Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind it. Now it is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. Small companies use Small Business Manager (which is based on the same technology – Great Plains Dexterity dictionary and runtime), Great Plains Standard on MSDE is for small to midsize clients, and then Great Plains serves the rest of the market up to big corporations.
If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Great Plains with its native programming language – Great Plains Dexterity – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.
The history of the Dexterity. Great Plains Dexterity – this is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to earlier 1990th with the goal to build platform independent graphical accounting package – Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity itself is written in C (following popular those days hope – that C will provide platform independence). You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface.
1. Native Dexterity Cursors. Dexterity was designed as platform independent programming language and so if you want your code to be operable on all currently supported databases – you use Dexterity ranges and loops to manipulate the records
2. Great Plains Dexterity with SQL Stored Procs Nowadays, most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server – so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.
3. COM Objects calls. Beginning with version 7.0 Dexterity supports COM objects – you register them as libraries in Dexterity. Refer the manual. This technique allows you to call such nice things as web services across the internet.
4. Dexterity Forms – if you like VBA and are comfortable to do all the business logic in VBA – you can use Dexterity as new forms creator/editor. This is OK – but you have to purchase VBA/Modifier and Customization Site Enabler from MBS.
Some restrictions. Great Plains is actually integration of multiple dictionaries: DYNAMICS.DIC, ADVSECUR.DIC, EXP1493.DIC, etc. In your Dexterity customization you can deal with one dictionary – DYNAMICS.DIC. If you need cross dictionaries customization – consider using SQL Stored Procs for crossing dictionary borders and pulling data/making changes in the other dictionary..
Happy customizing!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
How to REALLY Profit from SEO
I want to give you a few more things to think about as you excel and grow in the craft of search engine marketing. If you are anything like me, you were hooked the first time you really made a difference to someone else's success. I soon realized that being able to help business owners to get results from these optimization methods and strategies could also be amazingly profitable. I found out that customers are your greatest resources and many of them are quite generous when you make an impact on their business. So the topic here is for those who want to profit from their skills (if you are not already doing very well and having an awesome time already).
It may seem like a strange thing to talk about but before I begin, I'll say this. There are many folks out there offering various SEO services and they are still not getting the profits that they would like to make. They are not REALLY profiting the way they might if they took a little different approach. The solutions that business owners need to really make a difference in the bottom line, require more than just bringing volumes of traffic to a site. You need targeted traffic mixed with a web strategy to compel response.
Then another group that seems to be doing well at first but the truth is they are making lots of promises and sales but they are not able to hang on to clients very long because they are not delivering long term results.
Many of my SEO clients have been with me 5 years plus. (I am still taking on new ones too.)
Let's talk about the benefits of SEO to you as a search engine marketer, then we'll give you 5 ways to profit:
Here are just a few legitimate benefits of offering SEO services to your clients.
--Increase your sales There's no telling how many sales you can make when you not only can talk the talk but you can walk the walk and REALLY deliver results. Prospects can sense there is something different about you and your services. You are known as the one who fixes up Web sites that don't work.
--Increase your repeat business I learned that just because someone buys a web site, it does not mean that they are happy with it. But if you can turn that Web site around and make it work, then that same client may even BUY a second or a third Web site, not to mention, buy various promotional services. All they need to see is, that what you do… really does work!
--Increase your referral business What can I say, but word gets around quick! Business owners talk to other business owners and every time you help someone out and make them successful on the net, it's like they tell everyone else they know. Referral business is wonderful!
--Increase your credibility With the right training and talent, your client comes to think of you as simply brilliant. This is not because you are REALLY brilliant, but you just look after your client's business as if it were your own. If your client insists that they have the best web marketer and SEO on the planet, why burst their bubble? You make them prosper and they make you prosper.
--Increase your confidence There is a difference your client notices in you...right down to your body language and that inner knowing that if I've gotten other folks awesome results last week, I can do it again no problem this week.
--Increase your authority I can not say enough about solid communication and managing client's expectations honestly.
--Build Client loyalty Let the competitor just try and steal your clients with false promises or tricky claims. You've done a great job of educating your client and making them web wise. Now these things are quite profitable sounding but honestly, they are really just fringe benefits. Lets move on to talk about real profit options.
5 Ways to Profit from SEO: Here's how it starts~
1. Stop focusing on sales and start focusing on your clients success!
There are so many "webmasters", web designers, graphic artists in this business. Does it not just scare you a little bit? Don't we have to enter into competition with other web developers and does it not become a rat race?
Start focusing on your client's success.
Do all that you can do to make them successful. Pour all of your talents into making their projects work. So many folks I talk to can never stop thinking about where they will make their next sale instead of delivering results to the clients they ALREADY have and in so doing, you establish lifetime residuals.
Make your client successful and they will literally become part of YOUR sales team.
2. If you're not up to speed, you better catch up fast. A difference in your performance is a difference in your profits!
If you are not up to speed on solid SEO marketing techniques and methods, start learning now. Take a course or study at a live workshop, but however you do it, get your SEO skills up to speed so you can really help people. If you can show them a strategy that really puts dollars in their pocket, they'll put dollars in YOUR pocket!
3. How's your batting average? How about profit sharing?
If your skills are medium to above average, why not share in the profits yourself. I am referring to offering someone a vertical contract. This would be a deal where you own part of the company in return for making it successful with your SEO skills. Don't brush this off. There are some exceptional deals to be had if you start thinking laterally.
4. Don't forget your community and charitable work.
When's the last time you helped promoting a charitable work at NO cost. Build a site and promote it for the Literacy counsel or the Easter Seals Society or your Local Rotary Group or your Chamber of Commerce. Don't forget that this work will often open unusual and even surprising doors. Help make others successful and you will not fail. Many important leaders within your local community will be serving on these committees right next to you! A great way to network and meet new people and help the cause.
5. Watch the latest SEO trends and position yourself to take advantage.
The study and practice of SEO has been very good to me. Five years ago, I never dreamed that my study of Optimization would lead to the Internet lifestyle. I look after my clients well and sometimes go a little beyond what some might do in the call of duty. I have clients that pay me well for my services and demonstrate that they care about my business. As a result of the work I have done, I have enjoyed wonderful repeat business and client loyalty. Referral business is the best type of business going because it does not really involve a lot of preparation or hard work. You know that when you arrive, that they really want YOU to do the job because of your track record. It's wonderful business.
I could write a lot more but I hope you get the picture. If you have not been enjoying good profits, a rewarding lifestyle and being appreciated by your clients your need a plan of action.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. You MUST be able to "deliver" and really make a difference. Do whatever it takes to get your SEO skills and lateral thinking skills up to speed.
2. Run a balanced business. Are you charging for what your services are worth?
There are some folks who charge steeply and don't know how to get the results. For gosh sakes, if you're good at what you do, make sure you are charging well for your services. You DESERVE fair reward if your considerable skills are helping other business owners to prosper. (some people are afraid to charge for their work)
Note: The ones that charge steeply but DON'T deliver may make a few dollars initially, but they won't enjoy the customer loyalty, the referral business, repeat business that you do and they won't have a "customer for life" like you will.
3. Don't forget to recognize and be thankful for the progress you've already made. Be sure to benchmark your victories but even more important, celebrate your CLIENT'S VICTORIES too! After all, you helped bring them about.
4. Give something back to your community (with gladness). Look for opportunities to help others who genuinely need help and avoid those who are only after your talents to exploit them. (Trust me, when your SEO talents and success stories increase, you'll have strangers coming out of the woodwork to take you to dinner and pick your brain). Proceed with wisdom.
5. You must be willing to change and take action! Performing the way you perform now has delivered a certain result. So if your happy with that result, carry on exactly the same way and you should get very similar results. If you are not happy with your results now, then you must change the way you do things.
Same action = same result
Different action = new results
Are you looking for new results?
Is it a time for a change of action?
Here’s wishing you the ultimate success.
It may seem like a strange thing to talk about but before I begin, I'll say this. There are many folks out there offering various SEO services and they are still not getting the profits that they would like to make. They are not REALLY profiting the way they might if they took a little different approach. The solutions that business owners need to really make a difference in the bottom line, require more than just bringing volumes of traffic to a site. You need targeted traffic mixed with a web strategy to compel response.
Then another group that seems to be doing well at first but the truth is they are making lots of promises and sales but they are not able to hang on to clients very long because they are not delivering long term results.
Many of my SEO clients have been with me 5 years plus. (I am still taking on new ones too.)
Let's talk about the benefits of SEO to you as a search engine marketer, then we'll give you 5 ways to profit:
Here are just a few legitimate benefits of offering SEO services to your clients.
--Increase your sales There's no telling how many sales you can make when you not only can talk the talk but you can walk the walk and REALLY deliver results. Prospects can sense there is something different about you and your services. You are known as the one who fixes up Web sites that don't work.
--Increase your repeat business I learned that just because someone buys a web site, it does not mean that they are happy with it. But if you can turn that Web site around and make it work, then that same client may even BUY a second or a third Web site, not to mention, buy various promotional services. All they need to see is, that what you do… really does work!
--Increase your referral business What can I say, but word gets around quick! Business owners talk to other business owners and every time you help someone out and make them successful on the net, it's like they tell everyone else they know. Referral business is wonderful!
--Increase your credibility With the right training and talent, your client comes to think of you as simply brilliant. This is not because you are REALLY brilliant, but you just look after your client's business as if it were your own. If your client insists that they have the best web marketer and SEO on the planet, why burst their bubble? You make them prosper and they make you prosper.
--Increase your confidence There is a difference your client notices in you...right down to your body language and that inner knowing that if I've gotten other folks awesome results last week, I can do it again no problem this week.
--Increase your authority I can not say enough about solid communication and managing client's expectations honestly.
--Build Client loyalty Let the competitor just try and steal your clients with false promises or tricky claims. You've done a great job of educating your client and making them web wise. Now these things are quite profitable sounding but honestly, they are really just fringe benefits. Lets move on to talk about real profit options.
5 Ways to Profit from SEO: Here's how it starts~
1. Stop focusing on sales and start focusing on your clients success!
There are so many "webmasters", web designers, graphic artists in this business. Does it not just scare you a little bit? Don't we have to enter into competition with other web developers and does it not become a rat race?
Start focusing on your client's success.
Do all that you can do to make them successful. Pour all of your talents into making their projects work. So many folks I talk to can never stop thinking about where they will make their next sale instead of delivering results to the clients they ALREADY have and in so doing, you establish lifetime residuals.
Make your client successful and they will literally become part of YOUR sales team.
2. If you're not up to speed, you better catch up fast. A difference in your performance is a difference in your profits!
If you are not up to speed on solid SEO marketing techniques and methods, start learning now. Take a course or study at a live workshop, but however you do it, get your SEO skills up to speed so you can really help people. If you can show them a strategy that really puts dollars in their pocket, they'll put dollars in YOUR pocket!
3. How's your batting average? How about profit sharing?
If your skills are medium to above average, why not share in the profits yourself. I am referring to offering someone a vertical contract. This would be a deal where you own part of the company in return for making it successful with your SEO skills. Don't brush this off. There are some exceptional deals to be had if you start thinking laterally.
4. Don't forget your community and charitable work.
When's the last time you helped promoting a charitable work at NO cost. Build a site and promote it for the Literacy counsel or the Easter Seals Society or your Local Rotary Group or your Chamber of Commerce. Don't forget that this work will often open unusual and even surprising doors. Help make others successful and you will not fail. Many important leaders within your local community will be serving on these committees right next to you! A great way to network and meet new people and help the cause.
5. Watch the latest SEO trends and position yourself to take advantage.
The study and practice of SEO has been very good to me. Five years ago, I never dreamed that my study of Optimization would lead to the Internet lifestyle. I look after my clients well and sometimes go a little beyond what some might do in the call of duty. I have clients that pay me well for my services and demonstrate that they care about my business. As a result of the work I have done, I have enjoyed wonderful repeat business and client loyalty. Referral business is the best type of business going because it does not really involve a lot of preparation or hard work. You know that when you arrive, that they really want YOU to do the job because of your track record. It's wonderful business.
I could write a lot more but I hope you get the picture. If you have not been enjoying good profits, a rewarding lifestyle and being appreciated by your clients your need a plan of action.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. You MUST be able to "deliver" and really make a difference. Do whatever it takes to get your SEO skills and lateral thinking skills up to speed.
2. Run a balanced business. Are you charging for what your services are worth?
There are some folks who charge steeply and don't know how to get the results. For gosh sakes, if you're good at what you do, make sure you are charging well for your services. You DESERVE fair reward if your considerable skills are helping other business owners to prosper. (some people are afraid to charge for their work)
Note: The ones that charge steeply but DON'T deliver may make a few dollars initially, but they won't enjoy the customer loyalty, the referral business, repeat business that you do and they won't have a "customer for life" like you will.
3. Don't forget to recognize and be thankful for the progress you've already made. Be sure to benchmark your victories but even more important, celebrate your CLIENT'S VICTORIES too! After all, you helped bring them about.
4. Give something back to your community (with gladness). Look for opportunities to help others who genuinely need help and avoid those who are only after your talents to exploit them. (Trust me, when your SEO talents and success stories increase, you'll have strangers coming out of the woodwork to take you to dinner and pick your brain). Proceed with wisdom.
5. You must be willing to change and take action! Performing the way you perform now has delivered a certain result. So if your happy with that result, carry on exactly the same way and you should get very similar results. If you are not happy with your results now, then you must change the way you do things.
Same action = same result
Different action = new results
Are you looking for new results?
Is it a time for a change of action?
Here’s wishing you the ultimate success.
Friday, January 25, 2008
The growth of ru-domains
The registry of ru-domains reports, that the number of domain names registered in Russia's national domain, the ru-domains, has increased 19.82% in the first half of 2004 to 256.356 ru-domains.
Ru-Center compares this to the growth of 2003, which was 16.02% for the first half of 2003.
The increase among ru-domains in Russia is coincident with the rising numbers of Russian Internet users. Ru-Center explains, that the weekly users numbered 5.9 million June 2004 , 1.4 million more than one year earlier. The number of Russian Internet users is expanding 30% a year.
ICANN accredited registrar Secura is accepting registrations of ru-domains by non-russian enterprises and private people. According to the experience of this registrar, the ru-domains owned by foreign registrants is growing rapidly
Ru-Center compares this to the growth of 2003, which was 16.02% for the first half of 2003.
The increase among ru-domains in Russia is coincident with the rising numbers of Russian Internet users. Ru-Center explains, that the weekly users numbered 5.9 million June 2004 , 1.4 million more than one year earlier. The number of Russian Internet users is expanding 30% a year.
ICANN accredited registrar Secura is accepting registrations of ru-domains by non-russian enterprises and private people. According to the experience of this registrar, the ru-domains owned by foreign registrants is growing rapidly
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
6 Essential Steps to Protect Your Computer On the Internet For Free
Recently one of my friends asked me to check out if his computer was infected by virus. He suspected because occasionally the computer was shut down automatically when connected to internet. My first thought was the Sasser worm 60 seconds auto count-down. As he uses Windows 98 second edition with IE5, the virus must be a Sasser variant.
I'm not network security expert but I know some basic things he must do to protect his home PC. It was a shock when he told me that his 4 years old PC had no protection except McAfee anti-virus.
* Bought in 2000 and no Windows service packs had been applied since then.
* McAfee anti-virus software came with the PC when bought and no updates since then.
* No firewall installed.
* No anti spyware installed.
This is what I did to beef up his PC to the best of my knowledge.
Step #1: Patch the operating system.
The first thing I did was update his Windows 98 to the latest available Windows updates for Windows 98.
* Open Microsoft Windows Update page at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
* Scan the PC to find out what critical updates and security fixes are missing.
* Select, download, and install a selection of updates, especially any Critical Updates.
* Restart the PC after finished.
When you open the Microsoft Windows Update page, click the "Scan for updates" link. The page will suggest what updates are needed based on your Windows version. You should install all Critical Updates suggested by Microsoft.
It took me about one and half hour to complete the above steps.
Step #2: Download, install, and run Spybot to get rid of all spyware.
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download
Spybot-S&D is a free anti-spyware software to detect any spyware installed on your PC.
Spyware is any software that is installed on your PC and tracks your online behavior without your knowledge or consent. Spyware generally can
* Track what web pages you are visiting and send these information to advertising companies. This kind of spyware is commonly called adware.
* Track and record your computer activities such as what keys you hit. This is generally called Trojans.
* Change your web browser's home page.
* And more...
After installed Spybot, I immediately scanned my friend's computer and found 166 problems. The first run killed nearly all of them except some memory residents that had to be killed after a reboot.
Step #3: Download and install Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF).
http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_download.html
Kerio Personal Firewall limited free edition is for home users. After installation, KPF works as the full edition for 30 days, after which it becomes the limited free edition.
You may also try the free ZoneAlarm firewall. Be aware that ZoneAlarm free edition uses a lot of computer memory.
The following is the free ZoneAlarm firewall download link. You hardly can find this download link on ZoneAlarm site because they want you to buy the Pro version which is a much better choice.
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp
Step #4: Download AVG anti-virus software
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Because my friend has McAfee antivirus installed but has not been updated for about 4 years. I downloaded AVG Free Edition antivirus software and let him to consider if he wanted to pay and update his McAfee or use the freebie. Running two antivirus software on the same computer can cause conflicts.
Step #5: Install password management software - RoboForm free edition.
http://www.roboform.com/?affid=siter
RoboForm is a password management software with Artificial Intelligence built in that can automatically fill online forms for you. It has been featured on The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times, Financial Times, PC Magazine, etc.
Nowadays we all have many usernames and passwords to use on the internet. Some spywares record your keystrokes and send them to the hackers. It has been reported many times that people lost all their money in online bank account or internet payment system account.
One of RoboForm key features is designed to combat this kind of key logger hacking. RoboForm can
* AutoSave passwords in browser.
* AutoFill passwords to login form.
* Click Login button for you.
* Fill personal info into online forms.
* Save offline passwords & notes.
* Generate Secure Random Passwords.
* Encrypt passwords and personal info using 3-DES.
* All personal info is stored on your computer only.
* Put passwords on USB KeyChain for extra security.
* Sync your passwords and safenotes to a Palm.
* Backup & Restore, Print your passwords.
* More features: drill down for more.
RoboForm works best with IE 5.0 and above. IE6 is the recommended browser to use with Artificial Intelligence RoboForm.
Note: free eidition comes with some limitations.
Step #6: Apply additional security measures.
More security measures and resources:
* Read Web Security tutorial from W3Schools, especially the paragraphs for home users.
http://www.w3schools.com/site/site_security.asp
* Use Audit My PC to do three Penetration Testing.
http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/prefcan.asp
* Use Gibson Research's ShiedsUP to do port scan and get useful advice.
https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
* Download Gibson Research's LeakTest and check if personal firewall can be fooled. If the firewall is good, the LeadTest will not be able to reach the internet.
http://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm
* Browse Microsoft security home page to learn more about Windows security.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
Mission completed. It took me nearly 4 hours that night and the result is so far so good.
I'm not network security expert but I know some basic things he must do to protect his home PC. It was a shock when he told me that his 4 years old PC had no protection except McAfee anti-virus.
* Bought in 2000 and no Windows service packs had been applied since then.
* McAfee anti-virus software came with the PC when bought and no updates since then.
* No firewall installed.
* No anti spyware installed.
This is what I did to beef up his PC to the best of my knowledge.
Step #1: Patch the operating system.
The first thing I did was update his Windows 98 to the latest available Windows updates for Windows 98.
* Open Microsoft Windows Update page at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
* Scan the PC to find out what critical updates and security fixes are missing.
* Select, download, and install a selection of updates, especially any Critical Updates.
* Restart the PC after finished.
When you open the Microsoft Windows Update page, click the "Scan for updates" link. The page will suggest what updates are needed based on your Windows version. You should install all Critical Updates suggested by Microsoft.
It took me about one and half hour to complete the above steps.
Step #2: Download, install, and run Spybot to get rid of all spyware.
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download
Spybot-S&D is a free anti-spyware software to detect any spyware installed on your PC.
Spyware is any software that is installed on your PC and tracks your online behavior without your knowledge or consent. Spyware generally can
* Track what web pages you are visiting and send these information to advertising companies. This kind of spyware is commonly called adware.
* Track and record your computer activities such as what keys you hit. This is generally called Trojans.
* Change your web browser's home page.
* And more...
After installed Spybot, I immediately scanned my friend's computer and found 166 problems. The first run killed nearly all of them except some memory residents that had to be killed after a reboot.
Step #3: Download and install Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF).
http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_download.html
Kerio Personal Firewall limited free edition is for home users. After installation, KPF works as the full edition for 30 days, after which it becomes the limited free edition.
You may also try the free ZoneAlarm firewall. Be aware that ZoneAlarm free edition uses a lot of computer memory.
The following is the free ZoneAlarm firewall download link. You hardly can find this download link on ZoneAlarm site because they want you to buy the Pro version which is a much better choice.
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp
Step #4: Download AVG anti-virus software
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Because my friend has McAfee antivirus installed but has not been updated for about 4 years. I downloaded AVG Free Edition antivirus software and let him to consider if he wanted to pay and update his McAfee or use the freebie. Running two antivirus software on the same computer can cause conflicts.
Step #5: Install password management software - RoboForm free edition.
http://www.roboform.com/?affid=siter
RoboForm is a password management software with Artificial Intelligence built in that can automatically fill online forms for you. It has been featured on The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times, Financial Times, PC Magazine, etc.
Nowadays we all have many usernames and passwords to use on the internet. Some spywares record your keystrokes and send them to the hackers. It has been reported many times that people lost all their money in online bank account or internet payment system account.
One of RoboForm key features is designed to combat this kind of key logger hacking. RoboForm can
* AutoSave passwords in browser.
* AutoFill passwords to login form.
* Click Login button for you.
* Fill personal info into online forms.
* Save offline passwords & notes.
* Generate Secure Random Passwords.
* Encrypt passwords and personal info using 3-DES.
* All personal info is stored on your computer only.
* Put passwords on USB KeyChain for extra security.
* Sync your passwords and safenotes to a Palm.
* Backup & Restore, Print your passwords.
* More features: drill down for more.
RoboForm works best with IE 5.0 and above. IE6 is the recommended browser to use with Artificial Intelligence RoboForm.
Note: free eidition comes with some limitations.
Step #6: Apply additional security measures.
More security measures and resources:
* Read Web Security tutorial from W3Schools, especially the paragraphs for home users.
http://www.w3schools.com/site/site_security.asp
* Use Audit My PC to do three Penetration Testing.
http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/prefcan.asp
* Use Gibson Research's ShiedsUP to do port scan and get useful advice.
https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
* Download Gibson Research's LeakTest and check if personal firewall can be fooled. If the firewall is good, the LeadTest will not be able to reach the internet.
http://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm
* Browse Microsoft security home page to learn more about Windows security.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
Mission completed. It took me nearly 4 hours that night and the result is so far so good.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Effective Email Communication
Email, when used properly, can generate additional direct sales and leads; can be used as a tool to communicate with your existing client base to let them know of upcoming events which may affect them; and as a means of ongoing promotion for your business.
The following is a list of simple guidelines and tips that will help you become an effective email communicator. Please bear in mind that many of these guidelines assume that you have never established any prior dialogue and, as you become more familiar with your customers, can often be altered to meet your client's needs.
Send your emails in plain text. While HTML/rich-text-formatted emails do look much more attractive, they will often be accidentally blocked by anti-spam filters and either show up incorrectly or not at all in various email programs. Plain text, on the other hand, will show up exactly as intended in all email programs.
Include a signature of no more than four lines. Your signature should provide the recipient with a means to contact you other than email, and should mention your company name. A good email signature format will look something like this:
Mike Leblanc
Any Vacuum Cheap
Website: http://www.anyvacuumcheap.ca
Telephone: (905) 509-1661
This signature provides not one, but two ways for a customer to reach you.
Note: Many people will put their email into their signature files. This is, however, unnecessary as the email itself can be replied to directly and the email address may be extracted from it.
Use common file formats for email attachments. There are a wide variety of formats for attachments; however, these formats are not universal and as such, many people cannot open various types of attachments.
The following is a list, in approximate order of universal acceptance (based on my own experiences), of attachments which are commonly accepted:
TXT (plain-text)
JPG/GIF (pictures)
PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader)
DOC (Microsoft Word/WordPad document)
XLS (Excel spreadsheet)
Use short paragraphs. Try to keep your paragraphs to 50 words or less to ensure maximum readability.
Don't send unsolicited sales information/commercial emails. Unsolicited commercial emails, or spam, are becoming an increasing problem and many organizations are blocking, deleting, and in many cases reporting the senders of these emails to various anti-spam services and search engines in an effort to curtail the sender's efforts.
Use second person terms as much as possible. Words such as "you", "your", and "yours" personalize your emails, letting your customer know that you're thinking of him/her specifically.
Check your emails for spilling n' grammer...er...spelling and grammar. A minor typographical error in a lengthy email will generally go unnoticed, but a series of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors will indicate a lack of professionalism and has the potential to cost you business.
Many email programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, include spelling and grammar tools to ensure that mistakes are kept to a minimum. If you do not have an email program with these tools activated, then alternatively you can open up your favourite word processor; type your email; check it for mistakes; and then copy and paste it into your email program.
Respond to all emails within 24-48 hours. If you cannot answer your customer's question in this time period, at least send him/her an email letting them know the status of his/her inquiry and that it is being taken care of. Some things do take longer than one day to resolve, and the vast majority of customers are very understanding of this, as long as they're kept apprised of the situation.
Depending on your level of familiarity with your customers, some of these rules can be relaxed and altered to meet their specific needs. However, adhering to these general guidelines will ensure that, more often than not, you will become an effective email communicator.
The following is a list of simple guidelines and tips that will help you become an effective email communicator. Please bear in mind that many of these guidelines assume that you have never established any prior dialogue and, as you become more familiar with your customers, can often be altered to meet your client's needs.
Send your emails in plain text. While HTML/rich-text-formatted emails do look much more attractive, they will often be accidentally blocked by anti-spam filters and either show up incorrectly or not at all in various email programs. Plain text, on the other hand, will show up exactly as intended in all email programs.
Include a signature of no more than four lines. Your signature should provide the recipient with a means to contact you other than email, and should mention your company name. A good email signature format will look something like this:
Mike Leblanc
Any Vacuum Cheap
Website: http://www.anyvacuumcheap.ca
Telephone: (905) 509-1661
This signature provides not one, but two ways for a customer to reach you.
Note: Many people will put their email into their signature files. This is, however, unnecessary as the email itself can be replied to directly and the email address may be extracted from it.
Use common file formats for email attachments. There are a wide variety of formats for attachments; however, these formats are not universal and as such, many people cannot open various types of attachments.
The following is a list, in approximate order of universal acceptance (based on my own experiences), of attachments which are commonly accepted:
TXT (plain-text)
JPG/GIF (pictures)
PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader)
DOC (Microsoft Word/WordPad document)
XLS (Excel spreadsheet)
Use short paragraphs. Try to keep your paragraphs to 50 words or less to ensure maximum readability.
Don't send unsolicited sales information/commercial emails. Unsolicited commercial emails, or spam, are becoming an increasing problem and many organizations are blocking, deleting, and in many cases reporting the senders of these emails to various anti-spam services and search engines in an effort to curtail the sender's efforts.
Use second person terms as much as possible. Words such as "you", "your", and "yours" personalize your emails, letting your customer know that you're thinking of him/her specifically.
Check your emails for spilling n' grammer...er...spelling and grammar. A minor typographical error in a lengthy email will generally go unnoticed, but a series of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors will indicate a lack of professionalism and has the potential to cost you business.
Many email programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, include spelling and grammar tools to ensure that mistakes are kept to a minimum. If you do not have an email program with these tools activated, then alternatively you can open up your favourite word processor; type your email; check it for mistakes; and then copy and paste it into your email program.
Respond to all emails within 24-48 hours. If you cannot answer your customer's question in this time period, at least send him/her an email letting them know the status of his/her inquiry and that it is being taken care of. Some things do take longer than one day to resolve, and the vast majority of customers are very understanding of this, as long as they're kept apprised of the situation.
Depending on your level of familiarity with your customers, some of these rules can be relaxed and altered to meet their specific needs. However, adhering to these general guidelines will ensure that, more often than not, you will become an effective email communicator.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Eu-Domains For Everybody
Cologne,10 July 2004. ICANN accredited registar Secura announces today, that the company is accepting applications for the sunrise and real time period of eu-domains (https://www.domainregistry.de/eu.html).
Sunrise Period
You should send now to your applications to secure your rights at the new eu-domains. The eu-domains will be the most important event since the introduction of com-domains.
There will be a Sunrise Period (Phased registration for those holding prior rights to a name) at the eu-domains.
The Sunrise Period of eu-domains will have two phases:
The EU Regulation stipulates that the registry must make a sunrise provision at eu-domains to allow those with 'prior rights' to a name to apply for registration of eu-domains in advance of beginning general registrations. The PPR states that the sunrise period (phased registration) of eu-domains will take place in two phases each lasting two months.
During phase one, public bodies and holders of registered Community or national trademarks will be able to register their names.
During phase 2 those who may register in phase 1 may register their eu-domains as well holders of other rights recognised under Community law or the national law of an EU member state. Eu-domains registered during the sunrise period must be an exact match for the prior right claimed and documentary evidence must be supplied to proof the right.
Live Registration: First comes-first serves
Some weeks after the Sunrise Period eu-domains goes live and general registrations of eu-domains will begin and registration of eu-domains will be done on a first come first served basis for any eu-domain not taken during the sunrise period.
Sunrise Period
You should send now to your applications to secure your rights at the new eu-domains. The eu-domains will be the most important event since the introduction of com-domains.
There will be a Sunrise Period (Phased registration for those holding prior rights to a name) at the eu-domains.
The Sunrise Period of eu-domains will have two phases:
The EU Regulation stipulates that the registry must make a sunrise provision at eu-domains to allow those with 'prior rights' to a name to apply for registration of eu-domains in advance of beginning general registrations. The PPR states that the sunrise period (phased registration) of eu-domains will take place in two phases each lasting two months.
During phase one, public bodies and holders of registered Community or national trademarks will be able to register their names.
During phase 2 those who may register in phase 1 may register their eu-domains as well holders of other rights recognised under Community law or the national law of an EU member state. Eu-domains registered during the sunrise period must be an exact match for the prior right claimed and documentary evidence must be supplied to proof the right.
Live Registration: First comes-first serves
Some weeks after the Sunrise Period eu-domains goes live and general registrations of eu-domains will begin and registration of eu-domains will be done on a first come first served basis for any eu-domain not taken during the sunrise period.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Online Classifieds
Choosing a Classified Website and creating your advertisements.
The internet has opened a vast number of doors for people to market their products and services. Becoming self-employed and obtaining a national or global audience has never been easier. Many of these quality Classified Websites will provide Entrepreneurs with their own storefront. In addition, their is no or little programming knowledge required for a Website, as the administrator of the Classifieds Website will ensure modern and enhanced features, for consumers to find and purchase products or services. However, there are a few elements to familiarize yourself with, prior to deciding where you want to advertise.
Free Classified Ads
If you scout the Internet, you will find a variety of Websites that are promoting, "Free Classified Ads". Many advertisers will rush in and take advantage of these offers, without investigation. However, you should use caution when dealing with these types of Websites. If they do not provide a Privacy Policy, avoid them all together.
Always remember, maintaining a Website has a price. If they are not selling their advertisement space, another method is being used to generate income.
A common practice is the sale of E-mail addresses. In an online report by Tim Williams (Technical Services Specialist University of Arizona's Steward Observatory [http://www.u.arizona.edu/~trw/spam/]), describing how spammers obtain Email addresses, he found, "Many sites, when the dot-bomb implosion hit, realized a list of email address was an asset to be sold. The people buying didn't care if you only opted in one site they had your address used it and probably sold it off again". There is a big market for Email addresses. The value of an E-mail address rose significantly with the new legislation that enforced the, "Can-Spam Act". By opting in to a Website, and providing your E-mail address, you are opening the doors for E-mail Advertisers to safely market your address.
There are some Free Classified Websites that are legitimate. Some sites may advertise, "Free Classifieds," but charge for extended time-frames of the advertisements run. For example, an advertisement that will run for one week is free. In contrast, an advertisement that runs for one month has a fee. In addition, some free classified Websites may charge a fee for additional features. This may include Featured Advertisements, Bold Text, Placing your advertisement above all others within a category.
In any case, look for a Privacy Policy. Ensure that Website clearly states they will not sell, trade, or share your registration information.
Features to look for in a Classified Website
When choosing a Classified Website to utilize, take a look at some of the features they offer. A good advertising venue should focus on consumer friendliness. Navigation should be clear and simple for the consumer. They should offer features that help consumers shop and compare. This is what will make consumers comeback to the resource for their shopping needs.
Here are some basic features to look for:
Classified Search Engine: While some people enjoy shopping through the variety of Classified Ads, others want a Search Engine that will filter out the ads that are not of interest to them. The site should offer a search engine, and an advanced search engine that allows consumers to sort ads by item specific information. For example, a consumer should be able to shop for cars by the Manufacture, model, location, price range, Mileage, and other details related to the car they want.
Classified Watch List's: Watch Lists are a newer feature that will automatically notify a consumer when an item is advertised on the Website. This feature ensures that advertisements are targeted to consumers that are interested in the offering you have. In addition, it informs the consumer without the need to continually browse the internet.
Simple Navigation: The consumer side of the Website should have clear and central navigation. If a consumer needs to pass through several pages before seeing items for sale, avoid the site. Consumers will not enjoy having to click on a variety of links to find offerings. Classification of the items listed on the Website should be easy and direct.
Target Audience: The Website you are advertising has a Target Audience. If you are advertising something in England, it would not be practical to place the advertisement on a Classified Website for the United States. This will hold true for other countries that speak similar languages.
Other Content: In addition to a Classified Marketplace, Websites need to offer additional content to ensure that users enjoy the Website. Content is what keeps people coming back, or draws people to a Website.
Writing your Classified Ad
What many may consider the most important part of advertising is writing an effective ad. The information that you provide in your classified ad may be the deciding factor if it is successful or a, "bomb".
Create a variety of advertisements that utilize various approaches. Be prepared to revise your content on occasion. This ensures that you are demonstrating different aspects of your offering. In addition, you can promote your offering from different angles, to see what will achieve the best results.
Choosing the angle of your advertising may vary, depending on what you are offering. Writing a Classified Ad is not much different than writing an essay, with the exception of a literary work. There are three general angles that you should consider using to promote your offering. These are Expressive ads, Persuasive ads, and Informative Ads. However, you should always implement a call to action regardless of the angle you choose. Additionally, it may not be a good idea to mix any of the three angles. This is because advertisements need to have focus and be concise.
Here are definitions and examples for the different types of advertising:
Writing an Expressive Classified Ad
An expressive advertisement is very personal. Expressive ads may be a good idea for a small scale business, wanting to utilize a personal approach. When taking an expressive approach, think of writing an excerpt of the day in a journal. As the writer of the advertisement, you want to express your personal feelings, thoughts, or opinions related to the offerings. For example, a Business Opportunity may be advertised as, "I made over $100,000.00 in one year. I cannot believe how easy it was". This eliminates the need to use examples or testimonials, as the author becomes the example.
Writing a Persuasive Classified Ad
A persuasive advertisement is used to convince the reader or change their opinion. To be successful with a persuasive classified ad, the writer needs to have a firm, direct, and clear point. The goal is to evoke a reaction that causes the reader to have the same point-of-view as the Author. A very common form of advertising, that uses a Persuasive approach, is the Governments, "Register to Vote," Campaigns. They are generally direct and to the point. They provide a concise reason why you should register to vote, "Make your voice heard". By pointing out a simple benefit, they are achieving the task of the persuasive advertisement, getting unregistered citizens to register.
Writing an Informative Classified Ad
Informative advertising provides information to the readers and generally explains what is being offered. When constructing such an advertisement, the author should demonstrate observations, ideas, facts, statistics, or research data. This is becoming very common on the internet, as more people are becoming information hungry. Consumers want to know what they are buying. In addition, this is a wise choice, if consumers cannot physically see the item you are selling. An example of Informative Advertising is an Auto Manufactures advertisement for their vehicles (Not Dealerships). They generally print large advertisements that inform readers of the Vehicles Engine Horsepower, Torque, Maintenance Schedule, Improvements from prior models, available colors, Wheelbase, seating, trunk size, etc... All the information is based on facts and research. It allows consumers to compare their vehicles to similar Auto Models, without taking a test drive.
Headlines and Body of your Classified Advertisements
Headlines are often referred to as titles, and are very important in catching the readers’ eye. Headlines should always be typed in capital letters. In addition, use simple name recognition techniques. For example, if you are advertising a Car for Sale, input the Make and Model for the headline. In contrast, if you are selling Real Estate, you should use the street and Town the property is located.
Business advertisements should always use the name of the company. The more the name is seen, the better your Public Relations becomes.
Don't overextend the headline. An example of an overextended headline is adding, “Car for Sale,” when placing an advertisement under a, “Cars for Sale,” category. This text is simply not needed, as the consumer is already aware that they are looking at, “Cars for Sale”.
Consider what you see from professional journalists that writes columns in a newspaper. Simple and Straight forward, inform the readers what the Classified Ad is promoting. They never mention the words that already are in the columns’ header (Entertainment, Movies, Lifestyle, etc..).
The context or body of your classified is very important. First, the body of your advertisement needs to have proper grammar. Having a Classified advertisement with, "Typo's," gives a bad impression. Next, make sure the body is easy to read. This can be accomplished by using paragraphs with short sentences and avoiding all capital letters. Keep in mind, the body is not a headline; you already grabbed the consumers’ attention, as they are reading your advertisement.
The goal should be to make it pleasant at this point. Finally, end the advertisement with a call to action. How does a consumer proceed to accept your offer? What is the next step they need to take? Use power phrases similar to, "Call Now for Further Details".
Consider the season of your target audience (Dependent on the Offering). In the winter, people may have different motives than in the hot summer. In addition, take into consideration up-and-coming Holidays. Simply wishing a, "Merry Christmas," will evoke warm emotions when people are reading your advertisements. This may help take away the Hard-sell frame of mind the consumer has, while reading your advertisements.
The internet has opened a vast number of doors for people to market their products and services. Becoming self-employed and obtaining a national or global audience has never been easier. Many of these quality Classified Websites will provide Entrepreneurs with their own storefront. In addition, their is no or little programming knowledge required for a Website, as the administrator of the Classifieds Website will ensure modern and enhanced features, for consumers to find and purchase products or services. However, there are a few elements to familiarize yourself with, prior to deciding where you want to advertise.
Free Classified Ads
If you scout the Internet, you will find a variety of Websites that are promoting, "Free Classified Ads". Many advertisers will rush in and take advantage of these offers, without investigation. However, you should use caution when dealing with these types of Websites. If they do not provide a Privacy Policy, avoid them all together.
Always remember, maintaining a Website has a price. If they are not selling their advertisement space, another method is being used to generate income.
A common practice is the sale of E-mail addresses. In an online report by Tim Williams (Technical Services Specialist University of Arizona's Steward Observatory [http://www.u.arizona.edu/~trw/spam/]), describing how spammers obtain Email addresses, he found, "Many sites, when the dot-bomb implosion hit, realized a list of email address was an asset to be sold. The people buying didn't care if you only opted in one site they had your address used it and probably sold it off again". There is a big market for Email addresses. The value of an E-mail address rose significantly with the new legislation that enforced the, "Can-Spam Act". By opting in to a Website, and providing your E-mail address, you are opening the doors for E-mail Advertisers to safely market your address.
There are some Free Classified Websites that are legitimate. Some sites may advertise, "Free Classifieds," but charge for extended time-frames of the advertisements run. For example, an advertisement that will run for one week is free. In contrast, an advertisement that runs for one month has a fee. In addition, some free classified Websites may charge a fee for additional features. This may include Featured Advertisements, Bold Text, Placing your advertisement above all others within a category.
In any case, look for a Privacy Policy. Ensure that Website clearly states they will not sell, trade, or share your registration information.
Features to look for in a Classified Website
When choosing a Classified Website to utilize, take a look at some of the features they offer. A good advertising venue should focus on consumer friendliness. Navigation should be clear and simple for the consumer. They should offer features that help consumers shop and compare. This is what will make consumers comeback to the resource for their shopping needs.
Here are some basic features to look for:
Classified Search Engine: While some people enjoy shopping through the variety of Classified Ads, others want a Search Engine that will filter out the ads that are not of interest to them. The site should offer a search engine, and an advanced search engine that allows consumers to sort ads by item specific information. For example, a consumer should be able to shop for cars by the Manufacture, model, location, price range, Mileage, and other details related to the car they want.
Classified Watch List's: Watch Lists are a newer feature that will automatically notify a consumer when an item is advertised on the Website. This feature ensures that advertisements are targeted to consumers that are interested in the offering you have. In addition, it informs the consumer without the need to continually browse the internet.
Simple Navigation: The consumer side of the Website should have clear and central navigation. If a consumer needs to pass through several pages before seeing items for sale, avoid the site. Consumers will not enjoy having to click on a variety of links to find offerings. Classification of the items listed on the Website should be easy and direct.
Target Audience: The Website you are advertising has a Target Audience. If you are advertising something in England, it would not be practical to place the advertisement on a Classified Website for the United States. This will hold true for other countries that speak similar languages.
Other Content: In addition to a Classified Marketplace, Websites need to offer additional content to ensure that users enjoy the Website. Content is what keeps people coming back, or draws people to a Website.
Writing your Classified Ad
What many may consider the most important part of advertising is writing an effective ad. The information that you provide in your classified ad may be the deciding factor if it is successful or a, "bomb".
Create a variety of advertisements that utilize various approaches. Be prepared to revise your content on occasion. This ensures that you are demonstrating different aspects of your offering. In addition, you can promote your offering from different angles, to see what will achieve the best results.
Choosing the angle of your advertising may vary, depending on what you are offering. Writing a Classified Ad is not much different than writing an essay, with the exception of a literary work. There are three general angles that you should consider using to promote your offering. These are Expressive ads, Persuasive ads, and Informative Ads. However, you should always implement a call to action regardless of the angle you choose. Additionally, it may not be a good idea to mix any of the three angles. This is because advertisements need to have focus and be concise.
Here are definitions and examples for the different types of advertising:
Writing an Expressive Classified Ad
An expressive advertisement is very personal. Expressive ads may be a good idea for a small scale business, wanting to utilize a personal approach. When taking an expressive approach, think of writing an excerpt of the day in a journal. As the writer of the advertisement, you want to express your personal feelings, thoughts, or opinions related to the offerings. For example, a Business Opportunity may be advertised as, "I made over $100,000.00 in one year. I cannot believe how easy it was". This eliminates the need to use examples or testimonials, as the author becomes the example.
Writing a Persuasive Classified Ad
A persuasive advertisement is used to convince the reader or change their opinion. To be successful with a persuasive classified ad, the writer needs to have a firm, direct, and clear point. The goal is to evoke a reaction that causes the reader to have the same point-of-view as the Author. A very common form of advertising, that uses a Persuasive approach, is the Governments, "Register to Vote," Campaigns. They are generally direct and to the point. They provide a concise reason why you should register to vote, "Make your voice heard". By pointing out a simple benefit, they are achieving the task of the persuasive advertisement, getting unregistered citizens to register.
Writing an Informative Classified Ad
Informative advertising provides information to the readers and generally explains what is being offered. When constructing such an advertisement, the author should demonstrate observations, ideas, facts, statistics, or research data. This is becoming very common on the internet, as more people are becoming information hungry. Consumers want to know what they are buying. In addition, this is a wise choice, if consumers cannot physically see the item you are selling. An example of Informative Advertising is an Auto Manufactures advertisement for their vehicles (Not Dealerships). They generally print large advertisements that inform readers of the Vehicles Engine Horsepower, Torque, Maintenance Schedule, Improvements from prior models, available colors, Wheelbase, seating, trunk size, etc... All the information is based on facts and research. It allows consumers to compare their vehicles to similar Auto Models, without taking a test drive.
Headlines and Body of your Classified Advertisements
Headlines are often referred to as titles, and are very important in catching the readers’ eye. Headlines should always be typed in capital letters. In addition, use simple name recognition techniques. For example, if you are advertising a Car for Sale, input the Make and Model for the headline. In contrast, if you are selling Real Estate, you should use the street and Town the property is located.
Business advertisements should always use the name of the company. The more the name is seen, the better your Public Relations becomes.
Don't overextend the headline. An example of an overextended headline is adding, “Car for Sale,” when placing an advertisement under a, “Cars for Sale,” category. This text is simply not needed, as the consumer is already aware that they are looking at, “Cars for Sale”.
Consider what you see from professional journalists that writes columns in a newspaper. Simple and Straight forward, inform the readers what the Classified Ad is promoting. They never mention the words that already are in the columns’ header (Entertainment, Movies, Lifestyle, etc..).
The context or body of your classified is very important. First, the body of your advertisement needs to have proper grammar. Having a Classified advertisement with, "Typo's," gives a bad impression. Next, make sure the body is easy to read. This can be accomplished by using paragraphs with short sentences and avoiding all capital letters. Keep in mind, the body is not a headline; you already grabbed the consumers’ attention, as they are reading your advertisement.
The goal should be to make it pleasant at this point. Finally, end the advertisement with a call to action. How does a consumer proceed to accept your offer? What is the next step they need to take? Use power phrases similar to, "Call Now for Further Details".
Consider the season of your target audience (Dependent on the Offering). In the winter, people may have different motives than in the hot summer. In addition, take into consideration up-and-coming Holidays. Simply wishing a, "Merry Christmas," will evoke warm emotions when people are reading your advertisements. This may help take away the Hard-sell frame of mind the consumer has, while reading your advertisements.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Search Engine Marketing - John Alexander Interviews SEO author Susan O'Neil about the early days
Search Engine Marketing - John Alexander Interviews SEO author Susan O'Neil about the early days.
Robin Nobles was the very first person to develop a structured series of comprehensive courses and lessons which are recognized and approved by the US educational system for training people in search engine marketing skills. Robin Nobles celebrates her 6th year in the online Web training business with her ever popular SEO certification courses at http://www.onlinewebtraining.com.
Hattiesburg, MS (PRWEB) July 15, 2004 -- Today we bring you the 4th in a series of interviews conducted by Robin's business partner John Alexander, who is looking up some of Robin's very earliest online students and asking them about their recollections of what it was like building SEO skills way back in 1998 and how far they've come in the SEO industry since then.
John Alexander: "Welcome Susan O'Neil, I'd really like to thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. Susan, you had some background in marketing before you started into the search engine marketing industry. Could you tell us a little about your background and how you first got thinking about search engine marketing?"
Susan O'Neil: "I began my career in marketing in 1975 as Director of Public Relations with a symphony orchestra. From there I went to Wall Street where I was National Advertising Manager for Paine Webber. When I moved to New Hampshire, I opened a public relations agency, which is where I first got involved with the Internet when a client company launched an e-mail service."
John Alexander: "Could you take us back and share some memories of the early days? How did you first find Robin Nobles online courses in the beginning?"
Susan O'Neil: "I was helping a few of my PR clients with text for their websites and began experimenting with Meta tags and content alterations. The more I learned about the power of optimization, the more I realized that I didn't know it all. That's when I searched for an online SEO course and found Robin Nobles. Her expertise and her passion for her work inspired me then and it still inspires me now."
John Alexander: "That's very nice and I know exactly what you mean. Could you tell us how long after your initial training was it, before you began realizing your true SEO skills and begin helping people with their Web visibility challenges?"
Susan O'Neil: "I had a good deal of early success back them by just applying the basics that I'd picked up through trial and error. This was easy to do in the mid to late 90's. However, once I finished Robin's course in 1998, I was able to implement a more aggressive program that could better serve the most competitive types of e-commerce sites. Also, through Robin and her students, I found a forum that allowed me to share and learn from peers -- so important in the then-emerging industry. Previous to that, doing SEO was a pretty lonely job since few realized this field of marketing even existed."
John Alexander: "That is very interesting to see how far this goes back. Robin's vision for a forum has always been to create an ideal place where people can share information safely together and she has always been so good at bringing the very best talents out in people. I should mention just for our readers sake, that her newest efforts in this regard just recently has been to fashion an excellent networking community called the World Resource Center at http://www.sew-wrc.com."
John Alexander: "Susan, I was reading a copy of your book which you co-authored with Robin Nobles and noted that in the preface, it says that you two actually wrote "Maximize Web site Traffic" without ever actually meeting in person. Can you tell us how this came about?"
Susan O'Neil: "As I helped more and more of my PR clients move onto the Web through optimized websites, I realized that there was a need for a corporate, comprehensive approach to providing professional SEO services to America's companies. I decided to create such a company and, in 1998, closed my PR agency and launched @Web Site Publicity. In order to give my new company quick credibility and exposure, I decided to write a book on SEO - a "how to" book. Knowing how time-consuming the writing would be, I asked Robin to share the endeavor with me."
John Alexander: "And this was the beginning of this new book?"
Susan O'Neil: "Yes, she agreed to the idea, so we divvied up the chapters and started writing. We didn't meet until it was time to do the final edit. Robin flew up from Mississippi to a ski chalet in Vermont where we typed and talked non-stop for a week. Robin brought a great depth of specific SEO experience which mixed beautifully with my years of marketing experience and the result was a book that, outdated as it is, still brings us fan mail!"
John Alexander: "That is very cool! Now as you know, last month just as of June 29, 2004 Robin Nobles has been celebrating her sixth year in the SEO Training industry with her online (www.onlinewebtraining.com) instructional courses in search engine optimization. Looking back to the early days when you first decided to study search engine marketing, can you describe what your SEO skillset has meant to you personally? How much have these skills meant to you?
Susan O'Neil: "Because of my SEO skills and my marketing expertise, I and my staff have been able to help hundreds of small to large businesses succeed on the Internet. This remains exciting and gratifying. Our clients were also better able to ride out the dot.com bust because our approach to providing SEO services has been to focus on the long term "health" of a website, which means building quality content continuously. Robin in her teaching and, together, in our book - we've never strayed from the truism that "content is king" and that continues to serve my clients well."
John Alexander: "Can you tell our readers about one of your earliest SEO success stories and what it felt like the first time you made a real difference to someone's business online?"
Susan O'Neil: "A longtime PR client of mine is a publisher of fine nonfiction for children. This company was early in recognizing the power of the Internet and so invested in a delightful, informative website that also offered subscriptions to their magazines. However, after spending the money to build the website, they didn't get any visitors. I liken it to giving birth after a long labor to a beautiful new baby that no one comes to admire. Aware of their concerns, I starting tweaking tags, cleaning up code, and adding content and their site began to take off. That early first client has remained with my company all these years and has been generous in their recommending of us to others as they continue to grow their online business."
John Alexander: "What word of wisdom or advice do you have for any of our readers that might be considering building a new career in search engine marketing these days?"
Susan O'Neil: "I don't think you can be in marketing today without at least an understanding of search marketing concepts, even if you don't build the code and write the content. As this "new" science of SEO has become not only universally accepted but consistently praised for its cost-effective strategies, there will continue to be opportunities for people who can apply consistent, aggressive, yet ethical strategies for growing online success, both in-house for e-commerce companies and with SEO/SEM agencies like mine. In fact, my agency is growing still and when I hire someone who may have a great marketing background but be new to SEO, I have them start their learning curve with one of Robin's courses because no one can lay out the ground work better."
John Alexander: "How nicely spoken, Susan."
Susan O'Neil: "The other word of advice I have is an old one: don't believe everything you read. SEO newsletters and forums are great starting points and can be entertaining, but the people with the best information don't go giving it away. Whatever you hear or read, never apply a strategy to a client's site without thoroughly testing it first extensively. We developed our own E- Commerce Lab for just this purpose."
John Alexander: "Finally in closing, I'll ask if you have any other favourite online resources you would care to mention for the benefit of our readers?
Susan O'Neil: "As my company has grown, my responsibilities have shifted from trying to discern the optimum number of words on a Google-friendly page or the best marketing spin in a title tag, to focusing on the bigger picture, so I'm not a good one to recommend the best SEO reading today. Instead, as I lead my team into our 7th year of business, I'm reading the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the UK's Financial Times, always trying to look beyond the bend - to try to see where business in general is going and the Internet specifically. To keep our clients ahead of their competition, we need to keep ahead of ours.
John Alexander: "That is so very true. Well, I want to thank you again so much Susan O'Neil, for taking time today to share some of your rememberances of the early days of search engine marketing and telling us how you first got in to the business. It has been fascinating to speaking to you and I'll just take this opportunity wish you the very greatest of ongoing success in the future."
Robin Nobles was the very first person to develop a structured series of comprehensive courses and lessons which are recognized and approved by the US educational system for training people in search engine marketing skills. Robin Nobles celebrates her 6th year in the online Web training business with her ever popular SEO certification courses at http://www.onlinewebtraining.com.
Hattiesburg, MS (PRWEB) July 15, 2004 -- Today we bring you the 4th in a series of interviews conducted by Robin's business partner John Alexander, who is looking up some of Robin's very earliest online students and asking them about their recollections of what it was like building SEO skills way back in 1998 and how far they've come in the SEO industry since then.
John Alexander: "Welcome Susan O'Neil, I'd really like to thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. Susan, you had some background in marketing before you started into the search engine marketing industry. Could you tell us a little about your background and how you first got thinking about search engine marketing?"
Susan O'Neil: "I began my career in marketing in 1975 as Director of Public Relations with a symphony orchestra. From there I went to Wall Street where I was National Advertising Manager for Paine Webber. When I moved to New Hampshire, I opened a public relations agency, which is where I first got involved with the Internet when a client company launched an e-mail service."
John Alexander: "Could you take us back and share some memories of the early days? How did you first find Robin Nobles online courses in the beginning?"
Susan O'Neil: "I was helping a few of my PR clients with text for their websites and began experimenting with Meta tags and content alterations. The more I learned about the power of optimization, the more I realized that I didn't know it all. That's when I searched for an online SEO course and found Robin Nobles. Her expertise and her passion for her work inspired me then and it still inspires me now."
John Alexander: "That's very nice and I know exactly what you mean. Could you tell us how long after your initial training was it, before you began realizing your true SEO skills and begin helping people with their Web visibility challenges?"
Susan O'Neil: "I had a good deal of early success back them by just applying the basics that I'd picked up through trial and error. This was easy to do in the mid to late 90's. However, once I finished Robin's course in 1998, I was able to implement a more aggressive program that could better serve the most competitive types of e-commerce sites. Also, through Robin and her students, I found a forum that allowed me to share and learn from peers -- so important in the then-emerging industry. Previous to that, doing SEO was a pretty lonely job since few realized this field of marketing even existed."
John Alexander: "That is very interesting to see how far this goes back. Robin's vision for a forum has always been to create an ideal place where people can share information safely together and she has always been so good at bringing the very best talents out in people. I should mention just for our readers sake, that her newest efforts in this regard just recently has been to fashion an excellent networking community called the World Resource Center at http://www.sew-wrc.com."
John Alexander: "Susan, I was reading a copy of your book which you co-authored with Robin Nobles and noted that in the preface, it says that you two actually wrote "Maximize Web site Traffic" without ever actually meeting in person. Can you tell us how this came about?"
Susan O'Neil: "As I helped more and more of my PR clients move onto the Web through optimized websites, I realized that there was a need for a corporate, comprehensive approach to providing professional SEO services to America's companies. I decided to create such a company and, in 1998, closed my PR agency and launched @Web Site Publicity. In order to give my new company quick credibility and exposure, I decided to write a book on SEO - a "how to" book. Knowing how time-consuming the writing would be, I asked Robin to share the endeavor with me."
John Alexander: "And this was the beginning of this new book?"
Susan O'Neil: "Yes, she agreed to the idea, so we divvied up the chapters and started writing. We didn't meet until it was time to do the final edit. Robin flew up from Mississippi to a ski chalet in Vermont where we typed and talked non-stop for a week. Robin brought a great depth of specific SEO experience which mixed beautifully with my years of marketing experience and the result was a book that, outdated as it is, still brings us fan mail!"
John Alexander: "That is very cool! Now as you know, last month just as of June 29, 2004 Robin Nobles has been celebrating her sixth year in the SEO Training industry with her online (www.onlinewebtraining.com) instructional courses in search engine optimization. Looking back to the early days when you first decided to study search engine marketing, can you describe what your SEO skillset has meant to you personally? How much have these skills meant to you?
Susan O'Neil: "Because of my SEO skills and my marketing expertise, I and my staff have been able to help hundreds of small to large businesses succeed on the Internet. This remains exciting and gratifying. Our clients were also better able to ride out the dot.com bust because our approach to providing SEO services has been to focus on the long term "health" of a website, which means building quality content continuously. Robin in her teaching and, together, in our book - we've never strayed from the truism that "content is king" and that continues to serve my clients well."
John Alexander: "Can you tell our readers about one of your earliest SEO success stories and what it felt like the first time you made a real difference to someone's business online?"
Susan O'Neil: "A longtime PR client of mine is a publisher of fine nonfiction for children. This company was early in recognizing the power of the Internet and so invested in a delightful, informative website that also offered subscriptions to their magazines. However, after spending the money to build the website, they didn't get any visitors. I liken it to giving birth after a long labor to a beautiful new baby that no one comes to admire. Aware of their concerns, I starting tweaking tags, cleaning up code, and adding content and their site began to take off. That early first client has remained with my company all these years and has been generous in their recommending of us to others as they continue to grow their online business."
John Alexander: "What word of wisdom or advice do you have for any of our readers that might be considering building a new career in search engine marketing these days?"
Susan O'Neil: "I don't think you can be in marketing today without at least an understanding of search marketing concepts, even if you don't build the code and write the content. As this "new" science of SEO has become not only universally accepted but consistently praised for its cost-effective strategies, there will continue to be opportunities for people who can apply consistent, aggressive, yet ethical strategies for growing online success, both in-house for e-commerce companies and with SEO/SEM agencies like mine. In fact, my agency is growing still and when I hire someone who may have a great marketing background but be new to SEO, I have them start their learning curve with one of Robin's courses because no one can lay out the ground work better."
John Alexander: "How nicely spoken, Susan."
Susan O'Neil: "The other word of advice I have is an old one: don't believe everything you read. SEO newsletters and forums are great starting points and can be entertaining, but the people with the best information don't go giving it away. Whatever you hear or read, never apply a strategy to a client's site without thoroughly testing it first extensively. We developed our own E- Commerce Lab for just this purpose."
John Alexander: "Finally in closing, I'll ask if you have any other favourite online resources you would care to mention for the benefit of our readers?
Susan O'Neil: "As my company has grown, my responsibilities have shifted from trying to discern the optimum number of words on a Google-friendly page or the best marketing spin in a title tag, to focusing on the bigger picture, so I'm not a good one to recommend the best SEO reading today. Instead, as I lead my team into our 7th year of business, I'm reading the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the UK's Financial Times, always trying to look beyond the bend - to try to see where business in general is going and the Internet specifically. To keep our clients ahead of their competition, we need to keep ahead of ours.
John Alexander: "That is so very true. Well, I want to thank you again so much Susan O'Neil, for taking time today to share some of your rememberances of the early days of search engine marketing and telling us how you first got in to the business. It has been fascinating to speaking to you and I'll just take this opportunity wish you the very greatest of ongoing success in the future."
Friday, January 11, 2008
Different Models For Making Money On The Internet
There are several strategies for making money on the net. Here are some possible options:
Strategy 1: Affiliate marketing
This is probably the quickest and easiest. You don't need to get your own products - you simply sell other people's products and services. You don't even need a merchant account, and it's possible to start out without even having your own website (but if you are serious about affiliate marketing you will have to build websites). For a list of top affiliate programs go to: http://www.profitpuppy.com/top-affiliates.htm. If you don't know what affiliate programs are you can get a free course which explains what they are by sending a blank email to: tamsaffiliatemarketing@sitesell.net
Strategy 2: Writing an ebook or other type of information product, recording an information CD set or shooting a DVD/video series.
This is a great strategy because there are infinite possibilities for the type of product that you can create. There are so many niche markets that you can write about: It could be a course on Japanese gardens, How to start your own babysitting business, How to sell your paintings or artwork … there are thousands of possibilities and many that have not yet been touched by online marketers. Of course you don't have to write the information yourself, you can get a ghost writer or hire someone to produce the DVD. It is easy to find these people, for example you can go to http://www.profitpuppy.com/elance. By the way if you are intending to go down this track then you should definitely check out the Bill Myers membership site (http://www.profitpuppy.com/bmyers) which has the best information on this area.
Strategy 3: Search Engine Optimization.
Learn how to get a site to the top of the search engines and make money on the site by promoting affiliate programs or by Google Adsense. I have included this as a business method because there are some people who focus just on Search Engine Optimization and do nothing else.
Strategy 4: Drop-shipping.
You can develop a relationship with a manufacturer so that you can get orders for their product on the Internet; you process their credit card and then just send their details to the manufacturer who sends the product directly to the customer's door.
Strategy 5: Joint Ventures.
Similar to affiliate marketing, but with this strategy you set up relationships with people who have products that they sell online.
Strategy 6: Lead Generation.
You create sites that generate leads for companies online. For example, you create leads for mortgage brokers; you give them the details of the people who are interested in getting a new mortgage and you get paid for each person. The mortgage broker will then call the lead and try to sell them on their particular mortgage offer.
Strategy 7: Email marketing.
Of course you need to stay away from spam, and new legislation makes it more difficult for legitimate opt in email marketers, but this is still a highly effective way to make money on the Internet. Don't try email marketing if you don't know what you are doing - don't even think about buying a list of emails and sending out a promotional message unless you know exactly what you are doing. You have to know that any emails you have are legit and ‘opt in'.
Strategy 8: Selling software or software services.
…Another great way to make money online.
Strategy 9: Selling services online.
For example you could start a site providing niche legal services or doing web design. This is ok, but it is not as highly leveraged and automated as other Internet businesses.
Strategy 10: Selling your own products online.
This is the option that 90% of businesses pursue online. It also has less leverage and is more difficult to automate than other Internet businesses.
Strategy 11: Domain name strategies.
You can make money buying and selling domain names (although this strategy is quite difficult nowadays). You can also buy expired domains with existing traffic, you can buy domains with misspellings in order to get free drive-by traffic.
Strategy 12: Buying websites.
You can buy websites that have good positions in the search engines but are not utilizing their positions very effectively, and you can improve the marketing and utilization of their site and make money. This is a very powerful strategy if you do it correctly.
Other strategies:
There are many other possibilities that you might not have thought of such starting an affiliate network. There are several other possibilities but most of them are a bit more towards the more difficult end of the spectrum.
Have a think about which strategy you want to look at. Each strategy has advantages and disadvantages and each strategy has a lot of stuff that you need to learn to be able to apply it effectively.
Strategy 1: Affiliate marketing
This is probably the quickest and easiest. You don't need to get your own products - you simply sell other people's products and services. You don't even need a merchant account, and it's possible to start out without even having your own website (but if you are serious about affiliate marketing you will have to build websites). For a list of top affiliate programs go to: http://www.profitpuppy.com/top-affiliates.htm. If you don't know what affiliate programs are you can get a free course which explains what they are by sending a blank email to: tamsaffiliatemarketing@sitesell.net
Strategy 2: Writing an ebook or other type of information product, recording an information CD set or shooting a DVD/video series.
This is a great strategy because there are infinite possibilities for the type of product that you can create. There are so many niche markets that you can write about: It could be a course on Japanese gardens, How to start your own babysitting business, How to sell your paintings or artwork … there are thousands of possibilities and many that have not yet been touched by online marketers. Of course you don't have to write the information yourself, you can get a ghost writer or hire someone to produce the DVD. It is easy to find these people, for example you can go to http://www.profitpuppy.com/elance. By the way if you are intending to go down this track then you should definitely check out the Bill Myers membership site (http://www.profitpuppy.com/bmyers) which has the best information on this area.
Strategy 3: Search Engine Optimization.
Learn how to get a site to the top of the search engines and make money on the site by promoting affiliate programs or by Google Adsense. I have included this as a business method because there are some people who focus just on Search Engine Optimization and do nothing else.
Strategy 4: Drop-shipping.
You can develop a relationship with a manufacturer so that you can get orders for their product on the Internet; you process their credit card and then just send their details to the manufacturer who sends the product directly to the customer's door.
Strategy 5: Joint Ventures.
Similar to affiliate marketing, but with this strategy you set up relationships with people who have products that they sell online.
Strategy 6: Lead Generation.
You create sites that generate leads for companies online. For example, you create leads for mortgage brokers; you give them the details of the people who are interested in getting a new mortgage and you get paid for each person. The mortgage broker will then call the lead and try to sell them on their particular mortgage offer.
Strategy 7: Email marketing.
Of course you need to stay away from spam, and new legislation makes it more difficult for legitimate opt in email marketers, but this is still a highly effective way to make money on the Internet. Don't try email marketing if you don't know what you are doing - don't even think about buying a list of emails and sending out a promotional message unless you know exactly what you are doing. You have to know that any emails you have are legit and ‘opt in'.
Strategy 8: Selling software or software services.
…Another great way to make money online.
Strategy 9: Selling services online.
For example you could start a site providing niche legal services or doing web design. This is ok, but it is not as highly leveraged and automated as other Internet businesses.
Strategy 10: Selling your own products online.
This is the option that 90% of businesses pursue online. It also has less leverage and is more difficult to automate than other Internet businesses.
Strategy 11: Domain name strategies.
You can make money buying and selling domain names (although this strategy is quite difficult nowadays). You can also buy expired domains with existing traffic, you can buy domains with misspellings in order to get free drive-by traffic.
Strategy 12: Buying websites.
You can buy websites that have good positions in the search engines but are not utilizing their positions very effectively, and you can improve the marketing and utilization of their site and make money. This is a very powerful strategy if you do it correctly.
Other strategies:
There are many other possibilities that you might not have thought of such starting an affiliate network. There are several other possibilities but most of them are a bit more towards the more difficult end of the spectrum.
Have a think about which strategy you want to look at. Each strategy has advantages and disadvantages and each strategy has a lot of stuff that you need to learn to be able to apply it effectively.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Lightning Season: How to Avoid Data Loss
Lightning Season: How to Avoid Data Loss
We have just entered the time of year that most electrical storms occur.
Sudden loss of power, power surges, and electrical spikes are all very common causes of computer damage.
There is no way to stop Mother Nature however; there are some precautionary measures that can be taken to save your computer from these types of damaging electrical storms.
The staff at Eco Data Recovery, located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (the lightning capitol of the world) offers the following suggestions to keep your computer and hard drive safe from Mother Nature:
1.) Plug your computer into a battery backup.
If a power outage does occur, a computer plugged into a battery backup will continue to run for several minutes giving you time to shut down the system properly.
2.) Use a surge protector.
A surge protector will prevent a power spike from burning out the mother board, hard drive, power supply and other drives.
These protective units are inexpensive and can save you hundreds of dollars in repair costs.
Brian Cain, data recovery consultant at EcoDataRecovery.com suggests “If your computer is unprotected from power issues and you know there is a storm headed your way -shut down your computer if possible, disconnect the power cable and telephone line until the storm passes.”
If your computer has already experienced some sort of electrical damage and the hard drive seems to be dead, don’t fret. The engineers at Eco Data Recovery have experienced this problem every season for over 10 years and are prepared to help.
Most people opt for the least costly method possible to recover their data. This is usually a software solution.
There are many data recovery software options available to the public however, software will do nothing for a drive that won’t power up or that has a physical problem. The physical problems must first be overcome before any sort of recovery of your data can take place.
Eco Data Recovery has the equipment and expertise to overcome these issues.
When a company experiences data loss it usually means down time and down time means lost revenue.
The experts at Eco Data Recovery can help to get your business up and running in a timely manner.
About EcoDataRecovery.com : Based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. EcoDataRecovery.com is committed to delivering the most cost effective solutions for expert data recovery services. EcoDataRecovery.com has been using their advanced technology and expertise to recover data for corporations and individuals alike for over 10 years. This company utilizes multiple world wide networks to source parts if needed. Delivering retrieved data in a timely manner, fanatical customer support, and confidentiality of client data is what keeps their clients' coming back.
We have just entered the time of year that most electrical storms occur.
Sudden loss of power, power surges, and electrical spikes are all very common causes of computer damage.
There is no way to stop Mother Nature however; there are some precautionary measures that can be taken to save your computer from these types of damaging electrical storms.
The staff at Eco Data Recovery, located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (the lightning capitol of the world) offers the following suggestions to keep your computer and hard drive safe from Mother Nature:
1.) Plug your computer into a battery backup.
If a power outage does occur, a computer plugged into a battery backup will continue to run for several minutes giving you time to shut down the system properly.
2.) Use a surge protector.
A surge protector will prevent a power spike from burning out the mother board, hard drive, power supply and other drives.
These protective units are inexpensive and can save you hundreds of dollars in repair costs.
Brian Cain, data recovery consultant at EcoDataRecovery.com suggests “If your computer is unprotected from power issues and you know there is a storm headed your way -shut down your computer if possible, disconnect the power cable and telephone line until the storm passes.”
If your computer has already experienced some sort of electrical damage and the hard drive seems to be dead, don’t fret. The engineers at Eco Data Recovery have experienced this problem every season for over 10 years and are prepared to help.
Most people opt for the least costly method possible to recover their data. This is usually a software solution.
There are many data recovery software options available to the public however, software will do nothing for a drive that won’t power up or that has a physical problem. The physical problems must first be overcome before any sort of recovery of your data can take place.
Eco Data Recovery has the equipment and expertise to overcome these issues.
When a company experiences data loss it usually means down time and down time means lost revenue.
The experts at Eco Data Recovery can help to get your business up and running in a timely manner.
About EcoDataRecovery.com : Based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. EcoDataRecovery.com is committed to delivering the most cost effective solutions for expert data recovery services. EcoDataRecovery.com has been using their advanced technology and expertise to recover data for corporations and individuals alike for over 10 years. This company utilizes multiple world wide networks to source parts if needed. Delivering retrieved data in a timely manner, fanatical customer support, and confidentiality of client data is what keeps their clients' coming back.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Internet Faxing Service Review
The Internet is reshaping every form of communications medium, and faxing is no exception. The latest twist: Internet faxing services that let you send messages to any fax machine from any Web browser or email, and others that give you a "personal fax phone number," then forward any documents sent there to your e-mail inbox.
The Fax Machine - Workhorse in the '80s and '90s.
It enabled you to send a document to anyone, anywhere, at any time, and know that it was received instantly. It was a godsend in the 1980s and everyone had to have one. But it has become an expensive bit of machinery that will cost you money every time you use it. Smart organizations are now reducing or eliminating the fax machines they use in favor of electronic services. The fax machine costs you in paper, toner, phone bills and repairs. It is like a taxi-meter in that regard, and the bill keeps growing and growing. Currently most of the documents that you fax are created on a computer. If you fax them through a fax machine, you must print out the documents, manually create a cover page, and you must go to the fax machine to send the documents. Every time you receive a fax, you must retrieve it from the community fax machine, rather than having it delivered directly to your PC workstation like any other document. Many people still use fax machines today. The alternative is to use fax services from companies that provide Internet fax services.
Fax Machine Costs
The fax machine is considered a simple tool by many, which is probably why they haven't replaced it yet. Anybody can stick a document into the auto feeder, dial a phone number, and send the document at 14.4 or 33.6 Kbs. But it costs to send a fax.
Among the actions employees must take to fax a document, labor is the greatest hidden operating cost. Labor is a key factor because your staff is more expensive than phone calls, and it makes the biggest difference in fax costs. Most businesses neglect to factor in the costs of actions such as employees walking to the machine, waiting to use it, the faxing process and the employee's return trip to their desk. All of this takes time. And in the world of hidden fax operating costs-you guessed it-time is money. Also, keep in mind that it isn't unusual to find executives with six-figure salaries performing some of the same fax-related tasks as clerical workers. When that happens, those labor costs can be as astronomical as some of those six-figure salaries. Costs also incurred are lease and maintenance charges for fax machines as well as sending charges for making fax phone calls. These depend on the rates you pay and the speed at which your fax machine and the machines you send to can distribute faxes.
How Internet Faxing Works
Ever heard of eFax? You sign up for a fax number. When people send you faxes, they're auto-forwarded to your e-mail Inbox, where you can read them, trash them if they're junk, or print them out only if necessary. Not only do you save paper and ink, but you don't need a fax machine or a second phone line-and you get your faxes wherever you happen to be in the country.
Together, in principle, these Internet fax services offer all the advantages of fax -- a universal system for quick and convenient distribution of anything you can put on paper -- without making you spend your money on a fax machine, fax supplies or fax phone fees.
In the business world, any time that you can save money, your customers will ultimately save money too. That is why Internet faxing is a good idea. Internet faxing is the practice of using your email (or a website) to send and receive faxes. The speed and efficiency of email, coupled with the lower costs of sending broadcast faxes via email is more desirable than making lots of phone calls.
Sending and Receiving faxes over the Internet with your regular fax machines sounds cool, but so far, today's standard fax machines do not yet know how to speak Internet - you can't use them over the Internet. Some of the newer models will have this capability, but it will take time to gain worldwide acceptance. In the meantime, there are a number of services that bridge the gap between traditional faxes and the new world of Internet-based communications.
A number of companies, such as eFax, Faxaway, Internet Fax Provider and MaxEmail, allow you to send or receive faxes over the Internet. These services are either free or charge a monthly fee.
However, many of these services are limited in what they can do:
* Require people to dial a long distance number to send you a fax [eFax, MaxEmail]
* Attach their own advertising to your outgoing faxes to cover their cost [eFax]
* Don't offer fax numbers in all local area codes [eFax, MaxEmail]
* Don't work for handwritten faxes (unless they are scanned in) [all]
Still, Internet faxing provides many advantages. Convenience and better resolution are the two main pluses. They allow you to send and receive your faxes entirely with your email service - the best thing to happen to the business world in the last 10 years. You can send and receive faxes anywhere you can access your existing email account: from your home, office, client's office, hotel, airport or cottage. Or even better, a web-based interface that keeps track of everything you've done with your faxing business and allow you to do cheap and efficient broadcast faxing.
Some of the advantages of Internet faxing:
* To send a fax, simply send an email. It will automatically be converted to a fax and delivered immediately
* To receive a fax, simply check your email. All faxes sent to your fax number will be forwarded to your email
* Web fax - For people who need to fax their information to thousands instantly. Send thousands of faxes in minutes from our website - Broadcasting.
* Avoid tying up your computer or telephone lines
* No software to download or hardware to buy
* Easily distribute press releases, product and pricing information, newsletters
* Sending to International phone numbers is cheap - the charge is based on the destination country
* Easy and convenient - faxes are sent and received over the Internet from the office, at home or on the road. Your Internet "Fax Machine" is available 24x7 and is never busy.
* Toll-Free is cost effective - some virtual fax numbers are toll free so that no matter where your customers are, they will not pay any additional long distance charges and your North American clients and contacts can reach you free of charge.
* Privacy - You are the only person to see your faxes, giving them the same privacy as your email.
* Portable - You can receive your faxes at multiple email addresses simultaneously and you can send and receive faxes while traveling.
* Receive faxes directly in e-mail - Faxes are receivable and retrievable anytime, anywhere. Faxes are not misplaced and privacy is ensured.
* Send faxes directly from e-mail. - Eliminate manual faxing. Faxing is integrated into workflow and faxes are delivered faster and at less cost.
* Immediate Implementation - No unique client/server or software is necessary, only standard e-mail capability. Minimal to no user training.
* Unlimited scalability - Support as many users as required without purchasing additional fax machines.
* Combine multiple document types into one fax - Fax multiple documents as easily as sending an e-mail.
* Account code tracking - Budget and cost management is simplified.
* Automatic retries for busy or incomplete deliveries - Eliminates need to continually check progress of a fax.
* E-mail notification of incoming faxes - Users know immediately when a fax has arrived.
* Delivery confirmation via e-mail - Users always know when their faxes have been delivered.
Quick Summary of the 4 big services
* Efax - (http://www.efax.com/) Undisputed leader in the field of Internet faxing. Offers free version. Free version doesn't provide you with a local number. Regular service is expensive. Offers many other products - remote control of computer, etc. Requires proprietary fax viewer software to view faxes. The most local area code numbers available in the US.
* Fax-away - (http://www.faxaway.com/) Competitive regular service. Web faxing not supported. Many customizable features and options for sending. The personal fax number they assign you is not local - they are all in some location where the area code is not local to you - just like the free eFax service - not too useful for your customers.
* Internet Fax Provider - (http://www.internetfaxprovider.com/) Offers toll-free numbers which can be used anywhere in the US with the first 50 faxes per month included in the monthly rate - very convenient for the people sending faxes to you - they will not pay any additional long distance charges. Best rate for broadcast faxing. Many customizable features and options for sending. Comprehensive Web faxing features.
* MaxEmail - (http://www.maxemail.com/) Offers local numbers in the US. However, you will find that only the major cities are covered. No web faxing available. Good receiving plans.
These fax services use the Internet to mimic real fax machines - that is, they deliver your fax to a recipient's fax machine, anywhere in the world, just as if you had dialed it yourself. Most of these services charge anywhere from 10 cents to 20 cents a page. That's more than you'll pay to send a fax across town, but it's much less than you would pay to dial an overseas phone number, even for a short fax.
Most major e-fax vendors offer additional features, including broadcast faxes, the ability to route incoming faxes to you as email attachments and monthly billing.
On the sending side: Most Internet faxing vendors allow you to send faxes by attaching files to an email. When the Internet Fax server gets the email, the emails get converted into a fax coversheet with the recipient's fax number pulled from the "To:" address. The attached files then get converted to TIFF or PDF files for easy viewing by the recipient. The service will then deliver the converted fax to the recipient's standard fax number.
On the receiving side: Most Internet fax vendors will provide you with a phone number that you can then give to your customers. This number can be a local number (if you are located in or near a major US city) or a toll free number (available everywhere.) People will send you faxes to that number in the standard way. The service will then convert the fax to a PDF or TIFF image (or in the case of eFax, a custom image for viewing w/ their software) and send to your email as an attachment. You can then view the fax with any standard Windows Image viewer.
In the future as more fax machines include built-in Internet connectivity, faxing might give email a run for its money as a cheap, convenient way to send documents. Until that time, however, e-fax services will provide the best alternative to picking up the phone and sending faxes the old-fashioned way.
Conclusion
In summary, after reviewing all of the major Internet faxing service vendors, I have found the best service to be the one provided by Internet Fax Provider (IFP). IFP has the best rate plans and offers toll-free numbers that include 50 free faxes per month. I don't go over 30 faxes per month, so it certainly makes sense for me - because with the toll free number provided, my customers don't have to pay long distance charges when they send me a fax. IFP also has the best broadcast sending rates and regular sending plan with the most features. And it was the simplest to use (you don't have to use all the available options.)
For free Internet faxing, I found that eFax offers the best plan. But of course, it puts limitations on the service and you don't get a local fax number. Also, if you live in a big city and you would like a local fax number, then eFax is the best solution. That is if most of your customers are local, because if not, they will pay toll charges when sending you a fax.
Internet Faxing Services Reviewed
The following services provide some type of Internet Faxing:
CallWave
http://www.callwave.com
Installable software helps consumers and businesses get more out of their wireless phone, home phone, and Internet-connected PC by 'bridging' calls between these devices.
More of a cell phone solutions provider - requires custom software.
Data On Call
http://www.dataoncall.com
The company offers a comprehensive suite of fax services including electronic faxing (inbound and outbound), web/fax integrations, developer APIs, fax broadcasting, fax on demand, and custom applications.
Only offer 858 area code and toll free. Expensive. Broadcasting at 8cents/min.
Digital Mail
http://www.digitalmail.com/
E-mail to fax and fax to e-mail services. Users receive a unique phone number, accepting voice mail and faxes.
Difficult to understand, No price structure setup
EasyLink
http://www.easylink.com
Small Business Integrated Desktop Messaging - E-mail to fax, fax to email and desktop faxing. The service was previously named FaxSav.
Large corporate solutions - not meant for small businesses or individual users.
eFax
http://www.efax.com
Send faxes, Receive faxes, anywhere you can get email.
They have a free service with limitations. Standard service is expensive.
FaxMate
http://www.faxmate.com
E-mail to fax, desktop to fax, broadcast fax, and fax to fax via the Internet. Its U800 service allows users a personal toll-free number, which automatically forwards faxes and voice mail to e-mail.
International send rates are standard. $30/mnth, $0.15/min
Faxaway
http://www.faxaway.com
Internet fax & unified messaging service. Faxaway gives customers faxing tools at their desktop.
No local numbers available. Competitive rates and many features and options.
FreeFax
http://www.freefax.com
Send via web, receive as email
Ad supported. Only web-based interface available.
IntelliFax.com
http://www.intellifax.com
Allows you to send and receive Internet faxes. Provides middleware for other Internet fax vendors.
Limited local numbers available. Good send rates. Limited features and options.
Internet Fax Provider
http://www.internetfaxprovider.com
Email-to-Fax, Fax-to-Email, Broadcast faxing. Best Internet faxing solutions and rates available in the US. Simple to use with powerful options.
Offers toll free numbers with 50 free incoming faxes included.
Best rates for broadcasting service. Web-based interface included.
Interpage
http://www.interpage.net/sub-faxing.html
Offers a variety of Internet and Telecommunications-based services - including E-Mail Paging, Web and E-Mail Fax Services, Remote Site Monitoring & Internet Voicemail. Focus is not on faxing services. Competitive rates - meant for large corporations.
MaxEmail
http://www.maxemail.com/
Allows you to send and receive faxes via the Web or e-mail and includes voicemail. You can receive notification of incoming faxes and voice messages directly to your digital phone.
Expensive service. Offers local fax numbers, but not as many as eFax and not as convenient as a toll-free number with free service.
Our Fax
http://www.ourfax.com
OURFAX, is the world's first, easy to use, ad supported 100% FREE service, that allows any email user in the world, to send faxes directly from their email address, to almost any fax machine in the world.
Free - Ad supported, Amateur website
SuperFax
http://www.superfax.com
Super Fax is a small internet fax device that replaces your fax machines, receive your faxes, and emails them to you, on your email address.
$495US per unit. Still need a fax line
The Fax Machine - Workhorse in the '80s and '90s.
It enabled you to send a document to anyone, anywhere, at any time, and know that it was received instantly. It was a godsend in the 1980s and everyone had to have one. But it has become an expensive bit of machinery that will cost you money every time you use it. Smart organizations are now reducing or eliminating the fax machines they use in favor of electronic services. The fax machine costs you in paper, toner, phone bills and repairs. It is like a taxi-meter in that regard, and the bill keeps growing and growing. Currently most of the documents that you fax are created on a computer. If you fax them through a fax machine, you must print out the documents, manually create a cover page, and you must go to the fax machine to send the documents. Every time you receive a fax, you must retrieve it from the community fax machine, rather than having it delivered directly to your PC workstation like any other document. Many people still use fax machines today. The alternative is to use fax services from companies that provide Internet fax services.
Fax Machine Costs
The fax machine is considered a simple tool by many, which is probably why they haven't replaced it yet. Anybody can stick a document into the auto feeder, dial a phone number, and send the document at 14.4 or 33.6 Kbs. But it costs to send a fax.
Among the actions employees must take to fax a document, labor is the greatest hidden operating cost. Labor is a key factor because your staff is more expensive than phone calls, and it makes the biggest difference in fax costs. Most businesses neglect to factor in the costs of actions such as employees walking to the machine, waiting to use it, the faxing process and the employee's return trip to their desk. All of this takes time. And in the world of hidden fax operating costs-you guessed it-time is money. Also, keep in mind that it isn't unusual to find executives with six-figure salaries performing some of the same fax-related tasks as clerical workers. When that happens, those labor costs can be as astronomical as some of those six-figure salaries. Costs also incurred are lease and maintenance charges for fax machines as well as sending charges for making fax phone calls. These depend on the rates you pay and the speed at which your fax machine and the machines you send to can distribute faxes.
How Internet Faxing Works
Ever heard of eFax? You sign up for a fax number. When people send you faxes, they're auto-forwarded to your e-mail Inbox, where you can read them, trash them if they're junk, or print them out only if necessary. Not only do you save paper and ink, but you don't need a fax machine or a second phone line-and you get your faxes wherever you happen to be in the country.
Together, in principle, these Internet fax services offer all the advantages of fax -- a universal system for quick and convenient distribution of anything you can put on paper -- without making you spend your money on a fax machine, fax supplies or fax phone fees.
In the business world, any time that you can save money, your customers will ultimately save money too. That is why Internet faxing is a good idea. Internet faxing is the practice of using your email (or a website) to send and receive faxes. The speed and efficiency of email, coupled with the lower costs of sending broadcast faxes via email is more desirable than making lots of phone calls.
Sending and Receiving faxes over the Internet with your regular fax machines sounds cool, but so far, today's standard fax machines do not yet know how to speak Internet - you can't use them over the Internet. Some of the newer models will have this capability, but it will take time to gain worldwide acceptance. In the meantime, there are a number of services that bridge the gap between traditional faxes and the new world of Internet-based communications.
A number of companies, such as eFax, Faxaway, Internet Fax Provider and MaxEmail, allow you to send or receive faxes over the Internet. These services are either free or charge a monthly fee.
However, many of these services are limited in what they can do:
* Require people to dial a long distance number to send you a fax [eFax, MaxEmail]
* Attach their own advertising to your outgoing faxes to cover their cost [eFax]
* Don't offer fax numbers in all local area codes [eFax, MaxEmail]
* Don't work for handwritten faxes (unless they are scanned in) [all]
Still, Internet faxing provides many advantages. Convenience and better resolution are the two main pluses. They allow you to send and receive your faxes entirely with your email service - the best thing to happen to the business world in the last 10 years. You can send and receive faxes anywhere you can access your existing email account: from your home, office, client's office, hotel, airport or cottage. Or even better, a web-based interface that keeps track of everything you've done with your faxing business and allow you to do cheap and efficient broadcast faxing.
Some of the advantages of Internet faxing:
* To send a fax, simply send an email. It will automatically be converted to a fax and delivered immediately
* To receive a fax, simply check your email. All faxes sent to your fax number will be forwarded to your email
* Web fax - For people who need to fax their information to thousands instantly. Send thousands of faxes in minutes from our website - Broadcasting.
* Avoid tying up your computer or telephone lines
* No software to download or hardware to buy
* Easily distribute press releases, product and pricing information, newsletters
* Sending to International phone numbers is cheap - the charge is based on the destination country
* Easy and convenient - faxes are sent and received over the Internet from the office, at home or on the road. Your Internet "Fax Machine" is available 24x7 and is never busy.
* Toll-Free is cost effective - some virtual fax numbers are toll free so that no matter where your customers are, they will not pay any additional long distance charges and your North American clients and contacts can reach you free of charge.
* Privacy - You are the only person to see your faxes, giving them the same privacy as your email.
* Portable - You can receive your faxes at multiple email addresses simultaneously and you can send and receive faxes while traveling.
* Receive faxes directly in e-mail - Faxes are receivable and retrievable anytime, anywhere. Faxes are not misplaced and privacy is ensured.
* Send faxes directly from e-mail. - Eliminate manual faxing. Faxing is integrated into workflow and faxes are delivered faster and at less cost.
* Immediate Implementation - No unique client/server or software is necessary, only standard e-mail capability. Minimal to no user training.
* Unlimited scalability - Support as many users as required without purchasing additional fax machines.
* Combine multiple document types into one fax - Fax multiple documents as easily as sending an e-mail.
* Account code tracking - Budget and cost management is simplified.
* Automatic retries for busy or incomplete deliveries - Eliminates need to continually check progress of a fax.
* E-mail notification of incoming faxes - Users know immediately when a fax has arrived.
* Delivery confirmation via e-mail - Users always know when their faxes have been delivered.
Quick Summary of the 4 big services
* Efax - (http://www.efax.com/) Undisputed leader in the field of Internet faxing. Offers free version. Free version doesn't provide you with a local number. Regular service is expensive. Offers many other products - remote control of computer, etc. Requires proprietary fax viewer software to view faxes. The most local area code numbers available in the US.
* Fax-away - (http://www.faxaway.com/) Competitive regular service. Web faxing not supported. Many customizable features and options for sending. The personal fax number they assign you is not local - they are all in some location where the area code is not local to you - just like the free eFax service - not too useful for your customers.
* Internet Fax Provider - (http://www.internetfaxprovider.com/) Offers toll-free numbers which can be used anywhere in the US with the first 50 faxes per month included in the monthly rate - very convenient for the people sending faxes to you - they will not pay any additional long distance charges. Best rate for broadcast faxing. Many customizable features and options for sending. Comprehensive Web faxing features.
* MaxEmail - (http://www.maxemail.com/) Offers local numbers in the US. However, you will find that only the major cities are covered. No web faxing available. Good receiving plans.
These fax services use the Internet to mimic real fax machines - that is, they deliver your fax to a recipient's fax machine, anywhere in the world, just as if you had dialed it yourself. Most of these services charge anywhere from 10 cents to 20 cents a page. That's more than you'll pay to send a fax across town, but it's much less than you would pay to dial an overseas phone number, even for a short fax.
Most major e-fax vendors offer additional features, including broadcast faxes, the ability to route incoming faxes to you as email attachments and monthly billing.
On the sending side: Most Internet faxing vendors allow you to send faxes by attaching files to an email. When the Internet Fax server gets the email, the emails get converted into a fax coversheet with the recipient's fax number pulled from the "To:" address. The attached files then get converted to TIFF or PDF files for easy viewing by the recipient. The service will then deliver the converted fax to the recipient's standard fax number.
On the receiving side: Most Internet fax vendors will provide you with a phone number that you can then give to your customers. This number can be a local number (if you are located in or near a major US city) or a toll free number (available everywhere.) People will send you faxes to that number in the standard way. The service will then convert the fax to a PDF or TIFF image (or in the case of eFax, a custom image for viewing w/ their software) and send to your email as an attachment. You can then view the fax with any standard Windows Image viewer.
In the future as more fax machines include built-in Internet connectivity, faxing might give email a run for its money as a cheap, convenient way to send documents. Until that time, however, e-fax services will provide the best alternative to picking up the phone and sending faxes the old-fashioned way.
Conclusion
In summary, after reviewing all of the major Internet faxing service vendors, I have found the best service to be the one provided by Internet Fax Provider (IFP). IFP has the best rate plans and offers toll-free numbers that include 50 free faxes per month. I don't go over 30 faxes per month, so it certainly makes sense for me - because with the toll free number provided, my customers don't have to pay long distance charges when they send me a fax. IFP also has the best broadcast sending rates and regular sending plan with the most features. And it was the simplest to use (you don't have to use all the available options.)
For free Internet faxing, I found that eFax offers the best plan. But of course, it puts limitations on the service and you don't get a local fax number. Also, if you live in a big city and you would like a local fax number, then eFax is the best solution. That is if most of your customers are local, because if not, they will pay toll charges when sending you a fax.
Internet Faxing Services Reviewed
The following services provide some type of Internet Faxing:
CallWave
http://www.callwave.com
Installable software helps consumers and businesses get more out of their wireless phone, home phone, and Internet-connected PC by 'bridging' calls between these devices.
More of a cell phone solutions provider - requires custom software.
Data On Call
http://www.dataoncall.com
The company offers a comprehensive suite of fax services including electronic faxing (inbound and outbound), web/fax integrations, developer APIs, fax broadcasting, fax on demand, and custom applications.
Only offer 858 area code and toll free. Expensive. Broadcasting at 8cents/min.
Digital Mail
http://www.digitalmail.com/
E-mail to fax and fax to e-mail services. Users receive a unique phone number, accepting voice mail and faxes.
Difficult to understand, No price structure setup
EasyLink
http://www.easylink.com
Small Business Integrated Desktop Messaging - E-mail to fax, fax to email and desktop faxing. The service was previously named FaxSav.
Large corporate solutions - not meant for small businesses or individual users.
eFax
http://www.efax.com
Send faxes, Receive faxes, anywhere you can get email.
They have a free service with limitations. Standard service is expensive.
FaxMate
http://www.faxmate.com
E-mail to fax, desktop to fax, broadcast fax, and fax to fax via the Internet. Its U800 service allows users a personal toll-free number, which automatically forwards faxes and voice mail to e-mail.
International send rates are standard. $30/mnth, $0.15/min
Faxaway
http://www.faxaway.com
Internet fax & unified messaging service. Faxaway gives customers faxing tools at their desktop.
No local numbers available. Competitive rates and many features and options.
FreeFax
http://www.freefax.com
Send via web, receive as email
Ad supported. Only web-based interface available.
IntelliFax.com
http://www.intellifax.com
Allows you to send and receive Internet faxes. Provides middleware for other Internet fax vendors.
Limited local numbers available. Good send rates. Limited features and options.
Internet Fax Provider
http://www.internetfaxprovider.com
Email-to-Fax, Fax-to-Email, Broadcast faxing. Best Internet faxing solutions and rates available in the US. Simple to use with powerful options.
Offers toll free numbers with 50 free incoming faxes included.
Best rates for broadcasting service. Web-based interface included.
Interpage
http://www.interpage.net/sub-faxing.html
Offers a variety of Internet and Telecommunications-based services - including E-Mail Paging, Web and E-Mail Fax Services, Remote Site Monitoring & Internet Voicemail. Focus is not on faxing services. Competitive rates - meant for large corporations.
MaxEmail
http://www.maxemail.com/
Allows you to send and receive faxes via the Web or e-mail and includes voicemail. You can receive notification of incoming faxes and voice messages directly to your digital phone.
Expensive service. Offers local fax numbers, but not as many as eFax and not as convenient as a toll-free number with free service.
Our Fax
http://www.ourfax.com
OURFAX, is the world's first, easy to use, ad supported 100% FREE service, that allows any email user in the world, to send faxes directly from their email address, to almost any fax machine in the world.
Free - Ad supported, Amateur website
SuperFax
http://www.superfax.com
Super Fax is a small internet fax device that replaces your fax machines, receive your faxes, and emails them to you, on your email address.
$495US per unit. Still need a fax line
Thursday, January 3, 2008
FreeDOS
Before September 1995, Microsoft Windows was an MS-DOS program. DOS was an easy to use command line operating system that provided you with complete ability to control and troubleshoot your computer. Microsoft's goal was to eliminate DOS, possibly to prevent you from having complete control of your own computer.
The last stand-alone version of MS-DOS was version 6. Unfortunately, that version is not Y2K compliant. Windows 95 and later came with MS-DOS version 7. Unfortunately, that version is too integrated with the operating system. It will not work without access to your hard disk.
FreeDOS is a PC compatible Y2K compliant DOS that you can download from www.freedos.org. FreeDOS fits on a single floppy disk and can be used to boot your computer. Download and unzip the file odin7bin.zip (756KB). Unziping will create the files diskcopy.exe and fdodin07.144. Put a blank formatted floppy disk in the drive. In the Start | Run dialog box, or at a command prompt type "diskcopy fdodin07.144 a:" to create a bootable FreeDOS floppy disk.
Why would you want to boot your computer with DOS? Maybe you want to use Windows XP without product activation.
First make sure that the BIOS boot sequence on your computer is configured with the floppy drive as the first boot device (or at least before the C: drive). To get to the BIOS configuration screen, press the "Delete" or "F2" key (depending upon your BIOS) while your computer is starting.
Insert the FreeDOS floppy disk in the floppy drive and start the computer. At the A:\>_ prompt type DATE. FreeDOS will return your computer's current date, along with a prompt to enter a new date. Enter the date that you installed Windows XP (or at least a date before the 30 day expiration date). Remove the FreeDOS floppy disk and restart your computer.
Note: This will only work if Windows XP has never been started after the 30 day expiration date. The first time Windows XP is started after the 30 day expiration date will be the last time it starts.
Every time you start your computer, start it first with FreeDOS and reset the computer's date to the date that you installed Windows XP. Windows XP will think time has come to a standstill.
Note: Of course, Your file creation and last modified dates will not be correct, so this is not really a way for a serious user to bypass Windows XP product activation. However for certain purposes, like learning the Windows XP operating system, this can be a way to use Windows XP without product activation.
Microsoft should have made the expiration period much longer than 30 days. Maybe they want you to activate Windows XP before it crashes.
The last stand-alone version of MS-DOS was version 6. Unfortunately, that version is not Y2K compliant. Windows 95 and later came with MS-DOS version 7. Unfortunately, that version is too integrated with the operating system. It will not work without access to your hard disk.
FreeDOS is a PC compatible Y2K compliant DOS that you can download from www.freedos.org. FreeDOS fits on a single floppy disk and can be used to boot your computer. Download and unzip the file odin7bin.zip (756KB). Unziping will create the files diskcopy.exe and fdodin07.144. Put a blank formatted floppy disk in the drive. In the Start | Run dialog box, or at a command prompt type "diskcopy fdodin07.144 a:" to create a bootable FreeDOS floppy disk.
Why would you want to boot your computer with DOS? Maybe you want to use Windows XP without product activation.
First make sure that the BIOS boot sequence on your computer is configured with the floppy drive as the first boot device (or at least before the C: drive). To get to the BIOS configuration screen, press the "Delete" or "F2" key (depending upon your BIOS) while your computer is starting.
Insert the FreeDOS floppy disk in the floppy drive and start the computer. At the A:\>_ prompt type DATE. FreeDOS will return your computer's current date, along with a prompt to enter a new date. Enter the date that you installed Windows XP (or at least a date before the 30 day expiration date). Remove the FreeDOS floppy disk and restart your computer.
Note: This will only work if Windows XP has never been started after the 30 day expiration date. The first time Windows XP is started after the 30 day expiration date will be the last time it starts.
Every time you start your computer, start it first with FreeDOS and reset the computer's date to the date that you installed Windows XP. Windows XP will think time has come to a standstill.
Note: Of course, Your file creation and last modified dates will not be correct, so this is not really a way for a serious user to bypass Windows XP product activation. However for certain purposes, like learning the Windows XP operating system, this can be a way to use Windows XP without product activation.
Microsoft should have made the expiration period much longer than 30 days. Maybe they want you to activate Windows XP before it crashes.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Death of Windows
I have always regretted how Microsoft price gouges and rips off computer users. I really regret Windows XP activation. I have always intended to convert to Linux, but it isn't easy for a Windows user since version 3.0.
Recently, I purchased the book "Moving to Linux" by Marcel Gagne. The interesting thing about the book is that it includes a bootable Linux CD-ROM. "Knoppix" is a special version of Linux that you can run entirely from your CD drive. You can run Linux without uninstalling Windows or making any changes to your PC.
I tried the Knoppix CD on a Windows 2000 machine with a 200 MHz pentium II and 128 RAM, a very low power machine by today's standards. Linux provides you with step-by-step status information, and I ignored several error messages as Knoppx was booting. It took a while for Linux to boot from the 52X CD-ROM drive, but then Windows 2000 also takes forever to boot on this machine.
To my amazement, Knoppix booted successfully, with the proper screen resolution and access to all the drives. To my further amazement, the CD-ROM contained OpenOffice.org 1.0. I used OpenOffice to create a file. I couldn't save the file to the hard disk, probably because of access rights (NTFS or Linux), but I could save it to a floppy disk. Later, I opened the floppy disk file on a different Windows 2000 machine with the Windows version of OpenOffice.
In his book, Marcel Gagne gives you several tips to make knoppix start faster and work faster. For example, he provides a command that creates a Linux swap file on your Windows partition, and a command that saves Knoppix configuration to a floppy disk.
Note: If you have a broadband Internet connection, you can download Knoppix from www.knoppix.net (700 MB). You also need to know how to burn raw data to CD-R. The book gives you all kinds of information about the different Linux distributions, appications, and how to use Linux, plus the included Knoppix CD is all set to run, so I think the book is worth the extra cost.
If want you to explore and learn about Linux without uninstalling Windows or making any changes to your PC, Knoppix is the way to go. Maybe someday everyone will carry a Knoppix CD and a CD-RW to use on any computer they find. That day will truly be the death of Windows.
Recently, I purchased the book "Moving to Linux" by Marcel Gagne. The interesting thing about the book is that it includes a bootable Linux CD-ROM. "Knoppix" is a special version of Linux that you can run entirely from your CD drive. You can run Linux without uninstalling Windows or making any changes to your PC.
I tried the Knoppix CD on a Windows 2000 machine with a 200 MHz pentium II and 128 RAM, a very low power machine by today's standards. Linux provides you with step-by-step status information, and I ignored several error messages as Knoppx was booting. It took a while for Linux to boot from the 52X CD-ROM drive, but then Windows 2000 also takes forever to boot on this machine.
To my amazement, Knoppix booted successfully, with the proper screen resolution and access to all the drives. To my further amazement, the CD-ROM contained OpenOffice.org 1.0. I used OpenOffice to create a file. I couldn't save the file to the hard disk, probably because of access rights (NTFS or Linux), but I could save it to a floppy disk. Later, I opened the floppy disk file on a different Windows 2000 machine with the Windows version of OpenOffice.
In his book, Marcel Gagne gives you several tips to make knoppix start faster and work faster. For example, he provides a command that creates a Linux swap file on your Windows partition, and a command that saves Knoppix configuration to a floppy disk.
Note: If you have a broadband Internet connection, you can download Knoppix from www.knoppix.net (700 MB). You also need to know how to burn raw data to CD-R. The book gives you all kinds of information about the different Linux distributions, appications, and how to use Linux, plus the included Knoppix CD is all set to run, so I think the book is worth the extra cost.
If want you to explore and learn about Linux without uninstalling Windows or making any changes to your PC, Knoppix is the way to go. Maybe someday everyone will carry a Knoppix CD and a CD-RW to use on any computer they find. That day will truly be the death of Windows.
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