A REVIEW ON A POST ON LEGAL FROM MY E-COMMERCE BLOG: UK TO GET TOUGH WITH ILLEGAL DOWNLOADERS.

Nowadays in UK, there are around 6 million people who are downloading files illegally. For example, illegal downloading materials are music and movies. These illegal downloading will cause the industry to lose millions of pounds in revenue every year.

Why does it happen? It is because the Internet Service Providers Association (ISP) bear no responsibility for illegal file sharing as the content is not hosted on their servers. It is also because the technology is becoming more effective and that allows internet providers to monitor what content is being downloaded. This is also likely to help to hurry the process of identifying pirates, and may lead to swifter disconnection, or prosecution. However, the ISP had said the data protection laws would prevent providers from looking at the content of information sent over their network. But among the content, the ISP who failed to enforce the rules could take legal action and details of customers suspected in illegal downloading can be made available to the courts.

Therefore, UK has proposed a new law that will take action against the users who use their account to access pirated material by the internet services provider. As I found out that the UK government is working on the new law now to have this illegal down loader's internet connection to be cut off.

by Ng Pei Qi

Corporate Blogging: A new marketing communication tool for companies

Corporate blogging enables the employees of the company to express their ideas about the aspect of the company. Due to the advancement of technology, it is imperative for company to choose to blog in order to know the feedback of their newly launched product or managing relations within or outside the company.

In fact, there are 2 types of corporate blogging, internal and external. For internal blogs, the employees can participate freely by accessing to the intranet to discuss the company’s issues, communicate with different levels of managerial personnel to share the knowledge and information of the company. While, extranet blogs serve as marketing tools to promote the new company product, announce the upcoming events, and clarify the grapevine to the stakeholders of the company. Therefore, the corporate blogs can promote the openness and honesty of the company which contribute to a higher level of reputation in organizations.

Take an example of the coca-cola conversation blog http://www.coca-colaconversations.com, which initiated by Phil Mooney, an archivist for the Coca-Cola Company for the last 30 years. The information shared is about coca-cola history to the value of collectibles. The impressive topics include recipes, memorabilia, and collectors of coca-cola. From the weblogs, the reader can really know more about coca-cola and the curiosity of the brand also can be fulfilled. Indeed, corporate blogs can serve as a marketing tool to promote the products or service and improve the corporate image.

Lastly, there are many well known companies also involves in corporate blogging including:

1. Johnson & Johnson

http://www.jnjbtw.com/

2. Delta Airlines

http://blog.delta.com/

3. Guinness

http://www.guinnessblog.co.uk/

4. Accenture

http://www.accenture.com/Global/Research_and_Insights/Accenture_Blogs/

by Ngan Sin Yin

THINGS TO TAKE NOTE TO PREVENT E-AUCTION FRAUD WHEN A CONSUMER PARTICIPATING IN AN E-AUCTION

eBay, the largest Internet auctioneer, has introduced several measures in an effort

to reduce e-auction fraud. However, some are free, some are not. The following are some of eBay’s antifraud measures:

1. User identity verification

eBay uses the services of Equifax to verify user identities for a $5 fee. Verified eBay User, a voluntary program, encourages users to supply eBay with information for online verification. By offering their Social Security number, driver’s license number, and date of birth, users can qualify for the highest level of verification on eBay.

2. Authentication service

Product authentication is a way of determining whether an item is genuine and described appropriately. Authentication is very difficult to perform because it relies on the expertise of the authenticators. Because of their training and experience, experts can (for a fee) often detect counterfeits based on subtle details. However, two expert authenticators may have different opinions about the authenticity of the same item.

3. Grading services

Grading is a way of determining the physical condition of an item, such as “poor quality” or “mint condition.” The actual grading system depends on the type of item being graded. Different items have different grading systems—for example, trading cards are graded from A1 to F1, whereas coins are graded from poor to perfect uncirculated.

4. Feedback Forum

The eBay Feedback Forum allows registered buyers and sellers to build up their online trading reputations. It provides users with the ability to comment on their experiences with other individuals.

5. Insurance policy

eBay offers insurance underwritten by Lloyd’s of London. Users are covered up to $200, with a $25 deductible. The program is provided at no cost to eBay users.

6. Escrow services

For items valued at more than $200 or when either a buyer or seller feels the need for additional security, eBay recommends escrow services (for a fee). With an easy-to-access link to a third-party escrow service, both partners in a deal are protected. The buyer mails the payment to the escrow service, which verifies the payment and alerts the seller when everything checks out. At that point, the seller ships the goods to the buyer. After an agreed-upon inspection period, the buyer notifies the service, which then sends a check to the seller. An example of a provider of online escrow services is tradenable.com.

7. Nonpayment punishment

eBay implemented a policy against those who do not honor their winning bids. To help protect sellers, first-time nonpayment results in a friendly warning. A sterner warning is issued for a second-time offense, a 30-day suspension for a third offense, and indefinite suspension for a fourth offense.

8. Appraisal services.

Appraisers use a variety of methods to appraise items, including expert assessment of authenticity and condition and reviewing what comparable items have sold for in the marketplace in recent months. An appraised value is usually accurate at the time of appraisal but may change over time as an item becomes more or less popular in the marketplace.

9. Verification.

One way of confirming the identity and evaluating the condition of an item is through verification. With verification, neutral third parties will evaluate and identify an item through a variety of means. For example, some collectors have their item “DNA tagged” for identification purposes. This provides a way of tracking an item if it changes ownership in the future.

by Leong Yen Teng

E-Government in Malaysia: Its implementation so far and citizen’s adoption strategies.

Malaysia has improved vastly on its ranking worldwide. From number 157 to number 25, that’s a great jump in fact! We, as citizens of Malaysia, feel the change and have done ourselves a great deal of changes too, to adapt to this newly introduced technology. It has helped us is a lot of ways, and made our lives so much easier.

Some of the successful implementations include government’s drive for e-government services, Electronic Labour Exchange, SMS alert on e-government services, online renewal of driving licenses, Electronic filing of income tax forms, voter information, details for government tenders and employment opportunities. All these have in deed made our lives so much easier and advance. Things have been so much efficient compared to before.

However, despite the success, there are bound to have failures. There are a few unsuccessful start-ups, which maybe the government are doing something about it to improve or make it happen.

We as the people who are using such services, we have made a vast improvement on ourselves regarding our knowledge on these technologies. Internet has been an essential part of our lives, and we use them for almost everything if possible. To pay our tax, to renew our license or any membership, banking and also our bookings for flights and rooms, these are all the activities that we can do just with a click of the finger, no car driving, no jams and most of all, no waiting!

by Liew Yilin


reference: http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/search/label/e-Government

the application of pre-paid cash card for consumers.

A pre-paid cash card is similar to a debit card, credit card or smart card. As we know, what debit cards and credit cards are because it is normally used by the consumers but we seldom hear about smart cards. Smart cards is an electronic card containing an embedded microchip and looks like a plastic payment card. It is usually a “read-only” card, similar to a credit card. There are many types of application pre-paid cash that can be made by the consumers but I will choose two most common ones to discuss.

Firstly, it is applied for retail purchases. It is a purchase similar to credit cards. It also can be extended with other payment services. In the retail field, many of these services are aimed at those establishments where payments are usually made in cash, speed and convenience. For example, E-purses and contactless payments represent this type of value-added service. With an e-purse smart card application, money is loaded into the card from the cardholder’s bank account and the cardholder’s account is immediately debited. The value is transferred to a floating account at the bank or the system operator. This transaction is carried out online and is PIN protected, just like a cash withdrawal from an ATM. Cardholder’s can use their e-purses anywhere where e-purses are accepted. When an e-purse is being used, the value is transferred from the e-purse to the terminal and the value remaining in the e-purse is adjusted. Therefore, consumers can enjoying shopping with this pre-paid cash cards without bringing any cash in hand

Secondly, it can be used for transit fares. This program started in US in 1999 and is a permanent, contactless, rechargeable fare card that can hold up to $300 in fare value. This card can be used with 17 different transit systems including Metro-operated parking lots, the Metrorail, Metrobuses and other regional rail services. These transit cards also can be combined with payment cards that can be used to purchase goods and services such as snacks, bridge tolls, parking fees, or food in restaurants or grocery stores located near the transit stations. In addition, to handling transit fares, smart cards and other e-payment are being used for other transportation applications.

by Ng Pei Qi

Credit card debts: Causes and Prevention

Credit card can be either very useful or harmful. It is all depend on how you utilize it. Recently, more than 6000 credit cardholders were declared insolvent and incurred RM2.5 billion of bad debt to the credit institution.

There are several causes that will lead to credit card debt. However the main contributor is laid on the habits of the credit cardholders. Some people like to buy on impulse and even spend more than what has they earned.

First, it is because their expense is greater than income. They misused the application of the credit card that is spending now, pay later. They might spend their future money which will make the purchase to be convenient and seem as if their purchasing power has increased. However, by doing so, the transaction made is transformed into a new debt. Of course the cardholder will opt for minimum payment per month instead of the full payment. Thus, the monthly balance will be charged higher interest and lead to greater debt.

Secondly, by having too many credit cards the users will get addicted using their cards as they perceive that they should “fully utilize” their offer from credit card institution. They will end up too many debts

The worse scenario that can ha[[en is when the cardholders use one credit card to pay off other cards. Eventually, the credit card debt will roll bigger with additional interest.

We should limit ourselves from using credit card if there is sufficient cash in hand. Moreover, we should plan our budget before we spend on something and control ourselves from adding more debt. If this behavior can be maintained in the long run, our debts will decrease gradually.

Reference:

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/51756.html

http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/2008/05/more-than-6000-card-holders-in-malaysia.html

http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/2008/01/5-bad-habits-for-getting-into-debts.html

http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/2008/01/10-warning-signs-of-credit-card-debts.html

by Ngan Sin Yin

A REVIEW ON A POST ON E-TAILING FROM MY E-COMMERCE BLOG: USING TOUCH N GO CARD TO BUY FAST FOOD IN MALAYSIA WILL BE A REALITY

The next time you go to a fast-food stall for your burger or doughnut, need not worry if you have forgotten your money as all you need is your Touch ’n Go card.

Now, one can buy such items from 21 outlets in the Klang Valley under a pilot scheme for the Touch ‘n Go card which is currently a toll, public transport and parking paying device.

The outlets are from A&W, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donut, 7-Eleven, Carrefour hypermarkets, Caltex convenience stores and Cineleisure.

According to Touch ’n Go chief operating officer, Hasni Zarina Mohamed Khan, this project would be the start of the card being used for retail purchase. Describing it as a natural progression, she pointed out that the card was an electronic purse and supports Bank Negara’s move for a cashless society.

She said even for the Octopus card – the transit electronic purse in Hong Kong that is one of the most successful in the world – only 20% of the holders use it for retail purchase.

Consumers need not worry about hidden cost because all the chain stores have an agreement that there will be no extra charges for those using Touch ’n Go cards compared to those using cash. If the item is RM1 then it will still be RM1 if you are using Touch ’n Go card to make payment.

Hasni Zarina also said that cardholders could top up the value of their cards to RM1,000 and need not worry if the cards were lost or stolen.

What they need to do is to inform the management immediately if card were stolen and they will block the card. Then a new card with the remaining value will be issued to replace the stolen card.

The card could also be a good way of controlling children’s spending as this could be their one card from taking public transport to buying their lunch or snacks.

by Leong Yen Teng