Something to Think About...

Something Else About Spam...

I received this in the mail today from my friend and associate, Lamar Owens, of FreeSoftware Website. I thought you might find it interesting.

Because I am not an attorney, I am unable to provide you with legal advice. Instead, I am providing you with practical knowledge and my advice based on my expertise in email marketing and my understanding of the law. I encourage you to consult with your own attorney for legal advice.

Email marketing has its challenges in this world of spam, but there's no need to worry, much less panic, about your email marketing efforts. It is a whole lot easier than you may think to be in compliance with the law.

This issue of Hints & Tips is designed to help you:

1. Make an educated evaluation of your current email address collection and emailing processes.
2. Feel confident that you are following both the law, and the best practices of email marketing (they happen to be the same thing).

It is important to understand that anti-spam legislation is intended to stop spammers, not to stop legitimate permission-based emailers like you.

Today, there is a patchwork quilt of 37 different state laws already on the books, and pending legislation in most of the remaining states. There are also numerous contenders for federal law. One bill has passed in the senate and we are now awaiting action in the house. If passed, proposed federal legislation would preempt all of the current state laws (making all of our lives easier - if you ask me).

But for now, state spam statutes vary, and each state has its own definition of unsolicited commercial email. Given that fact, the best way to comply is to find the commonalities among the state statutes and conform to the strictest standards among them. That way, you're covered in every state.

The good news is that all of the existing statutes and pending legislation recognize your right to send email to people with whom you have a preexisting business relationship, and those who otherwise consent to receive your email communications. The actual words vary from state to state, but the meaning is the same.

There are two easy steps you should take to make sure you're in compliance with existing laws (most of you already follow these today):

• Use good permission policy (have a preexisting business relationship and informed consent)
  • Evaluate your list and determine the sources of your email addresses.
  • Going forward, keep a record of the source of each email address you add to your list.
• Use good mailing practices (be honest/truthful)
  • Use a subject line that accurately reflects the content of your message (you already do all of this if you're a Constant Contact customer)
  • Use a legitimate header
  • Use a valid from address
  • Include a working unsubscribe/opt-out link and/or instructions
  • Additionally, you will now need to include the following in every email:
    • Your physical address (easy, right?)
    • Your working phone number (ditto)

If you are in doubt about whether or not you have a preexisting relationship and informed consent, what do you do?

1. Confirm the portion of your list that you are unsure of via other means, telephone confirmations, postcards etc.
2. Remove any addresses from your list that you obtained from an email append service or any third parties (including your closest business partners).
3. Remove any email address that you obtained from a business card or other means without asking for permission to send advertisements.
4. Consider confirming the portion of your list that you are unsure of via email as described in The Facts About Confirmed Opt-in.

Here are a few commonly asked questions and answers:

What is RSS, and Why is it the best thing since sliced bread?

You know, that is an interesting question, and truthfully, I don't know the technical answer. I am, after all, just a writer, not a programmer/technical guru. I will tell you what I do know though.

Remember the stock tickers you would see in the old movies? Gomez Adams had one that would appear regularly on The Adams Family. The purpose of the ticker was to spit out a strip of tape containing the latest updates happening on Wall Street; keeping investors informed.

An RSS feed does basically the same thing, via your computer and Internet connection.

First you download a small piece of software that allows you to view the many different channels being published on the RSS feed. This is called your Channel Viewer.

Next you subscribe to the channels you want to read. As each of your channel choices are updated by their respective publishers, the information is updated to your viewer, when you are connected to the Internet. You can choose how often your viewer updates as well.

When you want to read the channels you've subscribed to, you just open your viewer, right there on your desktop, click on the update button, if it's been a while since you last received an update, and there you have it! All the information you want to read, right there in front of you... No fuss, no muss!

Quikonnex has even set it up so that Publishers and Affiliates of The Q can send and receive private messages in the same fashion... For instance, if someone wants to comment on this article, directly to me, they can submit a message from the messenger box on the page, and it will transmit directly to my desktop, the same way the channels do. Or, you can visit this link and achieve the same result:

http://quikonnex.com/QMTP/pm/triizine/193

The reason spam cannot exist in this medium is very simple. The only way to receive channel transmissions is to subscribe to the channel. You must personally subscribe and download the viewer, no one else can do it for you.

No email address is required; therefore, you are never added to a list. You only receive what you want.

SPAM is a very serious issue, and must be dealt with in a serious manner. RSS addresses and cures the problem of spam in a very positive way. You cannot spam when you do not use e-mail.

This puts the subscriber back into the driver's seat when it comes to receiving information they want. It also gives the publisher more control and allows them to spend their time publishing, rather than worrying about the next lazy, forgetful person that turns them in for spamming.

Publishing is hard work. Why should publishers have to fret over bounced e-mail, spam complaints, bogus subscription and the rest of the nightmare that accopmanies e-mail publishing? Publishing via RSS Channel Feed relieves us of this burden. Moreover, why should readers have to deal with ISPs that filter wanted mail out of their inboxes, or weeding through all of the unwanted mail to find what they subscribed to?

I see more and more publishers converting to this method of distribution in the near future. In my opinion, it is going to be electronic publishing's savior.

All I know is that RSS works - and that's good enough for me!

Copyright © TLC Promotions & The Trii-Zine Ezine 2003
Trina L.C. Schiller
All Rights Reserved

How to let the subconscious mind do the creative work.

by Fernando Soave © 2003

From time immemorial mankind has wished for an Aladin’s lamp, which would make wishes come true.

The closest thing to this magic lamp is the subconscious mind. The “genii” of the subconsious mind will work for you if you follow a certain process.

How can we trap the subconscious mind into a great deal of our creative work for us.

Here are eight tested ways.

1. Give yourself a motive.

The subconscious mind works at its creative best when you have a purpose.

2. Make a date with your subconscious mind.

Prod it with definite orders as to what you want, but don’t tell it what methods to use.

Let it use its own methods. Example : “Genii, at 2 p.m. tomorrow, I want you to tell me just how I am going to sell 3000 crates of oranges to hard boiled Mr. Mack.”

It will help the genii if you have obligingly collected on cards all the pertinent information about Mr. Mack likes, dislikes and hobbies. This will make it easier for the genii to figure out the best approach.

3. Always keep a pad and pencil at your bedside.

You never can tell when the subconscious mind will suddenly come up with an idea.

When it does, write it down. Always carry a small notebook or pad with you.

4. Write every idea down.

When you first get an idea, don’t try to figure out whether it’s good or bad. Write it down. “The faintest ink is better then the best memory.” This is particularly true of creative ideas.

5. Don’t be critical of your ideas too soon.

You have a problem that can’t be solved by cold logic. It needs the spark of imagination. But the moment your subconscious mind tries to throw out a spark,

your conscious mind says : “That idea is a lemon. It will never work.”

In the early stages of the creative game, the conscious mind must be told to shut up.

Nothing will cause the genii to scamper away so much as being told by the conscious mind that their ideas are worthless.

6. When stymied, stop for a while.

Of course, most creative problems can’t be solved overnight. After you had a creative session with yourself, it’s usually best to stop trying to think up any more ideas. This stage is called the incubation.

7. Keep yourself motivated.

Whenever you have temporarily abandoned seeking an answer to a problem, the uncounscious mind should have its orders : “This is important to me. Don’t give up the ship. Keep on working on this idea while I sleep and rest.”

8. When the heat of creation is gone put your work aside for later evaluation.

Just as a period of conscious thinking and gathering facts usually precedes a creative idea, so a period of conscious thinking should eventually follow it. This is the period of evaluation.

Creativeness is wonderful. But it is only half the battle. The other half is evaluating your idea or hearing another’s opinion of it. Sometimes an honest opinion may spark a new idea.

Fernando Soave

CEO CUTTING EDGE MLM

http://www.cuttingedgemlm.tk

Free Cutting Edge MLM Newsletter.

mailto:subscribecemlm@freeautobot.com

Apply The Top 8 Secrets To Successfully Work At Home
By Carlos Garcia Publisher Of The "Wealthy Secrets" Newsletter

What I'm about to reveal to you are 8 proven secret strategies, that will help you accomplish positive results with the time you spend on your home business.

Ready?

1. Imagine yourself as the CEO of a major corporation.

This technique will put you in the proper frame of mind, to envision yourself as your own boss, and that you are in complete control of your business.

As the CEO of your corporation, it is very crucial that you project where your business will spiral towards in the next 5 years. Remember A DREAM written down with a date becomes a GOAL. A goal broken down becomes a PLAN.. A plan backed by ACTION makes your dream come true.. From The Millionaire Mentor by Greg S. Reid

Therefore, you need to:

2. Set Specific Goals - "Goals are like train tracks." They keep you moving forward in the direction you want to go. -Vicky Smith

When setting proper goals you need to exercise 2 simple strategies:

First and foremost, *Set Your Long Term Goals* (a.k.a. Dreams)

The bottom line is this, if you want to head in the right direction, than you must know where you want to be in 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, even 5 years from now.

This technique is amazingly effective when you type your goals down, and print them out. (Be sure you do it, I'll tell you why later.)

Secondly, you must always set and accomplish daily goals, so that you will achieve your long term dreams (goals). When you know where you want to be and where you are headed, than you will know exactly what you need to do to get there.

This will definitely get the ball rolling for you to set your daily goals.

3. Set up a *daily* To-Do Lists - Now that you have distinguished your daily goals, the easiest way to accomplish them is by working on a priority basis always working on the most important task first.

Design your daily to-do list at the end of your work day, so you know exactly what you need to do when you wake up in the morning. Make your daily tasks realistic, and be sure that they are accomplished. Think of each task you accomplish as a stepping stone towards your dreams.

The key here is for you to go to bed at night without having any regrets, and knowing that you have achieved everything you could that day.

Here's a neat trick: Use Microsoft Outlook's task manager to prioritize your daily To-Do list. Outlook will let you manage your tasks on a per hour basis. It is very crucial to avoid procrastination if you plan on getting where you want to be in 5 years.

Here's the best part: Outlook will keep reminding you, if your tasks have not been accomplished. This gives you absolutely no excuses not to work. Which brings me to my next point...

4. Devote a *specific amount* of hours each and every day to work on your business. To avoid getting side tracked, DO NOT surf the net, close your instant messenger conversations during this period of time.

The more side tracked you become, the further away you will be from your dreams.

5. Develop a positive routine - Research proves that eating breakfast every morning, will help you to think better, and even work more efficiently on your business.

Always take 15 - 30 minute breaks during the day to avoid straining your eyes. Have a good night's sleep, (6 to 8 hours is recommended.) Most importantly, try exercising daily because this will help fuel energy through out your body.

6. Stay organized, and focused - Tape your goals list on the wall by your work area, so that you will be reminded of what you are striving towards, each and everyday.

This important step alone will help guide you towards your ultimate goal, and keep you focused on what you should be doing.

If you ever feel that you don't have the energy to work on your business, simply take a look at your long term goals list, and let it remind you of your dreams.

Use this power to help you move forward in the direction you want to go.

7. Check your email ONCE every hour - Some of us love the idea of receiving email daily, and in most cases would likely check it every few minutes. This can be a very devastating routine that you will become accustomed to, be sure you eliminate it before it becomes routine.

The real secret to running a successful home based business, is to spend your time wisely and efficiently, by developing a positive daily routine.

8. Have fun - This may be the most important step of all. Make sure that you enjoy every minute you spend working on your business. If you can't stand the idea of getting up in the morning to work, than you might as well look forward to going back to that J.O.B. ( Just Over Broke ) you dread.

You must enjoy what you do, in order to fully succeed and accomplish your long term goals.

I have given you these 8 powerful strategies, the only way that they will work for you is if you apply them right now.

I wish you the best of luck with your home business, and I hope that you have a prosperous year.

==================================================

"What's The Secret Of This 25 Year Old 'Average Guy' Who Makes
$10,000 - $15,000 Monthly From The Comfort of His Home?"

Click Below To Learn His Secret
http://www.wealthysecrets.net/members/t.php?rid=3370
Copyright © 2003 "Wealthy Secrets" Newsletter. All Rights Reserved.

What You Don’t Know About Your Toolbar

Toolbars have become the rage these days. Just about every place you go is offering a toolbar of some sort. You know; one of those things to add to your browser, to make it handier. They are quite nifty little tricks too. These gizmos really put things at your finger tips, don’t they? Really… look at all the quick links that come with a Yahoo toolbar.

Here is something I bet you don’t know about that great toolbar of yours: The convenience of your toolbar does not come without cost. Yes, I am talking about the real price you pay for that free toolbar you’ve got.

Alexa, Yahoo, and most of the rest give you a toolbar so they can spy on you.

That’s right! Those toolbars are ADWARE!

For anyone that isn’t sure what ADWARE is, it is a program that tracks what you do online in order to target you for specific advertisements. That is why you get a million pop-ups out of nowhere, and why you seem to have an endless sea of junk mail in your box. Sadly enough, the truth is, by using that toolbar, you have brought all of this [junk] upon yourself.

The thing to do now is this:

Uninstall the darned thing(s) right now! I’ll wait.

Click on Start>Search (Find Files & Folders)> type in *.tmp then click on FIND. When your system finishes the search, go to Edit>Select All>Delete (This will get rid of all the temporary files that are slowing you down, and remove the traces of the ADWARE. These files are safe to delete.) Now empty your recycle bin.

Sorry Mac users, I know nothing of your situation; I’m a Windows Woman.

For those of you skeptics out there, this is what you can do to prove it to yourself…

Go to this web page:

http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10194058.html?tag=lst-0-1 Download the free software.

Run it on your system, and see all of the ADWARE that shows up. This software will even clean it from your system for you.

I was disappointed to learn of this clever little trick; I like convenience too. Who doesn’t…right?

Well, there was something I noticed after running this program and seeing all of the GARBAGE on my drive. Out of the toolbars I had installed, only one did not show up as an ADWARE item. (Toolbars are not the only ADWARE to look out for either.) I am glad I was paying attention.

I have a toolbar that has no ADWARE code in it at all. It tracks nothing. I go where I want to go, find the things I am looking for, and I am not paying for it by having my life open to a bunch of advertisers.

Here, I’ll even let you test it yourself. Download the software above; run it and clean your system of the unwanted junk that is there. Now download this toolbar, install it, and run the ADWARE scan again. You will see.

Here’s my toolbar: http://www.tlcpromotions.net/Frogsearch/toolbar.htm The download link is near the bottom of the page.

Now I will tell you why this discovery tickled me so. This is a toolbar that I received as a gift when I opened my advertiser’s account at Frogsearch.com. What makes that so special is that this toolbar was customized for me. It contains a button in it that contains links to 10 web pages that I promote. Pretty cool, huh?

It also contains another button in it that contains 10 blank links that I can sell to other people. I sell link space in my toolbar to others for $5.00/month per link. That makes me $50.00 a month!

The best part is this though: I don’t have to mess around with any coding, changing or rearranging links. Joe, the Head Frog, over at FrogSearch, will make all necessary changes for me; I just have to shoot him an e-mail and tell him which links to change. Easy! All I have to do is give my toolbar away for free, and let other people purchase links on it from me.

To have one of these customized for yourself is no big thing either. All you have to so is become an advertiser at FrogSearch.com, and you get your very own customized toolbar… Free of ADWARE.

I want to know your results of the ADWARE scan. Let me know whether or not you were surprised at the results. I was totally mortified when I saw mine. I use a firewall now too. (If you don’t, you should.)

If you are getting high quantities of junk mail, or pop-ups from Hell, and you run a toolbar(s), you have no one to blame, but the maker of the toolbar. Run that free download and free your browser for better things. I dare ya!

Copyright © Trina L.C. Schiller

TLC Promotions & The Trii-Zine Ezine 2003