Question 1

What are Research Papers?

Accepted Answer

Research papers are more than an assignment; they teach students how to construct an argument and influence others. The development of these real-world skills is the focus of this video. It teaches:

Why research papers are really arguments that influence others
Why effective arguments matter in the real world
How to structure an argument with a claim, evidence and defensible points
How the points in the video translate into the classroom
Why influencing others with effective arguments is an important skill

Video Transcript:

At one time or another, most students are asked to write a research paper. Making your paper successful means understanding that writing a paper is more than just an assignment. It’s really a way to practice important skills that you’ll use in the real world.

Let’s start with the big picture. Whether you’re at school or work, your success depends on being able to argue points and influence others. A research paper is how you can practice this skill. You are writing an argument.

Imagine that you’re at work and your goal is to convince your manager you deserve a raise. How you present this argument matters. To get the result you want, you’ll need to support your argument with evidence and consider your manager’s perspective.

To start, you’ll want to search broadly and learn as much about your topic as you can. You could gather and analyze performance reviews, productivity stats and salary history to build your case for earning a raise. You can also look outside the company and include published reports and studies.

This evidence will help you develop your claim or thesis. This is a statement that frames what you expect and why it makes sense. It has two parts, the claim “I deserve a raise” and the evidence that supports it “based on my performance and these reports”. This sets the stage and shows your manager that you’re prepared.

But there’s more. To be successful, you must also anticipate your manager’s perspective and what questions or arguments she may have. Will she challenge any of your points? Will she compare your performance to others on the team? By anticipating her questions and concerns, you can have answers ready and make your case even stronger.

This method of developing an argument can be practiced by writing a research paper. You’ll look at evidence, make a claim based on that evidence and then be prepared to defend your points.

In English class, this may mean reading a passage from a book, like Moby Dick, and noticing evidence of symbolism. Using this information you can develop a claim with evidence about the author’s intentions that you can defend in an argument.

In history class, you may notice a wide variety of global events seem connected by a single theme during World War II. This evidence leads you to develop a claim or thesis that the events are indeed connected and prepare to answer questions that challenge your thesis.

By developing a strong argument, you may be able to influence others to see history or a work of literature from a different perspective.

Research papers take many forms, but at heart, they are all arguments designed to influence others. And earning influence can help you be more successful in the future.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting [EranFunnels.com/software.](https://eranfunnels.com/software)

Question 2

What is Blended Learning?

Accepted Answer

This video follows the story of a teacher who discovers blended learning and incorporates it into his teaching. It teaches:

A basic definition of blended learning
How the Internet has impacted teaching options
The role of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in blended learning
How blended learning can change how classroom time is used
What factors can ensure success
Why blended learning matters

Video Transcript:

Anyone who attended school before the Internet experienced teaching as a single place, like a building or classroom.

While this is still the case today, the internet means that many students and teachers have two classrooms - online and offline.

This is often referred to as Blended learning because it uses a blend of face-to-face teaching and online, self-directed learning.

To see how it works, let’s meet Alex, a middle school teacher. For most of his career, he would teach a concept in class, assign homework and then evaluate performance the next day during class.

He didn’t have a way to work with students when they were out of the classroom. Those assignments happened without a connection to him.

But now that students have access to the internet, assignments can be completed in a blended fashion, with parts taking place in the classroom, at home, or in another location. This way, Alex can work with students throughout the assignment.

For Alex and other teachers, this happens thanks to new tools like Learning Management Systems that can be accessed on the internet. With these tools, Alex can provide assignments, tools and resources, media, quizzes and discussion spaces in an online classroom.

This online access means that as students complete assignments at home Alex can evaluate their progress and collaborate with the class through online discussions.

Blended learning means that Alex’s class time can be more productive. Because he can arrive with a clearer idea of his student’s progress, he can focus his classroom time where it is needed most.

But this is just one form of blended learning. It can also be a specific combination of offline and online activities, or self-directed assignments where students choose to learn online or off.

Some schools even choose to “flip” their classrooms. Here students access online content at home, and then apply it to assignments or problems in class, with the guidance of their teacher.

Of course, blended learning works best when teachers and students have access to high quality resources and reliable internet connections. Students who are not comfortable with computers may need extra support.

But in most cases, blended learning offers teachers like Alex a way to work with students in both classrooms so his teaching can be more effective.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 3

How do I host videos professionally? (not YouTube)

Accepted Answer

To start with, I want to answer the question of why would you even want professional video hosting?

Typically professional video hosting is applicable when you are setting up a membership site or an online course.

There are software tools that help you with course hosting or membership sites, and some of those provide video hosting along with the service. Example of this is a company like Podia that I personally use, and they provide unlimited video hosting, unlimited courses, and so on, for $39/month.

Another example of this is Kartra, which is an all in one platform for your website, sales funnels, membership site, email marketing and so on. However, this is a classic example of limitations in video hosting. Their cheapest plan is $99/month, but they have a limit of 50 videos total. Their next plan is $199/month, and allows you to have unlimited videos. So it is important to know the pricing and features of whatever software you end up choosing and list out what you actually need.

If you are going to go with a software product like Kartra or Podia, you probably don't need video hosting.

But let's assume you want to set up your website on WordPress or ClickFunnels or EranFunnels. You may want to consider having professional video hosting for your landing page, sales page, webinar page, etc. These services are all great, but the video hosting is simply not included (with the exception of EranFunnels, there's a solution I set up for this exact problem, more on that later).

Professional hosting has hard costs, i.e. the companies who provide this service pay for storage. YouTube is free become it monetizes from advertising, but other companies require paying a subscription. There are a number of companies that provide this service. To name a few along with small input from me about having used them:

Vimeo = Great choice is you want basic video hosting. There are not special features like branding colours for your video play. If you want to see what vimeo looks like, ClickFunnels uses that for their sales pages. Here is an example from the Dot Com Secrets sales page - the video you see there, that's vimeo video hosting.

Wistia = the best choice, but also the most expensive one, a completely over-priced option in fact. It costs $99/month on their smallest plan. It's simply not worth the price in my opinion. Wistia is in fact the company that Podia partnered with. If you pay to Wistia directly, $99/month you get 10 videos limit. If you pay Podia $39/month, you get Wistia video hosting quality for unlimited videos. Makes no sense, but that's why I'm saying there's no point paying Wistia directly. To see an example of Wistia quality video hosting, you can check out a preview of one of my courses.

VooPlayer / Spotlightr = this is a new player in the market but having used their service, it is a good option and a budget option. It was previously called VooPlayer and they either rebranded as Spotlightr or another company bought them - I'm not sure which. Either way, I personally did not like their pricing complexity, there are a lot of variables, and I found the admin office a bit difficult to navigate. However, this is a great option especially if you only want up to 5 videos hosted for example, as at the time of writing this, they have a free plan for up to 5 videos and 1GB limit total. If you want to just host a few videos, it's a good option. Like I said, I'm not a huge fan of their player, but it's a good budget option for professional video hosting.

Vidello = I saved the best for last. This is the one that I personally use. I pay $297/year. Their affiliate program is set up so that buy using an affiliate link, you actually get it cheaper ($22/month). I have a full video tutorial showing the software and the inside.

Since the paid plan let's you have 200 videos, you may not need that much. Because of that, I set up a solution with EranFunnels, so users of EranFunnels can buy video hosting from me directly (hosted by Vidello) for $12/year per video. Usually this makes sense if you only need 1-5 videos. Anything beyond that, you might as well go with the full Vidello plan yourself.

To summarize:

Option 1: Set up your entire tech set up with a company like Podia or Kartra and not have to worry about buying video hosting separately.

If you want to discuss your personal circumstances, feel free to email me directly to support@eranbucai.com

Question 4

What is Internet of Things?

Accepted Answer

The internet is evolving. It used to be made of computers, but today, the internet includes all sorts of “things” that can work together. This video explains the Internet of Things and what it can mean for both individuals and communities. It teaches:

Why the internet in changing to include more “smart” devices
What has enabled these “things” to become connected
How increased connections could impact households
How the internet of things could lead to greater efficiency and safety

Video Transcript:

The internet we use today is already made of things. These things are computers, routers and even smart phones.

When we need to send a message or look up a date, the things on the Internet are smart – they talk to each other, solve problems and get us what we need.

But unfortunately, most of the electronic things we use everyday are left out. Appliances in our home, like clock radios, can’t communicate with other things, like our thermostats. Our light switches don’t know when the sun sets.

But this is starting to change. Our things are getting on the Internet and that’s making them smarter. They’re able to send and receive commands. They have sensors that allow them to collect and analyze data.

We’ve been using an Internet of Computers, and now it’s becoming an Internet of Things.

For example, most light switches are considered “dumb” - they don’t collect, send or receive information. But if the switch could communicate with other devices and the Internet, amazing things could be possible.

When you wake up in the morning and turn on the closet light, the switch could send messages to other things. Your coffee pot springs to life, your home thermostat raises its temperature and your radio switches to the traffic report.

At dusk, the light switch can check the Internet for the sunset times and turn on automatically. And that’s just the beginning. Your appliances could connect to the electric grid and only wash dishes when electricity is cheap.

The Internet of things also applies to cities and towns. Roads could have sensors that detect ice and automatically send data to drivers and road crews.

When water is scarce, gardens across a city could have sensors that measure moisture and even check weather reports so water use is smarter. The possibilities are endless and we’re only getting started.

Consider what would be possible if the things around you could connect, share information and work together? That’s the promise of the Internet of Things.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 5

What is Web Conferencing and Webinars?

Accepted Answer

Meeting face-to-face is great, but it can be expensive and difficult to plan. That’s why web conferencing is becoming more popular. These systems allow a group to connect and share information using only an internet connection. This video explains the basics, It teaches:

Why face-to-face meetings are cumbersome and expensive
How web conferencing can be used to accomplish the same goals
How to create a web conference and invite attendees
What features are often used in web conferences
Why web conferencing can be more effective than normal meetings

Video Transcript:

These days, meetings are a time for people to watch presentations, discuss plans and more.

That’s why more people are using web conferencing systems, which open meetings to anyone with internet access. Here, a group of people anywhere in the world can meet online, watch a presentation, have a group discussion in real time, and more. Here’s how it works…

Imagine you work at a business that creates and sells software. Many of the company’s employees and customers work from locations around the world.

With the system in place, you can create a meeting using web conferencing software on a computer or via a website.

When you create the meeting, you can provide details and designate who should join and more.

A few minutes before the meeting time, you open the web conferencing system, upload the presentation you’ll share and test your microphone and audio. You’re ready to lead the meeting!

When showtime arrives, the attendees use the link they received in email to join the meeting.

During the meeting, you have control of what the attendees see and hear as changes happen in real time. Along with the presentation, you may be able to share links, conduct polls and more. The attendees may just watch and learn.

You may also be able to invite other attendees to become the “presenter”, which gives them control of the presentation.

Most web conferencing tools include the ability to record the presentation for future replays.

And this system can work for everyone in the company. Engineers can explain new features, salespeople can educate their clients and HR can share new policies.

Face-to-face meetings are great, and today we have more affordable options that open meetings to anyone with an internet connection.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 6

What is an Online Citizenship

Accepted Answer

Sometimes communicating via computers can feel anonymous and make people lose touch with the impact of what they say online. This video highlights the problems this causes and explains a basic idea: that our words matter, online and off. It teaches:

Why citizenship matters in the real world
How one person can behave differently online and off
What happens when someone forgets that real people get their comments
Why citizenship is important online and off

Video Transcript:

Most people are good citizens in the offline world. They are kind to others, they obey laws and want their community to be a better place.

But these days many of us are also citizens of the online world. We participate in discussions, share photos, and get help using websites. While this makes communication faster and easier, it can also cause problems.

Stewart is a good guy. He cares about the feelings of others and avoids saying insensitive things at the dinner table. He would never call someone a hurtful name on the street or yell rude comments in a restaurant.

But when Stewart goes online, he seems to become a different person. In his mind, the Internet is the wild, wild west, where he doesn’t need to use his real name. He feels anonymous.

He often writes provocative comments on blogs and video websites without contributing anything valuable. His discussions on Twitter are often mean-spirited and personal. And sometimes he writes to companies using unnecessary profanity. It’s kind of a joke to him - a way to mess with people.

Recently a friend recognized his online name on a few comments and gave him a call. She had seen horrible things that he said to her brother online, and wanted Stewart to know that it hurt him, personally. She had one question for Stewart: Why?

Stewart was speechless - he never meant to hurt anybody. Before that moment, he never even considered the real people who were the targets of his comments. As icons on a computer screen, it was easy to feel disconnected. He didn't have to see their faces or reactions - it was like they weren't real.

But that all changed. Suddenly he could see that real people, just like the ones across from him at dinner, received and read his words online - and those words mattered. He also realized that his family uses the Internet every day. And if everyone behaved like him, it could become a pretty bad place.

Now he sees that citizenship means giving people the same respect he does in the real world, even when he disagrees with them. We all want to live in safe, productive communities and that takes awareness and effort from all of us, online and off.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 7

What are secure websites?

Accepted Answer

These days websites make security a priority, but it is hard to know when a website is secure, or what makes it so. This video teaches the basics of website security and how to recognize a secure site.

An overview of the most common security threats
How SSL encryption works
How to recognize a secure connection
In which situations security is most important

Video Transcript:

Whether it's buying shoes, managing bank accounts or just connecting with friends, most of us depend on websites. Unfortunately, it's easy be fooled by fake websites that are designed to give your money or private information to criminals.

Thankfully, it's now easier to know when a website is secure.

When you need to use a website to make a purchase or provide sensitive information, there are two big things to think about:

The first is the connection from your computer to the company's computer. Your name, credit card information and other things have to travel from one to the other. This connection needs to be secure. so that criminals can't access the information in route.

The second is knowing that you're working with a company you trust. If you're working with a company you trust using a secure connection, your information is safe. But how do you know?

Knowing what to look for in a browser is a big step to using secure websites. Let’s consider the connection we mentioned earlier.

Secure websites encrypt information before sending it between computers. this makes the information completely unreadable for criminals. Only the computer on the other end can read it, making it secure.

There are two big ways to tell the connection is secure…First is the address bar, where you’re used to seeing "http". Secure websites have an address that starts http"s" for secure.

You can also look for a padlock icon in the browser. If you see the "s" and padlock the connection is encrypted and secure.

But what about the organization behind the website? - how do we know it's not a criminal with a secure connection? Well, a new system makes this easy. Newer web browsers display color and company names in the address bar that help you know the site is trustworthy. It works like this. Organizations that depend on security can have their websites reviewed and validated by licensed unbiased companies called certificate authorities.

These rigorous reviews ensure the organization and website are trustworthy and using a secure connection. If the tests are passed, the site is issued an EV SSL certificate. and only sites with these certificates display the colored bar, including the company name, along with the address.

Green means Go, red means stop.

This review process means criminals can’t obtain the certificate that's required to display the colorful information. So when you see a site with the green info in the address bar, you can be sure it's legit.

Now, if you're reading the news or checking the weather, security doesn't matter as much, so don't be concerned if you don't see the green bar or security information. Security matters when you send sensitive information like credit card numbers, passwords and private info over the Internet.

For instance, if you're about to make a purchase, your browser holds the clues. Look for the "s" in the address and the padlock to make sure it's secure. And if you’re concerned that the site could be a scam, look for the green information.

With these things in place, you can feel confident that your information is safe and secure.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 8

What is Piracy Online?

Accepted Answer

Piracy, on the open ocean or online, is illegal because it is a kind of theft. By understanding different types of online piracy and why it’s illegal, we can start to see how piracy impacts the artists we love and represents a risk to us as individuals. It teaches:

What piracy is online
Why artists often depend on copyright laws for income
How piracy breaks copyright laws and impacts artists
Why pirated software is a risk
How to avoid pirated software

Video Transcript:

We’re all familiar with pirates. Most often, these are criminals known for raiding merchant ships and stealing the goods the ship is carrying. This kind of piracy obviously breaks the law.

But piracy is not just limited to bands of criminals on the open ocean. Today piracy happens via computers on the open Internet. Instead of boarding ships, people use computers to pirate software, music, movies or other digital goods. This means they access, download, copy and distribute files without payment or the owner’s permission.

And unlike piracy on the seven seas, this kind of piracy might seem less risky, more anonymous, and maybe even justifiable to the pirate.

Whatever you believe about online piracy, the fact remains that it breaks the law and by understanding why, piracy may start to look a little bit different.

Think about it this way… in order for creators to keep making the products you love, they need a system that helps them earn a living from their talents. In most countries, that system is based on copyright law.

When someone creates something like a song, computer program or photograph, that creator automatically owns the copyright and has the right to control how it is used and by whom.

Online piracy is illegal because it breaks copyright law and prevents the creator from having control over what they create. But it’s not simply a matter of rights and laws.

Let’s consider the music industry. It may seem like piracy only hurts big corporations, but in reality, it also hurts the artists who make the music. For example, a song may have a songwriter, producer and performer. Often, the sales of a song or album are directly linked to the income of the artist who created it. When music is pirated, sales often suffer and with it, the incomes that support the artists’ work. Without income, your favorite artists may not make music in the future.

Software is another target of piracy. Like music, piracy threatens the software industry, but the biggest risk is using software that’s made by pirates. Here, criminal organizations copy and sell counterfeit software often at a huge discount. It may seem real, but pirated software may work poorly or not work at all. Further, compared to authentic software, it may lack support systems that keep it up-to-date and protected from viruses and criminals. If something goes wrong, support may not be an option.

To avoid pirated software, buy from trusted stores and websites and look for official packaging.

The bottom line is that piracy on the internet is illegal and could have serious consequences. But there’s more to it. Piracy is also a threat to the systems that help creators earn a living and keep our computers safe, supported and secure.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.

Question 9

What are Blogs?

Accepted Answer

This video introduces the concept of a blog as a way for every person to have the power to share news and information. It includes:

How blogs are changing the idea of news in the 21st century
How blogs are created and organized
The role of blogs in bringing like-minded people together
How blogs facilitate conversation and networking

Video Transcript:

You've seen the word, you've seen the web sites and you may even have one. But have you ever wondered: What's the big deal about blogs?

To make sense of blogs, you have to think about the news and who makes it. We'll look at news in the 20th vs. the 21st century to make our point.

In the 20th century, the news was produced professionally. When news happened, reporters wrote the stories and a tiny group of people decided what appeared in a newspaper or broadcast. Professional news was mainstream: general and limited.

The 21st century marked the point where news became both professional and personal. A new kind of web site called a weblog or blog came onto the scene that let anyone be a reporter and publisher - often for free.

As blogs became popular, they created millions of news sources and gave everyone an audience for their own version of news. Of course, we're using the word "news" loosely. But really - isn't everything news to someone?

With a blog...A business owner can share news about his business

How did this happen? Well, blogs made sharing news on the web easy. Anyone with an idea can start a new blog with the click of a button and share news minutes later. Here's how blogs work.

Blogs are websites that are organized by blog posts - these are individual news stories, like articles in the paper. Bloggers simply fill out a form like this one to post a new story. With the click of a button, the blog post appears at the top of the web page, just above yesterday's news. Over time, the blog becomes a collection of these posts, all archived for easy reference.

Also, Each blog post can become a discussion through comments left by readers. Blogs make the news a two way street.

But really, the fuss is not about how blogs work - it's about what people like you do with them that matters.

Let's say you have a blog about green living and outdoor photography. It reflects your unique perspective. This helps you build relationships with your readers and other bloggers with similar interests.

Speaking of relationships, bloggers often work together. In addition to comments,You'll read each other's posts, quote each other and link your blogs together. This creates communities of bloggers that inspire and motivate each other.

Whether it's their ease of use or the opportunities they offer, blogs have been adopted in a very big way. Since 2003, there have been over 70 million blogs created, each with it's own version of news. So, the big deal about blogs is that they gave people like you the power of the media and created a personal kind of news that appeals to a high number of small audiences.

So, it's up to you - what will you do with this new power? There is likely a group of people out there who want to hear what you have to say.

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This FAQ library was created by Eran Bucai. Eran is an online entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people find success building a profitable business online without the high ticket prices and without the marketing hype.

Eran has a tech support membership which you can learn more about here: DotComTruths.com

Eran helps people choose the best software for their business which you can find out more by visiting EranFunnels.com/software.