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ISSUE #18
Date: May 06 1999
From: WebWord.com Usability Newsletter WebWord-owner@listbot.com
Subject: WebWord.com Newsletter #18
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WebWord.com Newsletter
"Usability & the Internet"
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List Owner
John S. Rhodes
john@webword.com
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May 6, 1999 Newsletter #18
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Table of Contents
1. 11 Email and Newsletter Ad Tips
2. Review: Diamond Multimedia Monster Sound MX300
3. DayTips Free Daily Mailing Lists (sponsor)
4. Does Usability Ignore Graphic Design?
5. WebWord.com Newsletter Is Now Archived
6. Domain Names: .com Versus .cc
7. 90% Off Brand Name Merchandise! (sponsor)
8. Tidbits
9. Dealing with the IRS: A Real Pleasure!
11. WebWord.com's Best Selling Books
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ITEM #1
11 Email and Newsletter Ad Tips
A New Moving WebWord Article is now online:
<http://webword.com/moving/11adtips.html>
I recently advertised in an email newsletter. After
using it, I realized that I did not pay enough attention
to the usability of my advertisement. Why not learn from
my mistakes? Read my 11 email and newsletter ad tips.
And, as always, feel free to send me comments and
suggestions <mailto:john@webword.com>.
(Tell a friend! Pass this newsletter on.)
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ITEM #2
Review: Diamond Multimedia Monster MX300 Sound Board
Sean Murphy is a trusted colleague of mine, and he is
something of a hardware guru. He is always playing with
the latest and greatest hardware and he is constantly
optimizing his computer. When I have questions about
upgrades, I usually consult Sean -- he's one of those
guys that loves taking machines apart putting them
back together.
Sean has written an excellent review of the Diamond
Multimedia Monster MX300 Sound Board. Here's the URL:
<http://webword.com/reports/murphy001.html>
He covers several hardware and software issues. I
particularly liked his attention to the usability
challenges, such as compatibility problems, the various
software features, and even his call to the help desk.
It is important that you provide feedback about this
review. If this kind of information is useful, please
send me an email about it <mailto:john@webword.com>.
And,
feel free to tell other folks about it. I hope that you
enjoy Sean's review as much as I do. If you like it, I
can begin to add more of these reviews to the WebWord.com
site.
One last thing. At the bottom of Sean's review, I
have included a link to this issue's recommended book,
"Upgrading and Repairing PCs", by Scott Mueller.
<http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789716364/wedwordcom>
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ITEM #3
DayTips Free Daily Mailing Lists (sponsor)
~*~*~*~*~ Join DayTips' Free Daily Mailing Lists *~*~*~*~
We offer Poem-a-Day, Day in History, Health Notes,
Entertainment Today, Music Today, Toy News,
People Today, Strange News, and More!!!
Start Your Day With a Smile!
http://www.daytips.com
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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ITEM #4
Does Usability Ignore Graphic Design?
H. A. Halpert <http://www.lemonyellow.com/>
had some
interesting comments (on 12-Apr-99) about my recent
WebWord.com expert interview with Jared Spool:
"Very interesting...and wildly subjective. He seems
to consistently miss the point. For example, his
dismissive attitude toward graphic design indicates
an essential lack of understanding about the
hierarchical display of information. Grrr."
What do *you* think? Does Jared ignore graphic design
issues? Do you think that usability folks tend to
overlook important design and aesthetic considerations?
By the way, in case you missed it, here's the popular
WebWord.com interview with usability guru, Jared Spool:
<http://webword.com/interviews/spool.html>
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ITEM #5
WebWord.com Newsletter Is Now Archived
You can now find past issues of the WebWord.com
Usability Newsletter at <http://webword.com/archive>.
We've covered a lot of ground in the last several
months. Feel free to take a look around the archive.
* Newsletter Archive <http://webword.com/archive>
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ITEM #6
Domain Names: .com Versus .cc
I can't in good faith recommend that you think about
registering a .cc domain. For those folks that don't
know, a .cc domain works just like a .com domain.
Therefore, "www.yourcompany.cc" would work just like
"www.yourcompany.com". The reason that I can't recommend
a .cc domain name is that so few people understand them.
For example, when a person asks you about your company's
web site, they are listening for www.yourcompany DOT COM.
As I've said before, people have web site stereotypes
<http://webword.com/moving/population.html>.
If you don't
have a .com after your company name you are hurting
yourself.
Oh, and while I'm on my soapbox, I should mention that if
you are serious about your web site, you simply must get
a "real" site. Move your free site over to a paid site
with a solid name. It is cheap and easy to do. Yes, I like
many free sites--they are great to start on--but companies
must take the plunge. Get a .com name (or perhaps, as
you'll see, a .cc name).
As many of you know, getting a good .com domain name
can be a serious problem. Over 10,000 domain names are
registered every day. Yes, I said 10,000. They have
sold like wildfire! And, everyday, less and less good
.com names are available.
So, I took a look around for some .cc sites. I couldn't
find very many. I then went to ENIC to do some searches
<http://www.nic.cc/cgi-bin/nicwrap.pl?WM9120308076>.
Here's a sample of what I found to be available:
webpromotion.cc
serviceprovider.cc
dialup.cc
netherlands.cc
freegames.cc
coolwebsite.cc
emailzone.cc
rockstar.cc
mp3zone.cc
palmpilot.cc
If you ask me, these are some juicy domain names! Yes,
they lack the .com and that is VERY bad. But, take a
look at the 'sweetspot' of the URLs. They are great!
By the way, the link to ENIC that I used above will
generate money for me (I signed up as an affiliate).
I think I can earn up to $10 if you decide to register.
(It will cost you the same either way, don't worry.) If
you prefer not to use that link, you can use this one
<http://www.nic.cc>.
By the way, if you are interested in learning more about
associate programs, take a look at the interview I
conducted with Allan Gardyne a while ago. It is a great
overview of how they work:
<http://webword.com/interviews/gardyne.html>.
Final run down:
Pro's of getting a .cc domain
1. In some important ways, you can get a *great* name
2. Better than a free site (e.g., www.tripod.com/~you)
3. Protects against others taking your .com name (e.g.,
ZDNet should register www.zdnet.cc to protect its
brand; when I checked last it was available!)
Con's of getting a .cc domain:
1. It is not nearly as recognizable as a .com name
2. Can easily confuse new web users
3. Registering a .cc domain is $100, so it is a bit more
expensive than the .com registration
In terms of usability, almost any .com domain is better
than a .cc domain. However, you have to admit that it is
hard to pass up domains like "www.dellcomputer.cc", and
"amazonbooks.cc" -- both were available last I checked.
Tell me what you think <mailto:john@webword.com>.
If you
own a .cc domain, give me your point of view.
One last thought for my friends around the globe:
Perhaps in other countries this will not be such a
big deal. Allow me to make a *guess*. People around
the world are used to domains not ending with the .com;
they are used to domains ending with .nl .uk .br and .de,
for example. So, a .cc domain might work better outside
the US, and this might be a great opportunity. Am I right?
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ITEM #7
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<http://www.ilynk.com/id.cfm?JR7112x0018>
* Hey webmaster, why not become a dealer? Join Now!
<http://www.dealerprograms.com/d.cfm?JR7112x0018>
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ITEM #8
Tidbits
I can't believe it! An imaging company manages to have a
fast loading, content driven home page. Many good *text*
links, nice use of color, and solid layout. Bravo Kodak!
<http://www.kodak.com/>
Do you want statistics on Internet traffic? It has
its problems, but this is an interesting site.
<http://www.statmarket.com/>
Learn about public-key codes, mathematics, and encryption
<http://www.ams.org/new-in-math/cover/codes1.html>
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ITEM #9
Dealing with the IRS: A Real Pleasure!
I recently registered WebWord.com at my local county
clerk's office (i.e., the WebWord.com business name is
now officially registered). Also, I opened a business
account at a local bank. Then, apprehensively, I called
the IRS for some information. They were fantastic. My
wait was only about 3 minutes, they gave me objective
answers, and they even gave me practical advice based on
the speeds of various information channels and my business
needs. Overall, my electronic experience (phone and web)
with the IRS was a surprising pleasure.
The IRS (non-splash page) Home Page can be found at
<http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/cover.html>
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ITEM #10
WebWord.com's Best Selling Books
Want to know what usability books are most popular?
Send an email to <bestbooks@webword.com>
to get
a list of WebWord.com's best selling books. You
will be sent a reply just a few minutes after
sending a message.
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ITEM #11
What Can You Find at WebWord.com?
Articles (Moving WebWord)
<http://webword.com/moving/>
Expert Interviews
<http://webword.com/interviews/>
Recommended Books
<http://webword.com/books/booksindex.html>
Newsletter Archive
<http://webword.com/archive>
Recommended Web Sites
<http://webword.com/hotsites.html>
Free Stuff
<http://webword.com/freestuff.html>
Friends
<http://webword.com/friends.html>
---- End of WebWord.com Usability Newsletter #18 ------
(c)1998-99 by John S. Rhodes. All rights reserved.
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