Remove those "diamond shaped boxes with question marks in them" in your Blogger posts

Microsoft Word uses non-standard characters for quotes, apostrophes, double dashes, and 3 periods in a row (ellipses). So, if you try to copy/paste a Word document into Blogger you are going to get some of those "diamond shaped boxes with question marks in them" wherever you had  quotes, apostrophes, double dashes, and ellipses.
Saving Microsoft Word documents as US-ASCII (plain text) will remove all MS Word formatting and convert those characters into something most web browsers can understand. Here's how it works:
1. Open the Word document then click: File > Save As
2. Save as type: "Plain Text (*.txt)"
3. Click OK
4. A File Conversion Menu will appear. Choose "other encoding", then select "US-ASCII"

5. Check "allow character substitution"
6. Click OK to save
7. Open the new .txt document in a text editor such as Notepad
8. Copy the contents and paste into the Blogger compose window

This method is about 95% effective at removing non web-compatible characters from your document, but of course you still proofread the final draft before posting.

Moondog Web Design v 5.0 is finally online

The new version is a bit more colorful, should be easier to navigate, and has a link to download our FREE Website Planning Guide. Also, the portfolio sample pictures are larger, and I have added links and information for our sister site, Moondog Web Hosting. At the last minute I decided to integrate the News and Tips page with my previously dormant Twitter account. I'm still tinkering with the page background, but I think I'm going to leave it as is for the time being. As always, I would love to hear any comments and suggestions to make the website better.

Going once, going twice...

I just completed a new website for The West End Auction. The site is not yet "live", but the auction agent has given me permission to release a sneak peak at the condos that will be auctioned on December 5th. I've seen this place, and if you are looking for an upscale condo with awesome views of downtown Nashville and lots of "outdoor living" area, this place is pretty cool.

Back up your data

Acronis True Image WD Edition Software helps you to completely clone your current system drive onto your new WD hard drive. Cloning makes an exact copy of your old system drive on your new WD hard drive, including the operating system, applications, data, preferences, and email settings. Everything will be present and operate exactly as it did on your old hard drive. As of 09/15/09, it is available as a free download on the Western Digital website.

Watch Out For Domain Renewal Scams

They go by several names ... Domain Renewal Group, Domain Registry of America, Liberty Names of America and probably a few others that I'm not yet aware of. Regardless of the name, they operate in the same manner - by sending out what looks remarkably like a time-sensitive invoice for a domain renewal. But if you read the letter carefully, you will realize that they are using an approach called slamming (trying to trick you into switching your domains to another company). They highlight that your domain is due to expire shortly, and that you risk losing the domain name unless you renew the registration. Although the letter states that it is not a bill, it is purposely designed to look like an invoice. Paying that "invoice" actually begins a very overpriced domain transfer - and undoing that mistake will be a major hassle. Often the transfer fails, but the fine print says that the fee is non-refundable. If you receive an invoice from anyone other than your Web host or domain registrar, you'll save yourself a headache if you simply send it through the shredder. MOONDOG WEB HOSTING does NOT send renewal notices via postal mail.