Data Mining Goes Underground
Data centers strain local resources, don't hire locally, erect ugly buildings, and tear up city streets to complete fiber links. But USDCO might have the last laugh, sinking to new depths and stymieing critics while quarrying data into dollars.
by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Associate Editor [August 24, 2001]
This article can be found online at the following location: http://isp-planet.com/profiles/2001/usdco.html
There are four things that municipalities don't like about data centers. First, urban utility companies complain that these facilities put a strain on city power grids. Second, local government types fret about the fact that data centers provide little in the way of employment opportunities for the average Joe Citizen. Third, urban planners grumble that data centers are windowless warehouses contributing no aesthetic value to cityscapes or suburbia.
And last of all, but perhaps most important, cities are no longer enthusiastic about allowing their streets to be dug up to lay new fiber optic runs. Last year, local authorities in Washington, DC even placed a temporary ban on new fiber pipes--these anti-data storage facility sentiments are mimicked and murmured across the nation.
It's enough to make data center operators want to find a big hole and climb inside.
At least one data center operator has done just that. Underground Secure Data Center Operations (USDCO) opened for business in July and offers 750,000 square feet of data center space hidden deep inside a disused gypsum mine near Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The company was founded by six partners in September 2000 when the mine owner, food warehouser Michigan Natural Storage, decided to find out what else could be squirreled away in its underground expanse besides perishables. Because data has a better shelf-life than lettuce, the six-some decided that data storage could turn their subterrestrial real estate into a real gold mine.
Inside out buildup
Irvin Wolfson, USDCO partner and vice president of sales, and Bob Savage, USDCO vice president of IT, explained how the data center was built. Savage said USDCO's data storage solution would not be easy to imitate.
"Most data centers are built from the outside in," Savage said. "They're not scalable. If they're running out of room, you're talking about adding a power generator, building an additional facility next door--a lot of money. We can just throw up some walls and add a room. We're built from the inside out. We laid the cables and designed the center first, and we can grow as demand arrives."
Actually, there's a little more to it than that. First, USDCO created the data center space by pouring concrete on top of the solid rock floor. Next, simple metal walls are erected, creating a room (right) with an exterior that is adjacent to the rock walls of the mine (below).
The gypsum mine is level, rather than vertical. Hidden 85 feet below the earth's surface, the mine is roughly oval in shape, and it has a virtually unlimited supply of free, humid, 50-degree Fahrenheit air. USDCO simply hooks up two large fans in each room--one to push air in, the other to pull air through--and, presto! It has a cooling system that requires very little maintenance or power. Since the data center is underground, it is also not subjected to storms, fires, or other natural disasters. In theory, mines might be vulnerable to flooding or earthquakes, but these are geological rarities for inland Michigan.
Additionally, subterranean security is a breeze--there just aren't that many doors and windows in a cavern. What systems could be knocked out by Mother Nature or ill-intended intruders are readily righted by redundancy.
USDCO operates its data plant with a fully redundant power plus backup generators and two upstream providers. It would take a cataclysmic event to to put data stored at USDCO in harm's way. Even if power is somehow interrupted, the data storage facility would be one of the first locations brought back on-grid because its food storage capabilities on the other side of the servers.
It also has redundant access to upstream providers, USDCO has an internal OC-12 SONET ring connected to Sprint and Cable & Wireless through redundant fiber cables--one connection made out of each end of the mine--through a DS3 pipe from Ameritech. Savage says that the company also has dark fiber ready, if necessary, "up to OC-192 and beyond if a customer requires it."
Data treasure trove
Is USDCO buying other mines? "We have options on other sites," said Wolfson, "but we want to be self-financed. We've had VC offers because our business plan is obviously good and obviously different, but we want to grow organically. Also--it may be a Western Michigan thing--but we believe in something called 'service.' We don't want to expand too fast."
USDCO might have financed the operation alone, but it did not go solo when it came to powering up the facility. Michigan Natural Storage, USDCO partner and the mine's owner, played an important role in bringing power to the data center and helped the fledgling business hookup with potential clients, too.
USDCO, through its partners, can provide tape rotation, server monitoring, and database services for any size and type of businesses. Partners are welcome to provide more lucrative services like consulting and equipment sales, too. One partner, SequoiaNet provides a wide variety of Web-based services and is licensed to sell Dell, HP, IBM, and Compaq products. But Wolfson says that USDCO serves small- and medium-size businesses with gold-standard storage solutions.
"We're a new company. For a facility of this size, we're unusual because we also work with small companies that have annual business of less than $10,000," Wolfson said. "With power included, the monthly price of a collocated server is about $100 for 1U, plus $80 per additional 1U, with 10 GB of monthly throughput included."
USDCO can afford to offer low rates for its data services. With low rent and minimal property taxes, as well as curtailed cooling costs and easy expansion capabilities, USDCO is sitting pretty in the bowels of the earth. And with 750,000 square feet of data storage space available, USDCO just may turn this depleted gypsum hollow into a real gold mine.
** This article contains an HTML table showing information we cannot display properly in this email. To view the full article with table, visit http://isp-planet.com/profiles/2001/usdco.html.
Thursday, September 06, 2001
Important research for Men to understand
(from http://www.ananova.com If you have not seen their Avatar, it is worth a look.)
Brulee beats Brad to get women's hearts racing
Women prefer a good pudding to Brad Pitt, scientists have revealed. The sight of mouth-watering dishes turned females on more than sexy pictures of Hollywood's hottest men. The findings emerged after volunteers were tested with heart monitors to compare reactions to food and sexy stars. The tests were carried out by supermarket chain Tesco. After being wired up they were shown pictures of several Hollywood hunks and a range of desserts. And when presented with a tempting raspberry creme brulee the heart rate shot up to an average of 142 beats a minute.
But a snap of Pitt, 38, registered only 105. He even trailed behind a chocolate truffle torte (135), exotic praline Paris-Brest (122), and chocolate trifle (115). Still, he created more of a flutter than a lemon and raspberry torte (100) - but only just, reports The Sun. Russell Crowe, 37, was 99 beats per minute, followed by Leonardo DiCaprio, 26, on 92 beats. The research was aimed at assessing the impact of food's appearance on women shoppers - whose normal heart rate is 70. Choc puds caused the biggest reaction among women aged 20 to 30 and brulees were top for 30 to 40-year-olds.
Last updated: 07:25 Friday 24th August 2001
(from http://www.ananova.com If you have not seen their Avatar, it is worth a look.)
Brulee beats Brad to get women's hearts racing
Women prefer a good pudding to Brad Pitt, scientists have revealed. The sight of mouth-watering dishes turned females on more than sexy pictures of Hollywood's hottest men. The findings emerged after volunteers were tested with heart monitors to compare reactions to food and sexy stars. The tests were carried out by supermarket chain Tesco. After being wired up they were shown pictures of several Hollywood hunks and a range of desserts. And when presented with a tempting raspberry creme brulee the heart rate shot up to an average of 142 beats a minute.
But a snap of Pitt, 38, registered only 105. He even trailed behind a chocolate truffle torte (135), exotic praline Paris-Brest (122), and chocolate trifle (115). Still, he created more of a flutter than a lemon and raspberry torte (100) - but only just, reports The Sun. Russell Crowe, 37, was 99 beats per minute, followed by Leonardo DiCaprio, 26, on 92 beats. The research was aimed at assessing the impact of food's appearance on women shoppers - whose normal heart rate is 70. Choc puds caused the biggest reaction among women aged 20 to 30 and brulees were top for 30 to 40-year-olds.
Last updated: 07:25 Friday 24th August 2001
From T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s
SIX YEARS of Searchable Archives at http://www.TOURBUS.com !!
In my last post I mentioned that The Hunger Site had gone the way of break dance movies and Members Only jackets (remember those?) and suggested some other online charity sites you could visit instead. That post seems to have struck a chord. In fact, that post generated such a response that I decided to spend one more post talking about some great online charities recommended by your fellow riders.
As for my promised post about half.com, we'll just place that post in my "Giant Rat of Sumatra" file until Thursday. [And for those who don't understand the reference, Sherlock Holmes said of "Giant Rat of Sumatra" that it is "a story for which the world is not yet prepared." I have found that the "Giant Rat" excuse is WONDERFUL to use when you haven't finished a particular assignment or project.]
Fellow TOURBUS rider Karen writes: I just read your latest newsletter and thought your readers might be interested in this site if they are looking for a way to make donations without actually spending money. It helps the rainsforests, the pandas, breast cancer and, my favourite, the big cats. You might want to check it out and pass it on - I've been there almost daily clicking to help for well over a year. http://www.care2.com/
JR suggests a site within care2.com: Here is a site that I have used as part of my "Free Philanthropy Log on Protocol." The site is http://bigcats.care2.com/ and has links to the Rainforest Race, Panda Race and the Breast Cancer Race. It works as easily as the Hunger Site.
Elliot recommends another rainforest site: Here's a site I go to everyday... http://www.saverainforest.net/ "Click on the button above to save rainforest. There is NO cost to you. Sponsors pay to preserve the rainforest." Once a day you can go there and click. Every sponsor on the page, Will result in saving 5 square feet of our rainforest.
Patricia offers two sites: http://www.quickdonations.com/ and http://www.donationjunction.com/ These are my favorite donation sites. They include freedonation and others by category. including One Minute Donation
Barbara sent me an online greeting card telling me about http://www.webreleaf.com/ , a web site where you can go and click a button to help plant trees in US National Forests. It's completely free and it only takes a moment to help plant a tree In my last post we also talked about two sites that provide information about charities around the world. Max suggests a third site you should visit: I check out charities once in a while for my job, and I like to use GuideStar http://www.guidestar.org/ to get the dirt on charities. They have detailed financial reports, and basically a lot more information than the BBB on those that are questionable. (GuideStar obtains copies of 1099 filings with the IRS.)
Craig, an employee at General Motors, offers the following: You mentioned in this week's Tourbus that "charity begins at home, and justice begins next door." In that vein, you may be interested in the Webhands site: http://www.webhands.org/ .
This site was created by my employer, General Motors, and is an online directory of charitable organizations in communities all across the USA. It can be used to quickly search for charities that provide food, clothing, shelter, literacy classes, and services to reduce the "digital divide." It helps answer the question "How can I help in my own community?"
The Webhands site also includes a link to GM Global Aid, another site which allows one to make secure online donations to several US and international disaster relief organizations (e.g., American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, unicef, and the United Way).
And, finally, Howie writes: I don't know if you have run across Charity Focus http://www.charityfocus.org/ , but it is a resource for organizations that have limited resources to get help in setting up a web site. They are handling quite a few projects and can always use some more capable volunteers.
If this doesn't help you find a replacement for The Hunger Site, nothing will! :)
SIX YEARS of Searchable Archives at http://www.TOURBUS.com !!
In my last post I mentioned that The Hunger Site had gone the way of break dance movies and Members Only jackets (remember those?) and suggested some other online charity sites you could visit instead. That post seems to have struck a chord. In fact, that post generated such a response that I decided to spend one more post talking about some great online charities recommended by your fellow riders.
As for my promised post about half.com, we'll just place that post in my "Giant Rat of Sumatra" file until Thursday. [And for those who don't understand the reference, Sherlock Holmes said of "Giant Rat of Sumatra" that it is "a story for which the world is not yet prepared." I have found that the "Giant Rat" excuse is WONDERFUL to use when you haven't finished a particular assignment or project.]
Fellow TOURBUS rider Karen writes: I just read your latest newsletter and thought your readers might be interested in this site if they are looking for a way to make donations without actually spending money. It helps the rainsforests, the pandas, breast cancer and, my favourite, the big cats. You might want to check it out and pass it on - I've been there almost daily clicking to help for well over a year. http://www.care2.com/
JR suggests a site within care2.com: Here is a site that I have used as part of my "Free Philanthropy Log on Protocol." The site is http://bigcats.care2.com/ and has links to the Rainforest Race, Panda Race and the Breast Cancer Race. It works as easily as the Hunger Site.
Elliot recommends another rainforest site: Here's a site I go to everyday... http://www.saverainforest.net/ "Click on the button above to save rainforest. There is NO cost to you. Sponsors pay to preserve the rainforest." Once a day you can go there and click. Every sponsor on the page, Will result in saving 5 square feet of our rainforest.
Patricia offers two sites: http://www.quickdonations.com/ and http://www.donationjunction.com/ These are my favorite donation sites. They include freedonation and others by category. including One Minute Donation
Barbara sent me an online greeting card telling me about http://www.webreleaf.com/ , a web site where you can go and click a button to help plant trees in US National Forests. It's completely free and it only takes a moment to help plant a tree In my last post we also talked about two sites that provide information about charities around the world. Max suggests a third site you should visit: I check out charities once in a while for my job, and I like to use GuideStar http://www.guidestar.org/ to get the dirt on charities. They have detailed financial reports, and basically a lot more information than the BBB on those that are questionable. (GuideStar obtains copies of 1099 filings with the IRS.)
Craig, an employee at General Motors, offers the following: You mentioned in this week's Tourbus that "charity begins at home, and justice begins next door." In that vein, you may be interested in the Webhands site: http://www.webhands.org/ .
This site was created by my employer, General Motors, and is an online directory of charitable organizations in communities all across the USA. It can be used to quickly search for charities that provide food, clothing, shelter, literacy classes, and services to reduce the "digital divide." It helps answer the question "How can I help in my own community?"
The Webhands site also includes a link to GM Global Aid, another site which allows one to make secure online donations to several US and international disaster relief organizations (e.g., American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, unicef, and the United Way).
And, finally, Howie writes: I don't know if you have run across Charity Focus http://www.charityfocus.org/ , but it is a resource for organizations that have limited resources to get help in setting up a web site. They are handling quite a few projects and can always use some more capable volunteers.
If this doesn't help you find a replacement for The Hunger Site, nothing will! :)
A low cost way to have users order promotional supplies
FREE! - Quick and easy to setup, the CafePress.com online store is the easiest way to start selling branded merchandise online. Just upload your artwork, design up to 14 different products, and get your own personal online store. When orders are made, we take care of product manufacturing, shipping, and customer service. All you have to do is promote your store and collect commission checks.
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/index.aspx
FREE! - Quick and easy to setup, the CafePress.com online store is the easiest way to start selling branded merchandise online. Just upload your artwork, design up to 14 different products, and get your own personal online store. When orders are made, we take care of product manufacturing, shipping, and customer service. All you have to do is promote your store and collect commission checks.
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/index.aspx
Suggestions for eCommerce Sites
A Stupid Idea Has Made Me Lots Of Money
A year and a half ago I thought, "why not sell Jackalopes on the Internet." Well, this stupid idea has made me a lot of money. When I started with my own domain name I got 2-5 hits a day. Well, now I'm getting thousands of hits.
Want to make money from your web site? Follow all or some of my 10 suggestions.
1) Don't try to compete with the big boys. Find your niche market. Find products or services that your competition doesn't have.
2) Advertise for free. Make sure you register with the top ten search engines. Do this yourself and don't be fooled by all the offers to register your site with 1600 search engines. What you will get is a lot of spam.
3) Test market. Try one or a few test marketing ideas to see how it works. Try it more than once. It might not work the first time.
4) Forget paying for banner ads. Web surfers are tuning out on banner ads. Text links get more traffic. I tried a free offer. They gave me 10,000 banner ads that usually cost $195 for one week. Guess what? I only got 25 hits. If you advertise with banner ads, do not pay for CPM, pay only for CPC. What is CPM and what is CPC? CPM means cost per M, which is the Roman numeral for 1000. That means that if the banner is viewed you pay! CPC means cost per click. Someone has to actually view your page for you to be billed for the click.
5) Run a contest and give away something. What to get a lot of new traffic to your site? Give something away. One contest alone brought thousands of visitors to my site. Many signed up for my email newsletter. Some signed up to win money on another site which brings be
money from their affiliate program.
6) Get your links. Find other sites that compliment but don't compete with your site and ask them to share a link with you.
7) Look into Webrings. Yahoo bought out Webring.org but this is still a good place to look. Search these rings and ask for the sites to link to you or join the ring.
8) Pay for Rank. I use GoTo. You can open an account for $25 and bid for placement on their search engine. They power many different search engines so your results are on many search engines. They have a search engine suggestion and bid tool so you can see how many searches
have been done the last month and how much you have to pay for your search word or phrase.
9) Get on AOL. Register with GoTo and be in the top three listings and you will come up on the top spots. AOL has over 20,000,000 clients. Miss this market and you lose.
10) Get on Google. The web page results page on Yahoo are from Google. Register with Google and your will be on Yahoo!
Follow these suggestions and I guarantee you will get results.
Thanks a lot and good luck.
---------------------------------------------------------------
About The Author: Dr. Jack A. Lope http://www.jackalopejunction.com/
Jackalope Junction Wyoming Gift Shop Casper, Wyoming
A Stupid Idea Has Made Me Lots Of Money
A year and a half ago I thought, "why not sell Jackalopes on the Internet." Well, this stupid idea has made me a lot of money. When I started with my own domain name I got 2-5 hits a day. Well, now I'm getting thousands of hits.
Want to make money from your web site? Follow all or some of my 10 suggestions.
1) Don't try to compete with the big boys. Find your niche market. Find products or services that your competition doesn't have.
2) Advertise for free. Make sure you register with the top ten search engines. Do this yourself and don't be fooled by all the offers to register your site with 1600 search engines. What you will get is a lot of spam.
3) Test market. Try one or a few test marketing ideas to see how it works. Try it more than once. It might not work the first time.
4) Forget paying for banner ads. Web surfers are tuning out on banner ads. Text links get more traffic. I tried a free offer. They gave me 10,000 banner ads that usually cost $195 for one week. Guess what? I only got 25 hits. If you advertise with banner ads, do not pay for CPM, pay only for CPC. What is CPM and what is CPC? CPM means cost per M, which is the Roman numeral for 1000. That means that if the banner is viewed you pay! CPC means cost per click. Someone has to actually view your page for you to be billed for the click.
5) Run a contest and give away something. What to get a lot of new traffic to your site? Give something away. One contest alone brought thousands of visitors to my site. Many signed up for my email newsletter. Some signed up to win money on another site which brings be
money from their affiliate program.
6) Get your links. Find other sites that compliment but don't compete with your site and ask them to share a link with you.
7) Look into Webrings. Yahoo bought out Webring.org but this is still a good place to look. Search these rings and ask for the sites to link to you or join the ring.
8) Pay for Rank. I use GoTo. You can open an account for $25 and bid for placement on their search engine. They power many different search engines so your results are on many search engines. They have a search engine suggestion and bid tool so you can see how many searches
have been done the last month and how much you have to pay for your search word or phrase.
9) Get on AOL. Register with GoTo and be in the top three listings and you will come up on the top spots. AOL has over 20,000,000 clients. Miss this market and you lose.
10) Get on Google. The web page results page on Yahoo are from Google. Register with Google and your will be on Yahoo!
Follow these suggestions and I guarantee you will get results.
Thanks a lot and good luck.
---------------------------------------------------------------
About The Author: Dr. Jack A. Lope http://www.jackalopejunction.com/
Jackalope Junction Wyoming Gift Shop Casper, Wyoming
World's Fastest Computer Unveiled
from www.reuters.com
Last Updated: August 15, 2001 09:55 PM ET
LIVERMORE, Calif. (Reuters) - A U.S. government laboratory unveiled on Wednesday the most powerful computer in the world, programmed to simulate the explosion of a nuclear bomb.
ASCI White, a $110 million computer squeezed into enough refrigerator-sized units to fill a couple of basketball courts, was officially unveiled by scientists aiming to simulate nuclear tests the government has promised not to carry out for real.
The beast, built by International Business Machines Corp. IBM.N from off-the-shelf processors with a souped-up version of its commercial operating system, AIX, weighs as much as 17 full-size elephants, takes as much cooling as 765 homes, and can do in a second what a calculator would take 10 million years, IBM says.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a government funded laboratory which is home to the machine, aims to find out a bit quicker than that how an atomic bomb blows up so that it does not have to test any more.
"We are in a race against time as we have to pass the baton to a new generation of nuclear engineers who have neither designed nor tested a nuclear weapon," said David Schwoegler, a spokesman for Lawrence Livermore.
The last U.S. underground test was about 10 years ago.
Like gunfighters after the taming of the West, U.S. nuclear scientists who have designed and exploded nuclear weapons are a dying breed. Computers are being brought in to fill the gap.
The 10-year Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative, ASCI, is about half-way done.
It aims to produce a computer that can simulate a nuclear explosion by 2005, with a machine that can do 100 trillion calculations per second, compared to ASCI White's 12.3 trillion.
Compaq Computer Corp.CPQ.N is working on an intermediate step and plans to deliver within a couple of years a 30-trillion per second calculator.
from www.reuters.com
Last Updated: August 15, 2001 09:55 PM ET
LIVERMORE, Calif. (Reuters) - A U.S. government laboratory unveiled on Wednesday the most powerful computer in the world, programmed to simulate the explosion of a nuclear bomb.
ASCI White, a $110 million computer squeezed into enough refrigerator-sized units to fill a couple of basketball courts, was officially unveiled by scientists aiming to simulate nuclear tests the government has promised not to carry out for real.
The beast, built by International Business Machines Corp. IBM.N from off-the-shelf processors with a souped-up version of its commercial operating system, AIX, weighs as much as 17 full-size elephants, takes as much cooling as 765 homes, and can do in a second what a calculator would take 10 million years, IBM says.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a government funded laboratory which is home to the machine, aims to find out a bit quicker than that how an atomic bomb blows up so that it does not have to test any more.
"We are in a race against time as we have to pass the baton to a new generation of nuclear engineers who have neither designed nor tested a nuclear weapon," said David Schwoegler, a spokesman for Lawrence Livermore.
The last U.S. underground test was about 10 years ago.
Like gunfighters after the taming of the West, U.S. nuclear scientists who have designed and exploded nuclear weapons are a dying breed. Computers are being brought in to fill the gap.
The 10-year Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative, ASCI, is about half-way done.
It aims to produce a computer that can simulate a nuclear explosion by 2005, with a machine that can do 100 trillion calculations per second, compared to ASCI White's 12.3 trillion.
Compaq Computer Corp.CPQ.N is working on an intermediate step and plans to deliver within a couple of years a 30-trillion per second calculator.
A reminder to be careful
Engineer drops tool, slices 70,000 telephone lines
LONDON--Around 70,000 Telewest subscribers lost their phone
lines on Tuesday after an engineer dropped a spanner while
fixing some equipment at the cable company's offices in
Scotland.
The spanner landed on some batteries, starting a fire that took
down the 70,000 phone lines. Customers were unable to make or
receive calls from 2.30pm, and although most businesses were
reconnected that afternoon many residential customers were cut
off until midnight, according to the Edinburgh Evening News.
Telewest's offices were evacuated and a fire engine called, but
a special fire prevention system reportedly managed to
extinguish the blaze. --Graeme Wearden, ZDNet UK
Engineer drops tool, slices 70,000 telephone lines
LONDON--Around 70,000 Telewest subscribers lost their phone
lines on Tuesday after an engineer dropped a spanner while
fixing some equipment at the cable company's offices in
Scotland.
The spanner landed on some batteries, starting a fire that took
down the 70,000 phone lines. Customers were unable to make or
receive calls from 2.30pm, and although most businesses were
reconnected that afternoon many residential customers were cut
off until midnight, according to the Edinburgh Evening News.
Telewest's offices were evacuated and a fire engine called, but
a special fire prevention system reportedly managed to
extinguish the blaze. --Graeme Wearden, ZDNet UK
Color Mixer Redo
http://zse4.com/beacon/color.htm
I redid the color mixer I've used in class. It now is easier to see your settings.
http://zse4.com/beacon/color.htm
I redid the color mixer I've used in class. It now is easier to see your settings.
Let's track some Dollar Bills
http://www.wheresgeorge.com/
You can write WheresGeorge.Com on the bill to increase the odds it will be entered into the system again, but that would be illegal.
http://www.wheresgeorge.com/
You can write WheresGeorge.Com on the bill to increase the odds it will be entered into the system again, but that would be illegal.
Software that detects spyware shareware.
http://www.infoanarchy.org/?op=displaystory&sid=2001/6/4/12499/31574
Some downloads install additional software that reports your browsing habits to infromation aggregators. This program dtects the most common ones.
http://www.infoanarchy.org/?op=displaystory&sid=2001/6/4/12499/31574
Some downloads install additional software that reports your browsing habits to infromation aggregators. This program dtects the most common ones.
How to Select a Fulfillment House
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, E-Commerce
Consultant
http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt6/fulfill-house.htm
As an alternate to warehousing and shipping your
own products, you can outsource the warehousing and product fulfillment function
to a fulfillment house. You'll find many listed in the Yahoo! Directory "Fulfillment
Services" category. Most, however, won't look twice at the small
merchant just starting out. The vast majority are targeting for merchants with
2,000 orders or more each month. Fortunately, however, there are some companies
that serve the needs of beginning Internet merchants.
Fees and Policies to Ask About
When you begin to research fulfillment services,
you rapidly find that they price in enough different ways that they can be hard
to compare to each other -- and it can be difficult to figure out what kind of
bill you'll be paying at the end of the month. Here are some fees and policies
to watch for as you research:
Set-Up Fees. Fulfillment houses charge
set-up fees to help cover their costs of acquiring your business and preparing
their system to take your products. Make sure these are reasonable and within
your budget.
Order Processing Fees. This may include a
flat amount for each order, plus a charge for each additional item in the
package. Rates vary with the number of orders processed per month. Ask if boxes
and packing materials included in the order processing fees or if they are in
addition.
Order Processing Minimums. If you're a
small merchant, you may have trouble making the minimums. Minimums are good for
the fulfillment house but not for you when you're getting started. Make sure
your average number of orders is likely to easily exceed their order processing
minimums or else you'll be paying fulfillment fees even if you aren't getting
orders.
Return Processing Fees. Find out what you
are charged when a customer returns the merchandise and how this process will be
handled.
Storage Fee. This is a monthly fee that
reflects the amount of storage space your products take in the fulfillment house
warehouse. You may be charged per pallet, or per cubic foot, or in some other
manner. Your goal is to keep on hand no more than a two- to three-month's supply
of your product -- no more, or you'll be paying excessive storage charges.
Credit Card Transaction Fees. A few
fulfillment houses will handle credit card transactions for merchants who don't
have merchant accounts. They typically charge a percentage of the total
transaction amount. How does this compare to the typical 2.5% discount rate that
credit cards charge?
Fees to receive merchandise. Look for
charges to check in shipments, verify the box count, and look for visible
damage.
Shopping Cart Services. You can run your
own shopping cart and transmit orders to the fulfillment house via their
preferred methods: FTP, secure download, e-mail, EDI, XML, etc. But it may be
cost-effective to use the fulfillment house's own shopping cart program order
buttons in conjunction with your own website. That way they get your orders
directly and painlessly. Some fulfillment houses also offer accounting and
banking for foreign clients. Ask what services they offer. You'd be surprised
what they can do for you.
Order Transmission Method. Make sure that
the method by which you are required to transmit orders is technically within
your company's grasp. Is it simple or sophisticated enough to meet your needs?
Product Assembly. A fulfillment house can
often assemble your product or kit for you, charging you on an hourly basis or a
time-costed per-piece basis. They can also order products or components for you
so that you're never out of stock. Ask the hourly rate on which these services
are based.
Growth Capacity. Can the fulfillment house
that serves your 100 to 500 orders per month ramp up to 100,000 orders per month
if you get a tremendous response? Inquire about their growth capacity.
Minimum Contract Period. Be careful of
companies that lock you into a six-month or one-year contract. What will you do
if they don't meet your needs, or you don't meet their minimums? You need an
escape hatch if your product line doesn't take off.
Profile of Two Small Business Fulfillment Houses
We're seeing a small but growing number of
fulfillment houses that are seeking to serve merchants with 0 to 2,000 orders
per month. I spoke with two of them.
iFulfill.com
(www.ifulfill.com) of Maumee, Ohio, has been around for several years. Owner
Paul Purdue sees his company's role as enabling the beginning merchant. "We
reduce the entry barriers for the typical small merchant," he says.
"If they can sell it, so be it. If not, they're not losing a lot."
iFulfill's pricing is a bit higher in order processing fees, but it charges no
set-up fees. Purdue's company outgrew his barn, and is now housed in a
warehouse. iFulfill offers a wide range of services to merchants in the US and
abroad.
eFulfillment
Service, Inc. (www.efulfillmentservice.com) of Grawn, Michigan, not too far
from the Canadian border, is relatively new. I was impressed by President Amy
Caughell's enthusiasm to help her clients by being flexible enough to meet their
special needs. Prices and minimums tend to be quite competitive.
Though these two companies' pricing has some
complexities, I've simplified it here so you can see similarities and
differences.
|
|
iFulfill.com |
eFulfillment Service |
|
Set-Up Fee |
None |
$99 |
|
Order Processing Fees |
$4 each for the first 10
|
$1.60 per order plus 30¢ per
|
|
Monthly minimums |
None |
None |
|
Shipping Costs |
Paid by merchant |
Paid by merchant |
|
Product Costs |
Paid by merchant |
Paid by merchant |
|
Monthly storage fees |
$4 per product or SKU |
$10/pallet/month or
|
|
Return processing fee |
None currently |
Same as order processing fee |
|
Hourly rate for extra services |
$20/hour |
$25/hour |
Each has other fees for extra services, but this
covers the basics. I see both companies' pricing as quite favorable to small
merchants.
Digital Delivery System Options
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, E-Commerce Consultant
http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt6/fulfill-digital.htm
Product fulfillment on the Web is a dream if you have a digital product -- software, information, e-books, member-only subscriptions, and entertainment. Delivery takes place by download, -- and it's completely hands free for the merchant. Yes, there may be some web hosting fees for storage and additional traffic charges, but the cost is low.
The chief difficulty with digitally delivered products is that they are subject to fraud. A private download URL can be given to a friend (who may post it on an online bulletin board). And fraudulent credit card transactions using stolen credit information, leave the merchant to susceptible to damaging chargeback fees.
Here are some systems you can use to sell and deliver digital products. (I am excluding ClickBank from this list because it only handles the sale, not the digital delivery.)
Kagi (www.kagi.com). Berkeley, California company handles transaction, download, and product registration. No sign-up or monthly fee. Charge is a percent of the sales price. The sliding scale assesses 12.5% of a $20 product, 7% of a $100 product, and 4.1% of a $600 product. Compatible with several affiliate programs.
DigiBuy (www.digibuy.com). Set-up fee of $29.95, plus $9.95 for each additional product. Handles transaction, download, and registration. Charges 13.9% of the sale or $3, whichever is greater. Compatible with several affiliate programs.
Synergyx (www.synergyx.com). Paul Galloway's Perl-based CGI program costs $1,500 installed on your server. Requires a merchant account and a payment gateway, but you won't be paying high percentage fees. Includes an excellent affiliate program.
Yahoo! Store (http://store.yahoo.com) includes a crude digital download feature. We link to others in the Digital Download Software section of our E-Commerce Research Room (www.wilsonweb.com/cat/cat.cfm?page=1&subcat=cs_Soft-Digital).
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, E-Commerce Consultant
http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt6/fulfill-digital.htm
Product fulfillment on the Web is a dream if you have a digital product -- software, information, e-books, member-only subscriptions, and entertainment. Delivery takes place by download, -- and it's completely hands free for the merchant. Yes, there may be some web hosting fees for storage and additional traffic charges, but the cost is low.
The chief difficulty with digitally delivered products is that they are subject to fraud. A private download URL can be given to a friend (who may post it on an online bulletin board). And fraudulent credit card transactions using stolen credit information, leave the merchant to susceptible to damaging chargeback fees.
Here are some systems you can use to sell and deliver digital products. (I am excluding ClickBank from this list because it only handles the sale, not the digital delivery.)
Kagi (www.kagi.com). Berkeley, California company handles transaction, download, and product registration. No sign-up or monthly fee. Charge is a percent of the sales price. The sliding scale assesses 12.5% of a $20 product, 7% of a $100 product, and 4.1% of a $600 product. Compatible with several affiliate programs.
DigiBuy (www.digibuy.com). Set-up fee of $29.95, plus $9.95 for each additional product. Handles transaction, download, and registration. Charges 13.9% of the sale or $3, whichever is greater. Compatible with several affiliate programs.
Synergyx (www.synergyx.com). Paul Galloway's Perl-based CGI program costs $1,500 installed on your server. Requires a merchant account and a payment gateway, but you won't be paying high percentage fees. Includes an excellent affiliate program.
Yahoo! Store (http://store.yahoo.com) includes a crude digital download feature. We link to others in the Digital Download Software section of our E-Commerce Research Room (www.wilsonweb.com/cat/cat.cfm?page=1&subcat=cs_Soft-Digital).
Microsoft's Vocal Chord
SEATTLE
To view the entire article got to http://www.washtech.com/news/media/11867-1.html
Aiyaiyaiyaiyaiy.
Such is the approximate sound Shelley Reynolds emits when she locks the tip of her tongue behind her teeth and extends it, like a back flip, as far as it will protrude. It is not a pretty sight. That is followed by a series of well-calculated grins, which don't look funny. Then she kneads her jaw.
Those are oral calisthenics. Reynolds is a professional. Her job: to use her trained voice to greet millions of people every day across the United States.
You may already recognize the voice of El Edwards, the man behind AOL's famous "You've got mail" line, which reaches the ears of more than 30 million subscribers when they log on to the nation's largest online service. Microsoft Corp. has taken a page from AOL's playbook, giving its No. 2-ranked MSN service a feminine touch to help humanize the silicon-and-metals-and-plastics body of the computer.
Lately, the two tech giants have been clashing over a variety of competitive issues, from Internet access to how to design software. But in the sound of a human voice, they have arrived at a common industry pursuit: to make technology friendly.
For Microsoft, Reynolds is the soul in the machine when its subscribers log on and hear her cheerful voice greet them with "Good morning," "Good afternoon" or "Good evening." (She also bids people "goodbye.")
"I honestly believe I have enough positive energy — this is totally an Aquarius-type deal — if I record these things thinking very positively, I kind of believe metaphysically it cheers people up. They'll get a positive hit," Reynolds says.
Her voice — a gravelly yet soft contralto — is apparently doing some good, if only to reassure consumers that in technology there is nothing to be afraid of.
"There's a comfort level that comes with a voice," says Mike Uretsky, director of the Center for Advanced Technology at New York University.
Fear of technology goes back more than 200 years, he says, when the invention of the power loom caused people to wonder whether machines can think. Even now, the mystery of technology inspires fear.
"The large majority of people don't understand it," Uretsky says. "The thing that gets press is the bad things. The thing that gets into the press is the [computer] viruses, the invasions of privacy. This [voice] becomes an important step, saying, 'Hey, I'm almost a person.' "
The power of voice goes even deeper: "As it turns out, humans are genetically designed to understand verbal language," says Rich Gold, manager of research in experimental documents at Xerox Corp.'s Palo Alto Research Center. "It's the primary means of transfer of knowledge and information."
Voice conveys different meanings, depending on the age and sex of the implied speaker. People respond to what is familiar and to the frequency and pitch of a voice, which in the case of women tends to be higher and thus easier to hear, experts say. Through voice — the lilt in expression, the shades of tone — people connect in a way that words on a computer monitor cannot, a distinction becoming increasingly obvious as people spend more time alone hunched over a keyboard, seeking virtual contact with other people through Internet chat rooms, bulletin boards and messaging services.
"The humanizing of the machine is more than just about voice, it's about language, it's about linguistic interaction," says David Nahamoo, head of human-language technologies at International Business Machines Corp.'s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York. "We want to simplify our interaction with the world around us," he says. "The world around us is getting more and more complex."
Nowadays, everything and everybody seem to be talking. Computer don't just talk to people — people talk back, using voice-recognition technology. Automated teller machines remind users to take our receipt. Subway trains warn to stay clear of the doors. Even cars are getting into this verbal thing, barking out map directions.
Fast-growing MSN, which has nearly 7 million subscribers, recognizes the trend and credits the intangible benefits that come with Reynolds's voice. (Her services cost substantially more than the $100 that AOL reportedly paid Edwards in 1989 but well short of six figures.)
"It's worth it for the emotional connection," says Hillel Cooperman, group manager of MSN's user-experience team.
Increasingly, companies are using human voices to personalize Internet sites and services, not only because it makes good marketing sense but also because of technological advances in the past year. Voice — transmitted as data on a computer network — can now be compressed into smaller file sizes.
"It's just starting," says Adam Goodman, president of Voicehunter.com, a New York-based Internet company that specializes in providing voice-over talent.
But Edwards, the voice of AOL, says that Microsoft is coming late to the table with Reynolds's online greetings. "I'm rather surprised it has taken them this long to do it," he says. "I don't think they can improve on what AOL started — what — 12 years ago."
When Microsoft took the leap, introducing Reynolds's voice last year, the company chose someone who is like many of the consumers it's trying to reach: a stranger to the technology. Reynolds, a 34-year-old Seattle actress, has spent all of about two or three hours online in her life, and she doesn't plan to use the Internet "until I can go up to a computer and say, 'Fix me a turkey sandwich.' "
"I'm a total Luddite," she says.
Reynolds had done a number of commercial voice-overs before, including a Microsoft webcast of a U2 concert. She heard about the potential gig at MSN through her talent agency.
When she came in to record her voice, she told Cooperman, the MSN executive, that she didn't know anything about the Internet, and he responded, "Perfect."
"He did not want a formal telephone operator sound," she says. "He wanted it to be warm and personable. He said he wanted it to have soul, and when he said that, I started to understand."
Cooperman and a few other Microsoft engineers and technology wonks selected Reynolds from a pool of about 25 candidates, drawn from talent agencies and the company's own employees. There was nothing scientific about it, he says. Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, made a gut call in choosing Reynolds.
"She sounded sincere, smart, friendly, just someone you'd be psyched to know," Cooperman says. "In the end, a lot of this is subjective. . . . When we heard the voice, we said, 'That's her. Shelley's it.' "
The first thing you notice about her is the black, wing-tipped shoes, minus socks. There's the black pedal pushers that begin at mid-calf and work up to a black tank top and faded seersucker button-down. Then there's her fire-red lipstick and an unruly copper bob.
At least four days a week, Reynolds says she is apt to be found at the Lobo Saloon & Cafe, her neighborhood blue-collar bar, wielding a mug of beer, or perhaps a Jack Daniel's on the rocks, and an American Spirit smoke.
"I'm not really sophisticated," she says. "I'd rather run with people who are construction workers and bricklayers rather than CEOs."
Her crowd also includes casino croupiers, such as her 26-year-old boyfriend, Matthew "Hawk" Ramsay, who stops by the bar in his Calvin Klein pajamas to see his lady. In these confines, she's a celebrity whose photograph graces the arts page in the local yellow pages.
"She's got that southern whiskey voice," says bar buddy Derek Reese, the 34-year-old chef at a nearby restaurant.
Reynolds, a New Orleans product, says her parents "sound way more country" and her two brothers "sound more Cajun." With years of acting training, she sounds more like a cross between Cybill Shepherd and Kathleen Turner.
Like her well-known counterparts, Reynolds tends to play brassy roles. In her latest incarnations on stage, she's been playing "white trash with a heart of gold" parts, she says. In her last local production, "Killer Joe," she was required to come on stage in nothing more than a T-shirt.
For the rest of the world, Reynolds's identity is supposed to remain a mystery. The idea is, she is whomever the MSN subscriber wants her to be. To further connect Reynolds to consumers, her greetings are often accompanied by the subscriber's name.
Reynolds will limber up her voice — what she calls her articulator — with a variety of techniques, which include repeating this phrase several times: "The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, the back of the gums, the alveolar ridge."
To date, Reynolds has recorded about 10,000 names in 14 sessions over 30 hours. In some cases, she will record a name — such as Tamara — in different ways to cover every possible pronunciation.
Sitting on a stool, clutching a sheaf of paper listing names, Reynolds will recite each one as though she knows the person. In some cases, it will be the name of a boy she had a crush on in school years ago. Other times, she will come across a name such as Bruce and imagine she is saying hello to Bruce Willis, the movie star. In her voice is an implied message, she says, a tone that conveys a thought like "Did you enjoy your bagel?" When she gets tired, she will step out of the studio, sit in her 1981 Chevy Luv pickup and listen to country music.
The studio work is paying off. Some friends who signed up for MSN have called her and said, "Dude, that's you!" One friend and neighbor, Jay Martell, became a Microsoft subscriber last year and instantly recognized Reynolds's voice.
"She can say anything to you, and her voice vibrates," says the 29-year-old glass artist. "It picks up a certain audio decibel, and it goes right into your brain, and you can never forget it."
Copyright (c) 2001 by Post-Newsweek Tech Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, August 13, 2001
Credit Cards With Chips Have Little Use in U.S.
By SAUL HANSELL from the New York Times
Suddenly, smart cards — credit cards embedded with tiny computer chips — are everywhere. American Express (news/quote) put a chip on its sparkly new Blue card, and issued 2.2 million of them in just 14 months. Rushing to mimic Blue's success, Visa says at least four of its banks will issue seven million credit cards with chips on them this year. And MasterCard says it is getting into the smart card business, too.
The cards may be smart, but so far they haven't showed it. In contrast to Europe, where smart cards have been used for a decade to fight fraud and reduce telecommunications costs, there is hardly anything that can be done with one in the United States.
In other parts of the world, companies are experimenting with using smart cards for electronic cash, but that idea has flopped in the United States. As a result, few stores have smart card readers that can connect with the new, chip-equipped credit cards. Nor do most wireless phones here take chip cards, as they do in Europe and much of Asia. The card companies say the chip cards add security for shopping on the Internet, but a survey showed that only 6 of every 1,000 Blue card holders have actually used the chip on the Web.
So far, smart cards in the United States are little more than a silicon and plastic fashion statement. Credit cards have long been marketed with insubstantial distinctions, like the rise a few years ago in "platinum" cards that differed from gold cards in little more than color. Now some bankers see smart cards as this year's platinum fad, said Michael Auriemma, president of Auriemma Consulting in Westbury, N.Y., only more expensive for the issuers.
"One of my clients said, at least half seriously, that he wanted to put a picture of a chip on the card," Mr. Auriemma said. "It has the same functionality and it costs $3 less."
The credit card companies do worry that customers will eventually notice that the future they have been promising has never arrived. And so they are now scrambling to find useful things to do with the chips that are already in millions of wallets.
"Right now, there isn't a lot of utility associated with the cards," said Carl F. Pascarella, president of Visa U.S.A. "We have to look for ways to justify the chip and create a consumer-value proposition in the marketplace."
READ THE REST OF THE STORY
By SAUL HANSELL from the New York Times
Suddenly, smart cards — credit cards embedded with tiny computer chips — are everywhere. American Express (news/quote) put a chip on its sparkly new Blue card, and issued 2.2 million of them in just 14 months. Rushing to mimic Blue's success, Visa says at least four of its banks will issue seven million credit cards with chips on them this year. And MasterCard says it is getting into the smart card business, too.
The cards may be smart, but so far they haven't showed it. In contrast to Europe, where smart cards have been used for a decade to fight fraud and reduce telecommunications costs, there is hardly anything that can be done with one in the United States.
In other parts of the world, companies are experimenting with using smart cards for electronic cash, but that idea has flopped in the United States. As a result, few stores have smart card readers that can connect with the new, chip-equipped credit cards. Nor do most wireless phones here take chip cards, as they do in Europe and much of Asia. The card companies say the chip cards add security for shopping on the Internet, but a survey showed that only 6 of every 1,000 Blue card holders have actually used the chip on the Web.
So far, smart cards in the United States are little more than a silicon and plastic fashion statement. Credit cards have long been marketed with insubstantial distinctions, like the rise a few years ago in "platinum" cards that differed from gold cards in little more than color. Now some bankers see smart cards as this year's platinum fad, said Michael Auriemma, president of Auriemma Consulting in Westbury, N.Y., only more expensive for the issuers.
"One of my clients said, at least half seriously, that he wanted to put a picture of a chip on the card," Mr. Auriemma said. "It has the same functionality and it costs $3 less."
The credit card companies do worry that customers will eventually notice that the future they have been promising has never arrived. And so they are now scrambling to find useful things to do with the chips that are already in millions of wallets.
"Right now, there isn't a lot of utility associated with the cards," said Carl F. Pascarella, president of Visa U.S.A. "We have to look for ways to justify the chip and create a consumer-value proposition in the marketplace."
READ THE REST OF THE STORY
Dreams of Scientists
TOP 10 IMPOSSIBLE INVENTIONS THAT WORK
http://www.atlantisrising.com/issue4/ar4topten.html
TOP 10 IMPOSSIBLE INVENTIONS THAT WORK
http://www.atlantisrising.com/issue4/ar4topten.html
Girl from Ipanema is sued over the song she inspired
by Philip Delves Broughton (Filed: 13/08/2001)
From the London Telegraph Online
TALL, tanned, now 57, and still beautiful, The Girl from Ipanema is being sued by the families of the men who made her famous.
Sixties original: Heloisa Pinheiro, The Girl from Ipanema
Heloisa Pinheiro, the inspiration for the most famous bossa nova song, recently opened a boutique in Rio de Janeiro called The Girl from Ipanema.
The families of the song's writers, however, say she has no right to use the song for commercial purposes.
The shopowners along the fabled Ipanema beach in Rio have rallied behind Mrs Pinheiro, known to all as Helo, while those suing her have been portrayed as enemies of the laid-back beach life so vital to Brazilian culture.
It was 39 years ago that Mrs Pinheiro sashayed down to Ipanema beach, past a bar where two songwriters, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, were whiling away the day.
Enraptured by the 18-year-old, whom de Moraes called "a golden girl, a mixture of flower and siren, full of light and grace", the men wrote their song. Each day as she walked to the sea, they wrote, each man she passed went "Ahhhhhh".
The Girl from Ipanema was first performed in 1964 on an album by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto, duskily sung by Gilberto's then wife Astrud Gilberto.
It put bossa nova on the musical map and became an informal Brazilian national anthem, a paean to its sunkissed young women. Millions of tourists have since been drawn to the beaches of Rio by the song's sultry promise.
The bar where Jobim and de Moraes were sitting when they saw Mrs Pinheiro was long ago renamed The Girl from Ipanema and the song's sheet music is painted on its walls. In economic terms, the Ipanema district of Rio has benefited hugely from the song.
Mrs Pinheiro, however, has not been so fortunate. Had the song been written about her today, she might have become a millionaire with the right agent.
Instead, in 1966, she married an engineer, Fernando, and during the intervening years she has done only a little acting and modelling, including posing for Playboy in 1987. Five years ago, her husband lost his job, forcing her to become the bread winner.
Their main cost is paying for their 22-year-old son who suffered brain damage as an infant and requires special care.
"This store is the means I have to guarantee the sustenance of my family," Mrs Pinheiro told the New York Times. "I borrowed $50,000 (£37,000) to set it up and it's not profitable yet, so I can't afford to have it closed down."
Mrs Pinheiro suspects that the songwriters' heirs are jealous, because both Jobim and de Moraes were said to have been in love with her. Though married at the time, Jobim is said to have told Mrs Pinheiro in 1965 that he wanted to marry her. He ended up being best man at her wedding. Jobim's widow is among those suing Mrs Pinheiro.
Carlos Monjardim, president of the Ipanema Merchants' Association, organised a party for Mrs Pinheiro last week, proclaiming her "the eternal ambassador of Ipanema".
He said of the lawsuit: "This is an act of pettiness that shocks and offends the entire community of Ipanema. What Pele is to all of Brazil, Helo is for Ipanema."
by Philip Delves Broughton (Filed: 13/08/2001)
From the London Telegraph Online
TALL, tanned, now 57, and still beautiful, The Girl from Ipanema is being sued by the families of the men who made her famous.
Sixties original: Heloisa Pinheiro, The Girl from Ipanema
Heloisa Pinheiro, the inspiration for the most famous bossa nova song, recently opened a boutique in Rio de Janeiro called The Girl from Ipanema.
The families of the song's writers, however, say she has no right to use the song for commercial purposes.
The shopowners along the fabled Ipanema beach in Rio have rallied behind Mrs Pinheiro, known to all as Helo, while those suing her have been portrayed as enemies of the laid-back beach life so vital to Brazilian culture.
It was 39 years ago that Mrs Pinheiro sashayed down to Ipanema beach, past a bar where two songwriters, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, were whiling away the day.
Enraptured by the 18-year-old, whom de Moraes called "a golden girl, a mixture of flower and siren, full of light and grace", the men wrote their song. Each day as she walked to the sea, they wrote, each man she passed went "Ahhhhhh".
The Girl from Ipanema was first performed in 1964 on an album by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto, duskily sung by Gilberto's then wife Astrud Gilberto.
It put bossa nova on the musical map and became an informal Brazilian national anthem, a paean to its sunkissed young women. Millions of tourists have since been drawn to the beaches of Rio by the song's sultry promise.
The bar where Jobim and de Moraes were sitting when they saw Mrs Pinheiro was long ago renamed The Girl from Ipanema and the song's sheet music is painted on its walls. In economic terms, the Ipanema district of Rio has benefited hugely from the song.
Mrs Pinheiro, however, has not been so fortunate. Had the song been written about her today, she might have become a millionaire with the right agent.
Instead, in 1966, she married an engineer, Fernando, and during the intervening years she has done only a little acting and modelling, including posing for Playboy in 1987. Five years ago, her husband lost his job, forcing her to become the bread winner.
Their main cost is paying for their 22-year-old son who suffered brain damage as an infant and requires special care.
"This store is the means I have to guarantee the sustenance of my family," Mrs Pinheiro told the New York Times. "I borrowed $50,000 (£37,000) to set it up and it's not profitable yet, so I can't afford to have it closed down."
Mrs Pinheiro suspects that the songwriters' heirs are jealous, because both Jobim and de Moraes were said to have been in love with her. Though married at the time, Jobim is said to have told Mrs Pinheiro in 1965 that he wanted to marry her. He ended up being best man at her wedding. Jobim's widow is among those suing Mrs Pinheiro.
Carlos Monjardim, president of the Ipanema Merchants' Association, organised a party for Mrs Pinheiro last week, proclaiming her "the eternal ambassador of Ipanema".
He said of the lawsuit: "This is an act of pettiness that shocks and offends the entire community of Ipanema. What Pele is to all of Brazil, Helo is for Ipanema."
AdAware protects you from snooping software from downloaded programs
Version 5.5 was just released, but 5.6 will be out in two weeks.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Version 5.5 was just released, but 5.6 will be out in two weeks.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Dictionaraoke
The M-W.Com online dictionary recently added sample pronounciations. Now those samples are being put together to tell childrens stories and make songs. Check out Dr Seuss's "Green Eggs and Ham" and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" as performed by the pronounciation speakers.
http://www.dictionaraoke.com/index.html
The M-W.Com online dictionary recently added sample pronounciations. Now those samples are being put together to tell childrens stories and make songs. Check out Dr Seuss's "Green Eggs and Ham" and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" as performed by the pronounciation speakers.
http://www.dictionaraoke.com/index.html
Fron the New York Times; August 8, 2001 Rebels in Black Robes Recoil at Surveillance of Computers
By NEIL A. LEWIS
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 — A group of federal employees who believed that the monitoring of their office computers was a major violation of their privacy recently staged an insurrection, disabling the software used to check on them and suggesting that the monitoring was illegal and unethical.
This was not just a random bunch of bureaucrats but a group of federal judges who are still engaged in a dispute with the office in Washington that administers the judicial branch and that had installed the software to detect downloading of music, streaming video and pornography.
It is a conflict that reflects the anxiety of workers at all levels at a time when technology allows any employer to examine each keystroke made on an office computer. In this case, the concern over the loss of privacy comes from the very individuals, federal judges, who will shape the rules of the new information era.
The insurrection took root this spring in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, based in San Francisco and the largest of the nation's 12 regional circuits, covering 9 Western states and two territories. The Judicial Conference of the United States, the ultimate governing body of the courts, is to meet on Sept. 11 to resolve the matter.
The conflict between the circuit judges and the Administrative Office of the Courts, a small bureaucracy in Washington, deteriorated to a point that a council of the circuit's appeals and district judges ordered their technology staff to disconnect the monitoring program on May 24 for a week until a temporary compromise was reached. Because the Ninth Circuit's was also linked to the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, the shutdown affected about a third of the country and about 10,000 court employees, including more than 700 active and semiretired judges.
Leonidas Ralph Mecham, who runs the Administrative Office of the Courts, and who ordered the monitoring of all federal court workers, said in a March 5 memorandum that the software was to enhance security and reduce computer use that was not related to judicial work and that was clogging the system. A survey by his office, he wrote, "has revealed that as much as 3 to 7 percent of the judiciary browser's traffic consists of streaming media such as radio and video broadcasts, which are unlikely to relate to official business."
Officials in the judicial branch on both sides of the issue provided several internal memorandums written as the dispute continued over the weeks.
After the shutdown, Mr. Mecham complained in a memorandum that disconnecting the software was irresponsible and might have resulted in security breaches, allowing unauthorized outsiders access to the judiciary's internal confidential computer network. "The weeklong shutdown put the entire judiciary's data communication network at risk," he wrote on June 15.
Mr. Mecham warned in that memorandum that on the days before the software was disabled, there were hundreds of attempts at intrusion into the judiciary's network from places like China and Iran.
But Chief Judge Mary Schroeder of the Ninth Circuit responded that the concerns were overblown and that the circuit's technical people carefully monitored computer activity during the week that the software was disabled.
In a June 29 memorandum, she said that there was no evidence that the electronic firewall used to block hacking had been breached and suggested that Mr. Mecham had exaggerated the potential of a security breach because having hundreds of attempted breaches per day was routine and routinely blocked.
The Ninth Circuit disconnected the software, she wrote, because the monitoring policy was not driven by concern over overloading the system but Mr. Mecham's concern over "content detection." Many employees had been disciplined, she noted, because the software turned up evidence of such things as viewing pornography, although they had not been given any clear notice of the court's computer use policy.
Moreover, she wrote, the judiciary may have violated the law.
"We are concerned about the propriety and even the legality of monitoring Internet usage," she wrote. Her memorandum said that the judiciary could be liable to lawsuits and damages because the software might have violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, which imposes civil and criminal liability on any person who intentionally intercepts "any wire, oral or electronic communication."
She noted that the Ninth Circuit had ruled just this year that the law was violated when an employer accessed an employee Web site. In fact, the issues of what is permissible by employers have produced a patchwork of legal rulings and the matter has never been addressed directly by the Supreme Court.
Judge Alex Kozinski, a member of the Ninth Circuit appeals court, drafted and distributed an 18-page legal memorandum arguing that the monitoring was a violation of anti- wiretap statute.
Judge Kozinski, widely known for his libertarian views, said the court employees who were disciplined, an estimated three dozen, could be entitled to monetary damages if they brought a lawsuit.
A spokesman for Mr. Mecham said that the software could not identify specific employees but workstations. When unauthorized use was detected, Mr. Mecham's deputy, Clarence Lee Jr., wrote to the chief judge of the district, urging that the employee who used the workstation be identified and disciplined. One such letter includes an appendix listing the Web sites that employee had visited, some of them pornographic. There is no evidence that any alleged abuse of the system involved judges.
Judge Kozinski said: "Aside from my view that this may be a felony, it is something that we as federal judges have jurisdiction to consider. We have to pass on this very kind of conduct in the private sphere."
Prof. Jeffrey Rosen of the George Washington University Law School, author of a recent book on privacy, "The Unwanted Gaze" (Vintage 2001), said, "It's fascinating that the courts have to grapple with these issues so close to home." The law is evolving, he said, adding: "This drama with the judges reminds us of how thin the privacy protections are. There's a real choice right now whether e-mail and Web browsing should be regarded like the telephone or a postcard."
Judge Edwin L. Nelson, who is chairman of a judges' committee that deals with computer issues, said in an interview that his group met last week and drafted proposals to deal with monitoring. Judge Nelson would not discuss the proposals but they are almost certain to resemble policies used in the rest of the federal government, in which clear notice is given to computer users that they may be monitored.
Jim Flyzik, vice chairman of an interagency group that considers computer privacy issues in the federal government, said that each department had its own policy but that clear and unambiguous notification of monitoring was usually an element.
In the private sector, a survey by the American Management Association this year found that 63 percent of companies monitored employees' computer use.
By NEIL A. LEWIS
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 — A group of federal employees who believed that the monitoring of their office computers was a major violation of their privacy recently staged an insurrection, disabling the software used to check on them and suggesting that the monitoring was illegal and unethical.
This was not just a random bunch of bureaucrats but a group of federal judges who are still engaged in a dispute with the office in Washington that administers the judicial branch and that had installed the software to detect downloading of music, streaming video and pornography.
It is a conflict that reflects the anxiety of workers at all levels at a time when technology allows any employer to examine each keystroke made on an office computer. In this case, the concern over the loss of privacy comes from the very individuals, federal judges, who will shape the rules of the new information era.
The insurrection took root this spring in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, based in San Francisco and the largest of the nation's 12 regional circuits, covering 9 Western states and two territories. The Judicial Conference of the United States, the ultimate governing body of the courts, is to meet on Sept. 11 to resolve the matter.
The conflict between the circuit judges and the Administrative Office of the Courts, a small bureaucracy in Washington, deteriorated to a point that a council of the circuit's appeals and district judges ordered their technology staff to disconnect the monitoring program on May 24 for a week until a temporary compromise was reached. Because the Ninth Circuit's was also linked to the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, the shutdown affected about a third of the country and about 10,000 court employees, including more than 700 active and semiretired judges.
Leonidas Ralph Mecham, who runs the Administrative Office of the Courts, and who ordered the monitoring of all federal court workers, said in a March 5 memorandum that the software was to enhance security and reduce computer use that was not related to judicial work and that was clogging the system. A survey by his office, he wrote, "has revealed that as much as 3 to 7 percent of the judiciary browser's traffic consists of streaming media such as radio and video broadcasts, which are unlikely to relate to official business."
Officials in the judicial branch on both sides of the issue provided several internal memorandums written as the dispute continued over the weeks.
After the shutdown, Mr. Mecham complained in a memorandum that disconnecting the software was irresponsible and might have resulted in security breaches, allowing unauthorized outsiders access to the judiciary's internal confidential computer network. "The weeklong shutdown put the entire judiciary's data communication network at risk," he wrote on June 15.
Mr. Mecham warned in that memorandum that on the days before the software was disabled, there were hundreds of attempts at intrusion into the judiciary's network from places like China and Iran.
But Chief Judge Mary Schroeder of the Ninth Circuit responded that the concerns were overblown and that the circuit's technical people carefully monitored computer activity during the week that the software was disabled.
In a June 29 memorandum, she said that there was no evidence that the electronic firewall used to block hacking had been breached and suggested that Mr. Mecham had exaggerated the potential of a security breach because having hundreds of attempted breaches per day was routine and routinely blocked.
The Ninth Circuit disconnected the software, she wrote, because the monitoring policy was not driven by concern over overloading the system but Mr. Mecham's concern over "content detection." Many employees had been disciplined, she noted, because the software turned up evidence of such things as viewing pornography, although they had not been given any clear notice of the court's computer use policy.
Moreover, she wrote, the judiciary may have violated the law.
"We are concerned about the propriety and even the legality of monitoring Internet usage," she wrote. Her memorandum said that the judiciary could be liable to lawsuits and damages because the software might have violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, which imposes civil and criminal liability on any person who intentionally intercepts "any wire, oral or electronic communication."
She noted that the Ninth Circuit had ruled just this year that the law was violated when an employer accessed an employee Web site. In fact, the issues of what is permissible by employers have produced a patchwork of legal rulings and the matter has never been addressed directly by the Supreme Court.
Judge Alex Kozinski, a member of the Ninth Circuit appeals court, drafted and distributed an 18-page legal memorandum arguing that the monitoring was a violation of anti- wiretap statute.
Judge Kozinski, widely known for his libertarian views, said the court employees who were disciplined, an estimated three dozen, could be entitled to monetary damages if they brought a lawsuit.
A spokesman for Mr. Mecham said that the software could not identify specific employees but workstations. When unauthorized use was detected, Mr. Mecham's deputy, Clarence Lee Jr., wrote to the chief judge of the district, urging that the employee who used the workstation be identified and disciplined. One such letter includes an appendix listing the Web sites that employee had visited, some of them pornographic. There is no evidence that any alleged abuse of the system involved judges.
Judge Kozinski said: "Aside from my view that this may be a felony, it is something that we as federal judges have jurisdiction to consider. We have to pass on this very kind of conduct in the private sphere."
Prof. Jeffrey Rosen of the George Washington University Law School, author of a recent book on privacy, "The Unwanted Gaze" (Vintage 2001), said, "It's fascinating that the courts have to grapple with these issues so close to home." The law is evolving, he said, adding: "This drama with the judges reminds us of how thin the privacy protections are. There's a real choice right now whether e-mail and Web browsing should be regarded like the telephone or a postcard."
Judge Edwin L. Nelson, who is chairman of a judges' committee that deals with computer issues, said in an interview that his group met last week and drafted proposals to deal with monitoring. Judge Nelson would not discuss the proposals but they are almost certain to resemble policies used in the rest of the federal government, in which clear notice is given to computer users that they may be monitored.
Jim Flyzik, vice chairman of an interagency group that considers computer privacy issues in the federal government, said that each department had its own policy but that clear and unambiguous notification of monitoring was usually an element.
In the private sector, a survey by the American Management Association this year found that 63 percent of companies monitored employees' computer use.
From "Time - Europe" Illuminating the Web
A good commentary on the web's contents and searching it.
http://www.time.com/time/europe/biz/magazine/0,9868,166169,00.html
Here are their links from the bootom of the story:
On the invisible web you can ...
Look at the earth from space ... earth.jsc.nasa.gov (375,000 images)
See where and how we live on it ... www.worldpop.org/prbdata.htm (85 demographic variables for 221 countries)
Dive into its waters ... www.ilec.or.jp/database/search.html (Database on 500 lakes worldwide)
Learn about the fish that swim in them ... www.fishbase.org (Detail and resources on 25,380 species)
And how to cook them www.recipesource.com (70,000 recipes from around the world)
Pretend to plan your next business trip ... www.tscentral.com (15,000 exhibitions and trade shows globally )
Pick an airline ... www.waasinfo.net (World Aircraft Accident Summary)
Check the weather ... www.weatherbase.com (in 434 world cities)
Watch Wimbledon instead ... www.itftennis.com (Pro tennis results and rankings since 1977)
And relax www.sleephomepages.org
A good commentary on the web's contents and searching it.
http://www.time.com/time/europe/biz/magazine/0,9868,166169,00.html
Here are their links from the bootom of the story:
On the invisible web you can ...
Look at the earth from space ... earth.jsc.nasa.gov (375,000 images)
See where and how we live on it ... www.worldpop.org/prbdata.htm (85 demographic variables for 221 countries)
Dive into its waters ... www.ilec.or.jp/database/search.html (Database on 500 lakes worldwide)
Learn about the fish that swim in them ... www.fishbase.org (Detail and resources on 25,380 species)
And how to cook them www.recipesource.com (70,000 recipes from around the world)
Pretend to plan your next business trip ... www.tscentral.com (15,000 exhibitions and trade shows globally )
Pick an airline ... www.waasinfo.net (World Aircraft Accident Summary)
Check the weather ... www.weatherbase.com (in 434 world cities)
Watch Wimbledon instead ... www.itftennis.com (Pro tennis results and rankings since 1977)
And relax www.sleephomepages.org
People weirder than Dan make web sites to meet women
A new line of work for Jesus...Restaurant reviews and purification baths.
http://jesus.com/endorsements/va_restaurants.html
http://jesus.com/date/
A new line of work for Jesus...Restaurant reviews and purification baths.
http://jesus.com/endorsements/va_restaurants.html
http://jesus.com/date/
Rent a political activist
Have your own message held in front of the White House for $5 per hour...$100 if you want demonstrators included.
http://www.whitehouseprotests.com/
Have your own message held in front of the White House for $5 per hour...$100 if you want demonstrators included.
http://www.whitehouseprotests.com/
Muppets in Mahna Mahna!
A full length, high quality copy (MPG) of the classic song from the Muppet Show
http://www.bigmeats.net/index.php?meal=meat&dinner=21
A full length, high quality copy (MPG) of the classic song from the Muppet Show
http://www.bigmeats.net/index.php?meal=meat&dinner=21
Tim Berners-Lee commentary on "Why WWW-dot...?"
http://www.w3.org/Provider/Style/www.html
Tim Berners-Lee also has good links to some of his other commentaries at his personal page: http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/
http://www.w3.org/Provider/Style/www.html
Tim Berners-Lee also has good links to some of his other commentaries at his personal page: http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/
The Eightfold Path to Enlightened Website [design]
Some very good links as well as brief and to the point commentary.
http://www.teknozen.com/tekfiles/8.html#graphics
Some very good links as well as brief and to the point commentary.
http://www.teknozen.com/tekfiles/8.html#graphics
Interesting commentary on Web Page Design.
Not authoritative, poorly researched, slightly out of date, but still interesting.
http://www.cs.umd.edu/~mount/Indep/CHassan/index.htm
Not authoritative, poorly researched, slightly out of date, but still interesting.
http://www.cs.umd.edu/~mount/Indep/CHassan/index.htm
Connection Speed Tests - Some are better than others
http://www.testmyspeed.com/eastcoastspeedtests.htm
http://www.testmyspeed.com/eastcoastspeedtests.htm
Wall Street Journal eCommerce Special Report
http://interactive.wsj.com/public/current/summaries/ecommerce2001-5.htm
http://interactive.wsj.com/public/current/summaries/ecommerce2001-5.htm
iGeneration and ProsoftTraining Merge Internet Certification Programs
Tue Jul 31 15:06:00 2001 GMT
Companies Form Strategic Partnership to Offer Complete Human Capital Solution
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- iGeneration and ProsoftTraining (Nasdaq: POSO), creators of professional certification for 21st-century information technology (IT) job roles, today announced the merger of the iCP (iGeneration Certified Professional) and CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) certification programs. No two organizations have had more experience in identifying and developing Internet technology job roles and building certification programs and products to meet the growing global human capital requirements for people with Internet skills. The companies decided to merge their certification programs in response to industry demand, and to better leverage the core strengths of each organization to provide customers with a full range of human capital performance solutions for emerging IT-related jobs.
Earlier this year, the two companies moved to endorse one another's certification programs, allowing the CIW community immediate access to the career and job connection services provided through the iGeneration TalentPool. With the iCP certification program merging with the CIW offering, IT professionals and corporations alike have a one-stop training, certification and job connection solution that sets the standard in Internet professional and organizational development.
iCP certification tests will remain available through December 31, 2001, so that current iCP candidates can complete any in-process training and certification. iCP certification holders will receive comparable certifications or credits in the CIW program. Current iGeneration training partners will have the opportunity to enroll as a CIW ATP (Authorized Training Provider) during a migration enrollment period. More information on the iCP merger with CIW can be found on www.iCP2CIW.com.
iGeneration will focus on providing assessment, placement and human capital performance solutions to corporations. ProsoftTraining has licensed iGeneration curriculum and certification content. Jerry Baird, chairman and CEO of ProsoftTraining, will join the iGeneration board of directors.
"It is with great pleasure that we join forces with the company that has been involved in the creation of professional-level Internet certification as long as we have," said Jerry Baird. "Together we created the category of vendor-neutral Internet certification. Combining our programs and the core strengths of each company will create more value in this certification category for individuals, employers and educators."
"This new partnership also addresses the big questions around employee retention, retraining and staffing that IT leadership is grappling with today," said Gary Millrood, CEO and president of iGeneration. "How do I raise the level of performance? How do I make sure my organization is current on all the latest technologies? Do I have the right assessment tools in place to ensure that I have the best people for the job? The merged CIW certification program and auxiliary iGeneration assessment, training and staffing services is the portfolio of customizable solutions that this partnership brings to the marketplace."
About iGeneration
iGeneration is a professional services organization dedicated to enhancing the performance of today's most valued business asset -- human capital -- to maximize efficiencies and productivity to meet the demands of today's marketplace. iGeneration achieves this by providing end-to-end Human Capital Performance Solutions that improve the performance and job outcomes of today's IT organizations through customized interventions in the form of market intelligence services, assessment, training, custom curriculum, certification and staffing.
The industry-recognized development methodology that serves as the foundation for the iGeneration portfolio of services and products is a research-based blueprint that professionals and companies alike can use as a benchmark for building successful IT careers and organizations. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, iGeneration is privately held. For more information, visit www.igeneration.com, or call 1-877-411-4141.
Tue Jul 31 15:06:00 2001 GMT
Companies Form Strategic Partnership to Offer Complete Human Capital Solution
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- iGeneration and ProsoftTraining (Nasdaq: POSO), creators of professional certification for 21st-century information technology (IT) job roles, today announced the merger of the iCP (iGeneration Certified Professional) and CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) certification programs. No two organizations have had more experience in identifying and developing Internet technology job roles and building certification programs and products to meet the growing global human capital requirements for people with Internet skills. The companies decided to merge their certification programs in response to industry demand, and to better leverage the core strengths of each organization to provide customers with a full range of human capital performance solutions for emerging IT-related jobs.
Earlier this year, the two companies moved to endorse one another's certification programs, allowing the CIW community immediate access to the career and job connection services provided through the iGeneration TalentPool. With the iCP certification program merging with the CIW offering, IT professionals and corporations alike have a one-stop training, certification and job connection solution that sets the standard in Internet professional and organizational development.
iCP certification tests will remain available through December 31, 2001, so that current iCP candidates can complete any in-process training and certification. iCP certification holders will receive comparable certifications or credits in the CIW program. Current iGeneration training partners will have the opportunity to enroll as a CIW ATP (Authorized Training Provider) during a migration enrollment period. More information on the iCP merger with CIW can be found on www.iCP2CIW.com.
iGeneration will focus on providing assessment, placement and human capital performance solutions to corporations. ProsoftTraining has licensed iGeneration curriculum and certification content. Jerry Baird, chairman and CEO of ProsoftTraining, will join the iGeneration board of directors.
"It is with great pleasure that we join forces with the company that has been involved in the creation of professional-level Internet certification as long as we have," said Jerry Baird. "Together we created the category of vendor-neutral Internet certification. Combining our programs and the core strengths of each company will create more value in this certification category for individuals, employers and educators."
"This new partnership also addresses the big questions around employee retention, retraining and staffing that IT leadership is grappling with today," said Gary Millrood, CEO and president of iGeneration. "How do I raise the level of performance? How do I make sure my organization is current on all the latest technologies? Do I have the right assessment tools in place to ensure that I have the best people for the job? The merged CIW certification program and auxiliary iGeneration assessment, training and staffing services is the portfolio of customizable solutions that this partnership brings to the marketplace."
About iGeneration
iGeneration is a professional services organization dedicated to enhancing the performance of today's most valued business asset -- human capital -- to maximize efficiencies and productivity to meet the demands of today's marketplace. iGeneration achieves this by providing end-to-end Human Capital Performance Solutions that improve the performance and job outcomes of today's IT organizations through customized interventions in the form of market intelligence services, assessment, training, custom curriculum, certification and staffing.
The industry-recognized development methodology that serves as the foundation for the iGeneration portfolio of services and products is a research-based blueprint that professionals and companies alike can use as a benchmark for building successful IT careers and organizations. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, iGeneration is privately held. For more information, visit www.igeneration.com, or call 1-877-411-4141.
A new web authoring tool from Adobe with free download.
http://www.adobe.com/products/atmosphere/
The software does require a 5MB player/plug-in to be viewed.
http://www.adobe.com/products/atmosphere/
The software does require a 5MB player/plug-in to be viewed.
University at Albany Libraries' How to Choose a search engine
The best search engines to find different kind of material.
http://library.albany.edu/internet/choose.html
The best search engines to find different kind of material.
http://library.albany.edu/internet/choose.html
A study of what activities on the WWW will result in SPAM
http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227888-8-6602372-1.html?tag=ld
See the story for the results of the study:
From the flood of direct e-mail advertising that most of us receive every day, you'd think the world is full of debt-ridden, sexually deprived people who want easy money.
But, offensive nature aside, these pesky e-mail messages cause problems of a technical nature. They make an enormous mess of your in-box, cramming it with junk and often pushing your account over its size limit.
Before you figure out how to stop the inundation, however, you have to find out where these sneaky spammers come from. How the heck do they get your address? Do they just spam everyone on your e-mail service (for instance, Hotmail), or do they intercept your name when you buy products online? When you sign up for newsletters, do unscrupulous Web sites sell your address? It's hard to know. We decided to find out which online activities and even mail services generate the most junk e-mail and look at ways to recover from the deluge.
CNET contributor Matt Lake opened 12 free e-mail accounts (and monitored some older ones) and dedicated each to one typical online activity. He even opened accounts at each e-mail provider and left them untouched just to examine the myth that just having an e-mail account can generate spam. Next, he joined up at sites that require you to register an e-mail address, posted messages on message boards around the Web, registered domain names, and visited chat rooms. In each case, over a few months, he checked to see which activities attracted the most unsolicited e-mail to an account, then tried to figure out how to remove the spam. Finally, he categorized those behaviors in terms of high, medium, and low risk, and the results were somewhat surprising.
Check out our spam statistics and read on to see which online activities put you at more risk than walking on the train tracks at night. We won't leave you hanging either; we've tested some opt-out options and reported back on whether they actually work.
High-risk activity
What's the worst that can happen to your in-box? Find out which Net activities generate the most spam.
Medium danger
Don't panic. If you're a Webmaster or even a domain squatter, your in-box remains relatively safe.
Lowest spam quotient
You'll be surprised! See which supercommon Web activities are shockingly low on spam servings.
Opt-out attempts
Does unsubscribing really work? Sometimes. Find out some other ways to duck unsolicited mail.
Spam at a glance
Check the stats! A quick look at high-, medium-, and low-risk activities, plus our spam in-box breakdown.
http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227888-8-6602372-1.html?tag=ld
See the story for the results of the study:
From the flood of direct e-mail advertising that most of us receive every day, you'd think the world is full of debt-ridden, sexually deprived people who want easy money.
But, offensive nature aside, these pesky e-mail messages cause problems of a technical nature. They make an enormous mess of your in-box, cramming it with junk and often pushing your account over its size limit.
Before you figure out how to stop the inundation, however, you have to find out where these sneaky spammers come from. How the heck do they get your address? Do they just spam everyone on your e-mail service (for instance, Hotmail), or do they intercept your name when you buy products online? When you sign up for newsletters, do unscrupulous Web sites sell your address? It's hard to know. We decided to find out which online activities and even mail services generate the most junk e-mail and look at ways to recover from the deluge.
CNET contributor Matt Lake opened 12 free e-mail accounts (and monitored some older ones) and dedicated each to one typical online activity. He even opened accounts at each e-mail provider and left them untouched just to examine the myth that just having an e-mail account can generate spam. Next, he joined up at sites that require you to register an e-mail address, posted messages on message boards around the Web, registered domain names, and visited chat rooms. In each case, over a few months, he checked to see which activities attracted the most unsolicited e-mail to an account, then tried to figure out how to remove the spam. Finally, he categorized those behaviors in terms of high, medium, and low risk, and the results were somewhat surprising.
Check out our spam statistics and read on to see which online activities put you at more risk than walking on the train tracks at night. We won't leave you hanging either; we've tested some opt-out options and reported back on whether they actually work.
High-risk activity
What's the worst that can happen to your in-box? Find out which Net activities generate the most spam.
Medium danger
Don't panic. If you're a Webmaster or even a domain squatter, your in-box remains relatively safe.
Lowest spam quotient
You'll be surprised! See which supercommon Web activities are shockingly low on spam servings.
Opt-out attempts
Does unsubscribing really work? Sometimes. Find out some other ways to duck unsolicited mail.
Spam at a glance
Check the stats! A quick look at high-, medium-, and low-risk activities, plus our spam in-box breakdown.
From CDNet News
Pop-under ads fail to catch buyers
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6688554.html?tag=st.ne.1005.saslnk.saseml
By Gwendolyn Mariano
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
July 26, 2001, 2:15 p.m. PT
As pop-under ads gain steam, they fall short of converting Web surfers into buyers, according to a new report released Wednesday.
Research firm Jupiter Media Metrix found that camera maker X10--which uses pervasive pop-under ads that automatically open a browser window linked to the site--had the most significant number of people that dropped out of its ad or Web site. While X10 has achieved a mass reach online, with 32.8 percent of the Web's entire audience between January and May, 73 percent of its visitors left the pop-under window or site within 20 seconds, according to Jupiter.
The results, according to New York-based Jupiter, reveal that pop-under ads build brand awareness at the expense of brand affinity.
The report comes amid the wave of debate over pop-under and pop-up ads that have stirred the advertising community and Web measurement companies. While Jupiter initially defended its inclusion of pop-up and pop-under pages in its traffic numbers, its competitor Nielsen/NetRatings attempted to eliminate such counts from its results.
Marissa Gluck, senior analyst at Jupiter, said even though X10 ads are "ubiquitous" and are at a high frequency of exposure, they don't tell the whole story. She said the Internet is not that dissimilar to offline media in that consumer behavior shows that people react to such ads "just as they do with their TV remote control--they click away advertising they don't find relevant or entertaining."
The X10 ad is "not the widely successful campaign that it might appear to be," Gluck said. "The consumer is in control of the experience despite the best efforts of marketers to impose their will on consumers. Consumers are ultimately the ones in charge--they vote with their mouths, just like they vote with their remote."
X10 could not be immediately reached for comment.
X10 has been climbing Jupiter's U.S. top 50 Web and digital media properties chart, moving up a notch from fifth place in May to fourth place in June. X10 had 28.6 million unique visitors in May and 34.2 million in June.
However, Jupiter said, without traffic from pop-unders, X10 would have only 2.7 million unique visitors. The site's number of engaged shoppers, meaning those who spend at least three minutes on a site, is 1.2 million.
The study compared six sites: X10, Amazon.com, eBay, Monster.com, Unicast and BizRate.com. While X10 had the most significant number of people dropping out of the ad or site, Unicast trailed with a 64 percent drop-off rate, and BizRate.com had a 37 percent drop-off rate.
Pop-under ads fail to catch buyers
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6688554.html?tag=st.ne.1005.saslnk.saseml
By Gwendolyn Mariano
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
July 26, 2001, 2:15 p.m. PT
As pop-under ads gain steam, they fall short of converting Web surfers into buyers, according to a new report released Wednesday.
Research firm Jupiter Media Metrix found that camera maker X10--which uses pervasive pop-under ads that automatically open a browser window linked to the site--had the most significant number of people that dropped out of its ad or Web site. While X10 has achieved a mass reach online, with 32.8 percent of the Web's entire audience between January and May, 73 percent of its visitors left the pop-under window or site within 20 seconds, according to Jupiter.
The results, according to New York-based Jupiter, reveal that pop-under ads build brand awareness at the expense of brand affinity.
The report comes amid the wave of debate over pop-under and pop-up ads that have stirred the advertising community and Web measurement companies. While Jupiter initially defended its inclusion of pop-up and pop-under pages in its traffic numbers, its competitor Nielsen/NetRatings attempted to eliminate such counts from its results.
Marissa Gluck, senior analyst at Jupiter, said even though X10 ads are "ubiquitous" and are at a high frequency of exposure, they don't tell the whole story. She said the Internet is not that dissimilar to offline media in that consumer behavior shows that people react to such ads "just as they do with their TV remote control--they click away advertising they don't find relevant or entertaining."
The X10 ad is "not the widely successful campaign that it might appear to be," Gluck said. "The consumer is in control of the experience despite the best efforts of marketers to impose their will on consumers. Consumers are ultimately the ones in charge--they vote with their mouths, just like they vote with their remote."
X10 could not be immediately reached for comment.
X10 has been climbing Jupiter's U.S. top 50 Web and digital media properties chart, moving up a notch from fifth place in May to fourth place in June. X10 had 28.6 million unique visitors in May and 34.2 million in June.
However, Jupiter said, without traffic from pop-unders, X10 would have only 2.7 million unique visitors. The site's number of engaged shoppers, meaning those who spend at least three minutes on a site, is 1.2 million.
The study compared six sites: X10, Amazon.com, eBay, Monster.com, Unicast and BizRate.com. While X10 had the most significant number of people dropping out of the ad or site, Unicast trailed with a 64 percent drop-off rate, and BizRate.com had a 37 percent drop-off rate.
Yahoo is a registrar for the dot-biz domain names.
http://new.domains.yahoo.com/biz_learnmore.html
The link also contains good info about how the system will work.
http://new.domains.yahoo.com/biz_learnmore.html
The link also contains good info about how the system will work.
From ZDNet News July 18, 2001 Microsoft pulls back on Java support
Microsoft is quietly pulling back support for Java in its new products, dealing a new blow to a rival technology that played a starring role in the software giant's continuing antitrust battle with the government.
Prerelease copies of Microsoft's new Windows XP operating system, which goes on sale this fall, drop the software needed to run Java-based programs. Java software is used to create some of the animated and interactive features of Web pages and hand-held devices; Web surfers using computers with Windows XP won't see those features without loading additional software.
A Microsoft spokesman said Java support was diminished for "business reasons" and noted that it follows last year's legal dispute with Java's creator, Sun Microsystems Inc. Under terms of a settlement with Sun, Microsoft was given the right to continue to use early versions of Sun's Java code in Microsoft products for seven years, but made no commitment to do so.
The spokesman said the Java support in Windows up until now "is a lot of code that many users don't need, and if they do need it there will be a variety of ways for them to obtain it, including through PC manufacturers, who will be free to install it on Windows XP, and by downloading it from the Web." He also said that customers upgrading from an earlier Windows version will still be able to use the Java software.
After Windows XP is launched in October, users will be directed to download a plug-in from Microsoft's Web site (www.microsoft.com) to make Java-based programs work. Without this step, "any Web page that contains Java applications will not run -- it will be a dead page," said Jan Vitek, a professor of computer science at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. "This favors Microsoft's new technologies, and will inconvenience consumers," he said.
For Web-based businesses, Vitek added, "if you want your Web page accessible to the largest number of people, you may want to drop Java" and switch to Microsoft's competing set of products, which is under development and is known as .Net.
Because Java is designed for use across different operating systems, Microsoft has long viewed it as a threat to its Windows monopoly, and the technology has played a central role in the U.S. antitrust case. Among its findings in the case three weeks ago, a unanimous federal appeals court in Washington D.C. ruled that Microsoft had engaged in a deceptive and predatory campaign to cripple Java technology.
Microsoft hasn't said whether it will appeal the June 29 ruling to the Supreme Court. After the ruling, the company said it would work with the government to resolve remaining issues in the case, whether in a settlement or proceedings before a new judge.
A Sun spokeswoman declined to comment.
Tightening Java security
In a separate move affecting Java, Microsoft is tightening security settings in its new Windows and Office programs that in some cases will also disable Java programs. Microsoft's new products will now screen out Java as a possible carrier of computer viruses in e-mail and, under high-security settings, in Web-browsing software. This move, first signaled in a software "security patch" distributed last year, is part of a broader effort by Microsoft to help stamp out the spread of computer viruses.
A Microsoft security-product manager, Scott Culp, noted that the tighter security settings affect several Microsoft products as well.
"We treated our own technology exactly the way we have treated Java," he said. The security settings are fully customizable by the user or by a computer-system administrator, he noted. "We made the default setting the highest possible and want the customer to be able to then make an informed choice," Culp said.
Java backers complain that the new security settings unfairly lump Java with other, more risky types of code, because Java has built-in security making viruses extremely rare. Unlike many forms of "executable" code that Microsoft seeks to block, Java runs in a software "sandbox" in the browser that prevents it from gaining control of the computer. As a result, Java viruses have been rare.
"Making e-mail and browsing more secure is a good thing, but banning Java doesn't make sense," said Andrew Shikiar, the director of Possie (www.possie.org), an Atlanta-based group of Java developers funded by small and midsize companies affected by the changes.
Shikiar also charges that Microsoft's new security rules don't halt the transmission of e-mail attachments that contain Microsoft Word or Excel "macros," a form of code that has often been identified as spreading viruses. But Microsoft counters that it has taken other steps to tighten security on viruses spread this way.
Motoaki Yamamura, development manager for the antivirus software maker Symantec Corp., estimated that about a dozen Java viruses have been found by researchers, compared with thousands based on the "macro" programming features of Word and Excel.
"The threats that I would put at a red-alert level have been zero in the Java category," added Bob Hansmann, enterprise software manager for Trend Micro Inc., another antivirus specialist in Cupertino, Calif.
Yet some corporate computer managers routinely block or scan Java code with gateway programs called firewalls out of a more general fear that computer hackers will find new ways to exploit Java to do mischief. Hansmann speculated that Microsoft is reacting to concerns expressed by some of those customers and said the security restrictions are warranted if managers can turn them on or off.
Lisa Gurry, another Microsoft product manager, said the "macro" security settings in Word and Excel have been tightened using a different approach, substantially lessening their threat while providing the maximum consumer choice. "We want to provide both a high level of security and a high level of choice," she said.
The decision to drop Java support from Windows XP was first apparent last week in a "beta" or test version that Microsoft released to software developers. Java "virtual machine" code, which is what runs Web-based Java programs, had been included in all previous versions. Microsoft didn't announce the change.
Microsoft is quietly pulling back support for Java in its new products, dealing a new blow to a rival technology that played a starring role in the software giant's continuing antitrust battle with the government.
Prerelease copies of Microsoft's new Windows XP operating system, which goes on sale this fall, drop the software needed to run Java-based programs. Java software is used to create some of the animated and interactive features of Web pages and hand-held devices; Web surfers using computers with Windows XP won't see those features without loading additional software.
A Microsoft spokesman said Java support was diminished for "business reasons" and noted that it follows last year's legal dispute with Java's creator, Sun Microsystems Inc. Under terms of a settlement with Sun, Microsoft was given the right to continue to use early versions of Sun's Java code in Microsoft products for seven years, but made no commitment to do so.
The spokesman said the Java support in Windows up until now "is a lot of code that many users don't need, and if they do need it there will be a variety of ways for them to obtain it, including through PC manufacturers, who will be free to install it on Windows XP, and by downloading it from the Web." He also said that customers upgrading from an earlier Windows version will still be able to use the Java software.
After Windows XP is launched in October, users will be directed to download a plug-in from Microsoft's Web site (www.microsoft.com) to make Java-based programs work. Without this step, "any Web page that contains Java applications will not run -- it will be a dead page," said Jan Vitek, a professor of computer science at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. "This favors Microsoft's new technologies, and will inconvenience consumers," he said.
For Web-based businesses, Vitek added, "if you want your Web page accessible to the largest number of people, you may want to drop Java" and switch to Microsoft's competing set of products, which is under development and is known as .Net.
Because Java is designed for use across different operating systems, Microsoft has long viewed it as a threat to its Windows monopoly, and the technology has played a central role in the U.S. antitrust case. Among its findings in the case three weeks ago, a unanimous federal appeals court in Washington D.C. ruled that Microsoft had engaged in a deceptive and predatory campaign to cripple Java technology.
Microsoft hasn't said whether it will appeal the June 29 ruling to the Supreme Court. After the ruling, the company said it would work with the government to resolve remaining issues in the case, whether in a settlement or proceedings before a new judge.
A Sun spokeswoman declined to comment.
Tightening Java security
In a separate move affecting Java, Microsoft is tightening security settings in its new Windows and Office programs that in some cases will also disable Java programs. Microsoft's new products will now screen out Java as a possible carrier of computer viruses in e-mail and, under high-security settings, in Web-browsing software. This move, first signaled in a software "security patch" distributed last year, is part of a broader effort by Microsoft to help stamp out the spread of computer viruses.
A Microsoft security-product manager, Scott Culp, noted that the tighter security settings affect several Microsoft products as well.
"We treated our own technology exactly the way we have treated Java," he said. The security settings are fully customizable by the user or by a computer-system administrator, he noted. "We made the default setting the highest possible and want the customer to be able to then make an informed choice," Culp said.
Java backers complain that the new security settings unfairly lump Java with other, more risky types of code, because Java has built-in security making viruses extremely rare. Unlike many forms of "executable" code that Microsoft seeks to block, Java runs in a software "sandbox" in the browser that prevents it from gaining control of the computer. As a result, Java viruses have been rare.
"Making e-mail and browsing more secure is a good thing, but banning Java doesn't make sense," said Andrew Shikiar, the director of Possie (www.possie.org), an Atlanta-based group of Java developers funded by small and midsize companies affected by the changes.
Shikiar also charges that Microsoft's new security rules don't halt the transmission of e-mail attachments that contain Microsoft Word or Excel "macros," a form of code that has often been identified as spreading viruses. But Microsoft counters that it has taken other steps to tighten security on viruses spread this way.
Motoaki Yamamura, development manager for the antivirus software maker Symantec Corp., estimated that about a dozen Java viruses have been found by researchers, compared with thousands based on the "macro" programming features of Word and Excel.
"The threats that I would put at a red-alert level have been zero in the Java category," added Bob Hansmann, enterprise software manager for Trend Micro Inc., another antivirus specialist in Cupertino, Calif.
Yet some corporate computer managers routinely block or scan Java code with gateway programs called firewalls out of a more general fear that computer hackers will find new ways to exploit Java to do mischief. Hansmann speculated that Microsoft is reacting to concerns expressed by some of those customers and said the security restrictions are warranted if managers can turn them on or off.
Lisa Gurry, another Microsoft product manager, said the "macro" security settings in Word and Excel have been tightened using a different approach, substantially lessening their threat while providing the maximum consumer choice. "We want to provide both a high level of security and a high level of choice," she said.
The decision to drop Java support from Windows XP was first apparent last week in a "beta" or test version that Microsoft released to software developers. Java "virtual machine" code, which is what runs Web-based Java programs, had been included in all previous versions. Microsoft didn't announce the change.
Saturday, August 04, 2001
Who do the aliens choose, and why haven't they chosen you?
So why wait? Why wonder if they're ever going to come for you? Why even invest the time, trouble, and expense involved in an actual abduction when the highly trained and professional staff at Alien Abductions Incorporated can provide you with personalized, realistic memories of the alien abduction that you have been waiting for your entire life?
When you choose an AAI Abduction Experience our doctors, hypnotists, and memory implant technicians work with you in pre-abduction orientation sessions to customize one of our hundreds of stock abductions to suit your personal taste. You can even pick one of our fetishist's specials--interspecies breeding, medical experimentation--it's all up to you. Whether you select a solo abduction or one of our special Group Abduction packages (great for corporate retreats, school groups, and theme parties), AAI gives you the best abduction for the lowest price.
http://www.alienabductions.com/
So why wait? Why wonder if they're ever going to come for you? Why even invest the time, trouble, and expense involved in an actual abduction when the highly trained and professional staff at Alien Abductions Incorporated can provide you with personalized, realistic memories of the alien abduction that you have been waiting for your entire life?
When you choose an AAI Abduction Experience our doctors, hypnotists, and memory implant technicians work with you in pre-abduction orientation sessions to customize one of our hundreds of stock abductions to suit your personal taste. You can even pick one of our fetishist's specials--interspecies breeding, medical experimentation--it's all up to you. Whether you select a solo abduction or one of our special Group Abduction packages (great for corporate retreats, school groups, and theme parties), AAI gives you the best abduction for the lowest price.
http://www.alienabductions.com/
Thursday, August 02, 2001
Virus Statistics
An insteresting site about email virus/worms and their spread. It has statistics and even maps of the spread of the viruses.
http://www.messagelabs.com/viruseye/
An insteresting site about email virus/worms and their spread. It has statistics and even maps of the spread of the viruses.
http://www.messagelabs.com/viruseye/
Thursday, July 26, 2001
People other than Dan with too much time on their hands...
Easter Egg instructions: 1. Go to www.iwin.com; 2. Click 'treasure' tab; 3. when you get to the main screen, press the plus key on the keypad (+) Note: You will see crazy screens and an error message. Don't worry... it's just a simulation!
Easter Egg instructions: 1. Go to www.iwin.com; 2. Click 'treasure' tab; 3. when you get to the main screen, press the plus key on the keypad (+) Note: You will see crazy screens and an error message. Don't worry... it's just a simulation!
Tuesday, July 17, 2001
See the New Class Calendar with hosting and interface provided by http://www.calendars.net/
Anyone can add events to the calendar. It should help you guys find when there are office hours and coordinate schedules. It is located on the "Class Schedule" link from my (spinning head) home page.
http://www.zse4.com/beacon/calendar.asp
Note that I will be cancelling my Thursday lab hours for a few weeks while I do some mop up work in South Carolina. Any reasonable hour that is not taken on the calendar is also a time when I should be available for one-on-one help for you guys.
Anyone can add events to the calendar. It should help you guys find when there are office hours and coordinate schedules. It is located on the "Class Schedule" link from my (spinning head) home page.
http://www.zse4.com/beacon/calendar.asp
Note that I will be cancelling my Thursday lab hours for a few weeks while I do some mop up work in South Carolina. Any reasonable hour that is not taken on the calendar is also a time when I should be available for one-on-one help for you guys.
A new way to catch hackers. Interesting theory at least.
For those of you who missed it DEFCON was in Vegas last week, the largest hacker/security convention in the US.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/600060.asp?0dm=C14NT
For those of you who missed it DEFCON was in Vegas last week, the largest hacker/security convention in the US.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/600060.asp?0dm=C14NT
A fun site for those slow afternoons - Surfing The Apocalypse
Check their statistics of the number of clicks they've had on their banner ads.
http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.com/
Check their statistics of the number of clicks they've had on their banner ads.
http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.com/
One for the kids
Making Ice cream with items around the home.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/icecream.html
Making Ice cream with items around the home.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/icecream.html
Powers of 10
Similar to virtual skydive, but in an Java Applet that takes to from subatomic particle to a view of the milky way.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index.html
Similar to virtual skydive, but in an Java Applet that takes to from subatomic particle to a view of the milky way.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index.html
Favorite Moments from The Muppet Show
Requires QuickTime, but where else can you see Beaker and Animal singing Feelings.
http://www.henson.com/hmoment/hmoment_archives_body.html
Requires QuickTime, but where else can you see Beaker and Animal singing Feelings.
http://www.henson.com/hmoment/hmoment_archives_body.html
If you have read or heard about The Bible Code, here is the same rule applied to Moby Dick.
The following challenge was made by Michael Drosnin (author of The Bible Code): "When my critics find a message about the assassination of a prime minister encrypted in Moby Dick, I'll believe them."(Newsweek, Jun 9, 1997)
Note that English with the vowels included is far less flexible than Hebrew when it comes to making letters into words. Nevertheless, without further ado, we present our answer to Mr Drosnin's challenge.
http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/dilugim/moby.html
The following challenge was made by Michael Drosnin (author of The Bible Code): "When my critics find a message about the assassination of a prime minister encrypted in Moby Dick, I'll believe them."(Newsweek, Jun 9, 1997)
Note that English with the vowels included is far less flexible than Hebrew when it comes to making letters into words. Nevertheless, without further ado, we present our answer to Mr Drosnin's challenge.
http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/dilugim/moby.html
I Bet You Will
In case you've ever been curious about how much money it would take to get a person in Times Square to change into a thong on the street and allow someone to eat a piece of chocolate cake off their butt.... This is the site for you.
One of the first Internet game shows. They have signed a deal to make it into a TV show.
http://www.ibetyouwill.com/
In case you've ever been curious about how much money it would take to get a person in Times Square to change into a thong on the street and allow someone to eat a piece of chocolate cake off their butt.... This is the site for you.
One of the first Internet game shows. They have signed a deal to make it into a TV show.
http://www.ibetyouwill.com/
The Google Zeitgeist
A Google resource that tracks the popularity of search terms and other peculiarities of the search engine business.
http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html
A Google resource that tracks the popularity of search terms and other peculiarities of the search engine business.
http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html
Free search engine submitter and other Web tools
Also: a spelling check for web pages, a color picker and previewer, a bad link finder, check to see who links to you, and find your position in search engine results.
http://www.jimtools.com/
Also: a spelling check for web pages, a color picker and previewer, a bad link finder, check to see who links to you, and find your position in search engine results.
http://www.jimtools.com/
What happens when Web Companies Die?
An article about the 42,000 WebVan cup holders at PacBell Park in San Francisco.
From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/07/11/MN159427.DTL
What to do with 42,000 cup holders labeled with a company that just went bust?
That's the question confounding the San Francisco Giants with the demise of Webvan, the online grocery company that had its trademark plastered on every seat cup holder at Pac Bell Park.
Does the team scrape the labels off right away? Can it go looking for another advertiser?
"Our lawyers are looking at it," said Giants executive vice president Larry Baer.
In fact, Baer said the team has been working on it ever since it first got wind that Webvan was headed for the dot-com dumper.
Webvan had a three-year, "low-seven-figure" contract with the Giants for stadium advertising, Baer said -- which included the cup holders, as well as a couple of ballpark billboards.
And there's still one year to go.
Still, the idea of having a loser's logo splashed all over the park is something the image-conscious Giants would like to see end ASAP.
As for Herculean job of stripping off all those 42,000 Webvan labels?
"If we put them on -- we can take them off," says Baer.
Who knows, maybe the fans will want to take them home as souvenirs.
An article about the 42,000 WebVan cup holders at PacBell Park in San Francisco.
From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/07/11/MN159427.DTL
What to do with 42,000 cup holders labeled with a company that just went bust?
That's the question confounding the San Francisco Giants with the demise of Webvan, the online grocery company that had its trademark plastered on every seat cup holder at Pac Bell Park.
Does the team scrape the labels off right away? Can it go looking for another advertiser?
"Our lawyers are looking at it," said Giants executive vice president Larry Baer.
In fact, Baer said the team has been working on it ever since it first got wind that Webvan was headed for the dot-com dumper.
Webvan had a three-year, "low-seven-figure" contract with the Giants for stadium advertising, Baer said -- which included the cup holders, as well as a couple of ballpark billboards.
And there's still one year to go.
Still, the idea of having a loser's logo splashed all over the park is something the image-conscious Giants would like to see end ASAP.
As for Herculean job of stripping off all those 42,000 Webvan labels?
"If we put them on -- we can take them off," says Baer.
Who knows, maybe the fans will want to take them home as souvenirs.
Movie Clips from "The Tick" coming out this fall. A good excuse to waste some time.
http://www.spe.sony.com/tv/shows/tick/video.phtml
http://www.spe.sony.com/tv/shows/tick/video.phtml
CertMag's StudyGuide Spotlights CIW Certification; Supplement Helps Professionals Prepare for Internet Jobs
Tue Jul 17 13:31:47 2001 GMT
AUSTIN, Texas & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2001--
MediaTec Publishing Inc., publisher of Certification Magazine, today mailed its August 2001 issue, featuring an edition of CertMag's StudyGuide that focuses on the popular ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO) CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) certification programs.
Articles and resources in the CIW StudyGuide are also available now for free on the CertMag.com Web site.
Issued quarterly and bound into Certification Magazine, CertMag's StudyGuides dissect particular certification programs, focusing on exam preparation. The CIW StudyGuide features an overview of the CIW tracks, a report on quick pathways to CIW certification and on available study materials, dissections of the Security Professional Series and CIW Foundations exams and a practice test to prepare you for the all-important Foundations Exam.
The August 2001 issue of Certification Magazine is also available at major bookstores, including Borders, Barnes & Noble, Tower Records, Virgin Megastores and Micro Centers. The next issue of CertMag's StudyGuides will focus on Novell's certification programs and will be delivered with the November 2001 Certification Magazine.
"CIW is certainly a hot story in the certification industry, growing by leaps and bounds in the past year," said John R. Taggart, executive vice president and group publisher of MediaTec Publishing, which publishes Certification Magazine and IT Contractor magazine. "We've focused our StudyGuides on the most in-demand certifications available, and we expect this issue will be of particular interest to IT professionals. The CIW programs cover large territories in Information Technology, so getting prepared for this program is a large step in the right career direction."
The CIW StudyGuide was prepared by Emmett Dulaney, a noted IT author and Certification Magazine's StudyGuide editor. Also adding perspectives to the StudyGuide are noted authors Robert Bogue, Malcolm Dean and Jeff Durham. In addition to resources in the printed supplement, the CIW StudyGuide features an additional Web-only article that gives even more information on the CIW programs. That article can be found with the rest of the CIW StudyGuide content online at www.certmag.com/issues/aug01/sg/.
"The Internet and the IT industries have experienced incredible growth and have had dramatic effects on communities and businesses around the world," said Julie Rowe, vice president of products and programs at ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO). "By educating the public on job-role certifications like CIW, Certification Magazine plays a key role in retooling today's work force for competency in industry standards, strong knowledge of best practices and familiarity with hardware and software from many vendors."
About MediaTec
MediaTec Publishing Inc., is the leading source of education, training and career information in the IT marketplace. MediaTec publishes Certification Magazine and the CertMag family of publications, including CertMag EXTRA and CertMag TRAINER electronic newsletters, the http://www.CertMag.com and http://www.ITcertinfo.com Web sites and a series of quarterly CertMag's StudyGuides. MediaTec also publishes IT Contractor, a bimonthly magazine offering its readers the latest news, information, advice and resources on the outsourced labor industry, the http://www.ITCmagazine.com Web site and the ITC News & Views electronic newsletter.
About ProsoftTraining.com
ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO) is a global supplier of IT educational materials and certifications designed to create a work force with marketable and portable IT job skills. Prosoft curriculum and certifications are distributed through one of the world's largest learning center channels, academic institutions, corporations and e-learning organizations. ProsoftTraining.com offers industry-leading ComputerPREP brand courseware and e-learning for use in classrooms, self-study and distance-learning environments. Prosoft owns two IT job-role certifications: CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) and CCNT (Certified in Convergent Network Technologies) and provides education programs that support the certifications. ProsoftTraining.com is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information on Prosoft, visit the Web sites at http://www.ComputerPREP.com, http://www.CIWcertified.com and http://www.ProsoftTraining.com.
This press release contains forward-looking information relating to revenue, demand for and the success of our products. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements include but are not limited to risks associated with business and economic conditions, a lack of growth in information technology training the continued demand for certification in general, and CIW in particular, the continued acceptance of CIW as a standard, the inability to increase market share, the Company's ability to attract and retain key management and other personnel, and the other risks and uncertainties outlined in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information.
Copyright © 2001 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
Tue Jul 17 13:31:47 2001 GMT
AUSTIN, Texas & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2001--
MediaTec Publishing Inc., publisher of Certification Magazine, today mailed its August 2001 issue, featuring an edition of CertMag's StudyGuide that focuses on the popular ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO) CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) certification programs.
Articles and resources in the CIW StudyGuide are also available now for free on the CertMag.com Web site.
Issued quarterly and bound into Certification Magazine, CertMag's StudyGuides dissect particular certification programs, focusing on exam preparation. The CIW StudyGuide features an overview of the CIW tracks, a report on quick pathways to CIW certification and on available study materials, dissections of the Security Professional Series and CIW Foundations exams and a practice test to prepare you for the all-important Foundations Exam.
The August 2001 issue of Certification Magazine is also available at major bookstores, including Borders, Barnes & Noble, Tower Records, Virgin Megastores and Micro Centers. The next issue of CertMag's StudyGuides will focus on Novell's certification programs and will be delivered with the November 2001 Certification Magazine.
"CIW is certainly a hot story in the certification industry, growing by leaps and bounds in the past year," said John R. Taggart, executive vice president and group publisher of MediaTec Publishing, which publishes Certification Magazine and IT Contractor magazine. "We've focused our StudyGuides on the most in-demand certifications available, and we expect this issue will be of particular interest to IT professionals. The CIW programs cover large territories in Information Technology, so getting prepared for this program is a large step in the right career direction."
The CIW StudyGuide was prepared by Emmett Dulaney, a noted IT author and Certification Magazine's StudyGuide editor. Also adding perspectives to the StudyGuide are noted authors Robert Bogue, Malcolm Dean and Jeff Durham. In addition to resources in the printed supplement, the CIW StudyGuide features an additional Web-only article that gives even more information on the CIW programs. That article can be found with the rest of the CIW StudyGuide content online at www.certmag.com/issues/aug01/sg/.
"The Internet and the IT industries have experienced incredible growth and have had dramatic effects on communities and businesses around the world," said Julie Rowe, vice president of products and programs at ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO). "By educating the public on job-role certifications like CIW, Certification Magazine plays a key role in retooling today's work force for competency in industry standards, strong knowledge of best practices and familiarity with hardware and software from many vendors."
About MediaTec
MediaTec Publishing Inc., is the leading source of education, training and career information in the IT marketplace. MediaTec publishes Certification Magazine and the CertMag family of publications, including CertMag EXTRA and CertMag TRAINER electronic newsletters, the http://www.CertMag.com and http://www.ITcertinfo.com Web sites and a series of quarterly CertMag's StudyGuides. MediaTec also publishes IT Contractor, a bimonthly magazine offering its readers the latest news, information, advice and resources on the outsourced labor industry, the http://www.ITCmagazine.com Web site and the ITC News & Views electronic newsletter.
About ProsoftTraining.com
ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO) is a global supplier of IT educational materials and certifications designed to create a work force with marketable and portable IT job skills. Prosoft curriculum and certifications are distributed through one of the world's largest learning center channels, academic institutions, corporations and e-learning organizations. ProsoftTraining.com offers industry-leading ComputerPREP brand courseware and e-learning for use in classrooms, self-study and distance-learning environments. Prosoft owns two IT job-role certifications: CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) and CCNT (Certified in Convergent Network Technologies) and provides education programs that support the certifications. ProsoftTraining.com is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information on Prosoft, visit the Web sites at http://www.ComputerPREP.com, http://www.CIWcertified.com and http://www.ProsoftTraining.com.
This press release contains forward-looking information relating to revenue, demand for and the success of our products. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements include but are not limited to risks associated with business and economic conditions, a lack of growth in information technology training the continued demand for certification in general, and CIW in particular, the continued acceptance of CIW as a standard, the inability to increase market share, the Company's ability to attract and retain key management and other personnel, and the other risks and uncertainties outlined in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information.
Copyright © 2001 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
How to write a basic web development proposal
When competing for web design/implementation contracts; a professionally presented web design proposal more often than not decides whether you win or lose the project. A web design proposal also decreases the incidences of misunderstandings between yourself and your clients when the project is under way and acts as a basis for a formal contract.
When putting together a basic web site proposal, you should include the following elements:
Your Information: Your background or company history, qualifications, skills, past achievements and contact details.
Project Overview: The company you are submitting the proposal for, your understanding of their products and services, the target market, the goals of the web site and a rough outline of how you will acheive them.
Theme: A description of style of site you are proposing. Elements from the client's current branding you will utilize or new elements you will develop.
Special Considerations: such as language, security or other issues pertaining to the company, site or target market that will need to be addressed.
Flowchart: A diagram showing the different pages of the site how navigation will occur.
Flowchart Description: A detailed description of each page.
Development Timeline: This should be a description of each stage of development, the estimated completion date and notes regarding client consultation and supply of information/feedback from the client. This may also include milestone payments for involved projects and site promotion activities. Make it clear that traffic takes time to build up after implementation and promotion should only occur after the site has been tested thoroughly. Improper implementation can cost months of traffic.
Costing: A descriptive breakdown of costing and total of quote including an end date before the price will need to be re-calculated. This will include items such as domain name registration, hosting fees and outsourcing for sections of the site you will not be able to develop yourself. Ensure you take into account items including travel time, electricity,telephone amd consumables. Factor in the cost of the proposal as well; a good proposal will take hours of your time and you should be compensated for that. In your eagerness to gain the contract, you may lose money if you quote too close to the bone. Bear in mind that things rarely go strictly to plan in web design and delays can be expected. Time is money. The going rate for web design services seems to be between US$25-$75 per labor hour at present; dependent upon the complexity of the task and the competency of the designer.
Terms and conditions: Expectations and commitments. It is not unusual for web projects to be delayed due to clients not supplying feedback or content necessary to complete sections. It is just as important to be clear in what you expect from your clients as well as explaining your commitment to them. Conflict resolution issues and feedback mechanisms should be described. Your clients will need to know what will occur if they do not supply information when requested, or request changes mid-stream and the action that you will take if you are running behind in the project yourself. You need to be clear on payment details and consequences of failure to pay for the services that you provide.
Mock-ups (samples). Be careful not to give too much away, just enough to give the client a good idea of what the site will look like. Ensure copyright notices and intellectual property statements are in place.
Maintenance. Summarize an offer of ongoing site maintenance or the implications of the client deciding to update or maintain the site themselves after it has been established.
The above points are usually sufficient to put together a professional web design proposal for a small to medium project. If drafting a proposal based on criteria given to you by the prospective client; be sure to address all the points. If the client suggests the proposal documentation be a certain format, respect that. In the culling process, the first proposals to be binned will be the ones that do not address all the criteria the client has laid down.
Bear in mind that not all the web design proposals you submit will be accepted. Be prepared to do some heavy revisions to satisfy your clients and to find a middle ground where all parties feel comfortable. A prospective client asking for revisions is a good sign - they are genuinely interested. Also remember that some companies will ask you for proposals purely to use as a comparison against another designer that they are interested in utilizing; so try and limit the amount of time you spend on the draft until the client gives indication of serious interest.
By Michael Bloch
michael@tamingthebeast.net
www.tamingthebeast.net
Tutorials, web content and tools, software and community
Marketing, eCommerce and General Training Services
Article courtesy of EzineArticles.com(tm)
http://www.ezinearticles.com/
When competing for web design/implementation contracts; a professionally presented web design proposal more often than not decides whether you win or lose the project. A web design proposal also decreases the incidences of misunderstandings between yourself and your clients when the project is under way and acts as a basis for a formal contract.
When putting together a basic web site proposal, you should include the following elements:
Your Information: Your background or company history, qualifications, skills, past achievements and contact details.
Project Overview: The company you are submitting the proposal for, your understanding of their products and services, the target market, the goals of the web site and a rough outline of how you will acheive them.
Theme: A description of style of site you are proposing. Elements from the client's current branding you will utilize or new elements you will develop.
Special Considerations: such as language, security or other issues pertaining to the company, site or target market that will need to be addressed.
Flowchart: A diagram showing the different pages of the site how navigation will occur.
Flowchart Description: A detailed description of each page.
Development Timeline: This should be a description of each stage of development, the estimated completion date and notes regarding client consultation and supply of information/feedback from the client. This may also include milestone payments for involved projects and site promotion activities. Make it clear that traffic takes time to build up after implementation and promotion should only occur after the site has been tested thoroughly. Improper implementation can cost months of traffic.
Costing: A descriptive breakdown of costing and total of quote including an end date before the price will need to be re-calculated. This will include items such as domain name registration, hosting fees and outsourcing for sections of the site you will not be able to develop yourself. Ensure you take into account items including travel time, electricity,telephone amd consumables. Factor in the cost of the proposal as well; a good proposal will take hours of your time and you should be compensated for that. In your eagerness to gain the contract, you may lose money if you quote too close to the bone. Bear in mind that things rarely go strictly to plan in web design and delays can be expected. Time is money. The going rate for web design services seems to be between US$25-$75 per labor hour at present; dependent upon the complexity of the task and the competency of the designer.
Terms and conditions: Expectations and commitments. It is not unusual for web projects to be delayed due to clients not supplying feedback or content necessary to complete sections. It is just as important to be clear in what you expect from your clients as well as explaining your commitment to them. Conflict resolution issues and feedback mechanisms should be described. Your clients will need to know what will occur if they do not supply information when requested, or request changes mid-stream and the action that you will take if you are running behind in the project yourself. You need to be clear on payment details and consequences of failure to pay for the services that you provide.
Mock-ups (samples). Be careful not to give too much away, just enough to give the client a good idea of what the site will look like. Ensure copyright notices and intellectual property statements are in place.
Maintenance. Summarize an offer of ongoing site maintenance or the implications of the client deciding to update or maintain the site themselves after it has been established.
The above points are usually sufficient to put together a professional web design proposal for a small to medium project. If drafting a proposal based on criteria given to you by the prospective client; be sure to address all the points. If the client suggests the proposal documentation be a certain format, respect that. In the culling process, the first proposals to be binned will be the ones that do not address all the criteria the client has laid down.
Bear in mind that not all the web design proposals you submit will be accepted. Be prepared to do some heavy revisions to satisfy your clients and to find a middle ground where all parties feel comfortable. A prospective client asking for revisions is a good sign - they are genuinely interested. Also remember that some companies will ask you for proposals purely to use as a comparison against another designer that they are interested in utilizing; so try and limit the amount of time you spend on the draft until the client gives indication of serious interest.
By Michael Bloch
michael@tamingthebeast.net
www.tamingthebeast.net
Tutorials, web content and tools, software and community
Marketing, eCommerce and General Training Services
Article courtesy of EzineArticles.com(tm)
http://www.ezinearticles.com/
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