Meeting of Minds on the Internet

Monday, May 25, 1998

Events
Meeting of Minds on the Internet

METAHOLLYWOOD

CURRENT QUOTES

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GLOSSARY

t should come as no surprise that this week's meeting of the minds on Internet and society will be held at a place like Harvard University (

). Where better? Leaders in business, government, law, education and technology will focus on such topics as civic behavior in cyberspace, equipment and Net access, "dynamics" of news gathering and Third World access to the Net.
     Scheduled to speak at the International Harvard Conference on Internet & Society, which runs Tuesday through Friday at the campus in Cambridge, Mass., are Sun Microsystems' Scott G. McNealy, Oracle's Lawrence J. Ellison and IBM's Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
     For more information, call (617) 432-1638 or go to the Web site at http://www.cybercon98.org.

     CYBERSPACE
     * Quick Hits: There are numerous sites devoted to small-office/home-office associations. Most include information on online newsletters, benefits, news, links and other resources. Here are a few: the Small Office Home Office Assn. (http://www.sohoa.com), the SOHO America Advocacy (http://www.soho.org), the American Assn. of Home-Based Businesses (http://www.aahbb.org), the American Home Business Assn. (http://www.homebusiness.com), the National Assn. of Home Based Business (http://www.usahomebusiness) and the Home Office Assn. (http://www.hoaa.com).
     * SOHO Diversity: There are at least a handful of sites devoted to assisting and informing managers of women- and minority-owned businesses. At http://www.
     blackbusiness.com, you'll find SOHO info for black-owned businesses. Black Women on the Web (http://www.dtshop.com/bwow) has small-business and home-business resources for African American women.
     * Info Central: The Business Resource Center (http://www.morebusiness.com) offers info for all kinds of business owners. Check out business and profitability tips, Tax Talk, Marketing Department and the Management Center. You'll also find upcoming trade show listings, financing guides, templates and work sheets for business agreements and plans, discussion groups, and software and reviews.
     * You Want Answers? The Times' Small Business Web site can be found at http://www.latimes.com/smallbiz. Check out the 30 most-asked questions about small business, tips on how to start a small business, listings of classes and events, and articles from The Times' archives.
     * Get Involved: Advocacy issues are a primary focus of the National Assn. for the Self-Employed. It offers a weekly briefing on legislative issues and activities that affect small businesses and advocacy efforts, in addition to a reference area and a survey of the "joys and sorrows" of owning a small business. The NASE site is at http://www.membership.com/nase.
     * Sitting Pretty: Ergonomics is just as important in a small or home office as it is in a bigger one, so stop by ErgoWeb (http://www.ergoweb.com) for the lowdown on ergonomics standards, guidelines and publications. The site has an interactive buying guide and case studies on ergonomics gone awry.
     * Don't Forget: Last, but not least, is the good ol' Small Business Administration, for starting, financing or expanding your office. The national SBA is online at http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov, and the California SBA is at http://www.csba.com.
     * Online Research: Calling itself the "one-stop resource for business, management and technology knowledge," Brint.com (http://www.brint.com) allows you to conduct research online, visit a virtual library on knowledge management, participate in online discussions and read or post publication and event announcements.
     * I've Got a Secret: Read one more story about some 23-year-old who has developed the hot new technology and you'll scream? Can't figure out what their secret is? Maybe it's the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization (http://www.yeo.org), which has strategic alliances, news and contacts.
* * *     Please send site suggestions to cutting.edge@latimes.com.

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