Legal Disclaimer:

The following article is for your reading enjoyment only in regard to free WordPress themes with sponsored encrypted footer links and should not be construed as legal advice. You take full responsibility for you own actions and should consult a lawyer or do further research before taking any action to remedy themes that have encrypted footer links. Themebot is not liable in any way for the actions you take regarding the information presented in this article.

With that said, this article will address the issues with sponsored links in WordPress themes and give a technique to remove the encrypted code in the footer without messing up the theme. A few months ago, a visitor left a comment on one of the WordPress themes called "Kindergarten" in relation to the license and encrypted footer links contained in the theme. It was mentioned that the encrypted code presents a security concern, because malicious code could be included with the theme and there is no way to audit for it.

Themebot has been aware for a long time that WordPress theme designers often encrypt the sponsored links at the bottom of the WordPress themes they add. This wasn't the first time somebody complained about this, and it brought to mind the possibility of disallowing themes that contain encryption. Some sites that provide directories for free WordPress themes do not allow themes to be listed if they use encryption, and the free themes directory on WordPress.org doesn't even allow themes with sponsored links at all. However, this is not the best solution, because there are a lot of high quality themes that have sponsored / encrypted links. Instead of prohibiting members from uploading such themes and removing all of the existing themes with encryption, Themebot decided it would be better to write an article explaining why it is a bad idea to use these themes along with a tutorial outlining an easy method to remove the encrypted code. This way your selection of themes is not limited and it is up to you to decide whether or not to use such a theme. You will also have the tools to take care of the encrypted code if so desired.

First, it is important to understand why sponsored links are harmful and you should keep reading if you are considering using a WordPress theme that has encrypted links. If you would like to just skip ahead to the method for removing encrypted links, click here.

Introducing Mini Mi...

Last year, several sections were added to Themebot for laptop deals with coupons from various computer vendors. That area of the site was pretty small. I would hand-pick the best deals and post them there so that visitors could save money. The main focus was computer companies that provide laptops with Linux pre-installed. Shortly after adding a section for HP coupon codes, I decided it would be better to move this to a completely separate website, so that it could be more easily maintained and expanded to provide many more coupons and deals than what is possible in a small section on Themebot. Thus, Coupons Dealuxe was created and the HP Coupons section was transferred over. Be sure to check it out if you are looking to buy a new HP laptop or desktop. The HP coupons for laptops tend to go very quickly, sometimes reaching the redemptions cap in less than 24 hours.

Recently, I won an HP Mini 1000 Mi Netbook in a drawing. WOOHOO! I was even more excited when I found out that the Mini 1000 Mi would be shipping with an operating system based on Ubuntu. I was a little concerned that HP may have neutered Ubuntu to provide the Mobile internet experience. "Mi" is an acronym for "Mobile internet". I guess HP didn't want to scare anybody with the idea of using Linux :P

So, I got the HP Mini 1000 Mi about a week ago. Let's just call it Mini Mi.

Does Dr. Evil approve?

Yes! The Mini Mi is better than frickin' sharks with laser beams attached to their heads!

Affirmative.

It is the distant future and the humans are dead! While I was busy building websites, Themebot was busy scheming to take over the world. Unbeknownst to me, my entire central nervous system and brain were replaced with a motherboard and circuitry while sleeping. I still look human and smell like a human, but I am now a robohumanoid.

There are other humans who were chosen to be spared, who were not exterminated by the poisonous gases. If you are reading this, rest assured that you too are a robohumanoid. Themebot has saved the world and there is no more unhappiness. Time to party, robo style!

To New MacBook or not to New Macbook? That is the question.

I was talking to a friend recently and he told me about his experience trying out the new MacBook Pro that his friend just bought. I have been keeping an eye on Apple, and was intrigued by the news about the new Multi-Touch trackpad.

If you have been reading the blogs I post on Themebot, you probably noticed that I have been down on Apple. All my friends know this, and it is somewhat surprising because I grew up with Mac computers. You would think I'd be a loyal Mac user. However, I had some major usability issues with the Macbook I owned one year ago and decided to sell it. My biggest complaint about Apple laptops has always been the single mouse-button.

It looks like Apple may have finally solved the one mouse-button issue that has plagued all of the previous generation MacBooks, MacBook Pros and Powerbooks. The new Multi-Touch trackpad let's you assign a region for right-click. This would be a much better option than the carpal tunnel inducing two-finger right-click. And I could actually get some work done on the go without having to take an external mouse with me.

To sum up what my friend had to say about the New Macbook... "Very, very nice." With my interest perked, I started in on the MacBook research. After doing some bargain hunting, I found what is currently the Lowest Price on the New Macbook and it was posted to Coupons Dealuxe. Then I started reading up on the specs. Very impressive!

After filing a complaint with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) Kontera is still refusing to pay my account balance, even though I was fully within their terms of service. It looks like I am going to have to take them to small claims court. Frustrating, because I have already wasted way more time trying to get the payment than what I would have been making working an hourly wage, not to mention all the time spent signing up for the account, integrating the Kontera tag and then trouble-shooting the website when the tag started conflicting with other code and broke the downloads section.

In this article, I will specifically address why you should avoid using Kontera ContentLink ads and discuss generally why it is a bad idea to use in-text advertising on a website.

If you are not familiar with Kontera ContentLink advertising, it is the double underline links you see on some blogs and forums. When you mouse-over the link, an ad pops up. ContentLink is Kontera's specific brand; there are other advertisers who offer this type of advertising. Generally, it is referred to as "in-text contextual advertising".

Kontera ContentLink Ads are not Relevant

Look more closely at the picture above. This is a cropped screen shot taken from a website with Kontera ads. The screen shot was taken shortly before I started writing this article and it was the first link I moused-over to view a Kontera ad. You will notice that the mouse is hovering over "HTML tag". The ad that is displayed is for free Married With Children episodes.

First of all, I can't think of a more pointless way to waste my time than watching old re-runs of the TV show, Married with Children. But what is really glaring in this example is that free Married with Children episodes have nothing to do with an "HTML tag". Is this supposed to be contextual advertising? Obviously, Kontera's algorithm for determining relevancy sucks. That was my impression while running Kontera ads on Themebot for several months, and seeing that ad today only confirms my opinion. Obviously, if you have a website and use Kontera, your visitors aren't going to appreciate seeing the irrelevant ads.

Do you tend to buy on impulse? Do you later find yourself searching for a better deal, even after your purchase has been shipped? Do you ever have buyer's remorse?

You are not alone. 7 out of 10 shoppers world-wide suffer from After Shopping Syndrome (ASS) at some point in their lives. This crippling disorder causes distress among shoppers who find out they could have gotten a better deal. ASS leads to an overall lack of satisfaction with and enjoyment of products.

There is hope...

Coupons Dealuxe is a potent new website specifically formulated to ensure that you get the best deal possible. Coupons Dealuxe is clinically proven to alleviate and, in most cases, completely eliminate the symptoms caused by ASS. You will no longer feel like a dumb ASS for spending too much money.

Whether you are looking for HP Coupons or a HostGator Coupons, Coupons Dealuxe is guaranteed to put some Cha-Ching in your shopping experience.

If you or your loved ones are suffering from ASS, ask your doctor about Coupons Dealuxe today!

*Warning, side-effects may include:

• Uncontrollable excitement
• Irrational exuberance
• Happy dances in front of computer
• Bloating of wallet
• Bulging of purse
• Stocking up like a chipmunk getting ready for winter

While searching for computer manufacturers that offer Linux laptops, I was happy to discover that Lenovo has a selection of ThinkPads that can be ordered pre-configured with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. As a result, a new page has been added to the Goodies section: Lenovo Coupons / Coupon Codes.

The current list of Lenovo laptops with SUSE is a bit sparse (only three models) but the coupon codes work for any of the models listed, regardless of OS.

Personally, I'd rather run OpenSUSE and load it on Lenovo X300 ThinkPad. Either that or stick with Ubuntu, which is currently my operating system of choice. The selection of ThinkPads with Linux will undoubtedly expand to include more models as more people start using Linux. One of the obstacles to getting up and running with Linux can be driver support. As more manufacturers start supporting Linux with drivers, the whole experience will be smoother and there will not be any excuses left for wasting money on a proprietary operating system.

Sign the Petition!

Well, well. It looks like Facebook just got a chin tuck! The website was recently reworked to make the user interface better. Does this mean we can finally customize / customise our Facebook profile pages?... Nope. Is it time to get out the BOTOX? Well, there is more than one way to skin a Facebook.

Keep reading to find out how to customise your Facebook profile.