168 Feng Shui Advisors Newsletter - December 2005
Hi Everyone,
It has been quite a while since we sent out a newsletter. There are several reasons for this:
1. Development of a new site and blog
2. Development of new online classes
3. Using RSS for communication more frequently
Plus:
4. The 2006 Chinese Astrology and Feng Shui Guide
Let me address these various topics:
1. Site Redesign
We have redesigned the 168 Feng Shui Advisors’ site, making the entire site more dynamic and interactive. Using state-of-the-art technology, we now have a site that can accept more frequent updates and provide links to external readers (RSS - more about that in a moment). We have tried to make the site easier to navigate and more useful. We invite you to check it out at http://www.168fengshui.com You will find that now News, Articles and Blog, and Free tips are all seperated at the top of the page. You can read through these one by one or by clicking on the topic summary. We think you will like this new format. Please comment to this page and let us know what you think!
2. New online Feng Shui classes
We have also been working on new advanced online Feng Shui classes at the American Feng Shui Institute. These classes include:
Tai Sui, Year Breaker, and San Sha class
Marriage and life partner selection class
Pie Chart vs. 9 square grid (available soon)
Site Selection (available soon)
The AFSI classes lays out the concepts of Feng Shui in a straightfoward and easy to understand manner. This material has been taught to thousands of students worldwide and has been refined to get directly to the point. The classes do what reading books and general websites cannot. They present the material in a structured, organized and clear manner, with ongoing support from trained instructors. You can give the classes a try with the free online seminar at http://www.amfengshui.com/introsignup.htm
3. RSS and Syndication
With the new website design, we now have the ability to immediately post updates and articles through the use of RSS (Really Simple Syndication). This means that as soon as a new article, tip, or news item is posted to the site, you can see it and read it on an RSS reader. What is an RSS reader? You may already be using one and not even know it. An RSS reader can take the form of a homepage such as my.yahoo.com or my.msn.com or it can be through the use of blog website such as http://www.Bloglines.com or http://www.Pluck.com. You can subscribe to our “blog” posts through these readers or by clicking on the orange RSS icon 
This image is found on our site along with shortcuts to subscribe to other readers.
If you click on the RSS icon, then you will be taken to a page that explains RSS in more detail.
Here are the advantages of RSS:
1. Saving time. Just as TiVo lets you watch TV more efficiently, RSS feeds do the same for the Web. It lets you speed-read the Net.
2. Convenience: By collecting headlines from dozens of sources on a single screen, RSS — a combination of push and pull technology — enables users to see at a glance when a site or blog has been updated without having to keep revisiting the site. RSS cuts to the chase: no pop-up ads (at this point, anyway), and you can set your news reader to allow or disallow photos and graphics.
3. Access to a richer pool of material. By building an ad hoc online network of friends, experts and news sources, you cast your net over a wider range of material, expanding the range of news topics tracked.
4. Zero in on the info you want. RSS parses news and information on the subjects you want. The result is a targeted or personalized news experience, giving you greater ability to tailor your consumption of niche and micro-niche topics. A sports junkie could subscribe to a feed for the Tour de France or a favorite baseball team. A job-hunter could subscribe to a feed for openings in digital media. A medical editor or relative of someone with MS could receive RSS updates published to a health database.
5. RSS can serve as an alert service. Instead of using e-mail, you might want to customize your news reader to deliver news on an important subject every 15 minutes.
6. RSS levels the playing field. By flattening out authority, RSS puts micro-publishers and friends on the same footing as major news sites in your news reader.
7. RSS drives conversation. Feeds are a chief mechanism driving timely interactions and can be conducive to an ongoing dialogue.
So give it a try. Click on our RSS link to find out how to add our articles to your favorite home page or try out one of the other reader services. I personally like http://www.pluck.com
4. 2006 Chinese Astrology and Feng Shui Guide
The 2006 Chinese Astrology and Feng Shui guide is out. This makes an excellent gift for the holidays.
It includes astrological predictions for all of the 12 animal signs. Always interesting is the Feng Shui predictions and recommendations for the upcoming year. It also includes a 12 month calendar of events to guide you in life and business. You can now get it at amazon.com or through the AFSI website.
Lastly, we want to wish everyone a a happy and peaceful holiday season and a wonderful New Year!
Sincerely,
168 Feng Shui Advisors
