Web Services and eCommerce

Web service foreplay reveals that most web services are created with eCommerce (electric commerce) related thoughts. Simplifying technologies so that it may be offered as web service or to potential web service hosts. Further these offerings may likewise be sold on line via eCommerce. Beyond this arrangement a business that sells a service and/or product may continue these sales online by implementing eCommerce from an online eCommerce host

This makes sense, more and more as the web allows businesses to successfully sell items and services to a new genre of customer, the busiest people, relating to either services that need to be had today or items that aren’t needed for a week or more.

Many frequent web users still relate to the Internet as a tool to simplify ordinary tasks and to this they aren’t approaching the web with thoughts of revenue they are merely privileged to be among those utilizing new technologies to maintain order and expedience in their original endeavors.

This brings about two questions (or one huge one depending on the role of analytics), for those that are eager to establish eCommerce based revenue, how do you persuade this new breed of business to be successful?

To those who do not consider eCommerce as being relevant to web based offerings how do you encourage broader understanding its relevancy?

This brings to mind the analogy for the economic dilemma recognized in earlier times.

The honey analogy
The queen bee gets the male bees to create the hive, once done the worker bees go about their other job of pollination, returning to the hives and thereby producing the final result of honey.

A bear sees the hive full of honey and immediately desires it for himself. He didn’t work to produce this honey yet sheer desire and clever thinking will make the honey his.

Theories are endless as to what is appropriate and what is fair, the bottom line is the bear now has his honey and the bees must start over hopefully wiser but elsewhere.

It is like wise important to consider the relevancy of eCommerce not only as a tool for web services to thrive but also as inspiration for web service customers to utilize for their own need to profit. The more this idea sinks into to the common netizens thinking, the more likely eCommerce is to flourish in the manner that was initially predicted.

Companies who are currently offering web services, for example: eCriteria.net (www.eCriteria.net) are implementing new initiatives to encourage their web service customers to embark on eCommerce missions of their own.

What is eCriteria.net

So what is eCriteria.net? A self funded web service project created and launched by software development firm AMULET Development Corp. In mid 1999, database publisher, developer, and how to author of database design, CEO Dan Gutierrez, created eCriteria based on the concern of supplying customers with quality database programming services more readily for smaller applications.

Currently, eCriteria.net is a steadily thriving database creation and publishing web service for individuals, small businesses, and enterprises.

How does eCommerce tie in exactly?

The tie between eCriteria and eCommerce works like this, a person visits eCriteria.net because the have information (data) regarding a personal or professional interest. They register to become a member and create a database in 3 minutes to encompass and organize their data. They add or upload their data into their new eCriteria database and link it to their web page or web site so that their visitors may add and search this database and extract specific data.

Being a web service itself, eCriteria.net charges a modest fee for this service in order to afford itself, likewise it becomes clear to this eCriteria Member that their data must be important enough to purchase tools to publish it. By setting up and eCommerce account like the ones offered at iBill.com and Paypal.com this eCriteria member is now able to receive payment for the downloading of this data to those that need it, and thereby allowing the database owner a means to afford publishing this information!

Analogy Realized

Back to the analogy, eCriteria is the hive producing databases, an eCriteria members’ data is the honey which is stored in the database (or hive), the eCriteria member is the bee producing and storing the honey, and the visitor interested in this data (or honey) is the bear.

Unlike the story however, the database owner (bee) eventually realizes that the honey is not only desirable to one visitor (bear), but to many visitors (bears). So instead of changing the location of his hive the bee may instead utilize another means of securing the product of his labor the data or (honey), while dispensing it on demand and repeat these actions without having to start over with the same end result. Likewise, other visitors (bears) will find a way to utilize this information in order to create a functioning flowing business (existence) between the hive, the honey, the bees and his fellow bears.

The Moral of the Story

By creating a web service to produce a needed tool like eCriteria, an eCriteria member may likewise save time and money getting this needed tool and enable this tool to make valuable information available to others who need it as well, eCommerce provides the means for this important and relevant database of information to be sold and the cycle is able to thrive and flow continuously.

Http://www.ecriteria.net is excited to not only be a front-runner in web service design, but also in the web service / eCommerce compliant initiative, a movement not to be denied. "Where do we go from here?"

Where do we go from here?


In my previous posts, I have discussed the potential for eCommerce, introspection into personal publishing, and web service contributions. I have also made mention to data mining. Data mining is still a relatively new concept to the web and as the web evolves so will data minings definition and translation capabilities.

Thus far, what data mining has done for me is to encourage researching of individual blogs, blogging related articles, and blogs that have actively provided tools for the purpose of encourage user creativity.

Although, no one piece of information has enlightened me with its content when I consider and assimilate this information, I am inspired to keep building on my own interests and ideas.

I believe this is the gift that shouldn’t be denied by those interested in this movement as well as being a vital and active participant.

Articles like: Blogging, what is it?, Will Blog for Cash (webby lament), and Small Business Blogging. Provided a considerable amount of encouragement from the higher sources. Experienced journalists, software developers, and regular Joe’s who can recall life before blogging and are refreshed by the tool itself.

I am not certain that the average user has the same level of appreciation for what this web service offering is really doing, however, getting information from the most reliable and usually fundamental places, those that pioneered this service from inception are the best ways to stay focused and inspired continually as you develop more customized personal/professional interest (see also Open Source As a Business Strategy and It's Tool Time.
Even on basic levels it’s eye catching. You cannot say this about technology across the board. Finding out about blogging is to immediately and compulsively want to participate in it.

Whether your interests are: Technical i.e. experimenting with code, template design; Creative, writing, logging information, just plain romantic fascination or some combination in between. Blogging is an ideal and timely platform to express these personal fetishes for more than just sinless self indulgence.

Open sourcing and peer2peer are also thriving with greater freedom within the realm of blogs. When you hear the frustrated rantings of journalist accustomed to being paid to write you encounter a very small reflection of the average blogger. What determines the possibility for revenue is content. Is your writing or “ethereal” blog content really so prolific that you should expect donation? If yes, well then do it. Most of the information that is interesting in the future tense is not in and of itself pure enough to arouse this expectation therefore, simply obtaining a hands on self controlled tool is rewarding for those looking to pioneer further with this tool serving as a foundation.

Some new ideas are incorporating not only business applications but educational ones as well. I think this is an excellent idea for making more of moments that could use some insightful revamping.

Whatever brought you to wonder about blogging. I hope that you continue looking for ways to take it further.

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Self Publishing and Web Services

You don't have to be into programming to realize the value of a web service. Blogging is proof that web services are a useful tool, bringing technology and the masses closer together.

Self publishing reflects similar structures of developing and maintaining ideas and information exchange. Much of the media still questions why certain types of news is still not a commodity the masses are willing to pay for. I wasn't sure if they were joking or not. Some news is timely, relevant, and important to consider. I think belaboring the act of providing this news misses the mark. Not every single thing a person does is suppose to make them a millionaire. Save for the reward of riches from distancing oneself from ignorance, thusly, securing their own future.

Part of what makes news or information valuable is really the data mining aspects. News in its raw form must still be honed and analyzed in order to reveal its true value. Self-publishing "blogging" is becoming a popular medium for enabling individuals to express and exchange ideas in order to locate the value of the original information.

While many of these terms have a popular meaning in programming, essentially it still serves the same purpose to civilians living outside the structure of technology architecture but safely within the walls of direct applications and implementation. It is common to get thrown off by the surrealistic sound of technology jargon, however, after that it is still important to realize that it's not really a foreign language. Much like lyrics to a song, that may sound different based on the style of music used to present it. Makes sense right?

Blogging clearly is a web service that touched a very human need for expression, much in the way that email touched the need for communication. Too, bad for us all that this came in after all the other bogus sales centric services gave the internet a bad reputation.
Who suffers the most for this inappropriate activity? Truthfully everyone has.

Data mining is an important term because it relates directly as well as metaphorically to the complexities of the information age. We have unlimited access to information now that was the point. Just like the miners for gold the land must be marked off and slowly sifted through in order to obtain the valueable resources. Nearly impossible to simply intuit and forget it. Now that we have all this information, it must be sorted sifted, distributed, anaylzed, tested, redistributed, and so on until its potential can be fully appreciated and put to correct use.

This process may take place on many levels. Primarily, data mining is thought of as a marketing term, however, on another level, we arrive at social norms, political analysis, artistic expressions, mathematical problem solving / philosophical theory, and scientific fact collecting for intelligence advancements.

In this instance, it becomes increasingly more important that data be not only collected, but mined, organized, filtered, and refined before it becomes valueable content to publish for other viewers. Even this is just a step one.

Microsoft is releasing Office 11 for beta testing. There is a tremendous amount of speculation as to what this will mean exactly. I spoke with one programmer who felt that this tool would have little to no impact on the independent developer or the administrative/consumer.

I don't believe that, I do believe that no one is expecting over night or over the counter salvation. At this point, I think everyone knows as good as its sounds its not going to happen. I think it will provide the opportunity to seal the crack or bridge the gap between the world of the IT programmer and the world of the IT applications consumer. Familizing both sides with language similarities and allowing for the tool users to become more well versed in basic applications, code, and uses.

I realistically can't see this going any other way. Perhaps if no one was blogging it would be possible, but with all these new web service technologies and simple code placement being put into the hands of anyone with a pc and dsl, new doors are opening the minds of those who have been kept out. In addition, to allowing programmers to witness the social effects that technology may have on the general public.

It's not so much about this new tool but about what the tool represents. As far as I can see. Without competition, I don't expect much resistance. You may not see everyone waiting outside for the stores to open, but the anticipation will be there just the same. The article, " Office 11 Needs XML" found in eWeek Magazine touches on many of the points I was attempting to make earlier, if only with the gloves still on.