The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Ash Nallawalla ash@melbpc.org.au |
 |
The March issue proved a hit with most readers, at least judging by the many
e-mails and complimentary comments in the newsgroups. A theme gives us some
focus and we go and seek features and reviews to match the theme. Sometimes the
monthly meeting also covers the same theme. I cannot stress how important it is
for readers to support our advertisers, making an effort to mention seeing their
ad in PC Update. With more advertising, we can increase the page count,
which would increase the variety. Some people did not appreciate getting a
near-total coverage of digital cameras but we have received complaints in the
past when a theme issue contained just one topical article.
Readers who read about my Google encounters last month might be interested to
hear that my pages disappeared once again when the magazine reached you. That
was the Freshbot effect, which invariably strikes panic among novice SEOs
(search engine optimisers). I am back in the top 10 but it shows that one should
not rely on being found by accident or even through a search engine. Always have
a more conventional strategy to be found, such as promoting your URL on business
cards and advertisements. If you are interested in Web site management topics,
then check out
http://www.webmasterworld.com. Its forums are busy and have a good deal of
informed commentary.
VICNET
Most people have heard of VICNET
http://www.vicnet.net.au. If you haven't been there recently, pay a visit,
as it is partly funded by your tax dollars.
I was impressed by the quality of its keyword search engine for Victorian sites.
There are not many entries, which is great for people who want to have their
sites listed and found. Others have reported that they get many referrals
through it but it is too soon for me to confirm that. If your Web site fits one
of the listed categories, you should submit it.
Decline of Newsgroups
I am convinced that the public newsgroups are in decline. I refer to their
quality and I don't mean the binaries newsgroups that are full of adult content
or copyright violations. In the nine years since the general public was invited
to use the Internet, the noise-to-signal ratio has gone up. Without using good
filters to shield yourself from rubbish, it is easy to lose patience with
newsgroups. Your experience may be different from mine but I find myself staying
away from the public newsgroups. Our own melbpc newsgroups provide a
safer experience but you'd be crazy to rely only on them for getting a range of
opinions on your PC problems. Some of the quality discussions have moved on to
mailing lists, which enable you to participate from your e-mail inbox.
melbpc.games
Having just poured cold water on newsgroups, I'd like to repeat a news item you
will see elsewhere in this issue. The Internet admin team, of which I am a
member, has created a new internal newsgroup called melbpc.games. If you
are "into" computer games, online and offline, this is the place to discuss it
in a Melb PC context. Therefore, most of the discourse there will focus on the
new games server we will put online shortly. There will be a shoot-em-up game
for the young of heart and swift of finger, and a strategy game for the rest of
us. Also keep an eye on the MOTD for more news about this machine.
Forums
There has been a corresponding improvement in the quality of Web-based forums.
They are also discussion groups, but are mostly moderated, so the idiot element
is absent. Webmasterworld, mentioned earlier, is a good example. When I was
travelling a lot, I used to visit
http://www.flyertalk.com. I like the free PHP-based software used by
http://www.webmaster-forum.net,
called phpBB2. There are thousands of such forums and there are many other forum
software solutions, but see if you agree that they are a better way to
communicate.
Software Marketing Jobs
Recently I joined a Yahoo forum known as Software Product Marketing (SPM) eGroup.
It has its own site:
http://www.softwareproductmarketing.com from which you can find the Yahoo
discussion groups. It is aimed at software marketing professionals who are
looking for work and is run entirely by volunteers. Employers and recruiters can
advertise vacancies for free. Not surprisingly, most of the jobs posted are in
the US and not open to us, but it is only a matter of time before that changes
in our favour.
While the SPM Jobs mailing list could be largely irrelevant here, there is a
parallel SPM Discussion list where many articles and opinions are shared on job
hunting in general and on marketing topics. Also check out the link to the
concept of "Strength of Weak Ties", which is a topic in itself, or look it up on
Google.
Reprinted from the April 2003 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
