Create A Website, Poolside, In Less Than An Hour- FREE GoCentral 1 Month Trial

A promotional item was provided to me for today’s discussion. The host for this event is Still Blonde after all these Years.

Summer is an interesting time.

For me it means my schedule fills with recreational commitments while my regular, work schedule, doesn't budge. Essentially I have to find the time to live 2 lives within the timeline of one. Unfortunately, as my family and friends will attest, I'm one of those people who typically let's responsibility outweigh elective invitations. That is to say I most often have to be drug kicking and screaming from my home, or computer, during the Summer. Even the thought of upcoming vacations and road trips expand my anxiety bubble.

So, when one of my close friends asked me to help her build a storefront for her new business online I was quick to offer my help and equally immediately felt regret. While I had the skills to make her an amazing website the idea of chipping into my precious free time coding and fighting with domain hosts didn't exactly excite me.

Then I came across one of the ads for GoDaddy's new GoCentral Website Builder, much like the one above. It promised to help me build a website in under an hour with easy code-free skills. Even better new users could start a FREE 30 day trial** with absolutely no credit card information. I'll admit, I'm one of those people who instantly tabs out the second I see I need to secure my credit card for something 'free'- so this was a huge motivator for me to log on and check it out. And, while Momma Told Me has been hosted by GoDaddy for 5 years now, a previously existing GoDaddy account is NOT necessary to take advantage of the trial.

***The Free Trial is an opportunity for you to use a GoDaddy Product free of charge for one (1) month, beginning on the date that you accept the Free Trial offer.  The Free Trial will expire one (1) month from the date you accept the Free Trial offer, regardless of whether or not you use the Product during the Free Trial period. No credit card is necessary. The free trial is now available in all markets we sell the product.

Helping build my friend's website was something I'd pushed off for over a month, but I was finally convinced I could tackle the task without giving up more than an hour of my precious Summer. In fact, having now used the GoCentral website builder platform I'm thrilled to know that the service is so user-friendly and non skill reliant that she will be able to maintain, edit, and build her website entirely on her own in the future! For anyone ever dubbed 'that techie friend' you can certainly sympathize with how big a win it is to assist someone with setting something up and the sheer relief of knowing they will be able to handle and maintain it once you hand it over.

So let's take a look at the GoCentral, powdered by GoDaddy, website building process, shall we?

You'll start by logging into GoCentral with your existing GoDaddy information OR by setting up a free GoCentral account in just a few painless questions. No payment information is required or requested to set up an account or start your trial.

Next you'll want to choose a category for the type of website you want to create. The GoCentral platform will auto-populate a website template with some general styles and elements based on your response, but you won't be locked into anything. In my case I set the website category as 'Jewelry Designer' and titled the site after my friend's shop name, 'The Lovely Stones.'

Next I was taken to a pretty generic front page mock-up. I did note that GoCentral had auto-populated some jewelry themed graphics into the backgrounds and buttons as a nice touch. Stock images are available at no extra charge and can really help website builders get their site up and running for utility purposes, immediately. Since GoCentral is a living breathing website building wizard (tool) you can easily hop on and make edits to your live site without a disruption of service. If you really want to get a site live in a matter of minutes you truly can thanks to the easy to use templates.

I wasn't a fan of the initial layout theme so I browsed some other options and chose one that worked for me. In addition to the physical layout/presentation of the main page I had the choice to choose accent colors, font styles, and more to really mold the page to my brand/topic.

It was easy to swap the stock background image for one of our own, with a built in sizing/cropping tool and the option to add logos or extra action buttons. Because my friend's business had initially began on Facebook (since she had no startup or method of creating a physical online storefront) I added an action button which would direct new customers to her Facebook Group from the main page. It was as simple as giving the button a title and pasting the destination link into the template on the right of the screen.

The template I'd chosen offered a free scrolling site layout with a cascading page organization at the top. I could easily add pages/tabs to the website then choose from 'section' templates which would auto-fill various dummy elements based on the section's theme. These section templates suggested everything from a blog format or interactive calendar widget to a photo gallery and eCommerce features.

The first thing I knew her site needed was a Contact Us section, which was conveniently auto-populated as a page, thanks to the 'Jewelry Designer' category I had chosen initially. Since she operates her business solely online I dropped the physical business hours and put another shout-out to her original Facebook sales group.

Next, since it's an online storefront, I had to add some sort of inventory. For eCommerce features I was given 2 initial options under the 'Sell Online' section, 'Online Store' and 'Paypal Button'. I wanted to look a little into the 'Online Store' functions but this was classified as an upgrade and prompted me to cal GoDaddy to upgrade my trial.

Instead I used my friend's existing PayPal information to set up basic listings for her items, each item housing it's own PayPal button. I could easily add a product image, title, cost, shipping cost, and description to each section. Because this was so easy, and took less than a minute for each product, I was also able to create different tabs/pages for each category of product to better organize her inventory for easy shopping.

I hadn't really thought of everything I wanted the website to have so it was especially useful to have the 'Section' categories suggested by GoCentral.Under the Content tab there was a mention of an FAQ page- something every business should have. I especially loved how easy it was to select and integrate into the website. I played with a few templates at first, which I didn't like, and found it very easy to delete entire sections, elements, or make edits on the fly.

GoCentral is very user friendly in it's website builder platform but still offers the clean structure of initial templates to guide you towards a better website. One of the things I've always found overwhelming with website building in the past was the lack of guardrails- I could put anything anywhere and that often ended up looking quite over-crowded and messy. GoCentral allows for a distinct voice and style while still maintaining a professional face on the internet. Best of all, you don't ever have to touch coding.

Once I had The Lovely Stones designed about how I wanted it I could preview both the mobile and PC versions. With my own blog I had to pay someone to come in and code my mobile site so it would be easy to navigate on phones and tablets. GoCentral has worked this right in- your site will automatically be user friendly on mobile!

The 30 day trial will allow you to maintain your new site, and the attached web address(at .godaddysites.com) for the entire 30 days but your site will be disabled at the end if you do not choose to subscribe. To be quite honest, if I'd had the GoCentral platform when I began blogging I would have happily paid the GoCentral subscription price for the ability to easily transform and personalize my living website without the fuss and expenses of professionals and coding. Everytime I want something changed on my blog it costs me money and down time. With GoCentral users can instantly tinker with their content with no disruptions or extra fees.

You can even purchase a unique domain name for your GoCentral website, if you want to ditch the .godaddysites.com URL.

So you want to see the finished product?

I have to admit my friend was quite impressed. I believe the words she used were 'that's freaking awesome' and 'it's so professional!' We have a few back end things to work on (taking photos that are larger resolution for display on the computer, for example) but the website functions as a living breathing storefront and gives a clear impression of her and her business. Check out The Lovely Stones, thanks to GoDaddy's GoCentral!

So there you have it- I created a storefront website with eCommerce features in less than 40 minutes, poolside. Even better I've made some edits and tweaks on the go through my phone! While the service and platform are here to stay the FREE Trial Offer is not so be sure to take advantage of your 1 Month Free Trial with GoDaddy's GoCentral Website Builder before the deal ends on August 11, 2017! GoCentral's website builder really is something you have to experience to understand how easy it is to use, and there is no credit card or payment required to get you on and playing with GoCentral today. Now, tell me, do you have a website of your own? If not, what would your website be about if you did?

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Netiquette: What It Is, Why You Should Care, And How To Practice It

Momma Told Me: The internet is a free for all.

I think of the internet as the 'Wild West', especially anytime I am on the two 'F's (Facebook and Forums), which seem to be increasingly unregulated while being increasingly suppressed. Now, yes, the entire point of the internet is to be whatever you want to be, do whatever you want to do, and explore wherever you want to explore. It's impossible to police such a vast playground of information, communication, and entertainment, especially while communicating  with such a wide range of personalities from endless backgrounds. In general, if you can't handle the internet, you shouldn't be on it.

But that doesn't mean anarchy should ensue.

There are billions of websites, and even sub-groups within those websites. If you are choosing to participate in a civilized corner of the web, you should act civilized. There's plenty of space online for debauchery and nonsense. Just think, you (hopefully) wouldn't walk into a hospital with a glass of wine screaming about the Dancing With The Stars Results while interrupting everyone in sight. No, that's a behavior you'd reserve for a Mom's Night Out, or maybe a quiet Thursday at home.

The internet has no rules. You honestly can do pretty much whatever you want until someone, or some site, blocks you from access in general. And I certainly encourage you to let your personality shine in public forums online- but there is something called etiquette. Netiquette, to be exact.

I honestly think most of my generation doesn't have a clue what etiquette is.

That's because etiquette is a system of civilization put in place to unofficially classify what is polite and what is not, when conducting business with or around others.

ETIQUETTE: The customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.

Unfortunately, given the voluntary nature of the term, Netiquette is something that is entirely optional and something nobody can count on anyone using, when conducting their business or conversations online. And, with my generation in particular, the 'ME' generation- this becomes increasingly more common.

Just the other day, in a Facebook group I spend my time to moderate, recruit for, and run- I politely asked a woman not to leave a '.' on a thread as her method of following. In a very friendly manner I shared with her how to follow a thread using the website's tools, ending my sentiment in a smiley face. When asked why I felt the need to respond to her '.'- I again, politely, replied that there were more '.' comments on the thread than actual content pertaining to the thread, and that I felt it was good etiquette to keep the thread clean so those following did not get 100 '.' notifications for useless thread updates to which she replied,

"ETIQUETTE? Okay, not this thread has gotten too fancy for me! God Bless and have a good night!" 

While I could go down an entirely different rabbit hole as to why you should never drag your religion as a defense in a hostile remark (which is exactly how it was meant), I was much more taken aback by the concept of etiquette being so 'over the top' and 'excessive' online that it was referred to as 'fancy'.

Heaven knows I am not the internet police- nor do I feel the urge to police others online- but there comes a point when society begins to break down- and the internet IS a society. Especially when you are participating in, or using a GROUP or FORUM (thread) that is not originally started by you, you should always exercise this mystical word 'etiquette'. It's not a matter of altering who you are online, or changing the way you present yourself. You can still be 100% you while being respectful of those you are engaging with. And you can still be respectful while cursing, arguing a political point, bargaining resale treasures, sharing your latest rap lyrics, or anything else.

Etiquette is not about censorship- it's about courtesy. You can be wildly offensive and raw and still exercise it.

I'm not here to tell you how you should or shouldn't act. But I am going to give you a few friendly pointers of general Netiquette practices that I'm sure we can all agree are mutually beneficial. Since the majority of bad netiquette occurs on Facebook or in Forums, we'll be primarily referencing that. Here we go:

1-  Before you ask a question online, or post about something in a group check to see if the topic is already active in a recent post or thread. Much like you wouldn't repeat a discussion right after it happened in real life, don't do it online.

2- Use good judgement of where you are online and conduct yourself accordingly. There are many, many, many places where 'stickers' and 'GIFs' are abundantly appropriate and welcome. Your neighbor's post about them losing their job, or a thread about a recent national disaster is not.

3- Don't hijack a thread or post with information, images, or comments that are not relevant to the original post. If the original poster has decided to take the conversation in a different direction, feel free to respond, however you posting about your niece's Girl Scout Cookie sales on a post originally about someone's weight loss journey is not appropriate.

4- Unless you're communicating among close friends or family, don't type anything that may sound sarcastic online- without hearing the tone of your voice or seeing your face even the most hilarious of stickers won't save you from someone who takes it the wrong way.

5- The following '.' DOT. There are simple ways to follow a thread or topic both on Facebook, and any major online forum (such as Reddit). Sure, one little 'following' comment or a '.' or sticker here and there isn't going to kill anyone. But when everyone's doing it, it becomes a nuisance. Don't contribute to the countless updates others, who are following the discussions politely, will have to check in on, only to see it's just you being inconsiderate and lazy.

6- Generally, be brief, but be accurate. Online conversations move fast- you want your responses to be legible but also pertinent. Typing our a long winded response, unless telling a story or explaining a situation, will often be overlooked and unread by most. And, chances are, many of the points covered in your response will be already covered by those who were much shorter, and quicker, in moving the conversation along.

7- Check the most recent comments to determine if your response is relevant. Sometimes a question has been long answered, a problem resolved, or a request fulfilled long before we actually see the original post.

Again, you know your 'comfort zone' and many of these behaviors fly when you're in a close circle of friends, or a tight nit group online- but when you venture out into 'society' online it's best if you follow some basic measures of etiquette. While you might not realize it while you're doing it, chances are some, if not all, of these behaviors have posed even a slight aggravation for you in the past. At the very least, you never know who is watching, and what opportunities you might be overlooked for on the simple premise of courtesy! What are your thoughts? Do you think the internet is a free for all, and why bother? Or do you hold out hope 'do unto others' still applies in 'public' online situations?

What Daughter Says: If you can't handle the great unbridled internet you probably don't belong on it. That being said, anarchy doesn't have to ensure just because a group of adult strangers are trying to coexist at the same time.

What I'm Streaming: In Your Eyes (2014), Netflix

Momma Told Me: True love is hard enough to believe without Vampires in the mix.

If I used the term 'Supernatural Romance' today, you might be inclined to think of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Edward and Bella (Twilight Series) or The Time Traveler's Wife (2009). Many of you may have a natural reaction to put down this article right now, to stop reading altogether. After all, even the most famous and beloved Paranormal Romance film, Ghost (1990) featured the deceased Patrick Swayze wooing his grieving girlfriend, Demi Moore. I have a hard time wrapping my head round vampires and ghosts in love- no matter how great the actors portraying the romance, it always comes off as cheesy. And that's precisely why In Your Eyes  (2014) is a refreshing twist to the Supernatural Romance genre.

Something that had previously been reserved for over-the-top romance novels and science fiction, this particular genre is used ever so cleverly on an impressively natural level. Paranormal, in this case, deals more with the exploration of the tangible bond between two people who have never met. That is to say, if you believe in the existence of soul mates you are already on board with the plot's notion that two people destined to be together could in theory sense that connection no matter their distance.

At 105 minutes, with a true cast of around 10 characters, In Your Eyes is  genuine romantic film dedicated to portraying the story and love of two people who being the film as seemingly strangers. The actors, who have had some sucess on and off screen in minor roles are brilliantly cast within the clever quirks of their own characters. Playing with the classic romantic notion of forbidden love, Rebecca is the affluent wife of a medical researcher wasting away her life at cocktail parties and fundraisers while her on screen counterpart, Dylan, is an ex-con struggling to find himself. However the true compulsion to watch comes from the unique connection these otherwise strangers discover.

It turns out both Dylan and Rebecca have in fact known each other, quite intimately, their entire lives. This discovery leads to a complicated and intense relationship between the two as they attempt to hold each-other up, despite the miles. While the tie that bonds them is a bit cheesy at some points the characters are quite endearing and the film will challenge you to smile, and even cry throughout it's ups and downs. The storytelling is shot beautifully, and it's not hard to find yourself falling in love with the characters.

One of the successes of In Your Eyes is the beautiful soundtrack (which I in fact purchased) that brings the characters and the plot through it's ups and downs. Twinbed's The Trouble I'm In is a haunting melody that so elegantly brings one of the film' most satisfying scenes to a climax while Eddie Ray's Glad I Found You helps steer one of the film's more playful scenes. The soundtrack is indeed as diverse as the emotions portrayed and the depth of each character is unmistakable as the viewer is helplessly drawn in.

I would love to suggest In Your Eyes as a Valentine's Day stream for you and your sweetie, though most cynical men will have a hard time latching on to a film that otherwise reminds me of The Notebook. Consider watching this with some girlfriends, by yourself as a guilty please, or with a teen daughter (there really is nothing graphic.) And I must add that leading man, Micheal Stahl-David is simply smoldering as the hopelessly awkward and unaware bad boy turned hero! In all, the timing for this Netflix release proved just right and I look forward to owning a physical copy soon!

What Daughter Says: Characters Rebecca and Dylan are soul mates at their best!