superior

I love surfing the web. I have DSL and I get pretty good download speeds (compared to 56K modems, insane download speeds). Even though I have a good connection, I still hate downloading obtrusive ads. You know those huge "skyscraper" ads, or those pesky Flash ads that seem to take forever to download?

If your car needed some repair work, would you go to a garage that offers free estimates? More than likely, you would. Most garages offer them. Not only has it become customary but also everyone expects a free estimate from mechanics these days.

Email is certainly an important aspect of marketing on the web. But a single email is never enough -- and in fact can be more costly down the road. Like all marketing messages, it takes repetition in order to get people to first absorb the message, understand it and then take action. Naturally, some people will immediately respond while others need to see the message more than once before they even think about responding to the offer.

We've been preaching the merits of wide stock market diversification for many years, and the advantages should be painfully obvious these days after the bear market that started in 2000. Any investor who loaded up on growth stocks or technology funds a few years ago should now be able to see the advantage of owning some other kinds of assets as well.