The significant challenges that we face today cannot be resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

Hi and welcome to today's issue of Keeping in Touch. A big, warm 'hello' to all our new subscribers.

It is sad to see the desperation mounting in many of today's marketers. We are faced with slow economies, acts of terrorism, job cut backs and the bills just stack up higher than ever. This desperation shows up in the unasked for mail in yours and my Inbox.

My question is - What happened to common decency? How about basic courtesy? Are you one of those who signs up for an ezine just so that you can place an ad? I've had several who don't even bother to wait for the ad to run before unsubscribing. Ezine publishers usually go out of their way to assist you with your marketing efforts by providing timely information, tools or tips. Why not give them a chance to show you their stuff before you hit the unsubscribe button?

One of the main reasons I chose to use the double opt-in feature was to avoid the shenanigans played out by tire-kicking wannabes. There are lots that start the sign up process and turn around and send me the usual 'Nigerian' scam letter, etc. at the same time. They don't confirm the subscription but they've added my address to their list. I don't even want this type of person on my list of subscribers. This is not the way to run a business. It's your reputation at stake. You will never convince me this is effective. Your message is trashed - not read.

This is NOT the way it works people. You are signing up for my ezine. I've not asked to be put on your list. You are sending unsolicited mail. Believe me, this will catch up with you. We all have products to market and a message to get out there but this is not the way to do it. Remember the Golden rule? Treat others as you would expect to be treated. I do have a great group of subscribers that I am truly grateful for and I'm happier with a smaller list of good, honest, hard-working individuals.

If you don't believe there are consequences for your actions, it's time to read today's Feature Article by jl scott, ph d. In The Ultimate Exploitation, jl scott details Habeas, Inc. and what their intentions are with respect to email. Keep in mind that this is not a government agency but a 'for-profit' company. I know I certainly wouldn't stand for this -- would you? What do you really think about Habeas, Inc.? I would love to have your thoughts and/or comments about it.

mailto:lois+home4success.com?Subject=Good_Idea_and_Why mailto:lois+home4success.com?Subject=It's_Nuts_and_Why

Getting Up When You're Feeling Down is today's Special Feature, written by Steve Goodier. From time to time we all experience bouts of being down or mild depression. Steve will show you ways to overcome these times while at the same time making you feel better about yourself.

Have a great day and keep on smiling.

Lois M. Jeary
Publisher, KIT and KIT Klassifieds
Contact Me http://www.home4success.com

I'll get right to the point here: it looks like a new company called Habeas, Inc. will soon be controlling your email. Now, bear in mind that this is a company. NOT a government agency - a FOR PROFIT COMPANY!

It seems this company's CEO is Anne Mitchell, who served as legal counsel for Mail Abuse Prevention System (mail-abuse.org). Mail Abuse Prevention System is a leading spam blacklisting organization! Obviously, she has tons of "contacts" in the spam filtering industry.

The extreme spam filters started becoming a serious problem around March of 2002. Mitchell came on board with Habeas, Inc. about June of 2002. Coincidence? I don't think so!

Getting the picture yet?

Here's how it works ...

Habeas, Inc. has created a trademarked, copyrighted header for email. Use of this header tells ISPs and spam filters that your email is HABEAS COMPLIANT. In order to be "Habeas complaint," ANY of the following must be true:

1. The SENDER has the VERIFIED PERMISSION of each and every ADDRESSEE

2. The SENDER and each and every ADDRESSEE are all individuals who share a preexisting, professional (as opposed to merchant-consumer) relationship, and the EMAIL is relevant to that professional relationship

3. Each and every ADDRESSEE is a personal friend or family member of the SENDER, the EMAIL is NOT equally applicable to many other potential recipients, and the EMAIL is not COMMERCIAL

4. The EMAIL is sent to a single ADDRESSEE

Now, assuming that your email is "Habeas compliant" by any of the standards above, ISPs and spam filters "assume" your email is not spam. They automatically "whitelist" email containing these headers or email coming from IP addresses on the Habeas Users List. Others give messages with Habeas headers substantial credit in a spam scoring system.

So what's the problem?

First, the Habeas header is trademarked and copyrighted so the spammers can't steal it. Like that ever stopped spammers from doing as they please! Okay - so Habeas, Inc. is going to sue spammers if they use it. Sure. IF they can find them! Do you REALLY believe the spammers won't find a way to forge this - and avoid any penalties - like everything else? Come on!

Then, there's the little matter of the majority of spammers being outside the USA. Even with International copyright and trademark laws, how long to you think it will take to nail them?

Sure, they can get a Cease and Desist Order while prosecution is underway. Now, how long do you think it will take before the spammers are offered sterling opportunities to spam from the countries where the International copyright laws aren't recognized?

Spammers won't have to LIVE in those countries. Only hire a company - or individual - there to send their spam and cover for them. It's a no-brainer! SOMEBODY is bound to see the opportunity and set them up. Never underestimate the amazing creativity of spammers!

Secondly, Habeas headers are already recognized by a number of spam filters and Internet Service Providers. These include America Online, Yahoo, SpamAssassin, SpamCop SpamBouncer, JunkSpy, MessageLabs, and JunkFilter.

America Online? Yahoo? SpamCop? SpamAssassin? What is wrong with THIS picture?

Thirdly, "verified permission" (see #1 above) translates to "double opt-in." You have to prove you use double opt-in if publishing an ezine. Any savvy ezine publisher will tell you that requiring confirmation of every subscription request will LOSE you 60% of them. I KNOW this. I TESTED it!

With all this other crap going on, we can't AFFORD to use double opt-in! We can't afford to lose 60% of the people who originally ask for the subscription!

And, sending the new subscriber a "Welcome" email with the option to unsubscribe immediately, if they didn't actually make the request, doesn't COUNT. This is NOT considered an acceptable alternative (by Habeas, Inc.) to double opt-in!

Part of the problem here is that too many publishers insist on using online forms for subscriptions! Of COURSE they get a lot of bogus subscriptions! People come along and screw with those forms - putting in any address they please.

A form is NO easier to use than a link, to send an email request for the subscription. Yet, people can't see that, with the email request, they have an IP number and can prove who sent the email. In all the years I've used email requests, I have had one - count it, ONE - forged return address.

When the owner of the email address complained, I opened the full header and sent it to him. He was then able to track down who had been using his email address on returns. Speaks of a service, doesn't it?

Now, here's the kicker ...

Even if you don't mind using double opt-in, which is already costing you money in lost subscribers, you're going to PAY for the Habeas header! In fact, you are required to buy a "license" to use the header. Here's the payment schedule:

* "Individual and ISP licenses are free."

Okay - costs you nothing to write to your friends and family. But, see #3 above - and be careful!

* "Bulk Commercial Mail license, from ½¢ to 1¢ per message, up to a maximum of $3,000 per month, designed for those who send commercial or promotional mailings for themselves or others. Small businesses under $100,000 annual business revenue can qualify for the Business license."

Apparently, this will apply to list servers. The cost for these services to send your ezines will go UP. AND, if it's free now, it won't be for long!

If you make over $100,000 per year, this "service" may cost you up to $3,000 per MONTH if you send your own ezines! Over ONE THIRD of your $100,000 in a year.

* "BUSINESS LICENSE, $200 PER YEAR!"

This is for every online business owner or publisher out there - who makes less than $100,000 a year - and who sends email FOR ANY REASON other than to friends and family!

The Habeas site also states that these may simply be temporary prices. From the Habeas site: "Habeas may eventually raise the price of the business and commercial bulk licenses, ..."

One very well-respected online marketer has already recommended this system. There'll be more to come. Why? Because a number of large companies are already licensed to include Habeas headers in their or their clients' messages.

What's my opinion? I can tell you in two words. It Sucks. And two more: Big Time.

Idiots will see this as a great solution. The same morons who couldn't get their heads on straight long enough to put a stop to the filters harming their businesses - through legal means. They didn't do it while they still had the chance.

Will they EVER realize what hit them? Maybe. When it's too damn late.

So, this is what it's come to for online businesses ...

* We allowed the anti-spam fanatics (of which this company IS one) to put the filters in place without insisting on legal accountability.

* A private company will now dictate that you MUST buy their service, at $200+ per year, IF you want to have an online business, use public email and avoid the spam filters.

* This company will also dictate how you handle subscription requests, even though there is no law regarding the issue. Can they do that? Yes. Or, you can't use their "service."

* You can add $200 a year to your overhead PLUS more if you also use a list server, when the prices go up (and, they WILL), PLUS whatever amount they decide raise the cost of their "license" as soon as most ISPs require it, and/or the spam filters are reset to bounce all email without the header.

* When you hit a gross of $100,000 a year, you can pay over a THIRD of that to Habeas, Inc. for "allowing" you to use their headers. (Does this REMIND you of anything? Like "paying for protection" from companies like SpamCop and SpamAssassin?)

* Habeas, Inc. already has a patent pending for Sender Warranted Email(SM). This means NO ONE ELSE may use this system. There will BE no competition!

* Government regulation has been considered the big, bad wolf. Yet, as soon as Habeas, Inc. manages to get THEIR trademarked header required for email to be delivered, a FOR PROFIT COMPANY will control the Internet!

* Will it stop the spam and the unrequested porn? Not even for a minute! Once again, those of us who do NOT send spam will pay - with cold, hard, cash - for those who do. And, you can BET the spammers are already planning their next step!

And that is called "exploitation" of a bad situation!

This my friends, has been planned - and carefully executed - for a LONG time! By the very people who helped bring us spam filters! OH, yeah! SpamAssassin is right at the TOP of their list of "Partners!"

Will THIS generate lawsuits? Nah - we'll just roll over into a ball and hide our heads, like the little roly-poly worms that we are. And, let 'em do THIS to us too!

Sorry. I've lost my faith in the online business owners' capacity to stand up - be counted - insist on legal protection - and do what's necessary to protect their businesses. If it ain't easy ... they won't do it. So, maybe this is well- deserved.

Want the full story? Go to the URL below. May look good. Will NOT stop spam! WILL get YOUR money as an online business owner as you are coerced into using their service if you want to get past the spam filters! Somebody's going to be making BIG bucks every time you send an email or your ezine - and it ain't YOU!

I will be writing more on this subject soon. I am currently in the process of getting legal opinions on this whole situation!

Oh - the CEO of Habeas, Inc. is an attorney? Well, having been married to a judge for a number of years, that's the LAST thing that's going to intimidate ME!

dr. jl scott is the Director of the International Council of Online Professionals (iCop) - and also the publisher of THE iCop WHISTLE BLOWER! - the ezine dedicated to exposing scams and lack of ethics on the Web. For your FREE subscription:
WhistleBlower-on@i-Cop.org.

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The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.
- Michelangelo

My importance to the world is relatively small. On the other hand, my importance to myself is tremendous. I am all I have to work with, to play with, to suffer and to enjoy. It is not the eyes of others that I am wary of but of my own. I do not intend to let myself down more than I can possibly help, and I find that the fewer illusions I have about myself or the world around me, the better company I am for myself.
- Noel Coward, author

If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.
- Henry Ford

Here's a special little download to help make your day by helping to eliminate stress. It's a pdf file so when it opens in your browser, just click the save button and save it to a place of your choice on your computer.

GETTING UP WHEN YOU'RE FEELING DOWN
By Steve Goodier ) 2003

Do you ever feel blah? Ever wish you had a permanent "picker- upper"? If so, this may be for you.

In the 1920s, if you were looking for a little pick-me-up with your mid-afternoon snack, you might have reached for a cold, refreshing glass of 7-Up. Well, it wasn't called 7-Up back then, it was called "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda." (Say THAT three times fast!) Inventor C.L.Griggs' original recipe included the antidepressant lithium until the 1940s as a "picker-upper." (Don Vorhees, WHY DOES POPCORN POP?) That's also probably why the original Coca-Cola formula included the stimulant cocaine.

Today, people not suffering from serious depression understand that they usually don't need mood-altering drugs to cope with daily life. But most folks struggle with bouts of mild depression, despondency or "the blahs" from time to time. How do you pick yourself up when you're feeling down, without the aid of Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda?

Of course, talking about the reasons you're down, making needed changes, watching your diet, getting enough exercise and sleep, developing a positive mental outlook and utilizing spiritual resources are all important pieces of our emotional puzzles. But one important strategy for feeling better (and one that's least used) is helping others in need.

• Visit a shut-in neighbor.
• Write a letter.
• Call a friend who has been struggling.
• Volunteer at church, synagogue or the local food pantry.
• Rake someone's leaves.
• Bake homemade bread for a new neighbor.
• Wash your spouse's car.
• Volunteer to baby-sit for a young mother.
• Plan an unexpected act of kindness.
• Give a gift for no reason at all.

The needs are abundant, and those who put aside some regular time to do something kind for others will often forget they were feeling low. It seems that extending a hand to others likewise lifts us up!

Corrie Ten Boom beautifully said, "The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation." And if you've been feeling low, the best time to donate a piece of yourself is now!

Steve Goodier ) 2003

Steve Goodier is a professional speaker, consultant and author. Purchase his books or sign up for his free newsletter here: http://LifeSupportSystem.com Or call 1-877-344-0989 Free shipping (USA/CAN). Free gift-wrapping!

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Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like clearing the driveway before it has stopped snowing.

On January 10th, 2003 in KIT Klassifieds #71, I placed a Sponsor Ad for Stephan Ducharme's new book. I'm afraid that I did not spend enough time investigating this product due to time constraints after being away for two weeks. As you know there were also some difficulties when my site was moved to the new server.

Since then, I've come across several different points of view (not unusual), as well as concerns over lack of response to email or refund requests. It's important for you to be aware of these concerns. A lack of customer service will kill your business and your reputation in a very short time.

The Free Ad Guru was intended to be a system that you can implement to earn money online. As there is so much controversy surrounding the program at the current time, I feel it only fair to mention that you exercise due diligence before making any purchase.

Legal Stuff ...

We accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content, profitability or legality of any published articles or advertisements contained within KIT.

And, although all of the articles have been selected for their content, the publishing of such articles within this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of the products or services mentioned or advertised within those articles.

Be responsible! Always do your own Due Diligence before responding to any offer.