7/29/95 CompuNotes Issue #17 Patrick Grote, Publisher and Editor CompuNotes is a weekly publication available through an email distribution list and many fine on-line networks! We feature reviews, interviews and commentary concerning the PC industry. This Week's Contents: ===================== LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ===================== -=> Windows 95 is No OS/2 <=- NEWS ==== -=> QuickLink Maker Will Go Public <=- REVIEWS ======= -=> US Robotics Sportster 28.8 Modem <=- WEB SITE OF THE WEEK ==================== -=> Jack Daniels Opens the Still <=- FTP FILE OF THE WEEK ==================== -=> Snooper Version 3.0 Super HW Inventory <=- INTERVIEW ========= -=> Replaced this week with "Marketing on the Internet" <=- To subscribe, send a message to subscribe@supportu.com with subscribe in body. To unsubscribe, send a message to unsubscribe@supportu.com with unsubscribe in body. Comments should be sent to feedback@supportu.com. Voice: (314) 984-9691 BBS : (314) 984-8387 FAX : (314) 984-9981 All old copies available from anonymous FTP at ftp.uu.net:/published/compunotes CD-ROM Online Magazine is another good resource! You can subscribe free by sending an email message to CDRMag@nsimultimedia.com with the word subscribe in the body of the text! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Letters to the Editor - Speak your Mind and Get Printed All Submissions become our Property for Printing ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This comes from our IBM rep south of the border. Of course, OS/2 is going to handle many things better than Windows 95 -- it is 32 bit. I wouldn't mind seeing an OS/2 diehard post one of these against Windows NT 3.51 . . . You know, I could care less about some of the more technical aspects of OS/2 or any other operating system as it relates to mission critical applications. My Smart Suite isn't mission critical nor is my mail reader. Hmm, now wouldn't that be funny if they were . . . In fact, any Microsoft supporters care to rebuff the IBM claims? Subject: 15 questions to ask about Win95... ------------------------------ B E G I N ------------------------------ Can Windows 95 live up to the hype that Microsoft has generated for it? These questions, which are based upon published information about the final beta product in the "Windows 95 Resource Kit" and "Windows 95 Reviewer's Guide," might help you decide. About Reliability ================= Q: What happens to 32-bit applications when a Win16 application crashes under Windows 95. A: They can stop executing. Because Microsoft built Windows 95 using the same System Virtual Machine (VM) model found in Windows 3.1, the operating system is at the mercy of legacy 16-bit applications. If a Win16 program hangs, it can tie up critical 16-bit code modules located in the" System VM. All other processing is halted. BOTTOM LINE: WINDOWS 95 IS NOT A RELIABLE PLATFORM FOR MISSION CRITICAL LINE-OF-BUSINESS APPLICATIONS. Q: Does Windows 95 protect the contents of its system cache against intrusion by Win32 programs?" A: No. As with the aforementioned system structures, Windows 95 also fails to protect the contents of its system cache - disk cache, network cache, and CD-ROM cache. As a result, an errant Win32 application can write to memory in use by the cache. The potential results: inaccurate data, corrupted file system entries, etc. BOTTOM LINE: DATA INTEGRITY IS A QUESTIONS MARK WITH WINDOWS 95. Q: How is Microsoft dealing with the issue of Virtual Device Driver (VxD) instability? A: They aren't. In fact, Windows 95 itself makes heavy use of VxDs to supplement and, in many cases, replace DOS functionality. VxDs are extremely powerful programs that can literally go anywhere and do anything in the operating system. They have free reign to address system memory directly, manipulate hardware, and even replace portions of Windows 95 itself at runtime. This give the creative VxD programmer unlimited flexibility when designing applications that need to modify Windows 95's operation. Microsoft has itself often promoted the VxD interface as a mechanism for gaining good performance with time-critical Windows applications. Unfortunately, the power of the VxD can also be a curse. As more developers begin to exploit this interface - an interface that has only limited controls and almost zero inter-process isolation - a programming free-for-all may result where multiple third party VxDs modify the system in similar ways with unpredictable results. The failure of a single VxD can undermine the stability of the entire Windows 95 environment. BOTTOM LINE: VxDs ARE POTENTIAL DISASTERS WAITING TO HAPPEN IN CORPORATIONS WORLDWIDE. Q: Is it true that Windows 95 doesn't fully protect its own operating system code against Win32 application failures? A: Yes. Win32 applications can write to regions of the extreme lower and upper address spaces in the System VM that are critical to the environment's operation. As a result, an errant memory operation can undermine system stability and potentially crash the entire operating system. BOTTOM LINE: WINDOWS 95 MAY BE ONE ERRANT MEMORY OPERATION AWAY FROM TOTAL FAILURE. Q: When running DOS applications, does Windows 95 fully virtualize the PC's hardware to protect against buggy applications? A: No. Windows 95 fails to virtualize critical hardware components like the interrupt flag. This, in turn, can lead to a system crash if an errant DOS program becomes unresponsive while interrupts are disabled. BOTTOM LINE: LEGACY APPS ARE THE ACHILLES HEEL OF WINDOWS 95 MEMORY MANAGEMENT. About Usability =============== Q: Does Windows 95 track objects dynamically? A: No. Windows 95 uses a series of static DOS pathnames and .INI files to track the relationship between icons on the desktop and files on disk. For example, the shortcut mechanism of the Windows 95 interface relies on a stored copy of the original's path information when locating and invoking it. If the file is moved within the directory structure, Windows 95 must search the hard disk for it based on file size and date stamp. Although this technique works most of the time, it is limited to searching a single volume - if you move the file to another disk volume, the link is broken completely. And, because Windows 95 will search your entire network if attached, it may take forever if it is connected to, say, five gigabytes of storage. BOTTOM LINE: HELP DESK CALLS WILL BE ON THE RISE AS USERS EXPERIMENT WITH SHORTCUTS AND LONG FILENAMES. Q: Does Windows 95 make consistent use of drag & drop? A: No. Windows 95's drag & drop features are applicable to some objects, like files and folders, but not to others. You cannot, for example, drag a dial-up networking connection to the Windows 95 Recycler; nor can you drag objects to the My Computer folder - both are "special" objects in the Windows 95 interface and aren't subject to the normal Windows 95 drag & drop rules. This introduces a level of inconsistency to the interface and a possible stumbling block for new users trying to take advantage of drag & drop. BOTTOM LINE: THE WINDOWS 95 INTERFACE IS INCONSISTENT FROM "FUNCTION TO FUNCTION." Q: Is the Windows 95 interface consistent and object-oriented? A: No. For example, while you can invoke the right mouse button pop-up menu on most objects, entries in the Start menu and its submenus are not included. This makes manipulating Start menu entries an awkward process involving the Taskbar properties dialog box and several layers of menus and windows. Since the right mouse button works in most other areas of the interface, the Start button's deviation from this norm exposes Windows 95's object-oriented support as incomplete. BOTTOM LINE: WINDOWS 95 DOES NOT FULLY EXPLOIT O-O TECHNOLOGY About Windows 95 and Multitasking ================================= Q: Can Windows 95 preemptively multitask Win16 applications? A: No. Because Win16 applications were written for a cooperative multitasking environment, they cannot handle the stress of being "preempted" during execution. Therefore Windows 95 must handle these applications in the same way that Windows 3.1 does: by giving them exclusive control of the CPU for as long as they are executing. When, and only when, the application makes a specific API call - one of the few such calls that constitute safe points at which Windows can wrest control away from the program - are other programs allowed to execute. This is "cooperative" multitasking, and has proven to be ineffectual when running more than a handful of programs simultaneously or when running CPU-intensive programs such as communications, print and/or fax programs. BOTTOM LINE: WINDOWS 95 ADDS LITTLE VALUE FOR THE LARGE BASE OF LEGACY WIN16 APPLICATIONS. Q: Are there any caveats to multitasking Win32 applications under Windows 95? A. Yes. In its effort to maintain a high degree of backward compatibility while simultaneously minimizing the RAM requirements of the operating system, Microsoft has chosen to rely on its existing, Windows 3.1-era USER (window management) and Graphics Device Interface (GDI) modules rather than create new, 32-bit versions. In order to utilize this older, 16-bit code in potentially preemptive (with regard to Win32 applications), 32-bit multitasking environment of Windows 95, Microsoft was forced to serialize access to USER and GDI. As a result, only a single Win32 or Win16 program can access these critical modules at any given time. This hurts application performance on heavily loaded systems as programs are forced to "line-up" and wait for a chance to execute a USER or GDI routine. All USER calls (for both 16 and 32-bit applications) are serialized and handled by the 16-bit code, while the majority of GDI calls are similarly handled (the other 50 percent are handled by newer 32-bit routines). BOTTOM LINE: WINDOWS 95'S MULTITASKING IS BEST DESCRIBED AS PREEMPTIVELY CHALLENGED. Q: What happens to Windows 95's multitasking when you run a mixture of application types? A: It reverts to a cooperative multitasking model. Windows 95's continued reliance on the single system VM model of Windows 3.1 places the operating system's multitasking capabilities at the mercy of the lowest common denominator: the 16 bit Windows application. Whenever a Win16 application is running, the operating system's multitasking capabilities are compromised by the need to allow such programs to execute "undisturbed" for as long as they require. As a result, when multitasking a mixture of applications - Win16 and Win32 - true preemptive operation is impossible since, at any given time, a 16-bit application may require exclusive control of the CPU. Worse still, since the Win16 application is typically executing a portion of the 16-bit USER or GDI code - access to which must be serialized among processes -all other processes, including Win32 applications, are blocked from executing. The net result is what would be best described as "semi-preemptive" multitasking. BOTTOM LINE: WHEN WIN16 APPLICATIONS ENTER THE MIX, WINDOWS 95 TAKES ON AN ALTERNATE PERSONALITY WINDOWS 3.1 Q: Does Windows 95's multitasking resolve any of Windows 3.1's multimedia-related deficiencies? A: Not really. Windows 95's inconsistent multitasking performance - a byproduct of the single System VM model - compromises its performance as a serious multimedia production platform. Complex .AVI clips break up noticeably when a significant I/O strain is placed on a Windows 95 system. Even simple operations, like opening an application program, can have a negative impact on multimedia playback. BOTTOM LINE: YOU STILL CAN'T PLAY MULTIMEDIA AND DO HEAVY I/O SIMULTANEOUSLY. About Windows 95's relationship to DOS ====================================== Q: Does Windows 95 really do away with DOS? A: No. Windows 95, though touted as a completely new, 32-bit operating system, is in fact still based on DOS technology that dates back to the early 1980s. Under Windows 95, even Win32 applications rely on at least a few data structures within the real mode DOS environment (most notably, they all maintain real mode PSPs). Despite Microsoft's claims to the contrary, Windows 95 is highly sensitive to the configuration of a PC's real mode DOS environment. If, for example, the available conventional memory in the System VM - the DOS virtual machine where all 16-bit Windows applications and some Windows 95 codes executes - dips below a certain level, Windows 95 will report "out of memory" messages when you try to open additional Win16 or Win32 programs. This is unrelated to the well known System Resources phenomena, and the only real solutions are to either replace as many real mode device drivers as possible with VxDs or to invest in a third party memory manager to optimize the pre-Windows 95 DOS environment. BOTTOM LINE: WINDOWS 95 CAN BE VIEWED AS DOS/WINDOWS with a new INTERFACE AND SOME NEW VxDs. Q: What is Single MS-DOS Application mode and how does it affect other running applications? A: Microsoft touts Single MS-DOS Application (SMA) mode as its ultimate solution to any and all DOS compatibility complaints. SMA is essentially real mode DOS, except that instead of booting DOS and then loading Windows, the order has been reversed: you first boot Windows 95, then "unload" it as the machine is reset into the real mode of SMA. This indeed eliminates virtually all remaining DOS application incompatibilities since the PC is no longer running in V86 protected mode - it has been reset to real mode, loaded with a copy of DOS, and left at a command prompt. What Microsoft doesn't like to admit, however, is that to invoke an SMA-dependent application is to essentially shut-down Windows 95 - all running applications are closed, network connections are severed, and VxD support for peripherals like CD-ROM drives disappears. To maintain these functions you need to add real mode DOS device drivers to your system and then configure them via the SMA dialog box. And since Windows 95 is no longer running, any users who are connected to shared resources on the system are disconnected when it enters into SMA mode. BOTTOM LINE: SMA IS REALLY ONLY A VIABLE SOLUTION FOR HOME USERS AND OTHER NON-NETWORKED ENVIRONMENTS Q: How does Windows 95 handle real mode DOS device drivers? A: Windows 95's dependency on the real mode DOS environment undermines the product's ability to support DOS applications. Because Windows 95 relies on an "image" of the pre-Windows 95 boot-up environment when creating the System VM, and because subsequent DOS virtual machines are similarly based on this boot-up image, Windows 95 users are forced to load any required real mode device drivers as part of the original boot-up CONFIG.SYS file. The ramifications of this limitation are significant: each and every DOS session under Windows 95 contains a running copy of, and surrenders valuable conventional or upper memory to, real mode device drivers. This is true even if the drivers are not required or desired in a particular DOS session. BOTTOM LINE: THERE'S NO WAY TO LOAD A REAL MODE DRIVER INTO A SPECIFIC DOS SESSION -- IT'S AN ALL OR NOTHING PROPOSITION. ---------------------------------- END ------------------------------- M. Savio IBM Brazil Personal Software Products E-Mail: msavio@vnet.ibm.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS OF THE WEEK| This section is dedicated to verified news . . . All News (C)opyright Respective Owner - Will Only Reprint ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -=> QuickLink May Actually Improve . . . <=- ALISO VIEJO, Calif., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith Micro Software, Inc. announced that it has filed a registration statement relating to a proposed initial public offering of 3,400,000 shares of common stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Of the total, 1,700,000 shares will be offered by the Company and 1,700,000 shares will be offered by selling stockholders. The offering price is expected to be between $10.00 and $12.00 per share. Hambrecht & Quist LLC will lead manage the underwriting g group with Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. serving as co-manager. Net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital requirements and payment of an S Corporation distribution. Smith Micro provides personal computer software to enable data, fax and voice communication. A copy of the prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from Hambrecht & Quist LLC, One Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 or 230 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10169 or from Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., One World Financial Center, 200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. The press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ REVIEWS OF THE WEEK | Interesting software/hardware you may need . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -=> Affordable Speed .. Oh, Sweet Speed .. <=- Review of Sporster 28.8 By Patrick Grote The world of technology always moves faster than we can keep up. Most of us are lucky if we can leapfrog a generation of technology to keep up. One area where technology slows enough to allow us to keep up is modem technology. For the longest time, 300 baud was the fastest you could buy. The early 1980s ushered in the speedy 1200 baud access, quickly followed by 2400 baud. The standard stayed at 2400 baud while many companies argued over a 9600 baud standard. By the time a 9600 baud standard was established, it was surpassed by the 14.4 standard. For years 14.4 remained the fastest access available over typical phone lines. Early this year a standard was established for 28.8 access. As Jim Carey would say, "Smokin . . . ." US Robotics has long been a player in the modem market. When standards stood still they were always the first to push the envelope and move the market forward. When the 28.8 standard approached, US Robotics seized the market by being the first company to offer an affordable, standard, 28.8 modem. This gem of a modem is called the Sportster. The name fits this product. The unit we reviewed is the External Sportster 28,800 Data/Fax. The box itself is a little smaller than a typical paperback book. It has a sleek design only interrupted by an on/off switch and a bank of LED lights. The back of the modem sports the connection for a 25 pin serial cable, a set of dip switches, the data line in and a phone line out. Oh, there is also a radial dial type switch on the side to control speaker volume. This is a nice touch that many external modem manufacturers ignore. One of the best features about this modem isn't the speed or hardware, but the documentation that shows very novice users an easy way to install the modem. I wonder why it took so long to get easy to follow documentation like this! At the end of the manual is a super visual troubleshooting guide standing ready to assist when you need it. After installing the modem you have the chore of installing the software that accompanies it. The only downside of this package is the choice of QuickLink ][ as the terminal program for DOS and Windows. QuickLink ][ also supports faxing through Windows and DOS as well. I say downside, because QuickLink ][ is a very user unfriendly program. Barely functional at what it does, a normal, novice user will have definite trouble using the QuickLink ][ products. Hmmm, you'll notice there is a brochure included upgrade to QuickLink Gold . . . Getting past the QuickLink ][ issue you'll notice that the Sportster uses the typical AT command set. This is a benefit, because 90% of the terminal programs in existence become available to you. Another technical achievement is the use of V.17 Group III faxing at 14,400 BPS. At this speed your faxes arrive as quick as technically possible. OK, so how fast is this modem? Faster than Beattles reunion tickets would sell if John reappeared. If you are used to using 14.4 modems and you do 20% file transfers and 80% text access you’ll see some improvement. If you transfer more files and spend more time on-line you’ll really see a difference. To appreciate the time savings imagine being able to download an hour’s worth of files in a half-hour. Do you watch .GIF or .JPG files paint slowly across your screen now? How about seeing the pictures run life across your screen as your download at 28.8? You could swear you were watching a slide show . . . After your initial fascination with the speed is over you can delve into the software that is bundled with the modem. Included are free trial accounts with Genie, America On-line and the Imagination Network. These trial accounts can be converted to real accounts by simply signing up on-line. The Sportster should be your 28.8 modem choice for home or business. Not only is it a solid performer, but it is backed by the industry leader US Robotics with a 5 year warranty. US Robotics 7770 North Frontage Road Skokie, IL 60077-2690 Voice: (800) DIAL USR URL: http://www.usr.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEBSITE OF THE WEEK! | This section is devoted to a cool WebSite . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -=> Jack is Everywhere <=- LYNCHBURG, Tenn., /PRNewswire/ -- The Jack Daniel Distillery has called Lynchburg (pop. 361), Tenn., home since Jack Daniel received the United States' very first license to distill whiskey back in 1866. But now it's building another site...on the Internet. Unveiled in June, the distillery's site is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.infi.net/jackdaniels/. What's the distillery renowned around the world for its unchanging quality, honest small-town values and old-time whiskey-making tradition doing in the high-tech world of cyberspace? "Why, virtually everything we do when folks come to Lynchburg to visit our distillery in person," said Roger Brashears, the distillery's Lynchburg spokesperson. "You can take a tour of the distillery, see what's going on around the Lynchburg square, admire our courthouse, play a friendly game of cards or swap stories at the hardware store, coax the town dog into barking or even pour yourself a drink. "You just can't drink it. Just like Moore County, the Internet is dry." Each year more than 250,000 people come to visit the town of Lynchburg and the Jack Daniel Distillery, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Brashears expects even more visitors to drop by the Internet site. "It's just a good way for more folks to come visit our little town without causing a traffic jam on the Lynchburg Square," Brashears said. "It also makes it a good bit easier for our friends around the world to visit us and to see there really is a place called Lynchburg, Tenn., where you can still buy a hound dog out of the back of a pickup on the square or a 10-cent Coke from the Hardware. "There really is a place where hardworking folks still make our whiskey using the same time-honored method dating back to Mr. Jack Daniel himself," Brashears said. Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey is available in virtually every country in the world and the distillery in Lynchburg receives visitors from more than 100 countries each year. In addition to visiting the distillery and the town, visitors to the new Jack Daniel's Internet site can take a look at the Moore County News, believed to be the smallest circulation newspaper in the world with a site now on the Internet. But would Mr. Jack Daniel's approve of all of this high-tech communications? "We think our site on the Internet is true to Mr. Jack's spirit," Brashears said. "He was quite an innovator in his day and could boast several firsts. He was the first to register his distillery and he was the first to put his whiskey in square bottles. Those who don't have Internet access can still travel to the distillery by interstate. Take I-24 east from Nashville and travel to Exit 111. Then turn left onto highway 55 and follow the signs all the way into Lynchburg. Officially registered by the U.S. government in 1866, Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow, proprietor, is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentlemen Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ COOL FTP FILE OF THE WEEK | You may need this file . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SNOOPER 3.40 - System info utility. Shows CPU/NDP, DOS, BIOS, memory, CD-ROM, disks, video, env, kbd, sound cards, ports, IDE model, CMOS, disk cache, Stacker, FILES & BUFFERS, IRQs, DMA, modems, mice, port IRQs. Lets you edit CMOS, CONFIG, AUTOEXEC. Network and benchmark screens, detects 1100 MCA cards, has Auto-Logging. New version adds detections, bug fixes. Ideal for tech support, HW inventory, & you! You can find this as SNOOP3.ZIP on the following FTP site: WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU:/pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/misc/snoop3.zip ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK | Interesting people you should know about . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We wanted to bring you a feature I wrote a few months ago for a local small business paper. It is topical and fun to read . . . MARKETING ON THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY WITHOUT BECOMING ROADKILL By Patrick Grote What if there was a guaranteed method of developing qualified prospects to your business? OK. What if there was a guaranteed method of developing qualified prospects to your business without costing your marketing budget its annual slice of revenue? If you even have a passing interest in marketing your business, you have heard about the so called Information Superhighway (Internet) by now. If you are truly adventurous you may have even stumbled onto by calling a local Internet provider or bulletin board system (BBS). Everyone talks about the electronic roads paved with very real gold, but how does a business like yours take advantage of this? NO QUICK CASH The first thing you must realize is you will make money on the Internet. The next thing you must realize is it isn't a get rich method of making money. What the Internet delivers to you are pre-qualified prospects interested in your goods and services. These people have consciously made a decision to find out more about your good or service and have contacted you. How's that for prospect hunting? So how do you start the golden conveyer of prospects rolling? You need to have access to Internet email and newsgroups. Internet email is electronic mail delivered via the Internet. You may have seen addresses for the Internet with the @ sign in them. My Internet address is patrick.grote@supportu.com. This means that anyone anywhere on the Internet can send me a text message and I will receive it. Newsgroups are a collection of messages relating to a certain topic. They are structured in a hierarchical fashion like the following: comp.business would discuss general topics related to business, while comp.business.marketing would discuss marketing your business. In these newsgroups people post questions, receive answers and sometimes advertise services. PULLING ONTO THE HIGHWAY Where can you gain this access? One of two places: your local BBS or an Internet service provider. Either of these places offers access to the email and newsgroups you need. Once you have secured access, move onto marketing your business by sowing the seeds of information. Your seeds are your goods or expertise in a service. There are three distinct methods of gaining more qualified prospects on the Internet inexpensively. They are INFORMATIONAL POSTINGS, MAIL LISTS and FAQs. MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE INFORMATIONAL POSTINGS are probably the easiest and most direct way to attract customers. The Internet has over 10000 different newsgroups. In each of these newsgroups are hundreds or possibly thousands of people interested in the newsgroup topic. The BBS or Internet service provider you use for access will have a list of current newsgroups. Take an evening and work your way through the list flagging the newsgroups that are in your area of expertise. For example, if you provide accounting services to businesses you may want to join the following conferences: misc.taxes us.taxes biz.comp.accounting alt.business These conference are but a few that may hold potential customers. Once you have access to the conference, spend a few days reading the messages in the conference. You want to get a feel for what topics are hot and what type of people are participating in the newsgroup. The messages that comprise a newsgroup are called traffic. After you have a sense of what is topical, go ahead and post an introductory message about yourself and your company. The key here is to make yourself and your company available and to establish yourself and your company as experts in the area. I cannot emphasize enough that you shouldn't advertise directly! Not only is this a waste of resources, but you may actually make more enemies than customers. A good introductory message would flow like this: Just wanted to take a few minutes and introduce myself to the newsgroup. My name is Patrick Grote and I am full service technology consultant specializing in small business. My company, 4Point, Inc., is now two years old and in that time we have been able to solve many small business' technology needs. I noticed the traffic has been about networking in a manufacturing environment. We have installed several networks in the manufacturing sector and wouldn't mind discussing our experience with the matter. Thanks! Notice how we didn't mention anything about rates or billing. Business on the Internet is usually initiated by the client instead of the other way around. The goal of this message is to make yourself and your company known. What can you expect from this message? Quite honestly, your mailbox will be filled with people asking your opinions on situations. From this base of responses you can pitch your service or goods to the qualified lead. PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASK FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT Mail lists have to be the neatest invention of the Internet. Mail lists are people who have asked to be included on distribution lists focusing on different topics. For example, there is a mailing list for people interested in direct mail. Members of this group range from mail order operators to postal employees. Everyone who receives the messages from this list actively subscribed to the list as you will. Your BBS or Internet service provider can supply you with a list of current mailing lists. When you receive the list you'll notice that there are two types of mail lists, moderated and unmoderated. Experience shows you will receive better response from an unmoderated mailing list, so select those mailing lists without moderators. When you initially subscribe to a mailing list, pay attention on how to send messages to the mailing lists. Many times you have to address a group name rather than an individual. Again, read the mail list for a few days to get an idea on what the current topics are and how they relate to those on the mailing list. After you have a good feel for the mailing list, go ahead and introduce yourself. Let's look at how a graphics artist might introduce herself in a mailing list: Hello! I have been a member of this mailing list for a week now and must say I enjoy what I have read so far. My name is Avery Tocall of Tocall Graphics. I am a graphics designer with over six years experience in the personal computer desktop publishing environment. The topics being discussed lately include tips on direct marketing. My company is accomplished at providing top notch direct mail pieces. If there is interest I will post our electronic brochure. You will receive a mail message from someone asking you to post your electronic brochure. The brochure should be about two pages long and detail you and you companies accomplishments and areas of expertise. Based on the list you should expect at least 5-10 new contacts to approach you concerning future work. Some people may not like the look of an electronic brochure in ASCII. That's OK. If you ask for the contacts postal or snail mail address as it is called on the Internet, you can mail them your normal sales material. Remember, mail lists are comprised of individuals and companies who want to hear from other people about the subject matter. Make sure you position you and your company in the best possible way by offering advice and tips. Frequently Asked Questions Can Make Money! Since the Internet is such a vast expanse, people often ask the same questions over and over again about certain topics. To answer new user's questions, people have often developed Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) guides which walk a new user through the particular subject matter. A FAQ can exist for a newsgroup - alt.fan.david.letterman has a FAQ which details all the basic information on David Letterman and his show, a mail list can have a FAQ - the Word of the Day mailing list's FAQ details information subscriber demographics and related news, and even topics can have a FAQ - network cabling's FAQ answers common questions about LAN/WAN connections and wiring. FAQs are typically considered the definitive answer to the subjects they cover. For this reason they make excellent marketing tools for your business. As an example, let's look at Juan of Juan's Printing. After reading several newsgroups, Juan decides the issue of how certain items such as color brochures and business cards are printed isn't being explained properly. Juan decides to create a FAQ on various printing processes. He spends a few hours typing an ASCII document answering common questions about the printing process with the end of the FAQ being an advertisement for his services. With Juan's FAQ complete, he can post it to the various newsgroups he visits. When people read the FAQ they'll associate printing expertise with Juan and seek his help and advice when their next printing job is scheduled. Reaping your contacts from the Internet doesn't have to be an expensive nor complex process. With the three methods we discussed you can have qualified contacts asking about your goods or services within days of pulling onto the Information Superhighway. This issue was brought to you by Readables, the publishing house that understands you! +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Do You Have Any Dinosaurs Laying Around? | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |"Great, we just upgraded . . "What? You can only give me $50 for| | to 486s and now we / `. .' \ my 8088 computer? Are you kidding?| | have all these .---. < > < > .---. I paid $3000 for this 7 | | old 286s sitting| \ \ - ~ ~ - / / | years ago!" | | around . . ." ~-..-~ ~-..-~ | | \~~~\.' `./~~~/ "Hmmm, my company is | | .-~~^-. \__/ \__/ giving away old | | .' O \ / / \ \ 386SX machines. 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You can turn it into a goldmine with no additional money! | | | | Our booklet shows you the following: | | * When is it best to sell an old PC for parts? | | * What countries will officially buy your old technology | | for profits! | | * How an 8088 can be turned into a guard dog for less | | than $50.00! | | * How any old PC can be used to help any child advance | | in school! | | ... and much more! | | | | 101 Uses for your PC Dinosaur is available today by sending a | | check/money order for $10.95 to: | | | | Readables | | POB 31351 | | St. Louis, MO 63131 | | (314) 984-9691 voice | | Satisfaction Guaranteed! | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+