Singles Magazine -

Singles The Magazine for Today's Single
From Our Sponsors: Make Them Remember You With A Gift From Lobster Gram!	*FROM OUR PUBLISHER:* I’m Getting Back to Basics, - - -and I need Your Help by Betty Van Volkenburg Our brief, 2 month, northern New York summer is over and it’s time to get back into our usual routine. But is that what we really want to do? You know the old saying ‘if you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got’. Well, I don’t know about you, but this past year is not something I want to repeat, at least not totally so. For the past year and half I have been unemployed from my usual occupation of Programming consultant with Database management systems. I had often lamented not having time to develop a home based business for my retirement years and thought this would be a perfect time to work on learning to do that. With my programming skills I felt the best environment for me would be the internet, so I dived in. I’ve certainly learned a lot, mostly how NOT to make money which wasn’t really the objective. The proliferation of Money Making schemes has been incredible and many people are definitely making a lot of money, at least the ones who create the schemes in the first place. If I had been less reluctant about getting into bulk marketing I might have made scads of money too, but if it doesn’t feel right and ethical, I just can’t do it. Like those ‘fly-in’ ads that end up on your computer and you have no idea how they got there. Some clever, and less ethical, programmer created a program that sends ads to your IP address. Every computer has a unique IP address, just like a phone number. Marketers can send to a bank of IP numbers without ever knowing who or where they are, just like with telemarketers who dial all phone numbers between 000-000-000 and 999-999-999. But the internet community has reacted – strongly, and these fly-in ads are in the process of being banned almost everywhere. You can see some of the programs I found ethical enough to join, included in my marketing site, along with some really good free resources at http://www.bvventures.com But I digress – as I am wont to do. My original point is that if we want a successful life, we can’t keep doing the same old things. We have to be willing to change, or at least consider change. But the pothole there is that you can get distracted, as I can do, from your original goal too. My intention had been to study marketing to improve the Singles Center, and to set up a business to build up a future retirement fund. I had intended The Singles Center to be a resource for singles more than a big money maker, but I got so wrapped up in the new lessons I was learning I neglected my original goals, which were actually more non-profit than profit. Perhaps what I need to do is work more on combining them. As a long time single myself, and founder of non-profit support groups for singles several years ago, I had been aware of a prevailing discriminatory attitude towards singles and wanted to create a supportive internet community for singles. But times have changed over the years and perhaps my views of singles and their place in society is not accurate. If I am to get back to my original goals for The Singles Center I need to get an accurate picture of singles and what their needs are. Now, this is where you come in. I need your help in getting an up to date profile of singles on and off the internet, so I can update my goals and plans. You can help by completing the general survey and answering some short questions on the survey form at http://www.singlescenter.com/Membership/survey.htm and you can also help by submitting your comments on the contact form at http://www.singlescenter.com/contact.htm Because of being overwhelmed with spam I can no longer give you my personal email address but I retrieve the comments daily from the site and I promise I will get back to you. The survey and comments will be combined and sent to our subscribers so they can see the kind of singles we get as visitors and what they are interested in. Help me get back on track to building the best site for singles on the internet. I’d like to offer you some fabulous prize for completing the survey, like those big pocket marketers do, but as I am individual ‘net-preneur’ I don’t have the budget for that – yet. One idea I am working on is to find a way to grow the site and share the profits with the members, like the affiliate programs that marketers have for their marketing sites. If I can devise an honest, workable affiliate program you will be the first to know. One of my favorite things to do with the site is a search for a Singles Role Model. There are many singles who are involved in helping others, either individually or as part of a group and I love to give them recognition. You can submit your nomination in our Community Wing at http://www.singlescenter.com/Community until the end of October. You can also read about past winners there. The deadline is extended this year as I was preoccupied with my own community involvement activity – working on establishing a Single Adult Ministry at my church in Webster NY. You can read about it at SAM’s Lambs site http://www.singlescenter.org/gslambs A few new things have been added to The Singles Center which you can find through our Foyer entrance at http://www.singlescenter.com/foyer.htm One of these is a new Travel partner to provide travel resources in our Travel Wing at http://www.singlescenter.com/Travel Our first sponsored group trip is a Singles Valentine Cruise in February 2004, co-hosted with SAM's Lambs of Webster NY. I’m also working on creating our own chat room sessions. I apologize to all those who have been disappointed that we have not had our chat room open, but I had to face the reality that I can’t keep doing the work of four people and expect the same quality. But, part of my plan is to have full time Chat leaders who will keep our chat room open and available in various time zones, at least in North America anyway. As our fall season progresses you’ll start thinking about the holidays, so keep Our Galleria of shopping in mind at http://www.ourgalleria.com I have a special interest in Our Galleria as it is a fund raiser for our SAM’s Lambs at my Good Shepherd church. The motto for Our Galleria is ‘Tis Better to Give Than Receive’ – you buy 3 or more gifts to give to someone and we give you another one for free. By the way, if you’re looking for a way to raise money for your organization mention it in the contact form and I’ll be happy to set up a way for you to do that. Singles Center VIP members should use Our Galleria in the Members wing where they save 15% off the public version, all year round. You can find all the links for the surveys, the new features, and other topics in the online version of the Singles Courier at http://www.singlescenter.com/Newsletters/sc0921.htm Now, it’s time to get back to my long To Do list so - - God Bless you ‘with gladness and singleness of heart’ Betty Van Volkenburg

Singles
The Magazine for Today's Single

From Our Sponsors:

Make Them Remember You With A Gift From Lobster Gram!

FROM OUR PUBLISHER:

I’m Getting Back to Basics,
- - -and I need Your Help

by Betty Van Volkenburg

Our brief, 2 month, northern New York summer is over and it’s time to get back into our usual routine. But is that what we really want to do? You know the old saying ‘if you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got’. Well, I don’t know about you, but this past year is not something I want to repeat, at least not totally so.

For the past year and half I have been unemployed from my usual occupation of Programming consultant with Database management systems. I had often lamented not having time to develop a home based business for my retirement years and thought this would be a perfect time to work on learning to do that. With my programming skills I felt the best environment for me would be the internet, so I dived in. I’ve certainly learned a lot, mostly how NOT to make money which wasn’t really the objective. The proliferation of Money Making schemes has been incredible and many people are definitely making a lot of money, at least the ones who create the schemes in the first place.

If I had been less reluctant about getting into bulk marketing I might have made scads of money too, but if it doesn’t feel right and ethical, I just can’t do it. Like those ‘fly-in’ ads that end up on your computer and you have no idea how they got there. Some clever, and less ethical, programmer created a program that sends ads to your IP address. Every computer has a unique IP address, just like a phone number. Marketers can send to a bank of IP numbers without ever knowing who or where they are, just like with telemarketers who dial all phone numbers between 000-000-000 and 999-999-999. But the internet community has reacted – strongly, and these fly-in ads are in the process of being banned almost everywhere. You can see some of the programs I found ethical enough to join, included in my marketing site, along with some really good free resources at http://www.bvventures.com

But I digress – as I am wont to do. My original point is that if we want a successful life, we can’t keep doing the same old things. We have to be willing to change, or at least consider change. But the pothole there is that you can get distracted, as I can do, from your original goal too. My intention had been to study marketing to improve the Singles Center, and to set up a business to build up a future retirement fund. I had intended The Singles Center to be a resource for singles more than a big money maker, but I got so wrapped up in the new lessons I was learning I neglected my original goals, which were actually more non-profit than profit. Perhaps what I need to do is work more on combining them.

As a long time single myself, and founder of non-profit support groups for singles several years ago, I had been aware of a prevailing discriminatory attitude towards singles and wanted to create a supportive internet community for singles. But times have changed over the years and perhaps my views of singles and their place in society is not accurate. If I am to get back to my original goals for The Singles Center I need to get an accurate picture of singles and what their needs are.

Now, this is where you come in. I need your help in getting an up to date profile of singles on and off the internet, so I can update my goals and plans. You can help by completing the general survey and answering some short questions on the survey form at http://www.singlescenter.com/Membership/survey.htm and you can also help by submitting your comments on the contact form at http://www.singlescenter.com/contact.htm Because of being overwhelmed with spam I can no longer give you my personal email address but I retrieve the comments daily from the site and I promise I will get back to you. The survey and comments will be combined and sent to our subscribers so they can see the kind of singles we get as visitors and what they are interested in.

Help me get back on track to building the best site for singles on the internet. I’d like to offer you some fabulous prize for completing the survey, like those big pocket marketers do, but as I am individual ‘net-preneur’ I don’t have the budget for that – yet.

One idea I am working on is to find a way to grow the site and share the profits with the members, like the affiliate programs that marketers have for their marketing sites. If I can devise an honest, workable affiliate program you will be the first to know.

One of my favorite things to do with the site is a search for a Singles Role Model. There are many singles who are involved in helping others, either individually or as part of a group and I love to give them recognition. You can submit your nomination in our Community Wing at http://www.singlescenter.com/Community until the end of October. You can also read about past winners there. The deadline is extended this year as I was preoccupied with my own community involvement activity – working on establishing a Single Adult Ministry at my church in Webster NY. You can read about it at SAM’s Lambs site http://www.singlescenter.org/gslambs

A few new things have been added to The Singles Center which you can find through our Foyer entrance at http://www.singlescenter.com/foyer.htm One of these is a new Travel partner to provide travel resources in our Travel Wing at http://www.singlescenter.com/Travel Our first sponsored group trip is a Singles Valentine Cruise in February 2004, co-hosted with SAM's Lambs of Webster NY.

I’m also working on creating our own chat room sessions. I apologize to all those who have been disappointed that we have not had our chat room open, but I had to face the reality that I can’t keep doing the work of four people and expect the same quality. But, part of my plan is to have full time Chat leaders who will keep our chat room open and available in various time zones, at least in North America anyway.

As our fall season progresses you’ll start thinking about the holidays, so keep Our Galleria of shopping in mind at http://www.ourgalleria.com I have a special interest in Our Galleria as it is a fund raiser for our SAM’s Lambs at my Good Shepherd church. The motto for Our Galleria is ‘Tis Better to Give Than Receive’ – you buy 3 or more gifts to give to someone and we give you another one for free. By the way, if you’re looking for a way to raise money for your organization mention it in the contact form and I’ll be happy to set up a way for you to do that. Singles Center VIP members should use Our Galleria in the Members wing where they save 15% off the public version, all year round.

You can find all the links for the surveys, the new features, and other topics in the online version of the Singles Courier at http://www.singlescenter.com/Newsletters/sc0921.htm

Now, it’s time to get back to my long To Do list so - -

God Bless you
‘with gladness and singleness of heart’

Betty Van Volkenburg