This is same thing as stealing your visitors because you happen to make use of a keyword or phrase that is tagged by this new technology.

Microsoft originated "Smart Tags" in their Windows XP operating systems beta version.

They are a feature of Internet Explorer that "ADDS" smart links to pages everyone views. They enable real-time, dynamic recognition of content on Web pages and offer your visitors, "relevant options", as they surf.

In other words, they place links, on YOUR WEB SITE, to destinations other than your web page. Including, if they pay for privilege, to your competition!

Smart tags, which are created using XML (Extensible Markup Language), look different from other links.

Microsoft "Smart Tags" are purple and white dash underlines on a word linking you to a menu of info about that word.

However, due to HUGE public pressure, Smart Tag feature will not exist in final version of Internet Explorer 6, due out later this year.

Yet, it does remain a feature within Microsoft's Office XP, upgrade to Microsoft's suite of applications that launched May 31.

The feature gives Microsoft unfair advantage because they can use these products to redirect users to MSN owned web sites or to sites that have paid Microsoft a premium for service.

Worse still, further use and development of this technology is being encouraged by Microsoft.

This is exactly what viral marketing, a popular and powerful type of web promotion, does: It is an online technique that encourages people to spread to others message about your e-business, mostly by word-of-mouth. The technique creates either a potentially large base of prospects from your existing lists, or a new database of prospects for you.

VIRAL TOOLS! The basic tools of viral marketing are those free marketing reports and ebooks you distribute online to promote your business. One of most powerful words in marketing is word FREE. Hence, one way you can put viral marketing into action is to make good use of tools that don't take much time to create and can be given away for free.

Other viral marketing tools are your email signatures, free bonus on purchasing an item, and free products that are spread around with your information attached. These are not only tools available for you, but they will give you an idea on how to get started with your own viral marketing tool.

GET STARTED! Start a successful viral marketing campaign by making your own free give-aways.

Write an ebook or a free report on a topic you are very familiar with. If you can't really write, get someone to write for you. Trust me, it will pay off in end. If you're good at programming, why don't you write a small and simple but useful program to spread around?