WebsiteBuildingBiz

What is Section 230 and why does it matter for webmasters?

January 1, 2021 John 0

Politicians are renewing the debate over Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, but what does it do and how does the regulation effect web publishers? Section 230 governs liability for user generated content, and any attempts to remove or edit it are likely to force massive changes to the internet.

USPS slowdown is hurting online business

Post office slowdown already hurts online business

August 13, 2020 John 0

Postal workers and customers are starting to notice the effects of Trump’s appointment to postmaster general. Letters and packages are suddenly getting lost or taking excessive amounts of time to arrive – and small online businesses are paying the price.

Godaddy pretty much sucks

Godaddy faces customer exodus over SOPA support

December 29, 2011 John 1

Godaddy has taken an unpopular position on a controversial piece of proposed legislation, and the result is a massive grass-roots exodus and boycott against their hosting and domain registration services. While the support for SOPA is enough of a reason in itself to avoid doing business with Godaddy, there are plenty of other controversial political positions and shoddy customer service problems that make this boycott a good idea.

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Remember, 1099-Misc is NOT a W2!

April 15, 2010 John 4

Make sure to double check the numbers on your income forms: the difference between a W2 and a 1099-Misc can make a big difference in how much you owe.

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California legislature wants to tax affiliates

February 21, 2010 John 0

California is in big financial trouble, and one of the brilliant ideas of their failing government is to begin imposing taxes on any company that employs affiliates in their state. Physical businesses have already been fleeing California, so will the digital ones follow suit now as well?

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The Taxman is Watching Independent Contractors

February 19, 2010 John 3

Tax compliance teams are focusing specifically on independent contractors and other types of contingent labor – and that means that the tax returns from your websites could be under extra scrutiny in the next few years.

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Musicians vs Industry in UK Sharing Debate (and some free music too)

September 16, 2009 John 0

The file sharing debate is heating up in the UK, with musicians lining up on both sides of the controversial plan to restrict internet access for those caught downloading and sharing unauthorized music files. In response, I’m giving away some of the songs my own band recorded “Back in the day.”

The anonymous internet is long gone

August 20, 2009 John 1

Think your blog is anonymous? Think again. The era of internet privacy is long over, and revealing an online identity may be a simple cost-benefit analysis.