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.

Book Description

This book provides the richest selection of landmark (traditional) and contemporary (within the last three years) cases for business students, including more cases on information technology and e-commerce law than any other book. Topics present a summarized/brief approach to cases. This edition contains over 75 new cases that have been decided in the past three years, including ones covering IT and e-Commerce â dedicated chapters cover Intellectual Property and Internet Law, and Electronic Commerce and Information Technology Licensing. Over 45 âOnline Commerce & Internet Lawâ boxes focus on the legal issues businesses face as they either launch new Internet ventures or rise to the challenge of incorporating on-line technologies into their existing business models. For those in Business Law professions.

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

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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

Once every decade a book comes along that becomes the standard in a field of study, the indispensable reference that every thoughtful practitioner must have on the shelf. Like Samuelson in Economics, Drucker in Management, and Porter in Strategy, Rayport and Jaworski have written what leaders in the New Economy are calling the standard in e-commerce strategy formulation.

e-Commerce presents managers and strategists with road-tested frameworks for competing in the New Economy. This presentation is organized to facilitate the decision-making process for formulating e-commerce enterprise strategy. The text progresses from framing market opportunities to a discussion of New Economy business models, customer interfaces, and communication and branding issues through to implementation, evaluation, and valuation of the online enterprise.

The textbook and companion casebook, E-Commerce and Cases in E-Commerce, are the first volumes produced for the McGraw-Hill/MarketspaceU learning series on e-commerce. McGraw-Hill/MarketspaceU have formed an alliance to develop and deliver exceptional higher education teaching materials on the latest business practices and theories by leading thinkers in the field of e-commerce. McGraw-Hill/MarketspaceU aim to equip present and future executives, managers, and strategists in becoming successful creators of value in the new economy. To accomplish this goal the alliance offers a multi-media suite of cutting-edge tools to help navigate the world of e-commerce. These tools include E-Commerce and Cases in E-Commerce, MarketspaceU.com, the McGraw-Hill Online Learning Center (OLC), and the McGraw-Hill E-Business Power Web.

MarketspaceU is part of Marketspace, a Monitor Group company. Monitor Group is a family of professional services firms linked by shared ownership, management philosophy and assets. Monitor’s roots can be traced back to the Harvard Business School – where a number of its founders studied and taught in the 1980s. Marketspace was founded in 1998. Jeffrey Rayport and Bernie Jaworski (two of its founders) are the principal authors of the first books produced by the McGraw-Hill/MarketspaceU alliance.

e-Commerce has already received early critical acclaim from academic and Internet business leaders:

“Rayport and Jaworski have defined the ‘space’. e-Commerce is a primary weapon in the e-business frontier. Do not let your competitors read this book--buy every copy…” Jeff Taylor, Founder and CEO, Monster.com

“Finally someone has put it all together! These leading thinkers have put in one place a brilliant and comprehensive framework for thinking through, planning, teaching and managing e-Business. And – beyond that – this book is a portal to a stream of the most complete set of online, video, and other resources for e-Business learning to date. Great insights. Powerful tools.” Ralph Oliva, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of Business Markets and Professor of Marketing, Pennsylvania State University

“e-Commerce is the first textbook to show how firms gain competitive advantage in the New Economy. The authors introduce a number of new and innovative concepts, frameworks, and tools that benefit both students and managers. This book is destined to become the standard New Economy text in leading MBA programs.” John Quelch, Dean, London Business School

“This is a wonderfully designed pedagogical device. The chapters build foundationally, so as to empower the student to deal with unique New Economy concepts, like the DCF approach to valuation etc., towards the end. The chapters are filled with case vignettes, viewpoints, and thought bytes that draws the self-selected reader in, and engages them in a sophisticated debate regarding the Internet economy. The highlight of the book, for me, was the way linkages were provided to existing management concepts. Thus the reader is not left wondering what the connection to the old paradigm is, in fact the reader gets a working dose of those ideas in the book chapters. This makes the book a stand-alone, comprehensive text with a cutting-edge tone and content.” Kastori Rangan, Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration Harvard Business School

Customer Reviews:

Obscure and too expensive.......2002-12-27

As a professor of ecommerce I think that the authors have unnecesarily obscured a subject that deserves a better prose and a more logical thread of reasoning.Theirs is a text written for other academicians and contributors to the HBR, not for students, unless they are candidates to a very high academic degree. ...

Much more than eCommerce.......2001-08-16

This book is about much more than eCommerce. It is the handbook for doing business in the "New Economy". I have taught ecommerce courses in several universities and am familair with most of the titles avialable on this subject: none of them even come close. Read and study this book now before the competiton does.

The Bible of E-Commerce Strategy.......2000-12-22

Comprehensive and clear. A must read for anyone serious about winning in the E-Commerce space.

Trade Options Online (Wiley Online Trading for a Living)

Average customer rating:

Trade Options Online
Good primer but not very useful for traders
Time value of that book is zero
Decent Introduction to the Options Arena
Please Read This Review Carefully

Trade Options Online (Wiley Online Trading for a Living)
George A. Fontanills
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471359386

Book Description

Options are potentially one of the most profitable investment instruments available in todays intensely volatile financial markets. Just a few years ago, the information needed to exploit the vast earnings potential of options was beyond the reach of all but a handful of analysts. Now, anyone with a PC and a few basic software tools has direct access to all the up-to-the-minute market information needed to compete successfully with the "big boys." But, having information and knowing how to wield it are two very different things. In this groundbreaking book, online options trading innovator George Fontanills arms you with the knowledge and skills youneed to unleash the phenomenal power of your computer to become a successful online options trader.

Following a concise review of the basics of online trading--including hardware andsoftware requirements and essential online resources--Fontanills cuts to the chase with step-by-step coverage of 15 proven managed risk option trading strategies. Specifically designed for online traders, these tested off-floor techniques provide you with a sure-fire method for consistently building up your trading account. Drawing upon his years as a leading international options educator, Fontanills makes it easy for you to master online options trading by walking you through a series of hypothetical trades that demonstrate how to compute the maximum risk, maximum profit, breakevens, and exit alternatives for each strategy.

Trade Options Online also includes a comprehensive guide to fundamental and technical analysis methodologies, a detailed list of 240 hot financial resources, websites analyzed from the point of view of an online options trader, and a review of more than 70 online brokerages. Trade Options Online is your complete guide to earning a living and making a killing as an online options trader.

"George Fontanills, the dean of options trading, has put together an online options trading approach that is down-to-earth and insightful. Armed with this book, investors should feel well equipped to play on the battlefield, having been forewarned of the risks, dangers, and opportunities. Fontanills cares about everyones money as much as he cares about his own--a rare find in the world of finance." - Peter D. Henig Senior Editor, The Red Herring

"Fontanills clearly and concisely outlines a map for options traders looking to move online. Covering options strategies as well as some technical information, Trade Options Online provides a solid overview of this emerging area of investing. As always, Fontanills is ahead of the trend." - Brenon Daly Options columnist

"Fontanills has written a great guide for the experienced and novice options trader. I highly recommend Trade Options Online to anyone. Trading options online is the obvious next frontier. Be ahead of the curve." - Bill M. Williams, PhD, CTA Author, Trading Chaos and New Trading Dimensions

"Options trading expert George Fontanills has written the definitive guide to trading options online. Filled with everything from a comprehensive list of insightful website reviews to innovative options strategies, Trade Options Online is a must read for all investors who want to compete successfully in the computerized markets of the twenty-first century!" - Brown President and CEO

Customer Reviews:

Trade Options Online.......2007-01-16

FRom your description this sounded like a very good book since I am interested in trading options. Lo and behold I find out this book was published in 1999 and in 8 years lots of new things have been developed. You should have mentioned in your promo that this book was written 8 yrs. ago. I got ripped off. Just be honest with your descriptons. Les Lerner

Good primer but not very useful for traders.......2003-07-08

This text contains a lot of information on online trading in general and trading of options in particular. But be careful, you need to know more than that to succeed in this business. Although this book will tell you how to go about placing your orders and which option strategy is good for which situation, making money comes down to predicting the behavior of your stock price and volatility, something you will have to learn elsewhere. Incidentally the book was most likely written to increase subscriber base of the author's website, so don't let your guard down.

Time value of that book is zero.......2002-03-16

First 8 chapters give you a very superficial introduction to the options trading and some strategies. Let me repeat - very superficial. If you want to learn that matter, you definetely need another book.

So, I was trying to get usefull info on the WEB resources. Let me tell you - two years make a big difference in the Internet world. Many sites do not exist. Some of them have nothing in common with the description, which you find in a book. Chapter 9 - "cybervesting from A to Z" is a complete waste of time and is full of frustration. It guides you through interfaces of nonexisting web pages. The pages, which, according to th author, answer the crutial questions of a trade. I lost most of time just to verify nonexistence of the referenced resources.

Decent Introduction to the Options Arena.......2001-11-27

I won't pretend to be an expert option trader. I'm in my third year of seeking a bachelor's, and the degree will not be very finance or investing related. This is the first book I read about options, and it successfully heightened my interest by introducing me to some basic option strategies. Another success of the book is the advice it gives on how to initiate and monitor trades throughout the trading day.

Unfortunately, the only people with time to check these complex positions each and every minute are multi-million dollar hedge fund managers (such as the author). The rest of working class America and I can only check our investments on occasional evenings. My guess is the average reader does not have the time or the stomach to sit on pins and needles every day wondering if it's time to exit their risky positions. The only advice the author lends about early exits from trades is that if the stock looks poised to move against you then get out.

Also, the author tells us to start looking for trades based on increased media coverage, high volume, and/or price volatility. This sort of herd following mentality is what I think leads to the massive market swings which cable commentators and industry insiders pretend to understand but incorrectly predict on a daily basis. If the author could truly capture these wild swings, writing this book would not be necessary.

Even the author's own website (after buying expensive extra services) does not search through all optionable stocks to find volatility skews that would make the pie in the sky trades illustrated throughout the book possible. The "platinum" site lets you pick a stock and then see what you can do with it. The odds of randomly finding a stock where you can risk less than $75 and possibly gain over $400 with a 15 point spread of profitability (chapter 8, long condor), are close to a needle in a hay stack.

Applicable advice to average investors is something this book truly lacks. Modifying simple stock ownership with options is not discussed. All of the option strategies included contain absolutely no stock positions (long or short). Trading within IRA's was important before the maximum contributions started being increased, but now they will become more important than ever. I suspect the rankings of brokers in the book and on the author's website are based more on advertising compensation than usefulness to individual traders. The rankings refuse to recognize the lowest-commission-charging online brokerages, and left out completely is the issue of assignment and exercise fees. Assignment and exercise fees can range from 15 to 30 dollars - per contract ... emphasis on per contract. I chose my current broker (not on any ranking list) only because they do not charge those fees.

In a final derogatory note, the seventh chapter contains text that contradicts itself when explaining the ratio call spread and the call ratio backspread. I had to reread the chapter a few times to sort out where the errors are, and what those positions entail.

Again, the book did shed light on an area of investing I knew little about, and intrigued me enough to want to learn more. Yet by sporting a sexy neon cover and depicting life from the point of view of someone managing millions, this book and others like it will probably keep average people thinking of options as risky, scary, and strange. Other than giving me a basic understanding of some common ways to trade, all this book really accomplished was motivating me to write a better one.

Please Read This Review Carefully.......2001-09-29

This book is only a decent overview of options trading. Its pluses include its concise descriptions and profit/loss graphs of different option strategies and invaluable information on finding an online options broker. HOWEVER, it leaves the reader with unrealistic expectations (like all of Fontanills' and Optionetics' materials) in that ALL of the trades in the book are profitable. Take it from someone who has learned this personally -- options trading is NOT a "get rich quick" scheme. Should you choose to try it you will have MANY unsuccessful trades. A book which is very easy to understand, yet which provides valuable guidance on WHAT CAN GO WRONG is Max Ansbacher's _The New Options Market_. I sincerely recommend that book because it is able to describe the pitfalls of options trading in a manner which I've not found in other books. Good luck!

Average customer rating:

Digital Signatures

Digital Signatures

Manufacturer: Osborne/McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Digital Certificates: Applied Internet Security

ASIN: 0072194820

Book Description

This is THE definitive book on digital signatures, written by RSA insiders, and backed by RSA Security, Inc., the most trusted name in e-security. This expert resource explains the main goals of security--confidentiality, authentication, integrity, and non-repudiation--and gives insight into actual real-world digital signature implementations.

Customer Reviews:

Digital Signatures.......2002-02-23

an excelllent book on digital signatures!!

Corporate Portals and eBusiness Integration

Average customer rating:

An opinion of Chief Enterprise Architect
Review by a senior software architect.
The reality check
On-the-money perspective
Filled with Buzzwords and Acronyms

Corporate Portals and eBusiness Integration
Mark M. Davydov
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Companies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071371796

Book Description

Give customers, clients, and coworkers easier access to your organization's information and services

The e-business environment is a tangle of disconnected and often incompatible data sources and applications. Today's hottest business tools -- corporate portals--make it easier to navigate that maze. Corporate Portals and e-Business Integration explains what portals are, and how you can seamlessly integrate them into your corporation's e-business infrastructure. You learn about integration techniques developed at companies such as Dell, Cisco, and Broderbund Software. Like these leading-edge firms, you can apply corporate portals to cut costs, improve business intelligence, enhance Internet access, increase security, provide better, faster customer service online, and more.

Look to this concise-yet-comprehensive guide to determine how to:

*Better understand --and manage--the e-business needs of every user
*Provide better, faster online customer service while increasing on-line security
*Structure your technologies to fully exploit the world of e-business opportunities
*Transform your organization -- and establish a strong, flexible, and progressive e-business strategy

Download Description

Corporate Portals and e-Business Integration provides a clear, "no-code" guide to understanding and employing portal technologies in your corporation.

Customer Reviews:

An opinion of Chief Enterprise Architect.......2002-12-04

There's plenty of hype, and lots of information, but no common understanding - even now in December of 2002 - as to what constitutes a corporate portal, most importantly, from a technology perspective. After reading this book, I strongly feel it does shed some light. It helped me to understand that the label "portal," as broadly applied, has two levels of meanings-one specific (application oriented) and one conceptual (architecture oriented), and that focusing on the conceptual meaning is very important to get enterprise integration efforts under control. The #1 book ("MUST READ") for a serious architect!!!

Review by a senior software architect........2002-11-27

This book is overwritten and filled with jargon and acronyms. By acronyms, I don't mean commonly used ones like ERP, CRM, B2B, B2E, and B2C but rather ones like EEP, EMP, BIP, BCE, UIP, EAI, PCSB, A2A ODS, KRC, EII, EBSTA, VE, DW, CPF, TPRC, MTDCAA ... I could go on (and on). If you enjoy reading acronyms and hopelessly convoluted, pompous, rambling, unfocused prose, then look no further and buy this book. Otherwise, at least preview it before ordering.

The narrative is very abstract and non-specific. There are no concrete examples or business cases. The author makes many generalizations about technology and business without backing them up. Portals are not even discussed until a quarter of the way in -- before that there is a seeming endless primer on e-business. Obvious and widely accepted facts are presented and repeated many times. Everything is repeated many times.

The author suggests that this book might be suitable for a Masters-level student. I'll give him that it reads like a textbook, but that doesn't HIDE the fact there is very little information here and what is here is nearly inaccessible due to the style of writing.

I finished this book because I though that it would get better at some point. It didn't. I've read hundreds of computer-related titles about software architecture, development methodologies, programming, and technology in general, and this is in the bottom 10%.

The reality check.......2001-10-23

Davydov's book is exactly what our application development organization needed to ramp up its portal strategy. This book is a voice talking beyond the "silver-bullet" hype of all kinds of Internet technologies to the bigger picture. I'a a seasoned software engineer and project manager, and this book helped me to get a firm grasp on the problem/opportunity/goal before jumping down to the details.

On-the-money perspective.......2001-09-25

I had an opportunity to read Davydov's book over the weekend. Highly interesting on-the-money perspective. The need for enterprises to move more QUICKLY and COLLABORATE with both customers and suppliers has never been greater. The concept of corporate portals has proven to be one of the main enabling technologies to accomodate such a need. But technology by itself is not an answer. It's necessary to align technology and business strategies to be successful here. Unfortunately, in real life, it can be very difficult to explain to non-technical managers the business rationale---as opposed to the technical rationale---for corporate portals in general and what role do they play in enterprise integration efforts in particular. Davydov's book on corporate portals aims to make this task a lot easier. The book goes well beyond introducing some basic concepts of portals and explaining related technologies. It provides useful information and advice to hopefully have gotten to its readers before they are experiencing problems so that they could be proactive with their e-business strategies. One of the best e-business oriented books I came across lately.

Filled with Buzzwords and Acronyms.......2001-08-27

I'm the architect working on a corporate portal for a sector of my company for close to a year. I thought this book would give me some insight on our situation and maybe some steps to take for the future. I found that the first couple chapters give a very good general overview of the e-business landscape. The later chapters are filled with every buzzword you've ever heard. There's An Acronym For Everything (TAAFE)! Small sample from pages 100-103: IPDM, PCSB, CRM, BPI, EAI, SOI, API, ERP, EDI, TCI, BCI, BAI. Some of which are covered in the five page list of abbreviations at the back of the book. I thought I was looking at stock quotes for a while. Overall, chapters 1, 2 & 7 were worth reading.

Search Engine Advertising: Buying Your Way to the Top to Increase Sales (VOICES)

Average customer rating:

Direct and Authoritative
It's a Good Read for the Money
Outdated, outdated, outdated
Good writing, but too vague
Excellent information about search engine advertising

Search Engine Advertising: Buying Your Way to the Top to Increase Sales (VOICES)
Catherine Seda
Manufacturer: New Riders Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0735713995

Book Description

You don't have to have the biggest name or the most dazzling graphics to lure customers to your Web site. These days, all you really need is prominent search-engine placement. This book shows you how to get it! With searching one of the most popular Internet activities, a top spot on a major search engine virtually ensures a high volume of visitors--though converting them to buyers is another story. In these pages, top Internet marketer and strategist Catherine Seda tackles both parts of that equation. First, she outlines the strategy involved in buying the specific keyword positions that will lead users directly to the page you want. Then, she describes how you can turn poor-performing ad copy into targeted sales-getters, and how you can evaluate and correct low visitor-to-buyer conversions. Beginning marketers will find the info they need to implement a Web strategy quickly, while advanced marketers will find all kinds of tips for analyzing and improving current results.

Customer Reviews:

Direct and Authoritative.......2006-09-04

The SEO proces can seem daunting and Ms Seda recognizes that fact. She gives a methodical, if not also logical trail to follow and has obviously done laborious research; which pays off. It may appear technical and dry, but the details are necessary to convey the ins and outs of SEO. Bravo and it will remain a part of my business reference library.

It's a Good Read for the Money.......2006-07-06

It's not a bad overview of Search Engine Marketing, but I wouldn't recommend stopping with this read.

Some of the things Catherine covers are good and don't change. As an example, the chapters that provide Copyrighting Tips and that talk about how to improve conversions on Landing Pages. Even though they are only providing a glimpse as to what you need to know, many of those things do not change from year to year.

Other things however are going to require the reader further study. What one needs to focus on today to get good rankings is quite different from the day this book was written.

An example is paid inclusion; someone reading this should know that you don't need to pay to get indexed now. Sitemaps, getting backlinks from ranked sites that get regularly crawled, directories, blogs etc..

But it's good to absorb whatever one can. Even if someone comes away with a few ideas they didn't have before to improve their bottom line, it's worth the small price of this book.

Outdated, outdated, outdated.......2006-04-04

I'm sure this book was cutting edge when it was first published in February of 2004, but now it's for the most part outdated. For the absolute beginner to this area, there are some good general points, but references to long-since defunct or consolidated web companies (Urchin, Inktomi,etc) make it difficult to understand just what's still relevant. Google and Yahoo (and soon Microsoft) are defining the new landscape of this field as we speak...Try the new book from IBM press, "Search Engine Marketing"....chock full of the latest (as late as can be in this field) info.

Good writing, but too vague.......2005-12-14

This book is fairly well-written, but ultimately, it's frustrating because it doesn't tell the reader how to deal with specific search engine ad programs. Instead, Catherine Seda talks about categories of search engine advertising like "Fixed Placement," "Pay for Placement," "Submit URL," and "Trusted Feed." I keep reading these categories and wondering, "Is the model she's referring to here like Google? If so, how is Google different? How do all these programs rate for popularity, bang for the buck, etc.?" I guess Ms. Seda avoided these specifics so that her book didn't look outdated too quickly. I'd rather have a book that was extremely valuable at one point than one that tries to dance around the specific facts I'm craving.

Excellent information about search engine advertising.......2005-10-24

This is an excellent book on search and pay per click advertising. I have read plenty of books, courses and e-books on the subject and find myself consistently going back to this book for advice. Take plenty of notes and a highlighter when you go through this book because you will learn tested strategies that you hope your competition will not know.

Chapter 4 on "Copywriting tips to improve your click-through rate" is a good chapter to help you boost your ad campaigns. Catherine takes the fundamentals of direct marketing and applies it to search advertising. For example, "state a benefit", "offer an incentive", "create a sense of urgency" and "provide a call to action" are necessary to differentiate yourself from the rest.