RSS is becoming the email-alternative for online publishers!

In their article, RSS Gaining Momentum, Greenhouse Associates notes that it is difficult to predict which technologies will catch on, but that RSS, a technology which they pointed out to their readers last year, now appears to be gaining momentum. The article states,

RSS is quickly gathering steam with a growing number of large and small publishers and web sites, including BBC, Rolling Stone, Sci-Fi Today, Slashdot, Forrester Research, and LiveDaily.com, a music- and concert-news site operating under Ticketmaster's online division.  ...  RSS is now attracting a wider group of content players. For example, Accelerize New Media, a software company, has launched a subscription-based service for getting alerts on SEC filings via an RSS feed.  ...

And our publishers here at Quikonnex are leveraging that momentum for the benefit of their businesses. They are using their Q Channels to deliver news, virus & scam alerts, tech tips, and marketing & product information to their subscribers.

The Greenhouse Associates article goes on to say:

RSS is one way around the current problem with spam invading email as a news delivery channel. RSS operates in a closed connection with publishers and users don't furnish their email addresses, so there is no opportunity for spam or viruses to infiltrate, nor any chance of delivery being blocked by anti-spam software. A resulting benefit is that publishers no longer need to maintain email lists because the user pulls content from sites of interest, rather than having email pushed to them.   ...

Q Channel publishers truly enjoy their freedom from email list management, and are investing that new-found time in promoting their businesses and selling their products. Their subscribers are delighted to have a reliable connection with information they want to receive, with no worries about email delivery interference from their ISP or poorly set email filters. It is a WIN-WIN for both publishers and subscribers.

If you would like more information on RSS or Quikonnex, please check out the items in the categories listed to the right. Or, if you would prefer, just click the QSupport link at the very top right to chat live with our staff.

How can you cut through the spam clutter?

The BrightMail site has recently updated their spam statistics page.

According to their figures, spam became 50% of all email on the Internet in July 2003, and has been increasing. That means that more than half of the email people receive is now spam, and the percentage is climbing.

How can publishers ensure that their message gets through?

How can subscribers regain control of their information consumption?

We think Q Channels are the email-alternative answer. Publishers can deliver their messages without any interference, and subscribers have complete control over what information they elect to receive. There is NO opportunity for spam using the Quikonnex service. Publishers have a reliable medium in which to deliver media-rich content, and subscribers have complete control over what they receive.

If you are a publisher who is weary of the hassles of email publishing, a medium in which you know you are getting diminishing returns, check out the Quikonnex service as a clean and reliable alternative. Your information is delivered immediately, and you will not be accused of spam when you publish via channels.

If you are a subscriber who dreads your email box because of the rising volume of spam with which you must contend, consider asking your favorite publishers to convert to Q Channels. You can then receive their information immediately, without interference from your ISP or accidental deletion by your spam filters. You will look forward to reading new information from your favorite publishers again, rather than dreading the chore of sifting through your in-box for their latest publications.

Please take a few moments to look around and if you have any questions, feel free to click QSupport at the top of each page for answers.

We think the answer is to get out of email, and start using channels!

In his article, Email Marketing Gurus Urge Caution, Respectful Approaches, published at MediaPost.com, Ross Fadner reports on a meeting of email marketing strategists at a session of the Ad:Tech conference in New York.

He said that they " ... urged direct marketing planners to exercise greater tact in an effort to minimize perceptions of shiftiness that have begun to surround the industry. Prudence was the pervading tone ... "

Mr. Fadner went on to say, "The cautionary note comes amid a growing and fervent consumer backlash against all forms of spam and, according to these experts, marketers must now more than ever distinguish themselves from the expanding throng of illegitimate mass emailers."

As you might guess, we think that Q Channels are quite distinguished, impeccable, in fact, as a direct and reliable way to distribute your online publications. There are no lists to manage, no need to misspell words to defeat impossible filters, and no accusations of spam. The perfect alternative to email publishing.

In a Q Channel, your message will not get lost among the quickly deleted, unwanted emails in your subscribers' inboxes, because it is not floundering there, in the electronic flotsam and jetsam. Rather, it is presented immediately to your subscribers, as soon as it is posted, in the channel viewer. Since you have complete control over the content of your channel, you also have no worries about your message being diluted or misinterpreted by being presented in the wrong context.

If you really want to distinguish yourself and your message, you should consider switching to Quikonnex. Please click any of the links for more information, or if you prefer, just click QSupport with any questions.

Are email marketers the enemy?

In a recent article for Just an Online Minute about the federal anti-spam bill, Paul Gough quotes from the Pogo comic strip, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

He warns that legitimate email publishers must hear what their subscribers are saying about email, if they wish to maintain a positive relationship with those subscribers and protect the future of their businesses. This is now more important than ever in light of the new laws being passed and enforced against those accused of spam.

However, he says that the passage and enforcement of those laws will not eliminate spam, nor consumer complaints against spam. Consumers think spam is a very big and serious problem that will not be easily solved by legislation. That is why Mr. Gough is warning email marketers to closely examine how they do business and recommends some methods for keeping subscribers interested and connected. He stresses the need to respect the subscribers' time, a commodity that is now more valuable to them than their discretionary income.

His final warning,
Or else e-mail marketers will discover that, if the anti-spam registry becomes law that their problems have only just begun.

Here at Quikonnex, we believe the solution is to stop publishing newsletters and ezines via email, and start using Q Channels, the email-alternative. Channel publishing saves time for both the publisher and the subscriber. Publishing channel items is a snap, and delivery is immediate.

With direct-to-desktop subscriptions, there are no accusations of spam for the publisher, and no cluttered inboxes to obscure important information for subscribers. With multiple options for two-way communication, publishers are able to nurture and strengthen their relationships with their subscribers. Real-time statistics allows them to identify trends of interest among their subscribers and thus deliver a more targeted message. Our free web conferencing is another powerful method for connecting with customers.

Please take some time to look around while you are here. If you would like more information, please feel free to click the Q Support link to be connected with someone who can answer your questions.

eCommerce is threatened as ISPs take control of email delivery

Jill Keogh, a high school alumni director in Lisle, Illinois, has written of her experiences in trying to send email newsletters to her alumni group. In her article Spam Filter's Collateral Damage, written for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she tells a tale which is all too familiar to many of our Q Channel publishers. No matter how hard she tried to comply with all email rules and protocols, many of her messages did not reach their destination, because she unknowingly used one of the forbidden words, "free" in her copy. These wanted emails were blocked by the recipients ISPs, without their knowledge or permission, and she as the sender was never notified of the delivery failure.

Ms. Keogh writes:

It's a given: Spam is unpopular. But the response to that has been an erratic, error-riddled, no-protocol, unchallenged and unaccountable block to whatever the big ISPs think may be an ad.

Sometimes the ad is spam (unwelcome) and sometimes it is not. But if it looks like an ad and sounds like an ad, then it's an ad and therefore -- by the ISP's filter definition -- unwelcome. What gives them the right to block commerce?

She goes on to speculate what damaged is caused to eCommerce when ISPs block requested and wanted email messages, and ends with:

The network of big ISPs and mail services banding together and throwing out welcomed, confirmed opt-in e-mails and newsletters because their algorithm said it was probably spam is wrong. Period.

If you are tired of all of the aggravations associated with email publishing, why not treat yourself to the simplicity and efficiency of Quikonnex, the email-alternative? Take a look around, and if you have any questions, just click the Q Support link at the top right of the page.

RSS is the email-alternative for one-to-many communication!

In their article Email is Dead -- Long Live RSS, the consultants at Greenhouse Associates state, "Spam has effectively put email out of business for the delivery of legitimate content. With mailboxes overflowing with junk mail, users have stopped reading email or have imposed spam blockers, which often block legitimate mail as well as junk. ..."

They go on to provide statistics which show that the twelve leading ISPs are incorrectly blocking requested, permission-based email. Virus/worm threats are also responsible for significant impediments to the delivery of legitimate email. Many of our new publishers are telling us that they were experiencing these very problems first-hand, until they became Quikonnex Publishing Members. Now, they just publish their newsletters and run their businesses, without the aggravation of email publishing.

The Greenhouse Associates article confirms what we already knew, " ... The emerging panacea is RSS, an XML-based format for delivering content. ... [it] certainly represents a potential way around the current email logjam. ... A resulting benefit is that publishers no longer need to maintain email lists because the user pulls content from sites of interest, rather than having email pushed to them. ... " That also means that subscribers no longer have to provide an email address to subscribe to a newsletter and are thereby protected from spam and the infiltration of viruses and worms. In light of the deepening interest in Internet privacy issues, subscribers are more likely to subscribe to newsletters in a manner which protects their privacy, and puts them in control. Isn't it nice that this same system also gives the publishers greater control?

Please note, this article has been removed from the Greenhouse Associates server. Please contact Q Support if you would like more information on the full text.

At SitePoint Tribune, editor Matt Mickiewicz asks
RSS Feeds - Have you Tried Them Yet?

He clearly has not tried Quikonnex channels. He lists a number of downsides to the use of RSS feeds. Needless to say, the Qs don't agree, and refute these issues point by point:

"1. RSS was never intended to syndicate anything besides headlines with descriptions. People are now syndicating full newsletters."

Not only can you syndicate full newsletters with Q Channels you can deliver HTML, graphics, audio, video, in fact any interactive media you choose.

"2. Having an RSS feed can mean big traffic to your server as all subscribers will check your server regularly for updates. If you're on a shared account or your bandwidth is restricted, it can mean a big hit to your hosting bill. Imagine, 100,000 subscribers checking your RSS feed 4-6 times a day for updates!"

Q Channel publishers do not have to worry about bandwidth issues because their channels are hosted on the Quikonnex servers. It is part of the service, Quikonnex takes the hits.

"3. It's impossible to know how many people regularly receive and read your RSS feed."

Absolutely wrong! With Q Channels, not only do you have up-to-date statistics on how many people see your channel in a browser, you also have statistics on how many are subscribed to your channel using channel viewers and/or newsreaders or aggregators, in addition to item-specific click-thru rates. It is all part of the service.

"4. Advertising? What advertising? Besides simple text ads with no accurate impression tracking it's impossible. You can also forget about putting Google AdSense ads in your RSS feed to earn revenue."

Did you guess this one is wrong, too? Then you would be right. You can put any type of advertising you like in a Q Channel, and you can track it using the ad tracking component of the Quikonnex service.

"5. From a 'looks' standpoint, RSS is a step backwards for HTML newsletters. While images can be included, you have no control over their positioning."

In keeping with the theme here, not correct! Because Quikonnex channels are fully HTML-capable, with a little creativity, you can control placement of your media. Plus, Q Channels have a number of interchangeable skins in different styles and colors, so publishers can choose a look which complements their logo and/or company colors. Not only can channel items accommodate multi-media, each channel can display the publisher's logo at the top, and there is a large sidebar in which anything the publisher chooses can be displayed.

And finally, Mr. Mickiewicz wrote:
"As it stands, RSS is a big winner for the end-users but it needs to evolve further for publishers to take it seriously."

RSS has evolved, Darwin would be so pleased! Serious publishers will love the Quikonnex publishing service. Q Channels are media-rich, up-to-date statistics and ad tracking are part of the package and the Quikonnex server takes the bandwidth load. Not to mention the special subscriber link to help subscriber's easily convert to channel subscriptions and multiple two-way communications options in the Q Channels.

If you have questions, or would like more information, just click the QSupport link at the right of the bar at the top of this page to chat with a Qhead.

He is right. And because of that un-accountability, the growing volume of UBE(unsolicited bulk email) also known as spam, is clogging the arteries of the Internet and threatening to cripple the very medium which supports it.

Ray says, " ... In Groove, for example, once you start experiencing the swarming aspects of work within its workspaces, you're hooked. ... And it stops bothering you that eMail is so incredibly broken."

Yet everyone seems to be trying to "fix" email. Why? Email is like that "Norwegian Blue" parrot in the old Monty Python routine. It is not pining for the fjords, it has passed on, it has ceased to be, it is an ex-parrot. It is only hanging on because it has been nailed to its perch!

We agree with Ray, there are other ways to communicate and collaborate on the web. We have been fans of Notes since the mid-1990's (v3, actually). It was the first time we really saw the true power and greater potential of computing as a tool for collaboration and social interaction. Ray had gone even further with Groove, making virtual collaboration efficient and transparent. It should always be about the people and the work, NOT the conduit.

Quikonnex was given life in the spirit of that same philosophy. Yes, it is based on blog/RSS technology. But so many of the weblogs, with or without RSS feeds, which we saw were developed by tech folks, for tech folks, and they seemed almost to shun regular people. Shocking though this may be to the many technically astute on the web, you are in the minority. The regular folks have you outnumbered, and they need new forms of communication, because they are also suffering under the same burden of spam. They just don't want to become propeller-heads to get it.

Legitimate ezine and newsletter publishers are finding it increasingly difficult to distribute their publications, and subscribers are finding it increasingly difficult to receive information which they have requested. The idea behind Quikonnex was to provide an easy hassle-free way for both to connect and be free of the email debacle. That is why Q Publishing Members don't have to know anything about blogging, or RSS, or databases, or other back-end technology, they just publish. And their subscribers don't have to know anything about channel viewers or new aggregators, because we did the research to find some good ones, which are compatible with Q Channels, and have made it very easy for them to acquire and subscribe to their favorite publishers' channels. We also built in multiple forms of two-way communication, thus making email irrelevant.

Ray wrote, " ... eMail is thirty years old, and we owe it a great debt of honor, but it has been pushed well beyond its design center and it's time to move on. Incrementally, progressively, but most definitely."

We agree. Workspaces work and channels work. Stop trying to keep email on life support or mourning its demise without thought of alternatives. They are already here, just open your eyes and look around.

To read Ray's post in its entirety, please visit RayOzzie's Weblog - 1 OCT 2003 .

To learn more about online collaboration, please visit the Groove Networks, Inc. site.

If you would like to know more about Quikonnex, please click any of the links here which interest you, or if you would like to chat with a Qhead, please click the QSupport link at the far right of the bar at the top of this page.

At About.com, guide Heinz Tschabitscher explains how to Make Sure Your ISP Doesn't Filter Your Newsletters as Spam. He says:

" You may not be aware of it, but your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is probably filtering all your email for spam automatically. ... As long as they only filter out the spam this is a good thing (though not even this should happen without the user's consent), but important mail or newsletters may fall victim to these spam filtering tactics, too. "

He then goes on to explain how learn about your ISPs spam policy, how to find out if you can whitelist the newsletters and other non-personal email you wish to receive, or take other steps so that these emails are not filtered or blocked by your ISP. It is quite time consuming, and requires a lot of effort on the part of the subscriber to stay connected to their favorite publishers.

If you like reading lots of complicated corporate policy and technical instructions, by all means, go for it! But if you would prefer to have your online publications delivered immediately to your desktop with no interference, ask your publisher to switch to a Quikonnex channel, the email-alternative. Q Channels are easy for publishers, but they are also very easy and convenient for subscribers. With our free channel viewers, QuikView and DeskView, you are directly connected to your favorite publishers' channels and you can be notified the instant the publisher adds a new item to his channel. You get all the news directly, immediately, with no interference and you cannot be spammed.

Q Channels support comments, so you can respond to your publisher's articles, right in the channel. Plus, the private QMTP messenger makes two-way communication within Q Channels fast, easy and email-free.

While you are here, please take a look around. If you have questions, just click the QSupport link in the bar at the top for live help. There is usually someone online to chat.

In his article at About.com, entitled How Spam has Ruined Email, guide Heinz Tschabitscher writes:

"It is really surprising that not more people and mailing lists and newsletters have given up on email yet (why all the anti-spam tools and legislation (attempts) and lawsuits and web sites if it's so easy to just not use email?)."

We think they have not yet given up on email because there was no viable solution until now. That is the reason the Quikonnex channel publishing system was created. It offers online publishers an alternative to email that is simple to use. In addition, Quikonnex has not forgotten the subscribers, making it very easy for subscribers to convert to channel subscriptions in order to stay connected to their favorite publishers.

Plus, the private QMTP messenger makes two-way communication within Q Channels fast and easy. They also make email irrelevant.

At Quikonnex, we know spammers will hate us, but legitimate online publishers will love us. Take a look around and see what you think. If you have questions, just click the QSupport link in the bar at the top for live help.