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Naaz

Naaz.tk is one of the most decent online communities where great people come to talk, make friends, chat with friends and socialize. It also has an organized web directory where you can submit your links for free.

Illegal Downloads and Using a Spyware Crack

2008-11-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Downloading a Spyware Crack is Illegal and Can Get You Into Serious Trouble
Downloading a spyware crack on the internet is one of the most popular activities these days. Many people download through reputable sites that offer freeware, shareware, and paid downloading such as CNet or download.com.

There are many other sites that offer illegal downloads, spyware cracks, and other illegal means of using commercial software (that you normally have to pay for) for free.

One of the more popular trends is downloading programs that are necessary for your computers health, among them illegal spyware removal downloads and cracks.

Getting Free Software
Spyware doctor is a popular program that allows a user to clear any and all associated spyware from their system. Normally this software is available for purchase for a very low price.

Unfortunately, thanks to the rise of P2P networking there will be people out there that attempt to download this software and the spyware crack instead of simply purchasing the software for its normally low price.

Using Kazaa or another similar program to download your spyware crack and programs is not only morally wrong but ethically as well.

Criminal Charges
Illegally downloading software or even music can bring hefty criminal charges if you're caught:
You could face jail time
You could be fined thousands of dollars
You can be banned from using a computer
You may be required to take a class to understand your actions
You may be required to sign agreements not to do it again, breaking this contract could result in any of the above

Other Consequences
Beside facing criminal charges from these illegal actions you could be facing many other problems:
Identity Theft
Spyware
Adware
Malware
Viruses

Unfortunately for you, I guess you get what you pay for because in avoiding paying for such cracks as spyware doctor 3.1 or any crack for that matter, you could end up doing hundreds and thousands of dollars of damage to your computer and personal information, and that's if you're lucky.

Spyware Cracks
Spyware cracks have become increasingly popular on the internet as well as keygens, which generate serial numbers for your software, which you obtain either through shareware or illegal downloads.

Spyware doctor is just one of the more well known products that have people hunting for a crack. There are numerous websites you can find that offer cracks, keygens, and serial numbers. The funny thing is the vast majority of these items are a haven for viruses and Trojans.

Peoples' Mentality
People tend to think they got a program for free... well, in actuality it probably has cost them hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars.

This is because when someone downloads these programs and finds a crack for the software, they usually inadvertently install spyware and viruses onto their computer. This can cost the person some serious money because their credit card information, banking information, usernames and passwords or any other data can be stolen and used against them.

My Thoughts
Knowing that the risk is there I hope you can see why it is always best to avoid illegal software downloading, especially for spyware cracks and other forms of software abuse.

You may think you're doing something that everyone else does but people are slowly beginning to get in trouble, in one way or another, for this sort of thing and eventually you will too!

Come on people, just spend a few dollars a buy the software! It will save you hundreds in the long run!

Taken from www.spyware-refuge.com

Malware Quiz

2008-06-07T04:10:00.000-07:00

by: Joel Walsh
Most people who think they know all about spyware, Trojans, viruses, and other malware really don't. Take this quiz to make sure you know who your enemies are.

This quiz tests your knowledge of five of the most common kinds of malware, the software you don't want on your computer: Trojan, worm, virus, spyware, and adware. Keep in mind that there are at least seven other kinds of malware we know about.

The answers are located at the end of the quiz.

1. Which of the following is most likely to make your computer stop working?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

2. Which of the following is not a stand-alone program?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

3. Which of the following is most likely to send spam emails from your computer?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

4. Which of the following is lest likely to be detected with standard antivirus software?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

5. Which of the following is most likely to come with other malware?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

6. Which of the following is bundled with the peer-to-peer file-sharing software, Kazaa?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

7. Which of the following is most likely to install a "backdoor" internet connection?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

8. Which of the following is most likely to be involved in a denial-of-service attack?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

9. Which of the following is the only malware publicly documented as having been employed by the FBI to bring a suspect to trial?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

10. Which of the following is most likely to steal your identity?
a. Trojan
b. Worm
c. Virus
d. Spyware
e. Adware

Answers:

1. c. virus. Trojans, worms, spyware, and adware all depend on your computer staying up and running. They use your computer's resources to accomplish whatever their designer intended, such as sending emails, displaying advertising, or stealing information from your computer. Viruses, however, are usually created by vandals who just want to damage as many computers as possible.

2. c. virus. Viruses are not stand-alone programs. Just as biological viruses must take over the cells of their host in order to function and reproduce; computer viruses must take over one or more files of the computer on which they are stored. Trojans, worms, spyware, and adware are all stand-alone programs that can run without the help of another application, though they often come bundled with other applications as a decoy, or with other malware.

3. b. worm. Worms are stand-alone programs that are often used to send spam emails, or emails containing viruses. Trojans often contain worms which are then installed for the purpose of sending spam emails, but the worms are what actually send the emails.

4. e. adware. In the strictest sense, adware is rarely patently illegal or destructive, and so antivirus software makers have traditionally avoided treating it as malware. Adware designers are usually large advertising companies with hundreds of millions of dollars, and they take care to insert end-user licensing agreements (EULA) that supposedly mean that the software is installed with permission. Also, adware will not usually do anything more destructive than show advertising. Nonetheless, adware can quickly multiply on a computer, hogging system resources and causing a computer to slow down or even malfunction. That's why most anti-spyware software makers target adware as well.

5. a. Trojan. By definition, Trojans bear other malware within them, just as the mythical wooden worse bore Greek warriors. The malware can be viruses, worms, spyware, or adware.

6. e. adware, though d. spyware, is also correct. Kazaa's developers, Sharman Networks, make most of their money from the advertising shown by the included adware. The adware typically runs even when the Kazaa software is not in use. Sharman Networks has adamantly denied that the adware that comes with Kazaa is spyware, since, like most adware, it comes with an end-user license agreement that says the user grants permission for the software to be installed. In reality, few Kazaa users, until recently, were aware of just how much adware was being installed on their machines (as much as a dozen or more). Plus, the adware does monitor your internet usage, and so is spyware in the strictest sense.

7. b. worm. Worms most commonly install a "backdoor" internet connection in order to send out data (for instance, spam emails or requests to remote servers) undetected.

8. b. worm. Worms, which most commonly install a "backdoor" internet connection on the host computer, are perfect for sending out the millions of server requests needed to achieve a denial-of-service attack. A denial-of-service attack is when a server is maliciously sent so many hits that it is overwhelmed and cannot continue to operate.

9. a. Trojan. The Trojan "Magic Lantern" was famously used to install monitoring software on the computer of a suspect who was later brought to trial partly on the strength of the evidence gathered.

10. e. Spyware. Spyware is malware that collects information from your computer and sends it to another remote machine, so by definition any software that steals your identity is spyware. However, spyware is often installed on your computer by a Trojan, or sent to you by another computer infected with a worm, so other kinds of malware pose an indirect threat of identity theft as well.

About the author:
Joel Walsh writes for spyware-refuge.com about spyware, viruses, Trojans, adware, worms, and other malware: http://www.spyware-refuge.com?Computer Viruses[Publish this article on your website! Requirement: live link for above URL/web address w/ link text/anchor text: "Computer Viruses" OR leave this bracketed message intact.]

Save Time & Sanity With Virtual Assistants

2008-06-07T04:09:00.000-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

One of the great things about the online world involves the
fact that you can find software to help you accomplish
virtually any small job you can imagine, especially
repetitive, mundane or boring tasks.

Since the Internet makes it possible for software
developers to easily avoid the astronomical costs of
traditional distribution through stores and catalogs, an
explosion of highly specialized, time-saving software
applications has occurred online.

The bottom line: if you can think of and perform a
repetitive job or task on your computer, a real possibility
exists that a small software application can help you do
the job better, faster and cheaper.

** Automate Repetitive Tasks

Qualifying as a virtual "Swiss Army Knife" application,
QuickKeys.com offers a very versatile program enabling you
to automate various tasks, such as: repeatedly typing the
same "boilerplate" text in emails and documents; formatting
text with certain font sizes and page breaks; opening
various files when you first turn on your computer;
applying a complex set of filters to a set of graphics in
PhotoShop; much more.

Commonly referred to as a "macro," QuickKeys.com takes a
type of software application previously reserved for
"computer nerds only" and puts it in the hands of everyday
users, allowing them to automated tasks that used to eat up
valuable time.

Though it takes a bit of time to train the program to
follow your directions, the end result seems well worth the
effort.

As soon as you get the hang of it, you'll find your self
automating job after job and wondering how you got along
before without this handy little utility.

The only downside of the program may appear in its price of
around $99, but the time saved makes the cost extremely
worthwhile.

** Remembering Passwords

Roboform.com helps you remember all your various passwords
for membership and password-protected sites on the web.

One of the biggest timewasters I can think of involves
trying to remember or find a username and password for a
particular website.

Now you automatically and securely remember the access
information for virtually any password-protected site on
the Internet.

Unlike Gator, another popular password utility,
RoboForm.com doesn't harass you with advertising nor does
it have other "spy-ware" privacy connotations.

Sorry Netscape users, RoboForm.com only works with the
Internet Explorer web browser.

** Stop "Spam" Before Downloading

One of the most time consuming tasks online involves wading
through the piles of spam that threaten to bury you on a
daily basis.

MailWasher.net makes it possible to spot spam and delete it
prior to downloading it to your computer.

The program also allows you to set up rules to
automatically identify friends as well as "blacklist"
spammers and messages.

An excellent feature in the program allows you to "bounce"
the email you receive from spammers, which makes it appear
your email address has gone bad.

Some spammers will get this "bounce" and automatically
remove your email address from their list never to hear
from them again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-
author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to
use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to
your website for weeks, even months... without spending a
dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

Website Buying Guide Checklist

2008-05-25T06:28:00.002-07:00

by: Joel Walsh
Can you really get a website even without knowing anything about code, and without paying a fortune? Find out.

The days when websites were primarily distinguished by their code are long gone. Nowadays, the web is a true publishing medium that favors well thought-out ideas. You can get a professional-looking website online in minutes with many website building services and software. But what should you look for? What are the features you really need and which are just clutter?

Content Editing

Some website authoring software packages only allow you to entire plain, unformatted text. Some of them allow you to entire HTML tags. Others provide a WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") interface with options for font, links, and image insertion much like a word processor's. Some will allow you to use more than one, or even all of these options so you have a choice on how you want to format your text.

Template Designs

Every website builder ever invented came with at least one or two templates for creating the graphical look of a website, so you don't have to design the look of the site yourself. But some packages have very large libraries of templates, some have only a few. Some will let you mix and match elements of the design templates, while others will lock you in to one setup.

Ecommerce Functions

Many ready-to-go websites created by website builder software feature built-in shopping carts. Some even come with credit card processing. This is of course necessary if you're going to be selling stuff direct online. But if you're not going to be selling anything, ecommerce functionalities may just complicate the administration of the site and pad the price for the software or service.

Blogging Functions

Blogs are "web logs," but blogging software involves more than just a simple online journal. Blogging technology allows you to send your new posts directly to subscribers via RSS, without them having to visit your site or receive an email from you. Still, unless you plan on updating your site regularly (at least once a month), your website's blog will just gather cobwebs.

Email

Some hosted web authoring systems provide email accounts at no additional charge, while others do charge separately. Some web builder systems even come with modules for creating email newsletters.

Support

It is very likely that you will encounter a technical difficulty at some point while owning your website. Make sure you know in advance of paying whether the company provides only paid support, and if any included support is over email, a web ticketing system, or the telephone.

Photo and Image Management

For many, if not most, people who want personal websites, displaying pictures online is a primary motivation, if not the only motivation. If you want to display pictures on your website, make sure to choose a website builder system that makes it easy to upload and publish images.

Renting vs. Owning

You can buy website authoring software upfront for a flat fee, or you can "rent;" i.e., pay a company every month to use a hosted service. The choice is up to you, but remember that the hosted service will likely charge you much more in the end: averaging around $20/month, hosted the typical hosted website builder will cost you $240/year--far more than most desktop software.

In short, you don't need to know how a website is coded to make one, any more than a book author needs to know about printing ink. Don't burden yourself with learning how to do web design. Having fun with your website starts with choosing a website builder software that will make it fun.

About the author:
Joel Walsh recommends you check out http://www.ezgenerator.com/documents/167.html?%20web%20authoring%20software[Publishthis article on your website! Requirement: live link for above URL/web address w/ link text/anchor text: "web authoring software" OR leave this bracketed message intact.]

Busting Online Copyright Thieves

2008-05-25T06:28:00.001-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
=====================================

How safe is anyone's copyright online?

Well imagine my surprise when I clicked on a website link to
discover that someone had not only copied my website to
their server - but was selling my ebook and undercutting me
in the process! Some dishonest person operating from Eastern
Europe had literally stolen my entire business and I
discovered it only by sheer luck.

After some very lengthy and threatening emails I got them
shut down, but the question remains, how safe is your
copyright online and what can you do to protect it?

Traditionally written works have enjoyed copyright
protection not only through the rule of law, but also
because of the physical difficulty in stealing another
person's work. Let's face it, photocopying a 200 page book
rates about as much fun as watching paint dry and at 5 cents
a page you're talking a quick ten dollar printing bill.

If you steal someone's book, print up a thousand copies and
try to get it onto the local bookstore's shelves, the
chances of getting caught rank pretty high.

But the online world has changed those rules and physical
safeguards significantly. The Internet, email and the Web
make it easier than ever to steal someone else's work. With
the most basic skills and a few mouse clicks, someone can
take your book, your website, and along with it weeks,
months, and even years of your hard work.

Though intellectual property and international copyright
laws apply to online works, enforcement of those laws is
expensive and, in many cases, hard to enforce.

Well don't despair, you do have options if you find someone
has violated your copyright online. Anytime I find someone
violating my copyright, which isn't very often, I take these
three steps in rapid-fire fashion.

First, make 100% sure the other person realizes they have
violated your copyright. You can send them a nice but firm
note telling them to stop whatever activity violates your
copyright. If that doesn't work move on to step two.

Second, once you know with 100% certainty they understand
they have violated your copyright, yet refuse to respond or
stop, you need to shut them down by eliminating their
ability to do business!

Send them an email with a carbon copy sent to their Internet
Service Provider (ISP), their credit card processor, their
web hosting company, and even the company that sold them
their domain name.

Finally, follow this email up with a hard copy letter to
each party sent via registered mail. In the email and letter
detail exactly how they have blatantly violated your
copyright and you want them to desist immediately.

By taking this approach you can often just bypass the
offending party because the companies enabling them to
transact business don't want any trouble. If you can show
copyright violation they will shut the perpetrator down to
avoid getting sued themselves.

Though not foolproof, this strategy can help you when facing
down a blatant online copyright violator. Just remember to
act quickly, thoroughly and don't hesitate to contact your
attorney for advice.

Author's Note: By no means let this article dampen your
enthusiasm for operating your business or selling your ebook
online!

In my opinion there is no better way to make a living!

Your copyright is basically as safe online as it is offline.
However, if a sneak thief entered your home - you'd call the
cops. Well, now you know what to do if a sneak thief ever
gives you trouble online!

You can also get more information about copyright law by
going to http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/

About the author:
Jim Edwards, a.k.a. TheNetReporter.com, is a syndicated
newspaper columnist, nationally recognized speaker, author,
and web developer. Owner of nine (9) successful e-businesses
as well as a professional consulting firm, Jim's writing
comes straight off the front lines of the Internet and e-commerce.

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to
your website for weeks, even months... without spending a
dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

All About Computer Viruses

2008-05-23T14:52:00.001-07:00

by: Kara Glover

Feel Free to reprint this article in newsletters and on websites, with resource box included. If you use this article, please send a brief message to let me know where it appeared: kara333@earthlink.net

Word Count = 1,500
Word Wrapped to 60 characters per line
URL: http://www.karathecomputertutor.com
Author photo: http://www.karathecomputertutor.com
Date of copyright: November 2004

All About Computer Viruses
by Kara Glover
kara333@earthlink.net

Your computer is as slow as molasses. Your mouse freezes every 15 minutes, and that Microsoft Word program just won’t seem to open.

You might have a virus.

Just what exactly is a virus? What kind is in your computer? How did it get there? How is it spreading and wreaking such havoc? And why is it bothering with your computer anyway?

Viruses are pieces of programming code that make copies of themselves, or replicate, inside your computer without asking your explicit written permission to do so. Forget getting your permission down on paper. Viruses don’t bother to seek your permission at all! Very invasive.

In comparison, there are pieces of code that might replicate inside your computer, say something your IT guy thinks you need. But the code spreads, perhaps throughout your office network, with your consent (or at least your IT guy’s consent). These types of replicating code are called agents, said Jimmy Kuo, a research fellow with McAfee AVERT, a research arm of anti-virus software-maker McAfee Inc.

In this article, though, we’re not talking about the good guys, or the agents. We’ll be talking about the bad guys, the viruses.

A long, long time ago in computer years, like five, most viruses were comprised of a similar breed. They entered your computer perhaps through an email attachment or a floppy disk (remember those?). Then they attached themselves to one of your files, say your Microsoft Word program.

When you opened your Microsoft Word program, the virus replicated and attached itself to other files. These could be other random files on your hard drive, the files furthest away from your Microsoft Word program, or other files, depending on how the virus writer wanted the virus to behave.

This virus code could contain hundreds or thousands of instructions. When it replicates it inserts those instructions, into the files it infects, said Carey Nachenberg, Chief Architect at Symantec Research Labs, an arm of anti-virus software-maker Symantec. Corp.

Because so many other types of viruses exist now, the kind just described is called a classic virus. Classic viruses still exist but they’re not quite as prevalent as they used to be. (Perhaps we could put classic viruses on the shelf with Hemingway and Dickens.)

These days, in the modern era, viruses are known to spread through vulnerabilities in web browsers, files shared over the internet, emails themselves, and computer networks.

As far as web browsers are concerned, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer takes most of the heat for spreading viruses because it’s used by more people for web surfing than any other browser.

Nevertheless, “Any web browser potentially has vulnerabilities,” Nachenberg said.

For instance, let’s say you go to a website in IE you have every reason to think is safe, Nachenberg said.

But unfortunately it isn’t. It has virus code hidden in its background that IE isn’t protecting you from. While you’re looking at the site, the virus is downloaded onto your computer, he said. That’s one way of catching a nasty virus.

During the past two years, another prevalent way to catch a virus has been through downloads computer users share with one another, mostly on music sharing sites, Kuo said. On Limewire or Kazaa, for instance, teenagers or other music enthusiasts might think they’re downloading that latest Justin Timberlake song, when in reality they’re downloading a virus straight into their computer. It’s easy for a virus writer to put a download with a virus on one of these sites because everyone’s sharing with everyone else anyway.

Here’s one you might not have thought of. If you use Outlook or Outlook Express to send and receive email, do you have a preview pane below your list of emails that shows the contents of the email you have highlighted? If so, you may be putting yourself at risk.

Some viruses, though a small percentage according to Nachenberg, are inserted straight into emails themselves.

Forget opening the attachment. All you have to do is view the email to potentially get a virus, Kuo added. For instance, have you ever opened or viewed an email that states it’s “loading”? Well, once everything is “loaded,” a virus in the email might just load onto your computer.

So if I were you, I’d click on View on the toolbar in your Outlook or Outlook Express and close the preview pane. (You have to click on View and then Layout in Outlook Express.)

On a network at work? You could get a virus that way. Worms are viruses that come into your computer via networks, Kuo said. They travel from machine to machine and, unlike, the classic viruses, they attack the machine itself rather than individual files.

Worms sit in your working memory, or RAM, Nachenberg said.

OK, so we’ve talked about how the viruses get into a computer. How do they cause so much damage once they’re there?

Let’s say you’ve caught a classic virus, one that replicates and attacks various files on your computer. Let’s go back to the example of the virus that initially infects your Microsoft Word program.

Well, it might eventually cause that program to crash, Nachenberg said. It also might cause damage to your computer as it looks for new targets to infect.
This process of infecting targets and looking for new ones could eventually use up your computer’s ability to function, he said.

Often the destruction a virus causes is pegged to a certain event or date and time, called a trigger. For instance, a virus could be programmed to lay dormant until January 28. When that date rolls around, though, it may be programmed to do something as innocuous but annoying as splash popups on your screen, or something as severe as reformat your computer’s hard drive, Nachenberg said.

There are other potential reasons, though, for a virus to cause your computer to be acting slow or in weird ways. And that leads us to a new segment – the reason virus writers would want to waste their time creating viruses in the first place.

The majority of viruses are still written by teenagers looking for some notoriety, Nachenberg said. But a growing segment of the virus-writing population has other intentions in mind.

For these other intentions, we first need to explain the “backdoor” concept.

The sole purpose of some viruses is to create a vulnerability in your computer. Once it creates this hole of sorts, or backdoor, it signals home to mama or dada virus writer (kind of like in E.T.). Once the virus writer receives the signal, they can use and abuse your computer to their own likings.

Trojans are sometimes used to open backdoors. In fact that is usually their sole purpose, Kuo said.

Trojans are pieces of code you might download onto your computer, say, from a newsgroup. As in the Trojan War they are named after, they are usually disguised as innocuous pieces of code. But Trojans aren’t considered viruses because they don’t replicate.

Now back to the real viruses. Let’s say we have Joe Shmo virus writer. He sends out a virus that ends up infecting a thousand machines. But he doesn’t want the feds on his case. So he instructs the viruses on the various machines to send their signals, not of course to his computer, but to a place that can’t be traced. Hotmail email happens to be an example of one such place, Kuo said.

OK, so the virus writers now control these computers. What will they use them for?
One use is to send spam. Once that backdoor is open, they bounce spam off of those computers and send it to other machines, Nachenberg said.

That’s right. Some spam you have in your email right now may have been originally sent to other innocent computers before it came to yours so that it could remain in disguise. If the authorities could track down the original senders of spam, they could crack down on spam itself. Spam senders don’t want that.

Ever heard of phishing emails? Those are the ones that purport to be from your internet service provider or bank. They typically request some information from you, like your credit card number. The problem is, they’re NOT from your internet service provider or your bank. They’re from evil people after your credit card number! Well, these emails are often sent the same way spam is sent, by sending them via innocent computers.

Of course makers of anti-virus software use a variety of methods to combat the onslaught of viruses. Norton, for instance, uses signature scanning, Nachenberg said.

Signature scanning is similar to the process of looking for DNA fingerprints, he said. Norton examines programming code to find what viruses are made of. It adds those bad instructions it finds to its large database of other bad code. Then it uses this vast database to seek out and match the code in it with similar code in your computer. When it finds such virus code, it lets you know!

©2004 by Kara Glover

About the author:
Kara Glover is a Computer Tutor and Troubleshooter.
You can find her articles and tutorials on topics such as
Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® on her website: http://www.karathecomputertutor.com

It Truly Is a "World-Wide" Web

2008-05-23T14:51:00.002-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
- by Jim Edwards

(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Let me tell you a quick story that started way back in
1962...

An Idaho farm boy stepped off an airplane in the Central
American country of Belize (then colonial British Honduras)
as one of the first Peace Corps volunteers. He carried
little more than the clothes on his back and his prized
possession - a tennis racquet.

There he met a Missouri school teacher, fell in love, got
married, and 5 years later yours truly appeared on the
scene.

Fast-forward a little over 4 decades and see just how much
the Internet has impacted the entire planet.
**
Last week my family took a cruise for our summer vacation.

Since the itinerary included Belize, my parents planned to
take the opportunity to renew friendships and show us their
old haunts.

On the surface it seemed simple enough, but as the week
progressed I realized just how much the Internet permeates
our lives, no matter which part of the world we call home.

Once a day for the entire week I checked my email onboard
ship. Despite the $.50 a minute cost to use their satellite
connection, it never ceased to amaze me that I could
instantly communicate with business associates via email
from the middle of the ocean.

But the most amazing thing happened when my father got an
email onboard ship from one of his old friends, who also
happens to be the first Prime Minister of Belize, Mr.
George Price.

Before we left on our trip, my dad let Mr. Price's office
know he would visit the country briefly and wondered if we
could stop by for a few minutes just to say hello.

On Tuesday my father got an email through the ship's office
that Mr. Price wanted to meet us at his office on Friday.
Just think about that for a second...

One man in another country tracked down my father hundreds
of miles out to sea on a ship simply by knowing how to use
the Internet.
**
Upon arriving at Mr. Price's office we met not only with
Mr. Price, but also with the editor and senior reporter of
one of the nation's two major newspapers, The Belize Times
http://www.belizetimes.bz

Apparently my parent's return after 40 years rated quite a
news story since the Peace Corps and similar organizations
played a vital role in helping the fledgling nation take
hold.

When I asked if we could get a copy of the article, the
reporter told me it would appear on the Internet next week!

It turns out they not only publish their newspaper in
print, but also publish most of each edition online so
friends of Belize all over the world can keep up with
current events.

These dedicated newspaper people manage to publish an
entire weekly newspaper and distribute content not only
nationally, but internationally via the Internet.

They literally use the power of the Internet to influence
the course of an entire nation.

Even more amazing, information technology allows them to do
it all without a huge staff or massive budget.

But to bring it back to a more personal level, upon
arriving back at the port to catch our ship, our tour guide
handed me her card and said, "Here's my card. When you or
your friends come back to Belize, email me and we'll make
all the arrangements for you."

Wow!

Now that's the power and reach of the Internet to impact
people's lives on so many levels and draw us all closer
together as one global community - one person at a time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-
author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to
use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to
your website for weeks, even months... without spending a
dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

How to register your domain

2008-05-23T14:51:00.001-07:00

by: Ted Prodromou
When you launch a new website you must register a unique domain name with an authorized registrar. When the internet was first starting, all domain names and IP addresses were registered through one organization, Internic. Eventually Network Solutions took over the role as “keeper” of the internet domain names. Today, there are hundreds of websites where you can register your domain name but Network Solutions still maintains the main database of domain names. Some websites charge as little as $2.95 per year for your domain name while others charge as much as $35 per year for the exact same service. Some even offer one year free if you register your domain name with them and host your website on their servers. Why pay $35 when you can register your domain name for much less at another website?
So why does Network Solutions charge $35 a year if they are the keeper of the database and their resellers charge a fraction or even nothing? Who knows and who cares! Register your domain with one of the cheaper providers and you'll be fine. A word caution - be care who you choose to host your website. Getting a free year of your domain name isn't worth it if your webhost is unreliable and your website is down more than it's up.
You pay for your domain name on a yearly basis. It's a separate charge from your webhosting bill. When you register your domain name choose the autorenewal option if it's available. This way your domain name will not expire if you forget to renew it. If your domain name expires, it's free for anyone else to register so you need to stay on top of when it's expiring. Also registering your domain name for a 3 to 5 year term will often save you money. For example, godaddy.com charges $8.95 a year for your domain name but only $7.25 a year if you register for a 5 year term.
When you register your domain you can create different contact names. The three contacts are Administrator, Technical and Billing. Most of the time the same person is all 3 contacts. If you web designer registers your domain name for you, make sure you are designated as the Administrative contact. This gives you control over the domain name and you must be notified if someone is trying to make changes to your record. If you aren't one of the contacts then someone can transfer ownership of the domain name without your permission.
To see a record of your domain name, go to www.networksolutions.com and use their WHOIS utility which is located in the bottom left corner of their home page. Simply enter your domain name and click Search. You'll see the complete record of your domain name, where it's registered and where your website is hosted. For a complete video of how to use WHOIS, visit www.valiss.com/video/whois/whois.html.
When you register your domain name you'll have to the option of making it a private registration. I highly recommend paying the additional fee to make your information private. If you leave your registration public anyone can look up your domain information which includes your home or business address and your email address. Many spammers scan public domain registration records to find valid email addresses to spam.
I always use a yahoo or hotmail email account when registering my domains. This way if spammers to find my email address, I can just get a new “throwaway” email address and I won't receive spam at my primary email address.
Always make sure your domain record remains locked. Locking your domain name is a feature implemented a few years ago. When you want to transfer your domain name to a different registrar you must unlock it. Once it's unlocked the new registrar can “pull” your domain name from your current registrar. Once the transfer is complete, the domain name will be locked to prevent anyone else from “pulling” your domain away from you.

About the author:
Ted Prodromou spent over 25 years in the computer industry working for IBM, Digital, and Cellular One. Today he's the owner of Valiss IT, a consulting firm that provides personalized web design and small business marketing solutions. Visit http://www.valiss.comfor lots of free “how to” articles about marketing your business online.
Copyright 2005 Valiss IT, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This article may be reprinted only if it remains unchanged.

10 Helpful Tips For Running A Profitable Web Site

2008-05-23T14:50:00.001-07:00

by: Dan Brown
1. Address your targeted audience on your business site. Example: "Welcome Internet Marketers". If you have more than one, address them all.

2. Make sure your content and graphics are relevant to your web site's theme. You wouldn't want to use a bird graphic on a business web site.

3. Alert visitors by email when you add new content to your web site. This will remind people to revisit your web site.

4. Offer a way for visitors to contact you on each web page. List your email address, fax number and phone number.

5. Give people the option of viewing your web site offline. Offer it by autoresponder or printer friendly version.

6. Make sure a least 50f your content is original. The other option is to offer something else original other than content, like software or an online utility.

7. Offer your visitors incentives for revisiting your web site. You could give them new content, ebooks, software, ezine, etc.

8. Publish a FAQs for your business, product and web site. They could have questions about multiple parts of your business.

9. Make sure all links on the navigational bar are clickable. If people can't get to where they want to go, they will leave.

10. Organize you web site in logical and profitable sequence. You don't want to give a freebie before they learn about the product(s) you're selling.

About the author:
Dan Brown has been active in internet marketing for the past 4 years. Dan currently is working with the Zabang search engine introducing their new affiliate program, which is due out July, 2005. http://www.zabangaffiliate.com/

Having a domain name and web site gives your business the key to the door

2008-05-23T14:49:00.002-07:00

by: Jesse S. Somer
Just like all things in life, the ways to run a business are rapidly changing and evolving. The potential involved with having a domain name/web site is staggering to say the least. A web site gives the consumer a ‘shop front’ that is not only open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but is also situated right on their desktop. Instead of being locked into only the immediate area, the whole world’s marketplace becomes your sphere of interaction.

Customers can access information on all your products, no more salesperson with limited knowledge trying to explain something they know little about. No more waiting in lines for help, all people have access immediately.

The domain name of the website gives great freedom to the business process. Having your own name is like having an address, then infinite emails can be added to the name so different departments within the company can be reached without having to wait at reception. For example, sales@ Mary’s Plants.com will put the shopper in direct contact with Mary’s sales section.

As a business, the domain name adds professional authenticity, as your address is not affiliated with other companies. In the area of communication, the email system opens up many avenues. Instead of having to put clients on hold because of limited personnel, innumerable emails can arrive at once, even when there’s no one in the office. Then you can pick and choose which one’s to reply to first (the most urgent), while people browsing can wait till later. First come, first serve becomes obsolete as necessary customers automatically reach the front of the line.

Getting a website and domain name is an easy, simple, cost-effective process. You can register your name through web domain registrars like DomReg-M6.Net for as low as $15.00 U.S. per year. That is definitely a very limited risk compared to opening a store, renting a location, and the thousands of dollars involved in overhead costs. How can this be true? A key to the door for anyone who wants to enter a mega-mall that is as big as the Earth. Let’s hope you’ve got something special to share and trade with the global community!

About the author:
Jesse S. Somer, M6.Net
http://www.m6.net
Mr. Somer is a human analyzing the positive aspects of the information era, and sharing the facts with the technological novice.

When And How To Withdraw Your Ebay Bid

2008-05-23T14:49:00.001-07:00

by: Kirsten Hawkins
eBay are a little strict about letting you withdraw your bid. They call it a ‘bid retraction’, and have a stringent set of conditions that you must meet before you are allowed to do it. Here are eBay’s three acceptable reasons for withdrawing a bid.

You made a typographical error: This means that you accidentally typed the wrong amount into the bid box, bidding a far higher price than you meant to. This can be scary: imagine bidding $100 and accidentally adding an extra ‘0’! You are entirely allowed to withdraw your bid in this situation, and bid again if you want to.

The item’s description changed: If you bid on something and then the seller updates the description, you have the right to withdraw your bid. It wouldn’t be fair, after all, to force you to take something that you now realise you don’t want.

The seller is uncontactable: If emails to the seller bounce and they don’t answer their phone, then the auction obviously can’t continue, and you can cancel it.

So How Do I Retract My Bid?

eBay hide away the bid retraction form a bit, because they don’t like people using it. You can find it by going here: http://cgi1.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?RetractBidShow.

Now all you need is the item number from your auction: this can be found on the item description page’s top right corner. If you can’t see it on the page, look in your browser’s title bar, and in any emails eBay have sent you about your bid on the item. Choose one of the three allowed reasons, click ‘retract bid’, and you’re done.

Are There Any Consequences?

Well yes, there are. The more unethical among you might have considered that you could just cancel bids anytime you feel like it by saying that you accidentally entered the wrong amount. eBay are one step ahead of you. Each time you retract a bid, it is counted on your feedback page for all to see – and anyone with a lot of retracted bids looks more than a little dodgy. eBay also say that abusing the bid retraction feature could get you banned.

So is there a way to retract your bid without facing a penalty? There is if your seller is nice, and most are. Sellers can cancel bids on their auctions at any time, and if you email them with a half-decent excuse then most will be more than happy to do this for you. After all, it’s not in their interest for their item to go to someone who won’t like it, as you might leave negative feedback.

Of course, retracting your bid should still be a rare thing: you won’t win auctions that way! If you’ve followed us this far, the chances are you’ve won an auction by now, or you’re close – but you might be a little puzzled about what to do next. Our next email will give you a few pointers.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

Time Management Tips for Solo Entrepreneurs

2008-05-23T14:48:00.002-07:00

by: Jean Hanson
Does it seem like everyone and everything is vying for your attention all at once? It can be hard for solo entrepreneurs to know what to do first, let alone try to find the time to get caught up. Here are some time management tips that will help you to stay on top of it all:

1. Put your to-do list in writing and prioritize it. Studies show that people who write their lists down are 90% more likely to complete their list than those who do not.

2. Be realistic about how long it takes to get things done. Block out a reasonable amount of time on your planner, especially if it’s an appointment where there’s driving time to consider.

3. Schedule time with yourself, without interruptions. If that means closing your office door and letting your voicemail take
phone messages, then that’s what you need to do. Do this at your most productive time of the day. Are you a morning person? Start your day out with some quiet time by yourself, when you’re the most productive and focused.

4. Don’t multi-task. That’s right! These days, people have found that they’re much more productive when they’re allowed to focus on one task at a time, rather than constantly juggling a dozen different projects at once. Think about it ¬ don’t you feel like you’ve actually accomplished something when you can cross things
off your list?

5. Are you a “yes” person? Learn to say no. Sometimes adding just one more thing to your to-do list means staying at work an extra hour. Ask yourself if you really have the time and energy to handle one more task. Don’t guilt yourself into it, especially if you’ll feel resentful later, for having done it.

6. Do you work at home? Don’t let common distractions sidetrack you. That basket of laundry will still be there at the end of the day.

7. Try to combine like tasks. If you have lots of phone calls to make and emails to respond to, make all of the phone calls first, then tackle the emails.

8. Keep all your contacts in one place, within easy reach. Do whatever works for you, whether you keep an address book in your day planner, in Outlook, or in your Palm. You need to have fast and easy access to phone numbers and email addresses.

9. Use waiting time productively. When waiting for an appointment or traveling, catch up on reading trade magazines, writing correspondence, or jotting down creative ideas for marketing your business.

10. At the end of each day, plan for the next day. Write down tomorrow’s to-do list, prioritize it, and then clean off your desk.

About the author:
Jean Hanson is a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant.
Discover how partnering with a virtual assistant will give you
more time to do the things you love to do! Visit her at
http://www.vaofficesolution.comJean is also the author of the
eBook, Virtualize Your Business -
http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com

Basic Steps To Optimize Your Internet Security

2008-05-23T14:48:00.001-07:00

by: Popescu Alexandru
After seeing many people complain about their weak Internet security I decided to write down some things that will help you for your Internet security.

First, here are some tips to make windows safer :

For basic security and update patches install Service Pack 2 for Windows XP or Service Pack 4 for Windows 2000.

Once a month use Windows Update so you can get the latest pacthes.

When you download software from the Internet make sure you download it from the original website.

Always run anti Trojan and anti virus software.

Even if you don't use it you have to make your Internet Explorer as safe as possible.

When you access the Internet you are browsing the web using a browser such as Internet Explorer.The Internet Explorer contains several security vulnerabilities. You should make it as safe as possible or switch your default browser to an alternative. You will have to set some options from the Manage Add-Ons in the Internet Options. You will see a list of add-ons that can be activated or deactivated. If you see any unusual entries just deactivate them so you can be sure you don't have a trojan/worm.

Under Internet Options -> Security -> Internet -> you will see the Edit Level.You should set it to high in order to disable most of the security threats.

Your Web Browser should be ok now. Let's see what we have to do from our email point of view.

Because it's built-in in their Windows system lots of users like to use Outlook Express for emailing. But it's a fact that it contains many security vulnerabilities so I advise you to use alternatives. If you use a web based Email (you can browse your email with your web browser) you can delete viruses even if you don't download them to your PC.

Make sure you have installed an Anti Virus for 100% virus protection. One that I've found to be very good and never disappointed me is the AVG Anti virus. If you take the time to regularly update it you will be safe enough with it.

Lots of people install Firewalls because they belive their Internet security will be higher. I personaly disagree. If you do not know how to best configure it, and you have to know much about the tech behind it to do so, it will just make your PC slow and software not working.You can just use the Windows XP SP2 firewall for basic security.

All this tips should make your PC safer. I browse the Internet every single day for some time now and they worked great for me. I haven't met a virus/worm for some time now.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

DSW Distribution Ltd has all you need for your internet security: mcafee antivirus, norton antivirus 2005, microsft office 2003 standard edition, panda antivirus, windows xp and many more ...Visit us at http://www.dswtrade.com

Backup and Save your business!

2008-05-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

by: Fred Farah
There you are busily typing away on your PC or your
Laptop, and all of a sudden the strangest thing happens.
The screen goes black, extinquished like a candle in the
wind.

A message appears saying: "The file hal.dll is missing or
corrupt. Windows can not start." Well you know that 95% of
computer glitches are solved by a simple reboot, so
click…oops, can't click, no Windows. Ok then, you reset,
and you think you are sure to be OK when the reboot
completes.

Wrong! The same error message appears "The file hal.dll is
missing or corrupt. Windows can not start." How is it
possible for one measly file to kill your system?

DISASTER…What to do now? Phone your tech friend and ask
his advice. He tells you the bad news. You are obliged to
re-install Windows from the original disc! Oh My God! Will
I lose all my programs and data? Yes, you will have to re-
install all your programs. No your data may be safe, but
only if you don't have to reformat your hard disc.

But, your friend asks, I hope you have all your backups.

DO YOU, because that is the key to saving your business.
You know that in today's business world, 95% of your
business information is stored on your computer. This
applies not only to online businesses, but also to offline
ones. In this paperless society of ours, business people
are printing less and less of all their transactions.

Think hard. Where the heck did I hide my original Windows
disc? Really, are you organized enough that you can easily
find your original installation discs, along with the code
numbers they need to re-install.

You own some programs you downloaded off the Net, but they
are stored on your hard drive. Are they backed up? When is
the last time you backed up your data, the lifeblood of
your business.

What backup system do you use? Do you use the old-
fashioned tape systems, or do you backup to CD or DVD?
Whichever one you use, the key is that your backups must be
frequent enough to keep you out of major trouble.

Program backups do not have to be constantly repeated like
Data does. Programs do not change, unless you downloaded an
update. Then your update must be saved on your hard drive,
and also backed up.

Data includes so many different things that it's easy to
forget to back up some items. 'My Documents' contains much
of the data, but not nearly all. Do you know where your
Favorite links are stored? Where is your email that you
saved? Along with your email address book, Microsoft hides
these files quite well.

It took me weeks to find, and then remember where they are
hidden in Documents and Settings. I never did find the
email settings, so have not saved those.

Bottom line: what should you back up, and how often?

Whatever media you use, you must have at least 2 current
backups of everything, and preferably 3. If you use CD or
DVD, have you ever noticed how some discs suddenly become
unreadable, and for no apparent reason. It happens oh too
frequently.. I lose up to 15% this way. CDs have an
expected shelf life of maybe 2 years. Some will surely last
longer, too many die prematurely.

Does that mean you should not use CDs or DVDs to back up?
Of course you should. It is the cheapest backup system I know about. But you MUST have more than one copy. I prefer 3.
The proof of this comes when you save your business by
being able to start over because your backups are up to
date.

Imagine if you lose all your programs and have to buy them
over again.

Imagine if you lose all your emails that have your
registration codes for the programs you bought online. And
what about all the sales and purchase data in your emails.
What about your contact list, your email lists, etc.

Imagine losing all your accounting data that you must have
for year-end tax reporting!

Enough said. Programs already backed up on 2 or 3 copies only need to be updated by adding new programs you buy, and upgrades that come out.

Data should be backed up based on the frequency of your
transactions. It could be daily, or every 2 or 3 days if
your business is in the early growth stage..

Without backups…your business may be dead in the water!
Don't get careless. You may say I will save a disc or two
by backing up less often. Why? One CD-rom disc costs a
buck. Big deal when it means life or death for your
business.

Why take chances. Can anyone predict when you will have a
problem, a computer crash, a new virus? Of course not.
Don't live dangerously, this is not a thrill ride, it is
your life.

Fred Farah
copyright 2004

Best Affiliate Products and Niche Market Strategies
Subscribe to Niche Market Strategies Newsletter
And Niche Madness 7-day email course
http://www.bestaffiliateproducts.com/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Long time business man who is willing to share his expertise using his web site http://www.bestaffiliateproducts.comIt's all about affiliate marketing to niche markets.
Lots to learn from the Niche Madness 7-day eCourse, as well as the Niche Market Strategies newsletter.

Free Software Quickly Eliminates Time Wasting Tasks

2008-05-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Ever find yourself typing the same things over and over on
your computer?

Maybe you type the same blocks of text into your email
messages thirty times a day.

Or maybe you find it hard to remember a long website
address and never seem to get all the characters correct
when you type it into your web browser's address bar.

Not too long ago, I came to the startling realization that
I spent over 45 minutes every single day just on completing
repetitive email tasks.

Bottom line: that amounts to over 273 hours a year doing
the same things over and over again - talk about a waste of
time!

Much to my delight, I recently discovered a free software
program anyone can use that instantly gave me back almost
all of that wasted time!

With email, I found myself answering the same questions
repeatedly.

I spent way too much time retyping or hunting down the
answer so I could copy and paste it into my reply.

On the surface, a task that takes only 30 seconds to
complete might not seem like a time waster, but if you
perform that task 100 times throughout the day you will
chew up almost an hour on repetitive activity.

What if you could reduce that time by 90% or more?

What if you could claim that time back and use it for
other, more important things?

Well now you can because a free software program called
"ShortKeys" helps you reclaim the time you waste on most
repetitive typing tasks.

Log on to www.shortkeys.com/lite.htm and download the free
version of the program, which offers all the features most
of us will ever likely need or use.

"ShortKeys" is a macro utility, which means it performs
repetitive tasks for you.

In this case, it allows you to set up replacement text or
paragraphs for any given number of keystroke combinations
you can define.

For example, I set mine up so whenever I type 7faq into an
email message, the program automatically inserts six
paragraphs with the most frequently asked questions I get
from people surfing my www.7dayebook.com site.

The program quietly monitors your typing activity and, any
time you type in a pre-defined keystroke combination, the
program will automatically insert the replacement text.

You can use the program with email, word processing, web
browser, and even with your web page editor.

You simply choose a word and associate it with the
replacement text. ShortKeys will then insert virtually
anything you could type, including: simple sentences;
extremely long web addresses; single paragraphs; even
several paragraphs up to 3000 characters long.

Not only do you save time by not manually typing in the
sentence or paragraphs, but you will greatly reduce the
inevitable errors and typo's all of us make.

I don't normally get this excited about a free piece of
software, but if you ever find yourself typing the same
text over and over, get a copy of this program and start
using it!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-
author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to
use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to
your website for weeks, even months... without spending a
dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

Why Choose Dial Up ISP Services

2008-05-23T14:44:00.002-07:00

by: Mark Woodcock
Dial up ISP service is the cheapest choice of any of the ISPs and may be a good option for that family on a tight budget. The software upgrades have definitely increased the speed of dial up ISPs, but their speed is still slower than some other options. Dial up ISP service can be purchased from several different companies including Earthlink, AOL, Juno, and others.

One of the major issues with dial up ISP service is how long it takes to connect to the internet and disruptions in your connection. Depending upon the time of day and your company, connection can take anywhere from 30 seconds to two to three minutes or longer. Disruptions occur when you lose contact with the provider because of phone line static, storms, or problems at the providers end. This can be very irritating if you are working online or researching and have to keep reconnecting to the internet.

When choosing dial up ISP service, choose a company with a long track record and software upgrades rather than the newest, cheapest service on the market. Cheaper does not necessarily translate into better, especially in an ISP service. Read the fine print of your policies. How long can you stay online before being cut off? How many email addresses are allowed per account? Is there a limit on the number of hours a month you can be online without additional charges?

Access numbers are a necessity for dial up ISP service since you use the phone line to connect to the internet. Ensure that there are local access numbers for your use so you will not have to pay long distance charges. If you travel, do they have access numbers in a wide variety of locations or, even better, a toll free number for connection?

What comes with your dial up ISP account? Do they offer SPAM blocker or virus protection? These are important tools for your internet experience and your computer. SPAM blocker helps to block some of the unsolicited email that you get from sellers and different companies. Although it does not block all of it, it will make a large difference in your email. Virus protection is something that no computer user should be without. It scans incoming email and downloads for viruses that may harm your computer.

Dial-up ISP service is a great choice for budget minded people. Although the connection is slow and websites may be slow to load, the cost difference may be more important to some consumers. Think of it like this, if you have dial up service, then while websites load you have time to clean the house and balance your checkbook!

About the author:
Learn the essential information for picking the right Internet Service Provider at High Speed Internet Provider

Unique Features that leading Web Hosts Are Now Offering

2008-05-23T14:44:00.001-07:00

by: Lois S.
Some web hosts are offering more than others for the same price or even for a lower price. There is no denying the fact that as competition increases amongst web hosting services, many are looking for ways and means to stand out and be different from their competitors. The result is that web hosting service standards are constantly on the rise and webmasters are constantly enjoying amazing new features that were previously not there. Let us take a look at a few that some web hosts are now regularly offering to their clients.

There are website hosts that help clients publish and manage their own email newsletters or ezines. This is a powerful marketing tool that helps increase sales. Some hosts go further and also offer an unlimited number of auto responders. This helps a site owner automatically follow up with prospects and thus dramatically increase the chances of making a sale.

We also now have hosting services that help you set up set up your own affiliate program. Affiliate programs are the proven most effective way of getting traffic and profits for webmasters. Pioneered by sites like Amazon.com, this is where you enable other website owners to promote your site and products on their site and in return earn commissions from the sales that result from traffic that they have referred to your site.

Another popular emerging new feature from hosts is the service that helps you protect your download page where you are selling digital products like e-books or software from your site. The number of hackers is on the increase and this is an increasingly vital service for many webmasters.

Some hosting services are also addressing the rapidly increasing menace of junk mail and provide quality filters to protect your email accounts. Some even provide built-in anti-virus software so that email that arrives with viruses, is automatically deleted.

About the author:

Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for http://www.websitesource.com and http://www.lowpricedomains.com with experience in the website hosting industry.

When Things Go Wrong: How To Resolve eBay Disputes.

2008-05-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

by: Kirsten Hawkins
eBay has quite an intricate and long-winded dispute resolution procedure. In this email, I’ll try to break each step down for you, so you can see what’s involved and how long it takes.

As an example, let’s go through what you would do if you paid for an item but didn’t receive it from the seller.

Before you open a dispute: Give the seller a chance to send the item before you get ahead of yourself and open a dispute. If you’re concerned about how long the item is taking to arrive, the first thing you should do is send a polite email to the seller saying that you haven’t received it and asking whether they have posted it. You should also check your own email address in eBay’s options, to make sure that the seller can reply to you. As a last resort before opening a dispute, you should try to call the seller on the number eBay has for them. You might have to pay long-distance charges for the call, but that’s better than dragging the auction through mediation for months.

Step 1 - You open an Item Not Received dispute: You can do this here: http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?InrCreateDispute.

All you need to do is enter the item number and say that you did not receive the item.

Step 2 - eBay contacts the seller: eBay sends the seller an email that tells them that you’ve said you didn’t receive the item. Then can then choose to tell you one of three things: that your payment hasn’t cleared yet, that the item is in the post, or that they’ll give you your money back. The seller can also tell eBay that they would like to send you a message.

Step 3 - You talk to the seller: You try to work out what’s happened directly with the seller, sending messages back and forward. Hopefully they’ll agree to give you a refund for the sake of their feedback, or your item will turn up in the post during this time.

Step 4 - Closing the dispute: After 30 days (or 10 days if the seller didn’t respond), you have two options to close the dispute: either you were satisfied or you weren’t. If you weren’t satisfied, then you can claim under eBay’s purchase protection program for up to $200.

Independent Dispute Mediation.

If you don’t want to go through eBay’s own process, and especially if the auction was for a high-value item, then you can use a third-party mediator. eBay recommend SquareTrade, at http://www.squaretrade.com, who provide mediation to many websites where there are buyers and sellers. They will contact the seller on your behalf and then mediate as you negotiate what to do from there.

Sellers who are committed to going through SquareTrade’s mediation for any disputes can sign up to display the ‘SquareTrade seal’ on their auctions. This gives their buyers $250 fraud protection, and shows that their identity has been independently verified so they are who they say they are.

When your sellers aren’t in such good standing, though, you need to be careful to avoid being a victim of fraud. There are a few scams that you especially need to look out for – we’ll cover them in the next email.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

How To Get Help From Ebay’s Safeharbor Team.

2008-05-23T14:42:00.002-07:00

by: Kirsten Hawkins
SafeHarbor are the eBay police department. If a buyer does something they're not supposed to, then it's SafeHarbor you should be reporting it to.

Non-paying Buyers.

This is the most common rule buyers break -- it's all too easy for them to just change their minds and try to get out of the auction. eBay, however, regard every auction as a contract. They will punish the buyer for you if they don't go through with their end of the deal, by giving them a ‘strike’ against their account. A buyer who doesn’t consistently doesn’t pay for items they win will probably get banned.

To report a non-paying buyer, you need to file an ‘Unpaid Item’ dispute, which you can do here: http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?CreateDispute. All you need is the item number. Once you do this, eBay will send the buyer a reminder that they must pay for the item they won, wait a while, and then take action against them. You must wait 7 days before you can file a dispute.

This isn't that helpful to you, of course, since in most cases you still won't get paid for the item or have anyone to post it to: it is a rare buyer who responds to eBay's threats and pays up just to avoid a little warning from eBay. You will, however, at least get a refund of your final value fee and be able to relist the item for free – and you can send a second chance offer to someone else if you want.

Auction Interference.

If someone ends up with a grudge against you, then you might find that they start emailing your bidders and telling them that you’re a scammer, they should cancel they bid, they shouldn’t deal with you, and so on. You might even find that you have unscrupulous competitors who will try this tactic to get buyers to bid on their auctions instead!

SafeHarbor will investigate this for you – the procedure to report it is to click ‘Help’ on the toolbar, then ‘Contact us’ from the menu. This can be a bit of a maze: you need to choose ‘Report problems with other eBay members’, then ‘Problems with buyers’, then finally ‘User is emailing buyers to warn them about seller or item’. This will then let you send SafeHarbor an email.

Feedback Extortion.

You might find that someone tries to intimidate you into giving them something using the threat of negative feedback – in its crudest form, this could be as simple as “Pay me $20 or I’ll leave you a negative comment”.

To report this to SafeHarbor, you should also use ‘Contact Us’, making sure you attach all the emails you have that prove the extortion happened.

You know, if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Maybe you’re not be having all that many problems with the buyers you do get, but you seem to be having a problem with items that just don’t sell. Never fear: the next email will give you some hints on what could be going wrong.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

Finding friends and family on the Internet

2008-05-23T14:42:00.001-07:00

by: Dakota Caudilla
Your search for long-lost friends and family members on the Internet can be as easy as your friend or family member wants it to be for you. The more effort they put into remaining invisible, the harder and longer it will take you to find them. The more visible or transparent he or she is on the Internet, the easier it will be to find him or her.

Simple Googling will go the trick
If your friend or family member has a website or uses the Internet to write blog entries or has an online photo album, you can usually find them using conventional search engines – for example, www.google.com, www.yahoo.com, www.aol.com, www.dogpile.com, etc. As long as they have their names on their websites, blogs or photo albums, the search engines will pick them up and produce the list of links for you to browse through.

However, you can only use this method to find long-lost friends and family members if they have an online presence. If they don’t, you’re probably not going to find them using search engines. Without websites, information or blogs, your friend or family member is as invisible to the search engine as they are to you.

Finding people through their business
If you know the name of the company that your family or friend works in, what you can do is to trace the company’s information or website. And once you find the telephone number or email of the company, give them a ring or send them an email. Usually the HR department may be able to lend you a helping hand. However, it all depends on the level of security that the company adopts. If they prefer to keep the identity and information of their staff private and confidential, there really is nothing else you can do except to personally visit the company’s office.

Tracing by location through directories
One of the most popular and convenient ways of finding family and friends online is by using online directories and tracing the telephone numbers or addresses of the family or friend.

Searching for family or friend through their email address
What happens if the family or friend is no longer using his or her email address and you don’t have the address? What you can do is to make a search using the email address and type it into searches like www.infospaceinc.com. InfoSpace lets you find family and friends by narrowing the search down by specifying the location and telephone number of that person too.

Finding family and friends by digging underground
If your friend or family member wants to stay hidden, there’s still one last thing you can do before you give up. Try using an online detective to find your family and friend! It sounds sneaky and illegal, but it’s actually a legitimate way of finding friends and family. What these online detectives will do is to search through the web, public records, property registration records, arrest records, bankruptcy files, birth registration, childcare and nanny screening records, judgments, court files, unlisted phone numbers and address, and lots more!

Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.biz-source.net on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

About the author:
Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.biz-source.neton which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

To the next level with Google Groups 2

2008-05-23T14:41:00.002-07:00

by: Jakob Jelling
By Jakob Jelling
http://www.sitetube.com

If you haven't visited the Google Labs lately, they have

released a beta of Google Groups 2 that you may want to check

out. This is Google's answer to Yahoo Groups, and they've

added some new features to make their service more useful.

For those who don't know, such groups allow anyone to easily

and quickly start their own announcement lists and discussion

forums. There is no need to install scripts or anything else

on a web site, and no technical knowledge beyond email and

posting to a discussion board is needed. If you want, you can

use Google Groups to post to and read Usenet postings as

well.

Of course, nothing is truly free, and Google Groups is no

different. In exchange for making the technology available to

host your group, Google displays relevant text ads on your

group's home page on Google. "Relevant" is determined by the

content of your Google Group discussions. This is the same

type of technology used by Google to display AdSense

advertising on web sites and relevant text advertising on

their free Gmail email service.

The process to create a group is fast and painless. Just

create your group's name and email address, and invite your

members to join. You are able to make your group either

public or private, and Google has provided a new interface so

that you can see your group's postings sorted any of several

different ways. The Beta 2 Google Groups also features

dynamic conversations, with both Usenet and mailing list

postings created within 10 seconds, and indexed within 10

minutes from post.

Families, old college running buddies, online communities,

and many others may find benefit in using Google Groups, and

the Beta 2 release is worth a try.

About the author:
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.comVisit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

Transfer Huge Files Online Fast And Free

2008-05-23T14:41:00.001-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If this problem hasn't hit you yet... it will.

With the ever-increasing popularity of sharing home-videos, mp3 audios, and other large files online, actually transferring those files to your customers, friends, and family presents a problem.

Most email systems limit the size of the files you can send, and often completely restrict some file types, such as .exe, from passing through their email servers.

Most computer geeks say, "Just ftp it to your server and I'll download it from the Web."

Unfortunately, that solution often proves too much of a hassle, and actually rates impossible for those without ftp access to a website and the knowledge to use it.

To solve this problem, a new breed of website file transfer service has emerged to help the technically or time- challenged masses share their huge files online.

** http://www.YouSendIt.com **

I discovered this website as most people discover new sites, I saw someone else using it.

A friend wanted to send me a 10MB "zip" file while he traveled from San Francisco to Boise.

He couldn't use his ftp program to upload it to the Web, and his ISP wouldn't let him send such a huge file.

So, he logged on to www.yousendit.com and completed a 4-step process.

(1) He entered my email address, (2) chose the file he wanted to send by browsing his hard drive, (3) entered his email and typed in a brief message, and (4) clicked the "send" button.

The service uploaded the file to the web and sent me an email message with a link to download the file from their website.

After I downloaded the file, I clicked a link to delete the file from their server.

If I didn't bother to click that link, the server would automatically delete the file after 7 days.

A few things make this service unique.

First, it allows you to send files without forcing you to register as a user; it's totally anonymous.

Second, it allows you to send up to a 1 gigabyte file.

This enables you to send virtually anything you can think of to anyone with an email address and Internet connection.

The site appears to make its money from advertising revenue generated by popup ads and Google AdSense (where they earn a commission every time someone clicks a link).

Third, like Hotmail.com did when first starting out, YouSendIt.com encourages message recipients to turn around and use the service to send files to their friends.

This "viral marketing" effect should help them spread the word quickly without a huge marketing budget.

** http://www.DropLoad.com **

DropLoad.com also enables users to send large files, though they restrict file sizes to 100 MB.

However, DropLoad.com offers one extra feature lacking in YouSendIt: delivery confirmation.

Dropload enables you to know when the person you sent the file to actually clicks the link to download the file.

This cuts down on the "I never got the file" claims and acts like the Post Office making them sign for registered mail.

You can't prove they read it, but you can prove they received it.

DropLoad.com does require you to register for a username and password, but the service is free.

Overall, both services do an excellent job of solving a growing problem for a huge audience worldwide.

Also, if you sell information products customers download from the Internet, the link expiration and confirmation features can come in handy (such as giving out free samples or preview copies to potential joint venture partners).

About the author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

Anti Spam at the Enterprise Level

2008-05-23T14:40:00.001-07:00

by: Richard Keir
Copyright 2005 Richard Keir

Every one of us knows how spam impacts us. Every day we either get a ton of spam - or if we're fairly well protected by spam filters - only a few pieces.

Like a large number of people, I don't use any spam filters. Ah. You think I'm insane. But wait. My problem is that I get a lot of email from marketing types which I want to receive. And the spam filtering software is not very sensitive to my needs. Even white-listing doesn't always work. So, I prefer to get all that spam and just delete it.

Now this solution can work for me despite the time it takes to delete my daily overdose of spam. However, at the enterprise level, it's a whole different story. If you have a relatively large internal network with even a modest number of email users, you're looking at a major problem. And the more users you have, the worse the problem is.

Sure, you can put up software on the mail server. Works, kind of. But pretty soon you may find you need to upgrade the mail server. And that's after you already put it on a stand-alone machine.

Rather than continuing to buy ever more expensive software to run on a machine that keeps needing to be upgraded, you might want to think about a dedicated anti spam appliance.

To give you some idea of what's possible let's take a look at Barracuda Networks dedicated anti spam appliance. All you need to do is put this baby in front of your mail server. I say baby, advisedly because this one will learn by doing and by training provided by your users.

Dean Drako, CEO of Barracuda Networks said, "Bayesian filtering is still one of the most accurate defenses against spam. The new plug-ins allow users to directly train the Bayesian filter, making the Barracuda Spam Firewall even more accurate based on the users individual email preferences. Viruses and other threats can infect the network quickly if they are not stopped at the network edge. With Intent Analysis our customers have an advantage over these threats because the Barracuda Spam Firewall is able to block them real time. Consequently we have consistently been a first responder when some of the most malicious virus attacks have hit, saving our customers from potentially devastating damage to their networks."

This is one beautiful little machine. A Barracuda Spam Firewall can support from 1,000 to 30,000 active users. It can usually be installed in less than five minutes and receives automatic hourly updates for new forms of spam and viruses. It has a 10 layer defense system beyond the use of open source anti spam and anti virus solutions: denial of service and security protection, IP block list, rate control, virus check with archive decompression, proprietary virus check, user specified rules, spam fingerprint check, Intent Analysis, spam rule-based scoring, and Bayesian analysis. Plus it also does both inbound and outbound email filtering with the inclusion of sophisticated outbound email filtering techniques (just in case you've got a spam zombie on board or somebody's got an infected PC).

However, it isn't exactly cheap. Still, when you consider the time, bandwidth, user frustration and potential hardware upgrade costs, the price may look a lot more reasonable. You can check it out at http://www.barracudanetworks.com/

If you are in the market for an anti-spam appliance, the Barracuda Spam Firewall isn't your only choice. The impact of spam on internet businesses - even those who primarily use it for just email - is so great that a simple search for "anti spam appliance" will find you a number of alternatives to examine. Even McAfee is getting into the anti spam hardware game.

I'm hoping that it won't be too long before I can pick up a Bayesian multi-level anti spam, anti virus firewall appliance for my home PC that keeps me safe and cuts my need to delete without deep-sixing the email I want or costing me more than I can afford. I suspect it's on the way.

About the author:
Richard writes in a variety of areas involving eBusiness and the internet. For more on spam visit http://anti-spam.werkz.organd for general eCommerce go to http://building-ecommerce-websites.com

Virus prevention and removal

2008-05-23T14:39:00.002-07:00

by: Ashish Jain
A virus is a piece of code that gets loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. The first known occurrence of viruses goes back to 1987 when the ARPANET was infected by one.

One common misnomer among people is that you can infect your computer just by opening an email and reading its text. That is not possible; it is usually the files attached to the email that contain the virus. The most common file types are ".SCR" ".VBS" ", ".PIF"

Prevention is better than a cure: Here are some tips to make sure that your computer does not get infected.

* Get a good Anti-Virus software like Norton Anti-Virus, MacAfee, PC Cillin etc.
* Keep your anti virus software updated by downloading new virus definitions regularly. Most Anti-Virus software comes with the feature of updating virus definitions.
* Keep your windows operating system updated by regularly downloading new updates from the Internet. Windows O/S's have a lot of security loopholes and bugs that can be easily exploited by worms and viruses.
* Make sure the anti virus scans the file each time before its opened.
* Floppy disks and removable media are a good source of viruses; always scan them before accessing files on them.
* Never open email attachments from sources that are unknown or suspicious.
* Do not open emails that have questionable subject lines.
* When in doubt about a file, don't open it.
* Even with the best of precautions bad things can still happen. Backup all your data and important files.

Even after taking all these precautions if your computer does get infected, then here are a few things that you can do:

Online clearing tools - are a good source of trying to clean out the virus, there are many Anti-Virus websites that offer free online virus detection and removal services.

Removal tools - If you have an Anti-Virus software then you can go to the website of that software and download removal tools designed specifically for the virus. However, you must find out the name of the virus that infects your PC beforehand.

If you have a backup of all your important files, you can also consider formatting your hard disk.

About the author:
Ashish Jain
M6.Net
http://www.m6.net
Ashish is an integral member of the M6.Net Web Helpers team.

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

2008-05-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

by: Vickie Scanlon
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.

About the author:
Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and Marketing. Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.bizfor free tools, articles, ebooks, affiliate opportunities, and how to info for the affiliate marketer.

Autoresponders: Automatic Internet Marketing Success

2008-05-23T14:38:00.002-07:00

by: Dan Ames
What if you could send out all the information that your potential customers have requested without checking your email or answering a phone? While this may seem impossible, it is becoming more and more popular among the most successful Internet marketing gurus. This is all due to what is called an autoresponder. An autoresponder is an automatic method of responding to emails sent by existing or potential customers and is an must for any Internet business. Time is money and answering emails personally take a lot of valuable time for both you and the customer. Not only do autorespnders allow you to spend the time elsewhere in your business, but it gives the customer access to the information almost immediately.

Since there are so many different uses for autoresponders, they can be of value to virtually any type of business. Some choose to use the autoresponders to answer frequently asked questions about a product or service. Others use them to provide information about pricing or product information. Autoresponders are also a nice way to welcome new members to a website or group as well as thank them after a visit.

One might ask what would be the advantage of using autoresponders as opposed to simply listing the information on the site. An important feature of autoresponders is that they send you an email notification each time a response is sent out. This allows you to track the success of your promotions as well as have the email addresses of potential customers at your fingertips so that you can easily send out updated and new information to them.

It is of the utmost importance to choose an effective autoresponder. An autoresponder should be as personal as possible and send out follow-ups to potential customers since it has been proven that persistence pays off. It could take up to seven contacts before a final sale is conducted. Generally speaking an advertisement should be short and to the point. However, in this case, the customer has asked to see this specific information and therefore an effective autoresponder should allow you to place as much text on the page as you desire. The autoresponder that you choose should provide automatic updates to customers free of charge.

The autoresponder is one Internet marketing tool that will not cost you an arm and a leg. You can get free autoresponders online from several sources. The automatic responses will be a welcome addition to your marketing strategy and will help to automatically increase traffic to your site all while you do nothing. Be sure that the one you choose includes all the extras that will send you site to the top and your profits through the roof.

About the author:
Dan Ames can help YOU start your own profitable business on the Internet within the next 24 hours... To learn more, visit: http://www.RealTimeInternetIncome.com/pips.html

How Not To Get Web Design Work

2008-05-23T14:38:00.001-07:00

by: T. O' Donnell
I get the occasional web design lead from my website. I wanted to find a company I could pass these onto. So I put an ad on a freelance site. It specified the programming qualifications needed, stated that the successful candidate should have good English, and was for companies only.

The replies I got were enlightening. So much so, I made a list of things applicants did wrong. Here it is.

I should point out I was initially prepared to give everyone a fair go. After the first twenty-odd emails, my attitude changed. I was looking for reasons to delete applicants. I only needed one successful one; with 100 replies it was getting to be a headache, so I decided a brutal approach was needed.

1. Failed to read the spec.

Many applicants couldn't write properly in the English language. Many were individuals only. Result: instant deletion.

2. Failed to address the spec's criteria.

Applicants bragged about how great they were. Many copy-and-pasted standard marketing guff about 'solutions' and 'partnerships' into their emails.

To engage anyone's interest about a proposal you need to talk less about yourself and more about the benefits to *them* of using you. One of the first things I learnt about applying for jobs is you need to show how you meet the criteria in the job description; see if you can find the employer's wavelength.

3. Lots of jargon.

You quickly tune this out. Anyone dealing with web companies probably gets a lot of this. Applicants should talk to the client about *the client's* site and *their* needs, and avoid techno-babble.

Write an application letter. Leave it for a while, then edit it. Brutally. Short punchy sentences, no guff. Talking convincingly about how you can make the client money would be an attention-getter.

4a. 'Coming soon' client-listing pages.

You say you've done work for lots of clients, then put up a 'coming soon' sign on the web page where your client list is supposed to be. Hmmmm.

4b. 'Under construction' pages on your company web site.

This looks bad; something you'd see on an amateur's site. Another reason to bin your application.

4c. Only put up pictures of sites you've done, rather than links to the actual sites.

I'd have liked to see some working example sites. Pictures can be faked, and they don't show background programming.

4e. No mention of your main web site URL.

Let us guess where your own site is (if you have one). It's more fun! I tried guessing from the email address. After a while I didn't bother.

4f. No hyperlinks at all.

Just a short email spiel saying "I am great designer, hire me". Next!

5. Using Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com for your email address.

A pro designer shouldn't use a freebie email address service. Basic web hosting costs $5 a month these days.

I can conceive that a web designer might use a freebie account for some special purpose, but your own domain name is a basic advert that goes out in each email you send.

6. Bad spelling and grammar.

Western civilisation is doomed, if using SMS jargon becomes the standard way to write to people. It doesn't impress old frts lik me, fr strtrs :( Especially if you're looking for work where good spelling and grammar are important.

7. Front-loading Flash designs.

I admit it, I don't like Flash. I especially don't like it when it loads slowly on my broadband connection. I suppose it might impress an ignorant client, who doesn't know the economic consequences of having a Flash-heavy site.

8. Don't phone the employer up.

Unless they say 'canvassing will disqualify', 'phoning the employer is a good idea. Why? Because geeks are famously introverted and tongue-tied, supposedly. So if a web site designer can communicate clearly over the telephone, that, coupled with a good application, puts you streets ahead of the email-only applicant.

No need to jabber. A polite enquiry to establish contact will do. "Just checking you've got my CV", that sort of thing.

9. Keep yourself mysterious.

Emails are impersonal. Anything that can establish you as a human being, a person, a potential ally and friend, is good. It'll make you more memorable. No need to jump out of a giant cake, 'though!

However, you have to fulfil all the other criteria as well. However great a guy you are, if you're a Unix man and they want Windows, forget it.

10. Leaving unclear phone messages.

One chap left a phone message, in which he mentioned his site, twice, but not his 'phone number. His pronunciation was bad, so I guess I'll never know how good he was.

11. Too far away.

Most replies were from India, Ukraine, Romania etc. Anyone who was closer to home (the UK) stood out. I mention it simply as a winnowing criterion.

Also, I needed someone who could land contracts from UK residents; good English, written and oral, was important.

12. Give your rates per hour.

Forget that. You're not a lawyer. Web design jobs can be clearly defined, in terms of time, work and software required. A definite price can be agreed on in advance. It's called a contract. Otherwise, you leave the client open to escalating bills, and yourself to mission-creep.

13. Delay applying.

The first few applications were more scrutinised. After that, fatigue set in. After one hundred, only an applicant who seems a real prospect would be given more than five seconds' scrutiny.

About the author:
T. O' Donnell ( http://www.tigertom.com) is an ecommerce consultant and curmudgeon living in London, UK. His latest project is an ebook on conservatories, available at http://www.ttconservatories.co.uk.T. O' Donnell freeware may be downloaded at http://www.ttfreeware.co.uk.

Crying For Help Online

2008-05-23T14:37:00.002-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.TheNetReporter.com
=====================================

Anyone surfing the Internet for more than a week eventually needs help from someone else. Whether regarding an online purchase, technical support on computer hardware, software support or some other type of help, sooner or later everyone needs assistance.

The way in which you ask for help has everything to do with how fast and how well you receive assistance. In the online world where email rules, the following tips will help you get what you need and get on your way quickly.

* Remember the "person" on the other end *

When something on your computer or a particular website doesn't function properly, irritation seems a natural reaction, especially when you have no clue why things don't work or how to fix them. A sense of helplessness often leads to feelings of frustration and anger. However, no matter how upset you get, you must always remember that a live person will receive your email communication and, in many cases, they didn't cause your problem directly.

Remember, those email "missiles" that make you feel better in the short term will almost always come back to haunt you over the long haul.

When first asking for help, never send notes with phrases such as "If you don't respond to me within two hours I'm going to contact my lawyer." or "I sure hope this isn't a scam." Rarely do such comments produce the cheerful help or assistance you actually want.

* "Please" and "Thank You" *

Common courtesy goes a long way towards getting what you want, especially regarding technical support. Notes with nasty comments put the person on the receiving end in a bad frame of mind. However, notes with a polite tone sprinkled generously with "please" and "thank you" will usually receive prompt and courteous attention. You can always get more severe later if you must.

* Don't use ALL CAPS *

Using all capital letters in an email rates the same as SHOUTING in someone's face! Ignorance of this custom online does not excuse the behavior.

Though you may think typing certain words in ALL CAPS merely shows emphasis on your part, to a "computer geek" you will seem rude and offensive. Once you have offended the person from whom you seek help, your chances of receiving that help diminish significantly.

* Get to the point *

Everything happens quickly online. Time ranks number one as the customer support person's scarcest resource and they don't have time to read long emails to figure out what you need.

When asking for help, always include your name, contact information, order information, specific dates and a clear description of the help or information you need.

Avoid including any extraneous information that won't contribute directly in assisting someone in giving you exactly what you need.

Though the Internet and email may seem like an instant solution to many problems, people still run the technology. If you need help from another person, don't treat the person like a machine. You'll get a lot further by doing it this way.

About the author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

How To Avoid Getting Hooked By Pfishing

2008-05-23T14:37:00.001-07:00

by: Cavyl Stewart
"Pfishing", sometimes spelled "Phishing", is a word that's used to describe a
method of identity theft where con men use fake e-mail that looks like it comes
from legitimate sources. This e-mail is designed to hoodwink you into giving
out personal and financial information. Once the scammers receive your
information they use it to either clone your identity or to empty out your bank
accounts and run up your charge cards. Here are some tips on how to avoid
becoming the next victim.

1. Never respond to an e-mail that looks like it came from your bank or any of
your credit card issuers no matter how official it appears. Phishing scam
e-mails will tell you that there is some problem with your account and that you
have to click on an embedded link to correct that problem. They may threaten to
close your account, or report you to the credit bureau, if you do not respond.
DON'T DO IT. Don't call the telephone number that appears in the email either.
Get out one of your old bank or credit card statements and call the number that
appears there. Explain what the email says and follow the directions that you
receive from the actual employee. Chances are they'll tell you its a scam.

2. Never give your bank account information, credit card numbers, Social
Security number, passwords, personal identification numbers (PIN), or Date of
Birth to anyone who asks you for that information by email. No legitimate
company will expect you to reveal sensitive information via email. Also, no
company that issues you a PIN will ever ask you to reveal that PIN to any of
their employees.

3. Never respond to any offer to buy anything by clicking on the link in the
e-mail. Even if the e-mail looks like it comes from your favorite department
store it might be a scam. To avoid being hooked by Pfishing, type in the URL to
the department store by yourself. Go to Google.com to look it up if you don't
already know it.

4. Forward copies of any Pfishing email to the actual company or bank that is
being imitated by the scammers. You can usually send any email to postmaster@
and then the bank or company name.

5. If a Pfishing e-mail seems particularly threatening or worrisome to you,
report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ifccfbi.gov), a
partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.

6. If it's too late and you already provided any of your personal information,
account numbers, or PINs then you should immediately contact your banks and
credit card companies to make arrangements with them to protect your financial
interests. These companies and institutions are familiar with these scams and
they know what needs to be done.

7. If you receive evidence of identity theft, such as unauthorized charges on
your credit card bills, or unexplained transactions in your bank account,
contact the police and file a report. Be sure to get a copy of the report for
your own records and to send to the companies that are involved in the
transactions. You also need to contact all three major credit bureaus (Equifax
at 800-525-6285, Experian at 888-397-3742 and TransUnion at 800-680-7289) and
tell them that you need a fraud alert placed on your credit file.

8. You can get information on ID theft and Pfishing at the Federal Trade
Commission Web site at www.ftc

About the author:
Copyright © 2004 Cavyl Stewart. Discover 52 Ways To Do More With Software by signing up for my exclusive Free ecourse. Get tutorials, tips, reviews and recommendations you can use right now to help you achieve more, easier, and cheaper! 100% Original content. Visit: http://www.find-small-business-software.com/52ways.html

Email Communication Is Dying. What's Next?

2008-05-23T14:21:00.001-07:00

by: Oleg Ilin
Currently there are 3 main types of broadcast Internet messaging systems that you can use to deliver newsletters, e-zines and other informational materials to your customers.

I'm not going to cover here internal or intranet messaging systems, the main focus of this article is on the virtual world outside your local/corporate network.

The main Internet Broadcasting Systems are:

- Email broadcasts that are sent through sender's ISP and received with the email client of your customer (such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Web Mail systems, etc.)

- RSS Feeds delivered through web-based RSS Aggregators.

- Completely customizable and personalized multi-media messages that are sent through RSS Channels and received with branded RSS Readers (such as Private Mail Reader and Feed Demon).

E-mail communications used to be a very efficient way to deliver information to your prospects and customers. This was working well until we got spammers - thousands of unethical people trashing your inboxes with annoying junk offers without any permission on your part. Nobody really wanted these products, ISP customers were irritated with email-boxes full of irrelevant content, to say the least.

Big and small ISP companies (Internet Service Providers) responded by developing anti-spam filters and society at large was forced to work out a set of anti-spam laws regulating the use of e-mails.

So legitimate internet marketers had to accommodate themselves to these unpleasant changes by implementing various forms of opt-in verifications. In other words, now the customers have to confirm in some way that they give you permission to send them e-mails.

And you inevitably loose a percentage of your customers who for some reasons doesn't want to go through the opt-in process.

Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Anti-spam filters are now so tight, that they easily throw in the bulk folder even legitimate e-mails. How it could happen? Well, you may accidentally use some of the "bad words" - such as "free", "buy", "purchase", etc (there are hundreds of "spam words" and the list grows every day). You know very well what happen to the bulk folder emails - they are as good as trash. Chances that recipient will ever read bulk emails are slim to none.

You also loose some of your readers when you try to enhance their experience by sending emails in html format (which would allow you to add colors, and pictures to your email, use different fonts, etc).

You might want to go even further and insert audio or video streams into your emails to give your readers the opportunity to better comprehend the featured topic.

You might want to do other neat things....

Well, don't bother. Sorry to disappoint you, but your efforts will be in vain. Major ISPs consider html to be the format for commercial emails and as such it triggers spam filters almost automatically.

Some analytic companies estimate that you can easily fail to reach as much as 70% of your customers in the nearest future. According to Doubleclick, one of the e-mail delivery leaders, the average rate of opened e-mails in 4th Quarter of 2004 declined 11.4% from Q4 2003, and is now only 32.6%.

Very bright picture, isn't it?

Luckily, there is a solution, and it comes in a form of RSS technology (Really Simple Syndication).

To put it simply, RSS Feeds are the streams of information presented in xml format. This syndication allows webmasters to find the feeds of interest written by other authors and easily place them on their own web sites (with authors permission, of course). The Big Benefit is that this information is automatically updated every time when the particular RSS feed is updated.

In case of RSS aggregators, readers simply subscribe to the feeds and read them through web-based user interfaces (one of the popular RSS aggregators, for example, is My Yahoo - find the RSS Feeds of your choices, add them to your My Yahoo page - and you will receive the update on what is new on these feeds and will be able to read it in user-friendly format (you don't have to learn xml). Each time you go to MY Yahoo you will be informed which of these feeds were updated in the last 3 days.

And finally, there is a third option - RSS Readers. It gives readers the ability not to worry about the information of their choice being blocked by ISP anti-spam filters. They can simply download RSS Feed Reader and enjoy the benefits of private media-rich environment from your computer!

You don't have to go to any websites to get these data and you're not forced to receive this information, you decide where and when to receive it. (Whereas with e-mails you're facing the fact that anybody could send them to your mailing address).

There are a many good RSS readers out there. Some are free, other offer free trial. The most well-known is FeedDemon (has free trial), then goes SharpReader, NewsCrawler, Awasu, PMR etc.

Now it's your turn to explore the benefits of RSS technology. Use RSS messaging system of your choice and stay ahead of your competitors!

About the author:
Oleg Ilin, the president of 1EzHost L.L.C.- custom web design and development company, invites you to visit http://www.1ezhost.bizand get your unique and result-driven website done by professionals. Free gift for you: 2 valuable internet marketing e-books: http://www.1ezhost.biz/onoff1.php

wanted ads online

2008-05-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

by: Paul Stanyon
What Do You Want
Hi Everybody

I have recently launched my website www.wanted-online after a severely disabled could not find for love nor money a car part he was looking It's for anyone who wants something, so you place your ad and wait for the seller to come to you. We are incredibly cheap compared to other similar sites, with no hidden extras and also compared to other similar sites are very,very straightforward to use. If my blurb doesn't entice you to have a look then so be it but I can't believe there isn't something you want! You can email me at paul@wanted-online.com for some FREE advertising
www.wanted-online.com

About the author:
Having spent months looking for a particular thing without success my wife felt there was a niche in the market for people who are looking for something or maybe someone and although there are similar sites out there we specialize solely in what people want. www.wanted-onlinedoesjust that. Take a look and you can email me at paul@wanted-online.com for more info or some free offers.

Protect Yourself with a Porn Filter

2008-05-23T14:19:00.002-07:00

by: Nick Smith
The harmful affects of pornography use and addiction are well documented by science. As with most things in life, prevention is the most effective way to avoid ever having a problem with pornography.

The internet is a wonderful place to access information, read updated news, and connect with people from all over the globe. Unfortunately, pornography on the internet is everywhere, and it isn’t always easy to avoid. Even people taking responsible measures to keep porn off of their computer screens can stumble across it sometimes. The tips found in this article will help you protect yourself and your family online from inappropriate pictures and text.

Take measures to filter spam. Spammers can make money if only one person of the thousands of people they send sexually explicit emails to clicks on their ad and pays for their service. Do everything you can to keep those emails from ever reaching your inbox. If you have allowed your children to have their own email accounts, filtering spam is the best way to ensure inappropriate images never become accessible to them through email. A quick list of things you can do to eliminate spam includes:

• Only give your email address out to people you know and trust. Do not put your personal email address down for every mailing list or website that asks for it. Many free email services exist now – set up a free account with one of them and use that to sign up for mailing lists.

• Never click on any links in spam and if at all possible, avoid ever opening the email. Both of these actions confirms to spammers that you actively use your email account and you will likely start to receive more spam.

• Purchase and use a spam filter. Many come packaged with a porn filter as well as other features that will help keep inappropriate content off of your computer screen.

Be careful what you download. This should be a universal precaution you take by now each and every time you download something off the internet. Viruses, spyware, and pornography can very easily be hidden in the files that you download – prevention in this case is much easier than fixing the problem after the files have already made their way onto your hard drive. Only download files from sources that you trust, and if you ever have a question as to whether something contains a virus or pornography, do NOT download it.

Use a search engine to find websites. Pornographers use domain names that are similar to popular websites or brands in hopes that people will type in the address incorrectly and end up at their pornography site. I knew a child that wanted to look up codes for his favorite video game, so he typed in the name of the game and “.com.” He had the presence of mind to close the browser and tell his parents, but was still exposed to the material. One of the best ways to avoid this is searching for the address in Google. Then you can preview the results in a text-only format before clicking on the link to go to the page. Many of the popular search engines have a built-in porn filter that you can adjust to control the type of content you don’t want to appear in the search results. Others even offer “for kids” versions of their search engines that only return pages deemed appropriate for children.

Use filtering software that includes a porn filter. No matter how careful you are about the sites you visit, chances are good that someday you will accidentally come across a porn site. A porn filter will help ensure that inappropriate material is blocked when you or someone in your family stumbles across a pornographic website. The parents of the boy who stumbled across pornography while looking for his favorite Nintendo game quickly installed a porn filter to make sure their son was protected in the future.

Avoid pornography offline. Porn was around long before the internet. Carry around your own internal porn filter and avoid places that you know will have inappropriate images, movies, or books displayed. If your children are with you, be extra cautious of where they are in the store. If you think there is a chance that they may be able to access inappropriate material while you are shopping, let the store manager know of your concerns. Likely, you are not the only one who is worried about the issue, and real changes can come about from one person simply speaking up.

Take the appropriate precautions now to avoid pornography. If you or someone you know has a problem with pornography use or addiction, seek professional help. Pornography problems not only affect the individual viewing the picture but everyone who interacts with that person.

About the author:
Nick Smith is a client account specialist with http://www.10xMarketing.com– More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For a porn filter and more information about protecting your family online, visit http://www.contentwatch.com/features/porn-filter.php

The Best Simple Software For The Busy Webmaster

2008-05-23T14:19:00.001-07:00

by: T. O' Donnell
Here are a few programs I can't do without. They're free, and make being a webmaster much easier.

CGI-Telnet http://www.rohitab.com/cgiscripts/cgitelnet.html

A cgi script that allows you to run commands on your server, even if your web host won't give you telnet access. Also good for getting at files generated by other scripts that are owned by user 'nobody', instead of your username. Ever tried deleting them? Well, now you can.

AXS Visitor Tracking System http://www.xav.com/

A very fine hit counter. Fairly simple to set up, if you use footer files on your site. Gives detailed information. Much better than the stats software that came with your web-hosting account.

Swap.pl

A Perl text replacer script. Handy if you're not familiar with Unix commands. Make sitewide changes in seconds. The original author's site doesn't list it any more. Can still be found via a search engine (hint, hint).

FTP Explorer http://www.ftpx.com

The charm of this software is that it looks a lot like the Windows shell, and thus makes FTP'ing a little less intimidating for the novice webmaster.

Putty Telnet/SSH Client http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

A simple-looking, but sophisticated, freeware telnet and SSH client. Can be run from a floppy disk. Useful for the mobile webmaster.

Email Remover 2.4

Not currently available from the author's website, but can be found by Googling for a file named 'eremov24.zip'. This is an email account checker. It can be run from a floppy disk and can check multiple email accounts. Allows you to highlight spam and delete it, and download emails if need be. WARNING: It has a bug. Do not change the order of the emails in the software window before deleting; you'll end up deleting the wrong ones.

RFTP 32 Version 0.99

Again, not currently available from the author's website. This is a self-contained FTP client that can be, you guessed it, run from a floppy disk. Search around for a file named 'rftp.exe'.

If you don't see a pattern emerging, then let me elucidate: the last three programs can all be run from the same floppy disk. You can leave your laptop at home, and work on your your site from internet cafes.

The only thing left would be a WYSIWYG HTML editor that you can run from a floppy disk; that would be asking for a lot. However, the Mambo content management system http://www.mambo.com comes with one pre-installed. There's also a WYSIWYG plugin for the blog software WordPress http://wordpress.org/.

Either is a useful addition to any website. You can keep it updated while on the road.

About the author:
T. O' Donnell ( http://www.tigertom.com) is an ecommerce consultant and curmudgeon living in London, UK. His latest project is an ebook on conservatories, available at http://www.ttconservatories.co.uk.T. O' Donnell freeware may be downloaded at http://www.ttfreeware.co.uk.

Publishing A Newsletter

2008-05-23T14:18:00.001-07:00

by: David Risley
Today, many websites offer a free newsletter. Newsletters, from the receiving end, can be a great source for information that is delivered to your in-box. You can simply save the newsletter for future reference, something many people do. From the publisher's standpoint, though, a newsletter is a fantastic idea as it gives you a database of people who are interested in what you have to offer. Marketers know the value of this. But, aside from the potential financial benefit of such a mailing list, a newsletter is also a great way to keep in touch with users who may have only surfed across your website once. They may, on a whim, sign up for your newsletter and, thus, you have a way to keep in touch with them at a later date. You can also use your mailing list as a source for demographics information or opinions. Want to start a new feature on your site and want to know whether it will work or not? Survey the members of your mailing list.

So, let's take a look at what needs to be looked at to start your newsletter.

Length

It would be easy to send your users a long, winding email that requires them to scroll a long way to read the whole thing. However, in practice, this doesn't work very well. You want to keep your newsletter as brief as you can. If you include an article in your mailing, keep it brief and to the point. If the article is long, you could publish a portion of it and direct them to your website to read the rest of it.

Size

Newsletter size goes hand-in-hand with length, but with HTML newsletters being the norm today, it is possible to have very bloated HTML that does something that could be done otherwise with much less code. In short, then, keep your HTML efficient so that the size of the newsletter in kilobytes does not become too large. Remember, you're sending a lot of them (stress on the server) to people who may still have dial-up (slow download speeds).

Frequency

You need to decide how often you will publish your newsletter. Most are published weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. If anything is published more often than that, be sure to make that very clear to new subscribers because mailings that are sent too often will cause some to unsubscribe because they find it annoying. Also, once you commit to a frequency, stick to it. If a newsletter is sent irregularly, people will find it useless or will not respect it. However, if it comes at the same time with constant frequency, they will come to expect it and you will gain the respect of having done what you said you would do.

Format

Most newsletters are offered in both HTML and Text formats and this is your best bet. Most users prefer HTML and HTML provides you with more flexibility to get your message across. Text emails are very plain looking, however they are smaller in size and readable in any email client (some email clients still have a hard time with HTML). It is best to publish in both formats and give subscribers a choice.

Method of Sending

You need to research and find a way to send your newsletter. Sending mass email is fairly server intensive, depending on the size of your mailing list. For very large lists, it is usual to go to an outside newsletter hosting company to publish the newsletter. These companies have dedicated servers and powerful mass email software in order to send your newsletter without a burp. If you send the newsletter in-house and your list is large, you will want to pay attention to how the mail is sent. We use a PHP-based system designed in house which throttles out-going email depending on site traffic - our way of placing a governor on the rate of sending and not drag our sites to a crawl.

Promotion

When you start your newsletter, you will need to promote for subscribers. If your site is already pretty well trafficked, your job just got a lot easier. Put the subscription form up on your website and begin to collect addresses. You will find that the rate of sign-ups will be very dependent on your site traffic. This action will result in sign-ups, however you may find that the rate of new sign-ups is still rather slow. You need to get their attention. A popup window is a popular and very workable way to do this. While many users don't like pop ups, this is a use of the popup which makes a lot of sense because it is so workable. Your subscription rate can easily double with this alone. When setting up the popup, use a cookie to ensure that a user does not see the ad more than once for a certain timeframe. You might even want to mention this in the popup itself so that people who are more easily annoyed by them may calm down a bit. Set the popup to appear on their first page view or some other interval. When your code opens the popup, set the cookie. In subsequent page views, your code will detect the cookie and not open the window again.

Aside from the popup, make your subscription form prominent on your website. If you have a forum, see about putting an option into the registration process which will add them to your mailing list when they sign up. Also, invite people to invite friends to your mailing list.

Opt in and Double Opt In

An opt-in mailing list means that a person can visit your site, enter an email address and that address is subscribed. Double opt-in means that when they enter the email address, the system sends them an email which contains a link which they need to click to confirm their subscription. This two-stage setup provides more security because you know the address is valid and that the person signing up is indeed subscribing their own email and not somebody else. The opt-in method will result in much higher subscription rates because you do not need to get the user to do anything else once they enter their address. Double opt-in is more secure, however you will have people who simply do not confirm, therefore the subscription rate will be slower. IF you are after sheer numbers, opt-in is you best method of address collection. However, this method is more open to fraudulent emails. If you use double opt-in, you may want to have a system which will send them a few reminders over time if they do not confirm. In using opt-in, at least send them an email confirming their subscription, with an option to unsubscribe right then and there if they are not the ones who subscribed the address. You might even want to include the IP address of the person who signed them up.

A newsletter is an excellent marketing resource for your website and, if you have not begun one, you should strongly consider it.

About the author:
David Risley is a web developer and founder of PC Media, Inc. (http://www.pcmedianet.com). Specializes in PHP/MySQL development, consulting and internet business management. He is also the founder of PC Mechanic (http://www.pcmech.com), a large website delivering do-it-yourself computer information to thousands of users every day.

The Best Internet Advertising Is Free Internet Advertising

2008-05-23T14:17:00.001-07:00

by: David Riewe
Free internet advertising is one very important method for promoting your products and services to thousands of free classified ads.

Most of these free classified ads web sites give you the power to facilitate marketing with features such as classified ads submitter forms. Features like this give free Internet advertising an extremely fast way of getting your products or services on line. It is accessible 24/7 allowing you access anytime, it's very effective and efficient and most of it comes free. No downloads. No sign-up fees. No hidden charges. No annual or monthly fees. No sales fees. It is absolutely free.

Free internet advertising makes it easy for you to put free ads on several of the premier quality web sites whenever you want, for free. This kind of benefit you get from free internet advertising can only do, to say the least, miracles for your business. Most of these free internet advertising companies give you 3 slots to advertise any product or service for free.

Free internet advertising is the perfect way and best way to make your products or services known to the millions of prospective consumers in the Internet and make your web site start producing money. There is an enormous audience for free internet advertising that is present in the Internet, that the probability of anyone needing your services or wanting to buy your products is very high. There are free services out there that may suit your services, products and web site. Browse the internet for the best free internet advertising for assessment on their amenities and features how to advertise or join your web site for free internet advertising.

Most web sites promoting free internet advertising have features like classified ads submitter – where you can get a enormous exposure with instant results and expand your sales by large volumes over night, opt-in email lists – non spam bulk emailing program, guaranteed 100% legal. Opt-in email lists are created by people who have volunteered or ‘opted-in’ their email addresses to these lists. These lists are very effective for creating personalized email to prospective clients.

Free internet advertising provides a great technique for building traffic. People constantly search on online free internet advertising ads for specific services or products. Free internet advertising target clients inclined to buying a particular kind of product or service in mind.

And the best reason to advertise in free internet advertising is because it is absolutely free.

About the author:
Little Known Minnesota Man Making Six Figures Per Year Online, From the Comfort of Home, Reveals His Top Internet Money-Makers. http://www.push-button-online-income.com/pbi

Choosing Your Web Hosting Reseller Software

2008-05-23T14:16:00.001-07:00

by: S. Rosendahl
As a web host reseller, one of your most important business decisions is your choice of web hosting control panel software. The web hosting software you use will save or cost you time, money, and frustration.

What reseller control panel features will reduce your workload? What hosting software programs are integrated with the reseller control panel or work with it? What website control panel features will your clients like?

In this article, we’ve compared four quality web hosting reseller software programs:

• Alabanza
• cPanel
• H-Sphere
• Plesk

All of these reseller control panels come with control panels for your clients. They all have numerous features — advanced email management, web statistics, pre-installed scripts, multi-language support, and more. They all work on Linux platforms, while H-Sphere and Plesk also work with Windows. According to the cPanel website, a Windows version of cPanel is in development.

Other features that set these control panels apart are their degree of automation, the number of features and ease of use for the end user, and the features and ease of use for you, the reseller.
Alabanza

When you become an Alabanza reseller, you don’t just have a reseller account — you lease a dedicated server from Alabanza. Alabanza owns the control panel the server, and you resell directly for Alabanza. If you lease a dedicated Alabanza server, you can create your own reseller accounts. However, only you can set up hosting plans; resellers below you will be limited to hosting plans that you create.

Alabanza offers resellers a high degree of automation with its Domain System Manager (DSM), which can significantly reduce overhead and time spent on routine tasks:

• Account creation
• Billing and invoice management
• Credit card processing
• Domain registration
• Email notifications
• Ordering fraud protection

Even novices can sell hosting with this level of automation.

DSM also integrates with bulkregister.com for domain name registration. It does not easily integrate with other domain registrars, though.

A key Alabanza feature that resellers can offer their clients is the Xpress Product Suite, which provides web development and email management tools. The Xpress Product Suite includes SiteXpress, a website-building program that features over 300 templates and requires no web design skills.

cPanel

For resellers and end users, cPanel is known for its ease of use and range of features. cPanel’s collection of over 50 pre-installed scripts and Fantastico auto installer help clients set up their sites with little web development knowledge.

A basic cPanel reseller account comes with two separate programs for resellers to manage their business:

• WHM (Web Host Manager) is used to create accounts and packages, add and suspend sites, modify passwords, view bandwidth usage, park domains, install SSL certificates, and perform other administrative functions.
• From the reseller’s cPanel control panel, a drop-down menu takes the reseller to the control panels for each of the sites on the reseller account, including the reseller’s site.

With the addition of an optional program, WHM AutoPilot, you can automate account creation and suspension, email notifications, and other tasks. WHM AutoPilot also integrates with common payment gateways and has a helpdesk, an invoice module, and other tools.
H-Sphere

H-Sphere is designed for both Linux and Windows platforms. Moreover, resellers can set up plans for both Linux and Windows and administer sites on different servers from the same control panel. The control panel, actually a separate server, also provides administrative access to the integrated helpdesk.

The H-Sphere control panel server automates account configuration, credit card processing, domain registration, and email notifications. It also includes a built-in billing module and supports over 20 payment gateways.

From the reseller’s point of view, H-Sphere has a higher learning curve than most other control panels because of its numerous features. For example, when setting up a new plan, the administrator has two pages of features to choose from, including setup and monthly pricing for optional services.

Beginning webmasters may find H-Sphere too complicated for their needs. More advanced users, however, appreciate the features and control that H-Sphere offers the end user. A key feature is the ability to have control over separate domains with multi-domain hosting.

H-Sphere comes with the website builder SiteStudio, which guides users through a variety of style choices and stores content separately from the layout. No HTML or FTP knowledge is required.
Plesk

Plesk is known for its stability and security. Resellers and end users like its simple navigation, its clean interface, and its professional appearance. It comes in versions for both Linux and Windows platforms.

With Plesk, all users use the same control panel but with different levels of control:

• Server administrator
• Client / reseller
• Domain owner
• Mail user

Each level of the control panel gives the user control of that level and the level(s) below it. Email users, for example, can log into their mail user control panel to change their password, add autoresponders, and change other personal settings without having access to the domain owner control panel.

Plesk handles SpamAssassin at the mailbox level rather than at the domain level.
This feature enables users to whitelist or blacklist email for each email address, allowing each email user to have individual settings.

SWsoft, the company behind Plesk, also offers SiteBuilder, a five-step website builder using pre-built templates. SiteBuilder has over 300 templates in different categories to choose from, and users can publish their sites without any HTML or FTP knowledge.

If your Plesk reseller account is with a web host that offers HSPcomplete, you will have some automation available with your account, such as credit card charges and email notification.

About the author:
About the author: Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for Website Source, Inc. http://www.websitesource.com. Her established writing skills coupled with experience in the website hosting industry have provided internet professionals with marketing, product and service ideas for many years.

Adware Installation Stealth Tactics

2008-05-23T14:15:00.002-07:00

by: Joel Walsh
When adware can't trick you into installing it, it often resorts to a secretive invasion. Find out how to defend yourself.

Adware Installation Stealth Tactic 1: Expensive Freebie

• How it works: adware may get installed with so-called free software without any mention of it being included anywhere in the software's license or documentation. Or any mention of the bundled software is buried deep within a click-wrap licensing agreement.

• How to protect yourself: It's become an endlessly repeated cliché, but it's true: only install software from developers you trust. That doesn't mean you can never try any software from a new company. Just familiarize yourself with the developer's reputation before opening wide your hard drive. Search the developer's name on search engines. If a dozen anti-spyware advertisements are listed alongside the search results, that's not a good sign.

• How to fight back: If you've already downloaded the expensive freebie, it's probably too late to simply uninstall it. The bundled adware will likely stick around on your computer long after the software that came with it has been sent to the recycling bin. Instead, you need to use an anti-spyware program, and preferably two to be sure.

Tactic 2. Adware Drive-by

• How it works: adware may hide in a website's code and download itself automatically onto the site visitor's hard drive. This is often called a "drive-by" installation.

• How to protect yourself: drive-by installations of software tend to happen on obscure commercial websites, rather than personal homepages, blogs, or the websites of established businesses. If you can avoid surfing in those kinds of rough waters, you'll be a lot safer from adware attacks.

• How to fight back: If you do suspect that a site has downloaded software onto your computer, close it immediately and fire up your anti-spyware and antivirus software. You may also want to delete your browser's cache and also any program downloads folders and temporary internet folders, just in case the adware is a new kind of adware that isn't in your anti-spyware software's database yet.

Tactic 3: The Old-Fashioned Way: Email

• How it works: you know the drill: just as with viruses, adware may come as an email attachment. The stealth part is that simply not opening attachments may not be enough to protect you. The attachment may not display an attachment icon and is set to auto-install as soon as the message is opened.

• How to protect yourself: make sure your email software does not open attached files automatically. With most new email software applications the option to block automatic downloads of attached files is set as the default. But to be really safe, you should set your anti-spyware software to automatically monitor all email.

• How to fight back: delete the offending email without opening it or the attachment (assuming that hasn't happened already). Run a full scan of your hard drive using anti-spyware and antivirus software.

About the author:
Joel Walsh writes for spyware-refuge about spyware and adware removal: http://www.spyware-refuge.com?spyware adware remover [Publish this article on your website! Requirement: live link for above URL/web address w/ link text/anchor text: "spyware adware remover" OR leave this bracketed message intact.]

The Importance of List Building for Internet Marketers

2008-05-23T14:15:00.001-07:00

by: Jason DeVelvis
The golden rule of Internet Marketing is to build a huge list of opt-in subscribers. The money is in the list. You’ve probably heard that said over and over again. You keep hearing it because it is absolutely true. The bigger your opt-in list is, the more money you will make – it’s a proven fact that you should not ignore if you hope to be successful. There are numerous benefits to getting opt-in subscribers.

When a person makes a purchase from you, this is the time to start getting opt-in subscribers. You want to collect that email address. Otherwise, they will make their purchase, and happily go on with their lives – and probably forget all about you. You don’t want that to happen. You want to have the ability to sell future products or upgrades to them in the future – but without that email address, and without their permission to send them email, you’ve lost contact with that customer forever – unless you are lucky enough for them to remember you, or to find you again.

If you ask any successful Internet marketer what their most valuable business asset is, they will absolutely tell you it is their opt-in list. If their house was burning down, and they could only save one item, it would be their list, the backup disk that holds the list or the computer that has the list on it…but it would be the opt-in list that they would save! Many Internet marketers even keep their backup disk of their opt-in list locked in a fireproof safe. Some have the disk in a safety deposit box at the bank! If the list wasn’t so valuable, why would they go to so much trouble to protect it?

The bigger your list is, the more powerful you will become on the Internet marketing community. That’s right, there is indeed a pecking order, and he who holds the biggest list wins. That list will give you opportunities that you would not have without it. Other marketers will approach you on a daily basis to do joint ventures. Those joint ventures will typically have to do with your list – and their large list as well. When you have a big opt-in list, you make more money – with less effort. You won’t have to go look for deals or for ways to make money. The opportunities will be lining up at your front door.

Getting opt-in email subscribers is the key to making sales. It is the golden key to getting website visitors. It is how you communicate quickly with a very large group of people who are interested in what you have to say. As you build credibility with your subscribers, every time you make a product recommendation, they will go check it out – a large number of them will make a purchase.

You’ve probably heard about claims of people who work an hour a day and rake in tons of cash. Unfortunately, the business opportunities that offer you this are usually scams. But what if that was really possible? Wouldn’t you take advantage of it? Wouldn’t you love to just work one hour a day and make all the money that you need and then some? Of course you would.

Well, when you have put in the time and work necessary for getting opt-in email subscribers, and you’ve built a huge list, it is entirely possible, and there are Internet marketers who actually do this. They get up, they write an email for their list – usually giving great content or recommending a product or something of this nature (something that will make them money), then they send the email to their list. They are done for the day. They walk away from their computer knowing that they will make money simply because they sent that email to their list. Isn’t that a good enough reason to start getting opt-in subscribers for your own list?

About the author:
Jason is a successful Internet Marketer, and posts regularly on his Adventures In Internet Marketing blog. Take a minute right now to sign up for his newsletter for more great information!

Bayesian Spam Filters Explained

2008-05-23T14:14:00.001-07:00

by: Niall Roche
In a word Bayesian spam filters are "intelligent". Bayesian spam
filters are intelligent in so far as they're capable of comparing two sets of information and acting on the result. This
is in direct contrast to the vast majority of other spam filters who use pre-built rules to decide which email is spam and which is not.

Bayesian spam filters can take one group of legitimate email and another group of spam and compare the values and data of
each. The definition of legitimate email that it creates at the end of this comparison session is what it uses going forward to scan your inbox for spam.

FYI Bayesian spam filters are named after Thomas Bayes an 18 century cleric who created something known as Bayes Theorem. In
summary Bayes Theorem is as follows: .."in statistical inference to update estimates of the probability that different hypotheses
are true, based on observations and a knowledge of how likely those observations are, given each hypothesis." In plain English it looks for obvious repeating patterns to form an "opinion" on something. In spam filter terms that "opinion" becomes a rule which keeps you spam free (or pretty close.)

The really neat thing about Bayesian filters is that they're capable of learning. For example if they decided to block an email because the filter perceived it as junk but the user marked it as valid mail the Bayesian filter then knows not to
block that type of email in the future. So, in time, this type of spam filter learns enough to block spam far more effectively.
AOL have embraced this type of spam filter with the launch of AOL 9.0 and AOL Communicator- if the big dog wants it then it must be worthwhile.

So what Bayesian spam filtering options are available to you? Well quite a few to be honest and you'll be pleasantly surprised
by some of the names involved :-) The first one on the list is AOL with their AOL Communicator product. The spam filtering
features in AOL Communicator and AOL 9 are, to be honest, impressive. Think what you will of the provider themselves AOL
Communicator is an excellent product and is suitable for use by both PC and Mac OSX users.

Next up we have Eudora. The nice folks at Qualcomm have designed an excellent email client that also has built in Bayesian spam
filtering. I've used Eudora in the past and it's a neat little package. Again the benefits here are advanced integrated spam
filtering with your e-mail automatically. Mac OSX and OS9 users are in luck with Eudora providing support for both.

Bayesian spam filters are providing a more rounded defense for computer users of all levels in fighting spam. As an indication of the strength of Bayesian spam filters more and more companies are either:

a. Updating their spam filters to include bayesian technique as a plugin or;

b. Basing their new products on bayesian filtering principles from the ground up.

About the author:
This article was provided courtesy of Spam-Site.com which reviews and tests spam blockers for the business and end user.

How To Rake In the Sales From Your Loyal Opt-In Subscribers for Free

2008-05-23T14:13:00.002-07:00

by: Matt Callen
If you're anything like me, you've probably heard it a thousand times before, stored it in the back of your memory bank, and haven't had the desire to go back there to get it. Well, now's the time to start acting on what I like to call “The Undiscovered Gold Mine.” What I'm talking about is the marketing power of an opt-in email list.
But what is the most compelling offer to truly get your visitors to opt-in?
Without a doubt...a Free Newsletter is your best bet!
In this lesson, we'll dive deep into the importance of a well-written newsletter, its impressive money-making potential, and the art of writing a profitable newsletter that your subscribers will eat up like candy!
Email marketing is a blessing for small business owners. An effective, targeted email-marketing campaign can drive traffic to your site, get your name in front of qualified prospects and turn leads into sales - for much less than what you'd spend on a traditional direct-marketing campaign. Once you have developed your email list, how do you turn those devoted subscribers into sales? No matter what strategies you used to get your subscribers to opt-in on your emailing list, many of them are already pre-sold to your product. Now, you just have to close the deal.
In this lesson, I'm going to show you why your site needs a newsletter and how to maximize your sales by using this powerful incentive. Offering a free newsletter is the best way to collect loyal subscribers who are actively looking for answers to their problems. If you offer to provide potential subscribers with information they need, they'll be glad to subscribe to your newsletter. But obviously the secret is out, and most online businesses are taking full advantage of the powerful capabilities of this marketing tool. And as a result, there has been a mass of newsletters on the Internet full of nonsense and spam - leaving Internet visitors with a wary concern about handing over their email addresses to just anyone.
This doesn't, however, mean that you shouldn't start your own newsletter. And it doesn't mean that you've missed the boat. All it means is that you are going to have to work at providing your subscribers with quality information that they deem worthy enough to entrust their email address with you. Not a problem! Just create a newsletter that people read faithfully, that is considered to be a reliable source of quality information, and that attracts a consistent number of opt-in subscribers.
The best part about newsletters is that you can produce them with little to no cost at all! Of course you can hire a ghost writer to compose your newsletter, but the best way to truly acquire a lasting relationship with your customer is by simply “talking” to them.
Nowadays, it's easy to get away with informal conversations with someone you don't know all that well. In fact, many people actually feel more comfortable with the fact that you're talking to them like a friend. Don't underestimate the power of this kind of relationship!
If you are communicating on a regular basis with your subscribers, giving them valuable information, and allowing them to get to know and trust you, you shouldn't be too surprised about how many of them will actually become devoted customers. Email newsletters are one of the great bargains in marketing. They keep your company in front of your customers on a regular basis for very little cost.
Newsletters aren't right for every audience - I wouldn't recommend them if you're targeting the local B-I-N-G-O crowd - but if you're in the web hosting business, there's a good chance that 100% of your customers and prospects use email, making newsletters a great tool!
Email newsletters are proven to increase sales, if used properly. It has been reported by rigorous research and testing that up to 50% in sales can be generated from newsletter auto-responder follow-ups! And I'm sure you'll also be glad to hear that if used properly, up to 10% of opt-in subscribers will purchase the product being sold. In case you didn't get that - it's been reported that...
10 people out of every 100 subscribers will buy!
That's enough to make me want to send out newsletters! But there are a few things that you have to be cautious of when preparing your newsletter. If you want to rake in the ALL of the financial benefits possible, you need to follow the tips below. Trust me, there's an art to creating a thriving, profitable newsletter.
There's no doubt about it - a free newsletter is your best source of generating a list of subscribers you can send promotions to in the future! But how should you go about delivering your message to your potential customers without coming off as a huge advertisement billboard? Because so many of us are already overwhelmed by the daily flood of email, your newsletter will need to be much more than just ads for your products. Including informative articles, interviews, or other information may help entice your subscribers to actually open and read your newsletter. Light “plugs” in the body of your newsletter aren't a bad idea, but remember that your subscribers are looking for quality information - not a salesletter…that's what your webpage is for.
To increase your sales and get the most out of your newsletter, we highly recommend following the tips listed below…

§ Registering New Subscribers
When asking visitors to sign up, ask only for the information you need - perhaps just the email address. Remember, that every additional bit of info you collect is another deterrent to customer signup. People don't like to give away their private information, so don't ask for anything more than what is needed.
Make it easy for subscribers to share your newsletter with others. They can simply forward the message, of course, but if you include an explicit send-to-a-friend link you are giving your customers and subscribers a gentle “nudge” to recommend your material to their friends and colleagues.
§ Check out your competition
Every business has competition. Find out what they are doing by researching their product or service. Sign up for their newsletters, and then make yours better than theirs. What could you do better? Is there a gap in their service you can fill?
§ Content
The first thing I want to tell you is that “Newsletters must be simple.” You do not want to be the next “delete” button in your subscribers email account. People get a lot of email. They don't have time to read a lot of text. Newsletters must be designed to facilitate scanning, but then again you want to give them the opportunity to get a “full dose” of what you have to offer. So the best recommendation is to provide links like “Click Here for the Full Report”, or “Discover the Answers To Your Problem by Clicking Here”.
Above all, deliver content with real value. We're all flooded by email, and if your users don't perceive your newsletter to be worthwhile, they'll just delete it and move to the next message in their inbox. That's why it's important to track your click-through rates: they're proof that your messages are being read - not just your message views. Also, if you have a newsletter that covers a ton of topics and starts to get too long, be sure break it into separate newsletters.
§ Write a Good Subject Line
Writing good subject lines is especially important, both to encourage users to open the newsletter, and to distinguish the newsletter from spam. I recommend including some actual content from the individual newsletter in each subject line, even though it's a difficult job to write good within the 50-60 character limit that is imposed by many email services.
§ HTML or plain text?
It's really a matter of what you think will most appeal to your readers. There really hasn't been much difference as far as which one sells the best. It truly depends on your target audience. So if in doubt, offer two lists: one in plain text and the other in HTML. Then let your subscribers decide which one they want to receive.
§ Let's Make a Profit! Selling to Your Audience
Many people try and sell their product or service directly from their emails. However this is really the job of your web site, not your newsletter. The purpose of your email campaigns should be purely to get people to click to your web site. Two of the most successful ways to do this are
a) A “Single-Topic” Article in Your Newsletter
Create a single article that describes a common problem that your product solves. BUT, don't necessarily mention your product in the article but do point out some of the things to be considered when choosing a solution. Close your article by simply saying something like "To read more about this problem and discover our Tried-and-True solution - Click Here". This link should then direct your opt-in subscribers to you product sales page at which point the user is already thinking about the problem and what to look for in a solution. Then, they discover your product, which just happens to solve their problem. Viola!
b) A Series of Articles in Your Newsletter
In each issue of your newsletter, focus on one particular problem that your product solves. But again, don't necessarily mention your product - simply talk about some of the things to be considered when choosing a solution. Dedicate the whole issue to describing this problem and what to look for in a solution. At the end of each issue point them in the direction of your product's sales pages. Again by the time they hit your web pages they will be primed and ready to learn how your product solves their problem.
Then, in your next newsletter series, you can incorporate a “new” problem that your product also solves. Get the picture? It's a great strategy once you get the hang of it.

Never send your newsletter to anyone who hasn't specifically requested to receive it. Remember, new anti-spam regulations require every marketing email to include an opt-out condition and a valid physical address.
Email newsletters are a blessing to small businesses. They are a great way to generate a credible relationship with your customer, drive subscribers to your site, create demand for your product, and thus skyrocket your sales!
Establishing your credibility is the key to making your product or service attractive to potential customers. But once you've done that, your loyal subscribers will WANT to know more about what you have to say. They'll be extremely receptive to your offers. The most valuable customer is the one you already have - right there in your email list.
Be sure to check out the next lesson. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to boost your opt-in mailing list by up to 10 times!

About the author:
If you liked the lesson and want to learn more about building your email list and tapping into an undiscovered gold mine of profit, visit InstantPopOVER.com and get your free copy of 7 Days To Building a Booming Email List right now!

An Ebay Seller’s Checklist.

2008-05-23T14:13:00.001-07:00

by: Kirsten Hawkins
Being a seller is a lot of responsibility, and sometimes you might feel like you’re not doing everything you should be. This simple checklist will help you keep on top of things.

Have you found out everything you possibly could about your items? Try typing their names into a search engine – you might find out something you didn’t know. If someone else is selling the same thing as you, then always try to provide more information about it than they do.

Do you monitor the competition? Always keep an eye on how much other items the same as or similar to yours are selling, and what prices they’re being offered at. There’s usually little point in starting a fixed price auction for $100 when someone else is selling the item for $90.

Have you got pictures of the items? It’s worth taking the time to photograph your items, especially if you have a digital camera. If you get serious about eBay but don’t have a camera, then you will probably want to invest in one at some point.

Are you emailing your sellers? It’s worth sending a brief email when transactions go through: something like a simple “Thank you for buying my item, please let me know when you have sent the payment”. Follow this up with “Thanks for your payment, I have posted your [item name] today”. You will be surprised how many problems you will avoid just by communicating this way.

Also, are you checking your emails? Remember that potential buyers can send you email about anything at any time, and not answering these emails will just make them go somewhere else instead of buying from you.

Do your item description pages have everything that buyers need to know? If you’re planning to offer international delivery, then it’s good to make a list of the charges to different counties and display it on each auction. If you have any special terms and conditions (for example, if you will give a refund on any item as long as it hasn’t been opened), then you should make sure these are displayed too.

Have you been wrapping your items correctly? Your wrapping should be professional for the best impression: use appropriately sized envelopes or parcels, wrap the item in bubble wrap to stop it from getting damaged, and print labels instead of hand-writing addresses. Oh, and always use first class post – don’t be cheap.

Do you follow up? It is worth sending out an email a few days after you post an item, saying “Is everything alright with your purchase? I hope you received it and it was as you expected.” This might sound like giving the customer an opportunity to complain, but you should be trying to help your customers, not take their money and run.

Being a really good eBay seller, more than anything else, is about providing genuinely good and honest customer service. That’s the only foolproof way to protect your reputation. Of course, you might be wondering by now whether it’s really worth all the hassle to get a good reputation on eBay. Won’t people buy from you anyway, and couldn’t you just open a new account if it really comes down to that? Our next email will set you straight.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

Web Surfers Revolt Against "Pushy" Advertising

2008-05-23T14:12:00.001-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
=====================================

As the Internet continues to populate with websites trying to turn a buck, two drastically different schools of thought have developed on how to advertise online - "Push" and "Pull."

"Push" advertising involves the use of "in-your-face" advertising tactics such as pop-up windows and direct email. "Pull" advertising entails using search engines and posting articles that literally "pull" interested consumers to a website on their own terms.

As web surfers revolt against pushy advertising, site owners who understand how to pull consumers to their sites will come out the long-term winners.

"Push" advertising tactics worked in the past because they had not reached a saturation point. Since not everyone used pop-up windows, a site owner could use them without fear of backlash. Now it seems pop-up windows hit consumers from every angle and even multiple times from the same sites.

The cycle of events with online advertising always unfolds the same way. Someone finds something new that works and people immediately jump on the bandwagon. As a technique saturates the 'Net and loses effectiveness, instead of finding an alternative, site owners just do it more!

Result: instead of pop-up windows going away, many site owners just run more pop-up's - more often!

Well, if recent developments indicate anything, they show that consumers have said "enough" to pushy advertising.

AOL, infamous for their pop-up ads, has agreed to cut down on the intrusions even though their earnings could use a boost right now.

Major ISP (Internet Service Provider) Earthlink even offers a "pop-up killer" feature on their new service.

Almost all email programs come with filters to fight unsolicited email and many email add-on services have sprung up to help consumers eliminate the unsolicited offers for pornography, business opportunities, and promises of instant riches.

This "anti-spam" sentiment has also caused an unintended consequence for legitimate marketers. Many major newsletters have found their emails blocked by spam filters intended to stop unsolicited email. Through no fault of their own, legitimate email marketers have found themselves casualties of the war on spam.

The future of the Internet lies in "Pull" advertising driven by consumer wants and needs.

The successful Internet companies of the future will invest in search engine promotion and in providing valuable, on-demand information consumers receive only when they ask for it and want it. When a web surfer goes to their favorite search engine and enters the keyword phrase "MP3 Player" or "tax advice" that means they are receptive to information on those subjects.

If they read an article about using vitamins to improve health and click a link for more information, only then they will they be truly receptive to a marketing message about vitamins.

Consumers have taken back control of Internet!

Not with laws or more regulations, but simply by flexing the muscles of their wallets. By pulling money away from advertisers who annoy them and putting it with those who meet their needs, the average web surfer has brought the Internet powers to their knees and will continue to reshape the Internet into an effective, consumer-driven communications vehicle.

Any site owner who wants to have a thriving online business and survive the next year had better take this fact to heart!

About the author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

What is Gmail?

2008-05-23T14:11:00.001-07:00

by: Jakob Jelling
By Jakob Jelling
www.sitetube.com

Like most other prime search engines, the ability to freely giveaway an email account is a positive tool that

signals to the user community that this search engine is here to stay! Google is no different in this

approach. Recently, Google has been beta testing Gmail. Google’s very own email services repository. Best of

all, it’s free! Well, it’s going to be free, its currently available only in Beta mode, if you are lucky

enough to have received an invitation to sign up for a complimentary account you currently enjoy the benefits

of ubiquitous Gmail.

Found at gmail.google.com, users were at a frenzied pace to secure the names and aliases that may be snatched

up once the floodgates were open. People are exclusively invited to partake in the beta testing were selling

their names and invitations for quite a handsome sum on eBay. Most users will have to wait until Gmail goes

live before actually trying it out. However with all the functionality at a price like this, how could anyone

refuse?

Unlike MSN and Yahoo! Google’s approach to space was a little more liberal. Google provides 1000 MB of storage

space so you would never have to worry about limited space requirements. All messages are displayed intact as

well as the replies. Messages can be searched upon as well. Google’s approach was to give as much flexibility

to the user so the user in turn would use only Google.

Much like the anti-pop up ad theory of The Google Toolbar, there will be an anti-Spam product built into Gmail

that will help thwart out unsolicited email.

Currently, new users can ask for a preview address from Google, although there is no guarantee they will get

one. Interested parties should go to http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/about.html and fill in their email

addresses at the bottom of the page.

About the author:
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.comVisit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

Why Thunderbird is the Best Email Client for your Family or Office

2008-05-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

by: Rob Barrett
Nowadays, most of us have so many email addresses, it's hard jusy to keep track of our own, let alone manage those of our family and colleagues as well. Throw newsgroup sunscriptions and multiple storage folders into the mix as well, and it's a management nightmare.

Mozilla Thunderbird, my email client of choice, solves this problem effectively and easily with Profiles.

How do Thunderbird Profiles work?

Thunderbird allows multiple users to set up the email client to suit their own specific needs and tastes, from Themes and Extensions to Email accounts, Inboxes and Newsgroup subscriptions.
Upon startup of Thunderbird, you are able to choose which user profile you would like to use.
So, you can now have a profile for yourself, one for your partner, and even one for the kids (allowing you to increase Thunderbirds's spam and security measures).
Each profile is independent of the others, so it's like having a new installation for each user.

How do I activate Thunderbird Profiles?

1. Firstly, find the Thunderbird shortcut on your desktop (or create one from the .exe file).
2. Right-click it, and select properties.
3. Lastly, in the Target box, add ' -p' without the apostrophes to the end of the target line (so that it reads something like 'C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe -p'), and click OK.

Now when you start Thunderbird through this shortcut you will be prompted with the Profiles Manager box (as long as you do not already have Thunderbird open). It's all self-explanatory from thereon.

For faster start-up, I advise that you keep two shortcuts on your desktop - one to load up Thunderbird as normal, and this new one to execute only when you want to change profile.

About the author:
Rob Barrett is a professional web designer based in Dorset, England.
To read more free articles on Web Design and Mozilla Firefox & Thunderbird, visit:
http://articles.rob-barrett.com

No Customer Left Behind

2008-05-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

As more companies make the jump to cyberspace every week and billions of dollars flow across the Internet, nobody can deny that ecommerce plays a significant roll in business today.

However, as the aisles of your local online shopping site get more crowded, the tendency for customer service issues and contact to fall through the cracks increases dramatically.

The main problem for any site revolves around the fact that email as a means of communication has become unreliable over the last couple of years.

Spam (unsolicited commercial email) lies at the heart of the problem since it clogs the email boxes of both the company and the customer.

In an attempt to stem the tide of spam, email gets filtered, lost, or deleted on both sides, often leading to hard feelings as customers think their emails have been ignored when actually they've never been received.

As a result, many companies, large and small, have started using "help desk" software to manage their customer communication.

Gone are the days of just emailing for support and getting a simple reply back from a live human being on the other end.

Spam makes it impossible for a company of any size to operate with email-only support.

A help desk makes it possible not only to maintain a "chain" of communication, but also avoids messages disappearing into cyberspace.

Help desk solutions run the range from free to several thousands of dollars for a custom program.

Two very workable and reasonably priced solutions are Kayako.com and Perldesk.com.

(You can also do a search in Google for "free help desk software" if you don't want to spend any money.)

Both offer the choice of installing the software on your own server, or paying a monthly fee to get a copy of the software installed and maintained on the provider's server.

Which option you choose depends on your level of technical ability, level of customization needed, and how much support you'll need over time.

I suggest starting out with the hosted version until you get the hang of the system, then switch over to a version on your own server to avoid the monthly charges.

An online help desk operates fairly simply.

A customer submits a ticket through a form on your website, the customer support staff (even if it's a staff of one) responds to the ticket through the website, and all communication gets posted on a private web page.

Both Kayako and Perldesk enable customers to search a "knowledgebase" or collection of articles to try solving their problems on their own (especially during non-business hours), thus frequently eliminating the need to get a live response.

Anyone who does business online should consider installing a help desk solution from the start rather than putting it off until the future.

Get your customers conditioned to operating with a ticket system rather than switching on them in mid-stream once your business gets too busy to handle support via email.

Here are a couple of other tips to help you.

Designate one person to act as the "sorter" answering the basic issues, then referring off the ones they can't answer to other staff members.

Also, post your help desk hours and stick to them.

Answer questions the same day if possible, but no later than the next business day.

About the author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

Information Highwaymen and Your Domain

2008-05-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

by: Lois S.
You go to work every day at the store you own, and one morning, your key to the door doesn't work. You look in the window, and the display items have changed. A stranger is behind the counter. But when you call the police, they can't do anything because the company papers now indicate that the store belongs to the stranger.

The above scenario isn't likely to happen with a bricks-and-mortar store. Because of insecurities in the domain registration system, however, information highwaymen could take over your online business.

As with identity theft, domain thieves steal your identity -- the identity used to register and configure your domain name. After that, your website, your email, your online business, and possibly your reputation are theirs.

Domain names at risk of theft

While theft is a risk with all domain names, domains most at risk are more valuable ones. Domains with dot com extensions have a higher resale value than domains with other extensions, and domains with high traffic or valuable keywords are also more likely to be targets.

The motive behind domain hijacking is usually monetary, but it may be personal. If anyone wants to attack you, stealing your domain name is one way to do it.

How domain theft happens

When domain hijackers steal your domain, they gain access to the domain's Whois records. They can modify the domain's nameservers so that the domain points to a different server. They can also transfer the domain to a different registrar.

Either way, site visitors will find themselves at the website of the domain hijacker instead of at your site. All domain email will go to or through the other server instead of to you. All you'll have left is a website without public access because your domain isn't pointing to it any more.

How can this happen?

Domain hijacking methods
- Domain hijackers send forged faxes to the domain registrar, impersonating the registrants.
- Domain hijackers hack into the accounts of free email addresses listed in Whois records and use those addresses to obtain domain account information.
- Domain hijackers send out fraudulent email renewal notices, and registrants unknowingly transfer their domains to the thieves.

Registrar non-action

- The gaining registrar (the registrar that the domain is transferred to) doesn't obtain approval from the domain name registrant or administrative contact as required by ICANN Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy.
- The losing registrar (that the domain is transferred from) doesn't notify the registrant of the transfer during the five-day pending transfer period. During this period, the registrant can cancel or deny approval of the domain transfer --- if the registrar notifies the registrant of it.

Registrant carelessness
- The registrant forgets to update Whois details or to renew the account.
- Someone with access to the registrant's records steals the information.

Domain name disputes

If you discover that your domain has been hijacked, contact your registrar immediately. If your registrar is unable to resolve the situation, the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) Transfer Dispute Resolution Policy (TDRP) applies.

By going the above arbitration route, you don't have to argue your case in person. On the other hand, all you can get back in the process is your domain (and not necessarily that). For a lot more money, you can take your case to court, where you can seek compensation for damages in addition to the return of your domain. This process takes more time, however.

You may be able to proceed both ways – get your domain back via ICANN domain dispute resolution procedures and then go to court to collect damages. You can also appeal a domain arbitrator's decision in court.

How to protect your domain name

Protecting a domain name is similar to protecting a bricks-and-mortar store from burglary. With a combination of precautions in place, thieves will find it difficult or impossible to gain access.

Your domain account information
- List your name for the administrative contact, and use your full name.
- Create a complex password with letters (both upper case and lower case) and numbers. Don't use any real words or personal information in it. Make it long. Make it unique – don't use the same password for anything else. Change it periodically.
- Keep your domain login name, account number, and password in a place where only trusted people can access it.
- Use a valid contact email address that doesn't use the domain it's for. Be sure that this email account also has a complex password. If you're going to be offline for more than a few days, have someone else check the email for this account.
- Don't use a free email address such as a Hotmail or Yahoo address. Domain hijackers target domains with free email addresses in the Whois records. After they've cracked your email account password, the support you need to get your email account back will probably be slow, giving the hijackers plenty of time to take over your domain.
- Update your Whois record whenever the information in it changes.

Your domain account features
- Choose a domain registrar that sends registrants transfer pending notifications when a domain transfer is taking place.
- Consider protecting your Whois details with a registrar that offers a private domain name record. With this feature, your registrar's data appears with your Whois record rather than your data. The downside of using this feature is that your business may have less credibility because you're hiding who you are.
- Register your domain for a long time period, and set up calendar reminders to renew it before it expires.
- Set up your domain to be renewed automatically if your registrar offers this feature.
- Use the Registrar-lock mechanism if it's available through your registrar. When a domain is locked, it cannot be modified or transferred unless the registrant unlocks it or follows the domain transfer process.

Other domain security measures
- Set up a free Whois monitoring alert email service and add your domain to your monitoring list. You will receive email notifications whenever the expiration date, registrar, or status of a monitored domain changes. (Whois does not have data on all domain extensions.)
- Make sure that someone checks your website every few days, preferably daily.

About the author:
Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for http://www.websitesource.com and http://www.lowpricedomains.com with experience in the website hosting industry.

Top 10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Computer Viruses

2008-05-22T21:16:00.001-07:00

by: Jim Faller
As more and more people are becoming comfortable using their computers at school, home or in the office it’s only a matter of time before they encounter a computer virus. Here are our top 10 steps to protect you from computer viruses.

Use a high quality anti-virus program. There are many different anti-virus computers programs on the market some of them are better than others. Look to reputable computer magazines or websites for ratings to help you find the one that matches your needs.

Always use your anti-virus software. Make sure your anti-virus software is always turned on and scanning, incoming and outgoing email messages, and any software programs you run.

Keep your antivirus programs up to date. Most programs come with a yearly subscription make sure you take advantage of the updates. More advanced programs allow you to schedule updates or full system scans for “off hours” like 2AM when you aren’t likely to be using your computer.

Keep your computer up to date. From time to time operating systems fall victim to security holes or issue updates. Make sure you check periodically to make sure you are running stable up to date versions of your software.

Backup your data regularly. Most windows computer users keep their documents in the “My documents” folder. This makes it easy to back up all of your important documents. Make weekly or monthly copies to CD or USB drives.

If you use floppy disks or USB drives on public computers like your school computer lab, Kinko’s, or even digital photo printing store make sure you scan them for viruses. Public computers are notorious for not being up to date and properly protected.

Be wary of email attachments. Treat any email attachment as potentially dangerous. Never open attachments from people you weren’t expecting. Also be careful of attachments from people you know but weren’t expecting. Many computer viruses replicate themselves by reading the contacts from an infected computer.

Use text email if possible. While HTML email is prettier and allows you more control over formatting it also can carry computer viruses. If you use text based email the only way to get a virus is by opening an attachment.

Use downloaded freeware and shareware files or software with caution. Try to download them from popular reputable sources that scan the programs before they are uploaded. To make sure you are safe scan the program before you install it on your computer.

Be wary of links in IM or instant messaging software. Don’t accept invitations from people you don’t know and never click a link from someone you don’t trust, they can easily redirect you to another website that will try to install a virus on your computer system.

© Computers.6ln.com, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
This article was written by Jim Faller of http://computers.6ln.coma website with information about viruses, spyware, adware, backups, data recovery and computer security.

Top 10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Online Identity Theft

2008-05-22T03:18:00.002-07:00

by: Jim Faller
Identity theft is becoming a bigger problem as more and more people are making the internet a bigger part of their lives. People who are new to the online medium often fall prey to ‘phishing’ or other internet identity theft schemes. In many cases the ‘phishing party’ uses your credit card to order goods for them selves, in other cases they will apply for credit cards, set up bank accounts, and take advantage of your good credit rating. Correcting these issues involves a lot of time energy and stress, so here are ten tips to help you from becoming a victim of identity theft.

Use a disposable email account. Keep your business or personal email account just for business or personal communication. If you are going to be making purchases online, joining newsgroups, or subscribing to mailing lists and ezines use a disposable email account. There are many online free accounts such as yahoo, hotmail or grail, and most of them can interface with popular email clients like outlook or outlook express. Use one of them for all of your shopping transactions.

Disguise your online identity. If your real name in Mary Smith try to avoid using email accounts with name like msmith@example.com when dealing with people you don’t know and trust. If you were born in 1972 don’t chose msmith1972@example.com as your email account.

Use different level passwords. Use one password for your personal information, use another for your business accounts and a third for your disposable email accounts or mailing lists you sign up for. Don’t use sequential passwords like password1 for personal use password2 for business, and password 3 for disposable accounts.

Use strong passwords. Don’t use your birthdates, year you were married, or your children’s birthdates. Avoid choosing passwords that consist entirely of letters or numbers. Also try to avoid using passwords that are actual words. The best passwords are mnemonic phrases like “my father ate three apples for breakfast”. Take the first letter of each word and convert the number into numbers and you end up with “mfa3a4b”.

Rotate your passwords. You should change your passwords every 6 to 12 months. If you suspect your passwords have been compromised change them as a safety precaution.

Use only one credit card for all of your online purchases. If any of your other credit cards have online transactions you know they are fraudulent. If you see offline purchases for your online credit card you also know they are fraudulent.

Use credit cards instead of debit cards. While many debit cards now offer online purchase protection it’s easier to dispute fraudulent charges than to recover debit card funds that have already been spent.

When you make purchases online make sure your transactions are secure. In the address bar you should see “https” and not “http”. There should also be small lock icon in your browser. If this is your first purchase from the company make sure the issuing company is someone you have heard of like Verisign, or Thawte.

Check a company’s privacy policy. When you make your first transaction make sure your check the privacy policy, look for logos from consumer groups like Trust-E and the better business bureau. Click the logos to make sure they are authentic.

Never open or fill out email requests for you to update you account or credit card settings via email. These are ‘phishing’ scams people use to try and secure your personal information. Many of them are growing increasingly sophisticated and go to great lengths to look exactly like the companies website using their exact logo.

© Computers.6ln.com, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
This article was written by Jim Faller of http://computers.6ln.coma website with information about viruses, spyware, adware, backups, data recovery and computer security.

Microsoft CRM Lotus Notes Domino Connector FAQ

2008-05-22T03:18:00.001-07:00

by: Andrew Karasev
Microsoft Business Solutions CRM and IBM Lotus Notes Domino, being two groupware products from competing software development leaders, however could coexist within one organization computer network and even work together in collaboration. There maybe multiple reason why corporation would use both products: licensing, commitment to IBM Lotus Notes as legacy product, risk balancing – staking on both Microsoft and Java/EJB/J2EE platforms, deploying Lotus advanced workflow to automate document management, etc. The need to synchronize MS CRM and Lotus Notes Domino databases is dictated by the ERP market and the connector is available. In this small article we’ll answer on the frequently asked questions.
• Messaging. Can MS CRM use Lotus Domino instead of Microsoft Exchange? Yes. MS CRM Lotus Domino connector allows you send messages from MS CRM objects: Lead, Account, Contact and all the future object, including Sales and Service modules
• Outgoing Messaging. When Microsoft CRM send email from Account, Contact, Lead – connector takes control over and sends email through Lotus Domino server. It has Java Agent at the Lotus side and MS CRM SDK custom piece at the MS CRM side. If you compare outgoing messaging with standard MS CRM Exchange connector, then mechanism is slightly different. Microsoft CRM Exchange connector places GUID in the message header and uses this GUID to identify the object in the responding email to push it back to CRM and attach. MS CRM Lotus connector doesn’t use GUID – instead it scans MS CRM objects (Accounts, Contacts, Leads) in smart cached way
• Incoming Messages. When Lotus Domino server receives email – Java Agent side of the connector triggers checking with MS CRM if addressor email matches with any Contact, Lead or Account email. In the case of the match – email is transferred into MS CRM in the form of activity of email type. Again – please note that connector doesn’t use GUID mechanism. We found that matching is better approach and we have Microsoft CRM Exchange advanced connector – which works with matching, without standard GUID mechanism.
• Microsoft CRM & Lotus Notes Events synchronization. Future version of the connector will synchronize MS CRM and Lotus Notes objects: Calendar, Appointment, Fax, Phone Call, etc. Please, note that Lotus has different objects – we have the matching table, please check with us.
• Lotus & MS CRM Versions. Lotus should be version 6.0 or higher. The reason for this is simple – version 6.0 supports Java Agent technology. MS CRM should be 1.2 or 3.0. Lotus could work in multiple hardware & OS platforms, such as Windows Server, AS/400, etc.
• Product Pricing. It is US$3k basic pack, including 30 users and then $75 each additional user. In Europe price is proportional in Euro.
• Support. Product is installed Worldwide and supported in Europe from German office, in the USA and Canada from Houston and Chicago, in South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, New Zealand from office in Sao Paulo Brazil.

Please give us a call if you have additional questions 866-528-0577 or 630-961-5918! help@albaspectrum.com

About the author:
Andrew is Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com) – Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Microsoft CRM Partner, serving clients in California, Minnesota, Illinois, Washington, Florida, Arizona, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Canada, UK, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Russia. Alba Spectrum serves corporate clients in Aerospace & Defense, Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Manufacturing, Transportation & Logistics, Pharmaceutical, Food Processing, Placement, Healthcare & Medicine, Beverages, Agriculture, Non-profit, Distribution & Supply Chain Management, Financial Services, Furniture, Textile, Apparels, Conglomerates, Wholesale & Retail.

Avoid Internet Theft, Fraud and Phishing

2008-05-22T03:17:00.001-07:00

by: Daniel Punch
Since its birth, the Internet has grown and expanded to unprecedented, unmanageable proportions. Information, software, news, and much more flow freely through its twisted pathways. Online services such as Internet banking save time and money. However, from the depths of its vast expanse have come the dregs of society intent on preying on the new, the naïve, and the less informed.

Phishing is one of the main scams in the present moment. People set up phoney websites and email addresses. Then they spam Email inboxes with official-looking messages explaining that your account with Company X has encountered a problem and that they need you to login and confirm some details. The email addresses are masked to appear official and the links provided in the email all seem to check out. If you click on the link provided then you will usually be taken to a site that looks for all intents and purposes to be official. When you click 'submit' your details will be sent to a criminal somewhere who will do as they please with your information, such as withdrawing money from a bank account or purchasing things in your name. The scam has been labelled 'Phishing' because the criminals engaging in the activity behave similarly to a fisherman throwing bait out in the hope that they'll receive just one bite from the millions of people that receive the email.

So how do you avoid these online scams? First and foremost, it is important to realise that no legitimate organisation should be sending you a request to fill out your personal details because of some server error or for any other reason. Your bank will never send you an email with content along the lines of "We've lost your bank account number and password... please supply them again for our records". You should also know that no bank is going to require your social security number, bank account number, and PIN number just to log in to your account or retrieve your password. Other sites such as Ebay, PayPal, and the like will not email you asking for these details either.

If you're a little unsure as to whether or not an email is official, scroll down a bit until you find the link that they are requesting you to click and simply hold your mouse pointer over the link text without clicking. Now take a look at the bottom left-hand corner of your browser window. The link text is often the address that the phisher wants you to think you will be heading to but the real address will be revealed in the bottom of the browser. This address will most likely not have anything whatsoever to do with the company that the email is attempting to imitate. It could be a dodgy web site or even just a page on someone's personal computer. If the address doesn't appear in the bottom left-hand corner then you can right-click on the link, select 'properties' from the pop-up menu and then read the address listed in the information box.

To avoid further scams make sure that you have updated firewall and anti-virus software active on your system at all times. This will make it harder for anyone to install key loggers, Trojans, spyware, or other similar devices intended to retrieve your information. Keep your operating system up to date with the latest security patches and updates and be careful where you enter your details. Always look into the reputability of the site that is requesting your details and keep an eye on the lower right-hand corner of your browser. If the page you are viewing has a little padlock symbol appear in the corner, then it means that your details are being secured by some encryption method. You can double click on the icon to get more details if you wish. Sites without the padlock icon don't have encryption, which means that your details are a lot easier for malicious crooks to get a hold of. Even if you're sure the website is legitimate, it's not a good idea to send your details over an unsecured connection. By the way, email does not count as a secure connection, and neither does any instant messaging program, (such as MSN, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, AIM etc.) so don't give out personal details that way either.

Another common scam very similar to phishing involves the emailing of promises of great wealth. Seriously, what do you think your chances are of winning the lottery, let alone one that you never even entered? Or of some obscure yet ridiculously rich person in Africa dying and you being legally allowed to pick up their money? Or of a foreign prince wishing to smuggle money out of his country using your account? These emails are all scams. I wish it were true that I won three different lotteries every single day, but if you get in contact with the people sending these messages they're going to do their utmost to clean out your pockets. Unfortunate as it may sound, the 'Please Donate to Charity' emails sent are usually also scams. If you really want to donate money to a charity, look them up and send it the usual way, don't respond to a multi-recipient email that may or may not be real. You also shouldn't donate to some random charity that no one has ever heard of before. Some of the Internet lowlifes have started up fake charities, 'dedicated to helping Tsunami victims' or similar and are simply pocketing the donations.

Everything in this world can be used for either good or evil purposes and the Internet is no exception. Staying alert and having just a little bit of Internet know-how can keep you out of harm's way for the majority of the time, and allow you access to the wonderful online services available with relative safety.

About the author:
Daniel Punch
M6.Net Web Helpers
http://www.m6.net

Sarbanes-Oxley: A Cross-Industry Email Compliance Challenge

2008-05-22T03:03:00.000-07:00

by: Paul Judge, CTO, CipherTrust, Inc.
Is your enterprise following the rules?

The bulk of financial information in many companies is created, stored and transmitted electronically, maintained by IT and controlled via information integrity procedures and practices. For these reasons, compliance with federal requirements such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) is heavily dependent on IT. Companies that must comply with SOX are U.S. public companies, foreign filers in U.S. markets and privately held companies with public debt. Ultimately, the corporate CEO and CFO are accountable for SOX compliance, and they will depend on company finance operations and IT to provide critical support when as they report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.

Sound practices include corporate-wide information security policies and enforced implementation of those policies for employees at all levels. Information security policies should govern network security, access controls, authentication, encryption, logging, monitoring and alerting, pre-planned coordinated incident response, and forensics. These components allow for information integrity and data retention, while enabling IT audits and business continuity.

Complying with Sarbanes-Oxley
The changes required to ensure SOX compliance reach across nearly all areas of a corporation. In fact, Gartner Research went so far as to call the Act “the most sweeping legislation to affect publicly traded companies since the reforms during the Great Depression.” Since the bulk of information in most companies is created, stored, transmitted and maintained electronically, one could logically conclude that IT shoulders the lion’s share of the responsibility for SOX compliance. Enterprise IT departments are responsible for ensuring that corporate-wide information security policies are in place for employees at all levels. Information security policies should govern:

* Network security
* Access controls
* Authentication
* Encryption
* Logging
* Monitoring and alerting
* Pre-planning coordinated incident response
* Forensics

These components enable information integrity and data retention, while enabling IT audits and business continuity.

In order to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley, companies must be able to show conclusively that:

* They have reviewed quarterly and annual financial reports;
* The information is complete and accurate;
* Effective disclosure controls and procedures are in place and maintained to ensure that material information about the company is made known to them.

Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404
Section 404 regulates enforcement of internal controls, requiring management to show that it has established an effective internal control structure and procedures for accurate and complete financial reporting. In addition, the company must produce documented evidence of an annual assessment of the internal control structure’s effectiveness, validated by a registered public accounting firm. By instituting effective email controls, organizations are not only ensuring compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404; they are also taking a giant step in the right direction with regards to overall email security.

Effective Email Controls
Email has evolved into a business-critical application unlike any other. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most exposed areas of a technology infrastructure. Enterprises must install a solution that actively enforces policy, stops offending mail both inbound and outbound and halts threats before internal controls are compromised, as opposed to passively noting violations as they occur.

An effective email security solution must address all aspects of controlling access to electronically stored company financial information. This includes access during transport as well as access to static information resident at the company or on a remote site or machine. Given the wide functionality of email, as well as the broad spectrum of threats that face email systems, ensuring appropriate information access control for all of these points requires:

* A capable policy enforcement mechanism to set rules in accordance with each company’s systems of internal controls;
* Encryption capabilities to ensure privacy and confidentiality through secure and authenticated transport and delivery of email messages;
* Secure remote access to enable remote access for authorized users while preventing access from unauthorized users;
* Anti-spam and anti-phishing technology to prevent malicious code from entering a machine and to prevent private information from being provided to unauthorized parties

In conclusion, complying with Sarbanes-Oxley puts a heavy burden on an organization's IT department to implement and enforce policies set up by corporate governance boards. In order to make sure the company's email system complies with Sarbanes-Oxley, IT managers must be able to document steps they have taken to address Section 404 of the code. CipherTrust manufactures a secure email gateway appliance that can help organizations comply with Sarbanes-Oxley. To learn more about it, please visit www.ciphertrust.com/solutions/compliance_SOX.php and read our articles and white paper on the subject of SOX compliance.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Dr. Paul Judge is a noted scholar and entrepreneur. He is Chief Technology Officer at CipherTrust, the industry's largest provider of enterprise email security and anti spam solutions. Learn what you need to know to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley regulations by visiting www.ciphertrust.com/solutions/compliance_SOX.php today.

Will The Real Spammer Please Stand Up!

2008-05-22T03:02:00.000-07:00

by: Mustafa K.
If you have been using opt-in email marketing for sometime, I'm
sure you might have got accused of spam at some point, even
after doing everything right.

Yes, I'm talking about people who actually agreed to receive
your email, blaming you for sending unsolicited mail.

According to me it's not their fault, as nowadays it's very easy
to mistake an 'email marketer' for an 'email bomber'.

The web has grown so wide and huge in the last couple of years
that it has become hard to differentiate between a spammer and a
legal email marketer.

Spammers just didn't disturb a regular
email users life but also wrecked havoc in the Internet
marketing community.

Day after day it's becoming devastatingly difficult for
permission based email marketers to use email legally and not
get slammed for illegal mailing.

Even after making sure your email looks, sounds, smells and
tastes 'Legal', you run a high risk of either getting blocked or
being labeled as a spammer.

On the other hand, if luck favors you and your mail does make it
to your subscribers' inbox safe and sound, what's the guarantee
that it'll get opened and read?

It's a nightmare every marketer would love to avoid.

Well, you can stop worrying now and have a sigh of relief. It's
about time all the hardcore spammers out there had their last
laugh.

The Internet marketing world is abuzz with a brand new
technology, which could finally send spamming back to the dark
ages, big time.

If you still don't have a clue of what I'm talking about, it's
called RSS and it's turning heads all over the web.

RSS, which stands for 'Really Simple Syndication' is a new
technology, which enables anyone to syndicate his or her content
online.

A lot has been written on what is RSS and how it works. So I
would like to keep it short and sweet, as I'm sure you too
wouldn't really want to get into the unnecessary technical stuff.

In simple words, RSS is a way to publish and receive content
electronically. RSS files are XML based and are popularly known
as RSS feeds.

What's revolutionary about RSS is, it can help you distribute
your content directly to your subscribers, without any spam
filters interfering.

To subscribe and read your RSS feeds, all your subscribers need
to have is an RSS reader, also known as an aggregator.

What's more, they don't even have to worry about giving out any
of their personal details to subscribe to your feed.

And with a screaming bunch of RSS readers available on the web
right now (most of them being free), it wouldn't be very hard to
convince your subscribers to get there hands on one.

RSS readers are available in both versions, desktop and
web-based, of which the latter seems to be the most popular.

Once your subscriber adds your RSS feed to their favorite RSS
reader, you go 'live' and instantly establish a direct
connection with your subscriber.

Whenever you have something
new to publish, all you have to do is update your already
published RSS feed with your fresh content.

As soon you load your feed with new content, walla! Your feed
automatically gets updated everywhere it's subscribed.

No mess, no fuss. Just content that works.

Pretty neat huh?

That's the beauty of RSS. No wonder it's currently being
employed by web honchos like Yahoo! and MSN to deliver content
to their users.

They even allow their members to add any RSS feeds of their
choice to their members' area, making them perfect examples of
web-based aggregators.

Syndicating your content can mean a lot to you and your
business. By publishing your own RSS feeds, you could eventually
end up with more leads, more subscribers and not to forget, more
money in the bank.

Happy syndicating!

About the author:
Mustafa K. is the co-founder of http://www.rapidfeeds.com- a free online service that helps anyone deliver targeted content to their subscribers through RSS. Sign Up for your FREE account on his site to put an end to blocked messages and add more subscribers.

Create Your Own Download Links

2008-05-22T02:58:00.000-07:00

by: Mark Meshulam
Copyright 2005 Poingo.com

One of the great features of working with the web is the ability to download a file by clicking on a link. As most earthlings know, a link is most frequently visible as blue underlined text displayed on a website, or on an HTML email. Links can also be presented as hot spots on an image, or a button which can be clicked.

Sometimes when we click on links, we are magically transported to a new web page. Behind the scenes, we are actually receiving new files from a web server, and our browser software is "rendering" the files on our screen according to instructions contained in the files.

These new files could be served up by the same web server which served up the previous page, or with equal ease we could be receiving files from a totally different location, possibly from halfway around the world! Such are the wondrous ways of the web.

Other times when we click on links, we get a different experience. Our browser offers to download a file and patiently awaits our answer. When we accept and possibly tell our browser where to file the download, the web server sends the file to our computer and a download takes place.

The usefulness of this functionality is obvious. We don't always want to see the information painted on our screen, sometimes we just want to use it. Consider a spreadsheet file as an example.

If I want to share my spreadsheet with you, I can easily send it to you as an email attachment, but what happens if the file is too large? Chances are, your file attachment could hit a bottleneck somewhere in your, or your recipient's email system and may never deliver.

However, if I send the file as a download, email system bottlenecks are bypassed and the pipe is wide open. Here's how it works:

1. First, I upload my large file to a web server somewhere.
2. Then, I place a download link to that file in my email to my pal.
3. When he receives the email, he either clicks on the link or pastes it into the address bar of his browser.
4. He easily downloads the file.
5. He is incredibly impressed.

To do this, here is what you will need:
1. Rights to a web server to host your file - many web hosting companies offer this.
2. Software for uploading your file - for starters you can actually use Windows Explorer.
3. Knowledge of the correct "path", or URL which will allow your recipient to access the file. This should be available from your web hosting company.

The format of the URL will look like this: http://www.domain.com/downloads/myspreadsheet.xls
Where "domain" is the domain you have registered for your use, which is targeted at a folder on a web server, which has a subfolder named, for example, "downloads". Your example filename, in this case, "myspreadsheet.xls" should match the actual filename exactly. Filenames should not have spaces or odd punctuations.

In case the above steps seem too intimidating or labor intensive, there is a software/webhosting package available called Personal FTP (www.poingo.com).

The software uploads your large files to your private webspace on the Personal FTP server, opens a new email, and places a download link onto the email, all in a few clicks. In addition, you get your own subdomain, which not only adds your identity to the link, but also enhances the reliability of the download.

About the author:
Mark Meshulam offers Poingo Productivity Suite, unique & inexpensive software which speeds your work and makes it more fun. Includes: Email reminder system. Create JPGs and PDFs. Edit images in Outlook. Do anything with Hotkeys. http://www.poingo.com SeeMark's blog, educational ruminations on people and technology in the workplace at http://www.poingology.com

Can You Survive In An Online World?

2008-05-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Do you have the skills to make it in a computer driven, increasingly online world?

Your immediate, knee-jerk reaction may be "Yes! Of course I have the skills.

I know how to send and receive email and surf the web.

I can even download and install files."

Well, three or four years ago, email, Web surfing and downloading files qualified you as "electronically literate," but not any more! Computer and online survival skills now encompass much more than that.

Surviving in an online world involves maintaining a high degree of "electronic literacy," which means focusing on and developing skills in the following areas:

** Personal Computer skills **

In the old days of 1998, the ability to use a computer, keyboard and mouse rated anyone as computer-literate.

In fact, you were a real pro if you could burn a CD, scan documents and manipulate digital pictures.

Fast forward to today and "personal computer skills" carries a whole new meaning. You must know how to maintain and update not only anti-virus, but "anti-spyware," and firewall software too.

You also need to understand how operating with Windows ME, or 2000, or XP will affect your ability to use certain software along with specific security precautions to avoid trouble from hackers.

** Internet Skills **

In the bygone era of 1998, friends considered you an online genius if you possessed basic surfing and navigation skills.

They watched in awe as you used search engines like InfoSeek.com (a long-defunct search engine) to find and download programs, pictures, and information on specific topics.

Now electronic literacy means the ability to set up, upload, and maintain basic web pages and blogs.

It also means understanding terms such as "RSS" and "news aggregator" because that's the next generation of how information will get disseminated online (and it arrives for the masses this year).

** Email Skills **

Perhaps the most deceptively simple of all the areas of electronic literacy, email actually presents the most challenges for keeping up with the times.

Previously, clicking the "send and receive" button meant you were proficient at using email.

Now, because of spam, viruses and "phishing scams" (identity theft schemes delivered through email), email requires a whole new set of skills, "street smarts" and software just to survive.

You must understand how to use an email "preview" program such as MailWasher.net to eliminate spam and virus email messages before they ever reach your computer.

You also must learn to protect your identity and avoid "phishing scams" by learning to recognize and defend against online con-artist tactics.

** Buy or Borrow Expertise **

Though you should constantly upgrade your skills through personal education, nobody can do or know it all (except maybe your know-it-all bother in law).

The good news is that you can always buy or borrow someone else's expertise to solve any online challenge.

A prime example of outsourcing in the consumer market is all the little stores popping up in strip malls to help you sell your stuff on eBay.

Through outsourcing, online survival skills can also mean taking what was previously the exclusive realm of computer geeks and making it as easy as dropping off the dry cleaning.

About the author:
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

The Vanishing Mail

2008-05-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

by: Elaine Currie

Am I Just Being Paranoid Or Are The Robots Out To Get Me?

It all started in the early part of the twenty-first century.

In the early days of email we were thrilled with its speed and reliability, far superior to "snail mail" but there's always somebody who has to go and spoil things for everyone else. In the case of email it was the purveyors of the namesake of a certain pork-based substance. They became such a nuisance that large teams of robots had to be employed to keep them under control.

As the porkers got smarter, the robots had to become smarter still. At first, everybody agreed that stringent measures must be taken to defeat the porkers. Ever hear the phrase "throwing the baby out with the bath water" or "the cure is worse than the disease"?

The number of spam merchants multiplied over and over. Eventually, the only way of controlling them was for every email user to have his or her own robot to filter their mail. I did not want a robot filtering my mail but I didn't have much choice: nobody was allowed an email account without a robot to monitor its use.

Every time I log into my email, I pause and listen for the faint metallic scraping and a slight pneumatic wheeze as the robot wakes and prepares to filter my mail. No matter how quiet I am, he always knows and is instantly awake and alert, ready to do his job. I did not request robotic help, don't want it, don't need it but the robot is here to stay.

I think my robot is like the paranoid android in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: slow moving and depressive, so I call him Marvin (not to his face, of course). I don't suppose my Marvin feels that censoring my mail is a suitable occupation for a robot of his caliber, any more that his namesake thought attending the car park at the end of the universe was a great career for a robot with a brain the size of a planet. On my part, I am sure that I am old enough to take full responsibility for my own correspondence. There is no need for Marvin to wear out his circuits on my account but it appears that we are stuck with each other for the duration.

The extent of Marvin's power first caught my attention when a regular newsletter which I enjoyed failed to arrive. Delivery just stopped altogether.

I asked my email provider if there was a problem with this particular mail and they said there was nothing wrong with my mailbox, it must be a problem with the sender. I asked the sender why delivery had stopped and they said it hadn't, it must be a problem with my mailbox. I gave up and just resubscribed myself to the newsletter. Every time delivery stopped after that I wondered what else I might be missing in the way of interesting mail.

It was shortly after this that it became apparent to me that Marvin has a bad attitude. Now I can sympathise with him because I know how it feels to be stuck in a boring job while the brain cells shrivel. That doesn't mean I think he should behave badly, he should do the job to the best of his ability (even if it is beneath him) and not make mischief.

Everyone seems to believe that the robots keep changing the rules in an effort to keep ahead of the porkers but I don't believe that. I think they keep changing the rules mostly out of boredom but, in Marvin's case, I sense a certain underlying malevolence. This surfaced recently when I sent an email to a friend I had not heard from for a while. My mail bounced back with a message to the effect that spam would not be delivered. How dare they, Spam indeed! From that day on, every mail I tried to send bounced straight back at me.

Angrily, I contacted the email company support desk to complain. They helpfully told me that this problem was nothing to do with them, I must have used forbidden words in my emails and that was why they bounced. The forbidden words included "friend", "free", "you", "internet", "remove". The list of forbidden words is long and growing longer by the day, it is difficult to make up proper sentences without using the forbidden words, soon our only way of emailing will be by inventing a new language.

My problem now is that I cannot get email through to my friends and they cannot get email to me. Too late I realised that we neglected to exchange phone numbers: there seemed no point when email was so quick and easy. Now I can't send email, can't receive email, the robot has isolated me.

Only one way left to break out of quarantine and it's a long time since I sat with pen and paper to write letters. I won't use the word processor as I am convinced Marvin will recognise it as a means of communication but I don't think he will know what the pen is for and I doubt he'll be suspicious if I take some envelopes with me next time I go out. A glorified email filter is hardly likely to know the purpose of a mailbox which is not of the virtual variety.

I hear Marvin stir even though I have not switched on my computer, he seems to have the ability to read my mind. There is a faint clanking sound, the smell of ozone, an electrical crackle in the air. His hand on my shoulder is heavy and cold, the steel joints creak as his fingers tighten. I don't think I will be going out to post any letters.

This is one of a series of articles
published by the author, Elaine Currie, BA(Hons)
at http://www.Hunting Venus.com
The author’s monthly newsletter is available free
from mailto:networkerhvm@ReportsNetwork.com

About the author:
Elaine Currie, BA (Hons), is a writer and internet marketer. She came to the internet after a 25 year career at a London law firm, seeking a new career path. Knowing only that she wanted the opportunity to spend more time writing and to be her own boss, Elaine discovered the concept of the "pluginprofitsite" (details can be seen at http://www.huntingvenus.com/pips.htmland at Elaine‘s website http://www.huntingvenus.com)

Hall of Shame – The Bad Boys of Email Spam

2008-05-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

by: Paul Judge, CTO, CipherTrust, Inc.
The majority of Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE) or “spam” is sent by a relatively small group of dedicated professional spammers. The Register of Known Spam Operations (ROKSO) indicates that 80% of all spam comes from just 200 known spam operations. This data is in line with research completed by CipherTrust research scientists, which indicates that most spam originates from a relatively small group of tightly integrated spam networks. While we’re all very familiar with the spam messages we receive each day, it is interesting to take a look at who these spammers are – to put a “face” to the problem. Following are four of the most notorious and prolific spammers in the world.

Alan Ralsky
Mr. Ralsky is currently one of the most egregious spam senders in the world. His organization, based in Michigan since 1997, uses Chinese, European and US-based servers to host and send spam to millions of email boxes daily. But that’s not enough for Ralsky. Not only does he operate as a spammer, but he also provides hosting services to other spammers.

In 2002, Verizon sued Mr. Ralsky for causing their network to freeze twice. The lawsuit originally sought $37 million, but was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Ralsky is no longer allowed to send email over Verizon’s networks, but admits no wrongdoing in the case and has vowed to continue sending bulk email.

Mr. Ralsky was convicted in 1994 for falsifying documents to defraud two banks in Michigan and Ohio and was fined $74,000. In an unrelated case in 1992, Ralsky was sentenced to 50 days in jail and ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution for failing to deliver a contract involving unregistered securities.

While Mr. Ralsky sends millions of unsolicited email messages selling everything from diet pills to online gambling, he claims that his business is legitimate and that his emails are not spam. He also insists that he does not sell pornography. We’re sure he’s an absolutely charming fellow.

Scott Richter
Scott Richter’s Denver-based company, OptinRealBig, is responsible for sending out billions of spam emails. He is one of the most outspoken and notorious spammers in business today. Whereas most spammers attempt to keep a low profile, often denying any involvement in spam, Richter seems to enjoy the spotlight. In fact, Richter even attempted to start up a “Spam King” clothing line before Hormel (the company responsible for bringing delicious canned Spam to dining rooms around the world) put an end to his trademark-infringing idea.

Richter and his partners were named in a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General and Microsoft. That suit, filed in 2003, sought millions of dollars in punitive damages, but was settled out of court in mid-2004 with a paltry fine of $50,000. For quite some time, Richter regarded his legal entanglements as excellent advertising for his company which, he claimed, gains value each time he is sued.

Recently he has changed his story somewhat. Faced with prolonged lawsuits led by Microsoft as well as various state and corporate entities, Richter has now declared bankruptcy. As his father (who is also his attorney) said, "It’s the legal fees that are battering the company. OptIn is profitable but for these lawsuits."

Andrew Westmoreland
An apparent accomplice of Scott Richter, Westmoreland’s Texas-based company, Internet Access Group Inc., sends millions of spam messages pushing everything from gas to online diploma mills to auto loans and mortgages. His business also operates under the names Brilliant Marketing, Aphrodite Marketing, OptiGate Networks and Players Exchange Club.

Robert Soloway
Robert Soloway’s Oregon-based company, Newport Internet Marketing Corporation, has sent millions of spam emails and has been the subject of numerous complaints and lawsuits by class action groups and Microsoft.

Soloway’s spam messages often contain get-rich-quick schemes selling (what else?) spam software and “fresh” email addresses. Yes, that’s right folks; you too can send spam to 15 million recipients for just $295. At least that’s what the ad says, but would you want to give your credit card number to someone like this?

Slam the Door on Spam
This is just a small sampling of the questionable characters who insist on clogging your inbox with junk email. While these may be some of the most egregious offenders, there are plenty more waiting in the wings who would like nothing more than to be considered equally offensive. As these new spammers rise through the ranks, we’ll keep you posted on who they are, and what kind of shady business they’re up to.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Dr. Paul Judge is a noted scholar and entrepreneur. He is Chief Technology Officer at CipherTrust, the industry's largest provider of enterprise email security. The company’s flagship product, IronMail provides a best of breed enterprise anti spam solution designed to stop spam, phishing attacks and other email-based threats. Learn more by visiting www.ciphertrust.com/products/spam_and_fraud_protection today

Is Your Website Blacklisted?

2008-05-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

by: Niall Roche
A blacklist, as the name implies, is a list of people or companies who have met with the disapproval of others. In the online world a blacklist refers to those people who have been marked as responsible for generating spam in a very big way. Blacklists are also known as blocklists.

Blacklists are used to combat spam in a very specific way. When spam is reported to one of the relevant spam fighting organizations the IP address the spam originated from is added to a banned or blacklisted IP addresslist. An IP address is the unique location of you or your website on the Internet - think of it as your "home address" online. To put it simply every www.domain.com Internet address has a matching IP address. Any email coming from your website domain also has a corresponding IP address. If your IP address is present on a blacklist then you're potentially wasting your time sending email to customers.

Why are you wasting your time? Modern spam blockers come with the most common blacklists installed and/or allow you
to import updated blacklists into your spam blocker. This allows to you block a huge amount of spam but you may also, potentially, block legitimate email. Blacklists are not foolproof.

There are two types of IP address:

Dynamic - changes every time you connect to the Internet. Most commonly used for dialup Internet access. Spammers love these because they're very hard to track and 100% disposable.

Fixed/Static - All websites, most large companies and some individuals use fixed IP addresses. This can cause huge problems if they're reported for spamming.

When an IP address (dynamic or fixed ) is reported for sending spam it's added to a blacklist. There are three different types of blacklists:

Temporary
An IP address placed on a temporary blacklist will have email coming from that IP address blocked for several hours. After a few hours the offending IP address is removed from the blacklist.

Permanent
When an IP address is added to a permanent blacklist any email server configured to block email from this list will never receive email from that range of IP addresses again.

Comprehensive
This is the most damaging of blacklists. Not only does it block a single IP address it also blocks the IP addresses next to it. For example if the IP address 192.156.66.67 was added to a comprehensive blacklist then all IP addresses close to 192.156.66.67 will also be blocked. This can be a huge problem for those website owners using virtual hosting because if your host has ever appeared on a blacklist then you're also on the same blacklist, by default, because of the shared hosting from the same IP range.

It's important for all website owners to check whether or not they're on a blacklist. You'll need your IP address (available from your webhost) and you can check your blacklist status at: www.mail-abuse.org/cgi-bin/lookup

Blacklists are a necessary evil due to the volume of spam being sent each day but are not an exact science. Take a few moments from your day and ensure that your website or email address is not being blocked.

About the author:
Need a spam blocker? Check out Spam-Site.com for spam filter reviews and spam related information.

How Spammers Fool Spam Blacklists - And How to Stop Them

2008-05-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

by: Paul Judge, CTO, CipherTrust, Inc.
Effectively stopping spam over the long-term requires much more than blocking individual IP addresses and creating rules based on keywords that spammers typically use. The increasing sophistication of spam tools coupled with the increasing number of spammers in the wild has created a hyper-evolution in the variety and volume of spam. The old ways of blocking the bad guys just don’t work anymore. Examining spam and spam-blocking technology can illuminate how this evolution is taking place and what can be done to combat spam and reclaim e-mail as the efficient, effective communication tool it was intended to be. One method used to combat spam is blacklisting. The goal of blacklisting is to force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to crack-down on customers who send spam. A blacklisted ISP is blocked from sending email to organizations. When an ISP is blacklisted, they are provided with a list of actions they must take in order to be removed from the blacklist. This controversial method blocks not just the spammers, but all of the ISP’s customers. Blacklisting is generally considered an unfriendly approach to stopping spam because the users most affected by the blacklist are email users who do not send spam. Many argue blacklisting actually damages the utility of email more than it helps stop spam since the potential for blocking legitimate email is so high. In addition to the ethical considerations, there are other problems with blacklists. Many blacklists are not updated frequently enough to maintain effectiveness. Some blacklist administrators are irresponsible in that they immediately block suspect servers without thoroughly investigating complaints or giving the ISP time to respond. Another downside is that blacklists are not accurate enough to catch all spam. Only about half of servers used by spammers, regardless of how diligent the blacklist administrator may be, are ever cataloged in a given blacklist. Blacklists are used because they can be partially effective against spammers who repeatedly use the same ISP or email account to send spam. However, because spammers often change ISPs, re-route email and hijack legitimate servers, the spammer is a moving target. Blacklist administrators are forced to constantly revise lists, and the lag-time between when a spammer begins using a given server and when the blacklist administrator is able to identify the new spam source and add it to the blacklist allows spammers to send hundreds of millions of emails. Spammers consider this constant state of flux a part of doing business and are constantly looking for new servers to send spam messages. When used individually, each anti-spam technique has been systematically overcome by spammers. Blacklists have some utility in stopping known spammers, but they may also block valid emails. Because of their limitations, blacklist data should only be used in conjunction with other sources to determine if a given message is spam. Grandiose plans to rid the world of spam, such as charging a penny for each e-mail received or forcing servers to solve mathematical problems before delivering e-mail, have been proposed with few results. These schemes are not realistic and would require a large percentage of the population to adopt the same anti-spam method in order to be effective. The Solution Reputation systems offer a comprehensive anti spam solution by dynamically updating black and whitelists based on sender behavior. These systems also automatically update and score messages thereby removing the burden from administrators. Today’s spammers are more clever than ever, so today’s reputation systems must be equally sophisticated. An effective reputation system must be dynamic, comprehensive, precise, and based on actual enterprise mail traffic in order to keep the spammers from gaining any advantage. You can learn more about the fight against spam by visiting our website at www.ciphertrust.com and downloading our whitepapers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Dr. Paul Judge is a noted scholar and entrepreneur. He is Chief Technology Officer at CipherTrust, the industry's largest provider of enterprise email security. The company’s flagship product, IronMail provides a best of breed enterprise anti spam solution designed to stop spam, phishing attacks and other email-based threats. Learn more by visiting www.ciphertrust.com/products/spam_and_fraud_protection today

How To Shop and Save On Website Hosting

2008-05-20T16:47:00.001-07:00

by: Jim Edwards
- by Jim Edwards

(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
=====================================

"What's your web address?"

From small "mom and pop" home-based businesses to mega-
stores, people ask this question in business every single
day. Even if you only operate a small, local business, if
you don't have a website (or at least email) people
honestly look at you funny.

A few years ago, website hosting was one of the largest
expenses connected with setting up a website. Now, with
dramatic drops in pricing, website hosting can actually
present the least costly component of operating a website.

However, before you run out and sign up for $2-a-month
website hosting and wake up tomorrow filled with regret,
take 5 minutes right now and learn the main points to
consider when evaluating any website host.

Total Storage

How much space do you get to store your
website files? If you operate a small website with a
handful of pages and only a couple of pictures per page,
you can get by with 5-10 MB (megabytes) of disk space or
less. However, if your site contains dozens of pages and
hundreds of pictures, you may need a hosting plan with 10-
25 MB of space.

Data Transfer / Bandwidth

Here's where many people fall down and get run over by the
Internet bus! Bandwidth represents the total amount of
traffic the website host allows you to receive.

Successful sites that get a lot of traffic eat up more
bandwidth than sites without many visitors. Honestly,
bargain website hosting companies don't want you to get
much traffic because your bandwidth costs them money.

If you plan to do any business online, make sure you get a
bare minimum of at least 1 GB (gigabyte) of data transfer
per month.

Email "Aliases"

Most web hosts allow you to set up email addresses
connected with your domain, such as jim@thenetreporter.com,
and have them forward to your email account, like
yourname@aol.com. The ability to set up email aliases forms
an integral part of any online business. Make sure your
hosting company allows you to set up at least 5 email
aliases.

Website Tools

If you want to do anything more than let people look at
static web pages, you will need to have certain tools
available. The two most important tools are CGI and website
statistics. These allow you to run scripts and see who came
to your site and when.

Tech Support

Make sure you understand any company's technical support
policies and hours of operation. Don't wait until Saturday
afternoon to discover your only help option is to wait and
email them Monday morning.

Go to www.comparewebhosts.com and check out the tool for
researching and comparing the offerings of over 9,000
different website hosting companies. Try the "Power Search"
feature, which allows you to specify about 50 different
variables, including price, company location, bandwidth,
and number of email aliases allowed. It even lets you
search by how often the hosting company backs up its
servers to protect against data loss.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-
author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to
use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to
your website for weeks, even months... without spending a
dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

Name Squeeze Pages – What Are They and Why Do You Need Them?

2008-05-20T16:46:00.001-07:00

by: Jason DeVelvis
There are many terms that are used in the Internet marketing world. Some are confusing, and some are simple. Some are simple but made to sound confusing. Name squeeze page how to information is a relatively new term, but it’s a technique that has been around for quite some time. Name squeeze page how to information is one of the first steps used by successful marketers for lead generation. Without leads, sales cannot be made – but getting good leads these days can be hard work – unless you know how to use a name squeeze page.

You’ve surely heard of opt-in lists. If you haven’t, an opt-in list is an email list of people who have agreed to receive information from you in their email inboxes. If you send them commercial email messages without that permission, you are spamming them – and that is against the law now. However, if you have their permission, you are not spamming them. They have the option of unsubscribing from your list anytime that they want to, and you must honor any remove requests that you receive.

An opt-in list is gold to an Internet marketer, and this is the end result of name squeeze pages. A name squeeze page is a webpage on your website that is intended to get the name and email address of visitors to the page. Now, there are many scripts that you can use to collect information about your visitors without them knowing about it, but this is not ethical, and in most cases, it violates the spam laws and privacy laws that are in effect.

To make an effective name squeeze page, you want to provide information that interests your readers and makes them want to be directed to more information, or to receive information via email. The visitor will be required to provide their name and email address for this information. This also works well when you have a freebie to give away, such as an ebook or free report. You can require the visitor to enter their email and name, and agree to receive information from you in the future in order to get the free download.

These names and email addresses that your name squeeze page collects can be added to your mailing list. You are now free to email them your newsletters and offers. But you should mail responsibly. Email good information or product reviews to your list, as opposed to spammy type advertisements. If you are mailing what appears to be spam to your list, you will lose a lot of subscribers in a very short time – and all of your efforts will be wasted.

Creating a name squeeze page is not hard. You just need some copy on the page that will make the visitor want to sign up. Of course the page needs to have a sign up form, and the HTML code for such a form can be obtained from your autoresponder service. Using an autoresponder service that requires double opt-in subscribing is highly recommended. The confirmation page that the person sees after confirming the subscription through email should redirect the visitor to the information that they are seeking, or to the free download that you are offering.

Name squeeze pages how to information is popping up all over the Internet. This is happening because this technique works. Internet marketers are using name squeeze pages on a regular basis to build massive opt-in lists. If lead generation is important to your business, you need to get your name squeeze pages up and working for you as soon as possible.

About the author:
Jason is a successful Internet Marketer, and posts regularly on his Adventures In Internet Marketing blog. Take a minute right now to sign up for his newsletter for more great information!

How To Report And Handle Ebay Transaction Problems.

2008-05-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

by: Kirsten Hawkins
Even when there aren’t any disputes, you might run into a few transaction problems on eBay – glitches that aren’t really anyone’s fault, but are just the result of a technical malfunction or another situation beyond the buyer or seller’s control. The number one cause of problems like this is email.

Email Problems.

If you use the Internet a lot, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the problems eBay can cause, and many buyers and sellers are relying on email to keep them informed about their transactions.

Sometimes, you might find that your emails to a seller bounce –you might have the wrong email address, or there could be a problem with their email. This happens especially often when buyers have free webmail accounts at places like Hotmail and Yahoo Mail.

When this happens, the buyer might not know you’re trying to contact them. Consider it urgent to contact them in the real world, before they leave you bad feedback. To find out someone’s real-world contact details, follow these steps: Click ‘Advanced Search’ near the top of your eBay screen, then ‘Find Contact Information’ in the menu on the left (under the ‘Members’ heading). All you need to do then is enter the other users’ eBay ID and the item number of what they bought.

You might find that the address you end up getting doesn’t exist, and the phone number seems to be disconnected, or wrong. However, if you didn’t get any working contact information for the buyer, then this means they’ve violated eBay’s contact information policy. You can report them at http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/identity-false.html, and nothing that they do from then on will reflect badly on you.

Be patient, though: Don’t send masses of angry emails to someone’s account: for all you know, they might be having problems with their computer or their Internet connection. Try phoning, and try waiting a while for a response.

PayPal problems.

You might also find that you have problems with people who aren’t quite sure how PayPal works. For example, they might try to send you money directly and send the wrong amount – this means that you need to refund any overpayment and get them to pay underpayment. If your buyer is reasonable, though, this should be an easy enough problem to solve – remember that they’re hardly going to refuse to pay the right amount when you’ve already got some of their money!

If Nothing Helps, Who Do I Report It To?

You need to click ‘Help’ on the toolbar and then ‘Contact us’, to contact eBay’s customer service. You might find you have better luck with the ‘Live Help’ function than you do with trying to get sensible responses to emails. PayPal have the same procedure – ‘Help’ then ‘Contact us’ – and offer limited phone support if you need it.

If you run lots of auctions at once, some of your problems might be caused simply by things getting lost and forgotten, because you have no way of keeping track of them. In the next email, we’ll look at how to manage multiple auctions effectively.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

The Anti Spam Challenge – Minimizing False Positives

2008-05-20T16:44:00.002-07:00

by: Paul Judge, CTO, CipherTrust, Inc.
Email is the quintessential business communication tool, so when it doesn’t work like it’s supposed to, business suffers. Anti spam software is designed to protect your inbox from unwanted messages, but unless your system is properly trained even the best software misses the mark and flags legitimate messages as spam. These messages are referred to as “false positives.”

While consumer and ISP anti spam products focus on blocking messages and even consider some false positives acceptable, businesses require anti spam solutions that treat their messages as very valuable. Failing to receive critical messages in a timely fashion can do irreparable damage to customer and partner relationships and cause important orders to be missed, so eliminating false positives while maintaining high anti spam accuracy is paramount to any enterprise anti spam solution.

What causes false positives?
Different anti spam solutions utilize different methods of detecting and blocking spam. Anti spam software typically uses content filtering or Bayesian Logic, an advanced content filtering method, to score each email, looking for certain tell-tale signs of spammer habits such as frequently used terms like “Viagra” or “click here.” Other anti spam solutions reference blacklists and whitelists to determine whether the sender has shown spammer tendencies in the past. A false positive can occur when a legitimate sender raises enough red flags, either by using too many “spam terms” or sending from an IP address that has been used by spammers in the past.

Minimizing False Positives
Although it takes a person only a moment to process a message and identify it as spam, it is difficult to automate that human process because no single message characteristic consistently identifies spam. In fact, there are hundreds of different message characteristics that may indicate an email is spam, and an effective anti spam solution must be capable of employing multiple spam detection techniques to effectively cover all bases.

A comprehensive anti spam approach involves examining both message content and sender history in tandem. By using a reputation system to evaluate senders based on their past behavior, a more accurate picture of their intentions and legitimacy can be discerned, and a solution’s false positive rate can be further lowered. Has the sender engaged in spamming, virus distribution or phishing attacks in the past? If not, the likelihood of their message getting past the email gateway just went up, and the chances of a false positive declined accordingly. If they have, an effective reputation system knows and flags the message.

Self-Optimization
In order to be most effective, anti spam solutions must learn based on a recipient’s preferences. While most of us prefer not to receive emails containing the term Viagra, some medical organizations might need to receive these emails in order to process patient data. In order to best learn your organizational preferences, anti spam solutions should put filtered emails into a quarantine that allows users to review and make decisions as to whether a particular message is spam. Making this quarantine available to the end-user lowers the administration costs and increases the accuracy of the anti spam system.

Each time a user makes a decision about whether a particular email is or is not spam, the system becomes more personalized and intelligent about filtering email for that individual in the future. Over time, users find that they rarely need to review their quarantines anymore because the system has learned how to identify messages that are important to that user.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
In conclusion, it is imperative that false positives be kept to an absolute minimum for business users. Although consumers may have more patience with incorrectly blocked email, businesses cannot afford these types of problems. An effective, accurate anti spam solution aggregates multiple spam detection technologies, combining the benefits of each individual technique to stop spam while minimizing false positives. It also puts suspected spam into a quarantine that is available to end-users, and learns how to better identify spam in the future.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Dr. Paul Judge is a noted scholar and entrepreneur. He is Chief Technology Officer at CipherTrust, the industry's largest provider of enterprise email security. The company’s flagship product, IronMail provides a best of breed enterprise anti spam solution designed to stop spam, phishing attacks and other email-based threats. Learn more by visiting www.ciphertrust.com/products/spam_and_fraud_protection today.

My Emails Are Not Being Delivered. Black Lists and White Lists Explained.

2008-05-20T16:44:00.001-07:00

by: Karen Fegarty
Please consider the following article for publication.

My Emails Are Not Being Delivered. Black Lists and White Lists Explained.

by Karen Fegarty

Over 40% of all emails within your marketing campaign
are not being delivered. You may not even be aware of this,
as many ISPs will not send back a bounce message. In fact
if you are sending messages to AOL customers, AOL is now
blocking over 80% of the messages that come into their servers.

One of the main reasons that this is occurring is that your
IP or Domain may be Black Listed. All major ISP's and many corporate
email systems now check against Black Lists and will refuse
to deliver any emails that come from an IP that is Black
Listed.

But what exactly is a Black List?

DNS black lists are lists of domains and IP's that are known
to originate Spam. Many anti-spam software programs used by
corporations and ISP's use these lists to control Spam by
refusing any email that originates from one of these domains
or IPs.

Unfortunately there are many instances of false positives as
there are few checks and often little objectivity when listing
a particular IP. In order for a black list to know that a
domain is sending Spam, the offence must be reported .
It may take only one report via a web form for you to be listed.

You may be listed maliciously through one complaint of a client,
or that of a competitor. Many Black Lists, as well,
will list not only the IP that is suspected as spamming, but will
list any IPs in that range of addresses. If someone using the
same Internet provider as you is accused of spamming and is placed
on a Black List, you may be listed as well.

DNS blacklists are usually maintained by anti-spam organizations
or by individuals.

What are some of the most popular Black Lists that ISPs are using?

Some of these include:

MAPS - http://www.mail-abuse.com/
Spam Cop - http://www.spamcop.net/
SpamHaus - http://www.spamhaus.org/
SPEWS.org - http://www.spews.org/
ORDB.org - Open Relay Database - http://www.ordb.org/

How do I know if I am on a Black List?

Unfortunately, you really can't be 100% sure if you have
been black listed. You may be on someone's black list
and not even know it. There are, however, ways to check
most of the lists.

One way is to check your server log when sending your
campaigns. You will often see an email bounce notice
indicating that the message has bounced because you
are on a particular black list.

Many of the major black lists also allow you to enter your IP
into a form on their site. These checks will tell you
whether you appear, or not, on their list.

A useful tool, is the Black List Monitor.
http://www.blacklistmonitor.com - It automatically checks
your IP against most of the major Black Lists and tells you
which ones you are listed on. It also gives you help
in getting removed. All your IPs are constantly monitored
for any changes, listings, or delistings.

But what is a White List and how can this help?

Many corporations and ISPs will create a white list. This
is a list of trusted IP addresses that they feel confident
will not send spam to their customers. If your IP is listed
on a particular white list then your email messages will be
delivered to the destination email address. It is
important for reputable marketers to work with the major
ISP's such as AOL to ensure that you are on their white list.
For most, it can be a lengthy process, but well worth your
efforts.

Other third-party email certification programs now exist.
Bonded sender www.bondedsender.com is one such agency. By joining
Bonded Sender, senders improve deliverability rates and
differentiate their brand. Senders go through a formal
application process, adhere to email standards and post
a bond against potential complaints. Major ISPs such as
MSN/Hotmail now check against Bond Sender's white list and
allow these email to pass.

Knowing if you are on a black list, getting removed if you
are and getting established on white lists is critical
if you are email marketing. The more messages delivered equals
more sales!

--------------------------

About the author:
Author Karen Fegarty is with MailWorkZ the creator of Black List
Monitor-- advanced service that continuously checks all the
major blacklists for you, and then some. Don't be treated
unfairly! Keep a handle on who may have you blacklisted. Get
a free trial and find out more at http://www.blacklistmonitor.com

Tips For Safer Computing Online

2008-05-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

by: BB Lee

by BB Lee (C)2004

New computer viruses threaten the unwary user everyday. Hackers
jeopardize your online security with invasive computer techniques to
steal your passwords, personal information, even identity.

Unscrupulous marketers bait you with free software that unleashes
spyware, trojans, or worms, on your system.

While other marketers bombard you with popups at every turn. And
others send unsolicited spy emails asking you to click links to unsafe websites that install threating software on your computer, or try to download your private information.

These are only a few of the security issues involved while online.

Read through the following list to arm your computer and protect yourself against these vicious and often malicious online attacks.

1. Install a good anti-virus software.
Here's a good free anti-virus software...
Fr** AVG Anti-Virus......
New - AVG Fr** Edition is now available for all single home users
worldwide! More detailed information can be found in the AVG Free
Edition License Agreement.
Click Here To Download:
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php

2. Install a personal firewall.
This personal firewall is one of the best online....
http://www.zonealarm.com

3. Install a good pop up blocker.
Google has a free pop up blocker so does Yahoo. The only drawback
is you will have to download and install their toolbar.

4. Know Privacy Policy.
Read the websites privacy policy before releasing personal information.
Note do they share or sell your information with third parties. If they do you might reconsider releasing your personal information.

5. Passwords.
Never use easy to guess passwords like your favorite color, your social security number, your birthdate, words less than six characters. Mix up passwords with combinations of numbers and symbols.

6.Virus Warnings.
Don't forward virus warnings you receive in emails. It's not your
job to warn others. And you might be circulating a fake warning
designed to scare receivers into downloading trojans or removing
important files on their computer.

7. Keep It Secret.
Don't give your password to anyone. Be wary of emails asking you to give out your personal passwords for accounts online. Or emails asking you to click a link and enter your password on the site. This site might be a fake sent by hackers "phishing" for victims.

8. Primary Email Address.
Don't divulge your primary email address on unfamiliar sites. You
might be bombarded with unsolicited emails by marketers who
sell your address to third parties online.

9. Free Accounts
Set up several free email accounts with a psuedo name to handle
spam, when you register with unfamiliar sites, or to use on chat and message boards.

10. Chat Line And Message Board Warnings.
Don't release personal information on chat lines or
message boards. This is one way many identity thefts occur.

____________________________________________________________

BB Lee is Editor of SmallBizBits News.
Visit: http://www.smallbizbitsnews.com
Subscribe Now! Receive A Free Ad in newsletter!
mailto:Smallbiz-subscribe@topica.com

About the author:
BB Lee is Editor of SmallBizBits News.
Visit: http://www.smallbizbitsnews.com
Subscribe Now! Receive A Free Ad in newsletter!
mailto:Smallbiz-subscribe@topica.com

"How I Use Email Automatic Responders"

2008-05-20T16:41:00.002-07:00

by: Jeff Schuman
An email automatic responder or autoresponder is the second most
important marketing tool I have to make money online. The first
would be my hosting company. Without these 2 tools my internet
marketing business is dead in the water.

In the world of internet marketing, millions of sites are
fiercely competing with each other to gain new clients. For any
ecommerce site to succeed, it must capture the interest and the
trust of its visitors. It is not enough that your site is
perfectly designed or has the latest in animation of content.

You should focus your efforts not only in attracting visitors
but also in leading them to make a purchase. There are dozens of
marketing strategies you can use to attract more buyers and pump
up your sales. One of them is by establishing an excellent and
professional reputation for prompt and efficient response.

As more potential customers visit your site, you should expect a
flood of inquiries and requests for information. This is an
excellent opportunity for you to capture more clients and lead
them to buying from your site. Thus, it is important that you
carry out an efficient and prompt response to every email you
receive. The fastest and most effective way to do this is by
utilizing an email automatic responder.

Autoresponder services use a computer program that automatically
return a prewritten message to anyone who sends an email to your
site. It is widely used for responding to consumer inquiries and
visitor comments and suggestions.

Follow up automatic responders are also used by e-zines in
responding to people who subscribe or unsubscribe to their
online magazines. Companies, who send out their e-newsletter
regularly, also use utoresponders.

How can effective autoresponder services help boost your
business? The answer lies in its ability to return a prompt
response to any e-mail the site receives. By responding rapidly
and efficiently, you create a very good impression on your
potential customer. Good email autorespondrs help you get
important information back to these customers immediately. An
effective autoresponder service helps you communicate your
message promptly, creating a sense of professionalism and
efficiency that your clients will definitely appreciate.

Another very important advantage of email automatic responders
is that it saves time with multiple marketing tasks. Certainly,
you do not have enough time to personally make and send all
correspondence. Autoresponder services allows you to send thank
you letters, newsletters, product information, brochures, orders
etc. to hundreds of clients almost immediately and
simultaneously. Autoresponder services are also indispensable in
any email marketing campaign.

Choosing the right autoresponder is very important. What makes
the best automatic responder? First, you should pick an
autoresponder that is reliable and can give you 24/7 service.
You cannot afford to lose a customer because your autoresponder
failed to answer his query or request for information. The
ability to respond promptly is the first thing you must look for
in any automatic responder.

Another key factor you should consider when choosing
Autoresponder servcies is flexibility. Good autoresponders allow
you to customize unique responses that will have maximum effect
on the customer. You should avoid creating an impression that
the customer is communicating with a machine instead of a real
human being.

An excellent email automatic responder lets you provide the
information that is specifically targeted for what the potential
customers are looking for. Because any email from potential
customers essentially represent the customer's intent on getting
more information about your product, which can ultimately lead
to direct sales, all emails are important. Thus, a top
Autoresponder servcie must fulfill all these duties to help you
boost your business.

For all of our autoresponder needs we prefer Aweber. They are
very reasonably priced and have proved to be reliable and easy
to use.

About the author:
Team-Schuman.Com contains the best make money online
and make money websites available today. If you want to
make money check us out here:
http://www.team-schuman.com/email-automatic-responder.html

Anti-Spam Case Study: Pacesetter Claims Service

2008-05-20T16:41:00.001-07:00

by: Joe Caldwell
When catastrophe strikes, many insurance companies tend to get flooded with new claims. These sudden surges in client demands can be overwhelming, and that's where Pacesetter Claims Service, an independent adjusting agency, comes in.

Founded in 1997, Pacesetter Claims Service is a well-established company with offices in five different states, as well as Puerto Rico. They are dedicated to providing the extra support companies such as American Family Mutual Insurance and Farmers Insurance Group need in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.

Having multiple offices spread across the country, and no way of predicting where or when the next disaster will strike, immediate, effective communication, such as email, is vital for Pacesetter's success. With the company dealing with upwards of 100 to 150 emails per day that are not only valid, but also possibly contain critical information from multiple sources, filtering out the junk email becomes essential.

According to Pacesetter IT Coordinator David Borg, more than 80% of their incoming email was a bombardment of spam. Pacesetter couldn't afford to have their employees wasting time sorting through these unwanted emails. They also didn't want to risk the possibility of inadvertently filtering out legitimate messages. They needed a highly effective, highly accurate anti-spam software solution to their spam problem.

Solution
Choosing Securence was an easy decision for Pacesetter Claims Service. Securence offered everything Pacesetter was looking for: accuracy, ease of use, great customer service and cost effectiveness.
"The reps stayed in touch real closely in the beginning to make sure things went smoothly," says Borg, who also likes the option that Securence is a service as opposed to just an application he has to
install and maintain himself. Perhaps most importantly, Borg is impressed with the accuracy of Securence's email filtering software. "During our 30-day trial period," says Borg, "we didn't have any false positives, and the few junk e-mails that did slip through were because we couldn't completely secure things on our end. We're extremely satisfied."

By selecting Securence, Pacesetter Claims Service was able to reduce their incoming junk email by more than 80% with nearly perfect accuracy.

About the author:
Securence offers anti-spam software, antivirus software and internet filtering software for business and consumers.
http://www.securence.com

Evict the Spammers from Your Inbox

2008-05-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

by: Paul Judge, CTO, CipherTrust, Inc.
Block Spam and Other Email Threats From Entering Your Gateway
Spam, commonly defined as unsolicited commercial email, is a powerful advertising channel for many products and services. As a result, spamming has become a profitable business, driven by the low cost of sending email compared to other direct marketing techniques. The high return on investment for spammers has resulted in an overwhelming volume of unwanted messages in personal and business email boxes. Consider this: Conducting a direct mail campaign costs an average of $1.39 per person, meaning that a response rate of 1 in 14 is necessary just to break even on a product with a $20 gross profit. Selling the same item via unsolicited spam email costs only $0.0004 per person, meaning that a response rate of 1 in 50,000 gets the seller back to break-even; anything above that is gravy. With profit margins like these, it’s easy to see why spammers will try anything to get past anti spam technology to deliver their messages to your inbox.

Types of Spam Threats
The recent onset of fraudulent spam variants such as phishing and spoofing pose an even greater risk than the spam volume clogging email servers. Spammers use techniques such as phishing and spoofing to fool users into opening messages that, at first glance, appear innocuous.

Phishing
Phishing is a specific type of spam message that solicits personal information from the recipient. Phishers use social engineering techniques to fool end users into believing that the message originated from a trusted sender, making these attacks especially dangerous because they often con victims into divulging social security numbers, bank account information or credit card numbers. In one six-month period from November 2003 to May 2004, phishing attacks increased in frequency by 4000%, and the trend continues upward.

An example of phishing is an email that appears to come from a bank requesting that users log into their account to update or correct personal information. When the users follow a link embedded in the email, they are redirected to a site that looks and behaves like the expected bank website. However, unbeknownst to the soon-to-be identity theft victims, the site is actually controlled by the scam artists who sent the email; any and all information entered by the victim can now be used in a variety of ways, none of them good.

Spoofing
Spoofing is a deceptive form of spam that hides the domain of the spammer or the spam’s origination point. Spammers often hijack the domains of well-known businesses or government entities to make spam filters think the communication is coming from a legitimate source.

Today’s spammers are more crafty than ever before and have begun blending elements of both phishing and spoofing into their messages, further spinning their web of deception. The toxic combination of spoofing and phishing presents a major threat that can trick most anyone into providing personal information to a stranger.

Toothless Legislation
On January 1, 2004, President Bush signed into law the “Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003,” or “CAN-SPAM” Act. While well intentioned, CAN-SPAM has done little or nothing to curb the flow of unwanted email. In fact, an estimated 97% of all spam email sent in 2004 violated the Act, and the United States still dwarfs other nations in terms of the origin of spam, with CipherTrust research revealing that an astonishing 56.77% of all spam comes from U.S.-based IP addresses. While CAN-SPAM was designed to decrease the overall volume of spam, the exact opposite has happened: in 2004, spam accounted for approximately 77% of all email traffic, and phishing attacks continue to increase exponentially, with studies showing an increase of 4000% from November 2003 to May 2004.

Anti Spam Software for the Desktop
The dramatic increase in spam volume has prompted a corresponding surge in stand-alone anti spam software solutions for the desktop, all with varying levels of effectiveness. Some anti spam software uses text filtering to screen incoming messages for known characteristics of spam, while other solutions rely solely on reputation systems that monitor and categorize email senders by IP address according to their sending behavior. Still other anti spam software uses “challenge/response filters” to block unapproved mail until the sender responds (manually) to a challenge email sent to their email account to verify his or her identity.

With so many different methods of filtering spam, no single software-based desktop anti spam solution is capable of effectively stopping spam before it reaches the inbox. The only way to successfully fight spam is to create an anti spam “cocktail” including reputation services, text filters, constant updates and a host of other best-of-breed spam blocking methods. Just as importantly, an effective anti spam solution should reside at the email gateway, not at the desktop. Without protection at the gateway, mail servers waste massive amounts of bandwidth and storage space processing every message, wanted or not, and end users face the unenviable task of deciding what to do with the countless spam messages that successfully reach them.

Take a Consolidated Approach to Anti Spam
Although it takes a person only a moment to process a message and identify it as spam, it is difficult to automate that human process because no single message characteristic consistently identifies spam. In fact, there are hundreds of different message characteristics that may indicate an email is spam, and an effective anti spam solution must be capable of employing multiple spam detection techniques.

In addition to effectively identifying spam, businesses must be assured that legitimate mail is not blocked in error. Even one false positive, or incorrectly blocked email, can have a significant impact on businesses today. Accurate spam blocking requires a combination of tools to examine various message criteria combined with real-time research and intelligence data.

By aggregating multiple spam detection technologies like text filtering, reputation services, traffic analysis and other best-of-breed techniques, and placing the solution at the email gateway in a hardened appliance, enterprises can retake control of the inbox.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Dr. Paul Judge is a noted scholar and entrepreneur. He is Chief Technology Officer at CipherTrust, the industry's largest provider of enterprise email security. The company’s flagship product, IronMail provides a best of breed enterprise anti spam solution designed to stop spam, phishing attacks and other email-based threats. Learn more by visiting www.ciphertrust.com/products/spam_and_fraud_protection today.

Use A Spam Filtering Tool To Manage Spam And Save Hours Everyday

2008-05-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

by: Balraj Dhaliwal
For most of us, changing our primary email address to get rid of spam is not really an option. This is because our email addresses are known and used by many of our contacts and may also be printed on business cards and other material. We certainly don't move to a different residence because of some junk mail in our letter boxes. Luckily, there are some very effective ways to combat spam and one such was is using a Spam filtering tool.

The particular tool that I am referring to is called MailWasher. It is a tool that I cannot do without. I've been using it for about 2 years now and my running totals shows that 72% of emails received are automatically deleted by Mailwasher. For more product information on Mailwasher, please visit: www.BSDRegister.com/products/mailwasher

Mailwasher is a piece of software that works at the source i.e. it connects directly to your inbox on the server and takes care of emails there. This is very different to using email filters in your email software for example Outlook or Thunderbird. The major difference is that Mailwasher wipes out emails on the email server so that you never have to download them. Having a filter in Outlook would mean that the email has to first be downloaded onto your computer and then examined and dealt with accordingly. For those messages spreading viruses, this could well pose a threat.

Mailwasher is easy to setup and takes a few minutes. There is a 30-day free trial of the software so that you can have ample time to decide if it is working for you. Initially, I started setting up my own spam filters and was having some success, but then I stumbled upon a link on the company's website that pointed to a link where an avid user was offering his filters for free. I downloaded those and installed them and have never look back. The amount of spam that was identified started to steadily increase until the 72% level that it is at today. This means that on average, 3 of every 10 eamils I receive are legitimate and are allowed through by Mailwasher. The rest are deleted at the source and I don't have to spend time downloading them. This is a big deal if you are using dialup access to the Internet.

There are many controls within the software. You can specify emails be deleted automatically without your knowledge or you could have the program mark them for deletion but let you glance at them just in case. This is useful initially until you get a good feel for it. There are many other options that fall in between these. The good thing is that they are all on one screen.

There is a concept of a blacklist and a whitelist. You can import all of your address book from Outlook with a couple of clicks and from other email programs as well. These go into what is called a whitelist. Mailwasher will allow all emails through that are on the whitelist. It will mark or automatically delete all those that are on the blacklist. Adding or removing someone from either list is a very simple point and click exercise.

Mailwasher also allows the setting up of legitimate filters. These are methods of specifying an email as legitimate. For example, if you identify all emails coming from your company domain name as being legitimate, then all messages from your coworkers will be allowed through without you having to specify each person. This is achieved using a wildcard setting such as "*@youworkdomain.com". This can also be used to blacklist an entire domain such that all messages are immediately marked for deletion or automatically deleted depending on your settings.

MailWasher is an independent program and does not interfere with your email software. It sits in the system tray and does its work diligently. In my case, it checks my inbox every 10 minutes and does a cleanout. I have my email software setup to only retrieve messages when I instruct it to so that MailWasher has the most opportunity to do it's work.

Mailwasher also has more advanced controls, one of them being something known as "Origin of Spam". There are servers on the internet which list known spam addresses. When you receive a message from one of these addresses, it is automatically marked as spam and deleted without your filters even being invoked. This is a remarkable system and comes free with MailWasher. A whopping 14% of emails that I get are identified in this manner and automatically deleted.

MailWasher is an indispensable tool in my email arsenal. If spam is a problem for you, it could do likewise for you. Download your free trial today and use it for 30 days. If you like it, you only pay $37 which in my book is a small price to pay for so much time saved everyday.

About the author:
Balraj Dhaliwal is an Internet Consultant for BSD Register, a well respected and liked domain and hosting provider because of its no nonsense simple approach to getting things done. Visit BSD Register at http://www.BSDRegister.com

Identity Theft Article - A Phisher Is Trying To Steal Your Identity!

2008-05-20T16:38:00.002-07:00

by: Lisa Smith
Identity Theft Article A Phisher Is Trying To Steal Your Identity! Sooner or later everyone with an email account will receive a phishing attempt from some internet scammer. What is phishing? How can you protect yourself? These are some of the questions this identity theft article will provide, along with some free resources and practical advice on how to protect your online identity.
The Anti-Phishing Working Group estimates that 75 million to 150 million phishing emails are sent every day on the internet. Phishing (pronounced fishing), is online identity theft that uses spoof emails, fraudulent websites and crimeware to trick unsuspecting internet users into providing financial data, credit card numbers, social security numbers, account logins and passwords, etc.
A spoofed email looks like it is from a legitimate company, usually banks, credit card companies, paypal, ebay, etc. These fraudulent emails look like they are from the “real” company, and generally try to get you to log into your account through the links in the email. The spoof email may state that there is a problem with your account and if you do not log in and update your information your account may be suspended, restricted, closed, etc. Generally these emails try to convey a sense of urgency; if you don’t correct this problem your account will be suspended.
Trojans are increasingly being used as a phishing technique according to Sophos, a security firm. The Brizilian police recently arrested a phishing gang of 18 people who stole $37M from online banking accounts. This phishing gang would send out emails that included Trojans. Once a Trojan infects your computer, all internet activity can be monitored and transferred to the phisher. This is a serious threat as you probably won’t know that you are infected with a Trojan.
According to David Jevans, Chairman of APWG, “Attacks can, and are, coming in a variety of other flavors. Instant Messaging, exploited websites, P2P networks, and search engines are all being used to download and run key logging malcode and/or be directed to websites which may contain malcode or be fraudulent. Attackers are also not just interested in username and password access to bank accounts. Social security numbers, credit cards and other identity information are also being stolen.”
Protecting yourself against phishing scams.
• Do not give out personal or financial information through an email request.
• Always log on to your sensitive accounts by opening a new browser and typing the actual URL directly into the address bar. For example, if you receive a suspected phishing email from ebay, open a new browser and type www.ebay.com in the browser bar.
• Do not click on any link in a suspected phishing email.
• Only use a secure website to submit sensitive data. A secure sites’ address will begin with “https://” instead of “http://”
• Check the activity of your online accounts regularly.
• Make sure your browser is up to date and all security patches are installed.
• Report phishing and spoof email to: reportphishing@antiphishing.com , spam@uce.gov, and forward the email to the company that is being spoofed.
• Keep your pc protected with updated anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall.
You may also want to install anti-phishing software.
o Earthlink ScamBlocker is a free browser toolbar that alerts you to known phishing sites. It’s free and can be downloaded at www.earthlink.net/earthlinktoolbar.
o Webroot has a beta version of PhishNet which you can download at www.webroot.com/products/phishnet/
o PC Tools Spyware Doctor offers protection against known phishing sites, spyware and blocks popups.
With the consequences being identity theft, it is imperative that you learn to protect your pc and your identity by exercising caution and installing the proper tools. Hopefully, this identity theft article has given you the information you need to avoid being the next phishing victim. Remember, legitimate companies don’t ask for personal or financial information in an email – so don’t give it to them!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:

Lisa Smith is the webmaster of 1stSpywareRemoval.com, a website dedicated to helping people protect their online privacy. Subscribe to her free newsletter at http://www.1stSpywareRemoval.com

The Bad Guys Are Phishing For Your Personal Information

2008-05-20T16:38:00.001-07:00

by: Tim Knox
Do you know what "phishing" is?

No, it doesn't mean you grab a pole and head to the late to catch some phish.

The official Webopedia definition of "phishing" is as follows:

The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The Web site, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user’s information.

Phishers prey on ignorance, fear, and emotion. They also play the numbers game. The more bait they email out, the more phish they'll catch.. By spamming large groups of people, the "phisher" counts on his email being read and believed by a percentage of people who will volunteer their personal and credit card information.

The latest attempt by identity theives to steal the personal information of eBay members hit my inbox earlier this week and I have to say, this one is pretty convincing. Even this old dog did a double-take before realizing that the identity thieves were phishing for my personal information again.

The sender of this email is listed as: eBay Member - rivernick and the email subject line reads: Question from eBay Member.

The email begins: "Question from eBay Member -- Respond Now. eBay sent this message on behalf of an eBay member via My Messages. Responses sent using email will not reach the eBay member. Use the Respond Now button below to respond to this message."

Listen to me: DON'T TOUCH THAT BUTTON

Of course the email was NOT sent by an eBay member or sent via eBay's messaging system, as it appears.

The email then takes on a threatening tone.

It reads: "Question from rivernick: I'm still waiting payment for my item for about 7 days. What happened? Please mail me ASAP or I will report you to ebay."

The recipient is then prompted to respond to this rather disturbing email by clicking a "Respond Now." button.

Doing so will take you to a website designed to look like eBay where you will be prompted to login using your eBay user name and password.

Once you pass this point you will be asked to update your account information before proceeding. Unknowing souls will offer not only their eBay password, but personal and credit card information, as well, without even knowing that they are about to have their personal information stolen.

The one thing that makes this scam so effective is the threat by the supposed eBay member to "report you to eBay."

The email preys on the fear of most eBay members that they are in danger of receiving negative feedback. Many eBayers would rather you cut off a pinky than leave them negative feedback. It is this emotion that the new phishers are hoping to hook.

The phisher is betting that most people will either be horrified by the threat of being wrongly reported to eBay or they will be ticked off that some jerk is threatening them by mistake.

Either way the phisher is counting on a percentage of people to have a knee-jerk reaction and login to the fake eBay website he has set up clear matters up.

I've yet to see what percentage of people who receive these phishing emails fall for the scam, but if a phisher gets 1f recipients to turn over their personal information, he will probably consider his phishing expedition a success.

I've warned you about these phishing scams before, but let's review it one more time.

NEVER reply directly to an email that appears to have come from eBay, Paypal, Amazon, or anyoen else asking you to click a link in the email to update your account information. If there is any doubt in your mind whether or not the email is really from eBay, for example, open a browser and type in the URL http://www.ebay.com. NEVER click a link within the email to respond.

NEVER believe that an email supposedly from another eBay member is for real. Again, do not click an email link to reply. Open a browser and go to eBay directly and log in. If the email was from a real member, there will be a record of the inquiry in your My eBay account.

You must be aware that there are bad guys out there who do nothing but spend time trying to come up with new and innovative ways to steal your information.

Be paranoid. Be aware. But don't be fooled.

The phishers will cast their line, but you do not have to take the bait.

Here's to your success!

About the author:
Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs. http://www.prosperityandprofits.com- http://www.dropshipwholesale.net- http://www.30dayblueprint.com

How To Fully Automate Your Website So You Don’t Waste Time Working

2008-05-20T16:37:00.001-07:00

by: David Hennebery
So you don’t have a way of managing all of the customer responses coming through your inbox? I can relate, please let me share a personal story.

When I first started my online business, I didn’t know what an autoresponder was, and I was intimidated by setting one up on my site. I simply had an HTML form set up that would send e-mail address of people that wanted my newsletter straight to my inbox. I can only imagine the amount of money that I was leaving on the table. I had no way of responding back to my potential customers. When I saw a newsletter signup come into my inbox, I would copy and paste a reply back to them.

The times have changed. Not only is the above situation not acceptable, but there’s no way you can effectively grow your business without an autoresponder.

After all, since you now have your website set up to sell your e-book, you are going to need a way to handle the various types of correspondence being sent to you from potential customers.

Autoresponders are an effective and economical innovation (software program) designed to “respond” to any messages a website receives. Thousands of online businesses use autoresponders to send a confirmation “thank you” notice when anyone registers with their email address on the site. Think of them as an answering machine for your website.

Using an autoresponder is a critical component to having a successful ebook business. Not only do you need to respond to messages and inquiries, you must implement an email sales campaign to promote your ebook. If you were to try to manage the emails yourself, the task will eventually become impractical and extremely time consuming. You could hire someone to answer them, but when your site is receiving several hundred hits a day with an average of 50% registering to receive more information; you would need to hire several people thus making the cost very prohibitive. In business, “time is money and money is time”, and online, and autoresponder is the only solution.

If you do not have an autoresponder, you will lose sales, and lots of them. If you are not using an auto email program to get these non-committals to return to your site, you will not be able to sell your ebook to them. It’s really as simple as that.

How does an autorepsonder work? By utilizing the information you input into the programs, the Autoresponder will automatically answer any email or sign-up your site receives. You can even program a variety of responses and how many times you want to send your customers an email; plus any sales receipts, download information and access, support problems – can all be effectively handled by an autoresponder. Obviously if there is a support situation, you or your webmaster will need to step in and fix the problem, but the autoresponder can easily let the customer know that someone will be emailing them soon to help.

Due to the nature of your business (e-book sales), you will need a variety of email autoresponses depending upon the situation. A typical list of responses for an e-book sales site might include some or all of the following:

1) Thank you response for visiting and signing up;
2) Free newsletter emailed to all sign-ups;
3) Special offer emails to entice purchase;
4) Purchase notification/invoice;
5) Thank you for purchasing;
6) Informing of your newest e-book;
7) Offer free course/bonus for signing up;
8) Notification of problems/complaints received from customers;
9) Notification of feedback received.

Basically the uses of the program are endless, in fact anything that you would want emailed to several customers can be handled through an autoresponder. And just like the almost limitless uses, there are a vast number of autoresponder companies vying to handle your e-business correspondence.

Many sites have free autoresponder programs available which handle minimal email tasks; however because you are trying to sell ebooks, you should look for a system or service that does not limit the capabilities of your emails. Make sure you get unlimited email size plus you will need the ability to send multiple emails to the same person over a period of time. Remember, the reason for sending several emails over a course of time is based on the fact that most customers (about 60% - 70%) do not purchase on their first visit. If they are interested in learning more about your ebook, they will sign up for more information. And this is when you use an autoresponder to send multiple targeted information emails to drive those reluctant customers back to your site for the purchase. You will also want to have the ability to track your emails to assess the effectiveness of such a campaign. We use www.aweber.com and www.getresponse.com is also a good solution.

The messages you will want to send will depend upon the reason for the need to respond. One way you can handle this by having multiple email addresses for your site. Here is a short list of email addresses you will need:
1) support@yoursite.com
2) Yourname@yoursite.com
3) Yourassistant@yoursite.com
4) sales@yoursite.com

If you need additional addresses, do not hesitate to set them up and use them; the more you categorize your customer’s emails, the better you, your webmaster and your autorepsonder program will work. The autoresponder will know the difference between newsletter sign-ups, customer logins, purchases, and so on. This is all configured in the program, as is sending notification emails for receipt of a customer’s inquiry at one of your listed email addresses. Again, you or your webmaster will manually have to answer any inquiries received at a site listed address. Unfortunately at this moment in time, autoresponders cannot read and answer emails. I would imagine that sometime in the not too distance future this will become a possibility. One can always hope!

Now you understand why autoresponders are an important if not critical ingredient in developing a productive, functioning, 24/7 e-book sales site. Using one will help increase your sales, drive those hesitant potential customers back to your site and take care of those everyday tasks associated with having a professional and courteous Internet business. Offering excellent customer service is a significant business building tool, especially for online businesses when a customer assesses you and your site faster than you realize.

About the author:
David Hennebery is the owner and creator of a very successful ebook called ebookprofitmaker. He is regarded as an expert in eBook marketing and selling. To contact him email support@ebookprofitmaker.com Receive 35% ebook discount for reading this article.For more details visit http://www.ebookprofitmaker.com/articleoffer.html

Are opt-in email lists still valuable in this SPAM age?

2008-05-20T16:36:00.002-07:00

by: Lois S.
One of the things that the introduction of blogs has done is to cause an exodus of sorts from email newsletters or ezines to online publishers simply publishing the information on their blogs.

It is not too difficult to realize why online publishers embraced blogs so quickly and enthusiastically. Actually the SPAM monster appeared to be slowly squeezing the life out of their online business. To meet the SPAM challenge most ISPs have set up SPAM filters that are so powerful that they quite often filter out mail that has been requested, especially mail of the massive opt-in kind. This has meant an increasing number of bounces and undeliverable mail.

With the arrival of blogs there was an easy way out of all this anxiety. Ezines could easily be posted on blogs and no ISP SPAM filter would touch it. And what is more the email aspect of feedback was not lost because readers could easily post a comment at the blog. The huge advantage over email here was that one could see another readers comment and quickly support or disagree with it. Blogs have actually revolutionized publishing the way no other tool has in the history of mankind.

So have blogs made email newsletters and opt-in email lists obsolete? The answer is a firm “NO”. Nothing would be further from the truth. Even when an online publisher delivers their weekly or daily content at a blog, what is the best way of sustaining and growing traffic to the blog?

Actually even with a website, there is no other more effective way of sustaining high traffic than by harvesting email addresses. This is done by offering and email newsletter or an email course of sorts. This builds up a valuable opt-in email list that you can use again and again to direct traffic to your site. You can even sell them something. As internet marketing experts often point out, the money is in the list.

This is the reason why experts advice affiliates to set up their own sites or blogs to play a key role in their efforts to market their affiliate site. This is simply because it is a huge waste to drive so much traffic to your affiliate site and end up having only a tiny fraction signing up for your affiliate program. By driving traffic through your own site, you have an opportunity to harvest emails and build up a huge, valuable targeted opt-in email list that you can still market the very same affiliate program to, later. In fact research has clearly shown that most people buy only after several repeated encounters of the same product or service.

Even with the introduction of the extremely useful blogging tool and the change of business models by many online publishers, opt-in email lists still remain the most valuable online marketing tool.

About the author:
About the author: Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for Website Source, Inc. http://www.websitesource.com. Her established writing skills coupled with experience in the website hosting industry have provided internet professionals with marketing, product and service ideas for many years.

The Cybermagic of Whitelists

2008-05-20T16:36:00.001-07:00

by: Niall Roche
Before we start getting deep into the meat of this article it's important to explain some standard terminology to make sure the rest of this article makes sense.

*An IP address is a number which identifies your location on the Internet.

*A blacklist is a list of IP addresses which your antispam software uses to block incoming spam.

*A whitelist is the exact opposite of a blacklist.

A whitelist is a predefined list of IP addresses that are allowed to send email to and receive email from each other. Blacklists exclude known and suspected spammers. Whitelists can be used to exclude everyone except known IP addresses. Think of it like this. A whitelist is a like having a phonebook which is owned by a small group of people who only wish to speak directly to each other. They don't want just anybody ringing them. Not only that but the entire group need to approve new phone numbers before they appear in this exclusive phonebook.

To send email to a whitelist you must be approved by the owner of the whitelist. This is a lot like the double optin systems used by legimiate ezines and mailing list owners. Whitelists are the nightclub bouncers of the virtual world - if you ain't on the list you ain't getting in. Simple but very effective.

A real world example of a whitelist would be if two companies wanted to exchange email only with each other. These companies could implement a whitelist that contained the IP address for just the two email servers that want to send email to each other. That would mean that any email coming from an IP address not on the whitelist would be returned to sender. For companies they can ensure that employees are only dealing with work related email and not chatting with their friends.

The benefits of whitelists are many but proper management of the whitelists is equally important. Misuse of whitelists will only lead to more headaches for everyone involved with missing email, irate customers and IT departments doing overtime just being the tip of the iceberg.

If you'd like to learn more about spam then drop by http://www.spam-site.com today.

About the author:
This article was submitted courtesy of Spam-Site.com which reviews spam filters and also offers advice on stopping spam for free.

A brief history of email

2008-05-20T16:35:00.001-07:00

by: Deepshikha Khosla

The desire to communicate is primal among most living creatures, and especially among humans. Since time immemorial, the means and techniques of communication have been worked upon and refined. The early humans communicated verbally or in writing. They used pictorial representations, still visible on ancient cave walls. If there was a physical distance between the parties that wished to communicate, messages were physically carried by a messenger. Early ‘jungle drum’ and ‘smoke signal’ transmissions were evidence of the first form of remote communication where a messenger was not physically sent to the desired destination.

Email stands for ‘electronic mail’. By this definition, the first electronic mails were sent in the last century via telegraphic transfer and Morse code transmissions.

Business extensively used the telex network for communication all over the world from the mid 1920’s through the mid 1980’s. A telex machine would connect and communicate with any other telex machine anywhere in the world, independent of the telephone network. Security was also tight as telex machines did an identifying handshake. However, to send telex messages, a dedicated telex line had to be installed and then telex messages were charged on the basis of the amount of data transmitted. This requirement of a dedicated line, made telex communication an expensive affair. Additionally, in order to use telex, a telex terminal was usually needed which needed trained operators to operate it. Surprisingly, telex is still popular all over the world, despite the growth of the Internet.

Mainframe and miniframe computers were quite popular with many large companies in the 1960’s and 1970’s. They exchanged email on these computers. Users (in this case, employees of the company) of their computers (terminals) could send messages to each other. Gradually, companies’ central systems, known as hosts, began to be connected to branch offices. Now the employees could communicate with their counterparts via email on a world wide basis.

The APRANET was developed by the US Department of Defense as part of its research on computer networks during this time. Network email was developed for the APRANET, and has now evolved into the email technology in its current form. The first APRANET email message was sent in 1971.

The late 1970’s and 1980’s saw the astronomical growth in the personal computer market with the entry of Apple and IBM. This led to the creation of new email technologies. Proprietary ‘dial up’ systems such as MCI Mail, Telecom Gold and AppleLink were to be found among these. This meant that for two people to communicate via email on these systems, both had to be subscribers. Most of these systems eventually became obsolete because they were not reliable. It should be noted here, that email messages were being sent and received by thousands of personal computer users using ‘dial up’ systems before the Internet became available for use by everybody.

Another development was taking place parallel to the above – the development of ‘LAN-based’ email systems within companies, by connecting the personal computers being used by their staff to the mainframe systems. These systems were easier to use, and more functional. They even allowed for attachments to be sent with emails.

Gradually, the use of the Internet for access to information was gaining immense popularity. With time, as more and more people had access to the Internet, email applications evolved from proprietary email systems within company networks to ‘Intranets’ which can be best described as private mini-Internets.

Hence, we can say that ‘electronic mail’ itself is not a new phenomenon. What is new is that it is more easily available on a world wide basis, is cheap and a lot easier to use.

About the author:
Email is now pervasive but how did evolve and how new is it really?