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PA e-Comm News MARCH 8

Basically Useless Information – Who was the first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television? (Answer later).

The Federal Trade Commission recently reported a settlement with two Web sites accused of fraudulently selling treatments and tests for anthrax in the wake Sept. 11. Vital Living Products and Rawhealth.net became targets for enforcement because they did not respond to an earlier FTC e-mail warning them about making false claims. Since November, the FTC has issued 121 letters warning online marketers against making false claims in connection with bioterrorism treatments. Vital Living Products advertised a do-it-yourself anthrax test kit that it said could detect bacteria spores in air, water and soil with a 95% accuracy rate. The FTC found the test to be ineffective. Rawhealth.net sold a colloidal silver product and claimed it would immediately kill up to 650 different human diseases, including anthrax, Ebola and so-called flesh-eating bacteria.

The New York Times recently confirmed that its corporate intranet -- which reportedly contains personal data on many high-profile public figures -- was hacked. That intranet also includes the names and social security numbers of the company's employees, logs of home delivery orders, instructions for Times reporters and contact lists, among other sensitive data. The Times said it has closed the security gaps and is investigating the breach, which is the latest of many exploits undertaken against the media giant. The hacker is a known computer whiz who finds security holes and helps companies close them.

A Philadelphia man recently pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement in what prosecutors said was the largest international online copyright-piracy investigation ever conducted by federal law enforcement officers. The man was involved in an international Internet software piracy group which illegally distributed copyrighted software, games and movies over the Internet. The operation conducted business in closed invitation-only Internet relay chat channels, using encryption to conceal all e-mails discussing the group's illegal activities.

In the wake of the Enron situation, companies such as Apple Computer and Lucent Technologies have announced that they will no longer use the same firm for both auditing and consulting. Much of the consulting work performed by the so-called Big Five accounting firms is actually technology-related. The Big Five accounting firms--Arthur Andersen, Ernst & Young, KPMG International, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte & Touche--derive about 29 percent of their total revenue from IT consulting and management and financial consulting, according to Montgomery Securities. Three of the Big Five--KPMG, Ernst & Young and Andersen--have already spun off or separated their consulting arms. And PricewaterhouseCoopers has registered for an initial public offering of its consulting division.

Jack Weigand, owner of a small gunsmithing business in PA, reported that Dell rejected his order for a notebook computer because the name of his company, Weigand Combat Handguns Inc., raised a red flag in Dell's computerized ordering system. So, to get even, he started informing others about his situation through an Internet gun-owners' forum. Dell acknowledged that it mistakenly rejected his order without contacting him. Once a red flag comes up, a Dell salesperson is supposed to contact the customer to ask follow-up questions, such as where the computer is destined, who will be using it and what they'll be using it for. Only then will Dell decide whether or not to process the order. Dell offered the injured company a free computer – which they declined.

Everyone expected traffic to the Olympic website to be heavy, but it was the times following controversial rulings that spiked the greatest interest. Apolo Ohno's disqualification caused the online ticketing page to become largely unavailable. And four Olympic-related sites peaked the day after the pairs skating finals that ended in controversy.

Even though most car sales are not completed online, Web sites are playing an increasing role in getting buyers onto dealer lots to finish the purchase process, because there are vast amounts of presale research available at car sites. Online merchants can score big with customers simply by making their lives easier. Dental offices, dry cleaners, car-repair shops, barbers and hairstylists, for example, would do well to let customers schedule appointments online.

ANSWER: Fred and Wilma Flintstone. 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Did you know that Harrisburg Area Community College has a Web Developer program?

Degrees awarded: associate in arts

Specialized certificate conferred

The Web Developer certificate and degree programs are designed to help individuals and businesses develop the skills needed to meet today’s rapidly growing demand for Web and Internet communication practitioners. Previous technology expertise or advanced computer use in operating systems, databases, and some networking is required for participation in the program. To accommodate individual interests, experience levels, and accelerated learning preferences, students can customize their own programs within the curriculum requirements. Most courses involve prerequisite course work or proven ability in the subject area.

Career Opportunities 
Graduates can obtain positions as web site developers, web architects, web designer/programmers, software engineers/web developers and other related positions.

Competency Profile 
This curriculum is designed to prepare students to: 

• Develop and publish information on Intranets and the Internet 
• Utilize Web-based interfaces to automate information communication 
• Build and use database-enabled Web sites for business and e-commerce 
• Create interactive and multimedia content for marketing 
• Manage Internet communication for small organizations 
• Profit from cost-effective Web sites 
• Evaluate and improve online activities 
• Make cost-effective decisions regarding technology and software 
• Achieve facility with Internet technologies 
• Become a practitioner of Web communication

For further information or discussion about the Web developer degree please contact Barbara J. Felty at (717) 780-3244 or send an email to bjfelty@hacc.edu.

NEWS & NOTES is a service of the PA e-Commerce Association. Please forward this e-mail to anyone else who might be interested in the content or in learning more about the Association. Remember to visit our website @  www.paecomm.org or call 717-238-9366.

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