Tuesday 29 March 2011

foreclosure sales

Another day, another honking big funding for another online start-up (and yet another broken embargo too!).

It’s like Groundhog Day in Silicon Valley as usual.

Today, Cambridge, Mass.-based HubSpot wins tech’s version of the lottery, grabbing $32 million from Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures and also Salesforce.com.

It is unclear what the valuation for HubSpot is now, although it is likely high given it has raised $65 million now.

HubSpot makes marketing software for businesses, who use it to find prospects and generate leads, along with tools to analyze the process. It claims it has “4,000 customers, over 50 percent market share, five million leads managed, and 70 million page views tracked monthly.”

The Series D financing included HubSpot’s existing venture investors–General Catalyst Partners, Matrix Partners, and Scale Venture Partners–and part of it will be used to cash out existing shareholders. In previous rounds, the start-up has raised $33 million.

Here is the official press release:

Sequoia, Google Ventures, and Salesforce.com Invest $32 Million in HubSpot

Marketing Software Company Attracts New Strategic Investors

CAMBRIDGE, MA–(Marketwire – March 8, 2011)–Today, for the first time ever, Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures and Salesforce.com all invested together in one company, providing HubSpot with a Series D round of financing through a $32 million investment. HubSpot provides all-in-one marketing software used by over 4,000 businesses to get found by more prospects, convert them into leads and sales, and analyze the entire marketing process.

“The fundamental way that people shop, learn, and buy has changed radically in the last few years. HubSpot helps transform the way businesses market from outbound marketing (cold calls, email blasts, and direct mail) to inbound marketing (Google, blogs, social media, mobile, etc.),” said Brian Halligan, co-founder and CEO of HubSpot.

Sequoia Capital has a long history of partnering with founders to help them build long-term, multi-billion dollar companies, including Google, LinkedIn, AdMob, YouTube, Yahoo!, Apple, and Oracle. “We back companies that are transforming their industries,” said Jim Goetz, General Partner at Sequoia Capital. “HubSpot is the emerging category leader in the SaaS marketing sector. Their customer base exceeds that of all the other relevant marketing software companies combined, including Eloqua, Marketo, Genius, and Manticore.”

“Today, every company needs to succeed in search, social, sales, and marketing–I can’t think of a more powerful trifecta than Google, Salesforce.com, and HubSpot. With 4,000 customers, HubSpot is already a clear marketing leader–now, with this new infusion of capital and recognition by Google’s venture arm and Salesforce.com, HubSpot has a great opportunity to separate itself from the pack and become the leading marketing platform in the small and medium business space,” said Brent Leary, co-founder of CRM Essentials.

Google Ventures Partner, Rich Miner (formerly co-founder of Android) said, “We agree with HubSpot’s belief that search engines, social media, and mobile devices have fundamentally changed how businesses should market themselves. We’re thrilled to support their efforts to help thousands of small and medium businesses reach potential customers.”

Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot commented, “We founded the company based on a simple premise: Businesses want an easy-to-use, complete and integrated marketing platform that helps them get more leads and customers. We plan to use this new capital to further invest in this ambitious vision and further our existing lead in the marketing software category.”

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.

Surface Encounters

LeBron James of Miami Heat delayed by Cleveland Cavaliers garage parking security

LeBron James was delayed in getting into the arena for the Miami Heat's shootaround Tuesday morning when he arrived with a driver and with a second car at the entrance for the Cavs' underground garage parking lot.

Surface Encounters

autosport.com - NASCAR News: 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.

Surface Encounters

News FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and Funny Pictures

Fox News is hard right heroine. They love pushing stories, even with only an ounce of truth and a pound of spin, to their audience. However, it is basically the only opposition voice people on the far right have besides talk radio. ...

Surface Encounters

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.

Editor’s Note: Jim Dalrymple has been writing about Apple for more than 15 years. You can follow him on Twitter @jdalrymple and on his Web site at The Loop.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday introduced the iPad 2 at a special event in San Francisco, taking even more momentum away from its competitors.

I’ve had a lot of people in the last 24 hours tell me that the iPad 2 isn’t as revolutionary as the first generation device. Yes, that’s true. But not every device a company releases has to be or can be revolutionary.

Apple has released three revolutionary products in the last decade alone: iPod, iPhone and iPad. I really can’t think of any products from Apple’s competitors that fit in the revolutionary category in that same time period.

People also said that Apple wasn’t very forthcoming with the specs of the iPad 2. Again, that’s true, but there’s a good reason for that—nobody cares.

Well, some people care. Those of us who are geeks care about specs. However, have you ever noticed that when you sit with your non-geek friends and start listing off specs their eyes glaze over and they rest their chin in their hand.

That’s because they couldn’t care less.

The iPad 2 is no slouch either. It lost one-third of the thickness of the previous generation, and therefore it is one-third less than the size of the iPad competitors too. It also has new technologies like a gyro built-in that will launch another round of cool apps.

Yesterday’s iPad 2 announcement wasn’t about the geeks—it was about all the other people who will buy an iPad. What those people want to know is “what can I do with it?”

If it fits into their lifestyle, most people are good with that. Apple showed many ways how the iPad 2 can fit into your lifestyle.

From the very beginning, Apple was very smart with how it marketed the iPad. The first thing it did was get the device into businesses and promote the fact that it could be used to get work done. And it was quite successful with that.

In an analyst call in October 2010, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said the iPad was already being used in 65 percent of Fortune 100 companies. That was four months ago and the iPad has grown since then, so we can only imagine where that number is now.

This strategy allowed Apple to do two things. If it came out with the iPad and pushed the gaming capabilities of the device, the business world would have looked at it as a toy. That would have certainly meant slower adoption. It also allowed them to work on some consumer software, two of which we saw yesterday.

In addition to the iPad 2, Jobs also unveiled iMovie and GarageBand for the iPad. This is what people want to know about—what can I do with the iPad that’s exciting and new.

Obviously, creating movies and being able to edit and share them with friends and family is a very popular thing to do these days. iMovie makes that easy.

Creating music, whether a novice or pro is also a cool thing to do. GarageBand is a great app to get that done and you can move your projects to your Mac and continue working on them.

It’s not just about the hardware. Apple delivers the whole experience that nobody else can. Jobs said yesterday that there are 65,000 apps on its App Store specifically designed for the iPad. That’s a lot of things you can do.

If you think Apple’s competitors are jumping for joy because the iPad 2 isn’t revolutionary, I believe you are wrong. I think they’re scared. Yesterday, they figured out Apple’s strategy too, but a little too late.

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Preview of Final Result

Resources

PT Sans Bold – FontSquirrel

Free App Icons for Developers – WebAppers

Step 1

Open Photoshop and create a new document that is 1200 x 1200 pixels, 72 dpi, and RGB Color. Fill the layer with white. (Ctrl+Backspace or Delete)

Step 2

Now create a rectangle for the header and fill it with a white-grey color, then use the colors on the image for the “Gradient Overlay”. Our search and logo will eventually be part of the header.

Step 3

Create a new rectangle above the previous one, with attributes as shown below. The following drop shadow effect creates a look of a 1 pixel stroke which does increase the look of that simple bar. Note: this step creates a horizontal line.

Step 4

Now add the “Gradient Overlay” layer style with the hex codes indicated.

Step 5

Add a white 1 pixel stroke. The following stroke of 1 pixel will divide the grey shadow effect. It’ll eventually work as a divider.

Step 6

Make one more rectangle in the middle-right zone, and fill it with white and add a 1 px stroke as indicated – it will be our search box.

Step 7

One more rectangle should be created and filled with blue. Set the inner shadow as indicated below, this will be our search button. This blue works great in combination with grey, white and light-grey. Blue will be the major contrasting color we use as we work through this template.

Step 8

Add the Gradient Overlay details to the button with the details from image.

Step 9

Add a 1 px stroke to the button with the color indicated. Take a look at the first and the final result of the button so you can see the difference all these details made.

Step 10

Now add this drop shadow effect for the text placed in the search box, using PT Sans Bold. This will be the final step in creating your search button. You may want to try other fonts, but the PT Sans Bold is really good for this small button.

Step 11

Make another fill under the header section, this will be the navigation area. Here we will place the navigation links of our template.

Step 12

Write your navigation links using a dark-grey color, then add a white “drop shadow” effect. The effect used for the navigation links is the same used for the search button.

Step 13

With 1px vertical line, make divisions between each links. The lines should be black and will really increase the beauty of the navigation area.

Step 14

Over the home section, make a fill with the blue and then add a Gradient Overlay style as indicated.

Step 15

Copy the Home link, this time color it white and add a drop shadow effect.

Step 16

Create a big, grey zone under the navigation, it should be about 30% of the layout. This will be the background for the featured area.

Step 17

Now create a big, white rectangle and add some shadow with the details shown. A big stock image, a big headline and some text with another great button will be added.

Step 18

Add a any dummy image you want to that featured area. Be sure it covers more than 80% of the area. The one I chose is from a stock website.

Step 19

Add some text to it, use the PT SANS Bold font and make the font big.

Step 20

The remaining area should be filled with grey, in it we’ll place some text. This is really a secondary area which describes the image, the services, the company itself, or whatever you’d like.

Step 21

Place some blue-colored text which will be the title of the information below. Use the details in the image for Drop Shadow style.

Step 22

Add some dummy text. This could be some important information or whatever you’d like.

Step 23

Create another grey area under the featured zone, where we will add some text and icons later. Add the details as stated on the image. Mostly, the icons will promote the services offered by the company behind the website.

Step 24

Continue by adding a Gradient Overlay style for the last rectangle we have created in the anterior steps.

Step 25

Now we are adding titles and icons, as well as some divisions. The icons can be found in the resource list at the beginning of the tutorial. Be sure to choose your icons and text thoughtfully.

Step 26

At the border of both zones, create a small circle and fill it with dark brown color. Add some inner shadow as stated on the image.

Step 27

Continue by adding a drop shadow layer style. It is another small detail, but it really makes that button zone minimalistic, nice-looking and well designed.

Step 28

To finish, add a Gradient Overlay effect.

Step 29

By using the Custom Shape Tool (U), create an arrow in both circles. Now add the details shown on the screenshot.

Step 30

Continue by adding some Color Overlay for the arrow. It should also be a blue color because otherwise, it will not fit the contrast and the colors used on the whole template.

Step 31

Add a video screenshot in the free space and place a title for it. For this template, I have used a simple screenshot of a YouTube widget.

Step 32

Add the text “Product Highlights” and “Case Studies.” Let the text under the “Product Highlights” be links so you could showcase some friends’ websites or resources you admire/promote.

Step 33

Finish it by creating another form for e-mails, place all kind of other information, and whatever you’d like.

Step 34

Don’t forget to make a relevant/small footer for our template. If you have paid attention, you should know how to create the same effect as below.

All done! If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to drop a comment. I hope you enjoyed this whole tutorial!

What is your social media brand? Do you have one? Sure, many small business owners and entrepreneurs are coming around to the enormous importance of social media as a marketing, customer service, and, yes, even sales tool. But if you haven’t thought about how social media can define your brand, you are probably missing a HUGE part of what social media tools can do for your business. Here’s more…

Tools & Techniques

Creating a great brand with these blog tools. Tools that improve the look and functionality of your blog also improve your brand. A well-maintained small business blog is one of the most obvious and least expensive branding tools at the entrepreneur’s disposal even more so than social media channels like Facebook and Twitter because of how a blog can be customized to fit your needs and personality. This list of tools is a great way to start. EpicLaunch

What Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi can teach you about social media. One of the stars of the hit reality show “Jersey Shore”, “Snooki” is a perfect example of personal brand, but social media entrepreneurs could also learn much about building their own online presence from Snooki. Being yourself and using a simple, short tag to indelibly brand your identity are also great techniques in social media. One site is already trying to apply the starlets techniques in the social media space. Brand-Yourself

Tito Philips doesn’t want your comments on his blog! At least, not if they’re the wrong kind. And the wrong kind would be comments left for no other purpose than to get the blogger and his/her readers to visit your blog and perhaps comment on it in return. Why is comment trading bad? Don’t get Tito started! There are many ways to engage in social media marketing. Be sure you understand and respect some of the attitudes you may face. Blogging Bookshelf

News & Trends

The best of the best. Want to get a look at arguably the 20 best Facebook fan pages for business on the planet? By now you should know the value of a Facebook fan page to your branding efforts. What’s also true, however, is that not all Facebook sites are created equal. If you want to take your social media marketing to the next level, have a look at this list of cream of the crop sites. Inc.com

Even churches use social media marketing! In this article on the growing market for tech services among religious organizations, we learn that many churches have also already entered into the social media space. As houses of worship, particularly huge mega-churches, expand and build congregations, it’s easy to see how social media can work as a marketing tool here as well. Is your religious organization using social media for branding? WSJ

Tips & Tricks

20 tips that will make you a Twitter star. Among the tools popular in the new digital space is Twitter. The microblogging platform can be used for business or non-business purposes and it can be the key to your small business’s success. Learn how to use Twitter like a pro and you may be surprised at the benefits your small business gains as a result. Global Copywriting

Valuable lessons in social media. Gary Vaynerchuk, author of The Thank You Economy and a successful social media entrepreneur in his own right, has many insights to share with small business leaders seeking a new way to define their brands in an age of social communications. Read some of the takeaways Vaynerchuk shares with those trying to define their businesses with social media. E-Marketing Associates

Success Stories

Doubt the power of FB to create brand for almost anyone? You won’t after you read the story of Princeton English Professor Jeff Nunokawa and “Jeffbook”, a collection of 3,221 brief literary essays on Facebook, that have created an incredible cult status for Nunokawa in the process. His motivation? Not too different from those of most marketers. Nunokawa simply started sharing where he knew his audience already spent lots of their time. The results speak for themselves. Fast Company

Increase exposure with niche social media. Blogger Mavis Nong talks about the importance of niche social media sites including social bookmarking sites as a key method of creating exposure for your online business. Mavis talks about her experience with our sister site BizSugar.com (thanks for the shout out! ) and explains how smaller more focused social sites can sometimes have a surprising impact even larger than the big guys. Attraction Marketing Online

Opportunities

Sponsors wanted for new SugarTone Sweet Business Blogging Contest. Put the power of social media to work for your brand. We’re looking for sponsors to help with a brand new blogging contest involving two of the fastest growing small business communities on the Web, BizSugar.com and Bloggertone.com. Learn more about the contest by reading the full announcement and get in touch today! BizSugar Blog

Surface Encounters

LOTS OF BAD NEWS AND STOCKS STILL SURGE: Here's What You Need To Know

The news only seems to be getting worse at Fukushima. There doesn't appear to have been progress at the nuke plant in ages. TEPCO stock got crushed again, and there are even rumors of the CEO fleeing. That dragged Japanese stocks down ...

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Fox News Bureau Chief: I Thought It Was 'Far-Fetched' When I ...

In 2009, current Fox News DC Bureau Chief Bill Sammon admitted that he didn't really believe charges that Obama was a "socialist" when he encouraged Fox News staff to use the term. But, he claims, he soon realized it was true.

Surface Encounters

Making Money With a Website

The first question they wanted to address was the obvious one of how do they ensure privacy and security when dealing with such sensitive information? Everything is held in a secure data center, and no direct personally identifiable information is included in the histories - everything's anonymized. The team also takes further steps, like identifying and removing healthcare-related payments. I asked them though, doesn't it still make people a bit uncomfortable? Their response was that their whole business was based around helping consumers, and their investor Citi only shares the data on very strict conditions because they believe Bundle's work will make customers lives better.

CTO Phil Kim laid out their philosophy:

Bundle takes great pains to protect the privacy of users. First, we hold ourselves to strict, bank-level information security standards, which means that sensitive data is held in a secure data center and access is heavily restricted, and that the Bundle application is heavily scrutinized for vulnerabilities on a regular basis, to prevent accidental or malicious leakage of user data. Second, much of the data analysis and synthesis work we do relies on data that has been sampled, modeled, flattened, or otherwise transformed -- we rarely work with raw transaction data, and we never work with data that has a direct linkage back to a named customer. Last but not least, Bundle is very much focused on building tools to help consumers -- remember that this data is not new... large companies use data just like this to market products and make business decisions -- Bundle is simply trying to share this data with consumers.

Alex Hasha described how he'd worked in the finance industry as a quant, working in a team of over two hundred PhDs to analyze financial instruments. The attraction of Bundle.com for him was the chance to work on something that offered direct benefits to ordinary users, a refreshing change from the abstract world of high finance.

Users upload information from their own bank and credit card accounts onto the site, and in return they get back a score card showing how their spending compares to people like themselves. For example, you might discover that you're spending a lot more on groceries than other people in your neighborhood, and you'd be better off switching to a cheaper supermarket.

The key to all of their work is the value that they're able to extract from aggregate information, things like how much people in a particular zip code spend on particular categories such as eating out, groceries and transportation. Because this is the result of blending and averaging large numbers of different accounts, it helps reduce the risk that any sensitive information will leak out.

What's really impressive about the data they possess is its broad coverage. Almost every merchant in the U.S. will be represented, and it has the potential to offer the deep customer analytics that website publishers are used to. I could imagine it being used by restaurant owners to spot when they're losing previously loyal customers for example. Bundle.com won't speculate on where they will take their product in the future, but did want to emphasize how everything was driven by their mission to help consumers.

I spent a bit of time talking with them about the technical challenges of their work, too. Credit card systems are often 30 or 40 years old, and so the data they get back is often very messy. You know how you look at your statements and try to decipher what "MCDON 94117" could be? That's one of their biggest obstacles, the names of the merchants are often incomplete and unclear, so they have a whole system devoted to making sense of this unstructured data. "MCDON", "MCD" and "MCDONALDS" all likely to refer to the restaurant, which allows them to categorize any transactions as food purchases.

A large amount of their code is written in Perl, since they're big fans of CPAN's rich repository of libraries, and runs in-memory, so it's not a classic big data problem. They also rely on R for some of their analysis, thanks to its rich toolkit of statistical functions.

The data mining of billions of credit card transactions is bound to raise a lot of questions, but it was clear to me that Bundle.com is serious in its mission to help consumers. Its product certainly seems to offer a lot more value to the wider world than anything that Wall Street's quants have produced.

As a possible deal with Newser falls apart, the online news pioneer ramps up its cultural coverage. The result: an ailing stock price, but traffic’s on the rise.

Kerry Lauerman remembers the time, a decade ago, when he was Salon’s Washington bureau chief and the website had a budget three times larger than it subsists on today.

Now the Washington bureau is toast. “We’re leaner and meaner and we work a lot smarter,” says Lauerman, who took over in November as editor in chief.

Salon made its name as a politically aggressive, staunchly liberal online operation. But in recent months I’ve noticed a very different kind of story often leading the site. There was “Men: The New Romantics,” and “Literature’s Gender Gap.” There was “My Husband, the Convicted Murderer” and “My Son, The Pink Boy.” Not to mention “Grammys’ Most Memorable Red-Carpet Outfits” and “The Hardest Part About Quitting Drinking? Dating.”

So is there a personality transplant going on?

“The identity of Salon is as a political site,” Lauerman says, “but our entertainment coverage has always done pretty well.” Beyond politics, he says, “we are emphasizing everything else more. We’ve staffed up in entertainment. We listen to our readers.”

And are these stories about movies and marriages and sex designed to attract more advertising?

“I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a consideration.”

Given Salon’s precarious financial state, it’s obviously a major consideration. The struggling site quietly put itself up for sale in recent months, and talks with Newser.com, an aggregation site founded by Michael Wolff, collapsed Monday. The New York Times Dealbook blog reported that Salon board members grew concerned that they might be selling for too low a price after AOL paid $315 million to buy The Huffington Post.

The publicly traded company reported a loss of $4.8 million in fiscal 2010, with two investors making up the gap through loans. Salon’s stock is trading for a dime, down from $1.30 in the summer of 2008.

“It’s not an easy space to make money in if you’re trying to do quality content,” says CEO Richard Gingras, who provided the original seed money for Salon’s launch. “We have beefed up the investment in culture and lifestyle… It is about growing the audience.”

The first duty of any website is survival, and most of the news business—from old-line newspapers and magazines to newer operations such as The Daily Beast—is grappling with how to turn a profit online. The overhauling of Salon’s editorial mix comes as its center of gravity has shifted from San Francisco, where it was born 15 years ago, to Midtown Manhattan. Founding editor David Talbot and Joan Walsh, who stepped down last year, ran the place from the Bay Area; Lauerman, 41, is the first editor to be based, with most of the staff, in New York.

Walsh, who had tapped Lauerman as her deputy, was part of the new direction before returning to reporting and a book project. “Our news team is as good as it’s ever been,” she says. “But the political cycle ebbs and flows, and people get more or less interested depending on whether it’s election season and what the crazy story of the week is… We’ve probably gotten deeper into the cultural realm.”

bench craft company reviews

Iranian Video Says Mahdi is 'Near' - World - CBN News - Christian ...

New evidence has emerged that the Iranian government sees the current unrest in the Middle East as a signal that the Mahdi--or Islamic messiah--is about to appear.

How to create a Facebook news feed for a journalist (or anything ...

I've been enjoying The Independent's individual Facebook feeds for journalists, football teams and other 'entities' of their news coverage. So much so that.

'Know Your Meme' Acquired By Cheezburger in Seven-Figure Deal

Cheezburger Networks has acquired online meme database (and popular web series) Know Your Meme from Rocketboom in a seven-figure deal.

Monday 28 March 2011

Search engine optimization Vancouver For A Better Marketing Solution

When you begin your personal website there are many ways you will have to sell it off and something the best way is to use Search engine optimization Vancouver if you happen to be in that area. The SEO or seo services will be the top method of getting good traffic to your website and therefore making more sales.

Now, you should know that you will not use SEO service if you are no internet business - however, if you don't come with an online presence if you are an offline business, then you will not make it very far.

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

This can be done in most sorts of ways, but these companies usually make use of multiple techniques to create an ideal marketing technique online. You will be able to hire these phones write articles for you personally, post on forums and blogs, create meta tags and meta descriptions, clean up the code, add alt tags towards the images plus much more.

It is crucial that you simply do this because otherwise the company that you have worked so difficult for could end up losing all the money. When you have a website you want to create, then you will also employ the services of a search engine optimization company, which means search engine optimization company. What this company does is actually take the best areas of your site, 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 that major search engines.

By doing this the SEO company can not only improve your traffic, but also make sure that your site is fully optimized for that search engine spiders that'll be introduced to it. These spiders are used to analyze your site and put it in certain positions determined on certain keywords.

If you want to use the Search engine optimization Vancouver then all you have to do is find the top companies. It's through these that the SEO gets done effectively and efficiently. Because of so many SEO companies to choose from you have to be sure that the main one you are going for is reliable. You ought to be in a position to ask for a failure of what you need, and also the company also needs to be able to let you know know long they've been operating for. This will limit the list to reveal the very best ones.

SEO Services Offered by Different Vancouver Web Companies

The Vancouver SEO company services are extremely beneficial for business growth because they provide quality services. If you're planning to produce a website for your online business, then you've come to right article as I will be explaining below how Web optimization Vancouver company services can increase your website ranking making it popular.

Before that, you need to 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 get more traffic to your website and target audience. It's a good decision to choose a Vancouver SEO company that are experts in this kind of work, so that your website could be indexed by search engines.

There isn't any point in you using a website with no website ranking whatsoever while you won't have any business and profits to outlive. It's a very tough atmosphere out there because there are a lot of internet business people exactly like you, who want their share of pie. You must be aware of the fact that nearly 85% of web traffic can be got from web-sites.

Whenever a user types inside a keyword or keywords for what he/she really wants to know in various sites, these use crawlers to get web-sites with the relevant content and index them based on algorithms. You don't have to be worried about the algorithms which these sites use as that isn't important.

To appear in the first page of the google listing, you will need to hire professionals and experts who can do the needful to maintain your site one of the good books in these websites. These professionals can optimize your website content to ensure your website gets increased traffic.

Once the traffic gets high, it's a sign that you're obtaining a service which will enable you to get more revenues. SEO Vancouver company do the next to create your site appear inside the first page of search results.

Use keywords that are popularly utilized on search engines on your website content.
Possess a website design for your website which is simple because top sites are allergic to flash and weird designs.
Submit your website to directories.
Submit your website to directory websites.
Postings on blogs and forums with back-links for your websites. This is considered as a very effective way to get more traffic aimed at 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 may be the way to start a SEO campaign. So, be sure you select the right SEO Vancouver service company.

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

What to anticipate When Hiring a Roofing Contractors

When it comes time to repair or even replace your roof, it's really a daunting job to locate someone who is competent for the job. There are many roofers available, but the types who will perform a congrats for any sensible price aren't frequently easy to find. If you are in the marketplace for a contractor, use the ideas below for interviewing as well as hiring the correct one.

Interview as well as Consultation

The majority of roofers offer totally free consultations. This is especially important, because it provides them a chance to evaluate what your roof needs, and it gives you an opportunity to assess all of them. As with all companies, believe in intuition about the individuals you let upward on your roofing. No issue how good a contractor's reputation or even suggestion, he or she ought to start by presenting you having a company greeting card. If a service provider occurs searching as well as speaking within an less than professional manner, chances are that the task he's going to perform may also be less than professional. This isn't to express that you ought to anticipate contractors to reach in suits. They will be climbing in your roof, so most is going to be dressed up in denim jeans as well as work footwear or athletic shoes. If the service provider seems to be more interested in speaking on his mobile phone while on your homes roof compared to he's in analyzing your roof's needs, which may be another sign that he's not the main one to do the job. For the lawful safety, make sure that the service provider offers sufficient legal responsibility insurance.

Roofing Assessment

Expect that the service provider will be going up in your roofing. Actually, any contractor who does not want to go up in your roof to judge the problem should be immediately discounted. Those who are seriously interested in their own function may possibly create a drawing of your roof's surface and tag trouble spots onto it as they undergo their own evaluation, or they will consider photos or video of the surface area while they're up there. This is an extremely essential step, because it allows you to observe exactly what the problems are and understand how they will be fixed.

Estimate

The next phase will be the written estimate. The contractor will require away his loan calculator and are available track of an itemized estimate. Some companies goes to their vehicle or truck as well as write down the actual suggestion, while others will crunch the amounts for the job prior to you. Once you are because of the proposal, make sure that you comprehend which products is going to be used, how long the job will require and when there are any extra or even concealed expenses that may arise throughout the repair from the roofing. The service provider should be able to answer all of these concerns effortlessly and forewarn a person associated with a extra expenses that might be incurred should the roof's integrity be damaged inside.

Once you have obtained several written estimates from roofers, assess what every company or even contractor would like to provide for that cost. Do not always low cost the greatest bet, simply because occasionally the greatest bid will actually be the contractor who does the task correctly. Also, be skeptical associated with prices for bids that are not nearly as expensive others. They may be utilizing substandard items or be untruthful concerning the possibility of concealed expenses. Most importantly, believe in instincts and opt for the actual service provider who makes you feel quite comfortable regarding handing over 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.

Wikileaks and the Uyghur People

by henry upon Dec Twenty, 2010
Henryk Szadziewski, Supervisor, Uyghur Human Rights Project

If it were actually uncertain, info obtained by the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, offers verified Chinese government worries more than its continued control of the region this phone calls Xinjiang, also is referred to as East Turkestan. The actual leaked cables from Ough.Utes. diplomats demonstrate the actual extent to which Chinese language government bodies make an effort to convince government authorities worldwide to adopt its stance upon problems affecting Uyghurs. The actual cables also display the United States' concerns as well as sights concerning the ongoing repressive measures in the area.

Most illuminating associated with Chinese language government stress are the cables pointing in order to Chinese language frustration, or even the specter associated with Chinese language ire, within the release of Uyghur detainees within Guantánamo to third nations. The Dec Twenty nine, 08 cable television applies how Chinese Helper Foreign Reverend Liu Jieyi met using the Ough.S. Ambassador to The far east in order to voice Beijing's strong opposition of release in order to any kind of country other than The far east, and that if the U.S. do certainly accede to this request it might "avoid harm to bilateral relations and to cooperation ‘in essential areas'". In addition, a February 2009 cable explains how the Chinese language Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the actual feasible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfriendly behave towards us" and a "slap within the face". That the Ough.Utes. federal government stood company within not really releasing the detainees in order to China illustrates the degree from the politicized character from the Chinese language judicial program. Legitimate concerns over terrorism are easy to understand, however in the U.S. government's observe the detainees would most likely face do-it-yourself torture and execution if they returned to The far east

Chinese government stress regarding the Uyghur Guantánamo detainees was not just put on the actual U.S. federal government, but also to New Zealand and a number of Western governments which were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Germany and Finland, in addition to Eu member says all have the symptoms of borne the impact associated with Chinese federal government disappointment. In the case of Indonesia, which was at first prepared to consider 2 Uyghurs on solely humanitarian reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo instances were much less preferable to other detainees due to the unwanted effects accepting Uyghurs would have on relations with The far east. The May Eight, 2009 cable applies how "German Ambassador Michael Schaefer documented which Germany experienced knowledgeable China from the Ough.Utes. ask for to simply accept a few Uighur detainees held at Guantánamo coupled with already been subsequently warned through China of ‘a heavy burden upon bilateral relations' in the event that Indonesia had been to accept any kind of detainees".

The actual diplomatic wires also discuss the unrest within Urumchi, the actual local capital, in July 2009. A This summer 13, 2009 cable television talking about mass incidents in The far east states:

"Ethnic riots like those who work in Xinjiang July 5-7 and in Tibet in 03 associated with 08 vary substantially in source as well as character through mass incidents, XXXXXXXXXXXX emphasized in order to PolOff [Political Officer] upon XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each present severe trouble for the actual Celebration, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, however the Party leadership would not hesitate to open fire on Uighurs or Tibetans if they deemed it necessary to recover order. Mass incidents present a different type of threat, he said, since the management is actually ‘afraid' to fireplace upon Han rioters with regard to anxiety about causing massive open public outrage that will change from the Celebration."

This is a relaxing opinion, especially when one considers the evidence presented in two reviews launched this season by the Uyghur Individual Rights Task (UHRP) as well as Amnesty International which detail eyewitness accounts from the use of deadly live fireplace towards Uyghur protestors in This summer 2009. In addition, the declaration that fire would not be used against Han Chinese protestors has resonances for that various strategy used through Chinese protection causes in Urumchi to Han Chinese protests in September 2009. During individuals direct orders, after that Celebration Assistant, Wang Lequan, addressed protesters, that experienced required he let them know regarding federal government responses to security issues. An identical request to meet using the Celebration Assistant through Uyghur protesters within July wasn't met.

The actual broader repercussions of the unrest also noticed a short discussion about the effect it might have on Iran-China relations, as well as on relationships along with Sydney after World Uyghur Congress Leader, Microsoft. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke at the National Push Club in Canberra within July '09. In the second option case, the Chinese government "privately warn[ed] a significant Aussie financial institution which vendors the nation's Push Club to use its influence to block a Kadeer speech there".

The U . s . States' concerns concerning the scenario within the Uyghur area also come through within the wires. Inside a discussion upon plan direction in Tibet, U.Utes. authorities explain that it'll end up being impossible with regard to Chinese leaders to consider the much softer line "if they appear like they are doing so below international pressure". The actual cable television out dated April Sixteen, 2008, 30 days following the episode of unrest within Tibetan areas, also relayed the declaration "that household stability continues to be leadership's top priority above all else, which means there'll ‘almost surely' end up being absolutely no relaxation from the current hard collection on Tibet or in locations such as Xinjiang." The information included in the cable also sheds gentle about the extreme level of sensitivity that china federal government views territorial ethics, and the possible drip more than of unrest through Tibet.

The chance of solutions to stress in Tibet as well as Xinjiang arising from municipal society are discussed inside a Feb 24, 2008 cable. Whilst suggesting that China's financial achievement will increase it's resistance to democratic reform, the actual cable additionally talks about how Chinese leaders see the usefulness associated with "a limited expansion of municipal culture, such as enhancements in the guideline associated with regulation along with a stronger role with regard to authorized beliefs, NGOs, non profit organizations along with other stars in places that bring about sociable stability and don't problem Communist Celebration rule." This can be a significant alternation in considering, which has seen U.S. officials market the idea that Chinese economic development, as well as economic relationships with China brings in regards to a steadily democratic society; nevertheless, much more faith appears to be placed in a grassroots movement compared to one that starts from the best levels of the Chinese language federal government. Nevertheless, the cable television proves which "[i]n places such as Tibet and Xinjiang, the fear associated with separatism leads to tighter limitations about the growth of civil society." This method is viewed as counter-productive by the recognized, that suggests that the U.S. federal government "should still express...serious issues over Beijing's human rights report and attract China's developing consciousness which higher respect with regard to individual privileges, religious freedom and also the rule of law assists to advertise the very development as well as sociable stability which The far east looks for in addition to to enhance China's international picture." Such a strategy might take substantial diplomatic skills considering "China's paranoid fear the Usa secretly encourages routine change as well as ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet as well as Xinjiang".

The cables provide understanding of the actual daily business of diplomacy that's hardly ever afforded to everyone, and it is fascinating to notice the amount of work done nowadays upon Uyghur issues. The significance of the actual role of the us like a monitor of Uyghur individual rights problems in personal discussions is made clear, and contrasts using its tactful open public position. The staff from the Uyghur Individual Rights Task is comfortable with the pressure china federal government puts on Uyghur activists; nevertheless, the facts of Chinese federal government pressure upon it's alternatives is illustrative of the diploma that Chinese officials make an effort to control contradictory stories. With more revelations in the future from Wikileaks, concerns more than Uyghurs may not get the actual headlines, however the wires have get rid of new gentle about the documentation of human rights conditions within the Uyghur area.

Sunday 27 March 2011

Wikileaks and the Uyghur People

through holly upon Dec Twenty, 2010
Henryk Szadziewski, Supervisor, Uyghur Human Rights Project

Whether it had been actually in doubt, information obtained through the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, offers confirmed Chinese language government fears more than its ongoing charge of the region this calls Xinjiang, also is referred to as Eastern Turkestan. The leaked out cables through U.S. diplomats demonstrate the degree that Chinese language authorities attempt to convince government authorities globally to consider its stance upon problems impacting Uyghurs. The cables additionally show the United States' issues and views regarding the ongoing repressive measures in the area.

Most illuminating associated with Chinese language government pressure are the wires directed to Chinese language anger, or the specter associated with Chinese ire, within the discharge of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to third countries. The Dec 29, 2008 cable television relates how Chinese Assistant International Minister Liu Jieyi met with the Ough.S. Ambassador to The far east to voice Beijing's powerful competitors of launch in order to any nation other than China, and that if the Ough.S. did certainly accede to this ask for it might "avoid injury to bilateral relations and to co-operation ‘in essential areas'". In addition, the February 2009 cable describes the way the Chinese language Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded the possible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees as "an unfavorable act towards us" and a "slap within the face". That the Ough.Utes. federal government was firm in not liberating the actual detainees to China demonstrates the actual degree of the politicized nature from the Chinese judicial program. Legitimate concerns more than terrorism are understandable, however in the U.S. government's observe the detainees would most likely face torture and execution if they came back to China

Chinese language government pressure in regard to the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees was not just applied to the actual U.Utes. government, but additionally to Brand new Zealand and a number of Western government authorities that were considering resettlement. Albania, Indonesia and Finland, in addition to Eu member states all appear to have borne the actual impact associated with Chinese government unhappiness. Regarding Germany, that was initially prepared to think about 2 Uyghurs on purely humanitarian grounds, Uyghur Guantánamo instances were less preferable to additional detainees due to the negative effects taking Uyghurs would have upon relations along with China. The May Eight, '09 cable television applies how "German Ambassador Erina Schaefer documented which Indonesia had knowledgeable The far east from the Ough.Utes. request to accept a few Uighur detainees held at Guantánamo coupled with already been consequently warned by The far east associated with ‘a large load on bilateral relations' if Indonesia were to simply accept any detainees".

The actual diplomatic cables also discuss the unrest in Urumchi, the local funds, in This summer '09. The July Thirteen, '09 cable talking about bulk occurrences in China says:

"Ethnic riots such as those who work in Xinjiang July 5-7 and in Tibet in 03 of 2008 differ markedly within source as well as nature through bulk incidents, XXXXXXXXXXXX emphasized to PolOff [Political Officer] on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each existing serious problems for the actual Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, however the Celebration management would not hesitate to spread out fire upon Uighurs or Tibetans when they considered this necessary to restore purchase. Bulk incidents pose a different type of threat, he said, as the leadership is ‘afraid' to fire on Han rioters with regard to anxiety about causing huge open public outrage that will turn from the Party."

This can be a chilling opinion, particularly when 1 considers evidence presented by 50 percent reviews released this year by the Uyghur Human Privileges Task (UHRP) and Amnesty International that detail eyewitness company accounts from the use of lethal live fireplace towards Uyghur protestors in July '09. Additionally, the observation which fire would not be deployed towards Han Chinese protestors offers resonances for that different approach taken through Chinese language security forces in Urumchi to Han Chinese protests in September 2009. Throughout those protests, after that Celebration Secretary, Wang Lequan, addressed demonstrators, who had demanded he let them know regarding government reactions in order to protection issues. A similar ask for to satisfy with the Party Assistant through Uyghur protesters within This summer wasn't fulfilled.

The actual broader consequences of the unrest additionally saw a short discussion about the effect it might have upon Iran-China relations, and on relationships along with Sydney after Globe Uyghur Our elected representatives Leader, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke in the National Push Membership in Canberra in August 2009. In the second option situation, the Chinese federal government "privately warn[ed] a major Aussie financial institution which vendors the National Press Club to make use of it's influence to block a Kadeer talk there".

The actual U . s . States' concerns about the situation within the Uyghur area are available via in the cables. In a dialogue upon plan path within Tibet, U.S. officials explain that it will end up being not possible with regard to Chinese frontrunners to adopt a much softer collection "if they appear like doing so below worldwide pressure". The cable television dated 04 Sixteen, 08, 30 days following the episode of unrest in Tibetan regions, also relayed the actual observation "that domestic stability continues to be leadership's main concern above all else, meaning there'll ‘almost surely' be no relaxation of the present difficult collection upon Tibet or in places such as Xinjiang." The info contained in the cable also storage sheds light about the severe level of sensitivity that the Chinese government sights territorial ethics, and the feasible spill over of unrest through Tibet.

The chance associated with solutions to tensions within Tibet as well as Xinjiang arising from civil culture tend to be debated in a February Twenty-four, 2008 cable television. Whilst recommending which China's economic success increases its resistance to democratic reform, the actual cable also talks about exactly how Chinese leaders begin to see the usefulness associated with "a restricted growth of municipal culture, such as improvements within the rule of law along with a more powerful part for authorized religions, NGOs, non profit organizations along with other stars in areas that bring about social stability and do not problem Communist Celebration rule." This is a notable change in considering, that has seen Ough.Utes. officials promote the idea which Chinese language economic development, and financial relations with China will bring about a steadily democratic society; nevertheless, more belief appears to be placed in the grassroots movement than one that starts from the best levels of the Chinese government. Nonetheless, the actual cable concludes that "[i]n areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang, the fear of separatism leads to tighter limitations about the development of civil culture." This method can be regarded as counter-productive by the recognized, who shows that the Ough.S. government "should still express...serious concerns over Beijing's human rights report and attract China's growing consciousness that greater regard for human privileges, religious freedom and also the rule of law assists to promote the very improvement as well as social balance that The far east seeks in addition to to improve China's worldwide picture." Such a technique would consider substantial diplomatic skills thinking about "China's paranoid concern that the United States privately encourages routine change as well as ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The wires offer understanding of the daily company of diplomacy that's hardly ever owned by the general public, which is interesting to note the quantity of function carried out nowadays on Uyghur problems. The importance of the actual part of the United States like a monitor associated with Uyghur human privileges problems within personal conversations is created obvious, and contrasts with its sensible public stance. The staff of the Uyghur Human Privileges Project is comfortable with pressure the Chinese federal government exerts upon Uyghur activists; nevertheless, the facts of Chinese language federal government pressure on it's alternatives is actually illustrative from the diploma which Chinese officials make an effort to suppress contrary narratives. With more facts to come through Wikileaks, concerns over Uyghurs may not grab the actual head lines, but the cables possess shed brand new gentle about the documentation associated with individual rights conditions in the Uyghur area.

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Search Engine Optimization And Article promotion Will Place Yourself The 1st Page

Search engine optimization and marketing with articles are a couple of the strongest strategies which you can use to promote your site and get the revenue and success that you desire for your web business. These two stuff has been around for a really long time already however they still still be really effective. Actually, these have helped lots of people free themselves in 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 search engine optimization and article promotion for the betterment of your business enterprise website. Furthermore, I will be also discussing the different points that you must consider if you are using these two online marketing strategies to market your website and acquire customers. Even though article marketing and Search engine marketing have been established for a long time already, you have to know that the trends and choices concerning how they are performed are continually changing, which explains why you should keep yourself up to date with these items through the help of Search engine optimisation forum sites to be able to quickly adjust and learn to make your strategies more effective.

In the past marketing with articles to various web-sites used to be so simple yet the effects that they produce for web sites was powerful. However, everything has changed a lot today. Nowadays submitting the same article to several websites is no longer a good idea because engines like google have now changed to some huge extent in the manner they rank pages. They no longer rank contents which are identical like they utilized to in the past. This is among the best types of changes that occur in web marketing trends. This change has given birth to wide plethora of methods that internet marketers are using today. Most of online marketers now produce articles and distribute them in really popular article directory sites and wait for targeted traffic to make their pages. Be thought of as that most reliable Search engine optimization strategy that you can use. Aside from being effective, this also delivers positive outcomes on a regular basis. One problem using this technique is that the caliber of traffic that you will get from this won't be so good if you don't do proper keyword research beforehand and use in-links. You first need for attending these two things before you decide to submit your articles so that you won't end up losing large amounts of targeted prospects. Which means that you need to practice good levels of diligence if you'd like your advertising initiatives to be effective.

Aside from articles, you may also use operating a blog, that is another really powerful type of internet marketing strategy today because it's highly popular with search engines. On this technique, you can choose to create a single web log that specifically targets your selected market or you can give rise to other weblogs which can be called experts within your niche.

Learn effective Vancouver seo techniques at the Vancouver SEO website.

Roofing Contractors Vancouver WA

There are numerous things to consider when looking for any roofing contractor. Price, experience, along with referrals are some of the things you'll probably be concerned about. Read on for even other great ideas.

Finding a Roofers

Before buying roofing contractor, make sure you have a basic idea of the task that you need to have done. By no means is it necessary to be a specialist. If you have a Roof Qualification, read it carefully to find the information about your current roof. Should you not have a Ceiling Certificate, reference documents authorized during final to locate your homes roof Inspection page. These documents should provide everything you need to know about your roof. Before contacting a roofing contractor, you ought to have a list of needs and requirements to help you determine exactly who would work for your roofer project. Make sure to write down every single potential covering contractor's answers and also check these people against the other person. If you can find any mistakes, be sure to be aware this as well as take this into consideration when making a final decision. There are no straightforward ways to go with a roofing contractor, but when you take heed to the data provided, your odds of a successful roofer project are generally greatly enhanced.

One of the best means of finding a roofing contractor is by person to person. Try asking a friend or relative who has had roofer work done, and was satisfied with the work. Get the title of the company and their contact info. If you have not sure of jaws referrals, test first hunting in the telephone book and internet based. A large advertising or expensive website is not necessarily an illustration of the top quality of work, but can be a very good tool regarding measuring the amount of time and devotion they have used in their respected profession. Furthermore, try discovering current worksites and appear at the roof covering work that may be done or perhaps the process of getting finished. In case you are visually amazed, ask the property manager for the name of the roofing contractor along with their make contact with information.

Preliminary research

When looking for the roofing contractors, it can be imperative to first do your own background research. Acquire the best in the phone book or on the web is a suitable place to find a service provider, finding important information on these kinds of businesses will probably be found in many areas. 1st, check with areas like the Bbb, city, express, and local public records, and local certification agencies. Inquire your roofer if they are an affiliate of any roofer associations. These types of precautions can mitigate your current risks. Also ask them what kinds of roofing these people specialize in. Furthermore ask your own roofing contractor regarding any warranties they offer on their installed homes. Find out what safety measures they decide to try avoid destruction done to other regions of the home through workers. Items such as gutters, exterior siding, and fireplaces are close in proximity and so susceptible to random damages.

Ensure all of this information is included in your published contract. Determine if you need a roof covering permit and/or choice from your homeowners association before hand. These agencies will let you know that's responsible for getting these permits and authorizations. If it is the duty of the roofing contractor, also have this included in your contract. If it's your responsibility, get explained permits and also permissions collated with the estimated roof covering project and have it obviously posted as well as readily available.

Licensing and References

Roofing Companies are not needed to be accredited in all declares. Contact neighborhood licensing businesses that oversee general development contractors for the list of needs. Once you have obtained the requirements, create a list of thorough questions to ask your potential roofer. This simple list should quickly help you to discount the qualified from the dodgy roofing contractors. Qualified installers should be able to effortlessly answer questions as well as tell you that they must do additional research prior to giving a definitive reply.

Even if the roofing contractor features all needed licensing, you need to ask to find out pictures involving completed roofing jobs and speak to satisfied clients. Have a very list of concerns handy to inquire about recent clients, such as the dynamics of the career, timeliness, and total satisfaction. Make certain these are recent clients and also cross reference point if possible. In the matter of commercial covering, make sure that the roofing contractor is bonded. Looking at these references is another included measure of protection to narrow down the list of potential roof covering contractors.