[Web4lib] Results from The Survey of Academic Libraries, 2008-09 Edition

[Dan Lester]

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 1:04:27 PM, you wrote:
> Dan Lester said "I've not seen a real business use an AOL address in quite a few years."

> That's a little unfair...you don't have to play around with Google
> for too long to find small businesses (consulting, engineering,
> etc.) that have web sites in the aol.com domain, some using aol.com
> e-mail addresses. I'm sure these people think their businesses are "real".

Unfair perhaps.  But I certainly consider it a sign of ignorance, bad
planning, and bad marketing.  Since a web business has a domain name,
they also (at least from any hosting company I've ever heard of) have
email available from web/pop3/imap, and usually all three.  To NOT use
your domain name as part of your email address shows lack of research,
planning, initiative, and marketing skills.  Even if you started out
small with the domain on AOL, you should start the transition as soon
as possible with forwarding or other techniques.

Of course the business in question here has its own domain name
registered and in use, and thus is not making maximum use of their
domain name.  However they are making maximum use of library related
lists to sell their expensive and statistically suspect (at best)
reports.

I'm all for supporting small businesses, but only if they have real
products with valid information and use more appropriate research and
marketing techniques.

dan

-- 
The road goes on forever and the party never ends. REK, Jr. 
Dan Lester, Boise, ID
                       i