DATA POINTS: TECH SUPPORT HOURS.

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Extended tech support hours have become standard for almost all business and consumer software companies, according to a new survey by the Association of Support Professionals (ASP). Drawing on data from 152 respondents, the survey found that 65% of companies now provide at least 11 hours of daily phone coverage, while 15% provide 24-hour coverage on weekdays. Because of time zone differences, East Coast support lines typically open at 8:00am and close at 7:00pm EST (median); West Coast companies usually operate between 6:00am and 5:00pm PST (median).

"Tech Support Hours," Association of Support Professionals, 17 Main St., Watertown, Mass. 02472; 617/924-3944, ext. 14. Web: www.asponline.com.

GOLDMAN, SACHS analyst David Bolotsky on the importance of a "human touch" in online sales: "Just as it is in stores, it's going to be customer service that distinguishes companies from one another online." (Quoted in Computerworld, 1/25/99)

PHAR LAP SOFTWARE president Richard Smith on his discovery that Microsoft Office was transmitting a hardware identifying number even when he instructed the registration program not to send it: "Microsoft never asked me if it was O.K. to send in this number, and they never said it was being sent. They are apparently building a database that relates Ethernet adapter addresses to personal information." (Quoted in The New York Times, 3/7/99)

TECHNET political director Wade Randlett on complaints that Al Gore's Web site was asking kids to submit their names, e-mail addresses, and zip codes: "Nothing bad could happen unless you believed the Al Gore campaign was going to stalk your children." (Quoted in The Wall Street Journal, 4/29/99)

STONE INVESTMENT analyst Gary Clayton on Internet scams: "Most of the fraud that has arisen has so far been customers ripping off businesses, not the other war around." (Quoted in The Wall Street Journal, 6/21/99)

JUNKBUSTERS president Jason Catlett on why his privacy organization believes consumers will oppose the merger of Abacus Direct and DoubleClick, two companies with large customer databases: "The vast majority would say, OHell, no!' to inclusion in a database that would be a powerful instrument of surveillance. If they do build it, it's going to come back and haunt them in a few years as the privacy horror stories come out." (Quoted in Internet World, 6/21/99)

ABACUS founder Tony White on the actual response to his company's pending merger: "You know how many consumers have called us? Zero. You know how many privacy groups have called us? Zero." (Quoted in DM News, 6/21/99)

ACUITY president Mark Whipple Saul on why his company decided to abandon its iChat chat and messaging application: "As an application model, there was nowhere to go. There just wasn't a growing business there." (Quoted in PC Week, 12/21/98)

VOLPE BROWN WHELAN analyst Andrea Williams on the chat market: "As more people come online, the desire to communicate has grown, and these sites have moved up the traffic charts quite aggressively." (Quoted in The Wall Street Journal, 1/6/99)

POSTSCRIPT: Lately, we've been sending a fair amount of e-mail to our subscribers--surveys, Web site announcements, discount offers, etc. Newsletters tend to stay close to their readers, but e-mail has begun to transform Soft[yen]letter into a more interesting two-way conversation. Trouble is, there are still subscribers whose e-mail addresses seem to be a secret. If you'd like to join the conversation, we need your help. The easiest way is to send us a quick note ([e-mail]); we'll take care of the rest. Since this issue explores privacy issues, by the way, it's worth noting that our policy is never to share or sell any subscriber e-mail addresses.