Jinfo: Newsletter No. 26

Newsletter No. 26

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                             Free Pint
         "Helping 13,500 people use the Web for their work"
                    http://www.freepint.co.uk/
ISSN 1460-7239                                   12 November 1998 #26
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                           IN THIS ISSUE

                             EDITORIAL

                        TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
                    "Web Site Promotion Ideas"
                      Edited by William Hann

                          FEATURE ARTICLE
                       "CD-ROMs and the Web"
                          by Phil Bradley

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        INTRANET MANAGEMENT - A TFPL GUIDE TO BEST PRACTICE
This report will assist in getting the maximum return from an intranet
and reducing the risk of disappointment that staff often feel when the
hype fails to match the reality. Of particular assistance to managers
and intranet project teams who have been asked to develop an intranet
strategy and are committed to achieving success through good content
management. COST 85 pounds & PP. Email kim.mullings@tfpl.com or 
visit http://www.tfpl.com/consult/intranet_management_tfpl.htm
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           Find out more by emailing ads@freepint.co.uk
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                             EDITORIAL

         ... Free Pint comes to "Online Information 98" ...

We will be making a proper announcement in the next issue, but
couldn't wait to tell you that we have a large stand booked for the
"Free Pint Forum" at this year's major information event at Olympia,
London from the 8th to the 10th December. Join in the discussions and
fun on stand 414-416 where you can meet the Free Pint team, post
your comments and suggestions on the Forum wall, and get tips from
authors who have written for Free Pint. Book your free entry tickets
now on the Web at http://www.online-information.co.uk/

Back to this issue ... and if you have a Web site to promote on a 
budget then you can't miss the Tips article where we announce the 
results of last issue's competition. This is followed by an 
interesting look at how CD-ROM technology is becoming intertwined
with the Web.

May I now invite you to read on and enjoy your twenty sixth Free Pint!

Kind regards,
William

William Hann MIInfSc, Managing Editor
e: william@freepint.co.uk
t: +44 (0)1784 455435
f: +44 (0)1784 455436

PS: Please continue to recommend Free Pint to your colleagues ...
this can be done easily at http://www.freepint.co.uk/reco.htm

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*** DO YOU NEED TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE INFORMATION INDUSTRY? ***

If so, then you should be reading Information World Review. 
With key coverage of online, Internet, intranet and CD-ROM content 
worldwide, IWR is all you need to stay informed.
To receive all this every month for only 38 pounds UK/ 45 pounds ROW
please visit www.learned.co.uk or email: customerservice@learned.co.uk

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                >>>  Hints on using Free Pint   <<<

   ->  it is best viewed using the Courier font
   ->  printing it means you can read it at a more convenient time
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                        TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

                    "Web Site Promotion Ideas"
                      Edited by William Hann

In Free Pint number 25 we published the following question from 
reader Robert Lyn Davies, Editor of media01, the arts and 
entertainment interests Web site at http://www.media01.com/

"How do we attract as many visitors to the site as possible?  Since
media01 is currently being run on a shoestring how can we do this on 
the smallest budget possible?"

You may also remember that by way of a thank you, Robert has also 
supplied a bag full of film stills, merchandising, and other hard to 
get items which will be sent to the reader who supplies the best
solution to this problem.

As expected, this innovative idea has given rise to a whole raft of
responses.  In fact we had such a good reply from one reader, Mike 
Harris, that we have decided to delay publication of the planned 
article and have reproduced his letter here for the interest and
enjoyment of all other readers who are in the same situation. Mike's
bag of goodies (including "Godzilla" yo-yo's) are in the post!
This is then followed by two more entries from other excellent 
contributors who will both receive runners-up prizes of limited 
edition Free Pint goodies including leather beermats and copy holders.

It is well worth noting that Robert Lyn Davies and Mike Harris have 
both used imaginative and inventive ways of promoting their sites, and
I wish them both all the best with their separate ventures.

William Hann
Managing Editor, Free Pint
william@freepint.co.uk

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      "Suggestions for helping media01 spread the good word"
                          from Mike Harris

Following the advertising conundrum presented in issue 25 of Free 
Pint, I can certainly empathize with Robert Lyn Davies as he searches 
for ways to promote his web site, media01.  My partner and I have 
been in a similar position for the year or so that our web site has 
been up and running.  Perhaps I can share some of the things that 
helped us get the word out.

Firstly, one of the most prevalent myths circulating is that all you
have to do is build a web site, hang out an open sign, and wait for 
the customers to come pouring in.  It doesn't work with a High Street
shop, so there is no chance of it happening in cyberspace!  There is
only ONE thing to do: let as many of your best prospects as possible
know that you exist... and then give them REASONS to visit you.

It's that simple.  No, it's not EASY, but it's simple.

So, of course, the trick is finding a way to do it while spending next
to nothing.


There are many ways to get the word out on the 'Net, but most are
extremely tedious and it is extremely hard to gauge the effectiveness
of them.  I'm speaking of the 'free links for all' and 'free
classified ad sites' that are proliferating these days.  Yes, I use
them, and I can't say I get much response -- other than wads of spam
offering me untold riches.


So I will share with you the one thing that REALLY worked for us. 
When we set up our site, http://www.datesfromhell.com/dfh/index.htm we
were searching for people to send us their true, funny-awful dating
nightmare stories for a proposed book, "DATES FROM HELL (And A Few
Moments Made In Heaven)".  We were met with a deafening silence. 
Virtually nobody visited, and nobody sent us their stories.  We had to
do something.  As an old media hand (the Kent Messenger Group in the
UK, and the Gannett Co here in the USA) I knew that the idea most
people have of reporters is wrong.  The public believes that reporters
go out in the streets 'looking for stories'.  The fact is... most
stories COME TO THEM.  Sure, they rarely print a press release in its
entirety.  They'll use bits of it, or use it as the basis for a
follow-up interview.  But they won't know about it unless you TELL
them about it.


You could use the services of a reputable company like The Internet
News Bureau http://www.newsbureau.com/ or find a UK equivalent.  Or
you could keep the money in the bank and 'get the word out' with a
little sweat-equity.  You do the job yourself, realizing it will take
time - but it will cost you ZERO.  Not a bad deal.

FIRSTLY... write a good news release about media01.  By that, I don't
mean letting people know how you conceived the idea, and your mum
liked it, and it took you three years, yadayadayada. Write down three
reasons why someone should visit your site.  Answer the main question
in the public's mind: "What's in it for ME?"

Now decide why a newspaper editor or reporter would want to use up
their valuable ink and paper to print it.  Help that editor answer
this question: "What does this service do that is new, helpful,
entertaining, or informative to my readers, and why will they want to
know about it?"

With this information, you should be able to write a brief (one page)
news release about your service.  Write it in the third person.  Put
your biggest benefit in the headline.  In this case, by 'benefit' I
mean the major advantage the reader will receive by visiting your
site. Reiterate the main benefit in the lead paragraph.  Include the
web site's URL here in case the first paragraph is all that gets used.
In the second paragraph, add some more benefits, if appropriate.  The
third paragraph would be a good place to "quote" some third party
(real or spurious) explaining how wonderful the service has been to
him or her.

The final paragraph should include all the contact information, 
including the URL (again), email address, and anything else that you 
might want the public to know about.  (Of course you'll want to 
include your full name, address and phone number where the editor can
reach you for that all-important follow-up interview, but this needs 
to be clearly separated from the text of the release, preferably at 
the bottom and after the ### that signals the end of the text.)

Yes, if this were to be a normal snail-mailed news release you might
lay it out differently.  But this is an e-mail release, because you
want to do this on the cheap.  Excuse me; make that ... 
"economically".

(Let me say at this point, if you really don't feel comfortable
writing a decent news release, it probably IS worth spending a couple
of hundred to get a professional to do it for you.  You'll use it
again and again. And think of all the stamps you won't have to buy.)

SECONDLY you have to get your great news into to the sweaty hands of
the nation's hacks, or the ladies and gentlemen of the press,
depending upon your point of view.   And this, we found, is a lot
simpler than we had  expected.  Again, I say "simple" not "easy"
because it takes time.  Be grateful that you live in Great Britain and
thus have a smaller number of newspapers that you need to reach.  Here
in the States, it runs into thousands.

So where do you go?

Your first stop should be http://www.mediauk.com/directory where you
will find a gold mine, not just of newspapers, but magazines, and
electronic media (more on them later).  Another useful site for media
e-mail addresses is http://www.ping.at/guggerell/media/index.htm

However, I would use that one to fill in any gaps from the MediaUK
site. When promoting "DATES FROM HELL (And A Few Moments Made In
Heaven)" we found it was worth the extra effort to go to each
newspaper's web site and find the listing of newsroom staff.  This
allows you to address your e-mail to a particular individual, rather
than just "to editor". It is much more effective, but it is time
consuming.

Decide which editor/writer is most likely to be receptive to your
particular message.  The temptation is to look for someone who writes
a column about the Internet or computers.  I suggest this is not a
good idea.  Because of the content of your site, look for the features
editor or the entertainments writer.  He or she is always on the
lookout for something new and different to tell their readers, and if
you've worded your news release suitably, they will be grateful to you
for helping them look good to their readers.

Here is what I usually do. Having composed the news release on my word
processor, I highlight and 'copy' it.  Then using my e-mail program, I
address a personal line, in the 'text' box,  to the specific editor
something like this:
To: John Smith, Entertainments Editor, Scunthorpe Daily Bugle
Mr Smith, I believe your readers will be interested in this useful -
and fun - new service. If you need more information or wish to arrange
an interview, please see the contact info at the end of the story. 
Thank you. Robert Lyn Davies.

I would then 'copy' the text of the release into the space below, and
put a 'teaser' phrase in the Subject line, such as: 'Scunthorpe music
fans now have 24 hour info source' - and then send it.

After that, it just means working your way down the list of
newspapers, doing the same thing over and over again.  Is this spam?
CERTAINLY NOT!

You are doing these media bods a favour by giving them information
they can use in their newspapers.  Getting information is what they do
for a living!

As for the electronic media - specifically radio - they are a little
different from newspapers, but their needs are basically the same:
they need to be perceived by their listeners as the source for
information about anything useful or entertaining.  And your news
release can help them do just that.


To whom will you send these releases?  Rather than sending it to
everybody at each station, try to pick out the name that you think is
your best bet.  In some cases, that means the host of the particular
show you have in mind.  In other cases, it is best to try and direct
your release to the show's producer - if you can find the name of that
individual.  Sometimes, you'll want to send your e-mail release to the
station's news editor or news director.  If you don't know the
station, you just have to get a 'feel' for it from viewing their web
site... then use good ol' gut instinct.

For example, I went to mediauk.com and clicked on 'radio', then on 'UK
radio stations' which brought up a screen that including an alphabet
soup of choices.  I clicked on 'S' and then selected 'Signal 1' which
is a station serving Staffordshire and Cheshire. I clicked on 'shows'
then on the name 'Lee Thomas' who hosts the breakfast show, as I
guessed that this show has fairly high ratings. Up popped a
pre-addressed e-mail form at which point I could have sent him my 
news release, with a personal salutation (referring to his listeners, 
of course, not his readers!) and a 'subject' line something like: 
'Staffs & Cheshire music fans can now get instant news'.  Otherwise, 
the message could be pretty much the same as the one you sent to all 
the newspapers.

Television? Sure, why not?  In the UK, I would tend to target the
regional magazine shows that usually air after the early evening news,
rather than going after the national 'News At Ten' style programs. 
And you will probably find a couple of TV shows whose content very
closely matches that of your own web site.  In which case, it is
probably worth gambling 25p on a long distance call to determine the
name of the show's producer to whom you should send your release. 
Yes, you might have to break down and buy a stamp to send out this
one, if they prefer a hard copy to e-mail!  But a mention on a show
like that could drive a lot of visitors your way.

So what have you achieved?  You've reached editors and journos all
across the UK, and sent them a personal communication about your site.

I keep stressing 'personal' because they get dozens of generic mail
pieces every day, but very few addressed to them by name.  It gets
their attention.  You've done the same thing for dozens of radio shows
all over the country, and given air personalities something a little
more stimulating than the usual "Dear Johnny, I think your show is
fab" stuff that they're used to.  And... you've contacted some
regional TV programs, and even a national TV show or two.  All for
less than 50p. (Plus, your Internet connection charges, I suppose,
being the UK!)

Your real investment is your time, and by way of a warning, I should
say these activities can take over your life and become an obsession
if you're not careful ("Wait! Wait! I still haven't reached the
Crofters Weekly in the Hebrides!").  But the good news is, that using
the Internet and e-mail to get the word out to the media, you can
choose your own hours.  I tend to get up and put in an hour or so
between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. each morning.  If you're a night owl,
you might prefer a midnight shift.

Our results?  Very favourable!  Our book is now out, and we started a
new round of e-mailing radio stations and newspapers.  In the last
thirty days, we have done dozens of radio interviews by telephone (the
stations call us, so it goes on their bill) and have had several 
newspaper stories printed.

So to summarize: Write a good, brief news release (or have a
professional journalist do it for you) that stresses the unique
benefits of using your service.  Then sit down at your computer and
start worming your way through your list of e-mail media addresses. 
It IS hard work, but take it from me, it pays off!

P.S.  To save doing all that hard work more than once, here's a useful
tip.  Keep a log of all the URLs of the specific pages at each
newspaper and radio station from which you could send them e-mail. 
Then copy that list to your e-mail server and e-mail the list to
yourself.  Keep it in an e-mail file with a name such as 'Media
Contacts'.  Now, when you wish to reach those people again, you open
the file and click on each of the URLs in turn.  Up will pop the page,
and you're all set to send out your follow-up message. (When you can't
list a specific page, at least include the e-mail address in your
'Media Contact' file. You might not be able to link directly from it,
but a few keystrokes will get you there.)  This will save you a ton of
time researching the names all over again, and of course will reduce
your Internet connection charges.

Mike Harris


MIKE HARRIS is a British-born author and cartoonist now living near
Nashville, TN. He has just co-authored (with Victoria Jackson) 'DATES
FROM HELL (And A Few Moments Made In Heaven), and illustrates the
'America's Dumbest Criminals' series of books.  He invites you to
visit his web site, http://www.datesfromhell.com/dfh/index.htm and
welcomes your comments via e-mail at harrismm@worldnet.att.net

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                   "Learning from Fiction House"
                        from Gary Crucefix

I looked at the site and would recommend the following:

* Redesign the Web site; get rid of the frames, dark colours and 
  heavy graphics. I would use my own site, details below, as a better
  example or look at http://www.paintedrock.com/ (non-framed site) or 
  http://www.mingco.com/ (framed site)

* As a member of Link Exchange, subscribe to the LE Digest, a daily
  source of useful web design and marketing information. 
  http://www.linkexchange.com/

* Visit http://www.virtualpromote.com/ and learn how to use META TAGS

* Create a newsletter for your visitors. I can recommend
  http://www.onelist.com/ who will manage the list on your behalf

* Register any newsletters with http://www.liszt.com/ who also offer 
  other benefits

* Run adverts through similar ezines. This can be very cost effective

* Visit appropriate Newsgroups, daily. Lurk, answer questions and
  enquiries, and directly advertise where appropriate. Make sure you
  use a signature file. Announce your site to uk.announce

* Offer a free service. I would avoid Free For All Pages but would
recommend a Free Classified service. A good classified program can be 
downloaded from:

http://www.cgi-resources.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Classified_Ads/

I use Cyber Ads FREE classified script which can be downloaded from
http://dcregistry.com/classifieds/cyberads.html

No one method is particularly effective on its own, but combined they
make up an extremely useful advertising arsenal for very little cost.

Gary Crucefix
Editor Fiction House
Fiction House - A comprehensive guide to writing and getting published
http://www.fictionhouse.com/

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                      "Learning from Loquaz"
                         from Jason Dale

Well Loquax (http://www.loquax.co.uk/), the site I run with my 
partner, is run on a shoestring - the site has had never paid for 
advertising, but enjoys a healthy existence. How did we do it?

Basically we followed as much advice as possible - promote, 
promote then promote some more. 

Outlets for promotion include Teletext on 4 (p651-653) .co.uk - that 
featured us twice - Magazines, let them know what you're up to - 
Loquax has managed to be mentioned in .Net and Internet 
Magazine plus Maxim and Competitors World - which then leads to 
another form of promotion - offline users - let them know you exist.

Site of the Week awards may be frowned upon, but try them - and 
don't wait to be found - tell them - subsequently Loquax found itself 
on Megastar, Sunday Post site, The Chartshow, and Coolsite of 
the Day - even the small awards that everyone gets are worth trying 
for. 

Ask for banner exchanges - most sites we've found are quite happy 
to do this - especially when content is similar but not the same, 
thereby getting a more diverse audience. Plus we've found useful 
traffic by joining the Fastclicks banner exchange network. Strategic 
banner exchanges for Loquax now include Sportszine UK, Refresh, 
and Russell Grant's site.

Competitions are also useful - which possibly explains why Loquax 
now lists over 500, but don't forget to promote it to the right 
newsgroups and of course websites.

The key I guess for Loquax was just asking - you'll get a few 
rejections, but we asked to be added to MSN, and ended up doing 
a newsfeed for them. And don't be afraid to try new things, they 
may work, they might not.

The ultimate area though is content - give people good content that 
is easy to use, fun to use, and that'll make them come back again 
and again. We've developed games on Loquax, added our own 
postcard section, formed an association with Leisuredome - the 
total cost of the site has been an ISP, the monthly phone bill, and 
our own input. Oh, and have fun doing what you're doing. The look 
of the site and content has changed and changed and changed 
again until we hit what we feel is the right formula. Total
advertising cost = 0

Hope this is of some help or interest.

Jason Dale
http://www.loquax.co.uk/

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                           www.willco.co.uk

Email mailing list hosting  ~~  run your own newsletter or discussion
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                          FEATURE ARTICLE

                       "CD-ROMs and the Web"
                          by Phil Bradley
                          
One could easily be forgiven for thinking that like oil and water, CD-
ROM's and the Web just don't mix; they are after all, two competing
methods of data delivery. However, the relationship between them is
much deeper than that, and I think a case could be argued that we
wouldn't have the Internet in its present form if it were not for the
existence of CD-ROM. In this article I'd like to look closely at the
relationship between them and to make the case that far from being in
competition they are complimentary systems.

Having worked in both industries (I was employed by the CD-ROM
publisher SilverPlatter for 7 years in several different roles and am
currently an Internet consultant) I would venture to say that the most
important thing to be said about both systems are that they brought
information directly to the end user's desktop. Prior to CD-ROM,
people who needed to do research had to wade through huge tomes of
information, run an online search using bizarre and arcane search
syntax or request the help of an intermediary, usually the information
professional. CD-ROM changed all of this, and allowed them much
greater access, quickly and effectively to data that they could use
and manipulate for themselves.

The role of the information professional began to change from what I
term the 'gatekeeper' controlling the flow of data into a
'facilitator' who was responsible for providing facilities and access
to that data. 

Users began to get the idea that information was a valuable commodity
that they could get for themselves, and were able to appreciate the
advantages of quick and easy access. As a result, information stopped
being difficult to obtain and became another extraordinary tool
patrons could use for themselves. Then along came the Internet, with
its wealth of data - by this time direct access to information was no
longer entirely within the remit of information professionals - and
users were able to quickly adapt to retrieving and using vast amounts
of information that previously they might never have considered
accessing before.

This has not however led to the death of the CD-ROM as some have
suggested, although I would agree that it has changed the way in which
CD-ROM is used. Many CD-ROM publishers have now re-badged themselves
(correctly in my opinion) as electronic publishers; indeed one group
formerly known as CD-ROM SPAG (a publishers' pressure group designed to
create Standards and Practices within the industry) have renamed
themselves as eIP - electronic Information Publishers, with a website
at http://www.venus.co.uk/eip/. 
(This site also lists member organisations, together with links to
their websites, so if you're looking for a publisher, this is a very
good place to start your search). They have recognised that both
distribution mechanisms can be used in conjunction with each other.
Large amounts of archival data can still be produced on CD-ROM and
distributed to customers while the current data is available via an
Internet account, leading to Web-CD hybrids. Good examples of this can
be seen at Ovid Technologies (http://www.ovid.com/) and SilverPlatter
(http://www.silverplatter.com/) as well as several others.

Hybrid products have many advantages for both publisher and customer.
The publisher has greater flexibility in the production and
distribution of data, and the customer has greater choice in their
preferred format of delivery. Publishers are no longer tied to
restrictive updating caused by the pressing and distribution of
optical discs, and the customer can now log onto the publisher's site
and access data that is much more current than they could previously
have got simply by using discs. 

Publishers are able to make collaborative deals with document delivery
suppliers and customers can locate a particular article of interest,
order it online and have it delivered directly to their email account
in the matter of a few moments. Publishers have a greater level of
security over their data using password access, and customers can
dispense with confusing installation procedures. Publishers can
increase their revenues by offering wider access and users can get
transparent access to data that is held both locally and across the
network.

Publishers can make data more easily accessible by placing large files
(particularly images) onto CD-ROM for distribution, while keeping the
textual data on a webserver, and the customer gets the best possible
access to text, images and multi-media.

Consequently, the number of Web-CD hybrids is increasing; in mid 1996
it was estimated that about 350 such products existed, and by 2000
there will probably be in excess of 25,000 of them, according to
Richard Reisman in his article found at
http://www.teleshuttle.com/nextgen.htm

As you would expect, there are a tremendous number of implications
inherent in this change of approach, both for information
professionals and end users, but also for the publishers themselves.
We need to consider what new skillsets we require, such as a greater
understanding of IT, training (both for the professional and end
user), how to manage distributed systems, and how to adapt to the
challenge of being able to provide 'just in time' services rather than
'just in case'. Publishers need to adapt as well, by providing more
flexible pricing structures, resolving technical issues, advertising,
customer support, utilising different delivery mechanisms to their
best advantage, and, indeed, they must embrace their new ability to
publish information in non-traditional ways.  

Having covered the general background I'd now like to list some CD-ROM
Internet sites that you might like to visit, either for further
information about the technology, or if you're considering purchasing
particular products.

http://www.cdrom.com/ This is the Walnut Creek CD-ROM site, and they
sell a variety of products on CD-ROM. They also have an impressive
archive. 

http://www.cd-info.com/ This is the CD Information Center, which is a
central resource for all things optical, with information on DVD,
organisations, articles, directories, FAQ's, industry news and so on.

http://home.cdarchive.com/info/ A very good introductory site for
information on the production of optical products, overviews of the
technology and so on. 

http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/dvd/index.html Everything you
ever wanted to know about DVD but were afraid to ask! This is however
a Sony site, so there is an understandable bias towards their own
products.

http://www.nsiweb.com/cdrom/ CD-ROM Online magazine, which is aimed
mainly at the home user but does carry a number of useful articles.

Yahoo! lists a total of 38 categories for CD-ROM and 2492 individual
sites, so I hope you'll appreciate that I'm not going to try and list
them. I suggest that you visit Yahoo! for yourself and simply type in
CD-ROM at the search box, and may you have many hours of happy
browsing. 

Of course, if you want to purchase a book about the subject, you could
do worse than visit the Amazon bookshop at their new UK site of
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ and read through the reviews of some of the
837 titles they have available, including 3 of my own, which was quite
gratifying!

Finally, you may wish to subscribe to some newsgroups related to
CD-ROM, so point your newsreader towards:

   comp.publish.cdrom.hardware
   comp.publish.cdrom.multimedia
   comp.publish.cdrom.software
   comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.cd-rom
   alt.cd-rom

Alternatively, you may wish to subscribe to a mailing list which
covers CD-ROM and related issues and Mailbase at

http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/

lists three:

   cd-rom-networking
   chest-elr
   lis-ukolug

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Phil Bradley is an Internet Consultant, Trainer, Web designer and
Author. He invites you to visit his Web site at http://www.philb.com/
if you have queries or questions relating to CD-ROM or DVD 
technology - the answer may be there, or leave a query in his 
guestbook!  The site also hosts other free information on Internet 
introductions, search engine articles and web design tips.

He has also recently written "The Advanced Internet Searchers 
Handbook" coming soon from Library Association Publications.

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                          FREE PINT FACT

    23% of new subscribers find Free Pint through search engines
              and a third of those come through Yahoo!

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     Sue Hill Recruitment & Services Ltd - new jobs every day

Customer Services Executives - Help Desk - urgently needed
Good communication skills, confident IT ability and knowledge of the
information industry, London and Surrey Pds UK16-20k
Trainee software engineer needed for French co in UK - STML/XML/HTML
Information Researcher, Financial Services Hong Kong
T +44 171 732 6671 F +44 171 732 6718 jobs@suehill.com www.suehill.com


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                        FREE PINT FEEDBACK

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Subject: Covering my costs
From:    Steve Adelman, M.D.
Date:    Thursday 29th October 1998

Dear Free Pint,

I continue to enjoy your excellent Internet digest.  Much of what I 
have read in Free Pint has inspired me to build my own web site:

  Ask DrSteve: The Real Story About Smoking, Drinking & Getting High
         
                      http://www.DrSteve.org/

I have a dilemma I would like to share with your readers.  As the 
only Internet site on substance use and addiction put up by a 
full-fledged physician expert in this field, I believe that my site 
contains the most up-to-date and dynamic information about this 
important topic on the Internet.  The rich content on my site is 
valuable, but I'm a  doctor and a writer, not a businessman.  I'd 
like to make at least enough money to cover my costs, and have 
considered a variety of "business models".   But I'm too busy at my 
day job and answering questions posted to the site into the wee hours 
of the night to be able to devote any time or energy to developing 
the business side of the business.  Does anyone out there have any 
thoughts as to what kind of partnership with what kind of entity 
might allow me to continue doing what I do well (developing creative 
content) while turning this volunteer effort into a 
revenue-generating business?

Thanks for any help, Steve Adelman, M.D.

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Subject: Company location
From:    Steve Rickaby, WordMongers Ltd
Date:    Wednesday 4th November 1998

Dear Free Pint

Many thanks for a consistently useful newsletter.

I have a specific query. Do any readers know of any web resource that
will allow me to find the location of a UK business from only it's 
name? I've tried Kompass but with no joy. We've lost a business card 
of a company with whom we only dealt by phone, and do not know where 
they are located.

Thanks. Steve Rickaby

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Subject: Daily news search engines
From:    Name withheld on request
Date:    Thursday 15th October 1998

Dear Free Pint Team:

The newsletter is wonderful -- very informative and helpful!  

My job requires that I scan the news each day for stories that impact
our business. I search news websites and news search engines using 
key words, but miss many important news stories because I simply 
don't have enough time.

Recently I have begun subscribing to daily newsletters, which has cut
my search time considerably. I register keywords with the newsletters 
and each day, news stories containing my keywords are emailed to me. 
It is certainly the most efficient way to gather news. 

However, I have only been able to find two such newsletters. I am 
certain there are more out there, I just don't know where to begin 
looking. Perhaps your team and your readers could suggest some 
useful daily newsletters.

The two sites I use are:

http://www.newsindex.com/ (ideal for general searches) and
http://ci.mond.org/news/newsregister.html (for science news).

Specifically, I search for topics like healthcare, biotechnology,
agriculture and the environment. Do you have a list of internet sites
that allow the user to subscribe to daily newsletters?

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Subject: Paying for Internet access
From:    Various
Date:    Wednesday 11th November 1998

"There seems to be some confusion amongst out international friends 
over just what we are paying charges for here in the UK.  Some appear 
to think that we're paying our ISPs per minute, which we don't 
(unless we're using CompuServe, AOL, MSN or something like that) 
- it's the PHONE charges we're paying, and I think it's unfair that 
in most parts of the US local rate calls seem to be free."
Jamie Montgomerie


"Judging from last issue's feedback, I think you've confused some 
readers with your comments on UK users 'having to pay per-minute 
charges for [our] Internet connection'. Perhaps it needs clarifying 
that you referred to the cost of the phone call to the ISP's access 
number, rather than a per-minute charge imposed by the ISP itself. 
Very few UK ISP's levy per-minute charges, but telephone companies 
in the UK charge for local calls which I understand are generally 
free in the US.

It's probably because competition among UK ISP's in the 
fixed-fee/unlimited-access market is so intense that some are starting
to explore alternative pricing models such as the no fixed fee but
per-minute charge approach offered by BT Click, or the free access,
advertising-funded (and premium-rate technical support!) Dixons 
service. As for phone charges, any phone company offering free local 
calls would have to recoup the loss of revenue in the short term 
through higher line rental. Is that what we really want? Perhaps 
home and business Internet users would have different views on 
this question?"
Dr Tom Hawkins, Sensor Technologist, Aromascan plc

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Subject: Charity Links
From:    Diana Grimwood-Jones, Artemis Consulting
Date:    16th October 1998

"I've just been enjoying my latest issue of Free Pint, and notice a 
plea from a reader for 'decent sites that contain information on UK
charities'.

A recent (August 98) Aslib publication (Information Management in the
Voluntary Sector, edited Diana Grimwood-Jones and Sylvia Simmons) has
an Appendix called Electronic Information Resources for the Voluntary 
and Community Sector, compiled by Communities Online Forum. This 
gives details of nearly 50 Web sites, divided into categories:

- Main gateway sites for voluntary organisations, with mailing lists 
  and newsgroups
- Organisations offering advice to voluntary organisations
- Online publications offering practical help
- Key policy reports in the field
- Other useful sites

URLs were current in the Spring, when the book went to press. Aslib
can be found on the Web at http://www.aslib.co.uk/"


Special thanks also to Gary Archer (Senior Librarian, Information 
Services, Leamington Spa Library, Warwickshire) for his links which
also appeared in issue number 25.

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             DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION, COMMENT OR REPLY?

Let us know your feedback or favourite site by sending an email to 
the Free Pint team now by email to feedback@freepint.co.uk
remembering to include your name, title and company or organisation. 
Please note, if you write to us we may publish your letter in whole 
or part for the interest of our subscribers unless you request 
otherwise at the time of writing. Please let us know if you wish 
your contact details to be withheld.

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Thank you for reading Free Pint.  We hope you will forward this copy
to colleagues, friends and journalists, or ask them to visit our Web 
site soon at http://www.freepint.co.uk/

                       See you in two weeks!

                           Kind regards,
                   William Hann, Managing Editor
                      william@freepint.co.uk

(c) Willco 1998
http://www.willco.co.uk/

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                      FREE PINT FUTURE ISSUES

26/11/98 #27 - Case Studies and Passion for Online Information 98
17/12/98 #28 - Best of 1998 and Review of the show
07/01/99 #29 - Cookies and Virtual Communities

                                                        [Provisional]
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Free Pint (ISSN 1460-7239) is a free email newsletter for anyone who
uses the Internet to get information for their work in any business
or organisation. The newsletter is written by professionals who share 
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