Wed, 12 Jan 2005 17:31:20 -0500 Wed, 12 Jan 2005 17:31:20 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Quikonnex Channel Service Provider http://quikonnex.com/channel/page/quikonnex http://quikonnex.com/images/channelicon.gif http://quikonnex.com/channel/page/quikonnex Quikonnex Channel Service Provider en Quikonnex Publisher 60 http://quikonnex.com/QMTP/feedcontact/quikonnex ]]> Wed, 12 Jan 2005 17:31:20 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/QMTP/feedcontact/quikonnex http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=9214 Privacy Policy
Ebizworks, LLC through the Quikonnex.com website collects a variety of information from Members, Affiliates and Subscribers. This data is considered essential for effective operation and usability of the site. Ebizworks, LLC does not sell or rent any information collected. Access to data is limited to principals and/or employees of Ebizworks, LLC and to 3rd party companies with which Ebizworks, LLC has or may have contractual relations and have agreed to maintain confidentiality of such data. Examples of such 3rd parties are hosting service providers, ISPs, and software developers. The following depicts information collected on each type of Quikonnex user and it's use:

Publisher Information Data and Usage

Data Usage

Email Email addresses are collected to verify identity of member, used to produce RSS data feeds for Quikonnex channels as a required data element of the RSS specification, and for payment of earned commissions via the PayPal system. Email may be used as a last resort to communicate Quikonnex account information to member.

Name, Address, Phone Name and address are collected at time of registration to verify identity of member. Some information entered may be publicly visible on member's channel page or through a channel viewer client. Members may change publicly visible information to protect their privacy. However, payment billing information should be maintained in order to accurately compensate members for commissions earned or to verify billing information.

Usage of Data. Email addresses and phone numbers are provided to referring affiliates and publishers in order to facilitate education of the new publisher in use of the Quikonnex system. The referring affiliate may send an email to the new users in order to welcome them and ensure that the new user knows how to utilize the internal Quikonnex messaging system, QMTP and offer assistance to the new publisher in getting their channel launched.

Social Security Number or Tax ID US Citizens will be required to provide an SSN or Tax ID number if their commissions exceed $600.00 in a year. It is not required that this data be entered or maintained on the website. However, member's commissions will be held until data is either entered on website, or faxed/mailed to Ebizworks, LLC. 1099s will be issued for commissions earned in excess of $600.00 in a year.

IP Address IP addresses are captured during registration and used for verification of identity and for demographic analysis.

Cookies Quikonnex.com makes extensive use of cookies placed on member's computers. Cookies stored on member's computer include items such as user id, encrypted password, affiliate id, channel names, and other data that facilitates usability of the site. Non-acceptance of Quikonnex cookies will not prohibit use of the site, but will require more frequent logins.

Affiliates Information Data and Usage

Data Usage

Email Email addresses are collected to verify identity of affiliate and for payment of earned commissions via the PayPal system. Email may be used as a last resort to communicate Quikonnex account information to affiliate.

Name, Address, Phone Name and address are collected at time of registration to verify identity of affiliate. Payment billing information should be maintained in order to accurately compensate affiliates for commissions earned or to verify billing information.

Usage of Data. Email addresses and phone numbers are provided to referring affiliates and publishers in order to facilitate education of the new user in use of the Quikonnex system. The referring affiliate may send an email to the new users in order to welcome them and ensure that the new user knows how to utilize the internal Quikonnex messaging system, QMTP.

Social Security Number or Tax ID US Citizens will be required to provide an SSN or Tax ID number if their commissions exceed $600.00 in a year. It is not required that this data be entered or maintained on the website. However, affiliate's commissions will be held until data is either entered on website, or faxed/mailed to Ebizworks, LLC. 1099s will be issued for commissions earned in excess of $600.00 in a year.

IP AddressIP addresses are captured during registration and used for verification of identity and for demographic analysis.

Cookies Quikonnex.com makes extensive use of cookies placed on affiliate computers. Cookies stored on affiliates's computer include items such as user id, encrypted password, affiliate id, channel names, and other data that facilitates usability of the site. Non-acceptance of Quikonnex cookies will not prohibit use of the site, but will require more frequent logins.

Member/Subscriber Information Data and Usage

Data Usage

Name, Email, Addresses Email address or other personal data is not required for subscribers. If a subscriber chooses to use DeskView or QuikView, then they are requested to provide their name and create a username and password. This is only used to personalize their DeskView or QuikView installation and it is not used for any communications with the subscriber. The email address submitted is only considered to be unique and easy to remember login information. Additionally, when a subscriber adds a Quikonnex Publisher's channel to their system, a message is sent to the publisher notifying them that they have a new subscriber. The email address is not provided to the publisher, however, the subscriber is identified by name to them.

IP Address IP addresses are captured during subscription and for demographics and statistics.

Cookies Cookies stored on subscriber's computer include items such as the name(s) of the channel(s) subscribed to, the ID of the referring member or affiliate, and a tracking ID not associated with any personal information regarding the identity of the subscriber. Non-acceptance of Quikonnex cookies will not prohibit use of the site, but will impact usability of the channels, specifically the ability to personally design channels tailored to subscriber needs.

[COMMENT]]]> Wed, 12 Jan 2005 17:31:20 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=9214 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=3461 A recent study indicates they are!

In an article for online eWeek Enterprise News and Reviews, Study: Spam Filters Often Looses E-Mails, columnist Anick Jesdanun wrote,

As spam-fighting tools become increasingly aggressive, e-mail recipients risk losing newsletters and promotions they've requested.

A new study attempts to quantify missed bulk mailings. Return Path, a company that monitors e-mail performance for online marketers, found that nearly 19 percent of e-mail sent by its customers never reached the inboxes of intended recipients.

This study was conducted by Return Path, a email research firm and provider of various email performance services at both the corporate and personal levels. According to the article, the study included eighteen major ISPs and one hundred Return Path customers. The period of the study was the last half of 2003, and they estimated that this loss of email was up nearly 4% over the same time period for 2002. The article went on to say,

In some cases, the messages weren't delivered at all; in other cases, messages wound up in spam folders that are rarely checked. Though technical glitches can also cause mail to disappear, Return Path blames most of the deletions on spam filters.

Nothing will be lost or misdirected when published in a Q Channel, so you can be sure if you subscribe to your favorite publishers information in that format, you will get everything they have to offer. There will be no interference from your ISP, from tightly constrained corporate or personal email filters, and there is no risk of loss through accidental deletion. Everything your publisher posts to his channel is always available to you, and is fully searchable with Qsearch, our media-rich search engine.

QuikView, our browser-based channel viewer is free, easy to get and to use, and will keep all of your channel subscriptions organized and instantly accessible. Forget about slogging through all that stuff in your email in-box. Just click the Channel Summary link in your QuikView sidebar, and all of your channel subscriptions will be there, with the dates of the most recent posts for each. To learn more and to get your own free QuikView, just Click Here! [COMMENT]]]> Thu, 18 Mar 2004 14:19:54 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=3461 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=3393 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. [COMMENT]]]> Thu, 11 Mar 2004 16:20:47 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=3393 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=3062 A Q Channel is your electronic courier and delivery truck!

You may be asking yourself, "I already have a website, why do I need an RSS feed?"   Think of it this way, your website is your storefront, your RSS feed, or Q Channel is your personal courier and delivery truck.

Your merchandise, be it information, goods or services, are just sitting idly on the electronic "shelves" of your webpages. But they are not going to move until people become aware of what you have to offer. And, if you add new items to inventory, how will anyone know, unless they visit your site? But as the number of pages on the web grows, (it is well over a billion as of this writing), even if they have been to your site once, will they come back? What if they forgot to bookmark your site? How will they find you again in all that clutter?

But, what if you had your own electronic courier and delivery truck which could constantly shuttle around the web, letting those who are interested in your products know that you have added new items? For those who publish online, Q Channels deliver your product directly to your subscribers, with no delay or interference. For those of you with goods and services to sell, a Q Channel is your personal courier or town crier, alerting those who have subscribed that you have new inventory or you are running a sale. You might even want to run special sales, just for your subscribers, as an incentive for them to watch your Q Channel closely.

Q Channels provide you a direct, regular connection to your customers, with numerous options for two-way communication, to allow you to develop and strengthen those important relationships. We all know that it is much less expensive and a lot easier to keep good customers than to try to find new ones. With Q Channels you can forge strong bonds with your customers, and build your business on a solid foundation.

The ability of Q Channels to ping Weblogs.com is also a valuable benefit of the Quikonnex service. It is a powerful marketing tool which will increase your visibility on the Internet. For more information, please click on over to Why Ping Weblogs.com?

If you would like more information on the features and benefits of having an RSS feed, we recommend that you review RSS Tutorial for Content Publishers and Webmasters, by Mark Nottingham. It is pretty technical, though parts of it are in actual English. If you do find it a little confusing, don't worry, the Qs understand it and have made sure that Q Channels provide you will all of these features, benefits and advantages. [COMMENT]]]> Mon, 23 Feb 2004 09:45:14 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=3062 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2987 A Brief Summary of RSS

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, or Really Stops Spam, depending on who you ask. Essentially, it is a protocol, an application of XML, which makes it possible to syndicate and aggregate online content. RSS files are used to create a data feed which will deliver headlines, links or, in fact, just about anything, to a channel viewer application, like QuikView or DeskView. These applications are sometimes also called news readers or aggregators. These programs will constantly monitor the RSS feeds to which they are subscribed, and alert the user when new information has been added to a feed, what we call channels.

There are multiple versions of RSS currently in use, with different numbered versions. The higher number does NOT indicate a more advanced or powerful version of the protocol, as the development of RSS forked some years ago, and there are now two distinct and separate formats. But don't worry, Q Channels are able to handle both formats with ease!

If you would like more detailed information on the history and development of RSS, we recommend that you check out What is RSS? by Mark Pilgrim. It is pretty technical, but it is the best introductory information on the subject we have seen available on the web. And remember, you don't have to learn RSS to use it, all you need is a Publishing membership in Quikonnex to have all of that techie stuff taken care of for you. Then you can concentrate on your business and leave the technology to the Qs! [COMMENT]]]> Wed, 18 Feb 2004 08:58:13 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2987 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2941 DMOZ RSS Readers List.

Or, you can take a look at the list of applications compiled and reviewed by About.com guide Heinz Tschabitscher, at RSS Feed Readers / News Aggregators.

Each of these applications handles RSS feeds in a slightly different way. After extensive research, the Qheads chose Awasu from this group for use with Q Channels because it was very user-friendly, full-featured and did not strip tags, allowing subscribers to see everything their publishers have to offer. However, it is currently Windows-only and it does require a small download, which are impediments to some of our Q Channel subscribers.

This morass of viewers and the needs of our subscribers is also the reason that the Qheads decided to develop their own in-browser channel viewer sidebar, which they called QuikView. It is easy to get and use and not only is it a channel viewer, it is also a personal bookmark server, which both our publishers and their subscribers are finding very handy.

If you would like more information about our channel viewer of choice, please click on over to QuikView - Our Channel Viewer for more details, and to get your own free channel viewer and personal bookmark server. [COMMENT]]]> Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:51:38 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2941 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2916 Really Simple Syndication for Beginners -- RSS 101

If you wish to learn more about the nuts and bolts of RSS, there are a couple of good sites we can recommend for your edification. They are fairly technical, but they have useful and comprehensive information about the inner workings of RSS feeds, for those who want to peek under the hood.

One of the most encyclopedic sites on all aspects of RSS is the State of Utah's RSS Workshop. It may be more than you want to know, but it is a good place to learn about the full scope of RSS publishing. You will find out about all those little orange XML boxes you see on many websites. And quite a lot of it is written in normal English, so you can glean valuable information about how this technology works.

A less detailed, but reasonably brief interpretation can be found at DotNetJunkies. The article, by Jeff Julian is called Got RSS?

For the code warriors among you, we recommend a two-part of series published at WebReference.com. This series was intended for webmasters, so it is very code-heavy, but it does contain a very thorough explanation of the entire RSS publishing process:

  Part 1 -- Creating RSS files for your Web site

  Part 2 -- Registering and publishing with RSS

Don't worry if you find all of the information provided at these site a little overwhelming, the Qs have got it covered! If you would rather spend your time disseminating information, rather than writing code, all you have to do is join Quikonnex as a Publishing Member. You will then have your own RSS feeds, which we call Q Channels. Unlike many RSS feeds, they are media-rich, so you can put anything in your channel, HTML, or audio and video, there are no restrictions.

Plus, Q Channels come with multiple options for two-way communications, so you can easily stay connected, without dependence on email. If you have been thinking of going with RSS, but found it too complicated or one-sided, Quikonnex is the solution. You get all of the benefits of RSS and more, with no programming required! [COMMENT]]]> Mon, 16 Feb 2004 13:38:27 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2916 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2853 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. [COMMENT]]]> Fri, 13 Feb 2004 08:55:02 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2853 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2808 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. [COMMENT]]]> Wed, 11 Feb 2004 08:42:36 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2808 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2800 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. [COMMENT]]]> Tue, 10 Feb 2004 18:49:06 -0500 http://quikonnex.com/channel/link.php?id=2800