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August 4

Marketing a small magazine

I recently took on responsibility for marking a small magazine and website. My primary goal is to increase web readership and ad revenue. Increasing print readership is a secondary goal. I would like to know about selling ads on the phone (cold calling) and in person, using social media to market the publication and to increase visibility, and networking with other small magazines. Where can I go to find advice about this? Are there good listservs/forums? Books? People I should talk to? Thanks, --Think Fast (talk) 03:57, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Cold calling is bad enough when it's a product people are actually likely to want, but a small magazine probably will only appeal to a very small portion of the general public, and many of those will be too pissed off by your cold call to consider your offer. The result is that you will call many homes and get few sales, quite possibly costing more for the effort than you get. Instead, you need more targeted marketing. For example, if your magazine is about surfing, then advertise in surfing areas, say by leaving a flyer on a car windshield, if the car has a rack for surfboards. StuRat (talk) 05:37, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

You might also consider reciprocal web ads, where you place an ad on a web site, and they place their ad on yours. Again, try to pick web sites that relate to the subject of your zine. StuRat (talk) 05:39, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Re cold calling: you need to comply with the legal requirements of schemes like the UK's Telephone Preference Service - note that although it is UK-specific, similar schemes apply in other countries, some of whose articles are linked from that one - or you may find yourself breaking the law by cold-calling some people. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.52 (talk) 13:36, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that cold calling is likely to be ineffective. One of the typical ways of targeting these days is to advertise with Google, Facebook, or the like, who will target online ads to people who show an interest in the good or service on offer. If there are blogs or websites appealing to your target audience, try to get a presence on those blogs or websites. For publications, another method is to buy lists of past subscribers from similar publications. Marco polo (talk) 14:06, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think the OP was suggesting they would cold call the general public to try and increase subscriptions — cold calling was mentioned only in the context of advertising. In most magazine ad departments that means cold calling companies that sell products that would appear to your magazine's demographics. It's totally different than calling people at home. My understanding of how this works, which is based on a few historical studies of magazines from awhile back and so might not be exactly up to date, is that what you really want to have in hand are some solid numbers on your readership. What's the age demographic? What's the income demographic? What are the general professions or hobbies that naturally would cluster with the readers? (Are they professionals? Educators? Researchers? Photographers? The sort of people who would also buy expensive cars or funny hats?) Then you call up the marketing divisions at places that sell to these sorts of people. If the magazine is very niche, you might call up companies too small to have marketing divisions. You aren't calling people at home, though. --Mr.98 (talk) 16:15, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

How to launch downloaded xml-dump of wiki database with my local MySql?

Now I have dump of all currrent wiki pages onto my PC. How i can connect it to MySQL to work with it and to set up MediaWiki with this database? Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Igor Yalovecky (talk • contribs) 07:27, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:Database download#Help importing dumps into MySQL points you to mw:Manual:Importing XML dumps and m:Importing a Wikipedia database dump into MediaWiki -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 12:33, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Mod Aashto in civil engineering and construction

I need to know about the origin of the term Mod Aashto in civil engineering and construction which is used by engineers to describe the density they need soil to be compacted to . if possible I need the explanation on how or who arrived to the term for e g : 98% Mod Aashto . — Preceding unsigned comment added by Marius wessels (talk • contribs) 08:49, 4 August 2011

This was posted on Template:Afc comment [1] so I moved it over here. Chzz ► 10:47, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

AASHTO is the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. See the articles AASHTO Soil Classification System and AASHO Road Test. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 12:26, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Spiders

Hiya, I was wondering if any one would be able to identify these two spiders for me, the one was on my girlfriend in her sleep and is now rather freaked out, thats the big black hairy one. The other was in my kitchen yesterday and was the wierdest thing I have seen in ages, I did not even think it was a spider at first. I cant find either in my spider book. Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.146.206 (talk • contribs)

Kitchen spider I
Kitchen spider II, with a table spoon for measurment
Massive spider thank scared my loved one
I think it is dead now as I sprayed shower cleaner on it

The first one looks a bit like a daddy longlegs. The second one looks like a wolf spider, though without knowing where you live, it is hard to nail down likely candidates. --Jayron32 15:18, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The second looks like a tarantula to me. Reaper Eternal (talk) 15:19, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I am in the UK, Hertfordshire, the first one is not a daddy long leggs as it was flat, and the body had very obvious ridges. it was a dirty green colour. the second was not quite big enough to be a tarantula, but I will look up wolf spider

The second is some sort of wolf spider, I'm pretty sure -- there are literally thousands of species. No idea what the first is -- I've never seen anything like that. Looie496 (talk) 15:52, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I'm going to guess that the first is a harvestman, since it doesn't seem to have a break between the cephalothorax and abdomen. Reaper Eternal (talk) 16:04, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

At a guess, if it is in England, the second one is most likely the domestic house spider Tegenaria domestica. That is a large one, probably a female. AndyTheGrump (talk)

@Reaperman: For the record, where I live, what you call a "harvestman", we call a "daddy longlegs". See Opiliones. So, when you said I was wrong for calling it that, not really. They both mean the same thing. When I answered, i did not know where the OP lived, so didn't know which local term he/she would have used to describe it. --Jayron32 16:16, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Jayron is right, the first one is Dicranopalpus ramosus, a harvestman (or daddy longlengs. FWIW daddy longlegs out here refers to crane flies, so usage varies by region). Does not bite (no fangs, it has small pincers instead).

Second pic is Tegenaria duellica, the giant house spider. Harmless to humans, but closely related to the hobo spider (which looks similar and is harmful to humans, heh).

Both (D. ramosus and T. duellica) are common to houses.-- Obsidi♠n Soul 17:35, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

That first one (labeled Kitchen spider I) has the greatest legs-to-body ratio I have ever seen on a creature. Those legs are absolutely tremendous in relation to the size of the body. I'm wondering if it is even a spider, but what else could it be? Bus stop (talk) 17:45, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It's not a spider. But cellar spiders (which are true spiders) have similarly very long legs. Click me. -- Obsidi♠n Soul 17:50, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, according to our article, harvestmen (Opiliones) aren't spiders, strictly speaking. AndyTheGrump (talk) 17:52, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I have categorized the files, updated descriptions, and requested renaming. ID of pictures III and IV still unsure. Might be T. domestica like Andy said, it's definitely Tegenaria though. -- Obsidi♠n Soul 18:07, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Re: "the one was on my girlfriend in her sleep and is now rather freaked out" ... I'm sorry your g/f is so scary to spiders, perhaps she could wear a mask on her face to avoid terrifying the lil fellers ? :-) StuRat (talk) 18:52, 6 August 2011 (UTC) [reply]

Facebook problem

I hope you can help me I'm at my end. My name is Carolyn S. Crawford, my facebook IS ((Redacted)). They informed me that some1 hacked into my fb account and changed my password. Now I cannot do anything, I have followd all directions and its as if I don't exist at all. The only thing I can do now I guess is to get off facebook and start over. NO one has told me how, you can get in but not off. I would like to get ahold of the person who had made ny life miserable.

I did try to change my password ((Redacted)). They came up with pictures for me to identify and kert telling me I was wrong and right away said I took to long I wasnt right and I know I was right cause it was my FAMILY. I know I am not the only one with this problem and if you could help I would be ever so grateful. Thank You, Caroly Crawford — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.206.23.167 (talk) 18:40, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Please do not post your passwords anywhere on the internet. That was probably the reason why your account got hijacked in the first place.-- Obsidi♠n Soul 18:45, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Also, see Facebook's Help Center and the page to reset your password. Try entering another friend on facebook until you get it right. Make sure your caps lock is not on and the names of you and the friend you entered are exactly as they appeared on the accounts. Other than that, can't think of anything else that might help, sorry.-- Obsidi♠n Soul 19:02, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Tinning Copper Pots

I WOULD LIKE TO TIN SOME COPPER POTS NEED TO KNOW HOW 217.41.69.195 (talk) 18:52, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Typing "How to tin copper pots" in Google will get you loads of hits. this ("http://www. ehow.com/how_2310426_re-tin-copper-cookware.html". NOTICE: Remove the spacing between "www." and "ehow", for some reason the Wikipedia spam filter triggers this one) was one of the first pages that turned up. It seems a somewhat elaborate step-by-step guide how to do it. You should be aware that those pots only should be used for certain kinds of food as this forum thread explains. --Saddhiyama (talk) 19:10, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Also, kindly avoid the use of all caps, as it is perceived as shouting :-). Falconus^{p t c} 04:56, 6 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Municipal rubbish dump in Jaipur?

Hi - I'm having trouble finding the name of any municipal dumps in the above city. I'm hoping for the official name, used by the city council.

Thanks Adambrowne666 (talk) 22:18, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

From the Jaipur Municipal Corporation site (under JNNURM Projects):

Mathuradas pura - Area: 176 Bigha, Distance: 17 K.M
Sewapura - Area: 200 Bigha, Distance: 20 K.M.
Langariawas - Area: 483 Bigha, Distance 21 KM.

-- Obsidi♠n Soul 22:56, 4 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks heaps, Obsidian - still, what I'm hoping for is the full name of the dumps - eg Sewapura Municipal Urban Body Waste Disposal Facility - it's for a piece of fiction, and I'd like the flavour of the local officialese. I had a quick search on the site, and couldn't find anything of that nature. Adambrowne666 (talk) 00:44, 5 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

There doesn't seem to be any convention (or at least, probably not in English). References to the sites include dump yards, compost plant, waste management facility, sanitary landfill sites, and Municipal Solid Waste Processing plant The last three sound more 'official'. I'm guessing each of the sites have different facilities or something.-- Obsidi♠n Soul 00:55, 5 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks again, OS - very helpful - I'm sure I'll get something useful from these. Adambrowne666 (talk) 12:36, 5 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]