Status: In a Relationship
City: Clayton
State: North Carolina
Country: US
Signup Date: 9/2/2005
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Saturday, April 04, 2009
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Current mood:  excited
Category: Web, HTML, Tech
I just wanted to repost this on this blog. I have an IT blog but this really applies to everyone who has email and spam headaches. I'm quite sure that there will be backlash from spammers and I am preparing for that. Right now it's the best option we have available for messaging that is spam free, and with features that brings together messaging of all kinds into one area.
Patch 1.1 is live and registration is finally open to the public. http://business.techdex.net/register.shtml
The concepts behind the SitePM Messaging System.
Quote: "While some solutions are effective at identifying spam, they aren't very effective at identifying valid emails."
That quote of mine, as interesting as it may be to just think about, is a good starting point to begin telling you about the SitePM Messaging System.
SitePM's start was nowhere close to what it has become. A few years ago, as my company began to grow it increasingly harder to keep up with the flood of spam that hit my mail box. I received literally thousands of emails per week. I did what everyone else did and tried one fail solution after another, all claiming the title of spam prevention.
Some of the solutions I tried make me laugh now, but didn't back then. They seemed to make sense but turned out to be nonsense and more and more spam found its way into my inbox. That gave me a brilliant idea, which is still a good idea, but failed ultimately because of the scalability of the spam industry. Yes it is an industry. There is a growing boom in software, services, and other solutions aimed at denting spam and the money spent and profit made is in the billions.
The first attempt was a little project called SPAMBuster. The idea was simple: Users registered their email address and we kept a tremendously long list of unsubscribe links and other services that were problematic. SPAMBuster would then go through that list, and unsubscribe the user's email address. It worked great, however with the growing number of networks coupled with those networks implementing security measures, it made maintaining the project extremely time consuming. Until I come up with a better way to keep up with the growing networks though, SPAMBuster is on the back burner. Interestingly enough, it still works very well.
I used that experience as a stepping stone in preparation for another solution. Meanwhile another service similar to mine was starting up about the same time. Blue Frog was basically the same as SPAMBuster, however they took it to a whole new level. The idea was still the same, but they pushed repercussions back on the services. SPAMBuster was a rather passive solution and was met with some hostility, but Blue Frog was an all out assault and spammers hit back hard. The DDoS attack on Blue Frog was a hundred times worse and shut them down.
I took this as a learning experience and I went back to the drawing board. This time I went back to the design of email itself and applied what I know about network security and prevention, only to realize that email just did not meet any of the standards at all! The email engine was broken from the start and every attempt up to this point has been nothing more than a patch.
Modern email defense is a hybrid of filtering, algorithms, software, and other means that, despite sincerest efforts, have left us with more problems that we had before, and they still have not put a dent the spam problem. If I was to have any success then I had to address what was broken, and in fixing those, problems like spam, spoofing, and so on would be solved in the process.
When I designed SitePM I first addressed the most common problems associated with email in general, not just spam. Some of the problems identified are:
- Lack of User Control: Users were loosing more and more control to ISP's and other services. While some solutions are effective at identifying spam, they aren't very effective at identifying valid emails. In many cases, ISP's were blocking emails altogether based on their algorithms. The result was a systemic need for allow sender lists and other methods to prevent the loss of important messages. People are spending countless amounts of time going through spam folders to find valid emails.
- Required Spam: From an information technology stand point, spam prevention is backwards. In order for security to work, it requires that spam be delivered to be filtered in the first place. That is the equivalent of letting everyone into a bank vault and then having security try to filter out who is supposed to be there and who isn't. Prevention is supposed to be "before" a message is sent and not after. The problem here is that spam prevention is message-based and not sender-based.
- No Trust: The current email system allows anyone to send you a message from anywhere, at any time, or any place, without credentials. A sender has no accountability when using email, which means that if that person abuses the system, there is no punishment.
- Attachments: The majority of viruses, malware, worms, trojans, spyware and other malicious software and infections come from attachments. Things like key loggers compromise security and your identity. It is also a trust issue that anyone can send you attachments without your permission.
It wasn't long before I realized that the solutions we need cannot be provided on the email ports 21/25. In a rather bold move I started to build a new system altogether on a port where the best security already exists - port 80.
The initial system worked brilliantly and as spam started to flow, implementing security measures became a simple task of adapting technologies that already exists, however were generally ineffective until now. In the SitePM Whitepaper, the focus was more spam-related and mentioned trust, user control, and specifically bots. Spam is a victim of its own success in that with the growing use of the Internet, software and programs became vital to continuing success. On the old email ports there was not protection against bots, but on port 80, technologies like CAPTCHA force human input and making bots obsolete.
This forced spammers to revert to trying to "crack" CAPTCHA and use a new level of service - CAPTCHA farms, where people are paid to type in the verification to send spam and it is expensive, so for the time being many CAPTCHA systems are generally safe. SitePM does use CAPTCHA but it is only a minor stop-gap. Regardless of how simple or complicated, cracked or not, the purpose was accomplished.
Addressing the four problems: In order to deal with the four problems, I designed SitePM to copy the format of the Internet. For years email has been "hogged" by certain services forcing people to be at the mercy of the service. This caused too many of the headaches that we have today. The Internet however is decentralized. Nobody owns the Internet. Users are free to surf where they want to, access any kind of information and so on with little restrictions. In like fashion, SitePM is decentralized. Users have control over what they receive and don't receive.
While this may seem beautiful for spammers that they don't have to worry about ISP's or other services trashing their messages, it's really not.
SitePM is a trust-based system and sender-focused. Instead of answering the question, "what is spam?" we built the system around the question, "who is a spammer?" and let the users decide for themselves. We put all of the tools that a user needed to build their own security around their preferences, including email and keyword blockers, ip banning, and recently a domain blocker, where user's can block an entire domain or email domain such as @mail.ru. The key difference is that the security measures are in place before a message can be sent.
SitePM has built in security that forces a sender to use system-controlled gateways, which means that users control not only who sends a message, but where the messages can be sent from. If a sender can't pass the security checks they are met with an error message and the message is trashed. Furthermore, as more users began to build their own security, SitePM adopted the common information from all of the community users to build a basis for default options, so that new users would already have the majority of nuisances already solved.
This approach makes SitePM free from requiring spammer compliance. In the words of one of the people who reviewed the system, "your system is the first system to stop a spammer from clicking send on their computer." For the first time ever senders have control over who sends them messages. One of our beta testers have been spam free for eight months.
While all of the details of the system won't be discussed here, (such as how messaging is forced to the gateway, making bots, CAPTCHA cracking and form duplication for programs for example all obsolete), three of the four points addressed were solved. There was now a message system that gave user's control, didn't require spammer compliance or cooperation, was trust-based, and made it more and more difficult for spammers to ply their trade, and most importantly, bots (which by many estimates, are responsible for up to 97% of spam), was now obsolete.
The fourth issue, attachments, still needed to be addressed. While a user could send you a message, the problems associated with attachments infecting computers and networks needed to be solved. For that solution I borrowed from the processes of banks and credit services. SitePM separates the process of attachments altogether and separated the process so that only senders with explicit user authorization can send attachments to a system user. A rather simplified example of the process goes like this:
Sally wants to send Sue an attachment. Sally: Hi Sue, can I send you an attachment? Sue: (If she trusts Sally); Sure, here is the pin number.
The opposite scenario, bob wants to send Sue an attachment. Bob: Hey Sue, I'm trying to send you a file but it's asking for a pin number. Can I have it please? Sue: (If she doesn't trust Bob); Sorry Bob. I don't know you. You can't.
That pin number is called SecureKey and is set by every user so each is unique. Unlike bank and credit services however, they aren't stored in one database. Each user has their own database creating an exponentially difficult for hackers. They would not have to crack one database, but would be forced to hack the database of every single user.
The Benefits of the SitePM Messaging System: Obviously the benefits of the system addressed by the four problems addressed are significant improvements over the current email system, but there are other areas that were improved upon. Practical application of a messaging system requires versatility to environments, meaning that it should be able to be used in such a way that it is more than just sending and receiving.
The main use of email today is to move information. Business relies on it and people keep in touch with each other. Here is a quick breakdown of some of the benefits of the system.
The need for system users to go through the same security checks of a non-system user with private messaging was taken away. Any user can message any other user within the system, (until they are blocked that is).
Next, versatility was given by adding the capability of adding messaging to any website. For the first time, users don't need crude web2mail forms, any scripting to stop email addresses from being ripped, or elaborate stand-alone messaging systems. All users have to do is cut and paste or drag and drop a link or button to their existing website, including blogs and forums.
For users that need more than one account we gave the user the ability to create sub accounts that they can manage. It was a bold step for companies who were looking to cut costs or could afford custom development or more expensive messaging solutions.
Standard attachments was replaced with a file management system. Not only could users now send and receive files, but they could now host files online using a secure link they can email or post to any website.
SitePM looks and feels just like regular web-mail and has most of the features of existing email including read receipts, message copy and the ability to send messages to multiple recipients, (both outside the system, and internally through private messaging). Contact and list management is also available, as is the ability to message their contact list.
In the next patch, there will be a newsletter service that allows you to create your own newsletters, a SMS service (text to cell phones), and invite to chat feature that works just like instant messaging.
Opt-in and Opt-out management for outside marketers were taken away and put into the hands of the user. By centralizing outside marketers, they loose the ability to spam and built their own lists, however the trade off is 100% delivery rate to subscribers and a more responsive and valuable customer base. It is also guaranteed removal of users who opt out.
With database driven messaging instead of a flat-file system, backups and restorations are very simple, and the chance of loosing your messages due to corruption is decreased significantly.
From the business aspect, because security is set up before a message can be sent, there is reduced network traffic and increased productivity.
The SitePM Directory is a good resource to start networking with other users. It is an opt-in "phone book" of registered users designed to make communications and networking easier.
There are many other benefits that I simply don't have the time to list, but I do want to mention two in particular that hold rather interesting potential. Ironically, they weren't planned but unexpected side effects of a database driven system.
One of the owners of an IT company offered his feedback on the structural design and concepts of the SitePM Messaging System. He noted that there is a change in the law relating to legal discovery (for court cases) stating that email messages must be preserved and managed. This is something that doesn't exist with current flat-file email solutions like Exchange, but with a database driven system like SitePM, messages can be used for legal discovery. SitePM's redundancy and data storage makes it virtually impossible to fake messages.
Earlier I mentioned the backlash on Blue Frog's system. What I took from their example is the need for redundancy. Blue Frog was working on a system where none of the rules of network security were possible, but moving messaging to port 80 was the solution. Redundancy is a big part of what makes SitePM particularly strong in the face of attacks like flooding, DDNS or DDoS attacks.
In my honest opinion, if Blue Frog forced a single gateway with redundancy and re-designed to be a centralized system, the DDNS attack that forced them to shut down would have been a failure. SitePM has suffered three such attacks and have survived with uninterrupted messaging service. The closed system guaranteed that such attacks never reached the main servers and were limited to the gateway and login system. The solution was to open another gateway and login system elsewhere so that users always had access.
The other part is the structural design of message handling. Messages are not sent directly from user to user. SitePM is a centralized system with decentralized messaging, which means that while users had control over who sends messages, having controllable routing for messages was vital to the success of the system. I started building a unique routing system that works very similar to DNS, just not on such a large scale. I needed to route for one system, not the whole Internet. The result became a private routing system that didn't need DNS to survive and messaging could continue internally.
Combined, both the problems of denial of service and access to the system were solved with having redundancy and private routing in place.
Quote:
"The ideas here are well suited for the corporate environment for several reasons. The DNS replacement technology has some very interesting capabilities for surviving "storms". The DDNS attack on Estonia is the beginning of a new class of threat to the Internet, and the DNS system is probably the largest target. Having a "private" routing identification and routing system may be a good defensive move for larger companies. This may be a backbone for several other services, too." - Batchnet, Raleigh, NC
I see the potential of uninterruptible messaging as a benefit to not just larger companies, but military and government agencies as well. Coupled with 128-bit SSL security the applications cross into the realm of national security and even economics.
For all of the benefits of the messaging system, there is one drawback. As with any new technology, people in general are resistant to change. A great example is Microsoft. Windows Vista was immediately met with negativity and resistance before it even hit the market. In response, Microsoft literally went door to door and office to office letting people try the new Windows Mojave. As expected the majority of people were impressed and liked Mojave, only to find out after that it was Windows Vista by another name.
It is my sincerest hope that SitePM Messaging System is not met with such resistance and that people actually use the system before passing judgments. It is still not a perfect system and there is a long road ahead of changes and upgrades, but it is without a doubt better than what we have now. I also fully expect that as the system puts a dent in the flow of spam that there will be backlash and attempts to shut down the system. The reality is that there have been several attempts by others who have dented the spam industry and all have given up in the face of adversity.
I refuse to do so and I have taken measures to protect the system from a legal stand point as well. Along with other methods, I made SitePM Messaging System a part of TechDex Development & Solutions as a service and business entity with copyrights and trademarks, where there is additional protection under the law and such attacks are illegal and are met with heavy penalties.
I will also allow specific companies to host message gateways to the SitePM Message System, providing more options for users to connect.
I challenge everyone to try SitePM Messaging System and see it in action first hand. For those that do try it I welcome feedback and suggestions that would help me to make the system even stronger.
Until my next post...
Best Wishes, Dexter Nelson TechDex Development & Solutions http://www.techdex.net
SitePM User: echomusic http://business.techdex.net
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Friday, March 20, 2009
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Current mood:  working
Category: Web, HTML, Tech
Hey guys, Can you do me a favor? I'm looking for beta users to populate a new messaging system I designed, (http://business.techdex.net). I have some testing that needs to be done, bugs to fix, etc. and I need between 250-500 users on the system. In order for me to get that many, I'm giving you a free account. All you gotta do is sign up and use it. Will you help please? Here's a link to bypass the payment system. http://business.techdex.net/cgi-bin/sitepm_free.cgi You'd be doing me a huge favor and I really appreciate it... Thanks, Dexter
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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Current mood:  excited
Category: Music
Echoingwalls Music Soundbox Newsletter Dateline: Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
We know it's the end of February already, but it still seems like the New Year around the office. Welcome to the first Soundbox Newsletter issue for 2009. How are those new years’ resolutions coming? For us we had just one: Get back to the Music!
Come down to the end of 2008, we came across an artist that's been no stranger to the public. As we talked and got down to the business of music we found out something very interesting things about this California native.
He played with Home Cookin’ (a blues band from Fresno, Ca. with blues guitarist Denny King); he's played with Ron Pearson and the Ron Dons of Hee-Haw fame in LA, in venues like Sands Casino and MGM Grand Casino, and even fronted a night club act in La Costa Del Sol.
His history is diverse and interesting to say the least, and there is much more we hope to learn and share about him. It almost goes without saying, but we are proud to introduce, in his debut with Echoingwalls Music, (and our first official artist release of 2009), Stone Stedman.
It’s a little bit of rock, a little bit of country, and very fun to listen to. You can listen to his debut single, 3 Nights in Vegas right from our homepage, (full feature and artist website coming soon). Instant download also available. http://www.echoingwalls.com
3 Nights in Vegas instant download: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3526701
Don’t forget to join the Soundbox Newsletter for all the latest updates, events, artists and all the insider information just for members… http://www.echoingwalls.com/newsletter
We have a lot more music coming your way so stay tuned!
Echoingwalls Music Soundbox Press http://www.echoingwalls.com
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
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Current mood:  annoyed
Category: Music
Over the past twenty years we've seen a shift in the way the music industry has changed. The shift has been even more dramatic as little as five and ten years ago. It wasn't too long ago that I received a letter from an independent musician in Michigan and it looked all too familiar. This musican, who will remain anonymous, is 24 years old, works a 40 hour week and plays a local gig every now and again. Two years ago he signed to a rather large label, (which will also remain anonymous). The usual thing happened. He got some radio play, did a few shows, released an album and two years later has nothing to show for any of it. When the contract had expired they wouldn't renew the contract and was told that his style had already saturated the market and unless he had that something extra there wasn't anything they could do for him. From his point of view he was destined to not play music. Needless to say, when he wrote me he was frustrated and almost bitter. Then he asked a question that set me back a bit. He asked, "What happened to the time when good music was enough to make a living?" Remember that shift I mentioned? As someone for the past 7 years has succeeded in a business that focusses on independent music, I had to tell him that it hasn't changed. What has changed, and I'm sad to say it, is that music tools have gone from being a private enterprise to a public one. A few years ago you had to be a musican to make music. What I mean is that in general terms you would have to know how to read and write music, and at the very least play an instrument or sing to be considered a musician. Even today when I tell someone I'm a musician 99% of them ask me, "what do you play?" Today, anyone can buy a software package, throw together a few sounds and make a really good sound and they pass it off as "music" and expect to follow the dream of playing on stage. To be quite cynical, anyone who has a gift for lyrics and rhyming can make a beat and become a star. Quite frankly the only true respect I have to give are to real musicians who play an instrument and sing and perform, yes, even to the DJ who can mix and spin for hours on end in a club. I give respect to the lyricist who come up with amazing lines that is pure peotry in it's own right. I'm not saying that someone who doesn't know how to read or write music can be a musician, because there are exceptions. What I am saying is that too many people try to be musicians when they have no business. I've seen people who sound amazing on a "doctored" cd that came from an engineer's studio and heard them live and they are absolutely tone deaf and can't sing a song for their supper. Ironically I've seen someone with no talent on stage making money and being served drinks from behind the bar by the next Jimmy Hendrix. So what changed in the past 20 years? Tune in next week for the next segment where I go over the changes that toppled the music industry on it's head, and how an independent artist can not just survive in the industry but make a very good living doing it. Dexter Nelson Echoingwalls Music http://www.echoingwalls.com
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
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Current mood:  excited
Category: Blogging
Hey everybody. I've been gone for way too long, but I'm back now. You all know how busy gets sometimes.
Like I told one of my firends, I've been really busy and got lost in the business world and couldn't see past the end of my nose... or was it the stack of paperwork? <--verbatim! 
I've added some pictures (by popular demand lol). There has been alot going on since I've been gone, so drop me a line and we'll catch up.
By the way, yes, I still run both businesses so by all means, hit me up.
Dexter
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Friday, January 25, 2008
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Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Music
Dateline: Friday, January 25th, 2008 Soundbox Press Echoingwalls Music Issue 1 ----------------------------------------
Welcome myspacers to the first issue of the Soundbox Newsletter for 2008! I hope everyone had a great holiday season.
2008 is set to be a big year for Echoingwalls Music. There is a lineup of new artists and incredible new content.
With that said, there is something a bit more serious that I will address. Many of you have asked about the radio station and why it has been down.
================================================================================
The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) successfully lobbied the US Government for strict and costly fees based on the simulcast performance of music.
What can you do?
Stop Greed Before You Lose Free Radio. A bill named the "Performance Rights Act" was introduced in Congress on December 18, 2007 that would impose a significant fee on Radio Broadcasters for the use of ANY music at all.
The Bill, H.R. 4789, would require all radio broadcasters to pay a fee that would somehow be divided among all musical artists regardless of musical genre.
The proposed fee is backed by the recording industry, which will divide a full 50% of the billions of dollars generated annually. Artists will reportedly receive 45% of the take, and backup artists will split 5%. Among the questions this poses:
1) How will an artist receive a fair share when pooled together with tens of thousands of other artists?
2) How will ANY artist be properly represented and register to receive a "fair" share?
3) If this is a "Performance Right", how did a starting flat fee of $5,000 come about?
Write Your Representatives. You can Keep Radio Free by asking them to vote NO on this unfair legislation.
View the Performance Rights Act here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.4789:
Find your Representative here: http://www.house.gov/writerep Find your Senator here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NC
================================================================================ What does this mean for Echoingwalls Music Radio?
Under the current laws, it is unlikely that many radio stations will resume their Internet broadcasts, however, Echoingwalls Music is all about new, local, and unsigned artists, and do not affected by the new Act.
For now the radio station is down pending new upgrades.
What changes will occur as a result of the new Act?
Because of the new Act, Echoingwalls Music Radio is dumping all existing music and starting fresh. What this means is that any artist that have previously been aired on our radio station will no longer be aired.
There is a slight change in the process of receiving radio play. ANY artist interested in receiving radio play will be required to sign the updated waivers and release information.
The artist information on our website, (including profiles), will also be removed upon the next update, but will be replaced soon with new artist content.
Keep your eyes open for the next issue of the Soundbox Newsletter. There will be an early preview of the artists and the music that will grace the feature and profile sections of our website.
I also encourage everyone to download the Echoingwalls Music Toolbar. It allows quick access to many features of our website, including the radio station, (plays from the toolbar), and has many useful tools to boot.
Works for IE and Firefox, and includes an uninstaller. http://echoingwallsmusic.ourtoolbar.com
Thanks everybody! See you in the next issue...
Dexter Nelson Echoingwalls Music http://www.echoingwalls.com
---------------------------------------- NEWSLETTER NOTICE: ---------------------------------------- This is a subscriber preferred newsletter, and you are reading this weeks after it was released. To get this and more weeks before it is released to the public, ceome an insider and register today! Click here - it's free!
The Soundbox Newsletter was issued by the Soundbox Press, a division of Echoingwalls Music.
Copyright Echoingwalls Music © All rights reserved.
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Tuesday, September 11, 2007
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Category: Music
Dateline: Monday, September 10th, 2007 Soundbox Press Echoingwalls Music Issue 14 ----------------------------------------
Hey everyone,
I hope everyone is doing well. It's a busy week for me. There are a lot of projects on the table and a lot of things happening. Let me just cover a couple of them here.
============= MP3 HOSTING: ============= It's not up on the website yet, but there is a new service. It has actually been in planning for some time and in this next week it will be up and running.
Echoingwalls Music will begin providing MP3 hosting.
One of our goals has always been to put the focus on the artist and their resources, so unlike other hosting services where you have to go to a different site to make purchases, listen to music, or download, this service allows you to use it on your site.
For the Echoingwalls Music website, the process is reversed. Instead of putting up purchase links on our site, you will be able to preview the songs on our site, but purchase them from the artist website.
The only exception would be artists who want a hands-off approach.
Stay tuned to the echoingwalls.com for more updates.
========================== ECHOINGWALLS MUSIC RADIO: ========================== First off, BIG thanks to all of you for supporting my little radio station. Since the lauch a few years ago, it has gone from 10 listeners to supporting over 10,000 listeners!
In the past few months, the station has been up and down with listeners and programming, but it remains a very good station, serving up the best music you've never heard, all commercial free.
ok. We all knew this was coming sooner or later, but the format is going to change in the next few weeks.
Starting today, Echoingwalls Music Radio is accepting proposals from companies and commercial entities for commercials and radio promotion. We are also accepting and reviewing content for program broadcasting.
I am currently in the process of doing the layout for demographics, time slots, etc.
***If you are in need of either promotion and advertising, or have a radio program that you are interested in getting off the ground, NOW IS THE TIME to contact me!***
I can't stress that enough. I am working with a very strict time schedule, so contact me ASAP. Don't wait.
The reason why the format is changing is to provide funding for a new studio and classroom. All proceeds will go towards the new building fund.
I will periodically update you on this.
========= CHANGES: ========= One of the things that I am getting rid of is the event calendar on the home page. While it looks good there just isn't any use for it now that the events RSS feed is up and running. Everyone uses the feed now and the calendar is simply obsolete.
** If you have an event then go to and bookmark this url. http://www.echoingwalls.com/rss.shtml
Once submissions are reviewed, they will be added to the feed. I've rolled back the feed and deleted all events except for two. Here is the url.
http://www.echoingwalls.com/events.xml - bookmark this url as well.
============ BOOK DRIVE: ============ As most of you know one of my personal goals is to help others. I love to give and as a result, over the years there have been several drives and charities that I have adopted, given to, and have raised funds for.
This time around, the need is a personal need as it affects one of my own family members. I could go into a long seguay about it, but it's best if she tells you herself in her own words.
*NOTE: Forge is a 501(3) C company. If you make a donation, it is tax deductible.
=============================================== What a blessed year 2007 has been for me so far! God has managed to open many doors, and has allowed me to see great blessings and we are no where near done with 2007. I've especially been blessed to be a youth leader at c3 church for the last year. Seeing the next generation inspired and growing in Christ has changed me personally in ways I can not describe.
Growing in Christ, I have noticed the need in my heart to do more to impact the Kingdom of God. Youth and Missions especially has been the major call God has placed on my heart. I don't know for certain where God is taking me, but I do know that God has called me to be a leader to everyone around me, to inspire and empower them to grow in Christ.
This year, God has opened up a door to me to be a part of a leadership and ministry program called the Forge. The Forge is a ministry of a Christian camp in Tyler, Texas called Pine Cove. The purpose of Forge is to sharpen and mold all who attend to be leaders for Christ. I will get opportunities to learn from various ministry speakers inside classroom settings, and get to learn from physical labor outside the classroom. I will be in a small sized group, approximately 14-16 students, who will learn and grow together in Christ. I encourage you to visit the website www.pinecove.com to read and listen to the training God has called me to!
As God molds me to be the servant He wants me to be, I need your support as I begin this journey. Above all else, I ask for your prayers, not only for me, but for the other students accepted in this program as we all are asked to step outside our comfort zone. Financially, I am responsible for fundraising $7,000 towards the cost of the program. Since I am not able to pay all this myself, I am hoping you will be willing to invest a one-time tax-deductible donation towards my experience at Forge. Any donation size of 25, 50, 100 makes a huge impact!
Do not worry if you can not help contribute financially. Above all else, I want your prayers. Please agree with me in prayer that in my life, I will only follow God's will. Furthermore, when I go to Forge, God will stretch me and remold me to the image He sees of me in His own eyes. Thank-you.
Want to donate but not sure where to start?
First, keep in mind, that you are actually donating to the company and not to Christal directly. So all reciept will come from the Forge not from Christal and are tax deductible.
To make a donation: go online to pinecove.com
Instructions for giving online: 1) go to http://www.pinecove.com 2) click the (orange) box on bottom of the screen that says donate 3) in the pop-up box go to where it says designated giving 4) fill in that information... VERY IMPORTANT *all donations sent in must have Christal N. or I wont recieve credit.... 5) fill in credit card information.
Thanks, Christal ===============================================
My father and I are holding a book drive, for my book, Music for the Simple Man, and his book, His Unseen Presence. Throughout this month and October the goal is help my sister raise the funds.
http://www.lulu.com/content/180674 - Music for the Simple Man http://www.lulu.com/content/550282 - His Unseen Presence
All proceeds are going to Forge on behalf of my sister. By the way, Forge is a 501(3) C company. If you make a donation, it is tax deductible.
She has already done an amazing job and has raised $3,000.00 towards her goal! She is currently in Texas and it's now up to my family to help her raise the last $4,000.00.
Through her busy schedule in Texas, my sister has agreed to keep everyone updated, so here is the url to her new blogspot. http://texasloveschristal.blogspot.com/
Ok. Here is where it gets good. Today and tomorrow as I am updating the website I will put up a form for all of you to fill out. When you buy either book, or give a donation you will get a free copy of one of the Echoingwalls Music Top 10 cd's for download!
Also, if you would prefer, you may also receive free advertising and promotion for your business or project for the entire year my sister is in Texas.
Even if you don't want any of those things, then please fill out the form anyway. My sister would like to know who is giving so that she may send a personal thank you.
=============== EXTRAS: ===============
One last thing before I close the newsletter. The new schedule for the Music Theory I course will be updated on the website with the next update, (some time this week). Again, early registration is vital.
The last 3 class sessions filled up very quickly, and there are people already in line for the next one. I have very limited capacity and if you don't register early you stand a very good chance of missing an opportunity.
Thanks everybody as always. I know this was a long one and a lot to take in. I'll see you all in the next issue!
Thanks everybody!
Dexter Nelson Echoingwalls Music http://www.echoingwalls.com
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Friday, August 17, 2007
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Current mood:  excited
Category: Music
Echoingwalls Music proudly presents the annual Top 10 Countdown - times two!
2007 has been an incredible year in the world on local and indie music and we still have four and a half months left to the year!
Here's the deal. We have run into the best and brightest musicians and artists that 2007 has to offer, (thus far), and it's time to showcase your talents like never before.
We want you to submit your content for all of Echoingwalls Music's listeners to vote on for the top 20 of 2007. All contestants get free radio play on our radio station and features on both our website and radio website.
This year though. Instead of 1 top winner there will be 2 top winners that will receive high level marketing packages, that includes television spots, sales promotions and more. The total package is valued at $2,500.00 and each of our winners will get it for free.
Stay tuned to Echoingwalls Music for rules, regulations, instructions and more, (coming in just 2 weeks)!
Sign up for the Soundbox, the Official Echoingwalls Music newsletter and get all of the information first, plus insiders specials and more.
Check out the website at: http://www.echoingwalls.com
Click on "SoundBox" on the home page, or visit: http://www.echoingwalls.com/newsletter/
Thanks everybody,
Dexter Nelson Echoingwalls Music http://www.echoingwalls.com
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Monday, June 18, 2007
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Current mood:  annoyed
Category: News and Politics
Alright. I know I have strong opinions, but at least I'm honest. I can't believe how much flak I'm getting over this. From the beginning...
http://www.myspace.com/taniatennebaun
Look at that profile...
Now here was my comment on it.
Every nation in the world ever has come from a puranitical beginning. Every war, every fight, every act you've ever heard of dispute has it's roots in one form of difference or another.
To point out the US has puranitacal foundations, that was already known. We're no different than any other nation in our beginning.
As for suffering around the world... there will always be poor and needy. Always has been, always will be.
We can't police the world. We can offer aid and assistance, but we can't push our values on to someone else.
There is an old saying that says give a man a fish and feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.
The world right now needs education and the tools to make themselves prosper. We can't keep sending food indefinitely. There comes a point when assistance becomes disablement and we are very close to that point.
It make me sick to see that an organization like American Idol ask and rally others to support overseas and not give a penny themselves.
Which begs the question, what the heck is "American" idol trying to accomplish in Africa?
You show pictures taken from Africa and new guinea and the tradgedies from other countries. I find it odd and bizarre that you wouldn't have a single picture of the homeless guy sleeping in the box a few blocks from downtown, or the people who suffer while they wait on a donor, or the kids who are battered and abused right in our own country.
You can't help take care of someone else when you can't even take care of yourself.
That's one of the things that people hate about the US. I heard a comedian call it the "hypocracy of our democracy" and he was right.
So I get this message from some dude.
"the last comment u just left on that girls page with the afrikan suffering pics. That bitch is a fed homie, she has 2 other pages just like it adding anyone who goes against the govt. The snakes is out cut ya grass."
I just have one question... what does her being a Fed have to do with anything?
Well.. I have a few more questions too. So what if she's a fed? Am I not entitled to disagree with something? Was it not a part of my inaliable, constitutional rights to excercise my 2 cents?
Come to think of it... what was anti-gov't about saying policing the world isn't the solution to poverty? What was anti-gov't about saying that many find our system to be hypocracy?
Wake up... for goodness sake... ask any American if they could think of one hypocratic flaw in the US and I'm quite sure they can come up with more than on.
And to you dude who sent me the "she's a fed" note... why the heck are you paying attention to Feds on myspace? Can't a person leave a comment. I mean, that's what it's there for...
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Monday, April 23, 2007
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Category: Music
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!
Dateline: Monday, April 23rd, 2007 Soundbox Press Echoingwalls Music Subject: Artist/Music Promotion
Contact: Dexter Nelson Phone: 919-934-0277 Fax: 877-505-0476 -----------------------------------------------
ATTN: Artists and Musicians,
Echoingwalls Music has officially re-introduced artist/music promotion and management as a part of its services. These services will help artists to maximize profit from sales as well as build a stronger market and fan base.
Our management services will give artists a solid foundation for success. Our focus is to provide the artist with the essentials from portfolio, music release, web development, music and video services, and booking. The artist is our main priority and when under management, we serve as watchdogs. We make sure that the artist is protected and receives the best possible deal in any venture.
Our promotion services are one of the best. We have built a powerful network which includes magazines, mainstream and college radio, and television, and you will see results from the very first press release.
If you are an artist and you are serious about success, whether you want to be signed to a label or remain in control of your own career, Echoingwalls Music is the right choice. We not only rely on other networks to help you make money, but we have built our own private market which includes our own radio station.
It is also important to mention that we DO NOT take take music rights. Unlike other labels and services who take control of your copyrights, we do not. You remain in control, we just manage and promote.
To contact us about promotion, management or to speak with a representative, please call 919-934-0277.
Dexter Nelson Echoingwalls Music http://www.echoingwalls.com
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