October 31, 2004
In an Interview with Nana NetLife Magazine, a hacker exposed security holes in Google's GMail.

So you’ve got a Gmail mail account? Or maybe you’ve just received an invitation? Well, we have some bad news for you: Your mail box is exposed.

A major security hole in Google's mail service, allows full access to user accounts, without the need of a password. "Everything could get publicly exposed – your received mails might be readable, as well as all of your sent mail, and furthermore – anyone could send and receive mail under your name", thus reveals Nir Goldshlagger, an Israeli hacker, on an exclusive interview with Nana NetLife Magazine. "Even more alarming", he explains, "is the fact that the hack itself is quite simple. All that is needed of the malicious hacker, beside knowledge of the specific technique, is quite basic computer knowledge, the victim's username – and that’s it, he's inside".

When approached, Google admitted to the security flaw. Google also assured us that this matter is being resolved, and that "the company will go to any length to protect its users". Full Article

October 29, 2004
Offering a lite free version is a great way to attract attention to your product line. Free products generate interest and good will. Once you have a prospective customers attention you can often communicate additional offerings or interest them in an advanced version or additional products. Use a free version as the lure.

October 28, 2004
I recently decided that it was time to move away from a paper laden office. Now you have to understand my habits, I find something interesting, I print it. When I have time I sort through my stacks of printed material and either dig deeper into items of interest or toss them. Hence my office is constantly in a state of disarray. The first thing I did was to download SurfSaver, a program that claims to save & search web pages instantly. I figured that I would store web pages of interest in SurfSaver rather than printing a copy. I didn't expect the added bonus of being able to search the documents. What I've found is that SurfSaver not only got rid of my huge stacks of paper but that I can now *find* what I'm looking for!

SurfSaver imbeds itself right into Internet Explorer. You simply click a little icon to save the web page into a designated folder. You can index and describe the page to make it easier to find at a later date and time. The settings are customizable, allowing you to optionally save graphics and to determine the depth of links you want saved on each web page.

As I've been using the software the possibilities for expanding the initial intended use have gotten me to thinking. I can save online reviews, archive old versions of websites, capture hardcopies of sites copying content, and easily organize new resources for research projects. I've also decided that SurfSaver is perfect for students doing research, who have difficulty keeping track of bibliographical sources! Great software for getting organized, saving time and increasing productivity!!!
SurfSaver - http://www.surfsaver.com

October 27, 2004
Very interesting piece about corporate blogging, by Charlene Li from Forrester. The piece discusses corporate fear, and why businesses are leary to jump on the blogging band wagon. Have a look -

"I’ve been watching the blogging phenomenon for a while, but to experience it personally – and to see the impact it can quickly have – is still astounding. So, yes, there are a lot of barriers companies need to overcome, but I also see some pretty big benefits. " remainder of blog post

October 26, 2004
A study shows that the average small-business owner works 52 hours a week. But behind the averages is another story.

For most entrepreneurs, owning a small business means working longer hours than everybody else. The average small-business owner works 52 hours a week, according to a 2000 study by New York marketing firm Willard & Shullman. Meanwhile, May figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the average American production employee puts in 34.2 hours.

Behind the averages is another story. Seventeen percent of the business owners in the Willard & Shullman study reported working fewer than 39 hours a week. That's close to the employees' average, and some entrepreneurs say they work quite a lot fewer than 39 hours. more of the article

October 24, 2004
Even the well known business magazine has begun publishing a business blog. Of course they incorporate the standard disclaimer - "the opinions of individual Fresh Inc. contributors don't necessarily reflect the editorial position of Inc. magazine as a whole."

October 22, 2004
RSS Specifications - a comprehensive rss reference detailing everything you need to know about RSS. RSS is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication and Rich Site Summary. RSS is an XML-based format for content distribution. Webmasters create an RSS file containing headlines and descriptions of specific information. While the majority of RSS feeds currently contain news headlines or breaking information the long term uses of RSS are broad. RSS files are formed as XML files and are designed to provide content summaries of news, blogs, forums or website content.

October 20, 2004
We've recently expanded the listing of Forums in the Small Business Forum directory. If you are looking at being involved in an online business community, forums are a great place to start. Be sure that you adhere to the TOS or forum terms of service. Only post appropriate content and follow any link and signature restrictions set forth by forum moderators. Sometimes it is a good idea to watch a forum for a few days before posting. This will give you a sense of the forum decorum. ;-)

October 18-19, 2004
It Is All About Content Syndication - New websites are being launched daily. In order to compete, webmasters need to find alternative ways of producing themed websites. Highly focused articles are often sought by wembasters. Why? Because content on the web is still king! In order to attract search engines and site visitors, webmasters rely heavily on providing new, innovative and fresh content.

October 16, 2004
There is a really fabulous post in the Shareware Promotions blog about website design and how its so important to portray a professional image. You only have the first few seconds to grab the interest of the visitor. Take a look at the Web Site Design tips.

October 15, 2004
The study, released earlier this week by the BSA, confirms that almost one in four businesses (23 percent) runs software without licenses in the workplace. Yet, paradoxically, 89 percent of the 1500 professionals polled agree that illegal software is "a risk no business can afford to take."

Why do the do it? What are the industry implications? How can software companies safeguard against piracy... Read More

October 14, 2004
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Since a lot of the world's information isn't yet online, we're helping to get it there. Google Print puts the content of books where you can find it most easily; right in Google search results. To use Google Print, just search on Google as you normally would. For example, do a search on a subject such as "Books about Ecuador Trekking," or search on a title like "Romeo and Juliet." Whenever a book contains content that matches your search terms, Google will show links to that book in your search results. Click on the book title and you'll see the page that contains your search terms, as well as other information about the book. You can also search for other topics within the book. Click "Buy this Book" and you'll go straight to a bookstore selling the book online.

Right now Google is just beta testing this program, so you may not see books in your results for every search. But you can expect to see more and more books popping up in your search results in the coming months

October 13, 2004
Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo -- The Premier Event for Search Engine Marketing & Optimization After our recent hugely successful show in San Jose, Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo is making its way to Chicago. Make plans to attend December 13-16 at McCormick Place, Lakeside Center, Chicago! Register by November 30th and save $100 - for more information call (203) 662-2857 or visit http://www.jupiterevents.com/sew/fall04/index.html

"Search" is the hottest topic in marketing. Period. Millions of Internet users turn to search engines each day. Are they finding you? Search Engine Strategies ensures they will. Organized by recognized search authority Danny Sullivan, only Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo gives you the actionable information you need to grow your business through search engine marketing. At this intensive four-day event, you'll learn the ins-and-outs of search engine marketing from top experts in the field and from the search engines themselves.

Search Engine Strategies also provides a unique setting to network with fellow marketers and search engine industry professionals and discuss the trends in search engine marketing.

October 12, 2004
Blogging for dollars might sound like the latest game show or some new drinking game, but it's the latest craze to hit the Internet. Bloggers began blogging for a number of reasons, but as the blog movement has increased in popularity, they have found ways to monetize their blogs and are seeing their commitment pay off. Find out how to Blog for Dollars

October 11, 2004
There is a fascinating article detailing advertisement trends. Its really an interesting look of what appeals to customers, and trends that have taken hold in the world of online advertising. The general fundamentals still hold, using imagery to convey feelings. Really interesting how the business world uses techniques and technology to encourage customers to part with cash.

October 9, 2004
Wire Services -

Market Wire provides comprehensive distribution of corporate press releases and media advisories directly to leading newspapers, broadcast outlets, newswires, consumer and trade publications, analyst terminal systems, Web sites and online databases around the globe. Find out what companies from the Fortune 500 to emerging start-ups already know: quality distribution, world-class client service and affordable pricing make Market Wire an unbeatable value.

Business Wire - Business Wire disseminates full-text news announcements from thousands of companies and organizations worldwide (our members) to news media, financial markets, disclosure systems, investors, information web sites, databases and other audiences. With more than four decades of experience and leadership, Business Wire is a trusted source for journalists, investors, regulatory agencies, and communications professionals. In fact, Business Wire enables companies to fulfill the disclosure requirements in many countries, including the US, UK, Canada, France and Germany as well as reach financial audiences around the globe.

PrimeZone - PrimeZone Media Network is a press release newswire and multimedia service with one of the world's most extensive distribution networks.

Canada Newswire - Canada NewsWire resource for time-critical news and information from more than 10,000 sources coast to coast and around the world. Public companies, associations, unions, not-for-profits, municipal, provincial and federal governments all rely on CNW’s unique multi-media communication services and networks to effectively send their messages to newsrooms, the financial community and the public.

US Newswire - News release wire service for public interest news sources, providing unparalleled distribution of news to print, broadcast and online media worldwide since 1986.

October 8, 2004
Does your Web Site collect information? Does your Web Site post a privacy policy? If not, post one today. Consumers are looking at Web Sites to determine how well business protects consumer privacy. The first thing they look for is a prominently posted and clearly written privacy policy. If you need help drafting your organization's privacy policy, use these free online privacy policy generators. These Web-based tools will walk you through step-by-step the key elements that need to be in your privacy policy and will produce one based on your responses.

October 7, 2004
EPIC is a public interest research center in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values. EPIC publishes an award-winning e-mail and online newsletter on civil liberties in the information age – the EPIC Alert. They post information about privacy policies and businesses. Very interesting!

October 6, 2004
Vivisimo has just launched a beta cluster search engine, Clusty. Clusty automatically organizes search or database query results into meaningful hierarchical folders completely on-the-fly, out-of-the-box. It cleanly interfaces with any search engine or document database, transforming long lists of search results into categorized information without any clumsy pre-processing of the source documents.

October 5, 2004
Overture also added some new budgeting features that are supposedly designed to help you control your monthly spending. Based on the amount of money you specify as your daily budget, you'll have the option of spreading the appearance of your displayed listings throughout the day. The idea is to help you maintain a constant traffic flow as opposed to using up all your clicks early in the day.

On September 14th, Yahoo announced their intent to a acquire Musicmatch, Inc., a provider of music software and services. Purchase price – 160 million dollars! While this may not be an issue to most online businesses in regards to search engine positioning, it does signal that Yahoo is intent on diversifying their online presence into competitive retail channels.

On September 23rd, LookSmart announced their acquisition of Furl.net. Furl's flagship product allows users to Save a permanent copy of articles, pages and receipts – all with a single click – and then search and share that data through email, RSS, or via your own site.

October 4, 2004
How do we keep Internet communication simple? Let's start by taking a look at the different methods used to communicate on the web. It is important to understand the nuances and benefits of the different forms.

Internet communication is intrinsically tied to the hardware options available. Wireless technology has accelerated the development of messaging software, opening the market to a dizzying array of devices for web access. Where we were once tied to a keyboard and mouse, we will soon be navigating the web with our voices from a moving automobile, or browsing via screens in our eyewear, with tiny cameras reading our eye movements to move the cursor and make selections. Our interactive conversations will include more and more participants at once. Evaluating the many options and choosing what works best for you is the first step to effectively communicating on the web. Article on Internet Communication

October 1, 2004
I recently attended a conference related to online marketing. There was a fabulous presentation about using websites as a sales tool. The presentation touched a number of obvious items, but also delved into the thinking of the visitors and the small things that can be done to capture their interest. The website as a sales tool power point can be viewed online.