managing your personal finance

A few years ago, the Internet experienced a video revolution. As broadband access expanded and more people began uploading content, video became an expected resource for consumers. Businesses could get more mileage out of television commercials and engage users by linking to video reviews of its products.

A year ago, we saw evidence of small and medium-sized business increasing budgets for video content – to be used both on their homepages and in advertisements. In 2009, 19% of businesses polled were using video (up from 5% in 2008) and I’m willing to bet that number will be much higher in the 2010 report that should come out later this month.

Now, as technology has become more affordable and increasingly mobile, we’re able to experience virtually anything online. As such, local search engines are evolving into master content synthesizers to meet the needs of consumers and advertisers alike – offering video and photos, local advertising deals, user reviews, QR codes, maps and directions, etc.

Consumer expectations of local search engines have never been higher. Users want to see photo and video reviews of a company’s products, read what other people have to say, and even take a virtual tour of your store or restaurant before they visit.

The same is true of small- and medium-sized business owners looking to find a competitive advantage. Local search engines are offering more dynamic content than ever before to users and it’s up to search marketers to help business owners feed that content.

It’s interesting to see how video content has changed since the advent of YouTube. Instead of traditional video advertising, we’re seeing new technology that lets users look around your business from their own home. Soon, we’ll be able to find virtual creations of almost any environment online – and those virtual tours are being integrated with current deals and other advertising promotions to drive traffic to your business.

Recently, a company called EveryScape partnered with Bing and YP to offer digital advertisers a new local search solution – virtual tours. For example, YP360 will let a user step inside a restaurant in Baltimore while they’re still on the train. They can choose a place and even set a reservation, all within the same application on their phone.

Google Earth has gone indoors and local search engines are responsible for bringing this detailed and vivid content to users while keeping it simple and accessible. And the business case for offering this new content to users and advertisers alike is clear as local advertising is expected to grow to $16.1 billion this year, up from $13.7 billion in 2010.

Even more, mobile phone advertising spending is expected to be more than a billion dollars in 2011, up 48% from 2010. Local search engines like YP and Yelp! are seeing over 20 million visitors a month, many of them accessing via mobile phones.

This is a great opportunity for local search engines and advertisers to embrace this new technology and get ahead of the pack. Effective local advertising goes beyond building a social networking presence and listing in directories – you have to make sure your content is engaging. In the online world, the savviest local search marketers who use this technology well will have the most successful campaigns.

I recommend that any business owner or local search marketer read up on the latest digital advertising solutions and consider offering your customers virtual tours of your products or store. To set your business apart, you need to stay current with the best that local search has to offer.

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

Related Topics: Locals Only

Blogger Andrew Trench recently presented a theory on the threshold of when Internet penetration starts to matter, writing:

Social networks have also been given plenty of credit for the revolution unfolding in Egypt.

So I went and had a look at the numbers over on www.internetworldstats.com to see what they could tell us about these two scenarios. Well, fascinatingly, both Egypt and Tunisia have seen a massive growth in internet users and internet penetration over the last 10 years.

Both have now got internet penetration of over 20% and in Tunisia's case it was as high as 34%.

While it is clearly simplistic to over-state this factor and there must be many more drivers contributing to such a rapid political uprising, it is obviously a factor as evidenced by the Egyptian regime pulling the plug on the country's internet access to try and block the rising tide of revolt.

My back-of-napkin theory is this: that a rapid increase in internet penetration in a repressive regime does play an important role as it provides an unfettered channel of communication allowing disaffected citizens to share views - and more importantly - to rapidly organise and mobilise.

If Egypt and Tunisia are valid case studies, it looks like internet penetration of around 20% is the mark.

Geopolitics & Macroeconomics adds:

Internet penetration: Social networking sites were critical to sustaining the momentum in the recent protests. The internet penetration in Egypt is 16%. In Libya, it is a meagre 5% [1]. The unrest in Libya has thus far remained concentrated in regions that are geographically distant from the seat of ‘real' power (see more on this below). The dependence of momentum on internet communication is far greater in Libya than in Egypt where protests began in Cairo itself.

Taking the conversation to Pakistan, Sabene Saigol writes, on BrandRepublic:

Perhaps one reason for this is that we're still not that used to communicating via the ‘net - maybe we need greater broadband and internet penetration. Personally I think it is more to do with culture - while Pakistani internet users are savvy to using social media to connect with friends, I feel they have not yet ‘crossed over' to seeing SM as a means for professional communications - or even wider social communications that go beyond their immediate circle. Yes, there are no doubt savvy people - both within marketing and tech circles, and outside - however, these people are likely a tiny proportion of the total number of ‘net and social media users.

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Josh Pastner of Memphis Tigers gets new 5-year deal

Memphis coach Josh Pastner receive a new five-year contract Tuesday.

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REPORT: <b>News</b> Corp. In Talks To Hand Over Control Of MySpace To <b>...</b>

News Corp. is in preliminary talks to give control of Myspace to Vevo.com, the site partly owned by top record companies, including Universal Music and Sony Music, according to a Bloomberg report. News Corp. has been looking to unload ...

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<b>News</b> Effects | HiLobrow

News videographer Dan Chung's footage of the tsunami devastation is moving, literally and morally. Shot on assignment for the Guardian, the work has attracted a good deal of attention—and no small amount of criticism, ...

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Dirty Percent

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

It’s not hard to make the case that Apple’s new in-app subscription system offers numerous benefits to users, developers, and publishers. But whatever those benefits, they stem from the mere existence of these new subscription APIs. What’s controversial is the size of Apple’s cut: 30 percent.

No one is arguing that Apple shouldn’t get some cut of in-app purchases that go through iTunes. And, if Apple were taking a substantially smaller cut, there would be substantially fewer people objecting to Apple’s rules (that subscription-based publishing apps must use the system; that they can’t link to their external sign-up web page from within the app; and that they must offer in-app subscribers the same prices available outside the app).

The reasonable arguments against Apple’s policies seem to be:

• Apple should be taking less, perhaps far less, than 30 percent.




• Apple should not require subscription-based apps to use the in-app subscription APIs. If it’s a good deal for publishers, they’ll choose to use the system on their own.




• Apple should not require price-matching from subscription offers outside the app. Publishers should be allowed to charge iOS users more money to cover Apple’s cut.




• Apple should consider business models that simply can’t afford a 70/30 revenue split.

Let’s consider these in reverse order.

Apple Should Consider Business Models That Can’t Afford a 70/30 Revenue Split

Apple doesn’t give a damn about companies with business models that can’t afford a 70/30 split. Apple’s running a competitive business; competition is cold and hard. And who exactly can’t afford a 70/30 split? Middlemen. It’s not that Apple is opposed to middlemen — it’s that Apple wants to be the middleman. It’s difficult to expect them to be sympathetic to the plights of other middlemen.

Some of these apps and services that are left out might be ones that iOS users enjoy, though. This is the leading argument for how this new policy will in fact hurt users, and, as a result, Apple itself: it’ll drive good apps off the platform. Frequently mentioned examples: Netflix and Kindle. For all we know, though, Netflix may well be fine with this policy. Apple would only get a 30 percent cut of new subscriptions that go through the Netflix iOS app, and that might be a bounty Netflix can live with in exchange for more subscribers. Keep in mind, too, that Netflix and Apple seemingly get along well enough that Netflix is built into the Apple TV system software.

Kindle, and e-book platforms in general, are a different case. For one thing, Kindle doesn’t use subscriptions. Kindle offers purchases. Presumably, given Apple’s rejection of Sony’s e-book platform app last month, Apple is going to insist on the same rules for in-app purchases through apps like Kindle as they do for in-app subscriptions. If so, something’s got to give. The “agency model” through which e-books are sold requires the bookseller to give the publisher 70 percent of the sale price. So if the publisher gets 70 and Apple gets 30, that leaves a big fat nothing for Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or Kobo, or anyone else selling books through native iOS apps — other than iBooks, of course.

But leaving aside the revenue split, there are technical limitations as well. The existing in-app purchasing system in iOS has a technical limit of 3,500 catalog items. I.e. any single app can offer no more than 3,500 items for in-app purchase. Amazon has hundreds of thousands of Kindle titles.

Something’s got to give here. I don’t know what, but there must be more news on this front coming soon. I don’t believe Apple wants to chase competing e-book platforms off the App Store.

Apple Should Not Require Price Matching

Why not allow developers and publishers to set their own prices for in-app subscriptions? One reason: Apple wants its customers to get the best price — and, to know that they’re getting the best price whenever they buy a subscription through an app. It’s a confidence in the brand thing: with Apple’s rules, users know they’re getting the best price, they know they’ll be able to unsubscribe easily, and they know their privacy is protected.

Credit card companies insist on similar rules: retailers pay a processing fee for every credit card transaction, but the credit card companies insist that these fees not be passed on to the customer. Customers pay the same price as they would if they used cash — which encourages them to use their credit card liberally. (Going further, many charge cards offer cash back on each purchase — they can do this because the cash-back percentage refunded to the customer is less than the transaction processing fee paid by the retailer.)

So the same-price rule is good for the user, and good for Apple. But Matt Drance argues that Apple could dissipate much of this subscription controversy by waiving this rule:

The requirement that IAP content be offered “at the same price
or less than it is offered outside the app,” combined with the
70/30 split, means developers must make less money off of iOS by
definition. They can’t price their IAP content higher to offset
the commission, nor can they price their own retail content lower.

If I am interpreting this correctly, I can’t bring myself to see
it as reasonable. […] I think a great deal of this drama could
go away if Apple dropped section 11.13 while keeping section
11.14: Your prices on your store are your business; just don’t
be a jerk and advertise the difference all over ours.

And I agree with him. Yes, the same-price rule is good for users and for Apple, but waiving this rule wouldn’t be particularly bad for users or for Apple, either — and it would give publishers some freedom to experiment.

I suspect one reason Apple won’t budge is that their competitors — like Amazon — insist on best-price matching.

Apple Should Not Require Apps to Offer In-App Subscriptions

I’m sympathetic to this argument, too. “If you don’t like our terms, don’t use our subscription system.” But it has occurred to me that this entire in-app subscription debate mirrors the debate surrounding the App Store itself back in 2008 — that 30 percent was too large a cut for Apple to take, that it shouldn’t be mandatory, etc. The same way many developers wanted (and still want) a way to sell native iOS apps on their own, outside the App Store, many publishers now want a way to sell subscriptions on their own, outside the App Store.

The fact is, the App Store is an all-or-nothing affair. You play by Apple’s rules or you stick to web apps through Mobile Safari. This alternative is no different for periodical publishers than it was (and remains) for app developers in general. A lot of these demands boil down to a desire for more autonomy for native iOS app developers. Apple has never shown any interest in that.

There’s one striking difference between the subscription controversy today and the App Store controversy in 2008: with subscriptions, Apple is taking away the ability to do something that they previously allowed. There was never a supported way to install native apps for iOS before the App Store. Subscriptions sold outside the App Store, on the other hand, were allowed until last month.

Apple Should Be Taking Less, Possibly Far Less, Than 30 Percent

Another difference between the App Store itself and in-app subscriptions is that with apps, Apple hosts and serves the downloads. Apple covers the bandwidth, even for gargantuan gigabyte-or-larger 99-cent games. The OS handles installation.

With in-app subscriptions (and purchases), however, the app developer is responsible for hosting the content, and for writing the code to download, store, and manage it. So — one reasonable argument goes — given that Apple is doing less for subscription content than it does for apps (or for music and movies purchased through iTunes), Apple should take less of the money.

Taken further, the argument boils down to this: that for in-app subscriptions and purchases, Apple is serving only as a payment processer — and thus, a reasonable fee for transactions would be in the small single digits — 3, 4, maybe 5 percent, say. More or less something along the lines of what PayPal charges.

Apple, I think it’s clear, doesn’t see it this way. Apple sees the entire App Store, along with all native iOS apps, as an upscale, premium software store: owned, controlled, and managed like a physical shopping mall. Brick and mortar retailers don’t settle for a single-digit cut of retail prices; neither does the App Store.

Seth Godin argues that Apple’s 30 percent cut is too big to allow publishers to profit:

Except Apple has announced that they want to tax each subscription
made via the iPad at 30%. Yes, it’s a tax, because what it does is
dramatically decrease the incremental revenue from each
subscriber. An intelligent publisher only has two choices: raise
the price (punishing the reader and further cutting down
readership) or make it free and hope for mass (see my point above
about the infinite newsstand). When you make it free, it’s all
about the ads, and if you don’t reach tens or hundreds of
thousands of subscribers, you’ll fail.

Godin’s logic strikes me as questionable. For one thing, he freely switches between a newsstand metaphor (arguing, perhaps accurately, that the App Store is too large for publishers to gain attention from potential readers in the first place — you won’t read what you never notice) and the economics of subscriptions. But subscribers are the opposite of newsstand readers. Newsstand readers are buying a single copy, often on impulse. Subscribers are readers who are already hooked, and who know what they want. Put another way, the size of Apple’s cut of subscription revenue — whether it were higher or lower — has no bearing on the “attention at the newsstand” problem.

Second, the problem facing traditional publishers today is that circulation is falling. Newsstand sales and subscriptions are falling, under pressure from free-of-charge websites and other forms of digital content. The idea with Apple’s 70-30 revenue split is that developers and publishers can make it up in volume — that people aren’t just somewhat more willing to pay for content through iTunes than other online content stores, they are far more willing. The idea is that Apple has cracked a nut no one else1 has — they’ve created an ecosystem where hundreds of millions of people are willing to pay for digital content. Thus, potentially, publishers won’t just make more money keeping only 70 percent of subscription fees generated through iOS apps than they are now with 96 percent (or whatever they’re left with after payment processing fees) of subscription fees they’re selling on their own — they stand to make a lot more money.

I’m not guaranteeing or even predicting that it’s going to work out that way. I’m just saying that’s Apple’s proposition.

Godin’s assumption is that iOS in-app subscriptions won’t significantly increase the number of subscribers. If he’s right about that, then he’s right that Apple’s 30 percent cut will prove too expensive for publishers. But Apple’s bet is that in-app subscriptions can dramatically increase the number of subscribers. Consider the app landscape. Apple’s 30 percent cut didn’t drive the price of paid apps up — the nature of the App Store drove prices down. It’s a volume game.

The App Store itself proves that Apple might be right. Like with app sales, in-app subscriptions won’t work for every publication. But it could work for many. It really is possible to make it up in volume.

And if a 70-30 split for in-app subscription revenue doesn’t work, the price will come down. That’s how capitalism works. You choose a price and see how it goes. I’ll admit — when the App Store launched in 2008, I thought Apple’s 70-30 split was skewed too heavily in Apple’s favor. Not that it was wrong in any moral sense, but that it was wrong in a purely economic sense: that it might be more than developers would be willing to bear. Apple, clearly, has a better sense about what prices the market will bear than I (and, likely, you) do.

Competition vs. Anti-Competition

One last argument I’ve seen regarding these in-app subscription rules is that it’s further evidence of anti-competitive behavior from Apple. That makes sense only if you consider iOS to be the entire field of play. Apple, though, is competing at a higher level. They’re competing between platforms: iOS vs. Kindle/Amazon vs. Android/Google vs. Microsoft, and in some ways, vs. the free web. Why should publishers make an app rather than just a mobile web site? For happier customers and more money.

Sony has a platform for e-books. Amazon has a platform for e-books. Barnes & Noble has a platform for e-books. Apple has a platform for e-books. But Apple is the only one which allows its competitors to have apps on its devices. And Apple is the anti-competitive one? I’m no lawyer, but if the iTunes Music store hasn’t yet been deemed a monopoly with Apple selling 70+ percent of digital music players, then I doubt the App Store will be deemed a monopoly for a market where Apple has never been — and, according to market share trends, may never be — the top-selling smartphone maker, let alone own a majority of the market, let alone own more than a single-digit sliver of the phone market as a whole. As for ruthless profiteering, consider that Amazon, with their e-book publishing, originally took the fat end of a 70-30 revenue split with authors.

One question I’ve been asked by several DF readers who object to Apple’s new in-app subscription and purchasing policies goes like this: What if Microsoft did this with Windows, and, say, tried to require Apple to pay them 30 percent for every purchase made through iTunes on Windows? To that, I say: good luck with that. Microsoft couldn’t make such a change by fiat. The whole premise of Windows (and other personal computer systems) is that it is open to third-party software. Apple couldn’t just flip a switch and make Mac OS X a controlled app console system like iOS — they had to introduce the Mac App Store as an alternative to traditional software installation. If Microsoft introduced something similar to the Mac App Store for Windows, Apple would simply eschew it. If Microsoft were to mandate an iOS App Store-like total control policy for all Windows software, they’d have a revolt in their user base that would make Vista look like a success.

iOS isn’t and never was an open computer system. It’s a closed, controlled console system — more akin to Playstation or Wii or Xbox than to Mac OS X or Windows. It is, in Apple’s view, a privilege to have a native iOS app.

This is what galls some: Apple is doing this because they can, and no other company is in a position to do it. This is not a fear that in-app subscriptions will fail because Apple’s 30 percent slice is too high, but rather that in-app subscriptions will succeed despite Apple’s (in their minds) egregious profiteering. I.e. that charging what the market will bear is somehow unscrupulous. To the charge that Apple Inc. is a for-profit corporation run by staunch capitalists, I say, “Duh”.

If it works, Apple’s 30-percent take of in-app subscriptions will prove as objectionable in the long run as the App Store itself: not very.

With the company’s future already clouded by Steve Jobs’ latest medical leave, the possibility of the iPad’s chief designer, Jonathan Ive, cashing out ups the uncertainty, Dan Lyons writes.

Is Apple losing its design guru?

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced in January that he would take a third medical leave, the biggest concern was the cloud of uncertainty that hovered over the company. Now that uncertainty has become an issue again, as rumors have started swirling that Apple might lose its chief designer, Jonathan Ive. 

Apple's head designer Jonathan Ive poses for a portrait on January 27, 2010 in Cupertino, California. (Photo by Paul Harris / Newscom)

Reports in Ive’s native England suggest that the man who oversaw the design of the iPhone and iPad wants to spend more time in the U.K., putting him at odds with Apple’s board enough that he would consider leaving the company. Although Ive and Apple won’t comment, the scenario is plausible for two reasons: First, Ive is about to cash in options valued at $30 million that he was granted in 2008; and second, Ive has an especially close relationship with Jobs. 

Whether Ive stays or goes, the brouhaha shows the challenges that Apple is increasingly likely to face given the questions about Jobs’ role in the coming months. One scenario being bandied about by Apple-watchers suggests Ive is making a power play to succeed Jobs; it seems just as likely, however, that he simply may not want to work at Apple if Jobs isn’t there. 

Still others think the entire notion that Ive might leave is completely unfounded. But either way, the whole incident shows how the Jobs health situation is bringing more drama to a company that, until now, has been a model of tight-lipped discipline.

Apple’s products are famous for their sleek designs, and conventional wisdom holds that losing Ive would be a terrible blow to Apple—“Apple’s worst nightmare,” Britain’s Guardian called it. But the truth is, losing Ive may not be as big a deal as some Apple watchers think.

For one thing, Apple has loads of bench strength in every department, and because of its success it can attract just about anyone it wants.

“How much of this is Steve, how much is Jon, how much someone else? Steve always had an eye for design. The designer is only as good as the client,” says Jean-Louis Gassée.

For another, the real genius behind Apple’s designs might not be Ive—but rather Jobs.

That’s the educated guess of Jean-Louis Gassée, a former top executive at Apple and a longtime close watcher of the company who still has many connections there.

Gassée points out that Ive was already working at Apple when Jobs returned to the company in 1996. Ive joined the company in 1992, when Jobs was gone from the company, having been ousted by the board in 1985.

And before Jobs returned to Apple, Ive wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire. The first products that Ive designed under Jobs were the “Bondi Blue” iMac and the somewhat ugly iBook. Ive’s next products, the "desk lamp" Mac and the early metal laptops, were better looking, Gassée says.

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What’s affecting me, my clients and other small-business owners this week.

THE QUAKE IN JAPAN, A GOOFBALL IN VENEZUELA Japanese earthquake damage is estimated at $310 billion and could be the costliest natural disaster ever. Japanese exports suffer. Kate Rogers of Fox revisits how to protect your business from catastrophe. “Small-business owners can determine if they should be seeking disaster coverage by weighing their investment in the business itself, among other factors. If the business is the sole form of income, the risk is much greater than if it is a hobby or part-time project.” Elsewhere around the world, the war industry gets a boost in Libya. And Hugo Chávez of Venezuela says capitalism may have destroyed life on Mars.

REAL ESTATE FALLS, JOBS RISE Mark Thoma says commodity prices are increasing because of world demand. A small-business owner in Georgia is trying not to pass on the cost of high gas prices. Detroit’s population declines 25 percent. Existing-home sales fall to the lowest on record. Meredith Whitney, an investment adviser, says, “Unless the government comes out with a 50-year mortgage, this market is in trouble longer term.” Gallup’s job-creation index is the highest since September 2008. Durable goods orders fall.

ANNE HATHAWAY AND WARREN BUFFETT The Fed earns $79 billion and predicts that the recovery is taking hold. Nonetheless, one of its officials warns that the United States is approaching insolvency. Meanwhile, Warren E. Buffett predicts growth but some think his company’s stock is buoyed by Anne Hathaway. Household balances sheets continue to improve. Scott Grannis says “the Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey came in very strong. It hasn’t been this strong since the economic boom times of the early 1980s. It’s very difficult to ignore the mounting evidence of a strong economic recovery.” Architect billings increased slightly in February.

DEFICIT THRILLS The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget is thrilled to see 64 senators calling for comprehensive deficit reduction. But Stan Collender, a budget expert, isn’t thrilled at all: “Does a letter that is so vanilla that it could have been written at any time over the past 40 years really indicate any movement on the current budget debate?” James Pethokoukis of Reuters says he thinks President Obama’s budget is wildly dangerous.

A NEW DEFINITION OF SMALL BUSINESS Timothy F. Geithner says that American small businesses need greater access to capital to spur innovation. The Small Business Administration, facing even more cuts, is for the first time in more than 25  years proposing to change the way it defines small businesses. JPMorgan Chase says it will cease its debit card rewards program because of new legislation that would restrict fees. Missouri gets $27 million in incentives for small-business growth. The Small Business Savings Account Act makes its way through Congress.

TAKING CREDIT The health care legislation celebrates its first anniversary and Ezra Klein defends it by saying, “Is it a perfect piece of legislation? Not even close. Will everything work as expected? Almost certainly not. But for all its flaws, it’s a good law. And it’s worth trying.” Many small businesses are still not taking advantage of the health care tax credit.

TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES A Google project manager pitches cloud computing: “Web-based software is much less costly for buyers than traditional software, and programmers can be so much more innovative, that it’s worthwhile for an entrepreneur to say, O.K., let’s start from scratch.” Paul Mah, an information technology expert, gives us eight reasons to upgrade to Internet Explorer 9. Firefox 4 is released. Microsoft jumps to second in video search and introduces a new PC tool for small business. Netflix suffers an outage. BlackBerry’s tablet is scheduled to arrive in April. AT&T buys T-Mobile but not for the reason you think. And boy. has computer technology come a long way in 10 years.

THE GROWING APPS MARKET Information Week reports that 38 percent of small- and medium-size businesses depend on mobile apps. Amazon introduces an Android app store, and Apple is not pleased. Minda Zetlin of Inc. asks if you should make a tablet app for your business: “The answer is likely a yes if one, your product or service is one where having tablet access could benefit customers; and two, your customers are the type who use tablets.” Just in time: a flood of royal wedding apps.

SPEAKING OF THE BIG WEDDING General Electric releases a much-needed William and Kate refrigerator. Jack Daniels introduces a new product — perhaps to help us forget the royal wedding. Danny Wong gives us three winning ideas to consider. A dating site features a new single man every day. Score plans an e-business learning Web site for small business. Small Business Television is rebranding itself and has introduced a new Web site. Small Business Opportunities magazine is doing the same. A small business introduces its first electric car. Sales of e-books have doubled. The group buying industry is projected to grow to $2.7 billion this year.

TWITTER’S TAX BREAKS Casey Hibbard explains how one company used social media to make $300,000 in a weekend. Robert Scoble discovers the future of work: “Just when we thought we figured out the new ’social enterprise’ market along comes Convofy.” Twitter shows San Francisco’s businesses how to save a bundle on taxes. A one-legged wrestler shows us how to become a national champ.

IT’S GOOD TO BE GREEN A woman in Canada gets a standing ovation for being green. The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce holds its green marketing event on Wednesday. The Clinton Global Initiative holds its university conference this week with a focus on entrepreneurship and a live webcast.

ADVICE FOR SXSW: HAND OUT PILLOWS The Global Entrepreneurship Congress meets in Shanghai this week. April 2 is International Pillow Fight Day. The South By Southwest conference: as seen from a bunch of social media video bloggers — which is yet another reason I won’t attend next year. American Airlines offers a big promo for California business travelers. John Jantsch wants to know the worst business advice you ever received. A third-base coach gives life advice.

SEARCHING FOR HELP WITH SEARCH An American Express survey finds that more than half of small-business owners say they need help with search-engine marketing. A video about why it’s not important to go viral goes viral. Dharmesh Shah shares a few low-cost advertising ideas for start-ups and cautions readers to “think of advertising not as a long-term traffic strategy but as a testing tool to improve your Web site and find out more about your ideal visitor.” An advertising blog discusses how to develop a relationship with the media. Lucy Thornton comes up with a few good marketing themes for April.

A 100-MILLION-MEMBER NETWORK LinkedIn officially reaches 100 million members. Seems like a good time to read the co-founder’s 10 rules for entrepreneurial success.

TRIED TALKING? Whitson Gordon of Lifehacker gives us his top 10 tricks for working while on the go. Example: “Whether it’s that old, dead iPod or the smartphone you’re already carrying with you, you probably have gigs of unused storage lying around waiting to be filled with portable apps, files and other digital travel necessities.” Melanie Brooks of Workawesome.com explains why she uses a leather day planner instead of a smartphone. Greg Schinkel warns against hiding behind our keyboards: “Before you hit ‘reply to all’ and send back a zinger to someone who maligned you, stop and go talk to the person.”

THIS WEEK’S AWARDS

BEST WAY TO GET YOUR CUSTOMERS TO LOVE YOU Ben Yoskovitz talks about the benefits of delighting your customers: “The rewards are immense. Loyal, rabid fans tweet shamelessly about how incredible you are, how valuable your Web application is and how successful your start-up will be.”

BEST WAY TO MARKET WITHOUT A BUDGET Shisha Dublin-Green explains how to market without a marketing budget: “Form an alliance: if you have a hair salon that’s mostly frequented by women with young children and elderly women, you can offer a service whereby you arrange to do their grocery shopping whilst they’re in the salon. You may decide to form an alliance with a local reputable grocer or delivery service to provide this for your customers. This could also be a way to reach out to new customers via your local grocer.”

BEST ADVICE FOR BOOTSTRAPPERS The Smart Bear says that the things money cannot buy are still the most valuable things: “Show proof of your ability to master the things money cannot buy — your ability to learn, change and improve.”

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: How do you bring in customers without spending a lot? We do free webinars every month.

Gene Marks owns the Marks Group PC, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa., consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. You can follow him on Twitter.

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autosport.com - NASCAR <b>News</b>: Raikkonen to compete in NASCAR

Former Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen will make a surprising move to NASCAR this year, the Finn joining the series with a new team.

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Heavy Fire Afghanistan coming to Kinect Xbox 360 <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Xbox 360 news of Heavy Fire Afghanistan coming to Kinect.

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how to manage personal finances

Your will should cover the disposition of your assets, name a guardian for your kids, name someone to manage property you leave to your kids, and name the executor of your estate. The executor is the person with the authority to see that your will is enforced.

In addition to a will, you may want to create a living will or advance medical directive. These are documents that let your doctors and caregivers know your wishes regarding medical care in the event of a major medical event where you may be unable to make your wishes known. To give your living will more power, you may also wish to assign medical power of attorney to your spouse or another loved one. Having someone acting on your behalf can help ensure that your wishes are followed.

You should consider creating a power of attorney for someone who can take over your financial affairs if you are alive but unable to manage them. You can assign someone either “durable power of attorney” or “springing power of attorney”. The former is automatically in place. The latter requires a court hearing to prove that you are not competent to handle your own affairs. A lawyer can help you decide which is right for you.

Finally, consider writing a “digital will“. This is a document that identifies all your online accounts at sites like Facebook, Flickr, and Myspace, and gives your family instructions about what you want done with them. It should include all relevant usernames and passwords. While not a legally binding document, this can be an invaluable tool for your loved ones to gain access to your social media accounts and manage them in the way you desire.

Organization

Once you’ve created these documents, you want to keep them organized in a simple, clear place where your family can easily access them should they need to. That could be in your file cabinet, with your attorney, in a safe deposit box. Wherever you do it, you should also make sure your heirs will have simple, organized access to your financial records and accounts, and any other important papers.

For most of us, these records aren’t just on paper anymore. Not only do I need to be sure my estate executor has access to my bank account numbers and 401K accounts; I probably want that person to be able to access those accounts online, too. They’ll need to get into my computer, and be able to access my Google documents and Mint account if they’re going to really make sense of my finances. You’ll want to include any necessary banking usernames and passwords with your important papers, along with your digital will.

Communication

When you’ve created your estate plan, tell your family about it. Be certain the person you picked to be guardian for your kids is willing to do it. Make sure your executor knows where you keep your will and other important papers. Let your heirs know what to expect from your will. All this will cut down on confusion and conflict after your death.

As you can see, doing all this requires having your financial and personal affairs in order. That effort will serve you well in your lifetime, as well as being a boon to your heirs when you’re gone.

The Road Out of Debt: Bankruptcy and Other Solutions to Your Financial Problems by Joan N. Feeney and Theodore W. Connolly

You've read stories of people becoming debt-free. In personal-finance blogs, the stories are always ones of debt problems overcome through hard work and frugality. Sadly, in the real world, that doesn't always work. For reasons like illness, divorce, job loss, economic downturn, business failure, natural disaster, war — some debts entered into in good faith simply cannot be paid back. (See also: CitiMortgage Told Me to Default on My Loan)

Feeney and Connolly's new book is about how to find the dividing line between these cases, and what to do once you know which side you’re on.

Money-Management Skills

The authors provide a good short course in money management much like you’d find in any personal finance book or blog — how to budget, how to cut expenses, and how to take control of your finances. Then the book starts talking about debt — mainly about the many, many ways to use debt unwisely. In particular, they’ve got a great chapter on the sort of debt that people with financial troubles turn to in a usually futile effort to stave off financial catastrophe for one more month — payday loans, car title loans, pawn shops, loan sharks, etc.

Even before that, they provide some basic advice on negotiating with your creditors. Especially in the world of finance as it is today, there are plenty of people who could actually fulfill their obligations — except that the creditors have written rules that let them lard up a debtor’s obligations with late fees and penalty interest rates. A knowledgeable debtor with good negotiating skills can often cut through those problems and get their obligations settled reasonably cheaply.

One bit in that section that I particularly like is on the psychology of debt collectors: Some will browbeat you, some will humiliate you, some will pretend to be your friend — but however they act, they’re all just trying to get as much money from you as possible. They don’t care what other debts you have or whether you can support your family. If you don’t understand this — if you allow yourself to imagine that the ones who act like friends are actually friendly — you’re going to be less successful in your negotiations. (I talk about the same psychological issues in my post Don’t Treat Businesses Like People.)

The authors provide some useful advice on seeking help (credit counselors and the like) if your financial problems are beyond what you can manage with those basic skills — and about avoiding the scams that often masquerade as help for people with debt troubles.

Sometimes, even with help, debt problems cannot be overcome. Specifically, if you can’t cover your minimum expenses plus interest on your debts and have money left over to pay down the principle on your debts, then you're over the line. Once you're in that situation, your financial situation can only get worse — your debt burden will rise every month, even if you don't borrow any more money.

When to Consider Bankruptcy

If you could support yourself — pay for your family’s shelter, food, and clothing — except that other obligations drain away more than all the rest of your money, then it’s time to consider bankruptcy.

Even if it’s time to consider bankruptcy, it may not be the best choice. Some obligations (child support, student loans) cannot be wiped out in bankruptcy. Alternatively, if you can’t even afford the necessities, then your household is not a viable economic unit and bankruptcy won’t help.

The core of the book is the information you need to figure whether bankruptcy is worth considering — and the information to consider it and make an informed decision.

bench craft company reviews

The Funniest Fox <b>News</b> FAILS (PICTURES)

News bloopers are some of the best ones, especially when the flub involves a hilariously erroneous chyron or graphic. Fox News has had some of the funniest FAILS the Internet was able to capture, and we've corralled all the best ones ...

Out This Week – 01/04/2011 <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Out This Week – 01/04/2011. ... Latest Videos. Shift 2 trailer gears up for launch [5] 25 March, 2011. Latest News. Shift 2: Unleashed delayed by a week [16]. Shift 2: Unleashed nets Pagani Huayra [19] ...

Plutonium detected in soil at Fukushima nuke plant | Kyodo <b>News</b>

''We must control the water well so it won't ever go outside'' the complex, said Sakae Muto, vice president of TEPCO, at a news conference. On Monday, TEPCO continued to remove highly radioactive water from inside reactor buildings at ...

Search engine optimization Vancouver For any Better Marketing Solution

 

When you start your personal website there are lots of ways you'll have to sell it off and something of the best ways is by using Search engine optimization Vancouver if you happen to maintain that area. The SEO or search engine optimization services will be the top way of getting good traffic to your site and therefore making more sales.

 

Now, you need to know that you won't use SEO service if you're not an online business - but then again, if you do not have an online presence if you are an offline business, then you'll not allow it to be very far.

 

It is a popular proven fact that if you are going to really make it in the offline world you must have an online business. This is something that all business people are learning the hard way. Something that you ought to also know is the fact that it's not as easy as just setting up the web site and leaving it to complete its things.

 

You can do this in all types of ways, however these companies usually take advantage of multiple techniques to create an ideal marketing technique online. You will be able to employ them to write articles for you, post on forums and blogs, create meta tags and meta descriptions, cleanup the code, add alt tags to the images and much more.

 

It is crucial that you simply do this because otherwise the company you have worked so hard for could end up losing all the money. When you have a website you want to produce, then you'll also use the services of an SEO company, which means seo company. What the corporation does is basically go ahead and take best areas of your website, check the code, create keywords and write various articles and documents to ensure that your website is placed close to the top of the list for the major search engines.

By doing this the SEO company can not only increase your traffic, but additionally ensure that your website is fully optimized for that internet search engine spiders that'll be brought to it. These spiders are used to analyze your site and place it in certain positions determined on certain keywords.

 

If you wish to use the Search engine optimization Vancouver then all you have to do is discover the top companies. It is through these how the SEO gets done effectively and efficiently. With so many SEO companies to choose from you need to be sure that the main one you are going for is reliable. You should be able to request a failure of what you need, and also the company also needs to have the ability to tell you know long they have been operating for. This will narrow down their email list to reveal the top ones.

 

Search engine optimization Offered by Different Vancouver Web Companies

The Vancouver SEO company services are very good for business growth because they provide quality services. If you're planning to produce a website for your online business, then you have arrived at right article as I will be explaining below how Search engine optimisation Vancouver company services can increase your website ranking making it popular.

Before that, you should know what Search Engine Optimization is. It is not that complicated and I'm sure you're going to get a grasp of it after reading my article. The main goal of SEO is to have increased traffic aimed at your website and audience. It is a good decision to select a Vancouver SEO company that are experts in this kind of work, which means that your website can be indexed by search engines like google.

There is no reason for you using a website with no website ranking at all while you won't get any business and profits to outlive. It is a very tough atmosphere out there as there are so many internet business people just like you, who desire their share of pie. You have to be aware of the truth that nearly 85% of web traffic can be got from web-sites.

When a user types inside a keyword or keywords for which he/she wants to know in various sites, these use crawlers to get websites with the relevant content and index them according to algorithms. It's not necessary to worry about the algorithms which these sites use as that isn't important.

To appear within the first page from the search result, you will need to hire professionals and pros who can perform the needful to keep your website among the good books in these websites. These professionals can optimize your site content to ensure that your site gets more traffic.

When the traffic gets high, it's a sign that you are getting a service which will get you more revenues. SEO Vancouver company do the following to create your website appear within the first page of search engine results.

Use keywords that are popularly used on search engines like google on your website content.
Have a web design for your website that is simple because top sites are allergic to flash and weird designs.
Submit your site to directories.
Submit your site to directory websites.
Postings on blogs and forums with back-links for your websites. This really is regarded as an effective method of getting more traffic to your website as numerous internet users use blogs and forums.

SEO Vancouver company also perform site diagnostics that is a significant part in online optimization as research and analysis on finding keywords is the method to begin a SEO campaign. So, be sure you choose the best SEO Vancouver company.

Are you searching for more information regarding SEO Vancouver? Visit http://www.seo4vancouver.com/seo-services.asp today!

 

What to anticipate When Getting a Roofer

When the time comes to correct or replace your roof, it's really a daunting job to locate somebody that is actually competent to do the job. There are many roofing companies available, but the ones who will do a congrats for a reasonable cost aren't frequently easy to find. If you are in the market for a service provider, use the ideas below for meeting with as well as hiring the correct one.

Job interview and Discussion

The majority of roofing companies provide free consultations. This is especially important, because it provides them an opportunity to assess what your roof requirements, also it gives you a chance to assess all of them. As with all of businesses, believe in instincts about the individuals a person allow upward on your roofing. No issue exactly how great the contractor's reputation or even recommendation, he or she should start by showing a person with a company greeting card. If a service provider occurs looking and talking within an less than professional manner, most likely the job he is going to perform will also be unprofessional. This is not to express that you should expect companies to reach in fits. They is going to be hiking in your roof, so most is going to be dressed in jeans as well as work boots or even sneakers. If the contractor appears to be interested in talking on their mobile phone while on your homes roof compared to he is in analyzing your own roof's needs, which may be another indication that he is not the one for the job. For the lawful safety, be certain that the actual service provider has sufficient legal responsibility insurance.

Roof Evaluation

Expect that the service provider is going to be rising on your roof. Actually, any kind of contractor who not want to increase on your roofing to evaluate the issue should be immediately reduced. Those who are seriously interested in their own work will possibly make a sketching of the roof's surface and tag problem areas on it as they undergo their assessment, or even they'll take pictures or video of the surface area while they are available online for. This is a very essential step, because it enables you to see just what the problems are as well as know how they'll be set.

Estimate

The next phase will be the written estimate. The service provider will take away their calculator and are available track of a written estimation. Some contractors will go to their own truck or even truck and write down the suggestion, while others will crunch the actual numbers to do the job in front of you. Once you're because of the suggestion, ensure that you comprehend exactly which items is going to be used, just how long the job will take and if there are any additional or hidden costs that may occur throughout the restore of the roofing. The contractor should be able to solution all of these questions effortlessly as well as forewarn you of any extra expenses that could be sustained if the roof's integrity be broken inside.

After you have obtained several created estimations from roofing contractors, assess exactly what every company or service provider is willing to provide for the cost. Do not always low cost the greatest bid, because occasionally the highest bid will in reality be the contractor who does the task correctly. Additionally, be wary of bids which are significantly less than other people. They might be using inferior items or be untruthful concerning the possibility of hidden expenses. Above all, believe in intuition as well as go with the actual service provider who enables you to feel quite comfy regarding handing more than your hard earned money.

 

Seven Uyghurs Sentenced to Death

2011-03-23

Critics of the sentences say China has politicized the robberies as acts of terrorism.

 

AFP

A Uyghur man walks past armed Chinese security forces in Urumqi, July 17, 2009.

Chinese authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have ordered the executions of seven ethnic minority Uyghur men convicted of "violent" crimes, official media said on Wednesday.

 

The death sentences were handed down by the Supreme People's Court in recent days, according to state media in the regional capital, Urumqi.

 

The men were accused in connection with three separate attacks late last year in the Silk Road city of Kashgar, according to the news website Urumqi Online.

 

According to another website, the Xinjiang-based Tianshan news site, Aimaiti Tuheti, Yiming Dawuti, and unnamed "others" killed a security guard at a pedestrian mall as part of a failed Aug. 7 robbery attempt.

 

In a separate incident on Oct. 12, it said, Nuermaimaiti Aobulikasimu and 11 others broke into a house, bound and killed the couple living in it, and took their possessions.

 

It said the group also broke into the homes of two brothers, robbed them, and killed six people in a Nov. 11 attack in Kashgar.

 

The report gave no information about the victims or the schedule for the executions.

 

Three of the men were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, a sentence that is normally commuted to life imprisonment in China's judicial system.

 

They were convicted of deliberate homicide and armed robbery by the Kashgar Intermediate People's Court in the first instance.

 

'Strike hard' campaign

 

A Han Chinese resident of Urumqi surnamed Yang said a reference to "terrorism" in official news reports on the case showed that it was being politicized by the authorities, who have launched a series of "strike hard" campaigns in Xinjiang following deadly ethnic violence in July 2009.

 

"There is an implied political meaning; that they were somehow engaged in separatist activities or ethnic divisions," said Yang.

 

Exile Uyghur groups said the trials had been conducted behind closed doors, with scant opportunity for public scrutiny.

 

"The entire process against these men, from the trial through to the judgment, was opaque," said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress.

 

"There was also very little reasonable evidence to convict them on a legal basis, because all the evidence came from one side of the case," he said.

 

"We strongly condemn the Chinese government for continuing to pursue their policies of ethnic division," said Raxit.

 

"We are also strongly opposed to the death penalty in this case."

 

Earlier cases

 

Last month, the Supreme Court sentenced four Uyghurs to death for alleged involvement in an Aug. 19 bomb attack in Xinjiang’s western Aksu city.

 

The World Uyghur Congress pointed to concerns over lack of transparency in those cases too.

 

The Aksu blast left eight people dead, including two of the bombers, and 15 wounded after a man riding a three-wheeled vehicle threw explosives at a group of uniformed patrolmen. Four Uyghurs were arrested shortly after the attack.

 

State media characterized the cases as acts of terrorism and unrelated to longstanding ethnic tensions between Uyghurs and Han Chinese in the region.

 

Exiled Uyghur dissident Rebiya Kadeer has warned that attacks like those in Aksu will continue to occur until Beijing addresses the underlying source of tension in the region.

 

Millions of Uyghurs—a distinct, Turkic minority who are predominantly Muslim—populate Central Asia and Xinjiang.

 

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness despite China's ambitious plans to develop its vast northwestern frontier.

 

Those frustrations erupted in July 2009 in deadly riots that left nearly 200 people dead, by the Chinese government's tally.

 

At least 26 people, mostly Uyghurs, were sentenced to death in the aftermath of the riots, many of whom have been executed, according to state media.

 

China is believed to execute more people each year than the rest of the world’s countries combined, although the government does not publish official figures.

 

Rights groups say Beijing may execute as many as several thousand prisoners annually.

 

Chinese authorities blame Uyghur separatists for a series of deadly attacks in recent years and accuse one group in particular of maintaining ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

 

New training scheme

 

China on Wednesday also announced a training scheme which places ethnic minority graduates from Xinjiang in work elsewhere in China.

 

Governments of the destination cities will spend 450 million yuan (U.S.$ 69 million) for the program, while Xinjiang will spend 400 million yuan (U.S.$ 61 million), the official Xinhua news agency reported.

 

The program targets some 60,000 jobless college graduates in Xinjiang, around 80 percent of whom are from ethnic minorities, and 60 percent of whom are women.

 

However, some commentators see the move as an attempt to assimilate non-Han Chinese into mainstream Chinese culture.

 

"From the point of view of ethnic minorities, the graduate work scheme is really taking the cream of youth from the minorities and using them to 'further cultural development,'" wrote one ethnic minority user on a popular microblogging service.

 

"In fact, the culture that is being advanced is Han culture, and this group of young people will have been totally brainwashed," the microblog update said.

 

An Urumqi resident surnamed Li agreed.

 

"They have run senior high school schemes like this before during the past few years," he said.

 

"Whether it's high-schoolers or graduate training programs, these are measures that are aimed at thought control and brainwashing, and the 'Partification' of their education," he said.

 

Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright © 1998-2011 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

 

Wikileaks and also the Uyghur People

through henry upon Dec 20, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Manager, Uyghur Human Rights Project

Whether it had been ever uncertain, information acquired by the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, has confirmed Chinese government worries more than its continued control of the location this phone calls Xinjiang, which is also referred to as East Turkestan. The actual leaked wires from Ough.Utes. diplomats show the extent that Chinese authorities make an effort to convince government authorities worldwide to adopt it's position upon issues impacting Uyghurs. The cables also display the United States' issues and views concerning the on going repressive steps in the region.

Most illuminating of Chinese federal government pressure would be the cables pointing to Chinese language anger, or the specter associated with Chinese language ire, over the discharge of Uyghur detainees within Guantánamo to 3rd countries. The December 29, 08 cable relates how Chinese language Assistant International Minister Liu Jieyi fulfilled using the Ough.Utes. Ambassador in order to The far east to voice Beijing's strong opposition of release in order to any country apart from The far east, and that when the Ough.Utes. do certainly accede to this request it would "avoid injury to bilateral relationships and to co-operation ‘in important areas'". Furthermore, a Feb 2009 cable explains the way the Chinese Ambassador in order to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the actual feasible discharge of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfavorable behave towards us" and a "slap in the face". The Ough.S. government was company within not really liberating the actual detainees to China illustrates the actual extent from the politicized character from the Chinese judicial program. Legitimate issues over terrorism are understandable, but in the Ough.Utes. government's view the detainees might most likely encounter torture as well as execution if they returned to China

Chinese language federal government stress in regard to the Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't only put on the U.S. government, but additionally in order to Brand new Zealand and a handful of Western governments which were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Germany as well as Finland, as well as Eu member says all appear to have paid for the actual impact of Chinese federal government disappointment. In the case of Germany, that was initially willing to think about 2 Uyghurs on solely relief reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo instances were less preferable to additional detainees due to the negative effects accepting Uyghurs might have upon relationships along with The far east. The May Eight, 2009 cable television relates exactly how "German Ambassador Erina Schaefer reported which Indonesia experienced knowledgeable China of the U.S. ask for to simply accept a few Uighur detainees kept at Guantánamo coupled with already been consequently warned by The far east associated with ‘a heavy burden upon bilateral relations' if Indonesia had been to simply accept any kind of detainees".

The diplomatic wires additionally talk about the actual unrest within Urumchi, the regional funds, within July 2009. The July 13, '09 cable television discussing bulk occurrences in China says:

"Ethnic riots like those who work in Xinjiang July 5-7 as well as in Tibet within March associated with 08 vary markedly in source as well as nature from mass occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX emphasized to PolOff [Political Officer] upon XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each existing severe trouble for the Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, but the Party management wouldn't hesitate to open fireplace upon Uighurs or even Tibetans if they considered it necessary to restore order. Mass incidents pose a different type of risk, he explained, as the management is ‘afraid' to fire upon Han rioters with regard to anxiety about causing massive public outrage that would change from the Celebration."

This is a chilling viewpoint, particularly when one considers the evidence presented by 50 percent reports released this season through the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) as well as Amnesty Worldwide which fine detail eyewitness accounts of the use of lethal live fire towards Uyghur protestors within July '09. Additionally, the observation which fire would not be deployed towards Han Chinese language protestors offers resonances for that various strategy taken through Chinese security forces in Urumchi in order to Han Chinese direct orders within September 2009. Throughout those direct orders, then Celebration Secretary, Wang Lequan, tackled protesters, that experienced required he inform them regarding federal government reactions to security concerns. A similar request to meet with the Party Secretary by Uyghur protesters within This summer was not met.

The actual wider consequences from the unrest additionally noticed a short dialogue on the effect it would have upon Iran-China relations, as well as on relations with Australia after Globe Uyghur Our elected representatives Leader, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, talked in the Nationwide Push Membership within Canberra within August 2009. Within the latter situation, china government "privately warn[ed] a major Australian financial institution which sponsors the nation's Press Membership to make use of its influence to block a Kadeer speech there".

The United States' issues concerning the scenario in the Uyghur region are available via in the wires. In a dialogue on policy direction within Tibet, U.S. officials explain that it'll be not possible with regard to Chinese frontrunners to consider a softer collection "if they appear like they are doing this below international pressure". The actual cable television dated April 16, 08, 30 days after the outbreak of unrest within Tibetan areas, additionally relayed the actual declaration "that household stability continues to be leadership's main concern above all else, which means there will ‘almost surely' be no rest from the present difficult collection upon Tibet or in locations such as Xinjiang." The information included in the cable additionally sheds gentle about the extreme level of sensitivity that china federal government sights territorial ethics, and also the feasible drip more than of unrest from Tibet.

The prospect associated with solutions to tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang arising from civil society are debated in a Feb 24, 08 cable television. Whilst suggesting that China's economic success increases its resistance to democratic reform, the cable also talks about how Chinese frontrunners begin to see the usefulness associated with "a limited growth associated with municipal culture, such as enhancements within the guideline of regulation and a stronger role with regard to authorized beliefs, NGOs, charities along with other actors within places that bring about sociable stability and do not challenge Communist Party guideline." This is a notable alternation in thinking, that has seen Ough.S. officials market the idea which Chinese language economic improvement, and financial relations along with The far east brings in regards to a progressively democratic culture; nevertheless, much more belief seems to be put into the grassroots movement than one that begins from the top quantity of a Chinese federal government. Nevertheless, the cable concludes which "[i]n places such as Tibet and Xinjiang, driving a car of separatism results in tight limitations about the development of civil society." This approach can be regarded as counter-productive through the recognized, that suggests that the actual U.Utes. federal government "should continue to express...serious issues more than Beijing's human rights report as well as appeal to China's growing consciousness that greater respect with regard to human privileges, spiritual freedom and also the guideline of law will serve to advertise the very development and social stability that The far east seeks in addition to to improve China's worldwide picture." This type of technique might consider substantial diplomatic abilities considering "China's paranoid concern that the Usa secretly encourages routine alter and ‘separatists' within Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The actual wires offer understanding of the daily business of diplomacy that's hardly ever owned by the general public, which is fascinating to notice the quantity of function done behind closed doors on Uyghur problems. The importance of the actual part of the us like a monitor associated with Uyghur human privileges conditions within personal conversations is made clear, as well as contrasts using its sensible public stance. The staff of the Uyghur Individual Privileges Task is actually well aware of pressure the Chinese government exerts upon Uyghur activists; still, the details associated with Chinese language government stress on it's counterparts is actually illustrative from the degree that Chinese authorities attempt to suppress contrary stories. With increased revelations to come from Wikileaks, issues more than Uyghurs may not get the headlines, but the wires possess shed new gentle on the paperwork associated with human rights problems within the Uyghur region.

 

Seo And Marketing with articles Will Place You On The First Page

Search engine marketing and marketing with articles are two of the most powerful strategies that can be used to promote your internet site and get the revenue and success that you need for your online business. Both of these things have been around for a really long time already nevertheless they still remain to be really effective. In fact, these have helped lots of people free themselves from the traditional ways of money-generating options of society.

In this post, I will be showing the ways how you are able to properly execute seo and marketing with articles for the betterment of your small business website. Additionally, I will even be discussing different points that you must look out for if you are using these two online marketing strategies to market your website and acquire customers. Even though article promotion and Search engine optimization have been in existence for a long time already, you have to know that the trends and choices regarding how they are performed are continually changing, and that's why you should stay up to date with this stuff through the help of Search engine optimisation forum sites to enable you to quickly adjust and discover ways to make your strategies far better.

In the past marketing with articles to different websites was previously so simple yet the effects they produce for web sites really was powerful. However, everything has changed a great deal today. These days submitting the same article to several websites is no longer a good idea because engines like google have now changed to a huge extent in the manner they rank pages. They no more rank contents which can be identical like they used to in the past. This really is one of the best types of changes that occur in online marketing trends. This change has given birth to wide plethora of methods that online marketers are using today. The majority of online marketers now produce articles and publish them in really popular article directories and wait for targeted traffic arrive at their pages. Be thought of as that most reliable Seo strategy that can be used. Aside from being effective, and also this delivers positive outcomes on a regular basis. The only issue with this particular strategy is the caliber of traffic that you will get out of this won't be so good if you do not do proper keyword research beforehand and use in-links. You need for carrying on these two things before you decide to submit your articles so that you won't find yourself losing huge amounts of targeted traffic. Because of this you must practice good levels of diligence if you'd like your advertising initiatives to be effective.

Other than articles, you can even use blogging, which can be another really powerful type of online marketing strategy today since it is highly well-liked by google and yahoo. Within this technique, you are able to choose to create a single weblog that specifically targets your best market or else you can give rise to other weblogs which can be called experts inside your niche.

Learn effective Vancouver seo techniques in the Vancouver SEO website.

Roofing Contractors Vancouver BC

There are several things to consider when looking for a new roofing contractor. Value, experience, as well as referrals are a few of the things you'll likely be concerned about. Read on for even other great ideas.

• Finding a Roofing Contractors

Before searching for a roofing contractor, ensure you have a standard idea of the task that you need to did. By no means is it necessary to be an authority. If you have the Roof Qualification, read it thoroughly to find the information regarding your current roof. Unless you have a Ceiling Certificate, refer to documents signed during shutting to locate your homes Inspection page. These papers should provide you with everything you need to be familiar with your roof. Just before contacting a new roofing contractor, you should have a list of specifications and requirements to help you determine exactly who is suitable for your covering project. Make sure to write down each and every potential roof covering contractor's answers and check them against the other person. If you'll find any differences, be sure to note this along with take this into consideration when creating a final determination. There are no surefire ways to pick a roofing contractor, but if you take attention to the details provided, your chances of a successful covering project tend to be greatly increased.

One of the best strategies to finding a roofers is by person to person. Try requesting a friend or relative who's had roof covering work done, and ended up being satisfied with the job. Get the title of the company and their particular contact data. If you have no word of oral cavity referrals, test first looking in the phone book an internet-based. A large advertisement or extravagant website is not necessarily indication of the high quality of work, but tend to be a good tool pertaining to measuring the amount of time and commitment they have used in their respective profession. Furthermore, try finding current worksites and look at the roof covering work that may be done or perhaps the process of becoming finished. If you are visually amazed, ask the exact property manager for that name in the roofing contractor as well as their contact information.

• Research

When looking for the roofing contractors, it can be imperative to 1st do the background research. Costly in the phone book or on the Internet is a suitable spot to find a builder, finding pertinent information on these types of businesses will likely be found in other areas. 1st, check with spots like the Bbb, city, condition, and region public records, and also local licensing agencies. Question your roofer if they are an associate of any roofer associations. These kind of precautions may mitigate your risks. Additionally ask them what kinds of roofing that they specialize in. Furthermore ask your own roofing contractor with regards to any warranties they offer on his or her installed rooftops. Find out what safeguards they decide to try avoid damage done to other regions of the home by workers. Goods such as gutters, house siding, and chimneys are close in proximity and therefore susceptible to random damages.

Make sure all of this details are included in your composed contract. Find out if you need a roof covering permit and/or authorization from your house owners association before hand. These agencies will let you know that is responsible for receiving these enables and permissions. If it is the duty of the roofing contractor, also have it included as part of your contract. If it is your accountability, get stated permits as well as permissions collated using the estimated roofing project and also have it obviously posted as well as readily available.

• Certification and Recommendations

Roofing Contractors are not forced to be licensed in all says. Contact community licensing businesses that oversee general design contractors for a list of needs. Once you have received the requirements, build a list of in depth questions to ask the potential roofer. This simple list should quickly help you to weed out the competent from the not qualified roofing building contractors. Qualified companies should be able to quickly answer questions or even tell you that they need to do even more research ahead of giving any definitive answer.

Even if the roofing contractor has all required licensing, you should ask to view pictures involving completed roofer jobs and also speak to pleased clients. Have a list of concerns handy to inquire about recent clients, such as the nature of the career, timeliness, and total satisfaction. Make certain these are recent clients as well as cross research if possible. Regarding commercial covering, make sure that the actual roofing contractor is actually bonded. Checking these recommendations is another additional measure of protection to restrict the list regarding potential roofing contractors.

Seo Through Articles

Content creation can be a very powerful type of Seo on your company website. Quality written articles manage to increase your websites SERP and add quality for a company website. Writing informative keyword rich articles is essential in gaining new backlinks in your business website. Articles can and should be written on topics that are unique in your business or industry. The articles can discuss an array of issues and ideas with your industry. Articles that offer your reader using a resource are invariably probably the most popular and quite a few likely varieties of articles that may lead to backlinks to your site.

Focus your posts on your own potential readers or customers. Seo articles should address real questions that are asked by current or past customers. Each article you are writing to suit your needs company ought to include detailed analysis and Seo keywords which can help associate your web site with all the content within the web site. Focus your posts on approximately 3 keywords and stray from their store. Consistency is very important when writing Search engine optimization articles. If you are currently talking about Vancouver Search engine optimization ensure your still talk about information strongly related the keyword.

Give all of your Search engine optimization Articles an engaging Title that may encourage people to read and bookmark your posts. Ideally, the articles you are writing can become as links using their company websites which are just like yours. This alone may help boost the power of each and every link all of which will aid in increasing your SERP. Ensure that you end each article having a keyword anchored link (see Easy Small Business Seo). This link will help to improve your rankings on the internet and other major search engines like yahoo for the keyword connected to the link. Submit the articles with a free article directory and Voila! In no time, your site might be about the first page of Google.

Appreciate your reading. Can't wait to talk to your Search engine optimization articles!

Vancouver Search Engine Optimization Company Aims For Google Places With Complete Success

When people type in looking term looking for a business inside their local area, they will find that Google places and Google maps is showing listings of local businesses. It is rather eminent so they can be optimized and from this first page when they desire to generate business. Vancouver SEO companies must be educated of this type for their clients.

There will be a lot of new Vancouver SEO companies starting up, simply because the need is there. Finding a search engine optimization firm which includes the client's best interest at heart might be tedious. What number of keywords do they optimize for? Which are the keywords and the corresponding search volume? Do they discover how to optimize for Google places? And so on. Search engine optimization will be the business of landing at the very top and Maxim Edge will get you there.

"My wife and that i started our Vancouver Seo agency by accident. We've got learned over the school of hard knocks and trial and error how to utilize the web to promote any business. We began while using website, then the competition, and then of course building quality back-links to push a website up inside the rankings. It is not pushing control button and watching what are the results type of business. It will require a lot of effort, a lot of research and plenty of commitment. We give your very best for our clients and now we are very pleased with a high retention rate." Randy Neale says.

For really information on Michael, a Vancouver SEO company, please visit their site today at seo4vancouver.com

Little about the Uyghur People

In the center of the desert landscapes of Taklamakan, in the north-western part of China, the province of Xinjiang is the very least populated province while it covers near to a sixth from the nation's territory. Getting resisted while in generations the chinese control, Xinjiang, or Old Eastern Turkistan, fell within the Chinese Han control in 1949. From then, its population is generally Uyghur People and Turkish - speaking System.

Islamic most importantly, the Uyghur people have a strong religious identification which, in specific, enabled them to maintain a strong big difference in opposition to the Chinese enemy. Certainly, the Uyghur Kingdom of Mongolia knew a brilliant civilization, until its absorption by the Mongolian Empire in the XIIIth century.

During their own historical past, the Uyghurs successively taken on Shamanism, Manicheism, Buddhism and the Nestorianism before finally moving to Islam when the Arab conquerors beat the Chinese in year 751 BC., therefore beginning the way to the Islamization of the whole Central Asia.

Under the influence of the beliefs which they taken on, the Uyghurs taken successively, and sometimes in a competing way, a large number of written forms (turco-runic, brahmi, tokharien, soghdien) before developing their own unique graphic system.

The coming of Islam was a great modification mainly because it was accompanied by the absorption of the Uyghur land in the immense Turkic and Islamic Empire. Thus, the descendants of Genghis Khan slowly replaced their writing by a Arabo-Persan alphabet, still used these days.

If their writing, their own language and their religion mark a real difference with the tradition of Chinese Han, the Uyghurs also are different from their characteristic, so aspect of Central Asia's people. A matt skin, eyes representing a whole pallet of colors, from black to deep blue, features directing out to the Mongolian, Turkish or Uzbek roots of these men and these women.

For a few years, China has integrated the proper identity of these remote people, though they represent only 9 million people - a trifle for this kind of huge country. Thus, the Uyghurs are now part of the 56 racial minority groups having been known in an official way by China.

This law will allow them a few rights in a land where their difference is very often repressed. Therefore, Uyghur families escape the "single child policy" and their language is known as the second official language in Xinjiang.

The integration of the Uyghurs and their culture in China, however, appears pretty illusory. The presence of all natural resources in Xinjiang, and its closeness with locations recognised as sensitive, strongly encouraged the government to increase the sinicization of this area. Million of Han thus came to settle in this new Chinese eldorado, monopolizing the greater responsibility job opportunities.

In reaction to this true will to assimilate the Uyghur people into the Chinese culture, an independent party like East Turkistan Islamic Movement(ETIM) was born in the early 1990.

Saying more flexibility, but mainly the recognition of their true identity, this movement was seriously repressed by the power authorities in location Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The events of September 11, 2001, were the perfect occasion for the Chinese government to justify true reprisals: they declared the "Uyghur freedom fighters" as dangerous terrorists linked to Al Quaida because of their Muslim origins and their proximity with Pakistan and Afghanistan... However, the terrible repression which followed did not calm down the anger. The Uyghurs population continues today to proudly maintain their identification and their culture , despite the fact that they become a minority on their own territory.

For much more information about Uyghur people, you can visit a Uyghur website called Uyghur News at http://www.uyghurnews.com

ation|Web optimization|Website seo|Seo optimization|Seo optimisation} Expert consultancy - Getting Ahead Using SEO

With regards to success, one of many mot essential things is planning just after conception. The same as in anything else, preparation is key. If you prepare with determination you'd be capable of getting ahead of the competition, even the world of internet business. Websites nowadays making the effort to do their finest to get ahead of competition for their targeted key phrases through meticulous planning. Search engine optimisation is the foremost tool which you can use in order to achieve your goals and fortunately, the Search engine optimisation expert advice and tips which were discussed here can make things easier for you.

Seo is necessary today

One of the primary reasons why thousands of people today are searching for Search engine optimisation expert consultancy is because it's one of the few strategies that usually work today online. Search engine optimisation can be very effective with regards to getting a higher site ranking on search engines like google, increasing the variety of visitors on site and enhancing the level of profits and purchases. Although many people and a bit of good Seo expert would tell you that it is a lengthy and complicated process, Seo is really a skill that can be learned. In the event you employ the assistance of an expert or the use of tricks employed by experts for his or her own sites, it would be simpler for you to understand the theory and apply it to your web site.

Taking a search engine course

Several businessmen and internet based website owners today are taking Seo certification from experts today since it turns out to be quite ideal for them. There are lots of short certification courses on Seo available today which can coach you on the basic concepts and offer you a grip on the subject. These trainings are generally given by those who are experts in the field. Through training, these experts share their knowledge while using course participants, guide them the essential methods for better optimization of internet sites which will help the crooks to promote their business. These courses can educate them keyword research so that they can select the most effective keyword and acquire a better chance to rank higher about the search engines.

Search engine optimisation training is often rather helpful

Through Search engine optimisation training you'll be able to learn several concepts and tips like placing keywords in the right devote the content of websites. Another topic which is often tackled by such courses is linking strategy mainly because it will also assist you to rank higher. These Search engine optimisation trainings and courses can be taken either online or perhaps the traditional format in classrooms, depending on your own some time and preferences. You'll be able to help your site and enjoy better traffic and better profits with the concepts which might be taught by these courses by a welsh search engine optimisation expert.

The author is fulltime Website seo Expert, you'll be able to know more about him and services they supply on their website http://www.seo4vancouver.com/.