Business
Uniblue Announces SpyEraser
Uniblue is today announcing the release of SpyEraser as well as a PowerSuite that groups the utility with their existing Registry Booster and SpeedUpMyPC titles. I have not yet tried the utility, but I have tried and marketed other Uniblue products in the past and have found them to be fine options. The reason I bring it up is because Uniblue is fairly well known for their affiliate program and they do put quite a bit of effort into their affiliate marketing. As the owner of PCMech, I have worked with Uniblue many times in the past and have made good money with them. And they support their affiliates more than most, providing a wealth of marketing materials, ideas, etc. So, for those of you doing affiliate marketing on the internet, I’m sure SpyEraser and the new PowerSuite are going to be available for affiliates to sell.
A word of advice, too, for you affiliate marketers – choose your programs wisely. Uniblue is a good company to work with. In the past, I have worked with Inkline Global on PCMech, advertising their PCShowBuzz software. Marketing that program brought in more complaints than any other campaign I have ever run on PCMech. And I got a lot of complaints about returns not being honored by the company. So, in the interest of my visitors, I have made a policy not to advertise for Inkline anymore. Inkline is perfectly professional dealing with directly, but I can’t get around the fact that I got so many complaints. I don’t desire to have my reputation affected by association, and as an affiliate marketer, you need to keep those considerations in mind as well.
Instant Messaging…The Way To Go
I found a post over at LifeHacker about a new study. The study, done by Computer Standards and Interfaces, says that instant messaging is more efficient that email when it comes to non-face-to-face meetings. According to the study, “It seems that teams that collaborate using a instant messaging software like MSN messenger or GoogleTalk generate more ideas than those who reply on email instead.”
My first reaction was “duh”. Instant messaging is obviously faster because it is real-time, and being that it is real-time, people can feed off of each other. Plus, most IM services allow conference chats where several people can join into a private chatroom. Lifehacker, though, goes into the fact that face-to-face meetings are probably the best. I beg to differ. Here’s why…
In my experience, face-to-face meetings are highly inefficient. Unless a high level of discipline is put over the meeting, they often end up being a BSing session. BS sessions can be valuable, but they are often much less efficient than if the participants were working alone. In my experience, then, face-to-face meetings are a last resort. IM is a good way to have back-and-forth conversations while still being able to get something done. Plus, you have a log of the conversation (in most IM programs, anyway).
You gotta love it when people fund studies of the obvious.
What Happened to WebbyOnline.com?
Well, I didn’t waste any time with this one. In yesterday’s newsletter, I said I was thinking of converting this site to a blog format. Well, between then and now, I’ve done the setup and imported most of the pre-existing content. What you’re looking at now is the new WebbyOnline, now powered by Wordpress. I firmly believe that, as we head into 2007, the blog format will be a much more useful format for myself as well as my readers. Blogs are more personal, can be updated more regularly, and also lend themselves well to networking in the internet community.
As we move forward, you are now going to be seeing an increased level of updates here at Webby. There will be how-to, of course, but I will also routinely document what I am doing with my business and why I am doing it. I work on the internet full-time and am therefore in the position to talk first-hand about business on the internet. My aim is to help others who are working in this medium or are thinking of doing it. I consider myself very lucky to have gotten to the point where I can sustain my lifestyle totally on the income I generate on the internet. I personally HATE the 9-5 lifestyle of working for a boss. I like the freedom of making my own decisions, of being able to exercise my own imagination to increasing my own income rather than waiting for that stroke of luck that may result in a raise.
Lastly, I just want to mention that I am making this move to Wordpress for strategic reasons. It WAS powered by Miraserver, the content management system I wrote myself and am still using to power my flagship site PC Mechanic. I still stand behind Miraserver completely, however it is a traditional content management system and is not a blogging platform. Furthermore, I would never even try to make Miraserver compete with Wordpress. Wordpress is a great product, but it is no Miraserver and vice versa. So, yeah, I’m moving away from my own product, but I do so for the strategic reason of moving this site into the blog format. And, quite frankly, if one wants to run a blog, Wordpress is my recommended way to go.
How To Hire a Developer
Today, most businesses want a website. Some already have one. Others want one. They don’t want to hire IT staff and probably can’t afford any. And in most cases, an in-house IT staff, especially for your typical small business, just isn’t necessary. But, that doesn’t mean that you have to go without or will be forced to use some cookie cutter website or a personal Frontpage experiment gone awry. You can hire a web developer/designer to create a professional website for you, set it up, then hand it over to you for you to do what you want with it. But, how should you go about finding someone to do this? What should you look for? There are literally thousands of companies/individuals out there offering to do your website. How do you pick from this large group? Click Here To Continue Reading »
10 Tips for Web Success
The webmaster’s biggest job is to get their traffic up and keep customers/visitors coming back. Building the site is one thing, but simply building and posting a website does not guarantee traffic. In fact, a website could be beautiful and an example of all the latest technology and still not attract a single visitor if not promoted correctly. Here are 10 tips to guide you to success with your website.
(1) The internet is a new medium.
At least compared to print, it is. A website is a waste if it simply re-hashes something which could easily be put into print. Don’t have the site be just an online brochure. Put up features which take advantage of the internet as a medium of communication. Filter information for them. Provide search capability. Provide interactivity with features like forums, quizzes and tools. Web visitors like to interact. Click Here To Continue Reading »
Understanding Internet Copyrights
Almost every website we go to has the little Copyright notice at the bottom. But, what does that mean? Does that mean they actually registered any of that information with the government to receive a registered copyright?
What is a Copyright?
A copyright is a right of publishing provided to the author of content. It is a way for the author to exclude others from the right to use their works in any form. That right is automatic for the author when the work is created. So, if you create an email or a webpage, that content is copyrighted by you as soon as you create it. This article is copyrighted to PC Media, Inc. because I wrote it and I do not need to register it with the government. Now, one DOES need to register a copyright with the government in order to be able to file a lawsuit asking for damages.
When it comes to a website, though, we often have many different articles. If one were to seek registered copyright, they would not need to register each article separately. It can be registered as a collective. However, according to the law (see Copyright Registration for Online Works), the copyright you would register only covers the material in place at the time of application. So, literally, any new content or revisions would not be covered by the copyright. That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and I fail to see how any court would let somebody get away with copying a work just because a few lines had been changed.
Limits to Copyrights
Copyrights are, in some ways, gray territory. Especially when it comes to the internet. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that a copyright is essentially a right to exclude other from publishing, not necessarily the right to publish. So, if the material you are posting is obscene, libelous or invades the privacy of another, it would still be a problem for you because of other laws. In that case, just because it was created does not mean you can copyright it.
When it comes to internet content, understand that expression is copyrighted. A simple regurgitation of facts or ideas would not be. Also, let’s say you create a piece of writing and post it. Then, somebody else later comes along and posts a piece very similar to your’s. That new piece is not an infringement as long as it was independently created. For example, one person writes a tutorial on how to assemble a computer (speaking from experience here). The procedure is pretty much the same. So, if somebody else wrote a tutorial on building a PC, as long as it was created by THAT person and not my copying my own tutorial, they are totally fine. The test is in who created it.
Another limit to copyright is what is called “fair use”. “Fair use” refers to the rights of others to use the works of another even without approval. The problem is that the word “fair” is open to a lot of interpretation. But, there are some benchmarks which guide one through this. If the use of the work is seen to advance the public interest, it is generally OK. For example, if someone is using the work in education or an editorial, and if little of the copyrighted work was used, it should be OK. Giving proper credit for the work is a requirement, though. For example, we’ve had many articles on PCMech be used by teachers and educators. This is perfectly OK to do without even asking permission as long as they properly credit PC Mechanic as the source of the content. Fair use does not apply to commercial applications in all instances. For example, a magazine who publishes part of another work and gives proper credit for it is OK even though the magazine is a for-profit operation. However, if someone uses the work of another in any way to suggest that the author endorses a product, this is against the law.
Implied License
There is, in some instances, an implied license to publish online. For example, posting a message to a public forum gives an implied license to that website to use your post and, obviously, publish it. After all, it is on their website. Likewise, when you send an email to someone, there is an implied license to the recipient to allow forwarding the email.
Express License
Many gray areas in copyright can be avoided by simply directly expressing the copyright notice. For example, if a customer emails you a testimonial or success story, you may want to publish that success story in a newsletter or magazine. However, there is a gray area here. Did the writer of the testimonial know they would be published? Any questions can be avoided by simply including the question “OK To Publish?” with the testimonial, thereby asking the person if it is OK. If they say that it is, then the question becomes very black and white.
Some sites even include a notice that any email sent to them is fair game for use by the website owner. This is usually implied. However, it is a gray area and a source of possible dispute later. So, any email which is should not be used in any way should include a confidentiality notice. On the flip side, the website should really have a posted policy of what happens with the emails it receives and what it can do with those emails.
Using Outside Authors
Many websites, including our own, publish works written by other people. In this case, we have the issue of copyright because it is on our website, yet we did not author the content. According to copyright law, the author of the article retains copyright automatically. However, a smart website owner will not rely on verbal agreement to publish that article online. It is best to have a simple contract lined up for all authors. This contract would address the issue of article ownership. The contract can clearly state that the article belongs to the site’s owner. The other option is that copyright remains with the author, yet the author provides either an exclusive or non-exclusive right of publishing to the website for that article. One could even mix it up, granting exclusive publishing rights for a certain period, then moving to non-exclusive. This can be good for the webmaster because it means their site is exclusive provider of said content until a later date, at which time the author can provide the article to other sites if they desire.
Copyright Enforcement
Before I close, I’ll say just a word about enforcement of copyright. As said previously, the only real way to be able to file lawsuit and seek damages is by having a registered copyright. That said, one can and should do what they can do ensure nobody is abusing your copyright. Every so often, we find others on the internet re-publishing our tutorial on building a PC. We find it for sale on eBay or we find sites who re-post it with no credit given. What can you really do about it? The first step is usually to email the site’s webmaster and notify them of what they are doing and ask them to take it down. Many times they will. After all, most of the time it is done either out of ignorance or because they thought they could get away with it. If you make it clear that they got caught, many times they will simply remove the offending material. There is no worse way to get along with the internet community than to steal somebody else’s content and re-publish it. As another method, you could contact the host of the offending site and notify them.
If you have an actual registered trademark, then your options are better established. You can actually bring the weight of the law down on the offenders if you so choose. In this case, you need to simply evaluate whether it is worth the effort. In some cases, the offending site might be so small that it will never even be noticed. In other case, though, you may want to consider legal action.
Conclusion
So, when a website puts the little copyright notice at the bottom of the page, realize it does mean something. It may not mean they have a registration, but it still means they are the copyright holders of the content on that website – as long as they created it. For any content which you did not create, make sure you have your ducks in a row so that it is clear you are able to publish that material.
Taking Your Business to Phase 2
This week I am going to give you a piece of very valuable advice. If you are in any line of business, this will apply to you. Since this newsletter is geared toward web entrepreneurs, then obviously this also applies to you. This situation is this: You have your own business. You are the only one doing anything. The entire business rests on your shoulders. You get busier and busier until the point where you are basically a slave to your business and you are literally producing as much as you have time to do. Your list of uncompleted, pending projects grows. You work long days, but you have a life and you want to spend some time with your family. And you also want to sneak in some time to do something other than work. But, any time doing these things is time where your business is closed down and producing nothing. It is a trade off.
This picture is exactly my situation. For any business, this is phase one of the business. Phase one is where the business is new and you are single-handing the entire operation. Every thing from accounting to production to emptying the trash cans is done by you, the owner. As the business grows, it becomes a trap because the entire thing depends on you. The answer is to move the business into phase 2 – bringing others on board and get other people to do the work. The trick is how to make this transition. Click Here To Continue Reading »
Integrating a Website With Your Business
It has been one of my continual themes when talking with clients about their websites that their site needs to serve their business. When I work with a client, I look at their website as an extension of their business model. I take a look at their overall business and evaluate:
- How do they make their money?
- Who is their public or target audience?
- How can their public be promoted to?
- How can the web be used to help automate their business?
I’ll listen to what they want to achieve with their website and then recommend options to help that website achieve the points above: making money, automate and promote to their target audience. Click Here To Continue Reading »
What Did Google Do Right?
When I was in Russia recently, I didn’t have much to do over there. I spent some time in Korkino, a very small village in central Russia. For a guy who is used to a lot of activity and the hi-tech life (I guess I can call it that), I found myself more than a little bored sometimes. One of the several books I read there was “The Google Story”, by David A. Vise. Its a great book for those interested in the formation of Google. It takes you from the initial days of Google (starting as the college project of a couple of guys), to the formation of the company, the eventual IPO, and to the present. As a guy running my own business online, it is interesting to see what went in to creating a company with the size, success and repute of Google.
Obviously, all of the decisions made in the history of Google is enough to fill, well, a book. However, one of the key things stood out to me and it was a founding state of mind put forth by the two founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. What did they do right? They kept their eye keen on their valuable final product and on what the entire business was all about – search. No matter what came up, it was all looked at through the lens of whether it would make the search engine better or not. Click Here To Continue Reading »
Is There a Use for MySpace in Business?
Most of us who are not living under a rock have heard something about the Myspace buzz. It seems to be another internet revolution. The business side of this behemoth is something to behold. It was purchased by Rupert Murdoch (of Fox News fame) for $580 million in July of last year. At the time, people almost wrote it off, saying it was Murdoch’s attempt to play catch-up in the new media of the internet. Today, experts say the site is probably worth 10X what Murdoch paid for it. They have 100 million member profiles – almost a third of the US population in terms of numbers. And, as of this writing, Myspace has just sealed a deal with Google to provide AdWords space on Myspace, thereby guaranteeing a new flood of revenue to both Myspace and Google.
If you’re anything like me, you have all but written off Myspace as another internet social experiment, attractive only to social butterflies, high school students, and other “punks” with little to do in their real life. Personally, I am too busy running a real business to worry about posting pictures of my dog on Myspace. But, then again, am I being short sighted? Click Here To Continue Reading »
I'm David Risley. I've been making my living as a blogger for over a decade. Blogging is my business and how I support my family. With this blog, I'm just gettin' REAL and telling you how this business works. 
