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" <=-

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------------------------------------------------------------------------
        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 youll see some
improvement. If you transfer more files and spend more time on-line
youll really see a difference. To appreciate the time savings imagine
being able to download an hours 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 <ASP> - 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!

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