Newsletter No. 123
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Free Pint
"Helping 53,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 17th October 2002 No.123
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IN THIS ISSUE
EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Helen Clegg
FREE PINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JOBS
Senior Researcher (Corporate Finance)
Information Officer - Legal
Information Assistant
TIPS ARTICLE
"Is your site slow, medium or fast, and does it really matter?
Essential Sources for Web Performance Analysis and Improvement"
By John Lewell
BOOKSHELF
"Marketing Concepts for Libraries and Information Services"
Written by Eileen Elliott de Saez
Reviewed by Alison Ross-Dow
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Taking the Plunge into the Entrepreneurial World
of the Independent Information Professional"
By Penny Leidtke Sienkiewicz
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
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Online Information 2002: the world's no. 1 event for information
professionals, librarians, knowledge managers,
researchers and publishers
3-5 December 2002, Olympia, London UK
Full conference programme at
<http://www.online-information.co.uk/online/conference.asp>
>> Book now for early bird discount - offer ends 4 November <<
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>>> ABOUT FREE PINT <<<
Free Pint is an online community of information researchers. Members
receive this free newsletter every two weeks packed with tips on
finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet.
Joining is free at <http://www.freepint.com/> and provides access to
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EDITORIAL
I've worked in customer service for a number of information vendors,
and I'm absolutely convinced it's crucial for keeping customers on
your side. You can't put a price on the value of good customer support.
That's why we're announcing the 'Online Information / Free Pint Vendor
Customer Service Award'. This is your chance to reward an organisation
who has provided you with excellent customer service. Cast your vote
today at <http://www.freepint.com/events/online-info-2002/>.
The Award is being run in conjunction with Online Information 2002 in
London in December <http://www.online-information.co.uk>. We'll be
exhibiting at the show, and organising workshops as usual. I hope you
will come along to this major event in the information calendar.
We will be presenting the Customer Service Award at the Gala Awards
Dinner. So come on Free Pinters, make your choice from the list of
exhibitors and cast your vote for the one who has provided the best
customer service: <http://www.freepint.com/events/online-info-2002/>.
On the topic of awards, we've just heard that the Chartered Institute
of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has awarded
Free Pint the Jason Farradane Award 2002. We're delighted about this
and think it's a fitting thank you to the hundreds of people who
have contributed to Free Pint over the last five years (yes, it's
nearly our fifth birthday!).
We've just added further dates for our oversubscribed Exchanges,
including today's on Electronic Copyright. We're also re-running
the popular topics of managing intranets, communities of practice,
telecoms information, and effective writing. So, book early as
they'll all fill quickly <http://www.freepint.com/exchange/>.
Back to today's newsletter where you can read all about improving
your Web site's speed, and get the inside story on what it takes
to be a successful independent information professional.
Don't forget to check out the fully formatted version of this
newsletter which is much easier to read and takes less pages to print.
It's available free online at <http://www.freepint.com/issues/> and
you can even have it sent to you automatically by modifying your
subscription at <http://www.freepint.com/member/>.
Cheers
William
William Hann BSc(Hons) MCLIP, Founder and Managing Editor
Email: <william@freepint.com> Tel: +44 (0)1784 420044
Free Pint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2002
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Thursday 24th October 2002, West London, UK
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Helen Clegg
* I use the Merriam Webster dictionary at <http://www.m-w.com> to
check spellings quickly. This site also has a thesaurus.
* As one of my working languages is German, I find the LEO online
dictionary at <http://dict.leo.org> - really useful. It's compiled
by the Informatics Department of the Technische Universitat in
Munich.
* <http://www.bisnis.doc.gov> - This is a great site for information
on Russia and other newly independent states. I discovered it the
other day and immediately bookmarked it. It's run by the US
Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration.
* When I'm searching for a reputable market research company, I use
the ESOMAR directory at <http://www.esomar.nl>. It's regularly
updated and covers most countries of the world.
* If there's no financial information on a publicly traded German
company on the company's own web site, I surf to
<http://www.marketone.de> - which has profit/loss and balance sheet
data for many publicly traded German companies. This site is all in
German though!
Helen Clegg is Market Analyst with RR Donnelley Europe, in Amsterdam.
She holds a B.A Hons in French and German and M.Sc in Library and
Information Studies from Loughborough University. She can be contacted
at <Helen.Clegg@rrd.com>.
Email your top five favourite Web sites to <penny@freepint.com> or
see the guidelines at <http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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Web and as face-to-face seminars. To learn how to search our
unmatched collection of sources more effectively register today at
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Thursday 7th November 2002, West London, UK
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As well as the selected listings below, check out the weekly Bar
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/171002.htm#tips>
"Is your site slow, medium or fast, and does it really matter?
Essential Sources for Web Performance Analysis and Improvement"
By John Lewell
The majority of Internet managers, web developers and hosting
providers in the UK are poorly informed about issues relating to web
performance.
"We have no performance problem," one e-commerce manager told me last
week. I checked the speed of an average page on his site using the
speed checker at <http://www.siteconfidence.co.uk/>.
It said: "The total download time of the page with all its elements
was 47.422 seconds".
Personally, if I have to wait 47 seconds to get served in John Lewis I
leave the goods on the counter and walk to Debenhams. Many people do
much the same on the Internet.
Here are some facts: only 11 percent of households currently have
broadband (9 percent in one estimate); a 56Kbps modem takes 5 seconds
to download a 35 kilobyte image.
Less factual is the estimate that the average Internet user clicks
away from a page after 8 seconds unless there is a compelling reason
to wait longer. Researchers believe the clickaway time has shortened
in the past year to around 5 seconds.
The above figures just don't add up. Web sites are overburdened with
rich content. And it's not sufficient merely to monitor response
times, using <http://www.alertmefirst.com/>, helpful though it is.
You have to consider what happens when you squeeze the entire page
over that last mile of thin copper wire.
There are at least 20 ways of improving web performance and I've
explained all of them at <http://www.futureproven.com/>.
The best and most obvious way to solve the last mile problem (apart
from getting everyone to upgrade their connection) is to shrink the
data. This can be done with compression at the server. Products range
in price from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars. Some even
compress dynamic pages "on-the-fly" before the data gets encrypted for
security purposes. Decompression takes place at the user's computer,
where nearly every browser since Netscape 1.0 has had decompression
capabilities.
A more costly and elaborate performance solution is to store some of
the content at the edge of the Internet, closer to the user, using
Edge Side Includes (ESI). These are additions to the page code that
give instructions to search nearby servers for missing elements.
Most prominent among the pioneers of ESI is Akamai
<http://www.akamai.com/>, a company that has grown exponentially by
establishing a worldwide caching network for frequently accessed page
elements.
Content Delivery Networks, such as Akamai and Speedera
<http://www.speedera.com>, help to overcome the inherent latency of the
Internet -- all those cumulative delays between the originating server
and the last mile.
Yet it is back at the originating server where most performance
enhancement usually takes place. You can add caching, increasingly
part of an integrated performance/security installation. For the
latest news on this topic, check:
<http://www.web-caching.com/news.html> or the extensive resources at
<http://www.caching.com/>.
Other ways of improving your web performance include the essential
steps of optimising your graphics and your HTML, offloading TCP
processing to specialised hardware, outsourcing DNS, and the more
adventurous techniques of route control and sequence reduction, too
complex to explain here.
If you are unhappy with your shared hosting service, maybe it's time
to move to a dedicated server with a hosting company that has a
reputation for speed. Once you have your own server you can add
compression to make absolutely sure that your users are getting their
pages as fast as possible.
Finally, keep an eye on your site's performance with one of the
standard measuring systems such as <http://www.keynote.com/>,
<http://www.empirix.com/>, or <http://www.mercuryinteractive.com/>.
Analysing site performance and taking steps to improve it can ensure
100 percent availability. As Jupitermedia
<http://www.jupitermedia.com/> has pointed out: "When a site
experiences a service outage, 9 percent of customers permanently
abandon the site, and 48 percent establish a relationship with a
competitor".
With all the remedies that now exist, there's no excuse for poor web
performance. So keep up-to-date on the latest techniques by reading
<http://www.nwfusion.com/> or some of the other sources mentioned. Your
users will thank you for it.
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John Lewell is Director of Technology Relations Ltd., the London-based
PR and sales consultancy that created Internet ProductWatch and, more
recently, futureproven.com.
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Related Free Pint links:
* "Internet Webmaster" resources in the Free Pint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p183>
* Post a message to the author, John Lewell, or suggest further
resources at the Free Pint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/171002.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of Free Pint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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FREE PINT BOOKSHELF
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"Marketing Concepts for Libraries and Information Services"
Reviewed by Alison Ross-Dow
This second, paperback edition of Eileen's book has increased in size
from 145 pages to 224, with the addition of two new chapters. These
are: chapter five, covering promotion and public relations, and
chapter seven, focusing on the new issue of marketing in the digital
age. The remaining eight chapters have been reworked and updated
presenting the original points from the first edition in a clearer
format.
The chapters each cover a different aspect of the marketing process
and are clearly laid out with the areas to be covered and a list of
useful references for further reading at the end. Until volunteering
to review this book, I had not taken the time to read Eileen's earlier
edition. These two constituted only the second and third marketing
books which I had read, the other being the much shorter "Know How
Guide on Marketing" published by Aslib.
I found Eileen's book to be a wealth of knowledge on marketing
techniques and practices, but I did feel that if, as an information
professional, I was suddenly told to start marketing my service, I
would not turn to this book as a quick read. For the information
professional or librarian (who Eileen targets as her main audience)
with time to indulge in the book, it contains useful examples taken
from the public and private sectors. It is good that there is a
balance between the two, making the book appeal to a wider audience.
However if I was short of time I might find the book somewhat
academic, though this only serves to emphasise the worthy background
of the author.
Points to take away are the potential new roles for librarians and
information professionals. Anyone involved in marketing activity
should consider a mix of traditional methods, e.g. press releases or
telephone marketing and the 'e' opportunities presented by email and
web sites. Eileen suggested that one of the most important aspects of
the marketing process is customer relationship management - not
wasting time delivering services that customers do not want and would
not use. Finally, Eileen said that librarians and information
professionals should do what they do best - market research - and
apply this together with traditional marketing concepts to old and
new environments, always remembering that they are part of the
greater corporate identity.
I would say that this is a good, well-researched book, presented
suitably to the chosen audience, if they have time to read it. A
marketing person by trade may think that the book lacks
sophistication, but I feel that Eileen has presented the issues well
for a non-marketing audience.
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Alison Ross-Dow is the Information Resource Centre Manager at Aslib-
IMI and also works closely with her company's special interest groups
and regional branches. She has been in the profession since 1998 and
has a keen interest in web design and usability issues. This is her
first written piece for Free Pint.
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Related Free Pint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the Free Pint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/market-lib.htm>
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk
<http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1856044262/freepint0c>
or Amazon.com
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1856044262/freepint00>
* "Marketing Concepts for Libraries and Information Services"
ISBN 1856044262, published by Facet Publishing, written by
Eileen Elliott de Saez
* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the Free Pint
Bookshelf at <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
* Read about other Internet Marketing books on the Free Pint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/marketing.htm>
To propose an information-related book for review, send details
to <bookshelf@freepint.com>.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/171002.htm#feature>
"Taking the Plunge into the Entrepreneurial World
of the Independent Information Professional"
By Penny Leidtke Sienkiewicz
It's 8 p.m. Tuesday evening. The project that came in that morning
is due 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. The last person to be interviewed
is, so far, unreachable. The DSL line just went down, the keyboard is
frozen, the fax machine is jammed, no one has eaten yet, and it sounds
like trouble is brewing in the next room. It's a scenario to which
many independent information professionals can relate.
A few years ago, I started to question whether I wanted to continue
working as Vice President and Director of Research for a small
investment bank or to move on and start my own company, providing
information research and retrieval services. I enjoyed doing
research and running the department, but the firm was going through
structural and cultural changes. The future was questionable and it
was as good a time as any to look into venturing out on my own. What
follows is a broad overview of some of the factors considered, steps
taken, and resources used to setup and run On-Target Information
Services.
I've included links to selected sources of information useful to
entrepreneurs in general and information professionals in particular.
Several links to UK and/or European sites are also included, even
though On-Target is a US-based firm. There is, however, one caveat:
These sites are not the only sources of information available. They
are merely a starting point since it would be impossible to list all
of them here.
How's the Water?
----------------
Among the first questions any entrepreneur needs to answer are what do
they have to start with and what do they need to turn their idea into
a going concern. Based on my own self-inventory, I believed I was
starting with a good foundation: an MBA in International Business
combined with years of business writing, analysis, and research
experience. I also had an initial group of prospective clients,
including my then current employer and some other firms they had
referred to me. Finally, I had the interest and drive to set off on
my own.
The list of what I needed, however, was much longer. I needed (listed
here in no particular order) an office, equipment, supplies,
furniture, stationery, business cards, subscriptions to various
services, a business plan, a marketing plan and any related materials
or supplies, a larger pool of prospective clients, an accountant and
a lawyer to help me figure out how to make the business legitimate
in the eyes of the federal, state, and city governments. They say the
devil is in the detail and they're not kidding. Each item listed
above required significant time, money, and effort, not to mention
sometimes agonizing decisions. Nevertheless, I decided it was worth
the effort, gathered my courage, and dove into the world of the
entrepreneur.
Learning to Swim
----------------
I started by developing a business plan, albeit an informal one.
First, I needed to find out about the industry and its prospects, how
business was conducted, and how clients were located. This is where
industry trade associations are useful. I was already a member of the
Special Libraries Association <http://www.sla.org> but I found the
Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), at
<http://www.aiip.org> was even a closer fit and immediately joined.
Not only does AIIP provide information on the industry via
conferences, white papers, and other materials, but it also offers
ongoing guidance through the community of members that participate in
its listserv.
In addition to SLA and AIIP, there are numerous other organizations
that may be useful to you depending on your area of interest,
including (but not limited to):
* Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP)
<http://www.scip.org>
* The European Information Researchers Network (EIRENE)
<http://www.eirene.com>
* American Society for Information Science & Technology
<http://www.asis.org>
* American Libraries Association <http://www.ala.org>
Active memberships in these and other similar associations, and
participation in any related electronic forums, can help keep you
informed of industry developments, new search strategies, options
related to business operations, equipment and service selections, and
possibly provide access to vendor discount programs. Many -- AIIP and
SLA included -- welcome international members.
While these associations are an invaluable source of information,
other sources such as newspapers, periodicals, monographs,
presentations, and books are also helpful. A few (among the many)
that I found useful are: Information Today; Searcher; Online; 'The
Information Brokers Handbook' by Sue Rugge and Alfred Glossbrener;
the Super Searchers series including the recent 'Super Searchers Make
it on Their Own' which was reviewed for Free Pint by Marylaine Block
in issue #118 ; and "How
to Avoid Liability: The Information Professional's Guide to
Negligence and Warranty Risks" by T.R. Halvorson.
But while there is no substitute for knowing about the industry in
which you are operating, you (or a partner or associate if you have
one) must understand the nitty-gritty aspects of actually setting up
and running a business in general. There are countless sites
dedicated to the entrepreneur, including various federal, state, and
local government sites, to help you set-up and run your new business.
A few good general ones are:
* U.S. Small Business Administration <http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov>
* U.S. Business Advisor - <http://www.business.gov/> - a site created
with the assistance of the Small Business Association and maintained
by them to be a one-stop link to federal information and services
for the business community. The "Info Desk" section also provides
links to state business programs.
* Startup Journal from The Wall Street Journal Center for
Entrepreneurs <http://www.startup.wsj.com>
* CCH Business Owner's Toolkit <http://www.toolkit.cch.com>
There are similar sites in other countries as well. For instance, in
the U.K. check out the Department of Trade & Industry
<http://www.dti.gov.uk/for_business.html>, the related Small Business
Service <http://www.sbs.gov.uk>, and their online advice site at
<http://www.businesslink.org>.
The British Libraries Business Information Services
<http://www.bl.uk/services/information/business.html> site includes
fact sheets and links to business sources on the Internet and is worth
visiting if you are thinking of starting a business. Crimson
Publishing's site <http://www.startups.co.uk> is also worth a visit.
Diving In
---------
Once the research, the plan, and all the government forms were
completed, the office was set up and the equipment and subscriptions
were in place (all of which took almost a year), I was ready to
announce to the world that On-Target Information Services was open for
business. Okay. Now the real work began.
I had to find and hopefully retain clients, keep up to date with
developments in my field and the fields of my target market(s), and do
all of the administrative work associated with running a business. You
know, all that work that other people do for you when you work for
someone else.
Parkinson's Law states that 'Work expands to fill the time available
for its completion'. If you doubt it's true, start your own business.
For added 'fun', run it out of your home. With the office in your
home, it is very easy to roll out of bed and into the office. Before
you know it, you're exhausted, your family life is a mess, and your
work suffers eventually as well. What to do? Basically, you have
to find a balance and take a break. Go for a walk or jog, do yoga,
water the garden, or talk to a friend about anything but business.
One way to take a small break, but still be doing something
constructive and necessary for the business, is to dedicate some time
to networking activities. Networking is exceptionally important in
the information research and retrieval industry. A majority of our
business comes from someone we know, or someone that was referred to
us by someone we know or by someone we've met at some time or other,
or by someone who knows someone who knows someone ... get the
picture?
First, you need to connect with your colleagues. In addition to
joining the different associations and attending conferences, one way
to do this is to participate in various electronic discussion groups
such as Free Pint, AIIP-L, BUSLIB-L, MEDLIB-L, or any of the various
groups connected with SLA or other organizations, including those
mentioned earlier. Not only do these groups help you connect with
your colleagues, but they also help you learn about new sites,
strategies, and issues facing your industry and business. Keep in
mind, though, that some of these groups require membership before you
can participate in their electronic forums. They may also serve as an
electronic 'water cooler'. Working at home can be very isolating and
they provide an opportunity to 'speak' with other people about work
and possibly other unrelated topics if permitted as spelled out in the
group's guidelines.
But, your colleagues are not the only people you need to be in touch
with. You have to get out and meet the members of your target
market. It is vital to the success of your business to stay apprised
of developments and issues of importance to both active and
prospective clients. It is equally important to expand your pool of
contacts and widen your market. And, networking is the way to go.
Check into which organizations or associations are relevant to your
business and join those that you feel will be most beneficial. Attend
meetings, volunteer at events if you have the time, write articles or
columns, and stay in front of your market as much as possible. But
don't spread yourself too thin. You can always drop one group and
join another if the first one doesn't turn out to be worthwhile.
Two important things to remember about networking are that you rarely
see results immediately and it is never a one-shot deal. It is
ongoing. I've heard one theory that says that there has to be at least
12 separate interactions before the contact becomes a client. True or
not, the moral is to never pass up the opportunity to meet someone new
or to get reacquainted with someone you've met before without a
compelling reason to the contrary.
After looking around, I joined the local chamber of commerce, a
consultant's network, and an entrepreneurs group that includes various
service providers as part of its membership. These three provide wide
coverage of my target market and they each have regular meetings or
networking events. They are local organizations but many of the
members have contacts with prospective clients in other cities or
states. That's how I wound up with a client several states away.
How do you find the associations relevant to you and your market?
Word-of-mouth and research are the standard methods. There are
several directories, online and in print, that are very useful. The
Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S. from
Gale and the Gateway to Associations Online from the American Society
of Association Executives
<http://info.asaenet.org/gateway/OnlineAssocSlist.html> are good
directories of U.S.-based associations, many of which are open to
international members. Gale also publishes an international version
of its directory titled The Encyclopedia of Associations:
International Organizations.
Another source of business associations from around the world is The
Directory of Associations from Concept Marketing Group
<http://www.marketingsource.com/associations/>, which is available on
a subscription basis. Other sources of U.K. associations include the
Trade Association Network Challenge's Directory of Trade Associations
<http://www.brainstorm.co.uk/TANC/Directory/Welcome.html> and the
online directory from the Trade Association Forum at
<http://www.taforum.org/searchgroup.pl?N=500>. If you are looking for
Chambers of Commerce, visit <http://www.worldchambers.com> which
provides summary information and links to chambers around the world.
Meeting prospective clients is half the battle, turning them into
clients and keeping them is the other half. For that reason, never
forget networking activities apply to existing clients as well.
Follow-up with each new prospect and keep following up over the course
of your relationship. Look for reasons to make contact with both
prospective and active clients. Send an e-mail, call, or write about
a recent development, an invitation, a copy of your newsletter, or
anything else that will be of value to them and will keep your name in
front of them as someone willing and able to help them with their
business. But, do not bombard them with junk. We all have enough of
that and it will likely work against you.
Rough Waters?
-------------
If you are at all shy, networking can prove to be quite a challenge.
However, it's amazing how outgoing you can become if your livelihood
is on the line. Start small and set reasonable goals. Select a few
gatherings that are, for you, low stress. This can mean that you
already know one or more people attending the event, you are familiar
with the facilities, or you are exceptionally interested in the topic.
For some, it may be enough to walk away from the event with just one
or two new contacts initially. You can't network effectively if
you're so tense you can't speak and a bad networking experience can
send you running for the hills. As you become more comfortable, the
number of people you meet will increase and networking may actually
turn out to be more than just a necessary evil. You may learn to like
it. After all, it gets you out of the office (or your house if the
office is located there), you may learn something new, and you just
might meet new clients.
Running a business on a day-to-day basis is a never ending series of
challenges punctuated by a few disappointments but many more rewards.
I plunged into the entrepreneurial world of the independent
information professional a few years ago and did not drown. I have
treaded water from time to time, like most business owners. The
important thing is to lay a good foundation, take advantage of and
contribute to your industry associations, and network and follow-up
with members of your target market. Finally, keep your eye on your
goal at all times but re-evaluate it and the methods you are using to
reach it from time to time. Nothing is constant in life or business.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Penny Leidtke Sienkiewicz, principal of the information research and
retrieval firm of On-Target Information Services, has over 18 years
experience analyzing, researching, and reporting on companies,
industries, economic conditions, and financing strategies. On-Target
helps the corporate, financial, and legal communities meet their
information needs in connection with valuations, product development,
competitive analysis, mergers and acquisitions, securities analysis,
strategic planning, and market, industry or economic trend analysis.
Penny, whose breaks include attending networking events, seminars, and
assisting at a therapeutic riding facility, has given recent
presentations on starting an information services business and market
research methods. Penny can be reached at <on-targetinfo@erols.com>.
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Related Free Pint links:
* "Information and Libraries" resources in the Free Pint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p69>
* Post a message to the author, Penny Leidtke Sienkiewicz, or suggest
further resources at the Free Pint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/171002.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of Free Pint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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>>> AUTHOR UPDATE AVAILABLE <<<
This quarter's Free Pint Author Update has been published, and is
available online at <http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>. It has
suggestions of ways you might like to contribute to Free Pint, with
articles, tipples and possibly running Exchanges.
[Please note, however, that within hours of publication,
all the books have already been reserved by reviewers]
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
<http://www.freepint.com/events>
The 'International Chemical Information Conference & Exhibition' in
France is for all you chemical, patent, and sci-tech information
professionals <http://www.freepint.com/go/e108>.
The 'Competia European Symposium 2002' in the Netherlands will be
'sharing best practices from world-class organizations, exchanging
ideas, and learning from case studies in the field of competitive
intelligence' <http://www.freepint.com/go/e97>.
'Internet Librarian 2002' in November is for librarians, researchers
and information managers. It will be focusing on the Internet, the
World Wide Web and other technology that has transformed the roles
within these professions, and takes place in California
<http://www.freepint.com/go/e156>.
Submit details of your event today for free promotion. Simply
complete the form at <http://www.freepint.com/events>.
Penny <penny@freepint.com>
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FREE PINT GOLD
This time last year, in our tips article, Duncan Parry provided
guidance on useful WAP sites and services available, and Helen
Bilton looked at vacancies within the voluntary sector.
* Free Pint No.98 18th October 2001. "WAP Sites and the Mobile
Internet" and "Working in Information in the UK Voluntary Sector"
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/181001.htm>
Two years ago we took a look at geology web sites and document
delivery suppliers.
* Free Pint No.73, 19th October 2000. "Geology On The Web" and
"European Document Delivery Suppliers and Resources On The World
Wide Web" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/191000.htm>
If you're interested in music then take a look at Carey McIlvenny's
article. It will help you get the most out of your searches, and
suggest some websites you might want to take a look at. Also in
1999 Richard Wilson dissected ADSL for us.
* Free Pint No.49, 21st October 1999. "Notes on the Net: A trawl
around the Music Sites" and "Unblocking the Web: digital technology
and the telephone line" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/211099.htm>
Four years ago John Garside talked about modems and Sue Welsh looked
at health web sites for consumers.
* Free Pint No.25, 15th October 1998. "How to select and optimise your
PC Internet modem" and "A guide to Consumer Health Information on
the 'Net" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/151098.htm>
Penny <penny@freepint.com>
> = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
[Provisional]
* Working From Home * Job Hunting *
* Interview with Jakob Nielsen * Internet Resources on IT *
* Cataloguing the Web * Health Informatics * Digital Libraries *
* Venezuela * Vendors * Legal Sources * Competitive Intelligence *
* Teaching in China * Alternative Search Strategies *
* Prospect Research * Archive Television * Patents *
If you have a suggestion for an article topic or would like to write
for Free Pint then please contact <penny@freepint.com> or sign
up for the Author Update at <http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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GOODBYE
Many thanks for reading today's Free Pint. We really hope you enjoyed
it. Don't forget to make your nomination for the Customer Service
Award at <http://www.freepint.com/events/online-info-2002/>.
See you in two weeks!
William Hann, Managing Editor
<william@freepint.com>
(c) Free Pint Limited 1997-2002 <http://www.freepint.com/>
Technology by Willco <http://www.willco.com/>
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Address:
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Contributors to this issue:
William Hann (Managing Editor), Penny (Administrator), Helen Clegg,
John Lewell, Alison Ross-Dow, Penny Leidtke Sienkiewicz,
Plain Text <http://www.plain-text.co.uk/> (proof reading)
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Please note: Free Pint (ISSN 1460-7239) is a registered trademark of,
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The opinions, advice, products and services offered herein are the
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- Publication Date: 16th October 2002
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