• Intro
  
• Survey Results
  
• Interview - Html or Text For the Blind and Disabled? - Everett Gavel
  
• The Office Corner - Includes Dealing With Abusive Clients
  
• Free Stuff
  
• Grammar Question of the Month: Titles in Inside Addresses
  
• Tech Tips: Claudia Slate - User Testing
  
• Tech Corner
  
• Writing Corner
  
• Trivia
  
• Word of the Month: Plethora
  
• Recommendations
  

* Have you noticed increased activity in the small business world? It seems many people have decided to improve what they offer, both in terms of quality and service, and in seeing what the future holds. Mark Neely just started moderating a new Adventive.com list, I-Entrepreneur, and it's well worth joining. [editor's note: list no longer in existence]

Neely, in his premier issue, says Entrepreneurs are MADE, not born; Entrepreneurship is a PROCESS, not a single inspired act; Entrepreneurs are not risk takers, they are risk MANAGERS; Opportunities are ABUNDANT; and Ideas are WORTHLESS (unless one knows what to do with them).

Also, Mike Banks Valentine just started I-Privacy, focused on respecting and protecting personally identifiable customer data. To join these lists (and my own I-Customer list), go to http://www.adventive.com/join.html[editor's note: All Adventive lists no longer in existence]

* THE FEBRUARY WINNER of Janet Attard's "The Home Office and Small Business Answer Book" is subscriber Melina Filomia of Missouri, USA. Congratulations, Melina!

Last month's Answer Book winner, Bonnie White, wrote me and said, "Just wanted to send you an update...I am thoroughly enjoying the book! I've found so many things that I didn't know..." This type of response keeps me motivated!

Do you want a chance to win the Answer Book? Go to http://www.ossweb.com/freebook.html and sign up.

* EASTER EGGS Some of those who read through last month's issue found an Easter Egg, and won Amazon.com gift certificates. Winners were Keri Domasky, Amanda Herndon, Claudia Slate, Jan Darnell, and Andrea Pixley.

RESULTS FROM THE E-MAIL PROGRAM SURVEY reveal little difference in preferences. Most of you have had your programs for over a year, and prefer them because they are effective in helping run your business. Your most popular feature: the address book.

In a recent issue of I-Copywriting, Debbie Weil asked, "Does anyone else have thoughts on writing for text vs. writing for HTML?" Everett Gavel responded, and gave me permission to reprint his comments.

HTML OR TEXT E-ZINES FOR THE BLIND AND DISABLED?

There's a larger-than-you-might-think, growing portion of the world who couldn't care less about how "pretty" your e-zine looks. For various reasons these people cannot access printed pages or view design aspects on the computer.

I myself am blind. "Legally-blind," but for all useful aspects of it being discussed here, close enough to total. I can see the page the type is written on, but not the print itself. I can see items on a store shelf, but can no longer discern between the items. On a Web page, I can "see" most of the graphics and larger text, when contrasts are good, but still cannot tell what they are, or are saying. And on a Web page, or in an e-mail, it is the content and links I (and many others) go there for, not the design.

The reasons I prefer text (Vs. HTML) e-mail are that my adaptive software (a "screenreader") accesses it with much less problems than are encountered with HTML e-mail. HTML e-mail, depending on the size of the "text" used, often skips lines that I know are there. I can sometimes "see" the larger lines, but I can't read them, and neither can my screenreader at times.

Usually, when I go to a Web site, I do a "CTRL+A" command to "Highlight All" and then copy and paste the text into a Notepad file. I then find the info I want and go back to the page and find the link. This has become the most efficient way for me to get through my research online.

I admit I have not yet tried "highlighting all" in an HTML e-mail. And likely won't. It is a time-waster. Usually the same info can be found elsewhere in text-format. I don't subscribe to any HTML formatted lists.

Text-based is the only way to go, and my personal choice. Because of this choice, I have missed out on two or three actual newsletters that I would have preferred to sub to--over my last 4 years online--but they may have also missed out on at least one sale, from me, due to their lack of options.

Everett Gavel
StellarMerchandisers.com
"Striving to be your best source for surplus merchandise."

1. FREE EXCEL ASSIGNMENTS
http://www.itskills.ie/html/free_assignments.htm

2. TRYING TO ESTABLISH YOUR BUSINESS IN YOUR COMMUNITY? Stay visible. Once you're established, give speeches (if you have that ability) to civic groups. Toastmasters is a great organization if you decide to learn public speaking. Often there is a local Speakers Bureau where you can register. Or quietly volunteer for nonprofits. And be sure to network, wherever you go, listening to what others have to say about their business needs and frustrations.

3. REFERRALS After you've finished a job, tell your client or customer that you'd appreciate a referral. A satisfied customer is your best advertising medium. Send thank you notes when projects are completed.

4. SPREADING THE WORD Every time you mail a payment for a billing, include a business card in the envelope. You never know who might see it.

5. ABUSIVE CLIENTS If you have clients who are consistently rude; question your ability and your integrity; who insist that you be available at all hours; who are delinquent in paying for your services; who don't keep their word regarding their deadlines;, and/or are not only critical, but just plain mean, you've every right to explain that you'll:

• Begin the next assignment as soon you are paid in full
• Withhold files and/or hard copy until you've received payment
• Be happy to let them find someone else, because you don't want to work with them anymore after (then give a date and stick to it).

People with little or no self-respect treat others with little or no respect. If this is happening to you, it may be time to send them elsewhere. It doesn't mean you've failed, only that you couldn't meet the person's expectations (which most people probably never meet), and you're not willing to take any more abuse. Incidentally, most such people do not consider themselves abusive, merely perfectionists.

FREE BOOK! Subscribers are eligible to sign up to win a free copy of "The Home Office and Small Business Answer Book: Solutions to the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Starting and Running Home Offices and Small Businesses" by Janet Attard. Sign up once a month at www.ossweb.com/freebook.html - Winners announced here! We usually have other gifts, as well, for second- and third-place winners.

FREE DICTIONARY! Webgrammar offers all site visitors the chance to win a free Webster's dictionary, monthly. Sign up! www.webgrammar.com/contest.html

FREE BONUS GIFT! We will announce the winner of the business card holder made of printed circuit board in the next issue. Reena Kazmann, owner of Eco-Artware Earth Friendly Designs, donated this slick, sleek item, which is manufactured by "Motherboard." We have another free gift for the month of March. Sign up for the Answer Book to be eligible!

Q. When placing the address on a business letter, do you use Mr., Mrs., or Ms on the address? I understand that when you write their title (like The Honorable, Professor, Dr, etc.) you do not use the Mr., etc., but when the title is unknown, then you revert to the Mr., etc.

I was recently told that you do not use the Mr., etc. in the address portion even when you do not have a title. I am confused.

A. The Gregg Reference Manual, Ninth Edition (Sabin) discusses titles in an inside address and elsewhere in a letter, and I'm paraphrasing:

In general, use a title before the name of a person in an inside address. If the person has no special title, use the courtesy title Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Miss. If you don't know the gender, omit the title.

For women, respect the individual's preference, if you know it. If you do not, either use Ms. or omit completely.

Teenage girls are addressed as Ms. or Miss, and teenage boys as Mr. For those under the age of 13, you may omit any courtesy title.

If you know that the person has a preference for spelling, spacing, capitalization, and punctuation, always honor that preference.

Interested in site usability? Mary Deaton explains how to conduct thorough user testing on your site without spending a lot of money or time. Here's an article that came out last August, which I found quite interesting. The page also has some interesting links on the right side discussing usability and provides a few tools.

http://builder.cnet.com/webbuilding/0-7705-8-6861748-1.html

Claudia Slate
Dakota Technics
clslate@dakotatechnics.com
www.dakotatechnics.com

1. SUPPORT - SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION AND TUTORIALS
Windows '95 (html), File Management (Word '97 format), Exchange (Word '97 format), Outlook, Beginning (Word '97 format), Intermediate (Word '97 format), Email Management (Word '97 format), PowerPoint (Word '97 format), and Advanced Word '95 (Word '95 format, Word '97 format).
[LINK NO LONGER VALID]

2. CODE LIBRARY
Web tricks, tools, site promotion, java apps, asp stuff, stupid Web tricks, etc that Web developers can use.
http://www.psacake.com/web/default.asp

3. WINDOWS REGISTRY GUIDE
Registry tips, tricks and tweaks to get the most of out Windows 95, 98, ME and NT/2000 systems.
http://www.bhs.com/downloads/file.asp?id=4185

4. A CRT PRIMER
Learn more about your monitor and how to use it correctly
http://www.tomshardware.com/display/01q4/011128/

5. HOW ROM WORKS
Read-only memory is essential to your computer. You'll also find ROM in video games, cell phones and microwaves. Learn about the different types of ROM and how they're used!
http://www.howstuffworks.com/rom.htm

2. Claudia Slate recommends this site if you or any of your clients do any technical writing, where you can join the TECHWR-L and get lots of tips:
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/

MERLOT is a free and open resource designed primarily for faculty and students in higher education. But don't discount it for business use and information. Or for children, grandchildren, etc. There are some excellent categories, and much to learn. It has quizzes, drills, and more to help understand various aspects of Arts, Business, Education, Humanities, Mathematics, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences.
http://www.merlot.org/Home.po

CHILLING EFFECTS CLEARINGHOUSE
Do you know your online rights? Have you received a letter asking you to remove information from a Web site or stop engaging in an activity? Are you concerned about liability for information that someone else posted to your online forum? These pages help you understand the protections intellectual property laws and the First Amendment give to your online activities. A joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, and University of San Francisco law school clinics.
http://www.chillingeffects.org/

Does anyone else think this is an ugly, outdated word? I vote to quit using it. Actually, it started out as a scientific term, says Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: "... a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence and a florid complexion. Wish it had stayed scientific.

Today, it also means: excess, superfluity; also profusion, abundance.

Some of M-W's synonyms: excess, overabundance, overflow, overkill, overmuch, overplus, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, surplusage, and related words: much, plenty; many; deluge, and flood.

1. PHILIPPA GAMSE, of CyberSpeaker.com, has terrific articles for online business owners. Here are two I especially recommend:
    I. Beyond the Search Engines
    http://www.cyberspeaker.com/tipsheet.html
    II. Top Seven Ways to Tune up your Website
    http://www.cyberspeaker.com/Top7TuneUp.html

2. Boogie Jack is one of the best. Free HTML tutorials and graphics and a terrific newsletter. http://www.boogiejack.com/

3. Check out Adam Boettiger's article, "What can I do about spam?"
http://www.email911.com/resources/whatcanido.html

ARCHIVES FOR ALL COMMUNICATION EXPRESSWAY ISSUES
http://www.ossweb.com/ezine-archive-index.html

Questions, comments, recommendations?
Contact Judy Vorfeld at www.ossweb.com.contact.html

TO SUBSCRIBE TO COMMUNICATION EXPRESSWAY
go to http://www.ossweb.com/ezine.html