Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy

Book Description

Today's businesses are overwhelmed with the need to create more content, faster, cutomized for more customers, and for more media than ever before. Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy provides the concepts, strategies, guidelines, processes, and technological options that will prepare enterprise content managers and authors to meet the increasing demands of creating, managing, and distributing content.

Author Ann Rockley, along with the Rockley Group team, provides techniques that will help you define your content management requirements, build your vision, design your content architecture, pick the right tools, and overcome the hurdles of managing enterprise content. This book will help you visualize the broad spectrum of enterprise content, the requirements for effectively creating, managing, and delivering content, and the value of developing a unified content strategy for your organization.

Customer Reviews:

An expert's view on unifying information.......2007-07-26

Actually implementing a content management solution, even for a small company, is a daunting prospect. Not only do you have to consider a myriad of concrete tasks in order to audit, centralize, and reuse your information. You also have to "sell" a major work-style change to numerous players. Even knowing where to start can be overwhelming, and that's where Ann Rockley's book Managing Enterprise Content comes in.

Authoritative and experienced, Rockley acknowledges that enterprise content management is not for everyone (a refreshing change from those pushing cookie-cutter solutions). In cases where content management could solve business problems, Rockley makes her case with calm conviction, breaking the subject down into logical chunks. In particular, her chapters on designing metadata (the "information about information" that is key to effective and scalable content management) and workflow (the designation of who does what, when) are lucid and comprehensive.

Whether your objective is to get a grasp of the subject, sell an implementation to your organization, or just digest what an impending implementation will mean to you, you'll want Rockley's book on your desk.

An excellent starting point for tech writers making the move to single sourcing........2007-05-25

I came to this book from a very different direction than many (all?) of the other reviewers. I'm a technical writer ("content developer") researching methods and tools for single-sourcing technical documentation. For my purposes, this book was an excellent starting point in recognizing and understanding the considerations that must be taken into account when migrating to a single-source solution (i.e., one tool and set of practices for developing documentation to be delivered in multiple media), defining a new set of practices, and evaluating an authoring tool. I recommend this book strongly to any tech writer/manager who needs help understanding the basics of single-sourcing.

Content reuse, not Enterprise Content Management...,.......2006-11-05

This book's title has probably attracted those interested in Enterprise Content Management. ECM has increasingly become a major buzz in business strategy circles as the information age tidal wave spills over into organizations and floods them with content. We're literally drowning. "Managing Enterprise Content" does not discuss ECM in broad terms, such as structured and unstructured content, email, scanned documents, OCR, ICR, etc. Instead, it focuses on content reuse. To take a simple example, a product brochure, a website, and a press release all include descriptions of a product. Why, the book argues, rewrite that description three separate times for each medium? Why not write it just once, store it in a content management system, and then reuse it over and over again? "Content Modularization" or "Content Reuse" probably describe the goals of this book less confusingly than "Managing Enterprise Content." But, in fairness to the authors, the current title isn't inaccurate, it just lends itself easily to misunderstanding. To reiterate: those looking for a course in Enterprise Content Management conforming to the Association for Information and Image Management's (AIIM) guidelines should look elsewhere.

Nonetheless, those looking for a strategy to manage distributable content throughout an organization should take a look at "Managing Enterprise Content." The focus remains on implementing a "unified content strategy," which translates essentially to an efficient reuse of content. Here the word "content" has a specific sense relating to verbiage authored for a specific use. Product descriptions, mission and vision statements, disclaimers, compliance and regulatory announcements, anything widely distributable qualifies. How does one efficiently manage the creation and the evolution of such content across an organization? This obviously implies some form of centralization (although this pregnant term gets strategically avoided for obvious reasons). And this further implies a software system. But prior to purchasing an expensive application, the business must align itself process-wise to enable content reuse. Otherwise the costly program will sit and rot. The first three parts of the book (I - III), comprising its first twelve chapters, discuss these necessary preparations and walk the reader through to implementation. This progression mirrors, for good reasons, the project management and software development life cycle processes. First, determine the concept or the "why?" of the project (Chapters 1 & 2). Then perform cost benefit analysis (Chapter 3 discusses ROI for content reuse), analyze and prioritize the current content infrastructure, the "As-Is" (Chapters 4 through 6), look to the future by modeling and designing the elements of the system the "To-Be" (Chapters 7 through 11), and finally implement the reusable content infrastructure (Chapter 12). Evaluation of software tools and technology should come before implementation, but the book instead covers these topics in Part IV (Chapters 13 to 18). So it's that easy to implement a unified content strategy? Well, no, not really.

Part V, the book's final section, outlines the inevitable issues that face organizational restructuring. Implementation of a unified content strategy will probably necessitate fundamental changes. Roles will get changes, people moved around, departments will get realigned or reorganized. All of this can sap morale or cause anxiety amongst employees. The author is not an authority on such issues, so this section of the book remains somewhat cursory and high-level. Conflict management gets deferred to a website (the book contains an out of date URL, but the book's website[...] has an updated address), and the advice presented here will probably not surprise anyone. Still, managing change remains an important part of any new implementation and this section, though rudimentary, will at least raise awareness.

Lastly, the appendices contain a grab bag of information. Appendix C, on vendors, has probably suffered from age (these days, a lot can happen in three years), but it may provide some good leads. Appendix B, "Writing for Multiple Media," probably could have appeared in the main body of the book; it contains important details not covered elsewhere.

Overall, the book does give a plausible outline for implementing the proposed strategy. Some of the chapters may seem overly simplistic or overlong to those experienced with system implementations or business process management. At the very least, "Managing Enterprise Content" may introduce some readers to the concept of enterprise content reuse. That concept remains a challenging one that will likely mean different things to different organizations. So this book does not provide the final word on the subject, nor does it intend to. An organization can only use this book as a blueprint or a guidepost for implementing its own unified content strategy.

Review of Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Str.......2004-05-21

Are you overwhelmed with the need to create more content, faster, customized for more customers, and for more media than ever before? Do you consider storing documentation on a server as an effective a content management system? Do you want to learn how content management will empower your organization? The answer to these questions and many more is covered in Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy by Ann Rockley with Pamela Kostur and Steve Manning of The Rockley Group. The Rockley Group is one of the leading providers of content management methodologies.

Managing Enterprise Content provides concepts, strategies, guidelines, processes, and technical options that will prepare you to meet the increasing demands of creating, managing, and distributing content. It describes techniques that will help you define your content management requirements, build your vision, design your content architecture, select tools, and overcome obstacles of managing enterprise content. It will help you to visualize the spectrum of enterprise content, the requirements for effectively creating, managing, and delivering content, and the value of developing a content strategy for your organization. That¡¦s a lot of information for one person to understand. That¡¦s why the book is written for three audiences: content managers, information architects, and authors. Managing Enterprise Content follows the same methodical approach that Rockley uses to teach content management in seminars and workshops.

I was expecting the book to jump into the technologies to implement a content management system. But that¡¦s not how Rockley presents content management. She begins with The basis of a unified content strategy and describes how content is created, who creates it, why authors work in isolation, and the consequences of isolation and centralizing content. The solution is to consolidate content in a definitive source, and a process that encourage authors to work collaboratively. The next step is to assess opportunities for content reuse. If you have never heard the term ¡¥reusing content,¡¦ you may know it as single sourcing. You probably already reuse content (i.e. copy and paste), which works well until the information, and everywhere that it appears, must be updated. Content reuse involves using existing content components (e.g. paragraphs, sections, and chapters) to develop new documents. Implementing a unified content strategy is a costly investment: tools, technologies, and training are not cheap. Investment costs are incurred in technology, training and consulting, and lost productivity.

Examples are given to calculate the cost of authoring tools, content management systems, training and consulting¡Xa content management system is not a plug and play, one size fits all solution. The return on investment is achieved by reduced time to market, reduced cost of product content development, improved accuracy and quality of content, and reduced manufacturing defects. The examples are especially helpful because you will need to create a proposal to convince budget holders and management on the return on investment of a content management solution.

Are you ready to buy a content management system? Not yet, read further. ¡§Performing a substantive audit: Determining business requirements¡¨ begins with an introduction on how to determine goals that you want a unified content strategy to solve, for example:
h Reduce the time to plan, write, review, approve, and publish
h Create flexible content that is easily reused to create information products for multiple products and multiple media
h Reduce the cost of translation by reusing existing translations.
h Make content more accessible; separating content from format makes it possible for content to be displayed automatically in a format appropriate to the disability.
Rockley describes how to identify opportunities where a unified approach of content management (i.e. planning, design, authoring and revision, version control, access control, publication and delivery to its audiences) is beneficial.

You are probably wondering how this all fits together, and Rockley explains how. ¡§Design¡¨ describes information modeling and metadata, how to personalize content, how to design a workflow, and how to implement your design.

An information model is critical for a unified content strategy because it provides a framework for documentation. It's the 80/20 rule: 80% of your effort is planning and analysis, and 20% of your effort is implementing the solution with whatever tools are selected to accomplish the goals the organization has set for itself. The level of detail of your information model depends on the level of reuse you want to achieve.

Many desktop publishing tools can dynamically publish personalized letters and forms by matching elements such as names and address¡Xa content management system can do the same. I was confused why design is given so much attention. Why not conduct the audit, buy the tools, and worry about design later? You can¡¦t. The design of information, reuse models/maps, meta data and workflow are all tool independent tasks. Regardless of the tools selected, you must first analyse and then design a content or information model so that it can be presented to IT staff and software vendors. Doing this in advance makes it possible for you to ask vendors to respond to a request for proposal and document how their tools can help you satisfy your specific challenges. Analysis provides an opportunity to collect metrics. From your information models, you can identify how much of your content could be reusable and where.

Educated on how content is used, where and how, you are better prepared to match the tools and technology to the origination¡¦s goals to deliver a unified content management solution. ¡§Tools and technologies¡¨ offers guidelines for evaluating tools. With so many tools and technologies to choose from, selecting the one that best satisfies your goals and budget is a challenge. Your best advantage is to be an educated consumer before you shop around. Rockley recommends that you identify your needs, and criteria for evaluating product options in terms of usability, training provided, supporting documentation provided, technical support, upgrades and enhancements, implementation time, cost, vendor viability, partnerships the vendor has to provide an expanded solution, and references. Where do you being looking?

Some good sources are conferences where vendors present authoring solutions such as the annual STC conference, electronic mailing lists, technology magazines, Web sites and online discussion boards and newsgroups. A supplement to ¡§Tools and technologies¡¨ is Appendix C, ¡§Vendors,¡¨ which is an overview of products, features and vendors. Appendix D, ¡§Tools Checklist,¡¨ which lists sample questions to ask a vendor. When you have narrowed your list of potential vendors, Rockley suggests that you either contact the vendors and request onsite demonstrations or send vendors an RFP (request for proposal).

¡§Tools and technologies¡¨ covers XML because it provides interoperability between applications. XML is not a set of tags that you apply to documents; it is a specification that sets rules for the creation of tag sets that you apply to documents. For instance, if you selected tools first and then designed your content, you might find that some of the content does not behave the way you expect it to. One solution would be to use XSLT to transform the content and move it around where you want it. While this may be an acceptable solution, it¡¦s not. The conversion costs time, money, and resources. There is no need to convert or transform content if it¡¦s modelled in XML from the start.

Rockley describes strategies for collaborative authoring, how to separate content from format, how to manage change and transition. An example is given to illustrate how the same product description is reused effectively to create a show catalog, brochure, press release and Web site. It¡¦s easy to understand that people find it hard to believe that content somebody else created could possibly meet their needs. After all, Rockley notes, it was written for a different purpose and media, and the author could not have known their customers/audience/requirements. However, if content is written for a different purpose, audience, or media without considering how the content can be reused, it¡¦ won¡¦t work.

Don¡¦t be optimistic that everybody will be willing to convert to a better way of authoring and managing content. Rockley presents issues to consider when planning your change management strategy such as overcoming resistance from opponents and descriptions of new and modified roles. She recommends creating a role for an enterprise project coordinator and information technologist; a change to existing roles business owners or analysts and information architects; and new skill sets (p. 413-415). Unintentionally overlooked are system administrators to maintain the content management system and to ensure that users adhere to standards.

Don¡¦t be overly optimistic that everybody will want morph into new roles and change their authoring habits. An XML system is best suited and ideal for a large documentation department for all content authoring or an organization where every author uses the XML authoring tool. A team of ten or fewer will be constrained to balance XML implementation and documentation project duties, and learn how to use the (new) content management system. Even if you assign the complex task of XML implementation and creation of information models, workflows and DTDs to a consultant, the consultant will require guidance from the team. These are only a few of the constraints to overcome to assure a successful unified content strategy that Rockley expertly describes how to overcome.

Managing Enterprise Content concludes with a checklist for implementing a unified content strategy, suggestions for writing for multiple media, sample questions to ask vendors, a checklist for the tools required to implement a unified content strategy, and the importance of content relationships in version control. Pay close attention to usability. The rollout of a content management system, authoring tools, and authoring standards affects every member of the organization. If it¡¦s not easy to learn, easy to use, easy to support, and easy to maintain, authors will revert to the traditional way of writing and managing content.

Read Managing Enterprise Content before you invest in a content management system and consulting fees. You will be an educated and informed customer and user when you begin shopping for a content management solution of your own.

A must for Content Management projects.......2004-02-02

This book is an absolute must for Content Management projects. It touches all of the important aspects: Technical, functional and process. There is something for all stakeholders in a EMS/CMS project.

Especially good about this book is that the parts that are not your direct job are still very readable, understandable and interesting. It provides valuable insights in other peoples jobs and reasoning.

Coming from the technical side and with a lot of experience in setting up systems and also information architecture and DTD design, for me this book contained several new insights and some very helpfull checklists.

I am in the middel of a CMS project now, but I wish I had read it sooner.

Average customer rating:

Beginner's Gude to Day Trading Online

A Must-Have for Any Trader

A Beginner's Guide to Day Trading Online

this is a good straight forward beginner's guide to trading online...

Great primer for novices and beginners

A Beginner's Guide to Day Trading Online
Toni Turner
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A Beginner's Guide to Short-Term Trading: How to Maximize Profits in 3 Days to 3 Weeks

Short-Term Trading in the New Stock Market

Trading for Dummies

The Successful Investor: What 80 Million People Need to Know to Invest Profitably and Avoid Big Losses

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ASIN: 1593376863

Book Description

Day trading is highly profitableÑand highly tumultuous. Moreover, the financial markets have changed considerably in recent years. Expert author Toni Turner gives you the latest information on mastering the markets, including:

Decimalization of stock prices
New trading products such as E-minis and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
Precision entries and exits

The new breed of trader Written in an accessible, step-by-step manner, A BeginnerÕs Guide to Day Trading Online, 2nd Edition shows how to day trade stocks in todayÕs market.

Customer Reviews:

Beginner's Gude to Day Trading Online.......2007-10-24

I wish I had found this book sooner. Ms. Turner's approach is the best starting place for those needing basic instruction. I'm so impressed that I've recommended and/or sent copies of her books to family and friends interested in trading. As a competitive person I've found her input in trading is the best application of the steps to winning at anything that I have ever found put together in one place. Can't say enough good things about this book. It has become my "bible" to trading online. Thank you so much for sharing your time and experience learned lessons which reduce the learning curve of the novice and support the always learning online trader. Bess you.

A Must-Have for Any Trader.......2007-10-02

Great read, and very informative. This is a must-have for the wanna-be or "thinkin' about it" Day Trader or any kind of trader. The principles covered span all types of trading. The author is clear, concise and to-the-point. Loved it! Will keep it to re-read and reference.

A Beginner's Guide to Day Trading Online.......2007-09-03

I am very pleased with the ammount of informatioon of on candlestix charts. I was going to order the candlestix course later. This book has much information on chart technical analysis that I need.

I want to thank you for adding this title to my cart because I previously had not heard of this book.

Thank you.

this is a good straight forward beginner's guide to trading online..........2007-08-09

Well worth the money, it is a good book to learn trading online, useful tips, reading level is understandable, I recommend it, Adrian Ranola

Great primer for novices and beginners.......2007-05-30

Although there are plenty of reviews on Amazon to help you decide whether or not to buy the book, I wanted to offer my two cents.

As for the positive points of the book, the title is dead on: "A BEGINNERS Guide to Day Trading Online". The book is a great primer that introduces you to the world of day trading, trading jargon and terminology and, although briefly, charting and technical analysis. The book is well written and Toni Turner does a great job of explaining things in layman's terms. I personally thought the book excelled in two areas. First, the book does a good job of introducing the readers to the styles of day trading. Toni explains the time frame and investment goals of classic day trading, swing trading, and scalping. Whenever she introduces a new theory or strategy, she takes the time to show the reader how the newly introduced topic relates to the day trader, the swing trader, and the scalper. Secondly, I appreciate the fact that Toni puts together a point-by-point checklist to help the beginning trader choose a stock. The checklist is by no means perfect and you will definitely want to include/exclude certain criteria when you begin to trade, but instead of aimlessly looking through thousands as stocks after you finish the book, she gives you a good starting point.

Another positive point of the book is the fact that the author includes short quizzes at the end of each chapter to help you absorb the information just presented and a "Center Point" that features a motivational quote and couple of paragraphs of reflection. The "Center Point" motivational speech compliments the authors "Rah-Rah" Cheerleading-type tone and constant overuse of the exclamation point that other reviewers complained about. I really didn't mind the authors cheerleading and enthusiasm, but I can understand how some people were annoyed by it. I would definitely prefer a lively author who is excited about the world of trading than a dry, cold author with no personality.

As for negative factors, I think Toni Turner tends to oversimplify things a bit. You come away feeling as though you're ready to place your first trade after reading the book when you are really only beginning to scratch the surface. The book offers VERY LITTLE technical analysis. Toni never mentions key indicators such as MACD, RSI, ROC, or PSAR. I understand the book is just a primer for beginners and that the aforementioned technical indicators are not necessary for someone who is trying to decide whether or not he/she wants to trade for a living. However, if Ms. Turner is going to suggest you can begin trading after finishing the book, she should at least suggest to the reader that there are other technical indicators to be considered before entering a stock position.

Here is how you should decide if this book is for you or not:

If you are novice who is considering trading part-time or would like a solid introduction to day trading as a full-time profession, this book is for you. WORD OF CAUTION: Do not open up a brokerage account armed solely with the knowledge in this book. You will go broke quickly. I suggest you follow up this book with other books on the subject of trading (Toni gives you a listing at the end) and paper trade for a couple months before you even begin to think about trading with real money.

If you are an advanced-beginner or intermediate trader, this book is not for you. You probably already have a working knowledge of every concept Ms. Turner presents.

Investing Online for Dummies, 5th Edition

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Investing Online for Dummies, 5th edition
You don't have to buy this.
Good Concise Overview to Get One Started
Get Up To Speed With New Strategies, Tools and Resources
A great guide for online investing

Investing Online for Dummies, 5th Edition
Kathleen Sindell
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764584561

Amazon.com

Investing Online for Dummies is an invaluable resource for those who want to take advantage of the timely nature of the Internet for online investing. Author Kathleen Sindell covers all the bases for the online investor including setting up stock screens, selecting mutual funds, fishing for IPOs, and online banking and trading. This book is loaded with links to investment resources on the Internet and also includes a CD-ROM with demos of various investment tools and popular shareware programs. Highly recommended for online investors.

Book Description

Everybody talks about it—how much you can save , and earn, when you start an online investment program. If you’ve decided you’re ready to find out what all the excitement’s about, you’re in luck. Investing Online For Dummies has been completely revised and updated with the latest tools, Web sites, rule changes, and tips that can make online investing easy and profitable.

To be a successful online investor, you need to know your way around the Web and you also need to understand something about investments. Investing Online For Dummies can help you make sound financial decisions by:

Outlining basic investment fundamentals
Explaining how stock options work and helping you determine the value of your employee stock option plan
Pointing out costly traps and ways to avoid them
Directing you to resources that provide information you need and helping you make sense of it
Showing you how to use the Internet to become a savvy investor

This 5 ^th edition of Investing Online For Dummies provides clear instructions and ample illustrations, taking you from the basics of online investing to making your own online stock transactions to purchasing bonds online. A few of the things you’ll discover:

What’s important in an online brokerage and how to locate one that meets your needs
How to find Internet resources that help you select mutual funds
How to use stock online screens to find investment candidates that will move you toward your financial goals
Where to look for direct stock purchase and ShareBuilder plans that let you invest online for as little as $25 a month
How Internet tools can help you analyze and choose stocks and bonds
The secrets to paying the lowest commissions when trading online

There’s so much information available on the Internet that you can easily feel overwhelmed. Investing Online For Dummies leads you through that maze, showing you how to get started, what you really need to know, where to go online to find it, and how to get the process underway. When it comes to choosing which cruise to take to celebrate your success, however, you’re on your own!

Download Description

Everybody talks about it - how much you can save , and earn, when you start an online investment program. If you¿ve decided you¿re ready to find out what all the excitement¿s about, you¿re in luck. Investing Online For Dummies has been completely revised and updated with the latest tools, Web sites, rule changes, and tips that can make online investing easy and profitable. To be a successful online investor, you need to know your way around the Web and you also need to understand something about investments. Investing Online For Dummies can help you make sound financial decisions by: Outlining basic investment fundamentals Explaining how stock options work and helping you determine the value of your employee stock option plan Pointing out costly traps and ways to avoid them Directing you to resources that provide information you need and helping you make sense of it Showing you how to use the Internet to become a savvy investor

Customer Reviews:

Investing Online for Dummies, 5th edition.......2007-01-10

The delivery was on time. The book is good for me

You don't have to buy this. .......2007-01-03

I came here to write a review for this book, and found that a reviewer below, "A reader", had already written what I was going to write. This book provides a reader with no information, but with long lists of websites to look at. You can access those websites most often just wasting time (like "A reader" already said). Using search engines like Google/Yahoo is much better than thumbing through this book.

Good Concise Overview to Get One Started.......2005-05-15

You can't watch television these days without getting bombarded with ads for on line brokerage companies. What's been missing has been a centralized source for information about the whole thing. This book provides that source. It's not complete - if it were it would be so big that you couldn't carry it around - but it's a great start.

You can read this book from cover to cover in just a few hours. That is, just a few hours if you don't take the time to go out on the web looking at the things she suggests. And that right there is the key to this book. Here is a good start that covers the whole field from A to Z, and at nearly each and every point along the way she points you to web sites for more information about specific points.

The problem with going to the web for more information, of course, is that web sites appear, go away, merge or whatever. She admits this, but accepts this risk and gives you multiple sites (you couldn't possibly visit all that she mentions) or suggests ways to find a missing or dead site.

This is a great way to get the basic information you need before getting started with selecting a broker and deciding what to buy.

Get Up To Speed With New Strategies, Tools and Resources.......2005-04-07

This newest edition of "Investing Online for Dummies" reflects the latest changes and improvements to online investing Web sites. Addresses building an online information system, setting up a basic investment strategy, determining how much to invest, selecting an online broker and trading online, finding the right investments, performing Internet transactions securely, saving on commissions, managing a portfolio, and much more.

A great guide for online investing .......2005-03-22

As I surf the Web, I often feel that it's like visiting a library where all the books have been spilled on the floor. The information is there but I don't know where to begin my search. "Investing Online For Dummies" explained how to get started, steered me to free or low cost online services, pointed out the important parts of Web sites, and showed me the process of online investing.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an eBay Business

Average customer rating:

Very satisfied with book and the seller
Covers all the basics of starting an online ebay business

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting an eBay Business
Barbara Weltman
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1592573339
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Book Description

It's payday on eBay®!

You may have been making some money on the side with eBay®, but if you've done much business at all, you know that it's not always as easy as it seems. Whether you want to be a full- time seller or make money on the side, this book will guide you step-by-step through creating the eBay® business you've dreamed of. It covers the basics of an eBay® business including record keeping, taxes, legal issues, sourcing, promotion, fraud protection, fulfillment, and other details entrepreneurs need to know. It also helps you determine what to sell, how to price it, and the details of working with services like PayPal.

Customer Reviews:

Very satisfied with book and the seller.......2005-10-03

I am pretty satisfied with the book. It was in very good condition and a great buy. The seller was prompt, efficient and did a great job.

Covers all the basics of starting an online ebay business.......2005-05-10

Covers all the basics of starting an online ebay business, from insurance coverage and handling sales tax quirks between states to advertising, promotion, accepting and pursuing payments and more. Those who recall the old ebay auction-only model will find much changed: you can now set up a shop with fixed prices on ebay and Starting An eBay Business covers both stores and auction formats.

Titanium eBay:: A Tactical Guide to Becoming a Millionaire PowerSeller

Average customer rating:

A complete and deep book...
Good information about selling on eBay
The Best eBay Book
Great Book
A true primer by a pro

Titanium eBay:: A Tactical Guide to Becoming a Millionaire PowerSeller
Skip McGrath
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1592574335

Book Description

Take it to the next level.

People who earn a living selling their wares through eBay are identified on the site as “PowerSellers” and awarded formal designations based on their monthly gross merchandise sales. There's Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum—and at the very top of the food chain is the Titanium level, for those who generate gross monthly sales of $150,000 or more.

Titanium eBay: A Tactical Guide to Becoming a Millionaire PowerSeller is for everyone who aspires to reach the highest level of success within eBay, whether they've been selling through eBay for years at the Platinum level and want to learn how to grow their business, or they're just starting out with ambitious plans. With over 60 chapters, coverage includes:
• Organization
• Product selection and pricing
• Advanced listing and selling strategies
• Auction management
• Brand building

Customer Reviews:

A complete and deep book..........2007-10-06

I loved this book...

It has a very broad look into opening a Ebay business. It starts with the general how to establish a Ebay business. Then it onfolds into the details of everything you need to know about making money on Ebay. There are a few chapters where I would haved liked them to be longer, like the dropshipping chapter. But on general you have everything there. This book is a must.

This book is like a textbook of your favorite class from college... its very detailed and details are what matters on business.

Good information about selling on eBay.......2007-10-06

Skip is a very likeable writer who has obviously done well on eBay. I found this book to be well thought out easy to read. I met Skip at eBay Live last year and he was very helpful, which I appreciated. Unfortunately I also bought a book by Adam Ginsberg, only to find out through some news sites that he has been banned from eBay for shill bidding and failing to send multiple orders worth hundreds of thousands of dollars!

The only other comment I have about Skip's book is that I would have liked to have seen a few more real world examples of how his techniques can be applied. It's a small point though in a generally excellent book.

The Best eBay Book.......2007-08-31

I purchased a half a dozen books on creating a eBay business and I found this book to be the most complete and informative. Most of the others were junk. If you are starting an eBay business you must buy this book.

Great Book.......2007-08-06

I have been on ebay now for a couple of years I have had some hits and misses as a seller. I think now with some of the tips and planse in this book I will be a better and more profitable seller. Oh by the way my Ebay name is Lamont912 check me out some time and just say hello

A true primer by a pro.......2007-07-20

Skip knows what he's talking about and shares the wealth of his experience in this welcome guide. A Gold-level PowerSeller (not exactly Titanium, but high enough to show he's a pro), McGrath is also an eBay radio commentator, eBay Live speaker, and one of the most knowledgeable eBay writers around. This is a desk reference you'll want to keep handy as you build your business. Leaves no stone unturned. You can't go wrong with this one.

eBay: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks (Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks)

Average customer rating:

Excellant Tips & Tricks
Great
Easy to read and filled with great tips!
Finally an eBay Book that is Actually Useful!!!!
Experienced E-Bay Trading Assistant LOVES IT!!!

eBay: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks (Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks)
Julia Wilkinson
Manufacturer: Visual
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471933821

Book Description

You already know eBay basics. Now you'd like to go beyond with shortcuts, tricks, and tips that let you work smarter and faster. And because you learn more easily when someone shows you how, this is the book for you. Inside, you'll find clear, illustrated instructions for 120 tasks that reveal cool secrets, teach timesaving tricks, and explain great tips guaranteed to make your eBay experience more productive.

Customer Reviews:

Excellant Tips & Tricks.......2007-06-14

Excellant Tips & Tricks even for the experienced seller

Great.......2007-02-10

If you sell on ebay, you should read this. It's a quick, easy read and one you should keep handy for a reference. Good for buyers too. One of the best for ebay sellers.

Easy to read and filled with great tips!.......2005-10-29

I didnt realize how many facets there were to ebay until I picked up this book. For those of you who have an interest in selling on ebay but dont even know how or where to begin, this is a great starter book to learn the market, learn the inside and out of the website and learn how to get started! The layout is simple and there are topics covered which greatly simplify the overwhelming amount of information that is out there regarding buying and selling on ebay. This book is a must if you are serious about starting an online ebay business!

Finally an eBay Book that is Actually Useful!!!!.......2004-08-10

Lets face it...most of those "helpful" eBay books are meant to make money for the author...nothing more. This book is an amazing contrast! The author actually knows what she is talking about. I am an old eBay pro but I have found this book to be helpful. And the beauty of this book is that it is organized in degrees of "difficulty". From easy to understand instructions for the newbie to more sopisticated info for the "pro". Take it from me, this book is worth the $$. Buy it and make more $$ on eBay!

Experienced E-Bay Trading Assistant LOVES IT!!!.......2004-06-02

Yesterday, I picked this book up along with 5-6 other eBay books at my local bookstore. I started reading this book and I couldn't put it down! I spent 3 hours reading & taking notes, the other books couldn't even begin to compare! I just had to have it! It initially caught my eye, because it was so well formated with great graphics and an awesome layout, but it held my interest because it was chock full of great ideas and took me through every possible thing I could want to do with Ebay step by step! A beginner could pick it up and use it just as well as someone like me who has been using eBay for over 5 years. There is information for everyone! Today I used the information that I acquired from the book and have already saved several hours of work! I am so enthralled by this author that I have signed up for her monthly newsletter and am purchasing another book from her today. BUY THIS BOOK, you will not be disappointed! At only $13.99, it's a steal. I paid $19.99 and I have gotten 20 times my monies worth already!

Wireless Internet and Mobile Business How to Program

Average customer rating:

Good wireless programing book; ok treatment of other topics

Wireless Internet and Mobile Business How to Program
Harvey M. Deitel , Paul J. Deitel , Tem R. Nieto , and Kate Steinbuhler
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Manager's Guides to Computing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Wireless Networks | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0130092886

Customer Reviews:

Good wireless programing book; ok treatment of other topics.......2001-10-06

"Wireless Internet & Mobile Business How to Program" contains a good discussion of the various elements of programming for wireless devices. The reader will come away from the programming chapters with a solid understanding of how to implement simple structures. The chapter that introduces algorithms is clear and concise; the chapter that introduces control structures is easy to understand (if somewhat odd in its ordering). The chapter that introduces Object Oriented Programming provides a clear introduction to objects. This approach, using several real-world examples, is a good way to orient the non OO-minded to the use of objects. It covers the different aspects of objects in the abstract well. However, it could use a clearer explanation of why developers should use objects instead of the regular, top-down structured programming they've (possibly just) learned. For those new to programming, this is essential.

Book Description

Sams Teach Yourself Visual Studio .NET in 21 Days will help developers that are new to application development and experienced developers understand how to use the .NET Framework and Visual Studio .NET to rapidly develop any type of computer application. The Visual Studio .NET development environment is the most comprehensive developer tool ever created, putting that together with the .NET Frameworks' Class Libraries, the developer has everything he or she needs to get up-to-speed on Microsoft's latest revolution in application development. This book will guide the developer through using the VS .NET IDE, the Visual Basic .NET and C# language, and the supporting tools available from Microsoft to create Windows and Web-based applications. The market is full of books that pretty much say the same thing, which is already available in the help files, the author of this book has written and deployed over a dozen successful applications using Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework. All of his expertise and experience is used to give you the most comprehensive title on using Visual Studio .NET.

Download Description

Learn how to efficiently develop applications with the premier integrated development environment for the .NET Framework. The majority of developers using .NET will use Visual Studio regardless of their programming language choice. This book also covers many of the tools available within VS.NET such as Crystal Reports, Application Test Center, automation and macro development. Visual Studio .NET is the first Microsoft programming tool to provide a consistent look-and-feel across Visual Basic, Visual C++, C#, and ASP. Sams Teach Yourself Visual Studio .NET in 21 Days will help developers understand how to use the .NET Framework and Visual Studio .NET to rapidly develop any type of computer application. The Visual Studio .NET development environment is the most comprehensive developer tool ever created. Couple that with the.NET Frameworks' Class Libraries, and the developer has everything he or she needs to get up to speed on Microsoft's latest revolution in application development. This book will guide the developer through using the VS .NET Integrated Development Environment (IDE), Visual Basic .NET and C# language, and the supporting tools available from Microsoft to create Windows and Web based applications. The market is full of books that pretty much say the same thing, which is already available in the help files. The author of this book has written and deployed over a dozen successful applications using Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework. All of his expertise and experience is used to give the reader the most comprehensive title on learning and implementing Visual Studio .NET. Jason Beres is a .NET Architect and .NET Evangelist for Computer Ways, Inc, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner located in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Before devoting his existence to .NET, Jason taught Visual Basic and Windows DNA at a Microsoft CTEC. He helped initiate the Florida .NET Users Group to evangelize .NET. Finally, he founded the Non-Profit Ways community that enables developers to write .NET applications for non-profit charities that would otherwise not be able to afford the technology.

Customer Reviews:

full of errors, theory is pretty good though.......2006-08-20

Although to me some of the errors were obvious but for a beginner they might not be that obvious and you could get stuck with an error screen for hours and hours thinking YOU are wrong and the book is right, before finally discovering you need to adjust cause the book is just wrong.

they add four menu items for example, while in the image you see it are five. then in the code they work with five so you have to make the fifth one yourself and discover its name etc. Also they tell you to rename the buttons but in their code you can't follow anymore cause they didnt rename their own buttons.

This was just in chapter 1, the third day, which is the first real code writing lesson.

I can't understand why someone would give this book a five star rating. It's very confusing for a beginner with all the errors. But if you have a decent basis and you can easily discover the errors it might still be ok, but not highly recommended.

The difference between knowing, and being able to teach ..........2006-04-04

This might be the book for you, if:

- you need a crash course in VS.Net,
- you're pretty well-versed in Visual Basic 6.0
- you're pretty good at filtering out irrelevant praise for the product
- you are willing to skim through examples, getting the jist of things without actually trying to make them work
- you can't find a more carefully-written crash-course book covering the same ground

Then again, if you're that good to begin with, you can probably learn VS.Net without a crash-course book.

Cannot recommend this book.......2006-02-20

Unfortunately, the code examples in this book are fraught with careless errors. What's the point of picking up a book to learn VS .Net if the code examples don't work? Moreover, the author's claim (p.3) of a website featuring code samples, fixes, and other helpful materials to supplement the book is simply untrue. That website (http://www.vbasp.net) exists, but has nothing uploaded. I wasted many hours trying to get code examples to work before learning through Amazon.com Reviews that others have had the same problem. How disappointing.

Waste of money.......2005-08-31

As other reviewers have pointed out, this book has a lot of mistakes in it. How sloppy does an author/publisher have to be to put out a beginner's book where many of the examples don't work? It's a lot easier and more effective to learn this material by using the documentation that comes with Visual Studio.

Regrettably, it sucks........2004-12-21

I did not read the reviews before I bought this book on a friend's recommendation. I made a big mistake. The critics are right on target. This book needs major editing before it will be an aid to anyone. And while I've marked mine up and cannot therefore recover my $30, maybe I can save you yours.

Maybe if sales of this book die as a result of the reviews these publishers will think twice before rushing out so flawed a product. They should truly be embarrassed.

Beginning E-Commerce with Visual Basic, ASP, SQL Server 7.0 and MTS

Average customer rating:

This book is for newbies, too
Good starting point for e-commerce
No Website code/support from WROX.
DON'T BUILD A WEBSITE WITHOUT THIS BOOK !!!
Use less because it makes ecommerce difficult to understand

Beginning E-Commerce with Visual Basic, ASP, SQL Server 7.0 and MTS
Matthew Reynolds
Manufacturer: Peer Information
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

E-commerce | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Database Management Systems | Databases | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1861003986

Amazon.com

Beginning E-Commerce offers an excellent demonstration of full-featured e-commerce Web-site construction with the Microsoft suite of development tools. If VB is your language of choice and ASP is your Web scripting selection, this tutorial is a must.

This book has very little general coverage of e-commerce. The entire text is devoted to the step-by-step construction of "Jo's Coffee," a fictitious Web storefront that winds up at the end of the book with a sophisticated order-processing pipeline, online discussion groups, XML integration with outside systems, and much more. In the introduction, the book sets a lofty goal: "... to take you gently from knowing nothing about e-commerce, to a point where you'll be able to put up a Web site that will make money for your business." This text meets this goal for readers who are familiar with the development tools mentioned in the title.

The book does a great job of providing complete commentary for each stage of the development process. It walks the reader through defining an application object model, implementing it with VB COM components, interfacing with a SQL Server database, and adding a number of sophisticated features. One of the most interesting techniques illustrated in this title is a VB COM component-based order-processing pipeline similar to the type found in Microsoft's top-of-the-line Site Server product. Using the example in this book, developers could easily construct custom pipelines for every commerce site they build.

If your core competencies lie in Microsoft-based technologies, this book is a wise investment in the future. It offers eye-opening possibilities for creating your own industrial-strength e-commerce sites. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: COM and e-commerce object models, product catalog, shopping basket, checkout, order processing, promotions, certificates, pipeline construction, transaction management, deployment, e-mail integration, discussion groups, XML integration, and marketing tips.

Customer Reviews:

This book is for newbies, too.......2003-01-09

This book is a must have if ASP is the code of your choice in ecommerce. I am a newbie at programming and knew almost nothing about ASP, SQL, n-tier architechure and COM+ prior to reading this book, but it held my hand through each step so that I could follow along and understand what was happening. I liked the way WROX publishing shows you the code, tells you how it works, and then try it out, explaining each line and method.

Best of all, at the end of the book you actually have a very functional website (I believe according to Microsoft specifications) that can be modified and added onto easily. Our business is now up on the web and we are very happy with the way it works.

Downloading the source code from WROX is not hard. Although there are a few errors in it they have all been corrected and published in the errata section of the WROX.com website for the book. I actually believe that the author tried out the code and was happy with it before publication.

Now for the main draw back. If you want to get the most from this book you need to buy some expensive software, which I purchased and found to be a great investment, namely Visual Studio (for the InterDev and Visual Basic) and SQL Server 2000 on a Windows 2000 operating system. As of the middle of 2002 I couldn't purchase the SQL Server 7.0 (it was upgraded to SQL Server 2000) or MTS (it was integraded into the Windows 2000 operating system) so that I could use my Windows98. But, this doesn't apply if you know someone with the above legacy software and they let you use theirs or if you get it from EBay. Happy programming.

Harry

Good starting point for e-commerce.......2002-12-07

For whatever reason, there are a lot of E-commerce applications still running using Visual Basic 6.0, ASP 3.0, SQL Server 7.0, and MTS (i.e. Windows NT 4.0). These applications may be in the process of being converted to newer technologies or they may be "Legacy" code, but they still need someone to support them. Matthew Reynolds book provides the needed skills to do just that. This is a good book for aquiring those skills.

No Website code/support from WROX........2002-05-09

Don't expect any code from this book from the WROX website - the book says it's available but I couldn't find it - and the people at WROX don't answer their email. I like the book, don't like the publisher much.

DON'T BUILD A WEBSITE WITHOUT THIS BOOK !!!.......2002-03-25

If you want to build the sophisticated and secure E-Commerce web site in ASP and VB, this book is right to you. Many of books conferred about how to build a shopping cart but not the security of the transaction.At first before I buy this book, I want to learn about web security that applied in internet banking or in transaction, so then I start to read several books about SSL, SET, Digital Certificates, PKI, etc. I just find much information about the infrastructures (like an introduction) not the application.At least I find this book and read the index, then I find that all I want to know available in here obviously and completed with the installations (of course it is 600 pages). SSL, Digital Certificates, etc wouldn't conferred to deep/detail, but I think that's no problem, because this book will show you how to actually build the site content and features, I just applied it online. It is like if you can create the animation from Macromedia Flash then not necessary to knowing how Macromedia Flash software created isn't? ^_^.After buy this book, don't forget to download the source code and the explanations of this book. (Only in several KB). You'll find the address in book, where you can download the files.Hei...I just apply the informations of this book to my website...

Use less because it makes ecommerce difficult to understand.......2002-02-21

I have read certain books i'e Noel Jerkes, ASP unleashed which are for itermediteat to advance but they easy, clear to undertsand than this one. I have also seen reviews problem of custom dll's which abolutely write. Using Stored procedures like Noel's books make you understand the topic.

Average customer rating:

Designed for Lawyers - not technicians
An Excellent Presentation for the Digitial Future
Poor book
This item is available free for download

Code: Version 2.0
Lawrence Lessig
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Digital Law | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0465039146

Book Description

The "alarming and impassioned"* book on how the Internet is redefining constitutional law, now reissued as the first popular book revised online by its readers (*New York Times)

There's a common belief that cyberspace cannot be regulated-that it is, in its very essence, immune from the government's (or anyone else's) control. Code, first published in 2000, argues that this belief is wrong. It is not in the nature of cyberspace to be unregulable; cyberspace has no "nature." It only has code-the software and hardware that make cyberspace what it is. That code can create a place of freedom-as the original architecture of the Net did-or a place of oppressive control. Under the influence of commerce, cyberpsace is becoming a highly regulable space, where behavior is much more tightly controlled than in real space. But that's not inevitable either. We can-we must-choose what kind of cyberspace we want and what freedoms we will guarantee. These choices are all about architecture: about what kind of code will govern cyberspace, and who will control it. In this realm, code is the most significant form of law, and it is up to lawyers, policymakers, and especially citizens to decide what values that code embodies.

Since its original publication, this seminal book has earned the status of a minor classic. This second edition, or Version 2.0, has been prepared through the author's wiki, a web site that allows readers to edit the text, making this the first reader-edited revision of a popular book.

Customer Reviews:

Designed for Lawyers - not technicians.......2007-09-03

This is an important subject ans deserves a lot more attention.

However, it was clearly written by a lawyer for lawyers. I am a software engineer and read many books in my field - but alas was unable to finish this one - important as it is. Its just way to wordy - if it was reduced in size by at least half - and highlighted the salient points clearly and simply - its would be a much better book IMHO.

If your a lawyer you'll like this book - but anyone else - look elsewhere.

Sorry lawerence.

An Excellent Presentation for the Digitial Future.......2007-06-08

Professor Lessig describes how managing copyright for the digital age will have an impact upon every individual in the future. As we develop and share digitial content how we protect or even abuse copyright will determine if the Internet and other digital technologies will improve information for the global citizen. We stand at the door of one of the greatest era in history, however, how we use and protect digitial information will determine how history will judge our efforts for generations to come. Lessig's book gives us the foundation to build upon and will be up to each individual to determine the final outcome.

Poor book.......2007-03-15

This is a poor start for a novice to learn about PC's / the net.

This item is available free for download.......2007-01-01

You can download this book at no charge in pdf format from Lessig's site.

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