used to work for me): pressing Shift, selecting suspicious messages and then hitting Del,

* try hard not to select some very good and very important messages together with suspicious ones,

* accept phone calls from extremely upset clients accusing you of infecting their computers with God knows what worm

(personally got in trouble with BugBear),

* working on an extremely low system because an efficient AV is doing its job scanning, updating, warning, locking etc.

* delete all your Outlook contacts in order not to become infectious for friends and clients in case your computer

somehow got infected,

...then you know what it's like. Both Outlook and Outlook Express, while different applications, with no related history,

have security as their weakest link. And that's why some people switch to other email clients that are said to be more

secure.

It is true that most worms are today Outlook dedicated because Outlook has both more users and more security holes. It is

also true that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates set security as a top priority back on 17th January 2002 (it's been almost two

years by now). While I don't mean to ban Outlook or Outlook Express, I'd like to choose best for me, and best doesn't

seem one of fore mentioned, at moment.

competitors' websites. All you need to do is always insist on your USP (unique selling proposition). You'll always offer

something that no other competitor will. If you don't, you'll soon be out of business anyway, so why bother with email

marketing? Whatever you do, your customers & prospects will appreciate sincerity in first place.

Become a member yourself in other communities. Have you thought about starting with your best competitors? If they kick you

out, remember to post a thank you message on your own list (no kidding).

Publishing in targeted discussion lists is a powerful way to reach thousands of prospects. And they're already 'filtered'.

Now you are treating your subscribers like real persons, that have preferential needs. Now you can get back to thinking about

sales. Netiquette

This is not just about how others behave on web. You have to respect some rules too. When you place a link, don't

mislead. When you choose a subject line, don't lie. When you splash a half page title, make sure it relates to content of

the message. Finally, some editing tips:

* Don't take me as an example and use short phrases.

* Use lists.

* When you start editing a newsletter, you become a public person. That's like a public speaker. Don't be afraid to speak

for yourself. Let people know who is talking.

* Use a friendly, but non-aggressive & friendly approach.

* When sending personalized messages, make sure that names are being spelled correctly.

* Ring bell! Arouse interest by using questions. Start with a controversial subject. Use incendiary or celebrity

statements on topic you want to approach. Create a doubt.

* Stay away from cliches like 'we are best', 'we doubled our sales last month' and so on. How well you've been doing

lately is probably more interesting for yourself than your subscribers.

* Quote authorized opinions.

* Get celebs in your business field to write an article now and then for your ezine. Ask for interviews, get statements

and figures. These are some very objective inputs that you can use.

* Always include your incentives and current sales in newsletter. Some subscribers may not visit website for

several weeks.

* Provide tips, especially about bargains: books, seminars. Don't let fact that they are offered by competitors stop

you. Prove competition really works for you. Well this doesn't mean you need to be laudative for no reason.

* Don't forget to sign your articles. Say who you are and post a contact link. This is beauty of email. You can send

to anyone and receive from anywhere, in a moment.