There’s a great chance that Google forgot to include the tool on the sidebar with the latest interface change. I just hope that was the case this time. I really hate to see it go away. If I ever find out where it can be found, you will see it here first.

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UPDATE : Looks like it wasn’t a mistake at all. It’s officially gone. A Google spokesperson confirmed it according to Search Engine Land.

So Governor Brown signed the new tax bill on Wednesday after the state assembly and senate passed the bill. I hoped Gov. Brown would veto the bill. He ruined the state the last time he was the governor, and here he goes again.

Amazon to Terminate over 10,000 Associates Accounts

Because of this bill, over 10,000 affiliate accounts are being closed, which means no more affiliate marketing with Amazon for Californians. This new law will not only cause job loss, but also decrease in state tax revenue.

This is a good reason to live in a business-friendly state if you run a home business. Running a business in a state where everything’s controlled by liberal politicians is the last thing I would do, because they will always try to get more money from your business.

I just hope there are enough complaints among the citizens that this ridiculous law gets repealed. Amazon even quoted this law “unconstitutional”. Read Amazon’s offical letter to the Board of Equalization. It is a very interesting reading.

Amazon respectfully opposes the new tax collection schemes proposed in AB 153 (Skinner), AB 155 (Calderon), SB 234 (Hancock), and SB 655 (Steinberg), because they are either facially unconstitutional or would construct Trojan horses for functionally identical unconstitutional regulation. Similar legislation in other states has, counterproductively, led to job and income losses and little, if any, new tax revenue.

Continue reading… Amazon Position on Sales Tax Nexus Bills

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UPDATE : Pat over at SmartPassiveIncome.com posted an excellent piece about this issue. I recommend that you go read his post. Alternatives for Amazon Affiliates.

I’m not sure if Google has given the invitations already, but if I find out how to get the invitations, I will post it here. It reminds me of Orkut invitations year ago. I’m pretty sure it will work just like that. Stay Tuned!

Learn more about Google+ Project

UPDATE
I’m giving away Google+ Invitations. If you want the invitation, just join us on the Facebook.

I can’t remember well when the whole gold rush started, but I know it was around when Frank Kern revealed few his micro niche sites in a podcast. He made a site about some kind of cow that no one knows about and was collecting ridiculous amount of money from it. I’m not saying he started the fire, but it was around that time period when niche marketing really boomed.

When everyone started talking about niche marketing, few of my online marketing friends and I were already owning a small network of micro niche sites, and we were doing pretty well in weird niche areas. It was actually fun because not many were doing it. Many years have gone and the trend has shifted toward authority sites. So called marketing gurus came up with new niche marketing courses claiming that the era of micro niche sites are no longer effective and the authority sites are the only way to make real money. But that’s not the case.

Authority sites were ALWAYS effective when the site is laser-focused on a topic. But there are areas where authority sites are not worth the trouble. A good example would be a niche topic that gets only 500 searches a month, but there are no to little competitions. Back then, there were plenty of them, and there are still plenty left. I wouldn’t create a 300 page content website to target those 500 visitors. I’d probably create 3-5 page micro-niche site focusing on the exact keywords and focus more on ranking high for the keywords.

Authority sites are great, and I make them everyday. But don’t ignore micro-niche sites. They are NOT dead. A micro-niche site created with simple design and high quality content will last as long as any authority sites would last. And remember that almost all authority sites start as a micro-niche site.

Some people argue that relying too much on Google for generating traffic to your site can hurt your business if not prepared.  Because I run hundreds of niche sites, I really didn’t care much about it.  When some sites lose SERP rank others would gain.  They usually balanced it out.  But for some reason, one of my biggest income earner lost 4 postions on the first page.  My site ranked either #3 or #4 for over 5 years.  I don’t think it was because of the Panda update, but I’ve never seen such a drop on any of my sites.

SERP Rank Changes

But that isn’t my point here.  I just want you to see the power of SERP rank.  How much difference there is between SERP rank 4 and 8 in terms of organic traffic.  As you can see from the screenshot above, I’ve lost almost half the traffic I used to get. My niche keyword ranks at #8 position on the first page. It is highly visible, and yet people still click way less. Since the drop in traffic, my advertising revenue was hit also. It is generating about 70% less than what it used to generate. Yes, 70%!

If you think about that, it’s little bit strange. I just lost 40% of the traffic, and yet, it caused my ad revenue to drop by 70%. I honestly don’t know what could be the reason behind this other than either Google serving more premium ads on top ranking sites or advertisers lifting site targeted ads from mine.

Either way, we can learn that maintaining your SERP is something that you can’t ignore even if you don’t believe in SEO and search engine traffics. Lessons learned.

After reading Lynn’s “Virtual Tour of My Home Office” few weeks ago, I was motivated to do my own, but with a twist. It is almost embarrassing to show my home office because of so much crap in my office. It is just a mess. I admire what Baker is doing over at “Man vs Debt” He basically sold all of his crap and living a simple life with minimum stuff.

So the twist is… I’ve taken some photos of my current office for some reality check for myself, and I will be selling most of the stuff I have piled up. I will be spending next few days organizing and cleaning up my home office. Anyway, let’s take a look at my messy office. This should be fun :)

What a Mess!

My office is in 3rd floor of my house.  It is tiny and hot all the time.  Absolutely no air flow.  From the left bookcase, you can see I’m a big fan of Sitepoint.  I own about 10 books and few expensive courses which I rarely looked at.  Right next to the Sitepoint books (orange books) you can see like 20 US tax files.  I really don’t know why I have my business tax return files right next to my desk.  These need to go somewhere else.  And more junk on the top.

In the center, you will see my PC and iPad 2.  I built the PC myself using clearance parts from Newegg some time ago.  I think I spent around 1k on it and it’s working great.  Two monitors you see up there are both from Samsung, my favorite brand.  I used to own three monitors, but sold one just because my desk is smaller now.  iPad 2 is great for managing my business and time.  It is something I can’t live without :)

I got my chair from BizChair.com about 5 years ago for something like $120, from a clearance sale.  I grabbed few at the time and it is the most solid chair I’ve ever used.  Most of the chairs I owned previously, even more expensive ones, they didn’t last more than a year.  But this monster is just as solid as new.

More Crap

Yikes! that’s the office closet.  90% of the stuff piled up there aren’t used at all.  I can probably sell or donate them all.  Oh yeah… pink flowers… this room used to be my daughter’s playroom. :)

Books! Books!

I admit.  I’m addicted to collecting books.  Before we moved to this new house, I used to own just about double the amount I own now.  I donated most of the books I used to own, but I still need to get rid of half of the books I now own.  I read most of them, so no need for keeping them.  Hmmm.. don’t ask me why I have 5 toothbrushes there.  I have no idea how they ended up there.

Even More..

This is the last photo.  That orange bed is where I take nap when I get tired from working.  I try to take rest every hour or so even when I’m not tired.  Putting a bed right next to me may not be the best idea, but it works for me.  By the way, a little stack of books on the 3rd shelf are the ones I’m currently reading.  Here are the titles.

• The Metabolic Effect Diet: Eat More, Work Out Less, and Actually Lose Weight While You Rest – I lost over 20 lbs so far.  20 lbs more to go!
• The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy
• Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World!
• The Notes: Ronald Reagan’s Private Collection of Stories and Wisdom – My favorite so far!

That’s about it.

In next few days, my home office will get a makeover.  I can’t get rid of the stuff in two days, but it will be cleaned and organized.  I will post “before” and “after” photos soon.  Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the tour of my messy home office.

Here is a quick Fiverr update.  I really didn’t intend to make any money over at Fiverr, but obviously it worked.  Back in September of 2010, I talked about how to use Fiverr to get cheap backlinks and at the same time, I posted a simple Fiverr offer myself.  It was about posting a link for one year on my PR3 website.  Since then, I’ve sold 18 gigs, which generated $72.  Not bad for a gig! I basically did nothing except posting a gig, which is just a few sentences long.

I can be creative and probably able to sell more gigs of similar kind if I really wanted to. I might invest some time doing that in the near future. If I do, I will write a post about it. There are many people selling thousands of gigs selling weird stuff, so get into it if you have an idea.

What are you willing to do for $5?

That’s right.  There is a site called “fiverr” where people offer their services for five bucks.  People post what they are willing to provide to the visitors for five dollars.  Among them are offers to place backlinks on their websites.  If you dig a bit, you will find PR 3-5 backlinks for five dollars.  So far, I purchased 5 of them.

But you need to be careful of what you are buying.  I usually buy the ones that offer either permanent placement or for one full year.  Make sure you understand what you are purchasing.

Another way to get a quality backlink for five dollars is by purchasing a site review.  If you go to “Advertising” section, you will find various posts offering site reviews on high PR sites.

How to Find One Way Backlinks for Five Dollars @ fiverr

• Visit fiverr.com
• Register a free account.
• Click on “Advertising” link on the right side.
• Or use the search box on the right.  Type “backlink” in the box and search
• Find an offer and place an order.
• Wait for instructions

When you are done with backlink stuff, go checkout “Silly Stuff” and “Fun & Bizarre” sections.  You will find creative ideas that maybe used to find a niche market.  It could be a great niche marketing research tool in my opinion.