BY DALE SMITH
Talking to an old friend of mine in Texas, I was trying to explain to him what it is that I do for a living. "We stream digital music content." Huh?

My friend works for a private airplane company and has never used the Internet. He said he has sent three e-mails using a coworker's home computer. The fact that you can send music and video through a computer was way over his head. He actually was given a computer last Christmas and has only turned it on once and couldn't "figure it out."

This may sound crazy to those of us who use computers on a daily basis, but I would bet we all have a friend or relative that is just like my fellow Texan.

Believe it or not, many people are not quite sure what the Internet is. Some statistics show that a large portion of Americans do not have Internet access and many of them have never typed in a website address.

So for many creative and entrepreneurial go-getters who have attempted to start a web business and were handed a stiff dose of reality when their businesses failed, there is a lesson to be learned. KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid.

Not only on the Internet, but in business in general, the easier your product is to use, the more people will use it. It is debatable whether AOL is technically revolutionary or not, but a of couple points cannot be argued. It is easy and it is successful.

There are thousands of great web ideas that have gone straight to the recycle bin because the creators over thought the deployment and misinterpreted the masses. People do not want to wade through a swamp of clicks, pages and instructions to get to where they want to go, they will give up and never come back.

In planning to launch a website, there are two key questions that must be answered. What is the product and who are the customers? The product is probably the easy part (sometimes). If the answer to the second questions is "everyone possible," the KISS strategy is key. The target audience is NOT the folks who sit in front of computers all day -- they know how to navigate -- but that segment of society that is just cutting it's teeth on that confusing area called the "address bar."

If a newcomer makes it to your site and actually makes progress, they will be a loyal and repeat visitor. And don't worry, the more seasoned Internet users will not snub your site; remember, everything is easy to them. Remember KISS. If you think we haven't, tell us why!

Dale Smith is VP of Operations with Cablemusic Networks, Inc. E-mail him here.

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From the Chicago Tribune: "Sure, they might be loaded with impressive animation and graphics, but try to glean actual information from many corporate Web sites, and the effort begs two questions: 'What do these people do?' and 'Who writes this stuff?'

"It's a shame how many companies out there just don't seem to get it. They plunk down marketing dollars galore for eye-catching, sticky Web sites and wind up with animated, graphic-laden messes.

"Why? Because their sites are so poorly written they fail to deliver a clear or complete message about their products and/or services. Instead, they push 'solutions' sabotaged by fluffy hype that is tangled in typos or so obscured that viewers and budget dollars are irretrievably lost...

"Informative, crisp copy that grabs viewers' attention is absolutely essential to a successful Web site. Giving Web users exactly what they're looking for in an easy-to-read format is the best way to keep them clicking, calling, ordering and coming back for more."

The article presents two real-life examples of some laughably (and pitifully) convoluted and pointless "busi-babble."

Read WebWrite Consulting President Audrey Holocher's essay here.

We have quite a bit of excellent RAIN Reader Feedback stockpiled here, so look for a special feature (if not an entire issue!) devoted to your input. And as always, we love to hear from you. You can click one of the "Send a quick message to RAIN" boxes on the page anytime, or click here.

A new Chicago-based company called RapidMedia Network has officially launched a new streaming application that is a combination web browser, streaming audio and video player, MP3 player, instant message-, chat-, and e-mail client.

For content, the company has announced partnerships with MSNBC, Bloomberg TV, The Weather Channel, CNet Networks, Healthology, FILMSPEED and others.

The application is specifically designed for broadband, and can be downloaded here. Note the integrated video in the upper-right hand corner of the browser window.

Have an opinion on this article? Share it! Simply click the headline at left to bring up a convenient "Submit" form.

From the company press release: "StreamAudio announced today an exclusive strategic business alliance with Cox Interactive Radio (CXRi). Through this alliance, StreamAudio will provide its audio streaming and revenue-sharing ad insertion solution for all 83 Cox Radio properties. This will bring the total of radio stations using StreamAudio to 740.

"CXRi is a unit of Cox Radio and is responsible for its new media strategy. Gregg Lindahl, CXRi Vice President said, 'We were looking for a provider who could enable our vision for an audio oasis of offerings central to our site's functionality. StreamAudio stepped up to meet the challenges above all others.'"

Read the press release here.

Simply click the headline at left to bring up a convenient pop-up form -- or click here to use your own e-mail software.

From the press release: "The Insider Radio Network, syndicator of national and regional radio shows, today announced the appointment of David Radin as President.

"Mr. Radin had been Director of Radio Operations of the company since May of this year. That was when Merging Media created Internet Radio Corporation when it purchased Internet Insider and other radio properties from M. Masters Corporation, which had been owned by Radin. At the time of this acquisition, Marco Cardamone, President of Merging Media, also became President of Internet Radio Corporation...

"Internet Radio Corporation provides syndicated radio shows for broadcast over traditional radio stations and Internet. The company's flagship radio show, 'Internet Insider with David Radin - Radio with Byte!' is broadcast on leading radio stations throughout the United States..."

Radin's "Internet Insider" show put together some excellent year-end lists -- Top Internet stories, Biggest Disappointments, and more -- that may be of interest to RAIN readers. See them here.



Internet radio ratings company MeasureCast has released their first monthly "Top 25" rankings report. The latest results are available here, or anytime by clicking the link in the left-hand menu under "Metrics."

February 1-4, 2001	RAB 2001, Dallas, TX
February 26-28, 2001	Broadcasters Website Sales Conf. 2.0, Tempe, AZ