1) ALWAYS target your press releases to appropriate media. Take your time to research different forms of media available in your particular market niche. Don't try sell or adverise. Failure to do this will have your press release in trash somewhere. Working with editor by providing newsworthy information to provide for his/her reader will provide editor with incentive to work with you.

2) Take your time when writing your press release. Don't just brag about your product or service - editors could care less how great you think your stuff it. Make sure that you slant your press release so that's NEWSWORTHY! Think of ways how you can fulfill your readers' needs! Focus on what that need or problem is and write press release from perspective of readers' benefits. This way your release will get MUCH more attention. If you have a website then you release is a powerful tool to gain some traffic.

However, extended power outage of almost 4 days, ongoing loss of Internet access, combined with many other events surrounding recent Hurricane Isabel caused me to reassess my priorities.

When "high-tech" business gets into a head-on collision with a natural or man-made disaster, we all need to ask, "Do we really need Internet?"

Well, when you're in line for 3 hours to get gas so you can siphon tank to run your father-in-law's generator in order to save $1,000 worth of food in three freezers - you don't need Internet, you need expectation that you'll find gas.

When you're driving around for 2 hours trying to find ice so you can have a cold drink and make your family more comfortable on a 90+ degree day - you don't need Internet, you need patience and a sense of humor.

When a good friend of yours falls 30 feet off a ladder while helping his neighbors cut a tree off their house, fractures his back and neck, punctures a lung and must be airlifted to hospital in critical condition - you don't need Internet, you need faith he'll be okay!