Subscribed Links

Subscribed links provide several very beneficial features to both users and web publishers. Subscribed links provide:

• End users a means of altering or tailoring their search engine results so that they receive more relevant search results as well as results from sources that they "trust"
• End users a potential means of saving time since the results that they need may actually appear in the search results, negating the need to click through to the site
• End users another mechanism to "vote" on sites that they find to be valuable or authoritative by going through the process of subscribing to those sites
• Publishers with anot
  ABC’s of Sales Planning
  Sales planning is critical to sales success. Return on Time Invested (ROTI) should be key criteria that every salesperson should use when evaluating their account base. The biggest asset a salesperson has is their time. It is imperative that they manage this asset carefully. Time management is called the queen of the management sciences and the reason why they call it the queen of management sciences is that time management – needs to be “romanced” –salespeople need to go through a fundamental management course every 12- 24 months.A 120 Day Sales Plan is a great first step. This plan is the company’s first attempt to build an integrated business plan. Start by evaluating your territory with respect to economic conditions, competitive pressures, opportunities, threats and key customer and vendor objectives. What is really needed is to step back from the trees so you can see the forest. Some quality thinking will give you your baseline and then you can set your own goals, as well as plan out the major actions to achieve them.You will repeat this process later in the year. You should strive to be realistic and also stretch in setting your
  Google Co-op was announced by Google, along with other announcements, in May of 2006. Google Co-op represents Google's efforts to embrace social web and social search concepts in a major way to help improve Google search results. Google Co-op will allow users to contribute context, knowledge, and expertise. In essence, Google Co-op allows users to tell Google what web content really is by providing labels (categories) for that content. Users will also get to "vote" on what content they find to be valuable by subscribing to the content of various web sites that they value. An additional benefit to end-users is that Google Co-op allows them, through their subscriptions, to alter their own Google search results so that the provided information better meets their needs. It further helps end-users to filter out spam content, or content of little or marginal value.
  

  Google Co-op is currently in beta test. As with any new service that is being beta tested, there are still some things being "worked out". The documentation is somewhat limited and lacking, making it a little difficult to understand and implement Google Co-op. The remainder of this paper will provide a high-level overview of Google Co-op to help individuals better understand what it is, how they can use it, and what they will see. Subsequent papers on the topic will delve more into the "nitty-gritty" of how to implement it.
  

  At its most basic, "social web" (aka Web 2.0) is a process whereby users provide information and opinions, and share them with others. It is the sharing that provides the social aspect. Users can share information about what they find to be valuable. A good example of this is del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us) where users share links to their "favorite" information on the web (for example, favorite articles, or web sites about a topic etc.). Other examples of "user-vetted", or user-contributed information, would include Wikipedia (the open, user contributed, encyclopedia), and DMOZ (the open directory). There are many other examples.
  

  "Social search" is the same process of humans providing and sharing information to help improve the results that a search engine presents to various queries. Google Co-Op would appear to be a strong move by Google into the social search arena.
  

  Google Co-Op Components
  

  Google Co-op consists of two things:

  1. Topics
  2. Subscribed links

  Topics
  

  Topics is simply Google's way of saying "area of interest". Topics allow users a way to provide labels (or tags, or categories) for information on the web. A user does this by associating a URL with a label (for example, http://www.google.com might get the label "search_engine"). These labels simply tell Google what a particular URL is all about. Users may use labels for topics that Google already has under development, which include: health, destination guides, autos, computer & video games, photo & video equipment, and stereo & home theater. Users may also develop labels for their own topics (for example, if a user has an interest in "wine" they may develop labels for the topic wine, which may include "wine_regions", "wine_types", etc.).
  

  The process of labeling content will benefit everyone in several ways. Labels will provide Google with a vast amount of information about what web sites are all about, potentially down to a very granular, or individual page level. In addition, by taking the time to label a site, users are essentially "voting" on what sites are valuable to them. As these votes accumulate over time, Google will have a clearer picture of what sites are authoritative on a topic or topics. It is not hard to come to the conclusion that with time, Google will start to use this data so that sites with a lot of votes will start to appear much higher in appropriate search results.
  

  Subscribed Links
  

  Subscribed links provide several very beneficial features to both users and web publishers. Subscribed links provide:

  • End users a means of altering or tailoring their search engine results so that they receive more relevant search results as well as results from sources that they "trust"
  • End users a potential means of saving time since the results that they need may actually appear in the search results, negating the need to click through to the site
  • End users another mechanism to "vote" on sites that they find to be valuable or authoritative by going through the process of subscribing to those sites
  • Publishers with anoth
    Rummage Sale Church Fundraising
    It is a simple concept lets have a garage sale. An average family can raise as much as one – two hundred dollars with a weekend garage sale. Now let’s take that idea and apply it to a church with an average attendance of 100 people. How much money do you think this sale would raise?A church with an average attendance of 100 people can easily raise two – three thousand dollars with a two day fundraising rummage sale.The planning is simple. Set up dates for your fundraising rummage sale and reserve space to hold the sale. Next ask for donations from your congregation. You will be amazed at how much will be donated. People are always happy to un-load there unused items and especially thrilled when the profits go to support your ministry.It is key to your success to have a good sized list of volunteers. You will need them when the donations start pouring in. Plan for at least two days of prep time to set up your fundraising rummage sale. You will want to group like items together; this will make it easier for shoppers to find what they are looking for. If you plan on having a significant amount of children’s clothing you can
    th any new service that is being beta tested, there are still some things being "worked out". The documentation is somewhat limited and lacking, making it a little difficult to understand and implement Google Co-op. The remainder of this paper will provide a high-level overview of Google Co-op to help individuals better understand what it is, how they can use it, and what they will see. Subsequent papers on the topic will delve more into the "nitty-gritty" of how to implement it.
    

    At its most basic, "social web" (aka Web 2.0) is a process whereby users provide information and opinions, and share them with others. It is the sharing that provides the social aspect. Users can share information about what they find to be valuable. A good example of this is del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us) where users share links to their "favorite" information on the web (for example, favorite articles, or web sites about a topic etc.). Other examples of "user-vetted", or user-contributed information, would include Wikipedia (the open, user contributed, encyclopedia), and DMOZ (the open directory). There are many other examples.
    

    "Social search" is the same process of humans providing and sharing information to help improve the results that a search engine presents to various queries. Google Co-Op would appear to be a strong move by Google into the social search arena.
    

    Google Co-Op Components
    

    Google Co-op consists of two things:

    1. Topics
    2. Subscribed links

    Topics
    

    Topics is simply Google's way of saying "area of interest". Topics allow users a way to provide labels (or tags, or categories) for information on the web. A user does this by associating a URL with a label (for example, http://www.google.com might get the label "search_engine"). These labels simply tell Google what a particular URL is all about. Users may use labels for topics that Google already has under development, which include: health, destination guides, autos, computer & video games, photo & video equipment, and stereo & home theater. Users may also develop labels for their own topics (for example, if a user has an interest in "wine" they may develop labels for the topic wine, which may include "wine_regions", "wine_types", etc.).
    

    The process of labeling content will benefit everyone in several ways. Labels will provide Google with a vast amount of information about what web sites are all about, potentially down to a very granular, or individual page level. In addition, by taking the time to label a site, users are essentially "voting" on what sites are valuable to them. As these votes accumulate over time, Google will have a clearer picture of what sites are authoritative on a topic or topics. It is not hard to come to the conclusion that with time, Google will start to use this data so that sites with a lot of votes will start to appear much higher in appropriate search results.
    

    Subscribed Links
    

    Subscribed links provide several very beneficial features to both users and web publishers. Subscribed links provide:

    • End users a means of altering or tailoring their search engine results so that they receive more relevant search results as well as results from sources that they "trust"
    • End users a potential means of saving time since the results that they need may actually appear in the search results, negating the need to click through to the site
    • End users another mechanism to "vote" on sites that they find to be valuable or authoritative by going through the process of subscribing to those sites
    • Publishers with anot
      All About Money
      For almost everyone, nothing is as powerful as money. Because of this perception, many people would do ALL THEY CAN to hoard money.I'm definitely not tired of money - as it is a means to an end. However, I'm tired of the manipulative ways people get money. I've learned sales techniques from several places - from university to sales seminars. Yet, I find the best sales technique is serving people their needs. Sounds simple, isn't it? Yet people have twisted this concept. In almost all networking events I've been to, there were always people who'd tell me a need that I didn't know I had, then tried very hard to sell me their products. Sure, they were using the concept that they should cater to people's needs. Yet most of the time I don't need what they tell me I need.Certainly, telling people what they need is terrible image management. Usually, people's reaction is "I don't want to listen. And frankly, who are you to tell ME what I need?!"I remember in an episode of King Of Queens (TV sitcom), Carrie was taking pole dancing lessons. She was sold on the concept of "bringing out her inner whore" to put more sparks in her marriage. Whe
      pic etc.). Other examples of "user-vetted", or user-contributed information, would include Wikipedia (the open, user contributed, encyclopedia), and DMOZ (the open directory). There are many other examples.
      

      "Social search" is the same process of humans providing and sharing information to help improve the results that a search engine presents to various queries. Google Co-Op would appear to be a strong move by Google into the social search arena.
      

      Google Co-Op Components
      

      Google Co-op consists of two things:

      1. Topics
      2. Subscribed links

      Topics
      

      Topics is simply Google's way of saying "area of interest". Topics allow users a way to provide labels (or tags, or categories) for information on the web. A user does this by associating a URL with a label (for example, http://www.google.com might get the label "search_engine"). These labels simply tell Google what a particular URL is all about. Users may use labels for topics that Google already has under development, which include: health, destination guides, autos, computer & video games, photo & video equipment, and stereo & home theater. Users may also develop labels for their own topics (for example, if a user has an interest in "wine" they may develop labels for the topic wine, which may include "wine_regions", "wine_types", etc.).
      

      The process of labeling content will benefit everyone in several ways. Labels will provide Google with a vast amount of information about what web sites are all about, potentially down to a very granular, or individual page level. In addition, by taking the time to label a site, users are essentially "voting" on what sites are valuable to them. As these votes accumulate over time, Google will have a clearer picture of what sites are authoritative on a topic or topics. It is not hard to come to the conclusion that with time, Google will start to use this data so that sites with a lot of votes will start to appear much higher in appropriate search results.
      

      Subscribed Links
      

      Subscribed links provide several very beneficial features to both users and web publishers. Subscribed links provide:

      • End users a means of altering or tailoring their search engine results so that they receive more relevant search results as well as results from sources that they "trust"
      • End users a potential means of saving time since the results that they need may actually appear in the search results, negating the need to click through to the site
      • End users another mechanism to "vote" on sites that they find to be valuable or authoritative by going through the process of subscribing to those sites
      • Publishers with anot
        Is This The Right Time To Become An Infopreneur?
        Whenever I talk to people about becoming an Internet infopreneur, I hear two objections - from different sections of the audience.One group says, "Oh, the time's not yet ripe for this sort of thing"And the other says, "But, isn't it already too late?"The fact is, there is no 'perfect' time to start being an infopreneur.Let's face it. There's nothing new about compiling data into information. And there's nothing new about selling the processed product. Why, even the Internet is no longer 'new' - though it is constantly evolving.What is, however, relatively new and unexplored, is the concept of selling information products over the Internet to various niche audiences.Is the time right to start doing this?Just look at these numbers.E-commerce over the Internet in the U.S. for the third quarter of 2006 amounted to $27.5 BILLION, a 4.5% increase over the 2nd quarter and a 20% growth over last year (Source: U.S. Census Bureau News, Nov.2006). For this study, ecommerce was defined as the value of goods and services sold online.Annual spending per buyer increased from $457 in 2001 to $784 in 20
        labels simply tell Google what a particular URL is all about. Users may use labels for topics that Google already has under development, which include: health, destination guides, autos, computer & video games, photo & video equipment, and stereo & home theater. Users may also develop labels for their own topics (for example, if a user has an interest in "wine" they may develop labels for the topic wine, which may include "wine_regions", "wine_types", etc.).
        

        The process of labeling content will benefit everyone in several ways. Labels will provide Google with a vast amount of information about what web sites are all about, potentially down to a very granular, or individual page level. In addition, by taking the time to label a site, users are essentially "voting" on what sites are valuable to them. As these votes accumulate over time, Google will have a clearer picture of what sites are authoritative on a topic or topics. It is not hard to come to the conclusion that with time, Google will start to use this data so that sites with a lot of votes will start to appear much higher in appropriate search results.
        

        Subscribed Links
        

        Subscribed links provide several very beneficial features to both users and web publishers. Subscribed links provide:

        • End users a means of altering or tailoring their search engine results so that they receive more relevant search results as well as results from sources that they "trust"
        • End users a potential means of saving time since the results that they need may actually appear in the search results, negating the need to click through to the site
        • End users another mechanism to "vote" on sites that they find to be valuable or authoritative by going through the process of subscribing to those sites
        • Publishers with anot
          5 Internet Marketing Mindsets Required for Online Business Success
          Many independent service professionals nonchalantly enter the Internet marketing game by throwing together a half-baked website without any plan and mistakenly believe that visitors will find them. Initially, my online business grew from word-of-mouth referrals from other clients rather than from any true Internet marketing. My website simply served as an online brochure detailing my services and my rates for several years.Over time, I became tired of trading time for money. Upon gaining some time and experience in business, the independent service professional has a rude awakening that there are only so many hours in the day and consequently that limits the number of clients that can be served.Despite all the useful information I'd absorbed over the years about expanding my business reach through the development of products that I could sell on my website, I just didn't want to devote the time necessary to create multiple streams of income for my business. However, as I began to see friends and colleagues do this successfully in their businesses, the light bulb finally went off, and I realized that this was my next step, as well. So,
          a topic or topics. It is not hard to come to the conclusion that with time, Google will start to use this data so that sites with a lot of votes will start to appear much higher in appropriate search results.
          

          Subscribed Links
          

          Subscribed links provide several very beneficial features to both users and web publishers. Subscribed links provide:

          • End users a means of altering or tailoring their search engine results so that they receive more relevant search results as well as results from sources that they "trust"
          • End users a potential means of saving time since the results that they need may actually appear in the search results, negating the need to click through to the site
          • End users another mechanism to "vote" on sites that they find to be valuable or authoritative by going through the process of subscribing to those sites
          • Publishers with another means to make content available to end users

          With subscribed links, publishers can make a subset of their information available to end users by submitting their subscribed links via an XML file to Google, and letting users know how and where to subscribe. Users who value the content of particular publishers will subscribe to their subscribed links. In so doing, the content for subscribed sites will appear at the top of search results when the users searches on relevant terms. In essence, the user alters their own search results by subscribing, so that content that they find to be more valuable appears at the top of search results.
          

          As a site gains more subscribers, Google will most likely, with time, come to see it as more authoritative. As has already been mentioned earlier in this article, it is not hard to jump to the conclusion that such a site will appear higher up in Google search results for relevant search terms over time.
          

          Google Co-Op Will Improve the Content That Users See
          

          The whole process of labeling and subscribing has the added benefit of being self-vetting. This means that spam sites, advertising sites, and sites that provide marginal or useless content will be pushed down in search results. Social web dynamics in action means that users simply will not bother to label or subscribe to poor quality sites in high enough volumes for them to be seen as authoritative and useful. The end result for all should be better and more useful search results.
          

          What Users Will "See"
          

          At this point you may be wondering how users actually see Google Co-op search results. Google Co-op content appears to the end user in one or more of three ways:

          1. As "Refine Results": Refine results are search refinements for the topic. This is a set of predetermined categories that can be used to refine a search for a given topic. For example, a search on "Boston" will yield a "Refine results for boston:" box at the top of their search results with the following categories: Dining guides, Lodging guides, Attractions, Shopping, Suggested itineraries, and Tours & day trips.
          2. As "Subscribed Links": A Subscribed Links results box that presents the results from one or more of the authoritative sources to which a user has subscribed at the top of Google's search results. For example, if the user were subscribed to a travel site, and they searched on "Boston", they would see an "About Boston, MA" subscribed links box at the top of their search below the "Refine results".
          3. "Labels": Labels appear for result items within a search. A label is a tag that appears below a search result. For example, an item after the title and brief description might say "Labeled Dining guides". These labeled sites show up below the subscribed links, but above Google's organic search results.

          Users who do nothing will see search refinements for the health and destination guides topics areas at the top of any relevant set of Google search results (try a quick Google search on "Boston" to see "Refine results for Boston"). This is because Google subscribes everyone to those topics by default. In fact, there does not appear to be any way to unsubscribe from these two topics. Users will also see relevant labels from these two topics below search results for sites that have been annotated by users or publishers.
          

          Users who subscribe to the subscribed links of web sites and search on terms that are relevant to those authoritative sources will see items from those sources at the top of their search results. The end-user's search results are altered from what t