Subject: Free Pint No.33 - Data Privacy and Offline Promotion Free Pint "Helping 19,500 people use the Web for their work" http://www.freepint.co.uk/ ISSN 1460-7239 4th March 1999 #33 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = IN THIS ISSUE EDITORIAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES "12 Offline Ways of Promoting Your URL" by Nikki Pilkington FEATURE ARTICLE "Data Privacy Web Sites" by Martin White FREE PINT FEEDBACK "Becoming a researcher (Free Pint #32)" "Using graphics from other sites" "Analysing Web hits" "Feedback from fans of Free Pint" CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/040399.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EPI '99 * * * ELECTRONIC PUBLIC INFORMATION 1999 * * * EPI '99 The Annual SPIN (Society of Public Information Networks) Conference & Exhibition, EPI '99 is set for April 13th at the Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, West Midlands. 13 epi-related conference topics include Effective L.A. web sites, Web-based Visitor & Travel Info, Health Information, Multimedia kiosks, Electronic CABx, Smart Cards etc. Exhibitors include all leading epi and kiosk suppliers. More details http://www.spin.org.uk or email epi99@informativ.co.uk > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [sp331] EDITORIAL Welcome to another brimming Free Pint. First off are some great tips for promoting your Web site without even going online. This is followed by a fact-packed feature article about data privacy resources on the Web ... and why they are important to YOU. We have some great letters from helpful readers in the Feedback section, and the Quick Tips are again liberally scattered throughout. Please join me in wishing our Editor, Rex Cooke, a happy first birthday. No, he's not a talented toddler ... but has been with Free Pint now for a year. Rex, I have decided, stands for Reliable, Efficient and eXtremely easy to work with. Many thanks to him. I hope you are still managing to spread the word around about Free Pint? Why not show your support by adding a small graphic to your site with the following code ... Free Pint It's that time again ... to peruse your thirty third Free Pint! Kind regards, William William Hann BSc MIInfSc, Managing Editor e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 PS: If you've borrowed this copy from someone else then give it back and visit http://www.freepint.co.uk/ to reserve your own free copy. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** ONLINE SHOPPING MADE EASY! *** Whether you are looking for a Mothers Day present or just fancy doing a little online shopping, ShopGuide is the place for you. ShopGuide is The UK Online Shopping Directory where you will find hundreds of secure UK based online shops reviewed and rated. Buy music, books, videos, software, clothes, computers, flowers, electrical goods, gifts, flights, concert tickets and much more. Visit http://www.shopguide.co.uk/index.html?pid=freepint2 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [fd332] >>> Just how do you contact 20,000 knowledge workers? <<< The answer, including prices and discounts, can be found at ... http://www.freepint.co.uk/advert.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = QUICK TIP ... INTERNET CONSULTANCY When asking for feedback on your Web site, don't rely on the tag as it won't work if the visitor's email system isn't aware of the browser. Offer a CGI script form as well. William Hann > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TIPS AND TECHNIQUES "12 Offline Ways of Promoting Your URL" by Nikki Pilkington So you have your website and you've done everything right on the web - search engines, classified sites, newsgroups, bulletin boards, link sites, mailing lists, etc etc etc. And now you think you've exhausted the possibilities of marketing your website and you can sit back and wait for the visitors to roll in, right? WRONG! Here are 12 extra ways to promote your website without even turning your browser on: NUMBER ONE: Make sure that all of your staff know your website address. They know your telephone and fax numbers, they know your snail mail address - they should ALL know your web site address too. Make sure that any new staff have this information along with the usual contact details. NUMBER TWO: Print your URL and email address on all letterheads, business cards & compliment slips, in the format http://www.yourcompany.co.uk This way everyone that you ever come into contact with has your web address. NUMBER THREE Business closed for the day? Why not put up a sign - "Open 24 hours a day on the WWW - www.yourcompany.co.uk" Spooners Restaurant (http://www.spooners.co.uk) did this and regularly get table bookings via email that they would usually have missed. NUMBER FOUR: Include your URL in your answerphone, or line holding message. Let people know that they can find information/buy products/ enquire about services via the world Wide web. NUMBER FIVE: Type your URL into your screensaver to remind staff of the address while they are on the telephone. This way even temping staff know the address NUMBER SIX: When potential clients call for information about your company, ask them if they have Internet access and send them to your website. This means they can have the information immediately, without waiting for the postal system, and may help cut down on your postage bills. NUMBER SEVEN: Look for unusual promotional items at holiday times - WWW tiepins or brooches, computer shaped cookies, Christmas cards on disks (with the obligatory link to your website) - the choice is endless and it all draws attention to the fact that your company is taking advantage of the latest technology. NUMBER EIGHT: Why not swap leaflets with one of your clients and reach a whole new potential audience? Every brochure we send out features a leaflet/business card from one of our clients - a favour which they reciprocate. NUMBER NINE: Magnetic car stickers featuring just your company name and URL help get you seen while you're out and about and can be a great conversation starter! NUMBER TEN: Have t-shirts printed with your web address and logo - then give them out as prizes or promotional items. NUMBER ELEVEN: If you're in a restaurant or hotel with a guestbook - sign it! And don't forget to leave your web address. These guestbooks are left in receptions all year round and people tend to browse through them while waiting. NUMBER TWELVE: Make sure that any newspaper and other offline ads feature your URL prominently - don't hide it away in the small print! > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nikki Pilkington is MD of Severina Publications, a UK based Internet marketing Consultancy specialising in all aspects of on and offline promotion for websites. http://www.severina.co.uk email:info12@severina.co.uk (c)1999 Severina Publications > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** CUT THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT HYPE *** Whether your KM programme is just beginning or whether you're a seasoned practitioner, you'll find unique insights and practical advice at the Knowledge Management Conference and Exhibition. The event will cover all aspects of KM, including a FREE exhibition featuring key organisations, free exhibitor demonstrations and a leading edge conference. To register or for more information, visit http://www.knowledge-management.co.uk/ or call +44 (0) 1865 388000. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [li333] >>> Have you recommended anyone to Free Pint recently? <<< Why not forward them this copy, or let us do it by visiting http://www.freepint.co.uk/reco.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = QUICK TIP ... INTERNET TRAINING Surprisingly, a lot of business Web users don't know how to access a Web site directly - they are used to just following links from their Intranet homepage. Therefore when training take nothing for granted. William Hann > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FEATURE ARTICLE "Data Privacy Web Sites" by Martin White Before you decide that a commentary on data privacy web sites is not for you, but just for lawyers, click on http://www.privacyexchange.org/tbdi/EU_PDR/sectorsum.html. It may well have escaped your attention that there is a major difference of opinion at present between the European Union and the USA which has the potential of bringing global business to a halt. The problem arises from the EU Data Protection Directive that came into force on 25 October 1998. One of the most significant sections of this Directive is contained in Articles 25 and 26, which concern the basis on which personal information can be exported from an EU member state to any other country which does not have an equivalent level of data protection legislation. The underlying aim of these Articles is to ensure that personal data can be transferred freely between EU member states (to facilitate job applications, for example) but not be compromised by ending up in a country with a different approach to data privacy. One such country is the USA, where rules on the protection of data privacy are administered by industry associations on a self-regulated basis. There is no federal law that matches the rigorous principles of EU law, and so, in theory, no personal data held in an EU country (even if it is of a US citizen) can be legally transferred to the USA without the express permission of the person concerned, on a case-by-case basis, and only for a specific reason. One of the implications of this is that the way in which personal information can be transferred across a global intranet is potentially a highly complex legal minefield. An outline of the issues can be found in a TFPL White Paper that I have written on our site at http://www.tfpl.com. Here I offer some suggestions for sites that will inform you, worry you, and perplex you. But ignore the issue at your peril. International Although the scope of Privacy International, a human rights group set up in 1990, is much broader than data privacy, it does offer a balanced global perspective on issues at http://www.privacy.org. There is also an excellent newsletter, Privacy Laws and Business International, which also provides international coverage of issues at http://www.privacylaws.co.uk The EU legislation The primary source of official EU documentation on data privacy, including important Working Papers, is the DG XV Web site at http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg15/en/media/dataprot/index.htm. However this site is not as complete and current as it might be. The home page has eight brief headings, but you might as well ignore the News link, because there is virtually nothing there, just a few press statements. The Directive itself can be downloaded, and there are a number of valuable reports that can be downloaded as pdf files under Studies. These include Data Protection Law and Online Services, and Online Services and Data Protection and the Protection of Privacy, both around 150 pages long and very well prepared. Incidentally 'online' in this context includes Web-based services. The Commission was well aware of the potential problems that Articles 25 and 26 could give rise to, and set up a Working Party on the Protection of Individuals with Regard to the Processing of Personal Data. This Working Party has prepared some very important opinions on data privacy issues, and they can be accessed in all the main EU languages. However they do take time to be added to the site, probably because all the various language versions have to be available at the same time. The result is that the latest Working Paper, No.15, was formally adopted by the Working Party on 29 January, but as of 23 February is not on the site. However the English version is available through the Privacy Exchange site mentioned below. Another indication of the poor maintenance of the site is that there is a list of the national data privacy regulatory organisations in the EU, but for Italy the site says that there is no Web site. Again the Privacy Exchange site not only lists it (http://www.privacy.it) but provides much more information than the EU site. For a topic as important as data privacy I feel that the EU should be taking much more care over its responsibilities to inform. One solution to the EU/USA stand-off may be through the Model Clauses developed by the International Chamber of Commerce for contracts involving transborder data flow, and these are reproduced at http://www.iccwbo.org/Commissions/Telecom_IT/Model_clauses.htm USA sites The first point to make about most of the US-based sites is that they recognise that data privacy is a global issue, and that in many respects the USA is out of line with the general view on the need for national legislation. As a result the coverage of non-US material is often quite good. Http://www.privacyexchange.org is a very good example. The Privacy Exchange is sponsored by many major US corporations, such as IBM, Dun & Bradstreet and American Express, and it shows! Lots of good links, including a comprehensive list of data registrars world wide. Http://www.epic.org, from the Electronic Privacy Information Centre, is just as good, with lists of privacy organisations in the USA, a good list of international sites, and uniquely a list of newsgroups. EPIC is based in Washington, and so is a good source for Federal information. This is needed as the main US Government site, run by the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/ was last updated in early November 1998. As a means of identifying Senate and Congressional material it is not bad, but do not rely on it. There is a new act that has been drafted for Senate consideration, the Online Privacy Protection Act, and the current draft is at http://www.senate.gov~burns/private.htm, though the chances of this ending up on the statute books are probably slim. Remember Ralph Nader and Unsafe at Any Speed? Well he has moved on from cars and has set up the Consumer Project on Technology. A well-designed web site at http://cptech.org with good links, including a reference to the Lexis-Nexis P-Trak controversy that hit the headlines a couple of years ago. Across the other side of the USA is the Electronic Frontier Foundation, on http://www.eff.org. This has more of a civil liberties feel to it, but is still worth bookmarking. Also based in California is the Privacy Rights Clearing House at http://www.privacyrights.org. As with the CPT site the focus is on consumer privacy, but the site has an excellent list of links, including US case law. Legal issues about data privacy, mainly in the USA but also with quite good international coverage, are reported in Tech Law Journal at http://www.techlawjournal.com. One of the problem areas of data privacy is the potential mis-use in direct marketing. The WWW site of DM News is worth monitoring at http://www.dmnews.com, and you will find some very balanced articles on the subject. The newest privacy organisation is the Online Privacy Alliance, sponsored by over 60 major US companies. The site at http://www.privacyalliance.com is clearly still in the development stage, but promises much. Probably the leading expert on the area of transborder data flows is Professor Peter Swire at Ohio State University. An interim report on the USA/EU issue that he prepared with Robert Litton for the Brookings Institution is essential reading on http://www.osu.edu/units/law/swire1/noyb.htm. The book that he subsequently wrote entitled None of Your Business was published by the Brookings Institution Press in 1998 (http://www.brookings.edu) and is an essential read. Some other useful sites The following references are to specific documents, rather than the entire site. Http://www.ibm.com/ibm/publicaffairs/protect/privacy will give you a very readable short introduction to the subject. Http://www3.ncr.com/press_release/pr100598.html gives the NCR response to the problems that companies will have implementing data mining technology as regards personal data. Http://www.smithlyons.ca/it/welcome.htm is a gem of a Canadian site run by a law firm. The opinion papers on this site are excellent, and there are a number on the data privacy issue which give a Canadian perspective, where there is new legislation in the pipeline. Http://www.etno.be is the WWW site of the European Telecommunications Network Operators association, and there are several ENTO Reflection Documents on the site that give a telecoms industry viewpoint on the issues. Http://elj.warwick.ac.uk/jilt/dp/97_3ust/ustaran.htm will give you probably the best concise summary of the current (1997) situation from a lawyer, though the author, Eduardo Ustaran, has moved from Martineau Johnson to Paisners. (http://www.paisner.co.uk/liveissues/index.htm and go to e-commerce - online privacy in the dropdown menu) Almost as good, though a little dated is http://webjcli.ncl.ac.uk/1996/issue2/kosten2. And finally, an interesting personal collection of oddities can be perused at http://www.qlinks.net. Searching the Web? The terms data privacy and data protection are used quite interchangeably, and there is also the term transborder data flow. You need to construct your search statements with a degree of care. Acknowledgement My thanks to Unisys Corp. for sponsoring a research project into the implications of the EU Directive on the airline industry that provided the initial catalyst for my interest in this area. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Martin White is a Principal Consultant with TFPL Ltd. The company has offices in London and New York and provides consulting, recruitment and training services to the information profession and the information industry. Martin's areas of interest are mainly in electronic publishing strategy development and intranet management. He was a lead author of the TFPL Guide to Best Practice - Intranet Management, published in 1998. He can be contacted at . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> Want to see all past issues of Free Pint? <<< http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/issues.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** News & Weather Updates *** 2b, the UK's coolest new portal has expanded on its great new services with 2bAlerts. 2bAlerts allows you to receive daily weather and news by email every morning. Each 2bAlert has the top 5 headlines from UK News, US News and World News plus an outlook of the next day's weather. To sign up to 2balerts or any other great service at 2b visit http://www.2b.co.uk/alerts > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [gg334] QUICK TIP ... INTERNET PUBLISHING When publishing an email newsletter, fix the width using hard carriage returns at the end of each line. Free Pint has a seventy character width, and this ensures it looks the same in all email programs. William Hann > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FEEDBACK Thank you for all your letters, feedback and questions. Keep them coming to . This issue's subject index: * Becoming a researcher (Free Pint #32) * Using graphics from other sites * Analysing Web hits * Feedback from fans of Free Pint > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Becoming a researcher (Free Pint #32) From: Various In Free Pint #32, Rik Kershaw-Moore asked ... "For a while I have been thinking of changing my career and I would like to become a researcher. Unfortunately I have no real idea as to how to make this change. I was wondering if any of the other Free Pint subscribers could throw some light on things?" ... to which we had the following responses ... "Rik may want to look into an organization called the Association of Independent Information Professionals http://www.aiip.org/ Most AIIP members do research for others on a project or contract basis. The association offers all kinds of resources to people interested in the field. I also recommend a book by Sue Rugge and Alfred Glossbrenner called "The Information Broker's Handbook" which outlines all the details of the research business. Rik might also like to look at an article published in a recent issue of ComputerEdge magazine for more information about research work. For a picture of the Cyber Sleuth cover of ComputerEdge go to: http://www.computoredge.com/sandiego/ For the article itself go to: http://www.computoredge.com/sandiego/Editorial/inside3.htm Good luck!" Cynthia L. Shamel, Shamel Information Services, cshamel@home.com "Advice for Rik: Check out Library and Information Science programs. There is no indication where he lives so I cannot recommend an institution or course of study." Judy Hyland, Brampton Public Library, Ontario, Canada > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Using graphics from other sites From: Jan Miller, Australia Date: Sunday 21st February 1999 "I was interested to read Charles Oppenheim's article about Internet, Copyright and Linking in Free Pint #29. I have a question which you may be able to help with ... If shareware or copyright free graphics are taken from a site and used to embellish one's own site, is this OK? There still seems to be some confusion even about these. We are establishing a public library site and want to make sure this is strictly legal." Jan Miller, Collections Coordinator Hume-Moonee Valley Regional Library, Australia > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Analysing Web hits From: Rosalind Keir Date: February 1999 "We are thinking of analysing the usage of our web site, and so are looking for a company or product that will monitor usage of the site. It should include number of hits, type of information retrieved, if they re-visit the web site, how they found it, etc. Thanks in advance." Rosalind Keir, Enquiries Coordinator HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Feedback from fans of Free Pint From: Various We receive a lot of nice emails from readers who really like Free Pint, and so here are a selection ... "Just to tell you that I enjoy my Freepint very much. It is informative - gives me a lot of tips and discusses relevant themes to my job as a news librarian. And very often it's also funny reading!" Aase Andreasen, Head Librarian, Denmark "I just finished reading Free Pint No.31 - I'm very pleased. The first-person account of the at-home researcher business was fun, and the article on Web Seniors was fantastic! Thank you! Encore, encore!!" Reginald Thomas Aubry, Senior Technical Writer, Cambridge, MA, USA "I was able to organise a very successful press conference with the National media, for my local rugby team (who were playing Leicester in the Tetley Bitter Cup), on the strength of the media links discussion that has been running recently. Thanks to you and your contributors" John Doran, Press Officer, Barking Rugby Club, UK "Thanks for the newsletter. IT IS GREAT! Keep up the good work." Brian Easterwood ... and finally a recent recommendation to a number of email lists: "No this is NOT about drink so you can relax just in case you are one who won't!! This e-zine Free Pint has developed in just one year to possibly the most informative, independent journal on the Net you will ever come across. If you don't want to miss out on information & late breaking news in ALL fields & links to URLs, let alone having some FUN in learning, then I urge you to try Free Pint." Alec Hartill, St.Marys, Canada Hartill Art Associates http://www3.sympatico.ca/hartills.art > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION, COMMENT OR REPLY? Let us know your feedback or favourite site by sending an email to the Free Pint team now to remembering to include your name, title and company or organisation. Please note, if you write to us we may publish your letter in whole or part for the interest of our subscribers unless you request otherwise at the time of writing. Please let us know if you wish your contact details to be withheld. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FACT The Managing Editor's day job is actually running an information consultancy called Willco ~ providing Internet consultancy, training and publishing services. He has previously worked on online information systems for the Financial Times, Dialog (formerly Knight-Ridder Information) and News International (publishers of The Times and Sunday Times). > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Thank you for reading Free Pint. We hope you will forward this copy to colleagues, friends and journalists, or ask them to visit our Web site soon at http://www.freepint.co.uk/ to see past issues. See you in two weeks! Kind regards, William Hann, Managing Editor william@freepint.co.uk http://www.freepint.co.uk/ (c) Willco 1999 http://www.willco.co.uk/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES Web Site Authentication * Competitive Intelligence * Patents New Media * Immigration Sources * Pharmaceutical * Engineering Chemical Sources * Outdoor Eventing * Eastern Europe [Provisional] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = CONTACT INFORMATION William Hann BSc(Hons) MIInfSc, Managing Editor e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Rex Cooke FIInfSc FRSA, Editor e: rex@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Jane, Administrator e: jane@freepint.co.uk Address (no stamp needed) Willco "Free Pint", FREEPOST (SEA3901), Staines Middlesex, TW18 3BR, United Kingdom Web - http://www.freepint.co.uk Advertising - ads@freepint.co.uk Subscriptions - subs@freepint.co.uk Letters & Comments - feedback@freepint.co.uk Latest Issue Autoresponder - auto@freepint.co.uk > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Free Pint (ISSN 1460-7239) is a free email newsletter for anyone who uses the Internet to get information for their work in any business or organisation. The newsletter is written by professionals who share how they find quality and reliable information on the Internet. To subscribe, unsubscribe, find details about contributing, advertising or to see past issues, please visit the Web site at http://www.freepint.co.uk/ or call +44 (0)1784 455 435. Please note: The newsletter is published by the information consultancy Willco (http://www.willco.co.uk/) providers of Internet consultancy, training and publishing services. The publishers will NEVER make the subscriber list available to any other company or organisation. The opinions, advice, products and services offered herein are the sole responsibility of the contributors. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the publication, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. This publication may be freely copied and/or distributed in its entirety. However, individual sections MAY NOT be copied and/or distributed without the prior written agreement of the publishers. Product names used in Free Pint are for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners. Free Pint disclaims any and all rights in those marks. All rights reserved. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =