Do We Really Need The Internet?

by: Jim Edwards

(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved  http://www.thenetreporter.com  =====================================  As someone who earns their living entirely online, I  considered myself the last person I ever thought would ask  the question, "Do we really need the Internet?"  However, the extended power outage of almost 4 days, ongoing  loss of Internet access, combined with many other events  surrounding the recent Hurricane Isabel caused me to  reassess my priorities.  When "high-tech" business gets into a head-on collision with  a natural or man-made disaster, we all need to ask, "Do we  really need the Internet?"  Well, when you're in line for 3 hours to get gas so you can  siphon the tank to run your father-in-law's generator in  order to save $1,000 worth of food in three freezers - you  don't need the Internet, you need the expectation that  you'll find gas.  When you're driving around for 2 hours trying to find ice so  you can have a cold drink and make your family more  comfortable on a 90+ degree day - you don't need the  Internet, you need patience and a sense of humor.  When a good friend of yours falls 30 feet off a ladder while  helping his neighbors cut a tree off their house, fractures  his back and neck, punctures a lung and must be airlifted to  the hospital in critical condition - you don't need the  Internet, you need faith he'll be okay!  When the hurricane's destruction threatens to ruin the  surprise 50th wedding anniversary party you've been planning  for over a year for your parents - you don't need the  Internet! You improvise and set up a human communication  network that spreads the word to dozens of people who still  show up and throw a party that creates memories that will  last a lifetime!  When you can't turn on your computer to get work done, you  can still grab a good old-fashioned pen and legal pad and  get more work done in the peace and quiet without phones,  fax or email to distract you than you could ever get done  when things get back to "normal."  It struck me last night as I struggled to get my high-speed  Internet connection going again that I was much more  stressed over getting a stupid piece of hardware to function  than I was over driving 50+ miles to find gas just two days  before!  In fact, looking back, I was more proud of the fact that on  Saturday I found what was probably the last cold six pack of  beer in all of Southeastern Virginia than I was about my  last successful online product launch!  And after spending many days and nights in the dark, I  realized that the Internet represents the ultimate  convenience, but it's also the ultimate business risk  because so much can happen to shut the Internet down or  prevent you from accessing it.  If recent events taught me anything, they taught me these  three truths about life:  1. Life is fragile and valuable - don't take it for granted.  2. Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being  of family and friends. Sometimes it takes a calamity to  remind us.  3. Anyone who depends on the Internet for their entire  livelihood should seek to diversify how they make their  money - just in case the Internet disappears one day when  you least expect it!  About the author: Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the  co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how  to use fr-e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted  visitors to your website or affiliate links...  Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to  your website for weeks, even months... without spending a  dime on advertising! ==> "Turn Words Into  Traffic"  Circulated by Article Emporium

Do you need computer training?

by: Rick Boklage

The answer is yes, sooner or later you will need some computer training. As computers evolve and new software becomes available people are finding it important to keep up on their computer skills.  If you work in office environment for example, you may be faced with a situation where your employer purchases a new piece of software in the hopes that it will help his company become more efficient. As a result, you may be required to learn to use this new piece of software. Even if you work in a warehouse this new software may required that you need to enter inventory and print packing slips.  Do you need to know everything about the software? The answer is no, you by no means have to become a computer expert. Just acquire the skills that will allow you to use the software as efficiently as possible in your day to day activities. Here are some ways to gain those computer skills.  1.The software manual. Take some time to briefly read the titles and summaries. By doing so when you come across something you are not sure how to do you may think, "I remember reading something about that" and quickly find it again in the manual.  2.Software specific books. These are books you can purchase at most major book stores. They are quite often written by people who are experts with the software. The text is often followed by examples which may make it easier for you to understand and therefore you learn quicker.  3.CD tutorials. With some of the more popular software you may be able to purchase a CD tutorial. These training aids take you through step by step the different functions of the software. By "doing", as you are learning you are more often to remember these various functions.  It's never to late to start computer training. The skills you learn today may be all you need to get that promotion or qualify for that new job. Taking the initiative to upgrade you computer skills shows your employer or potential employer that you are able to adapt to the every changing computer workplace.  About the author: Rick Boklage operates the training specific website and search engine Focus On Training. For more information visit http://www.focus-on-training.com Circulated by Article Emporium

Million Dollar Homepage; Fad Or Fiction

by: Leon Chaddock

Over the last month a new website created by 21 year old student (Alex Tew) has had a phenomenal impact on the internet advertising world. You may have heard of milliondollarhomepage.com. If not, it is a very simple concept for online advertising. Advertisers can buy pixels on the homepage for $1 a pixel. The minimum order is 100 pixels and with this the advertiser gets a small image that links from the Milliondollarhomepage to the advertiser’s site. Now this alone isn’t what made the site successful. Granted it’s a unique twist on internet advertising, but lets be honest it’s hardly remarkable. People have been selling spaces for banners on websites for years. For this site to be successful it needed one key ingredient, and that is traffic. Hundreds of thousands of people needed to visit this site to give the advertisers value for money. So the young student who came up with the idea submitted a press release, and sold a story like any good marketer would. How he was only 21 and came up with this simple website to pay his way through university. Fortunately for him the worlds press found his release and published it, as it was a good story. This meant more people visited the site, and the website traffic increased. In turn more journalists picked up on the story and published it. The result was a viral explosion in traffic which meant many people bought advertising space and it is fair to say the site has been highly successful. So is this the new advertising medium of the internet? I am afraid this author doesn’t believe so. Once the hype starts to die down, and the story is no longer new, the press will begin to publish fewer articles on it, and less people will visit the site. This in turn will lead to even fewer articles being published in the worlds press, leading to even fewer visitors. This cycle will continue and what originally made this website successful (viral marketing) will ultimately lead to its death. What can internet marketers learn from this? The best way to promote any new internet venture is to make an interesting story about it, submit articles and press releases, and if the story is good enough, watch the viral explosion in visitors. Of course for long term growth the new site or service has to be good enough to provide value to visitors, and not just a fad that captures people’s short term interest. I wish Alex Tew all the best, but I think he too will accept that this is not a long term business that can go anywhere from here. About the author: Leon Chaddock is a 26 year old Internet marketing expert based in Hampshire, UK. He is a director of http://www.macranet.co.uk, and leading article publisher on http://www.articlesnet.co.uk Circulated by Article Emporium

Make Money On The Internet-What Is Your Niche

by: Jeff Schuman

If you want to make money on the internet then you absolutely have to look into niche marketing. If you can find your niche you will be well on your way to an internet income. If you haven't heard the word 'niche' being batted around by Internet Marketers then you haven't been listening. Finding a niche has become the antidote to competing in overly saturated online markets. What is a niche? According to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary a niche is described as "a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted... a specialized market". Have you noticed that despite the closing of many businesses in these sometimes harsh economic times that the local hobby train store is still around? That the 'hole-in-the-wall' eatery is thriving? Or that trends such as scrapbooking can start with a bang and then close within a year as four similar businesses start up in the same area? Making Money On The Internet Making money on the internet reflects the same trends as experienced in the offline world - often with faster turnover and startup rates.. Those who promote a product or site that targets a small, select audience can tap into a market that is otherwise not being served. Despite the limitations of the client base, the targeted nature of the business creates a devoted and active market - the aim of any business. HOW DO I FIND A NICHE? Finding a niche requires diligent research. Whether you have access to software that harvests and sorts information, or you take a manual approach, you must start with ideas. With a pen and paper (or computer, if that's more comfortable) brainstorm a list of businesses, products and industries. create a list of keywords and phrases you think would be used by individuals looking for these items. This is a very important step to making money online. Do not take any short cuts here. Using a software program such as WordTracker or a free resource such as the Overture Keyword Selector Tool, type your keywords in and search for words with a high amount of traffic. Although a program like WordTracker can give you further details such as how many sites compete for that market, you can also do your own research. Concentrate your attention on question phrases such as "how do I..." or "Where can I...". These questions will clue you into potential markets that need servicing. Next look in Google Answers. Type some of your keywords. What questions are being asked and how much are people willing to pay for answers? If you find a group of keywords with a high number of searches enter these words in your search engine. What sites come up? Do they provide answers or solutions to the problem? How are they making money on the internet ? Can you see an opportunity to serve these individuals with your own internet business. Finding a niche can be an open door to a profitable online business. Research the market and be certain that your product or service is valuable to this group. Find forums or groups that target this audience and pay close attention to their concerns. If you can help these people you WILL make money on the internet. The best of both worlds! About the author: Jeff Schuman is the owner of Team-Schuman.Com. Team-Schuman.com contains the best of everything you need to make money online. Their make money on the internet website has the Top 10 webites to get started making money online today. http://www.team-schuman.com/make-money-on-the-internet.html Circulated by Article Emporium