We made noise and they listened!

“On January 18th, 13 million of us took the time to tell Congress to protect free speech rights on the internet. Hundreds of millions, maybe a billion, people all around the world saw what we did on Wednesday.”

This was unprecedented. Your activism may have changed the way people fight for the public interest and basic rights forever.
The MPAA (the lobby for big movie studios which created these terrible bills) was shocked and seemingly humbled.  “‘This was a whole new different game all of a sudden,’ MPAA Chairman and former Senator Chris Dodd told the New York Times. ‘[PIPA and SOPA were] considered by many to be a slam dunk.’”

“’This is altogether a new effect,’ Mr. Dodd said, comparing the online movement to the Arab Spring. He could not remember seeing ‘an effort that was moving with this degree of support change this dramatically’ in the last four decades, he added.”  — Fight for the Future

We ALL made a difference, I was saddened by a commenter on Facebook who stated:

“What will it change? None of the people voting are going to personally visit my blog and see whether I do/don’t like the bill. I’m of the mindset that if I don’t know enough about a topic to make an educated decision about it, I just don’t engage it. Which is also why I don’t vote.”

I tried to send her as much info as I could to change her mind about participating in the strike, I’m not sure if she did in the end or not. I’m glad so many people didn’t feel the same way. Thank you to everyone that knew they could make a difference!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

SOPA: It only went as far as we let it!

If you come to Eco-Office Gals on January 18th – we won’t be here, along with many others in an effort to Stop SOPA. Here is a video with the basics. (Click through to post if you are viewing this in your feed)

So, what should you do? Come visit tomorrow, but all we will offer is a page where you can easily write congress, let your voice be heard! I don’t approve of censorship, neither should you! Learn more at Stop American Censorship. Join the strike, if you are using WordPress you can use the SOPA Strike plug in to black out your site, too.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

SOPA What is it? Why should you care?

I’ve been quiet over the holidays. Trying to keep up with work, holidays and life in general has been overwhelming. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was very nice, the kids had a great time that’s what really matters when it’s all said and done.

Just because things have been quiet on the blog-front doesn’t mean it’s been quiet around here. We’ve been working with some great companies on their new WordPress sites, mobile sites as well as trying out and gifting some awesome eco-friendly products. I wanted to take a minute to send out a big “thank you” to some great companies and let you know about some companies we’ll be featuring in the coming weeks.

First a HUGE Thank you to Kristin at the The GrapeSeed Company! Every year I work with a great green company to bring family, friends and clients a little eco-goodness. This year I teamed up with The Grapeseed Company, they offer premium eco-friendly vinotherapy spa & skin care for professional and personal use. Their line of bath & body treats are centered on the byproduct of wine in their new hometown, Santa Barbara, California. I was so giddy to send out mojito man shaving sets and shower sets to the special people in my personal and work life. I hope everyone loves The GrapeSeed Company as much as I have and if you haven’t tried their products before be sure to check them out!  Thank you Kristen!

Some more BIG thanks going out to some guys and gals I have gotten to team up with the past few months on projects and love working with them so much I want to share them with you!

Kendra Cote – Owner of Amathia Soaps, Kenna makes another awesome line of bath & body products which look and smell amazing and also found their way into many stockings this holiday! We first teamed up to launch her new website design which will be live very soon. Yet, as we worked together and chatted way too much on skype, I discovered she has a mad love for WordPress, too. We have been working on a few projects since and I can’t express how much I appreciate her! I know her true love is Amathia, but I hope we can continue to work on projects together when she isn’t knee deep in her suds. Thank you so much for all your help lately, Kenna!

Another Thank You going out to Applied Info-Systems. Applied Info-Systems pulled off a great mobile site design for a client in a crunch. Although EOG offers plug in set up for mobile versions of WP sites, this situation wasn’t going to allow for a quick and simple set up. Robert was able to create what the client needed, on the heels of the holidays and he did a great job! If you need to get your website mobile visit Applied Info-Systems for your mobile package solutions!

Tammy at Moonwell Designs has also been an awesome partnership for recent projects. I have teamed up with Moonwell Designs to offer logo design, ebook creation and much more. Her design skills are amazing and I’m so happy to have her to turn to for project needs. Thank you Tammy for all your help the past few months! Contact EOG for your design service needs – Tammy’s skills are sure to deliver!

Again a huge thanks to everyone for all of your help this year!

We have also been trying out some goodies from Shaklee, Naked Binder, Influenster & Fearless Chocolate we’ll let you know what we think of them soon!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy 2012 from Eco-Office Gals and the Smith Family!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

A Post Holiday Thank You!

It’s that time again – A Fresh roll out from WordPress has been released! Some of the features include:

• Easier Uploading
  • File Type Detection – A single upload button.
  • Drag-and-Drop Media Uploader
• Dashboard Design
  • New Toolbar in the dashboard, combining the Admin Bar and admin header
  • Responsive design for some screens, including iPad/tablet support
  • Flyout menus, providing single-click access to any screen
• New User Experience
  • New feature pointers, helping users navigate new features
  • Post-update About screen
  • Dashboard welcome area for new installs
• Content Tools
  • Better co-editing that releases post locks immediately
  • Tumblr Importer
  • Don’t lose widgets when switching themes

You can view the full list of changes here.

I have installed the new version on Eco-Office Gals and everything is looking good! They did a nice job on the back end. Nothing feel apart on the front end. All seems good to go!

Have Eco-Office Gals Perform Your Updates

WordPress 3.3 is not a general maintenance roll out, so proceed with caution. Perform a back up, put your feelers out on your social networks and make sure no one else is experiencing issues, your plug ins and theme may also require updates to keep up with WordPress.

Eco-Office Gals can perform the update for you if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. The 1 hour minimum will include:

WP BackUp
Plug In Updates
Theme Update, if needed
WordPress Updated to 3.3

Upgrades with be performed on a first come first serve basis. Once you pay using the PayPal button found below I will need you to  provide me with your log in credentials. You can email them directly to jsmith (at) eco-officegals dot com if I do not already have them available.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Eco-Office Gals is not responsible for themes not designed by me. I will upgrade the theme if needed, but any conflicts, broken design elements, theme crashes, etc will not be covered by the 1 hour minimum. If your theme incurs any cost to upgrade it will be the responsibility of the client to purchase the upgraded theme and provide the files to Eco-Office Gals.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

WordPress 3.3 is here

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday… Let’s go with the HUGE EOG SALE! We’re combining all our affiliate savings to bring you and offer you’d be crazy not to grab! Build a great site on the best platform with wonderful hosting and a superior theme and save, save save!!

Hosting: 50% OFF ANY hosting package! {affiliate link}

Premium Theme: 25% Off any StudioPress theme with Coupon code THANKS {affiliate link}

FREE Installation! WordPress Installation – FREE with Hosting AND Theme installation FREE with StudioPress theme purchase!

Not a DIY’er?? Get all the FREE and discounted offers above and $200 off our Silver, Gold or The Works WordPress Design packages.

The Design services offer will be available thru Tuesday morning, but the other offers above are only available for a limited time, so don’t miss out on combining all these savings and saving BIG! Contact us today!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Save Huge on Eco-Office Gals Services!

On Friday, November 25^th, 2011 HostGator will run this  awesome sale on their wind-powered hosting! 50% OFF everything!

HostGator is offering:

50% OFF on ALL hosting services. This includes shared hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, Dedicated servers and Windows hosting! This does not include domain names. Visitors do NOT need to insert a coupon code to receive the special. The correct coupon code will automatically be inserted on all orders placed on Black Friday.

The discount applies to the clients first invoice. VPS and dedicated server hosting services are only available on a monthly basis, therefore the promotion will apply to only the first month.

This promotion will bring our already competitive hosting packages as low as:

Shared hosting: As low as $4.95 Now only: $2.48/month (pre-paid)

Reseller Hosting: As low as $24.95 Now Only: $12.48/month (pre-paid)

VPS Hosting: As low as $19.95 Now Only: $9.98/month (First Month)

Dedicated Servers: As low as $174 Now Only $87/month (First Month)

This is an incredible deal and it will only run for 1 DAY! Eco-Office Gals has been a huge fan of HostGator for years, the support is top notch, up-time is wonderful, and they’re 130% wind-powered. We have been a reseller/client for years now and we always highly recommend them.

Save Even More!

When you purchase hosting through Eco-Office Gals or our HostGator affiliate (confirmation required) we will install WordPress for FREE!

Want More? Take advantage of these great savings on StudioPress Themes and the great hosting offers above, Eco-Office Gals will install WordPress and your new theme FREE! Contact us after you have made your purchases and we’ll get you set up and ready to go.

Grab the savings before they expire!

WordPress and StudioPress free installation only, design services and support not included.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

2011 Black Friday: Half Off Green Hosting!

More and more small businesses appear to be placing a greater emphasis on taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint by implementing a series of significant changes, ranging from teleconferencing to cycle-to-work schemes.

What’s more, some of the changes can also saves companies money and improve productivity and morale among the work force.

What are these changes? Here are a few suggestions:

Conference calls

Teleconferencing is cheap, easy to use, convenient and some conference call providers even offer free conference calls. No longer do employees have to spend hours travelling either by air, rail or road to attend meetings that can be just as effectively carried out over the phone or via a video conference or webinar. As well as cost and environmental benefits, teleconferencing also means staff spend less time away from their desk.

Work remotely

Allowing staff to work from home either once or twice or week or on a more long-term basis means a company’s workforce aren’t commuting to and from the office. With the cost of office space and rent a financial burden, this method can free up funds that could instead be pumped back into the business. And, as an added bonus, having a ‘work at home Wednesday’ or whatever you want to call it may even improve productivity and morale from the staff as they feel more trusted.

Promote carpooling

Encourage the workforce to lift share to and from work and to any other events they may be attending together. Perhaps try and incentivise the scheme with small cash bonuses or free breakfasts or something like that just to help it get up and running.

Recycle in the workplace

Starting recycling and reusing whatever you can if you don’t already at work. Become a more responsible business by reducing wastage and recycling everything from packaging to computer components.

Turn down the central heating/air conditioning

You’d be amazed at what a difference turning down the central heating unit or air conditioning by a few degrees can have in terms of reducing utility bills and the amount of energy used to keep the office warm in the winter months and cool in summer. Also remember to turn off the heating unit or air con completely when the office is not in use as well as all electrical appliances and lights.

Introduce a cycle-to-work scheme

Look into the possibility of implementing a cycle-to-work scheme in the same way that you should promote carpooling among staff. In countries like the UK, these schemes involve allowing workers to buy tax-free bikes for up to 40% less than they retail for. If similar schemes are not applicable to your area then maybe offer money-off vouchers to encourage people to cycle to work.

Featured post submitted by Powwownow

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Reduce the carbon footprint of your small business

I was given the opportunity to try out the Caroma Flow Showerhead over the last few months and I have really enjoyed this addition to the master bath.  It has a unique look and great pressure for being low flow.

From the site:

New Caroma Flow shower offers the ultimate shower experience. Delivering a comfortable flow rate of just 6.5 litres per minute, Flow is engineered to produce the same or better performance as a conventional shower (9 litres per minute) whilst saving both water usage and hot water energy running costs.

• Easy to use sliding spray adjustable system
• Easy to install
• WELS 3 star rated, 6.5L/minute
• Available as fixed or adjustable arm

There are plenty of simple steps you can take to make your home and office a little greener and a low-flow shower head is one of them. The only downside to the Caroma for me is the price – retailed at $129.00 it’s much more pricey then the $20 low-flow shower head I had on there – BUT the other one wasn’t as pleasing to the eye. So, it comes down to look and budget.

Visit Caroma’s product line for your low-flow needs including toilets, basins, baths and more they have a wide range of options for your Eco-friendly bathroom needs.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Pick of the Week: Caroma Showerhead

It should not take a large outlay of money in order to take your business from consuming more energy to one that is eco-friendly. As a matter of fact, once you have worked out all the details, you can actually raise your businesses profit margins. Just by adopting small, simple measures, any size organization can help their business to go “Green.”

• Reduce paper use: Let everyone in your organization know that they should not be photocopying or printing documents when it is unnecessary to do so. When you are going to be printing, eliminate waste by ensuring that paper is properly aligned, toner is sufficient for the job, and the quality is properly set.
• Reuse paper: Print on both sides of paper, and use scraps for notes and messages.
• Send used paper to recyclers: After paper has been used as scratch pads and on both sides, send it to be recycled. This will help to save the environment as well as reduce costs.
• Use paper that is recycled.
• Buy refurbished furniture: By purchasing used office furniture you will be reusing resources rather than contributing the depletion of our woodland.
• When finished using equipment, switch it off: For instance, each time you turn your PC off, also turn off any peripheral equipment that is attached to it.
• Set up recycle bins: Since you are going to be going “green” it is time to set up waste receptacles for separating the different type of waste that is generated. This can be done for glass, plastic, metal, as well as paper. Assign someone to take them to the local recycling unit when they are full.
• Switch to energy efficient products when possible: Replace incandescent and fluorescent lights with the newer high efficiency lights to save on lighting costs. Since laptops consume less energy when compared to ordinary desktop models, consider switching to laptops when it is time to upgrade your computer. Replacing CRTs with flat panel displays in another measure that you can use to reduce the amount of energy you use as well as take up less space on your desk.
• Use green technology based products: Manufacturers that use less energy in the production of their products should be sought out as you attempt to go “green.” There are any number of different companies that are doing everything they can to reduce the impact they are having on the environment.
• Remember to conserve and recycle water as you can: This can be done by setting up drinking stations that allow the use of a reusable cup rather than a paper one, and do not rely on running water as a fountain would. Place a filled container in toilet tanks to prevent overuse of water, or switch to low flow tanks.
• Use eco-friendly and bio-degradable packaging: When packaging your products for sale, make sure that you are using materials that will degrade when tossed into landfills, and use less packaging that is sure to reduce the amount of waste that is produced from your business.

Guest post written by Mirsad Hasic of Alternative Energy Geek.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

10 Simple Steps To Make Your Business More Green

Dear EarthTalk: What is the environmental impact of so many people now using sites like Facebook and spending so much time online?
– Bob Yearling, Paris, TX

The environmental impact of so much online time really boils down to energy usage, which in turn affects the amount of greenhouse gases we pump into our atmosphere. For one, each of us can help by limiting computer time (whether surfing the ‘net or not) and shutting them down or putting them into sleep mode when we aren’t using them (this can be automated via the computer’s power management control panel).

Also, when shopping for a new computer, consumers and businesses alike can opt for models certified by the federal government as energy efficient with the Energy Star label. If all computers sold in the U.S. met Energy Star requirements, Americans could pocket $1.8 billion annually in saved energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to taking some two million cars off the road.

Individual responsibility aside, the creation and management of more efficient data centers by the major online hubs—especially as we enter the age of “cloud” computing whereby most of the software, content and services we look to our computers for resides online and is served to us as-needed—is what can have the biggest impact. Google, Facebook, and Amazon.com are already deeply committed to the cloud computing model, with Microsoft, Yahoo and others following suit accordingly.

For its part, Google has been a real leader in the building of green data centers, even powering them with renewable energy. The company recently released environmental footprint scores for several of its data centers. While the energy usage required to run its cloud services (Google Search, Google+, Gmail and YouTube) seems huge in the aggregate—it used 260 megawatt hours to power its data centers in 2010—it boils down to only 7.4 kilowatt hours worth of energy annually per user. Google reports that to provide an individual user with its services for a month uses less energy than leaving a light bulb on for three hours. And because the company has been carbon neutral since 2007, “even that small amount of energy is offset completely, so the carbon footprint of your life on Google is zero.”

In an April 2011 report entitled “How Dirty is your Data?” the non-profit Greenpeace examined energy sources for the 10 largest IT companies involved in cloud computing, finding Apple, Facebook and IBM especially guilty of getting significant amounts of power from coal-fired power plants. (Facebook had come under fire earlier this year when reporters uncovered that the company planned to buy electricity for its brand new eco-friendly data center in Prineville, Oregon—one of the greenest such facilities ever designed and constructed—from a utility that derives most of its power from coal.) Yahoo, Amazon.com and Microsoft scored best in use of renewable alternative energy sources for cloud services.

In the long run, analysts think that the widespread shift to cloud computing will be a great boon to the environment. A report released in September 2011 by Pike Research, “Cloud Computing Energy Efficiency,” predicts that because of the shift to cloud computing and increasing efficiencies, data center power consumption will decrease by 31 percent between 2010 and 2020.

CONTACTS: Energy Star, www.energystar.gov; Greenpeace, www.greenpeace.org; Pike Research, www.pikeresearch.com.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E – The Environmental Magazine. Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe or get a Free Trial Issue

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

EarthTalk: Impact of Spending Time Online