Seize the internet! Written by Dave Collins
For many years, libraries have been regarded as 'ultimate source of information and knowledge', yet so many people use them for other purposes. They are used as social and cultural forums, community centres, meeting places, entertainment venues, and even for warmth and shelter. The same may be said of internet - fairly recent version of this ultimate resource for individuals and businesses alike. The internet is certainly used for entertainment and social purposes, and offers much in way of social functions and communication. However there's so much more to it than that, and so much more that any individual or business, and especially software developers, can utilise. It's there for taking. Newsgroups When it comes to opportunity, newsgroups would seem to be one of more neglected areas of internet, especially by software developers. First of all they're a superb source of current information and public opinion, but that's only beginning. They offer developer two opportunities - advertising and exposure. A great forum for announcing new software, new releases, upgrades and updates… newsgroups also offer you opportunity to be seen as an expert in your field. Not only do you get chance to be seen, but to be seen as an authority in areas of your choosing. Use this tool wisely, and its benefits may be immeasurable. There are a few dangers though - make sure that you follow rules and etiquette of each newsgroup; you don't want to be labelled as a spammer, and irritating people is no way of improving your image. Going on from this, be careful what you say, and how you say it. Your comments and manner will reflect on your company and software; never forget this. My own opinion is that it's wise man who sits and listens first, and only speaks when he has something to say. When he does so for long enough, people lean forward to hear him. Discussion Lists Joining a discussion list is another invaluable way of raising your profile and establishing a reputation as a knowledgeable source. Don't go in for blatantly selling your product as soon as you get a chance; person that runs list will not take kindly to having their work hijacked for your own free publicity, and neither will readers. But it is a great way to establish yourself as a knowledge source, and depending on list moderator and rules, you should be able to get your signature at end of every posting. At very least this should contain your website URL and email address. If you're lucky you might even get your slogan in there too. Your signature is another frequently overlooked tool - at end of every single email and newsgroup posting you send, get your essential contact details in there. Don't waste any opportunity to be noticed. The same rules apply as to newsgroups - be professional and courteous at all times, and if you don't have anything to say, don't say it! Banners Constantly source of much debate as to their effectiveness, general consensus is that banners are a dead or dying media. Nonsense! The banner lives - and can also be a vital part in your software marketing strategy. There are free and commercial options available in abundance; but level of success will be mainly determined by how carefully targeted your exposure is. For example, let's say you had an image editing application, and decided to invest a little in some banner exposure. Having it at very top of CNN's home page would increase your exposure almost as fast as it would empty your bank account. But how many click-throughs do you think it would get? If, however, you were at top of home page of a clipart site, exposure rate would be both slower and infinitely more productive. You'd be sure to get more clicks and visitors at a far lower price. The common mistake is to think that having your banner up on a low-traffic site is a waste of time; rubbish! Targeted exposure is more effective and usually cheaper. A thousand exposures at $25 per thousand costs same whether delivery takes an hour or a month.
| | Why use antivirus software?Written by Eric Koshinsky
Why use antivirus software? Eric Koshinsky http://www.antivirus-report.comThis is a really simple question to answer – you need to use antivirus software to protect your own computer, and to prevent your computer from being used to pass on infections to other machines without your knowledge. If you use internet and you don’t take precautions, you’re going to get infected. And you’ll infect others, including those you care about most like your friends, family, and business contacts because their information is in your email address book and other files on your computer. If you don’t care about infecting others, let’s look at economic argument for a moment. You have a computer that must have cost at least $600, and perhaps as much as $4,000. On top of that you’ll have a monitor for which you paid between $250 and $1000, and you’re running software costing at least $500 dollars. If you have business or specialist packages installed then I’m guessing you may have invested $5000 in software alone. You will probably pay upwards of 25 dollars a month for your internet connection. And if you store personal data on your PC, it is probably worth more than money to you. So you’ve got equipment worth something like $1400 if you’re computing on cheap, right up to (and beyond) $10,000 if you flex your wallet a little. Think of this as being same in price as an acceptable older used car right up to pretty good used car you could buy for ten thousand dollars. Now imagine that car had all locks removed and could be started without a key – and of course you could paint “STEAL ME” on it for good measure. That makes a lot of sense..yea right! Having a computer that does not have up-to-date antivirus and firewall protection is pretty much exactly same. You are simply asking for trouble! This kind of trouble doesn’t need to be invited twice, because viruses, worms, Trojans and all rest, are designed to find unprotected computers and attack them. They don’t seek out protected computers! If they find one, they simply move on. NOTE: Firewalls are one good way to keep net-nasties moving on, you can learn more about them at: http://www.antivirus-report.com/freeware-firewall.html Remember, computer viruses are designed, they don’t just happen by accident. Because human intelligence is behind viruses they develop quickly, use surprising and unexpected tactics, and they hit us where we are weakest.
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