Corbin's January/February 2002 TechTalk Newsletter
©2002 Corbin Ball Associates

Happy New Year! I send my best wishes of peace and  prosperity to you in 2002. 

This issue is loaded with new information and links focusing on how to use technology more effectively and efficiently. Hope you enjoy and share with your friends.


Corbin

IN THIS ISSUE:

• NEW ARTICLE: Interactive Polling - Finding What the Audience Wants

• NEW ARTICLE: Privacy, Please--Ethics of E-Marketing

• CORBIN'S WEB SITE FAVORITES - Updated

• 5 HIGHLIGHTED BOOKMARK FAVORITES

• UPDATED ARTICLE: Guarding Against Computer Viruses

• NEW ARTICLE: How to Spot Email Virus Hoaxes

--- and more!

SPONSORS

Thanks to the following newsletter sponsors:

Conferon (www.conferon.com): Is your marketing reaching your target audience and boosting ROI?  Conferon's MRA and Conferonline options help you meet attendance goals.

b-there (www.b-there.com):  Twice the efficiency. Half the work. Discover the benefits of integrated online registration, housing, travel, & e-marketing solutions.

Bill L. Johnson, CSP (www.billjohnson.com): Speeches and Seminars, Wireless microphones, Multi-media projectors, Digital Recorders, Stealth (invisible) and Headset microphones

NEW ARTICLE

What Does Your Audience Want? -- Find Out With Audience Polling

As a speaker, I wish that I could use audience polling devices at every presentation I give. Wireless voting keypads involve the audience, stimulate discussion, and give everyone an anonymous, non-verbal vote. 

The good news is prices are falling while the options are increasing.

This article covers the many benefits and gives current pricing information. 

http://www.corbinball.com/articles/art-audiencepoll.htm 

NEW ARTICLE
Privacy Please! EMarketing Ethics

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor, cathy@cc-tunlimited.com  

Reprinted with permission of Meeting News, Copyright 2001 

Thanks to a host of enabling technologies - from Web-based registration and email reminders to cookies and targeted banner ads - attendees can be inundated with information about events, venues and vendors. But constant bombardment can make people prickly about their privacy. That creates 
an ethical dilemma for aggressive marketers who want to leverage the data they've gathered about attendees. 

This article covers the key points for responsible e-marketing.

http://www.corbinball.com/articles/art-privacy.htm  

CORBIN'S FAVORITES
"Corbin's Favorites" is the most comprehensive list of  categorized Web site favorites for the meetings and hospitality industries found on the Internet – with more than 2,100 listings especially focusing on meetings technology.

The list has just been cleaned-up and updated with many new links. 

The 8 categories are:

1. Meeting Planning: 
http://www.corbinball.com/tips.list.corbinslist.htm#p1 

2. Meetings Technology and Software:
http://www.corbinball.com/tips.list.corbinslist.htm#p2 

3. Speakers/Speaking Bureaus/Speaking Ideas:
http://www.corbinball.com/tips.list.corbinslist.htm#p3 

4. Travel:
http://www.corbinball.com/tips.list.corbinslist.htm#p4 

5. Reference and Business Tools:
http://www.corbinball.com/tips.list.corbinslist.htm#p5 

6. Web and Computers:
http://www.corbinball.com/tips.list.corbinslist.htm#p6 

7. Legislative Action:
http://www.corbinball.com/tips.list.corbinslist.htm#p7 

8. Fun/Health/Home:
http://www.corbinball.com/tips.list.corbinslist.htm#p8 

5 HIGHLIGHTED BOOKMARK FAVORITES

Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau 
http://www.visitpittsburgh.com/ 

This completely redesigned site has much going for it. 

• A consistent navigation scheme throughout the site. 

• A great city guide

• Lots of content for travelers coming to Pittsburgh with hundreds of 360-degree view and streaming video links.

Most importantly, however, is the e-commerce capability. A site visitor can book accommodations, make restaurant reservations, buy museum tickets, purchase souvenirs and much more. 

This is a superb example of how a city can promote itself online.

****

Vmyths 
http://www.vmyths.com/  

This is one of the better virus hoax sites out there with a detailed alphabetical hoax listing, links, suggestions, and more.

****
Meeting Industry Mall
http://www.mim.com 

This site was the first online mall for meeting planners established in 1995 (back in the dark ages of web development). Its recent redesign contains lots of content and links that should not be overlooked by meeting professionals. Included are news, directory and link listings, an active job board, and the MIMList, the industry's most active online discussion group with more than 2000 participants and is moderated by the passionate and extremely knowledgeable industry leader, Joan 
Eisenstodt. 

****

WhoIS
http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois 

Have you ever wondered the back-side details of a web site? Who owns it (the administrative contact)? Their address and phone number? How long has the site been online? Their web hosting service? And more. 

This site gives this info.

****

Who Is He? Who Is She?
www.whoishe.com 

Under the area of privacy (or subtitled: it is scary what people can find about you) is this background checking site. 

The tag line reads: When in doubt, check him out! And goes on to state:

"At a time when people are meeting over the Internet, through personal ads, and dating virtual strangers, it is important to BE SAFE and BE SMART...FIND OUT WHO THEY REALLY ARE!"

For a fee they offer: background checks, criminal and civil record checks on dates, potential mates, nannys, in-home service providers, business partners and prospective employees.

The Internet continues to redefine personal privacy. As Sun Microsystems CEO recently tersely stated: "You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it."

However, as citizens, we must be vigilant about protecting this privacy. I will be addressing this issue in detail in an upcoming newsletter.

UPDATED ARTICLE: 5 Easy Steps to Guard Against Computer Viruses

I continue to get numerous emails with worm attachments. The latest has been several copies of the goner worm.

The fundamental rule to avoid these viruses and worms is never open up file attachments ending with the following attachments:
.exe 
.vbs 
.bat 
.scr
.pif 

The article has been updated to cover the new virus extensions and can be found at: 
http://www.corbinball.com/articles/art-virus.htm 

NEW ARTICLE: How To Spot Computer Virus Hoaxes
Virus hoaxes are alive and well too, and in fact, are more prevalent than real viruses.

I have recently received many virus hoax messages urging me to delete an important Windows file: SULFNBK.EXE saying that this file was a virus.

These messages followed a typical pattern that should ring warning bells. In general, any message that asks you to copy and send to everyone in your address book should be treated with suspicion.

This article covers the virus hoax warning flags, some of my favorite virus hoax web links, and even a link for those of you who may have deleted the SULFNBK.EXE file.

http://www.corbinball.com/articles/art-virushoax.htm 

My speaking and consulting travel schedule for will bring me to: Nashville, Honolulu, and Atlanta. Bookings are down a little since September 11, especially for February. If you have or know of a group that would benefit from my presentations, please let me know. http://www.corbinball.com/contact.htm  

CORBIN'S PROGRAMS: www.corbinball.com/presentations.htm 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: www.corbinball.com/presentations.faq.htm 

TESTIMONIALS: www.corbinball.com/testimonials.htm

CORBIN'S CONSULTING AND WRITING SERVICES: www.corbinball.com/services.htm

SPONSORSHIP:  Want to help sponsor Corbin's Tech Talk Newsletter sent to thousands of subscribers in 60 countries interested in meetings, events, trade show and hotel technology?

E-mail me at: contactcorbin@corbinball.com

PRIVACY STATEMENT: We respect your privacy. Your name and e-mail address will never be sold, traded, rented, bartered, or given away. Nor will it be used for any other purpose than to communicate with you. Period!

TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.corbinball.com/contact/

LIST DIFFICULTIES?  Send a message to: info@corbinball.com.

REFERRALS: If you know of anyone that would benefit from my free email newsletter (sent every two months) containing the latest in meetings technology in clear language designed specifically for the meeting professional, please forward this newsletter on. 

CONTACT INFO: 
Corbin Ball, CMP
Corbin Ball Associates
506 14th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-6107
Phone: 360-734-8756, Fax: 508-632-7730
Email Corbin
Web: www.corbinball.com 

© Copyright 2002 Corbin Ball Associates.
This letter and its content are proprietary products. All rights reserved. You are welcome to forward the entire letter to anyone you feel may be interested.