Post Your Own Article

If you would like to post an original article on this blog just email it to Bernie Vincent. Provided the subject is consistent with the objectives for the eBusiness Gateway website, we will load it on your behalf.

Remember, if you want to make a comment on an existing artilce, just click the Comment link at the foot of each section.

Witty Worm Isn't Funny

A new virus called "Witty Worm" (it has some text inviting people to insert a witty phrase) is currently creating major disruption because it attacks, and potentially destroys, computers by overwriting the hard disks.

The worm expoits a recently published weakness in some firewall products from ISS, these have the brand names of BlackIce and RealSecure. ISS has issued a patch for their systems.

Your server administrator should already be aware of the problem and have downloaded the patch, but you should check that you do not have a vunerability.

Low Cost IT Training

One of the most effective ways of building skills over time is to use a trickle-feed approach. In conjunction with Training Masters Limited we have just started to offer a two-level aimed at achieving productivity gains using computers and software already on most office workers desks. The base level service comes at less than 10p a day. Read more...

Google Local

Internet searches are likely to take a great leap forward with the announcement of Google Local. As the name suggests, this will return search results based on a specific region, say a City, County or Post Code.

The service is only operational as a 'beta' version in the US, but once the wrinkles have been ironed out it will be lauched in other countries.

If you want to have a preview of the site, click this link: Google Local

Beware of Domain Transfer Requests

We are seeing a rise in the number of instances where companies are being requested to authorise the transfer of Internet domains to the control of others. In many cases this is bad practice and results in no benefit to you - in fact you might end up paying more.

Requests often come from an IT service provider, telecom agent or marketing company who is doing work with your company and will appear as a genuine "we'll handle all that for you...". The request often goes to an employee who knows little about the subject - and they are therefore unaware of the implications.

You should ask why some companies are requesting domain transfers. The answer may be that you want them to take the responsibility, but it might just be a tactic to gain the hosting account for your website and domain registration fees and win future work on website development and marketing.

Keyword Relevance

You will doubtless have heard how 'keywords' are so important for gaining search engine ranking (if you haven't then contact me and I will point you to some understandable articles), but I was interested to see the results of an analysis of the major search engines into user behaviour.

Perhaps reflecting the fact that users are becoming more aware of the ways to gain information, the use of single word searches has dropped from 24% to 19%. Two-word searches are now around 32%, leaving 49% of searches being made of 3 or more words.

"So What!" I hear you cry.

Take a look at the source code of your website. (View/Source at the top menu of the browser and look at any 'meta keywords' between HEAD and /HEAD.) Many of you will find that you either only have single words - therefore are being sub-optimal for 81% of search engine enquiries - or worse still have no keywords, in which case you are 100% sub-optimal.

As already stated, if you want help, then please contact me. (I don't charge for short answers!)

e-Supplier Accreditation Scheme

My comments on 3 February 2004 (see February archive) about the Scottish Enterprise supported/Scotland IS administered accreditation scheme have attracted some support (one online comment and a few phone calls). I continue to hold the view that the scheme is fundamentally flawed because if does not address the basic issue of helping non-technical management to become informed buyers of IT and, more specifically, Internet-related services.

At £500 a year this programme will become a barrier to new start businesses gaining clients, particularly if contracts are awarded only to those with this somewhat meaningless accreditation.

I was disapointed to see on the Scottish Enterprise e-commerce website that the introduction to the supplier directory informs readers about the accreditation scheme and states that "many smaller companies have already achieved certification". My analysis shows a different picture:

Edinburgh 290 companies listed but only 2 accredited
Glasgow 259 only 7 accredited
Dundee 23 with 0 accredited
Aberdeen 58 with only one (Forth Valley based) company accredited.

Overall only about 1.5% of the listed suppliers are accredited.

This is NOT because suppliers don't want to win work - it because they don't see the value in the scheme and there are plenty of areas where the money can be better spent.

The Smart Rs Squad

Apart from the home page and this blog, the audit page is the most frequently visit page on the eBusiness Gateway site. Is that because of the title that we set on the Home page or are audits really interesting?

Whatever the reason, our people really do like to share experience and help you. Click here for more details: Computer and Internet Audits

Meaningful Web Statistics

A couple of excellent articles on 'Web Analytics' have been posted in the 10-minute library of the main site. Click here to go to the page.

(The 10-minute library provides jargon-free articles, each of which can be read a couple of times in - you guessed it - 10 minutes!)

'Do Not E-Mail' Scam

The US Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning about a scam that offers to include your business in a 'National Do Not E-Mail' register.

Whilst there are US and UK authorities who seek to reduce the amount of phone and fax messages and there are Spam laws in both countries, there is no such thing as a register to block email messages. More information...