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Friday, October 29, 2010

How to recover deleted or lost files

It's a sickening feeling, the moment you realise that some important document, or irreplaceable photos have vanished from your computer. But that is no reason to despair. The chances are that the data is still present, even if you know you deleted it. Your computer operating system just does not know how to find it any more.

The four most common reasons for data loss are:

* Deletion. You deleted the file by accident during a disk cleanup, or because you thought it was no longer required. It is not in the Recycle Bin. However, the data will still exist until the space it occupied on the disk is are-used by another file. 
* Overwriting. You saved a new file over the top of the old one. However, the old data may still exist, and be recoverable.
* File system corruption. The disk suddenly appears empty, or the file and folder names contain gibberish. The files probably still exist, but the pointers to them have been lost or corrupted and the operating system cannot find them.
* Physical damage or hardware failure. You receive error messages when you try to read the disk, or it is not recognised by the computer at all. The data is still likely to be present on the disk itself, but the drive is incapable of accessing it. 

In each case, there is a good chance that the data still exists. The computer operating system isn't able to see it, but data recovery software may be able to. If the problem is a hardware failure then a data recovery service may be able to get back the data using special equipment.

Prepare for data recovery 

There is one cardinal rule of data recovery: for the best chance of recovering the files you must not write any new data to the disk they were stored on. The old data will only remain on the disk until the space it occupied is used by another file. If the disk is your computer's main drive, then the drive is being written to all the time. You should turn off the computer immediately, and use another computer to search for a solution to recover your data. You should put your computer's hard disk in another computer to do the data recovery, or use data recovery that runs from a CD or floppy disk, because installing the data recovery software on the drive could overwrite the very data you want to recover.

Choosing the data recovery method

Data recovery tools use different methods to try to recover data. Some tools are designed for recovering deleted files, others are better at restoring overwritten files, or recovering files from disks that are physically damaged. Some data recovery software products have been developed specifically for recovering photo images, or Microsoft Word or Excel document files. Such products may succeed where others fail because they understand what these files look like, and can recognise their data when other clues to its existence have vanished.

It can be difficult to choose the most appropriate data recovery method.tech pro has created a website called Get Data Back. It has a Data Recovery Wizard that asks questions about the data you have lost and how it was lost, and then recommends the product  that is most likely to be successful. It will also advise you if it would be better to use a professional data recovery service. Give the Get Data Back data recovery site (http://www.get-data-back.com) a try if you need to recover lost files. 

Online Auction Sites: Oh The Possibilities!

Online Auction sites are set up in such a way that they can be very profitable both for you and for the  Auction house itself. But, what most people do not realize is that there is a world that is beyond that of Ebay! Yes, there are many other Online Auction sites for you to consider. Take a look at your options and see just what they offer you before you get started bidding on the web. 

Let?s face it, Ebay is the largest Online Auction site . It has become so very successful because of its vast marketing plan and the ease of use it offers its users. Everyone knows that if you can find something in the local retail area or you can find it online that you will likely find it too right on the Ebay Online Auction site. 

So, how does it all work? Online Auction sites are set up to allow for a meeting place of bidders and sellers. They do not sell products themselves but provide a meeting environment for you to find the people you are looking for. Of course to list a product to be sold, or in some cases to purchase a product on the web, you will be charged a fee. This is a necessary part of doing business on these websites but in cases like Ebay, it has become an excellent source of revenue as well 

So, who else is out there? There are other online auction sites that you should take a good look at. These include the following:

? TradeMe 
? Yahoo! 
? EBid 
? Internet Bargain Center 
? Marktplaats 
? Bidville as well as many more 

There are many benefits to using these online auction sites including the ease of connecting with prospective buyers, the use of 24/7 availability, and worldwide exposure to say the least. Many people find excellent reasons to get into the online auction site as a business as well. There is no limit to what can be found on these websites. Taking a look at those that are less well known can be an excellent opportunity as well. 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

How To Massively Increase Traffic To Your Website


This article gives advice and information on how to increase traffic to your website. There is obviously no point in having a superb looking, content rich site if only a few people can see it.

One of the best ways of gaining additional traffic is to build up the number of backward links you have pointing to your website. The best form of link is a one-way link, where a website adds a link to your site but does not get one back from you. There are a number of ways of obtaining these type of links including:

Writing articles. Writing articles like this one has many benefits. Other webmasters may add the article to their blog or website and this creates you a one-way link. The people reading the article are also potential visitors to your site.

Purchasing a text-link advert on a quality site. If the site in question has a high page rank value, this is then passed onto your site. The advert itself just like any advert can also attract people to your site.

Joining in debates in various forums. I enjoy reading and contributing to forums. Not only do I learn a great deal, I am also able to get links back to my sites when I make a comment.

Submitting your site to directories. 

Making comments on other peoples blogs. This is my least favourite of all of these examples as it can be seen as spam. Other people however do think it can prove to beneficial. I must say that I stay away from anything that could be seen as spam.

Where possible the website which includes a link to your site needs to be in the same industry as your own website. These backward links have a much higher value in the eyes of the search engines.

I have to admit that it is extremely hard to obtain these type of links especially on a one-way basis.

What we therefore need is a solution and here it is. I believe it is a good idea to build a network of sites on the same theme as the main website. Each of the sites in the network has a link pointing to the main site and after promoting each of the sites, you will then have a number of themed and powerful one-way backward links which will make the original site like an authority in its own field.

If you are struggling to find content you could use other peoples articles to help you. It is a good idea to have each of the sites in the network on a different server. This however can be very expensive and therefore for a smaller business may not be best advice.

To help fund the cost of the network you could add google adsense onto all of the new sites. This may not bring in huge amounts of money but could go some way to helping with hosting and domain renewal costs.

In the future this network could be worth thousands of pounds if you have spent enough time promoting each site. At this stage you have the option of selling the network and relaxing or enjoying the benefits yourself that it will no doubt bring.

I believe the writing of quality articles for re-print and the building of themed network websites is the future of the internet for people who want to be successful webmasters. Good luck. 

Data Recovery Services: What To Do When Your Hard Drive Fails

According to most people, there are two types of hard drives: those that have failed and those that will fail. But for folks who use Data Recovery Services, there is a third type of hard drive: one that does not fail.

A hard drive is the most vulnerable part of a computer; it has moving gears and is hence prone to wear and tear. So when you need hard disk data recovery, you must deeply consider the service and practice of the various repair companies in your area. A company that has been around the block more than a few times is ideal.

But more importantly, experts that ask questions and appreciate your situation are a necessity; companies that approach your needs in an impersonal way simply cannot diagnose your computer problems properly. For example, an expert who is on hand to ask specific questions about your hard disk will know whether or not to go about repair with mere software or through more professional means.

There are a variety of problems that lead to hard drive failure. If the hard drive is part of a mirror set, mirrored stripe set, or stripe set with uniformity, then all you will need to do is replace the drive – any lost data will mechanically regenerate.

A local service company can handle all your concerns though. Fixing a hard drive yourself is a tedious process, requiring lots of time and even research. Your next-door neighbor might be a computer geek, but that doesn't mean his or her advice is remotely accurate. After all, a computer can fail for many different reasons and they are not always easy to pinpoint.

The ideal solution is usually to replace a failed drive and re-establish your backup. This does not always work though, as many people find the necessary backup is outdated or sometimes, non-existent.

If a hard drive is beyond repair, data recovery is obviously not an option. So prepare for unexpected charges; you might have to buy a whole new drive. In this case, just be careful when replacing it, as you don't want to lose your data. 

I'm new to Ebay, What Scams Are Out There?

I have been looking at the possibility of doing some Ebay trading. And, since I have been on the Internet for a while, I decided that I should see what Ebay scams, if any, was floating about. Why? It is always good to be aware of the good, the bad, and the ugly of any online venture. And since, I've seen all sides – it's wise to have cautious optimism.


Wholesale List Scam

With this scam, the wholesaler gives you a photo of say, a computer monitor or DVD – the buyer is under the assumption that they are buying a monitor or DVD, right? Wrong? You may only be buying a wholesale list. This is what they call a "bait and switch". They are hoping that the individual is in a hurry or cannot read English well, and they blindly buy. Rule of thumb: read 
everything before buying.

Note: Wholesale List scams are very common for monitors, laptops, camcorders, DVD players, flat screen televisions and mp3 players; cutting-edge electronic devices.

Fake Money Order

The buyer sends the seller a fake money order, a bad check – and the seller sends the item before the money order or check has been successfully cashed. Seller is out the item and the money.

Credit Card Chargebacks

The buyer pays with a credit card through Paypal. Once the buyer has received the item, the buyer initiates a chargeback. This is where the novice come in, if you do not have proof that the item was sent – you are out the money, the item, and you have to pay a chargeback fee. Rule of thumb: 
Send your item through UPS, or certified mail to protect yourself.

Fake Escrow Scam

The scammer says that they want to buy your item, but they want to use an escrow service. The purpose of the escrow service is to add a layer of protection for the buyer. They will hold on to the money, and once the buyer has received the item from the seller, the escrow service will release the money to the seller. This is where the scam comes in – The buyer will request that you use the escrow service that they, so they say, have used with other transactions. The escrow service is a front – set up by the buyer.


Email Ebay Scam
The email Ebay scam – is an email that says it has come from Ebay. The email will state that it looks like your account has been compromised and they would like your to verify the information, for your protection, of course. Never click the link. Open a new Internet session and manually type the information to get into your account.

Other email scams, include the fake payment received email. You will receive a payment-received notice, that looks authentic, but be aware, it could have been sent by the buyer. Never send anything, until you have verified that the payment has been received and the info received is valid.

To conclude, when you are looking at any new venture, it is always good to do the research and be aware of what you may be up against. It hard enough to start any business – and you definitely don't want anyone running off with your hard earned money. Being aware – can keep your business moving forward. 

Getting A Website: How To Get A Better Price From Your Web Designer

So you have decided you need a website. What next? 

Before you contact some web designers to get a quote, you will save yourself time, money and trouble by first sitting down and thinking about what you actually need. The more you can "nail down" your requirements, the more likely you are to get a better price, and not be surprised by getting a bill for extras at the end of the project. 

First, think about what you want from your website: 

Do you want to sell products online, using a shopping cart and some method of accepting payments? 

Do you want your site to be a "static" online brochure, showcasing your products or services? 

Do you want your site to generate leads & enquiries for you to follow up directly? 

Is your site primarily aimed at providing information for existing customers? 

Is your site going to be a useable, interactive service e.g. searchable property database? 

Now consider how many pages you will need. Web designers will use this as an important factor when quoting you; if you initially ask for too few, you may get a bill for extras. Ask for too many and you may be paying more than you need to. 

Think about the titles of the pages you need (as they appear in the site navigation) As a minimum, you will probably need "Home", "About Us" and "Contact Us". 

Now give some consideration to the design of the site. Do you have a colour scheme in mind? Do you want some Flash animation? What sort of imagery do you want used? TO get some ideas, surf the Net and note down any websites you find that you like the look of, and give the URL to web designers. This will help them get an idea of what you like. 

You should also consider which technical issues are important to you. 

Does you site need to be: 

* Fast Loading? If your target market are home users, a large proportion may still be on slower dial up internet connections. 

* Graphically Intensive? Perhaps you need to appeal to corporate users, by employing a strong, professional design. 

* Optimised for a particular screen resolution? Do you want the site to look best on 1024 x 768 resolution screens, or perhaps your target market is more likely to have older PC's with screen settings such as 800x600. 

* Updated yourself? If you regularly need to change the text/images of your site, you may need to ask for a quote for a Content Management System (CMS). Ask fort his to be identified as an optional cost, so you can judge if it is cost effective for you. Alternatively, you could purchase web editing software (such as Macromedia Contribute) though you will need to make your web designer aware that this is what you will be doing. 

* Aimed at specific end users? Perhaps your target market are printers or music industry professionals, who tend to use Apple Mac computers. If so, make your web designer aware of it – many designers do not pay much attention to checking web sites run correctly on Macs. 

By taking a little time to consider the needs of your website, you will help your web designer immensely, getting the site you want at a cost effective price. 

How To Choose A Shopping Cart Vendor For Your E-Commerce Site

E-commerce has exploded on the internet and many successful businesses exist solely on the web. And why not? With a virtual storefront, the overhead costs of running a business are greatly reduced. Therefore, with effective marketing, these businesses can hang on during the difficult early stages of a new business and are less dominated by cash flow while trying to stay afloat. 

One of the major reasons for the surge in online purchasing has been the convenience and security of the shopping cart feature on e-commerce sites. The virtual interface of putting things into a 'cart' has, at once, a comfortable familiarity and whimsy. It really is an elegant system that has won the confidence of the online shopper through its proven security.

There are many different vendors of shopping cart services. So how does one go about choosing the right one for their e-commerce site? 

The very first thing you have to do is to decide exactly what, and how much product you are going to be selling. Are you selling 1 item? A line of similar items? A catalog full of many different products, and if so, then how will your site present this catalog? 

What will be your volume of sales this year? Next year? In five years? Some shopping cart services are great for lower volume sales with less product variety and no catalog. Other shopping cart services allow for complex, high volume sales and catalog features. 

In terms of cost of the cart service, you need to find the shopping cart option that matches your selling volume. 

PayPal offers a fantastic, free-to-set-up shopping cart that is great for lower volume sales. Your fees to them are a percentage of each of your sales. In addition, you can automatically take major credit card payments without setting up credit card merchant services. This saves you $300-$400 right off the bat


For high volume sales you may pay less going with a shopping cart vendor that charges you a monthly fee rather than a percentage of your sales.

You also need to look at the purchase process the shopping cart service offers. Potential customers abandoning the purchase because they weren't shown the shipping costs before they were required to give their credit card information, for example, can be devastating to sales. The simpler, clearer and shorter the process from cart to sale, the better. At no point should the potential ciustomer feel that there is a surprise ahead.

Finally, the look of the shopping cart needs to fit the visual theme of your site. Most shopping cart services have several variations on a basic look. Make sure one of those variations works.

Basic services will range anywhere from $10 to $30 per month. Remember to add in the cost of credit card merchant services if you want to accept credit card customers. And this is highly recommended. The downside of online purchases is that the customer must wait for the item to be shipped. Having to wait even longer for a money order to be received, or worse, a check to clear, on top of shipping time reduces the convenience of online shopping to the point where sales could be lost. 

Web Site Promotion Secret Revealed

You've finished building your web site. Now there's all that invaluable traffic, just waiting to beat a path to your site. You've dotted all your i's, crossed all your t's and followed the standard to get the word out. You wear a path out in your carpet pacing back and forth, In between your pacing you check your server logs, hoping for a sudden increase in visitors. The reality is, unless your corporate America with a huge advertising budget, the days of staggering increases in traffic are way down the road. Isn't there something I can be doing while I wait for the search engine traffic to come? 


As a matter of fact there is. Yet this particular form of Free website promotion doesn't make the headlines and requires no software to install, no backdoor tricks into the search engines, and it's totally free. What is it? 


Now, Before I reveal this technique, I want you to promise you won't go near the delete button and you'll give me a chance to lay this thing out to you. Promise? O.K. The Technique is "Posting to Forums." In the first couple days of "Going Live," you can hope to attract a couple of hundred visitors, at the least. This will be small in comparison to the knowledge you'll attain, by allowing the members of these forums to critique your site. You'll then be able to make whatever changes necessary before the search engines crawl your site. Having your site critiqued by experienced marketers, For Free, Well, Let's just say, "You Can't Beat The Price."



If you've never visited or posted in a forum. Don't be intimidated. These are people no different than you and I. Merely a group of like minded individuals seeking to get answers to their questions or providing answers to questions asked. Usually on a specific topic or topics.

Side Note: Before you Post make sure you read the rules for posting. Read some of the posts being made. Stay on Topic, You'll get the hang of it in no time. 


Once you get the hang of it you'll want to make sure you don't go announcing your new site to every other forum you come across. This is viewed as Board Spamming and is definitely a No No. There are boards that will accept this sort of post but on a whole you'll have to remain on topic and wait for the opportunity to legitimately slide your announcement in. Sometimes outright and others in your signature. 

Finding forums to fit your needs is easy. Just type "forums" into your favorite search box, you can then refine your search from there. Check to see if the list of sites meets your needs and go from there. 


As a newcomer you'll want to keep your initial posts simple. Remember to mind your manners. Be polite and friendly and always maintain the prescence of the Business Professional that you are. When the time is right, simply ask them to look at your site. You'll recieve a pretty good cross section of positive and critical comments. Don't go getting your shorts all in a knot because someone has posted, what appears to you to be, a negative comment. Keep in mind that you've enlisted them to critique your site. Be prepared for all the comments. On a whole, the folks in these forums want to help. However, from time to time you may run into those that seem to have nothing good to say about anything or anybody. Take all comments "Buffet Style." Take what you want and leave the rest.


Initially you may want to go look at one or two other members sites and supply some feedback before asking to have yours looked at. This will give you valuable insight. What you may find wrong with someone elses site, you can apply it to your own and make the necessary changes. When looking for a site to be looked at, look for the post who has little or no responses to it. By responding to their post they're likely to express their gratitude by visiting your site when you ask in your post. This technique may seem a bit sly but nonetheless effective. Just don't get in the habit of operating in this manner. 


You'll not get a ton of traffic from forums but you will have engaaged in an effective form of site promotion and all forms of site promotion need to be entered into the mix. As has been said by someone other than myself, "You don't need to get it right, You just need to get it going." By applying the above you will have "Indeed Got It Going!"

Forums are a great place to make new friends and interact with those that are trying to accomplish pretty much the same things we are. So keep things rolling right along by "Posting to Forums!" 

Monday, October 25, 2010

How to increase traffic through Social Networking sites?

Nowadays, Social networking sites popularity is increasing day by day like facebook, myspace, orkut, digg etc…., we can say social networking is one of the best and free ways for increase traffic on our site. Social networking is important in blogging and if you can't do social networking then it's a rare chance that you'll be successful in blogging. Leaving comments and trackbacks is part of social networking. Apart from that is part of one of the popular Social news networks. 

(1). Increase traffic through Friends 
Friends are the heart of the social networking attitude, and when promoting content this can be a valuable tool in viral marketing. The more friends you have in your network, the more visibility you will have when promoting. 


(2). Increase traffic through Blogs 
Blogs are one more great way to spread the word, most blogs allow you to post nameless comments. I use these blogs to post a comment then I include a link to one of my sites. I achieve a free back link for simply commenting on a story. 


(3). Increase traffic through Picture Perfect 
You may not understand it, but by passing on uploading your picture, you are also passing on an opportunity to get more people clicking on your articles. Why? Well, for one, it is known that spammers never take the time to upload a picture. Second, it is called 'social' networking and 'social' bookmarking sites. If you are trying to be 'social' then you should put a face to your name. 

(4). Increase traffic through Profile Pages 
If you are a keen online social network's, you will have a pimped out profile page. Here are a few examples of how you can increase visibility to your content. On my profile pages at myspace.com, digg.com, linkedin.com, stumbledupon.com and yahoo.com I have links to all my social network profiles & personal projects. This does 2 things; increases my link back total to my projects and shifts visitors to my other profile pages so I get more friends! to promote your RSS feeds via your profile pages, the service displays recent RSS activity and the service is free. Another service you find interesting is myspacestats.net myspacestats.net, a service that tracks and stores your social networking traffic. The service simply puts an image on your profile and counts the total amount of visitors per day, month and year

5). Increase traffic through bulletin Bulletins use your friends list, basically the more friends you have the more views your bulletins receive. Common sense! Some people use bulletins way to much and if I grasp these spammers they get deleted ASAP. So my advice is to use this angle a few times a month and keep them simple, this raw move toward keeps the bulletins friendly and not to over bearing. 

(6). Increase traffic through Content 
Nothing is more important than content. If you are a good writer and you write about interesting topics, you are going to do well on the social networking sites. People seem to like top 10 lists, top 20 lists, etc. I suggest that you look at digg.com to see what gets the most diggs. I have failed multiple times on getting a post digged or stumbled, even when I thought that it was the best article ever. You don't always win. 

(7) Increase traffic through clipart and screensavers 
If you have some skills in this direction then try creating clipart and screensavers. Offering these for free is also a good way to get more traffic. 

Finally, make sure that you are part of a few of the more popular social networking websites. These memberships will be only destined to build your own network and not of overt marketing. As your social network grows you can invite your contacts to join you on the social networking website. This should start a sequence reaction that will get them inviting their own contacts and so on. Finally your network will grow to a point where it becomes truly helpful. 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Chinese Astrology Explained

Are you confused about the meanings of Chinese astrology? Would you like to know more about this 5000 year old art?

Chinese astrology is based on the lunar calendar. As with astrology from other cultures, a horoscope is created using the position of the stars and planets for each of the twelve signs of the zodiac based on the year of birth.

The Twelve Chinese Signs

Rat 

Rats are charming and attractive to the opposite sex. But despite outside appearances, they are restless and this sometimes comes across as aggressiveness. Rats are great with money, and love to pounce on an opportunity. They are also very generous to their friends. They love people and large gatherings and always have others around. They also run in many intimate circles and like to be involved in everything they can, leading them to sometimes attempt to do too much. They are good writers and speakers, and success comes easily to them.

Ox

Oxen are calm on the surface, but have hidden tempers. They are hard workers and are determined to the point of stubbornness. However, this makes them one of the most dependable signs. They are trustworthy, and easily move up at the office. If they don't watch out, they may not have much of a social life. They are not very adept at mind games, and can sometimes be led astray in romance. But once they find someone, they are steadfast and loyal.

Tiger

Tigers are energetic and unpredictable. Their wild side leads them to be the center of attention. They speak their mind and are always looking for the new party or next great idea. They are also very involved in giving their time and money to the causes they are passionate about. They are generous and honest. However, they are also rebels. They seek ideals and will rebel against a society they perceive as being in the wrong. They are emotional and impulsive, prone to romance as well as jealousy.

Rabbit

Rabbits are gracious and gentle. They adore quiet and peacefulness, and prefer a good book to a night on the town. Their sensitivity can lead to moodiness, but normally rabbits are great at keeping the peace. While they are quiet on the surface, rabbits are good at finding deals. They are sweet and can talk people into being on their side of an issue without argument. While they are cautious, they can also be friendly and inviting once they feel safe.

Dragon

Dragons have fire. They are full of life, and want to live life to the fullest. They are perfectionists and are extremely demanding of both themselves and others. They intimidate those who disagree with them, although they are very loyal to their friends. They can be stubborn, but they will let you know how they feel. They believe themselves to be strong and loveable, and they strive to motivate everyone to live up to their standards.

Snake

Snakes are mysterious, often charming the opposite sex. They are graceful, and tend towards all things grand and cultural. They are private tend to look inward for their self-esteem, and are superstitious about everything. They are not penny-pinchers, but always have money on hand. Snakes are jealous when they find a lover, and will turn cold almost on a whim.

Horse

Horses are generally friendly. They love being the center of attention, and will keep others enthralled by their quick wit. However, they have malleable alliances, and will have many short-lived romances and friendships. They enjoy the change, and lead lives full of adventure. They don't like being tied down, and love working out and spending time outdoors. They don't like sticking to a plan, and will often take on too much. They can be impatient with others whom they perceive as moving too slowly.

Sheep

Sheep are peaceful people. They empathize with others' pain, and are easy to talk to. They don't like to rush, and will break if pressured. They do not like harsh words, and love to be led gently. While they are passive, they are also patient, and generally they eventually get their way. They always remember their friends and families and give thoughtful gifts. They often worry about what others think, and tend too spend too much.

Monkey

Monkeys are intuitive and clever. They are hands-on problem solvers, and a great deal of self-confidence. They enjoy succeeding at difficult tasks, and don't need to be talked into attempting one. The source of their success is their great memory. They are hard workers, and don't care what others think of them. They don't usually have many friends, although their success does attract people to them.

Rooster

Roosters are romantics. They are perfectionists and dreamers at the same time. Quick to see detail, they always love a challenge, especially if at first glance it looks impossible. They take great pride in knowing all the details of a subject that interests them, and are thus great debaters. However, they will never admit to being wrong. They also tend to step in and try to solve others' problems, whether or not they have been invited to do so. They like to always stay busy, and will work for whatever they have their eye on.

Dog

Dogs are friendly and are always up front about their feelings. They are very family-oriented and are extremely loyal to their friends. They will fight for a cause they feel is just. They are not comfortable around extravagant wealth, and prefer a loving home regardless of social status. Once you befriend a dog, they will be by your side for life. They are monogamous, and tend to choose their lovers wisely. They work hard and play hard, and know when it is appropriate to be doing one or the other. They are good providers to those they love.

Pig

Pigs love a social life. They have many friends, and tend to stay out of heated discussions and all kinds of debates. It's not that they don't have an opinion; they simply love to party and don't want to risk ruining the fun. They are good listeners, but are sometimes gullible and can be taken advantage of easily. This can sometimes hurt them in relationships. They are trustworthy and dependable, and stick by their friends. They are generous to those they care about.

The Five Elements

There is another layer to Chinese astrology that is less well known than the Chinese signs. Chinese astrologers use a 60 year cycle, made up of five sets of the twelve signs. The five repetitions of the signs each correspond to a different element, adding more intricacy to the animal.

The five elements are Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth.

In Chinese astrology, the elements are part of a cycle; one is not higher or better than another. In fact, they have a cyclical relationship, both in positive and negative ways, so that:

Water makes Wood
Wood makes Fire
Fire makes Earth
Earth makes Metal
Metal makes Water

and:

Water destroys Fire
Fire destroys Metal
Metal destroys Wood
Wood destroys Earth
Earth destroys Water

In addition, they can be openly aggressive and hostile:

Water resists Fire
Fire resists Metal
Metal resists Wood
Wood resists Earth
Earth resists Water

So now you know the basics of Chinese Astrology. Enjoy exploring your Chinese sign! 
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