“Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them gratified.”
—Samuel Johnson

The fact that AOL sticks ads at the bottom of email (not the email viewing window, inside the email itself) is often overlooked. It outraged members when it began about 18 months ago, but there’s so much to say when AOL is the topic, ads in email tend to slip back to about page three of the list.

Still, every once in a while a reminder of how awful this practice is pops into my inbox. Like yesterday:

For those of you who haven’t heard, [name deleted] (she works in the office during the 4:30 session) lost both of her parents January 2. Her children are in the 4:30 session in First, Second, Fourth, and Sixth grades. Please pray for [name], her husband, and their children that God will give them all the graces and blessings they need to make it through this heart wrenching time. I truly cannot begin to imagine what they are going through.

**************
Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape.
http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise

If you’re considering registering a domain and want to see if it’s available, beware: Don’t check its availability on the Network Solutions site.

Blogs and discussion lists are all abuzz with word that Network Solutions is engaging in domain name front running. What that means is that if you search for a domain on Network Solutions, then want to purchase it on your GoDaddy account, you’re out of luck: Network Solutions has already registered the domain, so you have to buy it from them.

I tried it, and their system snapped up spatphlegm.com and shnevas.com immediately. However, cvxlkjdfjlksdg.com is still available, so I’m guessing that there’s some sort of language analysis filter they’re using to decide which ones to register and which ones to let pass.

According to ars technica back in October, ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is investigating the practice. Let’s hope they deliver a smackdown to Network Solutions, which displays an “ICANN Accredited Registrar” logo on their site.

Front running is illegal in stock trading. It ought to be illegal in domain name trading, too.

Over on MarketingProfs (free registration required), Gail Martin has posted this article about press kits that’s worth reading.

One of the more overlooked elements of an online presence for companies big and small is the press room. Understandably so, as companies are mainly concerned about dealing with the online needs of customers and potential customers before they deal with reporters and publicists.

As Gail writes: “By putting the power of your press kit to work, your company can enjoy more accurate media coverage, more exposure for story ideas, and more complete information through press coverage.”

Indeed. But a smartly developed online press room can do even more. Not only do the materials there help shape the story for any writer focusing on the company, but the materials can (explicitly or implicitly) say plenty to potential investors and business partners.

There are positive SEO implications that can be enjoyed from a properly developed online press room, too. And if there’s some sort of company-specific or industry-wide crisis to which your company needs to respond immediately, your press room better be set up to accommodate a statement today, not three weeks from today.

Takeaway for marketers: Take a close look at your online press room … after you put yourself in the mindset of a writer composing an article about your company.

I spent an hour on the phone with Verizon the other night trying to correct a wireless router Internet access issue. It got resolved to the surprise of the techie, who responded to my ability to sign on with, “Really? That’s a small miracle!”

Anyway, here’s the rhetorical question: Why, after I navigate through the voice menus to get placed on hold and wait for the “we’ll help you fix your Internet access” person, am I hearing voice prompts telling me to look for help on the Verizon Web site?