Newsletter No. 71
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Free Pint
"Helping 31,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.co.uk/
ISSN 1460-7239 21st September 2000 No.71
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IN THIS ISSUE
EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
from Sam Vaknin
FREE PINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
Reviewed by Simon Collery
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
"Routes into Knowledge Management"
By Steve D'Arcy
BOOKSHELF
"net.people: The Personalities and Passions Behind the Web Sites"
Reviewed by Rachel Newcombe
FEATURE ARTICLE
"The Net Snags Cash Flow
- Business Information and Cash Flow on the Internet"
By Colin Duguid
PORTAL, EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS
http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm
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ADDING VALUE TO YOUR INTRANET - FREE SEMINARS
Factiva invites you to examine new tools for building and measuring
intranet value. Register today for a free seminar on creating and
sharing organisational knowledge:
http://www.factiva.com/integration/publisher/events/fp
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>>> ABOUT FREE PINT <<<
Free Pint is a community of business professionals who use the Web
for their work. Members receive this free newsletter every two weeks
packed with tips and articles by information professionals who share
how they find quality and reliable information on the Internet. Sign
up at <http://www.freepint.co.uk/> for free access to the substantial
archive of articles, book reviews, industry news and events, and have
your research questions answered at the "Free Pint Bar". This
newsletter is best read when printed out and viewed in a Courier font.
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EDITORIAL
There has been much debate recently about the future of the
information profession and how we can best promote our unique skills
and influence in every corner of society. One major way we can do this
of course is by supporting and nurturing our students and new
professionals ...
Announcing the Free Pint Student Bar
http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/
I am therefore delighted to launch the brand new Student Bar. This is
a place where information-related students - including undergrads,
postgrads, distance learners and new graduates - can discuss topics
relating to their courses (such as dissertations, placements,
recruitment and funding) and network with other students to share
experiences and provide support. We also hope that seasoned
professionals will join in and share their knowledge by providing
practical examples of how the theory can be put into practice.
Embarking on the Student Roadshow
To celebrate the launch of the Student Bar we are jumping into the
Free Pint Bus on the 6th of November and spending a week visiting five
university towns, namely Loughborough, Sheffield, Newcastle,
Manchester and Aberystwyth. The trip is being sponsored by those great
guys at Factiva who will be joining us on what should proove to be a
fun expedition.
In the afternoon of each day, students and staff are being invited to
a talk about my experiences since graduating with an information
degree, to find out more about how the Student Bar can help their
studies, and hearing about the exciting new products from Factiva. The
drinks and food are on us and there will be plenty of freebies to
help make it a fun, yet informative session.
In the evening of each day we'd like to open the invitation out to all
members of Free Pint and Factiva customers in the locality. We'd love
you to join us for a real free pint, and this will be a great chance
to network with other members and meet the team behind Free Pint. For
more details and to let us know if you can come, please visit:
http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/roadshow.htm
In keeping with these announcements, we have an interesting article
today about how you can get into Knowledge Management, a review of a
book full of experiences from people who have built successful Web
sites, and details of a new student-rate subscription for Information
World Review (see the advert below). The feature article covers
resources relating to the tricky issue of cash-flow and Simon gives
his regular summary of what's been happening at the Free Pint Bar
and Student Bar.
Again, please do check out the Roadshow as it would be great if you
can join us for a drink one evening. We'll be visiting other cities
next year (and possibly other countries - watch this space) so don't
worry if you can't make one of these first dates. I also hope you
enjoy today's Free Pint and I welcome your feedback as always. Please
also pass the issue on to anyone you think might find it useful.
Kind regards,
William
William Hann BSc MIInfSc
Founder and Managing Editor, Free Pint
e: william@freepint.co.uk
t: +44 (0)1784 455435
f: +44 (0)1784 455436
Free Pint is a trademark of Free Pint Limited
http://www.freepint.co.uk/
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>>>> Heading for a career in information management? <<<<
Subscribe to the industry's leading monthly news magazine,
Information World Review - for half price!
http://www.iwr.co.uk/student
Each month you'll find up-to-date news, reviews, career moves
and profiles of information professionals in a variety of jobs.
Sample the October issue, before you subscribe.
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>>> OVER 100,000 PEOPLE WILL SEE THESE WORDS <<<
If you've thought about advertising here then bear in mind that
through redistribution Free Pint is seen by over 100,000 people
http://www.freepint.co.uk/advert.htm
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
from Sam Vaknin
* Freemerchant - Free Merchant offers a full scale free e-commerce
enabled site and free e-commerce tools. http://www.freemerchant.com
* GuruNet - an encyclopedia, library, dictionary and Internet guide
all rolled into one. You'll need to download a small application
and install it. http://www.gurunet.com/index.html
* FAQMan - a frequently asked questions manager. Input your questions
and answers, arrange them in categories and create your FAQ site.
http://www.faq-man.com
* Plagiarism.org - for teachers who want to check the originality of
students' papers, editors who want to check articles and publishers
who want to avoid costly litigation. This is a subscription-based
service. http://www.plagiarism.org
* ZDNet Updates - the latest in freeware, shareware and plain software
updates presented and reviewed by the impeccable ZDNET. E-mail
subscription also available. http://updates.zdnet.com
Sam Vaknin <palma@unet.com.mk> is the author of "Malignant Self Love -
Narcissism Revisited" and "After the Rain - How the West Lost the
East".
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To submit your top five favourite tipples see the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/author.htm> or email <simon@freepint.co.uk>
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FREE PINT STUDENT ROADSHOW IN ASSOCIATION WITH FACTIVA
Factiva, a Dow Jones & Reuters company, is pleased to be associated
with Free Pint and the Factiva InfoPro Alliance is excited to be
joining the Free Pint Student Bar Roadshow in November. We look
forward to meeting Free Pint members, students and Factiva customers.
Join the InfoPro Alliance at http://www.factiva.com/infopro
and the Roadshow at http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/roadshow.htm
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>>> FREE PINT AUTHOR UPDATE <<<
All previous, current and potential Free Pint contributors
are invited to sign up for the "Free Pint Author Update".
A brief monthly email with details of books for review,
article suggestions and other news. Sign up today at
http://www.freepint.co.uk/author.htm
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FREE PINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
Reviewed by Simon Collery
http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#bar
Free Pint Bar - http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar
Some people, including myself, were caught off guard on Tuesday by a
question about Automated Computer Examination Systems (4964), thinking
the question was education related. But they deal with "packet
sniffing", a method of searching and tracing email. Fancy our not
knowing that! Perhaps the Free Pinter seeking a definition for the
term 'due diligence' (4887) was really interested in scheduled
stagecoaches.
Well, be that as it may, and it may not be, from next Thursday I will
be writing a twice monthly roundup of full text articles from the top
journals used by information professionals (4971). I will be looking
out especially for issues that are aired on the Bar or otherwise
mentioned by Free Pinters, anything that makes the hearts of
information professionals beat faster.
For example, we have had a lot of recent postings of particular
interest to library and information people, as opposed to postings
about general Web searching, technical issues, resources and research.
Amongst others, there've been postings on training for business
librarians (4970) and corporate researchers (4797) but you'll find
plenty of others mentioned below. And there was great interest in the
proposed name for the result of the merger of the Library Association
and the Institute of Information Scientists (4809) and indeed, naming
in general.
Talking of hoaxes, some postings are less easy to pigeonhole, such as
one about suspect calls and con tricks (4932), or mobile phone prepay
vouchers (4782). Equally diverse are the ones about the poster
publishing industry (4858), the typical ratio of clients to
information professionals in the financial sector (4929), access
services in public libraries (4803), adding value to data (4874), the
information industry in Ireland (4920) and examples of business
strategy briefs (4768). If anyone has anything to add to these
matters, please do get in touch.
Indeed, some of the easily pigeonholeable questions have so far gone
unanswered. Who has the UK franchise for the Rocket eBook Reader
(4818) and where can one find tracking software for an intranet
hotline (4908)? Also, beta testers are being sought for a service
which will keep your customers informed when the exact product they
want becomes available (4754).
Answers were more forthcoming to questions on registering French
domain names (4796), ASPs (4819), ecommerce software (4765), SIM cards
(4826), managing email questionnaires (4859) and putting a library
catalogue on an intranet (4757). And a graduate student is inquiring
into the feasibility of an electronic enquiry service at her
university library (4950). One of our subscribers is having trouble
with an MS Exchange Server (4847) and another is looking for
statistics on typical bandwidth purchases by UK companies (4897).
In the fields of employment and training, someone is looking for US
companies that provide staff for promotions work (4776), work in
France (4941) and Australia (4956), and work experience in the US
(4863). Others have expressed an interest in working as an
information professional (4946), information skills quizzes (4802),
being a corporate researcher in Australia (4906), standards for
information researcher/analyst training (4892) and finding freelance
PR people in the IT sector (4807).
Useful resources and Web sites have been coming in thick and fast, as
usual. We've covered media history (4774), academic research (4799),
how to choose a book (4829), how to perform...well, lots of tasks
(4864), a computing encyclopedia (4891), world rulers and heads of
state (4911), biosciences (4938), UK politics (4848, 4777), an
international ATM locator (4871), language resources for travellers
(4943), urban legends, viruses and hoaxes (4952), a universal currency
converter (4966), mortgage products (4903), free email (4915) and
facts and figures on dotcom companies (4786). The Free Pinter looking
for social security agreements between various countries may well
still be looking for more leads, if anyone knows about such things
(4784). And if you feel we have missed out on any particular
resources, please don't bottle it up.
Search related queries included those about video conferencing
facilities around the world (4882), royalty-free pictures (4899), off-
air recordings of Richard Digance (4867) and some new novel, the name
of which escapes the searcher (4839). We also heard from a subscriber
who has observed that Google now gives more prominence to Yahoo! and
less to other directories since it has teamed up with Yahoo! (4872).
We have asked a representative of Google to comment but have heard
nothing yet.
Free Pint Student Bar - http://www.freepint.co.uk/student
On the new Student Bar there has been a question about postgraduate
distance learning courses (1017) and prison libraries (1016). Also,
we received some useful advice for information science students who
are looking for dissertation or project ideas (1006) and an offer of
advice from someone working in the information industry in Australia
(1005), which is handy for the person mentioned above looking for just
such advice (4956). So keep those questions coming, and the answers,
of course.
Simon Collery, Content Developer <simon@freepint.co.uk>
To read a message:
- Enter the id number in place of XXXX in the address
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar/read.php?i=XXXX>,
for example <http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar/read.php?i=3989>
- For Student Bar postings please use the address
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/read.php?i=XXXX>
- Alternatively, view this summary online with activated hyperlinks at
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#bar>
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Do you have a research question? Could you help other members? It's
easy to post a message at the Bar <http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar> or
the Student Bar <http://www.freepint.co.uk/student>.
Visit daily for "Today's Tipple" - a different Web site reviewed every
working day at the Bar. Access the Portal archive of Tipples at
.
To have the latest Free Pint Bar postings sent to you every other day,
send a blank email to <digest@freepint.co.uk>. For the Student Bar
Digest send an email to <studentdigest@freepint.co.uk>.
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>>> Discover the secrets of eretailing success <<<
http://www.eretailing.co.uk/eretail/
ERETAILING 2000 EUROPE
Europe's premier online retailing conference and exhibition
19-20 October 2000 * Olympia, London, UK
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>>> LET FREE PINT SUBMIT YOUR SITE IMMEDIATELY <<<
It's quick and it's free: Simply enter your Web site's address
and let "Free Pint Submit" promote it to the top search engines.
http://www.freepint.co.uk/submit/
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TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#tips
"Routes into Knowledge Management"
By Steve D'Arcy
Introduction
------------
"You know when something is more than a passing fad," notes David
Skyrme <http://www.skyrme.com/updates/u24.htm#learning> "academic
institutions start planning courses." Indeed, not only academic
institutions, but member organisations and consultancy firms too,
including David Skyrme Associates. Indeed, on 11th October this year,
the City Information Group <http://www.cityinfogroup.co.uk/> are
chairing a discussion evening, at the Baltic Exchange, on the
growing number of training/education courses in KM entitled
'Routes into KM' <http://www.online-information-city.co.uk/oic00/>.
Last year's research publication by the Library and Information
Commission "Knowledge Management - window of opportunity will not
last forever"
<http://www.lic.gov.uk/publications/pressreleases/knowledg.html>
carried out by TFPL, urged the information profession to show their
value and respond positively to the knowledge economy in general and
KM in particular. This research was the information industry's
reaction to the DTI's white paper "Building the Knowledge Driven
Economy" (1998) <http://www.dti.gov.uk/comp/competitive/main.htm> and
seemed to be the catalyst for calls to the library and information
science profession to gain an understanding of KM concepts and
strategies and learn the skills that will help them respond to the
opportunities within Knowledge environments
<http://www.la-hq.org.uk/directory/prof_issues/ocf.html>.
The research recommended, amongst other things, that academic
institutions should create modules in KM, which should be accredited
as part of post-graduate qualifications in a variety of disciplines.
It also recommended a programme of workshops, experiential learning
and other events developed specifically to update the profession on KM
concepts and associated management ideas.
Below are a number of such courses and workshops aimed at information
professionals and managers, categorised by one/two day training events
run by consultancies, Post- and Under- Graduate taught courses and by
ad hoc workshops/lectures and seminars. It's UK biased primarily but
there are mentions of some Internet distance learning courses that
are international.
Training/Consultancy organisations
----------------------------------
TFPL <http://www.knowledgerecruit.com/training/2000_courses/knowledge
_management.htm> runs seven programmes that range from half day to
one and two-day workshops designed for the information and business
professional. The courses range from theoretical concepts of Knowledge
Management to practical application methods of information management
techniques in a KM environment. The one-day courses start at 311 UK
pounds Inc VAT with half days at 170 UK pounds Inc VAT.
ASLIB <http://www.aslib.co.uk/training/section7.html> have four
courses that cover the theoretical to the practical. Why KM now, what
does it mean in practice, who's doing it and what tools are they using
to help them? The first course covers the "What is it and how does it
differ from Information Management?" The other three courses cover
techniques such as metadata and controlled vocabularies as tools and
techniques in KM; Intranets and groupware considerations, Indexing and
thesauri construction; Knowledge mapping and knowledgeware. They are
all one-day courses and costs vary for members and non-members, but
typically range from 300-340 UK pounds for non-members and 250-290 UK
pounds for members.
The consultancy firm David Skyrme Associates
<http://www.skyrme.com/services/wrkshops.htm#KM> offer a number of
half day and 2-3 day workshops. The workshops cover the following
topics: an introduction to knowledge management strategies for
general managers; in-depth coverage for knowledge teams; intranets
and the Internet in your knowledge programme and exploiting
organizational knowledge in the external marketplace. Details of
pricing are not available on site. Knowledge Associates
<http://www.knowledgeassociates.com/> have a number courses and
presentations costing up to 650 UK pounds + VAT. The Master class
covers a strategic overview of KM, the latest knowledge strategies and
enabling technologies, and lasts 2 days.
Educational Institutions' Modules in MBA programmes/Post &
Under-Graduate study in Information Management courses
------------------------------------------------------
Open University <http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01B823>.
This module can be taken as part of an MBA or individually. Managing
knowledge takes a broad view of the subject, covering communications,
sense making, information management, intellectual capital
measurement, intellectual property, intangible assets, learning,
knowledge creation and innovation, human resources for innovation,
and building knowledge management capability. Costs for the
October 2000 module start at around 1,500 UK pounds.
MSc in Knowledge Management - Sheffield Business School, Sheffield
Hallam University
<http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/sbs/courses/postgrad/msc_kmc/msc_kmc.htm>
Offers exploration of knowledge management theory and practice.
MSc in Information and Knowledge Management at University of North
London <http://www.unl.ac.uk/pgprospectus/courses/maikm.htm>. This
distance taught course comprises five compulsory taught modules:
Managing Information in the Organisation; Identifying and Managing
Knowledge; Legal Perspectives on Information and Knowledge Management;
Organising Information and Knowledge Assets for Use and Evaluating
Information and Knowledge Management Strategies
MSc P/T Knowledge Organisation and Management - UCE Birmingham Uni.
<http://www.cie.uce.ac.uk/SIS/courses/masters/mscilmkom.htm>.
This course is aimed specifically at information professionals who
want to enhance their skills and knowledge in the area of Knowledge
Management and who want to know more about the rapidly growing area
of knowledge management from an information perspective.
PgDip/MSc Knowledge Management - Robert Gordon University
<http://www.rgu.ac.uk/~sim/ckm/textpage/universityframe.htm>. This
course aims to develop skills required for knowledge managers or
knowledge technologists in a wide range of information environments
with modules covering KM, Business Strategy and Research Methodology.
MSc/Postgraduate Diploma - Cranfield University
<http://www.rmcs.cranfield.ac.uk/courses/pg/kms.shtml>. Distance
learning package designed for students in full-time employment and
takes 4 years to complete. Modules include Knowledge Management,
Organisational Behaviour and Knowledge Systems
Library and Information studies - Master's and Doctoral levels at
Aberystwyth offer students' full and part time study at an advanced
level <http://www.aber.ac.uk/publications/pg-prospectus/fess/info5.html>.
University of Northumbria at Newcastle's Business Schools MBA have a
KM module that students can study full and part time
<http://online.unn.ac.uk/faculties/nbs/MBA/mba1.htm>.
University of West England - Bristol Business School has a number of
research projects of which 'Strategic Management' has specific
projects concerned with Knowledge Management and competitive
advantage, innovation and entrepreneurship
<http://www.uwe.ac.uk/bbs/res.html>.
South Bank University offer a KM Systems course at Post Graduate level
<http://www.cios.sbu.ac.uk/kms/> that explores KM
software/technologies, KM strategies and methodology.
MSc/Post Graduate Diploma in Information Management - University of
Strathclyde <http://www.dis.strath.ac.uk/prospect/IM/> offers a
standard IM Post Graduate course with a KM option elective.
Napier University - A number of information related courses offer this
KM module
<http://www.napier.ac.uk/modular_catalogue/modules/IM42010_99.html>.
BSc (Hons) in Information and Knowledge Management at Thames Valley
University <http://www.tvu.ac.uk/newsite/courses/coursefinder/Info_
Knowledge_Man-BScHons-2000.htm>. The third year focuses on Knowledge
Management, particularly on the enabling technologies, such as
intranets and intelligent agents.
Workshops/Lectures/Seminars
---------------------------
Queen's University of Belfast
<http://www.qub.ac.uk/mgt/cmk/aboutckm.htm>.
Forum for academics, research students and practitioners, that will
co-ordinate, promote and disseminate good research practice in
Management Knowledge.
Middlesex University - "Master Class". Four 2-Day Modules Thursday
28 September - 8 December 2000 <http://www.mdx.ac.uk/www/kmm/>.
Henley Management College's Knowledge Management Forum
<http://www.henleymc.ac.uk/HenleyMC.nsf/page/KnowledgeManagement>.
Offer a variety of workshops and networking opportunities
Napier University <http://www.esis.napier.ac.uk/2000conf.html>
"Knowledge Management in the age of Networks", a one-day course on
27th October 2000.
Other links
-----------
Aston Business School
<http://research.abs.aston.ac.uk/oim.html>
Information and Knowledge Management - summer courses
University of Wales Aberystwyth
<http://www.dils.aber.ac.uk/IGSS/igssorg.htm>
University of Ulster - Offers 2 taught modules in KM related topics
<http://www.ulst.ac.uk/courses/modules/topics/topic-BMG-JN.html>
Information management and business studies with KM module
Loughborough University
<http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dils/Progbook/imbs3ph.html>
University of Aberdeen - A three-module course covering knowledge
management, information management, management styles and using
portals. <http://pc3.cpd.abdn.ac.uk/savscomsonline/prod01.htm>
The Knowledge Management Resource Centre - Mainly US Universities
offering KM courses <http://www.kmresource.com/exp_university.htm>
The Knowledge Management Certification Board
<http://www.kmcertification.org/> set professional standards and
provide certification for Knowledge Management professionals,
available here <http://www.eknowledgecenter.com/index.shtml> distance
learning for UK students.
Kenniscentrum CIBIT provides consultancy services and top-level
education for professionals <http://www.cibit.nl/web/cibit-engels.nsf>
including a KM Master Class.
Knowledge Management Software plc
<http://www.kmsoftwareplc.com/hi_res/pressrel28.htm> sponsors
knowledge management research and new 'Chair in Knowledge Management'
at the University of Manchester.
University of Abertay, Dundee
<http://computing.tay.ac.uk/knowledge/aboutcentre.htm> formed to
investigate, support, and develop 'Knowledge Management' within
academia (for the underpinning of courses and curricula).
FTKnowldge <http://www.ftknowledge.com/> offer a number of Management
short courses and <http://www.ftknowledgeataclick.com/> site offers
tools and knowledge, including a career section for business related
issues.
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Steve D'Arcy BA Hons Dip.Inf., is the Information Manager for Vrisko
Ltd <http://www.vrisko.com> a City Based software company
specialising in automated intelligent search and KM solutions for
Investment Banks and other major global organisations. Before Vrisko
Limited, Steve worked as the senior Index Developer at the FT where he
was part of a team responsible for creating automatic indexing for the
World Reporter database. His interests lie in KM and retrieval
software. He is a Committee member of the City Information Group where
he helps organise seminar evenings and contribute to the web site. He
can be contacted at <sdarcy@vrisko.com>.
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Related Free Pint links:
* "Information and Libraries" links in the Free Pint Portal
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal/industry/industry.php3?category_id=69>
* Free Pint Student Bar and links at <http://www.freepint.co.uk/student>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#tips>
* Discuss this article with the author now at the Free Pint Student Bar
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/studentbar>
* Access the entire archive of Free Pint content
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal/content/>
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>>> FREE PINT FACT <<<
To date, Simon has produced over 120 "Today's Tipples" - daily
reviews of a different Web site, posted at the Free Pint Bar.
These are categorised immediately and appear in the Portal at
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal/content/tipple.php3>.
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FREE PINT BOOKSHELF
http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf
"net.people: The Personalities and Passions Behind the Web Sites"
Reviewed by Rachel Newcombe
If you've ever found yourself wondering who created a particular
website or how exactly the site came into fruition, then you're likely
to find this book an interesting read.
"Net.People" delves into the minds and lives of 36 website creators.
It examines their daily lives and personal tales, and in doing so
takes a fascinating look at exactly how their sites were born,
designed and are run today. Each crucial step of their pathway to
Internet success is detailed, from the very first inklings of ideas,
to putting them into practice, setting up websites and learning how to
survive in cyberspace. The real personalities behind the sites are
brought to the forefront as each chapter progressively tells of their
commitment, inspiration and driving passion. The reader learns what
makes them tick, how they handle business elements and the ways in
which the Internet has affected and changed their lives.
The book deals with a variety of sites -- from humour and toy
collecting, to travel, sport, entertainment and information services
-- all of which differ in size and success. To cope with the diversity
the book is split into four main categories: Getting Advice and
Educating Yourself; Visiting, Watching and Playing Outside the Web
World; Collecting Stuff and Other Diversions; and The Written Word and
Journalistic Endeavors.
The material for each chapter was gathered via interviews with the
site creators, many of which were carried out by email. The chapters
take the form of first-person accounts, and evoke a friendly and
personal approach. Key quotes are interspersed throughout the text and
effectively serve to highlight important points and break the chapters
into bite-size portions.
It's not just a book about personal success -- it also deals
intimately with the all-important discussion of Internet business
issues. Vital aspects such as finance, advertising and sponsorship are
dealt with alongside issues such as designing, maintaining and coping
with the pressures popular websites bring.
The only criticism is that it could be deemed to be a little
monotonous at times. The authors admit in the introduction that
they're not trained writers (like many people, they just had a desire
to write a book) and the rigid structure, where each chapter is
practically identical, is perhaps a reflection of this.
Overall however, its' claim to "make the Internet come to life" is
certainly true and it's definitely encouraging to know that successful
websites can emerge from simple ideas. It will be of interest to
anyone fascinated with people and quirky characters, avid web surfers,
those already running online sites or businesses, or for individuals
with great plans and innovative ideas that they've yet to actually
tackle.
A light and easy read, the relatively short chapters make it a perfect
contender for occasional reading. It's an ideal book to dip into when
you're in need of inspiration and encouragement that great ventures
really are possible on the Internet!
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rachel is a writer and researcher of non-fiction articles for online
and print media. She particularly enjoys the field of online work and
regularly contributes to a range of websites and ezines including
Handbag.com, Ycraze.com, Windowbox.com and Global Writers' Ink. She
also co-edits and writes for the monthly Side Salad e-newsletter
<http://www.sidesalad.co.uk>.
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Related Free Pint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the Free Pint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf/netpeople.htm>
* Read about other Internet strategy books on the Free Pint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf/strategy.htm>
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk
<http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0910965374/freepint0c>
or Amazon.com
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0910965374/freepint00>
* Details: ISBN 0910965374; published by Cyberage Books;
written by Thomas E. Bleier, Eric C. Steinert
* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf>
To propose a business-Web-related book for review, send details
to <bookshelf@freepint.co.uk>.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#feature
"The Net Snags Cash Flow
- Business Information and Cash Flow on the Internet"
By Colin Duguid
Ask the majority of failed small business owners what caused their
demise and the likely answer would be "lack of cash flow". What this
actually means is that the business failed to react to low levels of
product/service sales, over committed itself with suppliers and
usually lacked the technical ability to manage the finances: any
similarities to boo.com are likely.
There are not many small businesses that can afford the luxury of a
financial director with most, at best, employing a bookkeeper. The
expectation of the small business owner is that the bookkeeper will
bring financial control with the mandatory financial administration.
To some degree financial control is tightened due to the bookkeeper's
frequent comments, such as, "we are 4,000 pounds short this month" or
"we will have to pay this invoice next month?"
The information bonanza borne by the Internet has transformed the red-
tape hating small business owner into an empowered and informed
corporate leader (ok, jack of all trades then). Once smitten by the
quality and depth of the information available (and of course the very
low cost of it all), they (we) cannot resist seeking more and more
articles to crunch through. However, I see that for many, finding
small business cash flow information and resources has been difficult
due to the vague understanding most of us have as to the cause of poor
cash flow. It is better to break down the contributory factors that
cause the problem into two groups:
a) Financial Management - expenses, finance costs, wages, creditors,
debtors, taxes,
b) Business Management - sales, personnel, production, distribution,
you get the idea...
With the above list it is a lot easier to look for inefficiencies and
then seek effective solutions. I have always been a committed user of
government web sites, since the government is usually the biggest
creditor. A creditor that gives you unparalleled information on how
to use its service efficiently. The Customs & Excise
<http://www.hmce.gov.uk/bus/vat/index.htm> and Inland Revenue
<http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/> web sites fail to get the praise
they deserve for being at the forefront of the information portal. The
Small Business Service (SBS) web site
<http://www.businessadviceonline.org/>, being as new as the service
itself, has some way to go before being an authority in its intended
field: small business. Independent services such as Digita (tax
specialists) <http://www.digita.com/content/home.asp> and StaffPay (an
online payroll service) <http://www.staffpay.net> offer good
information besides promoting their own services.
The new breed of entrepreneur, and in particular the 'Net-preneur',
looks at cash flow from an unhealthy insular position. The constant
talk of 'burn-rate' (the time it will take to use up physical cash) is
as frightening to creditors as it is to the bank manager. The creditor
has somehow become a contributor in the vein of venture capitalist and
business angel, and not as a current liability. The already strained
'popular' culture of late payment is in danger of being endemic. The
proposed changes to bankruptcy - to reduce the disqualification of the
'unlucky' entrepreneur from the current two years (first timer) to as
little as three months disqualification will surely undermine the
government's Late Payment of Commercial Debt Act 1998
<http://www.dti.gov.uk/latepay/rates.html> and Better Payment Practice
Group <http://www.payontime.co.uk/> initiatives.
With the small business audit limit moving to 1m pounds annual
turnover from 350k pounds last June, the almost certain slackening of
financial control in small companies will impact on all SME's. Spare a
further thought for accountancy firms who are set to lose around 400m
pounds in audit fees (can't say I was too bothered either). Another
area of concern is e-commerce administration and in particular VAT.
With all the current discussion (from "I heard there was no VAT
applicable in cyberspace" to "I registered my web site through the
Caiman Islands") it's best to browse through the user friendly page at
Customs & Excise <http://www.hmce.gov.uk/bus/vat/e-comm.htm>.
Finding information to improve cash flow is still in its infancy, but
that is expected to change in the second half of this year with a
number of business portals appearing on-line: well, pre boo.com they
were due to appear anyway! Look hard and there are a few resources
that will help and educate:
Biz/ed <http://bized.ac.uk/stafsup/options/alphalist.htm>, a business
and economics service for students, teachers and lecturers with a
layout that nurtures you along the financial management assault
course, the Institute of Business Advisers
<http://www.iba.org.uk/index.htm> is a "non-profit making
professional Institute of individual Business Advisers, Counsellors,
Mentors and Trainers who specialise in helping small firms".
Gadgets are always handy, for instance at the Amex web site there are
a number of useful business ratio calculators to help you monitor
business performance and benchmarking
<http://home3.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness/resources/ratios/fina
ncialratio.shtml>. I wait for the day that the business portal brings
us the goodies that are available to those using personal finance
sites like MoneyWorld <http://www.moneyworld.co.uk/calculators/>,
being a good example of an interactive experience.
For the small business owner using the Internet as a resource to
educate themselves in the art of trading successfully a number of web
sites are now charging a premium, albeit a relatively low charge. Two
sites at present being, <http://www.bnet.co.uk/bnet/> at 50 pounds per
annum and <http://www.usecolor.com/> at 15 pounds per month offer
access to relevant and affordable information. A number of other sites
forgo subscription fees but require registration: for the financial
manager AccountingWeb at <http://www.accountingweb.co.uk> and its
sister site <http://www.businesszone.co.uk> for general business
information are worth bookmarking - BusinessZone also has one of the
better daily news streams. The smaller small business owner should
have a look at Tapaz <http://www.tapaz.co.uk>, which offers networking
potential with business articles: again registration is required, not
obligatory but "to gain the most benefit from the site". The benefit
of providing your inside leg measurement escapes me. This intelligence
gathering is unprecedented and never has so much been gathered for so
little in return, and it is all getting a little worrying: others will
know more about you than you know about yourself.
I took a look at 'mine host' and searched their database
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal/industry/index.php3> (worth a
mention in its own right for this piece) for business information
articles and came up with 'Major Sources of Business Information on
the Internet'
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/061197.htm> from way back in 1997.
In anticipation of finding many of my own chosen links I scanned the
article but found none that I have listed here. It is noticeable by
the sites listed in the 1997 article that we are in another world to
that of three years past: however, in one part of the article it says,
"Free share prices are delayed by at least 20 minutes", so no change
there then, and possibly regressed a touch!
To finish on cash flow: we saw the 'boom-bang' eighties and the
downsized nineties, what of this new decade. UK personal, corporate
and institutional borrowing now stands at a record 1 trillion pounds,
with any upward trend in interest rates likely to cause a breach in
the accounts of many a business. The chancellors proposed injection
of 43 billion pounds into the economy would put further pressure on
the Bank of England to curtail borrowing by increasing
interest rates beyond those we have enjoyed. The economy is in a
similar position to that of the eighties just before the bang. And
with the emergence of the Internet encouraging a frenzy of borrowing
and funding of new technology and research, lots of cash is pouring
into the economy and ... Did you hear that bang?
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Colin Duguid MICM is owner publisher of Credit to Cash - the Small
Business Cash Flow Portal. Colin is a life-long careerist in credit
and debt management in both trade and consumer finance. Credit to Cash
is the 'one book we all have in ourselves' presented in a few hundred
articles that allows small business owners and individuals to easily
understand cash flow and debt. You can also find at 'Credit to Cash'
free small business software, a free business newsletter and resources
that provide help with personal or business cash flow at
<http://www.ctoc.co.uk>. To contact Colin <cd@ctoc.co.uk>, or call
01246 291801.
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Related Free Pint links:
* "Finance" links in the Free Pint Portal
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal/industry/industry.php3?category_id=50>
* Respond to this article and chat to the author now at the Bar
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of Free Pint content
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal/content/>
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FREE PINT PORTAL
http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal
It's been a busy couple of weeks again as we work hard on new
developments for the Free Pint Web site.
We've just launched "Free Pint Submit" which allows you to quickly
submit your Web site's details to the top search engines
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/submit/>. This new service was used a large
number of times yesterday after we announced it at the Bar and
feedback indicates that this is a really useful little utility.
Our custom-built bulk mailer is now fully operational and you have
received today's newsletter via the new system. We have been gradually
increasing the load on the mailer by using it for the Bar Digest every
other working day (2,701 subscribers) and in sending out each member's
password last week (31,575 subs). The system is more than happy and
so it's great to have this side of things back in house and totally
integrated with our membership system.
As mentioned, you should have received your Free Pint password last
week so please keep this safe. Out of more than 31,000 computer-
generated word combinations we only had two complaints of unfortunate
passwords (no, I'm not going to tell you what they were!). We had
previously spent a good few hours going through the word list of
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some 256 million unique passwords. You can of course change yours at
any time by logging into your account on the Web site.
We are also integrating a number of Market Research vendors into the
Portal and will be launching those soon. At the same time, our
eCommerce system is progressing nicely to support a pay-per-view
company information service. More on those developments soon.
We've implemented the new Student Bar and a variety of useful links at
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/> and you can sign up for the
Student Bar Digest by logging into your account online. We're
launching an "Author Update" next Thursday which will be a brief
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with details of books available for review, suggested topics, etc. If
you've written for Free Pint or are thinking of doing so (be it
articles, tipples or book reviews) then sign up today at
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Simon will also be posting his first literature roundup to the Bar
next Thursday. He will be highlighting interesting articles (on the
Web in full text) from a range of information-related publications.
Details at <http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar/read.php?i=4971>.
These are all exciting developments and evidence of our on-going
commitment to continually enhancing Free Pint for our members.
William Hann, Managing Editor <william@freepint.co.uk>
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The Free Pint Portal gives you access to the full range of Free Pint
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selected external resources at <http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal>.
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
http://www.freepint.co.uk/events
There will be a second Online Information for the City event this year
in London, UK. Starting at the same time is the eBiz Summit, in
Warwickshire, UK. Also in the UK, there's the Association of UK Media
Librarians Conference in Leicester at which William Hann will be
giving a presentation.
The Intranets EAST event will be held in Reston, Virginia and the
Facets of Digital Reference conference is in Seattle, Washington. Back
in Europe, there's the Special Libraries Association's Global 2000
conference and exhibition in Brighton, UK, which William will be
attending as part of his "European Special Librarian of the Year"
award. Finally there's the AdTech Europe event in Amsterdam, Holland.
Simon Collery, Content Developer <simon@freepint.co.uk>
Full details of these and many other forthcoming conferences and
exhibitions in the online-information and Internet industries can be
found on the Free Pint Events page <http://www.freepint.co.uk/events>.
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FREE PINT GOLD
This time last year we had an article about the UK Data Protection Act
and how that bears on Web site content where personal data is
involved. We also had an interview with the CEO of NUA, who shared
his experiences of starting up an Internet consultancy in Ireland.
* Free Pint No.46, 23rd September 1999 "The UK 1998 Data Protection
Act and your Web site" and "A discussion with Gerry McGovern, NUA"
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/230999.htm>.
Two years ago we had an article on searching tips if you want to find
more sites like the ones you already know about. And we had a roundup
of the wealth of electronic commerce sites and some notes on what each
of these contain.
* Free Pint No.22, 17th September 1998 "Reverse Psychology - How to
find more sites like the ones you love" and "Electronic commerce"
<http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/170998.htm>.
Simon Collery, Content Developer <simon@freepint.co.uk>
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See you in two weeks!
William Hann, Managing Editor
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CONTACT INFORMATION
William Hann BSc MIInfSc, Founder and Managing Editor
e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436
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e: rex@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1342 316027 f: +44 (0)1342 316027
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Address
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Free Pint (ISSN 1460-7239) is a free newsletter written by information
professionals who share how they find quality and reliable information
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About this Newsletter
- Publication Date: 20th September 2000
- Plain text
- Link: https://www.jinfo.com/go/newsletter/71
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