Making Money With a Website

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

NFL draft 2011: No NFLPA event on first or second night of draft

The NFLPA will not stage an alternate event head-to-head versus the NFL on the first night of the draft, instead opting for a three-day celebration that will not interfere with the televised airing of the selection process on April 28 and 29.

Surface Encounters

New York Yankee <b>News</b>: Granderson, Chavez, Joe West and Barry Bonds <b>...</b>

All the Yankee news you need. ... News links: Feliciano, Romulo, Chavez and the Canseco twins. Mar 2011 by Travis G - 51 comments. Around SB Nation. Game Thread #-1: Brewers @ Padres. Mar 2011 from Brew Crew Ball - 4 comments ...

Surface Encounters

Radioactive trench water not confirmed to have overflowed: agency <b>...</b>

Radioactive water that has been filling up underground trenches connected to the crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has not been confirmed to have overflowed, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency ...

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.

For Apple, the mobile market is a cash cow. The company’s iPhone and iPad are proving to be the top mobile companions for people around the globe. Apple has sold over 100 million iPhones. Its iPad sales have hit 15 million. The company understands the mobile market and it knows how to capitalize on it.

But what about the living room? It has the Apple TV, sure, and the Mac mini is often times connected to an HDTV, but what else has Apple done to push the envelope in the living room? It still hasn’t launched the long-rumored television we keep hearing about, and it seems that offering a game console — a hope for many Apple fans over the past few years — won’t happen.

I fully realize that Apple can’t be everything to every customer. It delivers computers, smartphones, tablets, personal media players, two operating systems, wireless routers, and much more. But I also realize that Apple is an entertainment company. It’s about trying to give people more opportunity to enjoy their lives through technology. And it would only make sense if it doubled down on the living room.

Let’s turn our attention to the Apple TV for a minute.

Prior to its announcement in September, rumors were running rampant over what the former “hobby” would offer. Folks thought it would deliver gaming, interface with DVRs, include Apple’s App Store, and much more. They thought it would be a sizable update over its predecessor.

Instead, Apple offered a stripped-down alternative.

The second-generation Apple TV comes with the ability for users to stream Netflix content. It has Flickr and Internet radio. And it allows users to stream their music over their home network to their televisions. It offers movies and television shows, as well, but most would agree that it’s slim pickings for now.

At that event in September, Steve Jobs said that Apple’s research showed customers didn’t want everything a company could pile into a device. They simply want the ability to consume the content they enjoy without the fuss that might come along with something like Google TV-based devices.

But by delivering the bare minimum, Apple did itself no favors. The company took the easy way out and pretended like it no longer views the living room as a hobby. The only issue is, the Apple TV is still a hobby. It’s a device that lacks all the functionality we’ve come to expect from Apple — a company that typically prides itself on offering the best value for the cash. And at least so far, it leaves me wanting more.

So, what am I looking for? I want to see Apple improve the Apple TV by bringing its App Store to the platform. I’d also like to see some kind of gaming component come to the device, either through the App Store or as part of a more-capable platform.

And perhaps most importantly, I’d like to see Apple think beyond its set-top box and deliver products that try something new. I’m not sold on the possibility of Apple offering a groundbreaking television, but if it can surprise me, I’m all for it.

Simply put, I’m looking for Apple to be Apple. Right now, it’s just like every other company in the living room; it’s content to have a presence but not dominate.

That needs to end.

No single company can stake claim to the living room right now. Steve Jobs just needs to take advantage of that void and do something special.

But first, he needs to take the living room — and its revenue potential — seriously.

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

The Found Animals Foundation is an LA-based non-profit devoted to saving the lives of animals and solving the problem of animal overpopulation. Founded by Dr. Gary Michelson, a billionaire entrepreneur with a lifelong love of animals, Found Animals blends compassion with innovation and business sense. The organization does everything from working with local shelters to finding homes for strays to offering multi-million dollar incentives for research on animal sterilization.

The foundation will be opening its first ever "Adopt and Shop" retail space next month, so we caught up with Aimee Gilbreath, Executive Director of Found Animals, to find out a little bit more about the foundation, its goals, and LA's newest "pet shop."

HP: What is Found Animals most committed to?

AG: Our mission at Found Animals is to minimize the number of pets killed in animal shelters. We believe that our society, in the 21st century, can do far better than killing 4 million animals each year at a cost to taxpayers of over $2 billion annually. We look for innovative, entrepreneurial approaches to solving this problem. Over the past three years we have built a world class team of business and science professionals and launched programs that include sterilization, microchipping, owner support, adoption and more. Found Animals considers Los Angeles our test market for programs with plans to export successful ideas.

HP: What is the one thing you are most proud of that Found Animals has been able to accomplish?

AG: I’m most proud of our accomplishments with the Michelson Prize and Grant program. It’s our own version of the X-Prize and offers $25 million in prize money for creating a low cost non-surgical sterilant for use in cats and dogs. In addition, we are offering up to $50 million in grant funding to help researchers develop a prize winning technology. Sterilization is one of the best tools we have in our arsenal to reduce the number of unwanted pets that crowd the shelter system and overwhelm available resources. Unfortunately, current surgical spay/neuter approaches are expensive and often difficult to access for the pets and people who need them most. A “doggie Depo Provera” or “Kitty Norplant” type of product would revolutionize how we manage the pet population.

We created the program from scratch and its world class. Our Director of Scientific Research, Dr. Shirley Johnston, is world renowned in small animal reproduction and our Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of experts in many fields. Our program staff has created a fantastic grant process and we do outreach to scientists worldwide. So far we’ve received over 140 grant applications and a dozen projects have been approved for funding totaling over $5 million.

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.

Surface Encounters

Q&amp;A: How dangerous is the plutonium found at Fukushima power plant <b>...</b>

Plutonium has been detected in soil at five locations in the crippled Fukushima Daiichi atomic power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co. The following are questions and answers regarding the potential health hazard of the highly toxic ...

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Q&amp;A: How dangerous is the plutonium found at Fukushima power plant <b>...</b>

Plutonium has been detected in soil at five locations in the crippled Fukushima Daiichi atomic power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co. The following are questions and answers regarding the potential health hazard of the highly toxic ...

Surface Encounters

Making Money Program

Cite.



Part of the whole "sweetheart deal" arrangement with the Saudis was that, in exchange for extracting their oil, that US companies like Halliburton would build their cities to modern standards. Now, they did a good job, no doubt about that; the quality of the construction is excellent. But the whole arrangement, top to bottom, was oriented around using American companies to provide as many services as possible. We extracted their oil, we provided financial services, we did their construction, we absorbed their investment money into Wall Street. Saudi Arabia, more than any other country in the world, is the creation of the US oil elite.



I didn't read about this on the Web, so I don't have a direct link for you. My primary source is Tales of an Economic Hitman, which was an amazing book. Conservatives hate it, and savage it mercilessly, but I've done my own research on many of his claims, and I found excellent backing for his belief that we have, by and large, used debt as a weapon to assimilate poor countries worldwide.



In country after country throughout the world, we promised too much economic growth, and overbuilt their infrastructure, knowingly putting them into debt that their economies couldn't service. This eventually destroyed their middle class, throwing most of the population into permanent poverty, and putting a hyper-elite into permanent power. This gives us immense leverage over these countries; in exchange for some debt relief, we can get amazing rates on new resource deals. Further, we can also get them to do nearly anything we want, including voting the way we wish in the U.N.



When you look at resource-rich countries all over the world, if the US has been deeply involved there, it's very rare for the population to be doing at all well. There will almost always be a hyper-wealthy, corrupt elite, and a huge population of, essentially, chattel.



The Saudis, being so much richer than the other resource countries, couldn't be put into debt the same way, but we nonetheless arranged things so that a very few people had direct control over the immense oil revenues, and the typical corruption and nepotism took over there as it has almost everywhere else.



This is part of why I'm so terrified of what's happening with the national budget in this country; I believe that the same primary weapon (lack of understanding of the toxicity of long-term government debt) is being turned by the same corporations that benefited in the third world against the American people that birthed them.



Read Tales of an Economic Hitman, and do your own research. I think you'll find it holds up exceedingly well.
posted by Malor at 9:19 AM on March 1 [37 favorites]

Fed staff members, such as Brian Sack, the New York Fed official in charge of carrying out the bond buying, have argued the total amount, or stock, of securities the Fed has announced it will make has more impact on longer-term interest rates than the timing of those purchases. That’s a view now held by several members on the Federal Open Market Committee, including the chairman.

“We learned in the first quarter of last year, when we ended our previous program, that the markets had anticipated that adequately, and we didn’t see any major impact on interest rates,” Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee during his March 1 semiannual monetary-policy testimony. “It’s really the total amount of holdings, rather than the flow of new purchases, that affects the level of interest rates.”

Fed Vice Chairman Janet Yellen supported that perspective, saying at a monetary policy forum in New York last week that “the stock view won out over the flow view.”

The idea that Brian Sack, a 40-year-old economist with a PhD from MIT, is winning the day in the argument of "stocks over flows" is somewhat troubling to me.  MIT is a quantitative shop, home to some very brilliant people, but how markets will actually respond is another specialty altogether, one that requires a bit of on-the-street experience.  Markets have a bad habit of not being logical, not fitting neatly into tidy formulas, and ignoring things like 'stocks and flows.'

I'll go even further. I'll take the other side of that bet and opine that the flows are much more important than the stocks, because it is the flows that support the continued budget deficits of the US government — which, it should be noted, will still be with us each and every month long after June 2011.  Those deficits are baked into the cake and will require in excess of $125 billion in new Treasury sales each and every month.

Who will buy all the Treasury bonds after the Fed steps aside?  That is unclear.  If there are not enough buyers at these artificially inflated prices, then the price will have to fall until sufficient buyers can be found.  Falling bond prices are at the other side of the financial see-saw from rising bond yields; one goes down while the other goes up, and the Fed has been pressing firmly down on yields for a while via the QE II program.  When that's over, pressure will be reduced and yields will rise.

So what to do? For those concerned enough about this possible scenario to consider taking action, please see Part II of this article (free executive summary; paid enrollment required to access). In it, I predict the extent to which stocks, commodities, Treasury bonds and precious metals prices may be impacted in the near term.  I also detail the key indicators to look out for in order to determine if and when this scenario is unfolding - as well as recommended strategies to preserve capital during this corrective phase.

Click here to access Part II. 

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How to create a Facebook <b>news</b> feed for a journalist (or anything <b>...</b>

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High levels of radiation exceeding 1000 millisieverts per hour were found in water in a trench outside the No. 2 reactor's turbine building at the troubled nuclear power plant in Fukushima on Sunday afternoon, Tokyo Electric Power Co. ...

How To Install Managing <b>News</b> On Ubuntu | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos <b>...</b>

How To Install Managing News On Ubuntu. Managing News is an RSS/Atom based news tracker with search, republishing and mapping. This tutorial shows how to install Managing News on an Ubuntu server. ...

SEO Services Vancouver For any Better Marketing Solution

 

When you begin your own website there are many ways you will have to market it and something the best way is to use SEO services Vancouver if you happen to be in that area. The SEO or seo services will be the top method of getting good visitors to your website and for that reason making more sales.

 

Now, you need to know that you will not use SEO service if you are not an internet business - however, if you don't have an online presence if you are an offline business, then you'll not make it very far.

 

It's a popular proven fact that if you are going to make it within the offline world you must have an online business. This is something which all business people are learning hard way. One thing that you should also know is that it is not as easy as just establishing the website and leaving it to complete its things.

 

This can be done in most 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 organization you have worked so difficult for could wind up losing all the money. When you have an internet site you want to create, then you'll also use the expertise of a search engine optimization company, which stands for seo company. What the corporation does is basically go ahead and take best parts 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.

As a result the Search engine optimization company can not only improve your traffic, but additionally ensure that your website is fully optimized for the search engine spiders that'll be brought to it. These spiders are utilized 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've got to do is find the top companies. It's through these how the SEO gets done effectively and efficiently. Because of so many SEO companies to select from you need to be certain the main one you're going for is reliable. You ought to be able to ask for a breakdown of what you want, and also the company also needs to have the ability to let you know know long they've been operating for. This can 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 extremely beneficial for business growth as they provide quality services. If you are planning to create a website for the online business, then you've arrived at right article as I will be explaining below how Web optimization Vancouver company services can improve your website ranking making it popular.

Before that, you need to know what Search Engine Optimization is. It's not that complicated and I'm sure you're going to get a grasp of it reading my article. The primary goal of SEO is to have more traffic aimed at your website and audience. It's a good decision to choose 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 isn't any point in you using a website without any website ranking whatsoever while you won't get any business and profits to outlive. It's a very tough atmosphere out there as there are a lot of internet business people exactly like you, who desire their share of pie. You must be aware of the fact that nearly 85% of world-wide-web traffic could be got from websites.

Whenever a user types inside a keyword or keywords for which he/she really wants to know in various sites, these use crawlers to obtain web-sites with the relevant content and index them based on algorithms. It's not necessary to worry about the algorithms which these sites use as that isn't important.

To look within the first page from the search result, you will have to hire professionals and experts who can do the needful to keep your website one of the good books during these websites. These professionals can optimize your site content to ensure that your site gets increased traffic.

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

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

SEO Vancouver company also perform site diagnostics that is an important part in online optimization as research and analysis on finding keywords may be 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 Expect Whenever Hiring a Roofing Contractor

When it comes time to repair or substitute your roof, it's really a daunting job to locate someone who is actually competent for the job. There are many roofing companies available, however the ones who'll do a congrats for any sensible price aren't often easy to find. If you're in the market for a service provider, use the ideas beneath with regard to meeting with as well as hiring the correct one.

Job interview as well as Consultation

Most roofers offer totally free consultations. This is especially important, because it gives them a chance to assess what your roof requirements, also it gives you a chance to evaluate them. As with all of companies, trust your instincts concerning the people you let up on your roofing. No issue exactly how great the contractor's reputation or even suggestion, he or she ought to begin by presenting a person with a business greeting card. If a service provider occurs searching as well as speaking in an unprofessional manner, most likely the task he's going to do may also be less than professional. This is not to say that you ought to anticipate contractors to reach in suits. They is going to be hiking in your roof, so the majority of will be dressed up in jeans as well as work boots or even athletic shoes. If the actual service provider seems to be more interested in talking on their cell phone during your roof than he is in analyzing your own roof's requirements, that may be another indication that he's not really the main one to do the job. For your lawful safety, be certain that the contractor has adequate liability insurance coverage.

Roof Evaluation

Anticipate that the contractor will be going up on your roof. In fact, any contractor who does not need to increase in your roofing to judge the issue should be immediately discounted. Those who're serious about their work will either make a drawing of your roof's surface area as well as mark trouble spots on it because they undergo their own assessment, or even they will consider pictures or video of the surface while they are available online for. This is an extremely essential action, because it enables you to observe just what the troubles are and understand how they'll be fixed.

Estimate

The next phase will be the written estimation. The service provider will require away his calculator and come track of an itemized estimation. Some contractors will go out to their own vehicle or even truck and write down the suggestion, while some will crisis the numbers for the job prior to you. Once you are because of the suggestion, ensure that you comprehend exactly which products is going to be utilized, just how long the job will take and if you will find any extra or even hidden expenses that may arise throughout the restore of the roof. The service provider should be able to solution all of these questions with ease as well as forewarn a person of any extra expenses that might be sustained should the roof's integrity be broken within.

Once you have obtained several created estimates from roofers, assess exactly what every organization or even service provider would like to offer you for that price. Do not necessarily low cost the highest bet, because sometimes the greatest bid will actually be the contractor who the task correctly. Additionally, be wary associated with bids which are significantly less than others. They might be using substandard items or be unethical about the possibility of concealed costs. Most importantly, trust your intuition and go with the service provider who makes you feel most comfy about 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

through henry upon Dec 20, 2010
Henryk Szadziewski, Manager, Uyghur Human Rights Project

If it had been actually in doubt, information obtained by the whistleblower web site, Wikileaks, has confirmed Chinese federal government worries more than its continued control of the region this calls Xinjiang, also is referred to as East Turkestan. The actual leaked out cables from Ough.Utes. diplomats show the actual extent that Chinese government bodies attempt to persuade governments globally to consider it's position upon problems impacting Uyghurs. The cables also display the United States' concerns as well as views concerning the ongoing repressive measures in the area.

Most lighting of Chinese federal government pressure are the wires pointing to Chinese anger, or the specter of Chinese ire, over the discharge of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to third nations. The December 29, 2008 cable relates exactly how Chinese language Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jieyi fulfilled with the Ough.S. Ambassador to China in order to tone of voice Beijing's powerful opposition of release to any nation other than China, which when the U.S. did indeed accede to this request it would "avoid harm to bilateral relationships and to cooperation ‘in important areas'". In addition, the February 2009 cable television describes how the Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the actual possible discharge of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees as "an unfriendly act toward us" and a "slap in the face". The U.Utes. government was firm in not releasing the detainees to China illustrates the actual extent of the politicized nature from the Chinese judicial program. Genuine issues more than terrorism are easy to understand, but in the Ough.S. government's view the detainees might most likely face do-it-yourself torture as well as delivery when they returned to China

Chinese federal government stress regarding the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't just applied to the U.Utes. federal government, but additionally to Brand new Zealand along with a number of Western government authorities which were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Germany as well as Finland, as well as European Union fellow member says just about all have the symptoms of paid for the actual brunt associated with Chinese language government unhappiness. Regarding Indonesia, that was at first willing to consider 2 Uyghurs upon purely humanitarian grounds, Uyghur Guantánamo cases were much less preferable to other detainees due to the negative effects accepting Uyghurs might have on relations with China. A Might 8, 2009 cable television relates how "German Ambassador Erina Schaefer documented which Germany experienced knowledgeable China of the Ough.S. ask for to simply accept some Uighur detainees kept from Guantánamo coupled with already been consequently cautioned through China of ‘a large burden upon bilateral relations' if Germany had been to simply accept any kind of detainees".

The actual diplomatic wires additionally talk about the actual unrest in Urumchi, the actual regional funds, within This summer 2009. A July 13, '09 cable discussing bulk incidents in China states:

"Ethnic riots such as those in Xinjiang July 5-7 as well as in Tibet in March associated with 08 differ markedly within source and nature through mass occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed to PolOff [Political Officer] on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Both present severe trouble for the Celebration, XXXXXXXXXXXX stated, but the Party management wouldn't hesitate to open fireplace on Uighurs or Tibetans when they deemed this necessary to recover purchase. Mass occurrences pose a different type of risk, he said, as the leadership is ‘afraid' to fireplace upon Han rioters with regard to anxiety about causing huge public outrage that would turn from the Party."

This can be a chilling opinion, particularly when 1 considers evidence presented in two reviews launched this season by the Uyghur Individual Privileges Project (UHRP) and Amnesty Worldwide which fine detail eyewitness accounts from the utilization of lethal reside fire against Uyghur protestors in July '09. Additionally, the actual observation which fire would not be used towards Han Chinese language protestors offers resonances for that various approach taken by Chinese language protection causes within Urumchi in order to Han Chinese protests in September '09. During individuals direct orders, after that Celebration Assistant, Wang Lequan, addressed protesters, that experienced required he inform them regarding government responses to protection concerns. A similar request to meet using the Party Secretary by Uyghur protesters in This summer wasn't met.

The broader consequences of the unrest also saw a brief dialogue about the impact it might have upon Iran-China relations, and on relations with Australia after Globe Uyghur Congress Leader, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, talked at the National Push Club within Canberra in July 2009. In the latter case, china government "privately warn[ed] a significant Australian financial institution which sponsors the nation's Push Club to make use of its influence to block the Kadeer speech there".

The U . s . States' concerns about the situation in the Uyghur area also come via within the wires. In a dialogue upon policy path within Tibet, Ough.Utes. officials clarify that it will end up being not possible for Chinese frontrunners to adopt a much softer line "if they appear like they are doing so under worldwide pressure". The cable television out dated April Sixteen, 2008, 30 days after the episode of unrest in Tibetan regions, additionally relayed the actual declaration "that domestic stability continues to be leadership's main concern above all else, which means there'll ‘almost surely' be no rest of the current difficult line upon Tibet or perhaps in locations such as Xinjiang." The information included in the cable television also sheds light on the extreme sensitivity that china government views territorial integrity, and also the possible drip more than of unrest through Tibet.

The chance of solutions to tensions within Tibet and Xinjiang arising from civil culture are discussed in a February Twenty-four, 08 cable. While suggesting which China's economic achievement will increase its potential to deal with democratic reform, the cable television also talks about how Chinese language leaders see the effectiveness associated with "a restricted growth associated with municipal society, including enhancements within the guideline associated with regulation and a stronger role with regard to approved religions, NGOs, charities along with other stars in places that bring about social stability and do not problem Communist Celebration rule." This is a significant change in considering, that has observed U.Utes. authorities market the notion that Chinese economic improvement, as well as economic relations with The far east brings in regards to a progressively democratic society; nevertheless, more faith seems to be placed in a grassroots motion compared to one that starts in the top levels of the Chinese language government. Nevertheless, the cable television concludes that "[i]n places for example Tibet as well as Xinjiang, the fear of separatism leads to tight restrictions on the growth of civil culture." This method is viewed as counter-productive by the official, that shows that the U.S. government "should still express...serious concerns more than Beijing's human privileges report and appeal to China's developing consciousness that higher respect for human privileges, spiritual freedom and also the guideline of regulation will serve to advertise the very development as well as sociable stability that The far east seeks in addition to to enhance China's worldwide picture." Such a strategy might take substantial diplomatic abilities thinking about "China's paranoid concern that the United States privately promotes routine change and ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The actual cables offer understanding of the daily company associated with diplomacy that's hardly ever afforded to the general public, and it is interesting to notice the amount of function carried out behind closed doors upon Uyghur issues. The significance of the part of the United States as a monitor of Uyghur individual rights problems within personal discussions is created obvious, as well as contrasts using its sensible public position. Employees from the Uyghur Individual Rights Project is actually comfortable with the pressure the Chinese federal government exerts upon Uyghur activists; still, the details associated with Chinese government pressure upon its counterparts is illustrative from the diploma that Chinese language authorities make an effort to suppress contradictory stories. With increased facts to come from Wikileaks, issues over Uyghurs might not grab the actual head lines, however the wires possess get rid of brand new gentle about the paperwork associated with individual rights problems within the Uyghur region.

 

Wikileaks and also the Uyghurs

through henry upon December Twenty, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Manager, Uyghur Human Rights Project

If it were actually in doubt, info obtained by the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, offers confirmed Chinese language federal government fears over it's continued control of the location it phone calls Xinjiang, which is also referred to as East Turkestan. The leaked cables through Ough.S. diplomats show the actual degree to which Chinese authorities attempt to convince governments worldwide to adopt its stance upon problems impacting Uyghurs. The wires additionally display the U . s . States' concerns as well as views regarding the ongoing repressive steps in the region.

The majority of lighting associated with Chinese government pressure would be the cables directed to Chinese language anger, or the specter associated with Chinese language ire, over the release of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to third nations. A December 29, 08 cable applies how Chinese Helper Foreign Reverend Liu Jieyi met with the Ough.Utes. Ambassador to China to tone of voice Beijing's strong opposition associated with release to any country apart from China, which when the Ough.S. do indeed accede to this request it would "avoid injury to bilateral relationships and also to cooperation ‘in important areas'". Furthermore, the Feb 2009 cable television explains the way the Chinese language Ambassador in order to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded the actual feasible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfavorable behave towards us" along with a "slap in the face". The Ough.Utes. federal government was firm in not really liberating the actual detainees in order to The far east demonstrates the extent of the politicized nature of the Chinese language judicial system. Genuine concerns over terrorism are understandable, however in the Ough.Utes. government's observe the detainees would probably encounter torture and execution if they came back in order to China

Chinese language federal government pressure regarding the Uyghur Guantánamo detainees was not just applied to the actual Ough.Utes. federal government, but additionally to New Zealand and a number of Western governments that were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Indonesia as well as Finland, in addition to European Union member states just about all have the symptoms of borne the actual impact of Chinese federal government unhappiness. In the case of Indonesia, which was initially willing to consider two Uyghurs on solely humanitarian reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo instances were less preferable to other detainees because of the negative effects taking Uyghurs might have upon relationships with China. The Might 8, '09 cable television relates exactly how "German Ambassador Erina Schaefer documented which Germany had knowledgeable The far east of the U.Utes. request to accept some Uighur detainees held from Guantánamo and had been consequently cautioned by The far east associated with ‘a heavy load upon bilateral relations' in the event that Germany had been to accept any kind of detainees".

The diplomatic cables also talk about the unrest within Urumchi, the regional capital, in This summer '09. A July Thirteen, '09 cable television discussing bulk occurrences in The far east states:

"Ethnic riots such as those who work in Xinjiang This summer 5-7 and in Tibet within March associated with 2008 vary markedly in origin and character from mass occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed in order to PolOff [Political Officer] upon XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each existing serious problems for the Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, but the Celebration leadership wouldn't wait to open fireplace on Uighurs or even Tibetans if they deemed this essential to restore purchase. Mass occurrences pose another type of risk, he explained, as the management is ‘afraid' to fireplace upon Han rioters with regard to fear of causing huge open public outrage that will turn against the Party."

This can be a relaxing opinion, particularly when 1 considers the evidence presented by 50 percent reviews released this year by the Uyghur Human Rights Task (UHRP) and Amnesty International that fine detail eyewitness company accounts from the use of lethal live fire towards Uyghur protestors within July '09. In addition, the actual declaration that fireplace wouldn't be used against Han Chinese protestors offers resonances for the different strategy used through Chinese protection causes in Urumchi in order to Han Chinese language protests in Sept '09. During those direct orders, then Party Assistant, Wang Lequan, tackled protesters, who had demanded that he let them know about government reactions in order to security concerns. An identical request to satisfy using the Party Assistant through Uyghur demonstrators within This summer wasn't fulfilled.

The broader repercussions from the unrest additionally noticed a short discussion about the effect it would have upon Iran-China relationships, and on relations along with Australia after Globe Uyghur Congress Leader, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke at the Nationwide Press Club in Canberra in August 2009. In the latter case, the Chinese government "privately warn[ed] a major Aussie bank which sponsors the nation's Push Club to make use of it's impact to bar the Kadeer speech there".

The actual U . s . States' concerns about the situation within the Uyghur area are available via in the cables. Inside a discussion on plan direction in Tibet, U.S. authorities explain that it will be impossible with regard to Chinese language leaders to consider the much softer line "if they appear like they are doing so under international pressure". The actual cable dated 04 16, 08, one month following the episode associated with unrest in Tibetan regions, also relayed the actual declaration "that household balance remains the leadership's top priority above all else, which means there will ‘almost surely' be absolutely no rest from the present hard line upon Tibet or in locations such as Xinjiang." The info contained in the cable also sheds gentle on the extreme level of sensitivity with which china government views territorial ethics, and the possible spill more than associated with unrest from Tibet.

The chance associated with methods to stress within Tibet as well as Xinjiang as a result of municipal culture are discussed in a February 24, 08 cable television. While recommending that China's financial achievement will increase its potential to deal with democratic reform, the actual cable television additionally discusses how Chinese language leaders begin to see the usefulness associated with "a limited expansion of municipal society, including improvements in the guideline of regulation along with a more powerful part for approved religions, NGOs, non profit organizations and other stars within areas which bring about sociable stability and don't problem Communist Celebration guideline." This can be a significant change in considering, which has observed Ough.Utes. authorities promote the idea which Chinese language economic improvement, and economic relations with The far east brings in regards to a steadily democratic society; however, more belief appears to be placed in the grassroots movement than one that starts in the best levels of the Chinese government. Nevertheless, the cable television proves which "[i]n places such as Tibet and Xinjiang, driving a car of separatism leads to tight limitations on the growth of civil culture." This method can be regarded as counter-productive by the recognized, that suggests that the actual U.S. government "should still express...serious concerns more than Beijing's human rights record and appeal to China's growing awareness that higher respect for human privileges, spiritual freedom and the guideline associated with law will serve to promote the very improvement and sociable stability that The far east looks for as well as to improve China's international picture." Such a technique would consider considerable diplomatic skills considering "China's paranoid fear the United States privately encourages regime alter and ‘separatists' within Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The actual cables provide insight into the every day business of diplomacy that is hardly ever owned by the general public, and it is interesting to note the amount of function done nowadays upon Uyghur problems. The importance of the part of the United States as a keep track of associated with Uyghur human rights problems in personal discussions is made obvious, as well as contrasts with its tactful public position. Employees from the Uyghur Human Rights Task is actually comfortable with the pressure china government exerts upon Uyghur activists; nevertheless, the facts associated with Chinese language government pressure upon it's counterparts is actually illustrative of the diploma that Chinese language authorities make an effort to control contrary narratives. With increased revelations to come through Wikileaks, concerns more than Uyghurs might not get the actual headlines, but the cables have shed new gentle about the paperwork of individual privileges problems within the Uyghur area.

 

Search Engine Optimization And Article promotion Will Place Yourself Page One

Search engine optimization and article promotion are a couple of the strongest strategies that you can use to promote your website and get the revenue and success that you desire for your web business. Both of these things have been around to get a really very long time already however they still still be really effective. In reality, these have helped lots of people free themselves from the traditional means of money-generating options of society.

In the following paragraphs, I will be showing the ways on what you are able to properly execute search engine optimization and article marketing for the betterment of the small business website. In addition, I will even be discussing the various points that you must look out for if you are using these two internet marketing strategies to promote your website and get customers. Even though marketing with articles and Seo 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 have to stay up to date with these things through the help of Search engine optimisation forum sites so that you can quickly adjust and learn to make your strategies more effective.

In the past marketing with articles to different web-sites used to be so simple yet the effects that they produce for websites was powerful. However, stuff has changed a great deal today. Currently submitting the same article to several websites has stopped being a good idea because engines like google have now changed with a 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 the most effective examples of changes that exist in online marketing trends. This change has given birth to wide plethora of methods that online marketers are using today. The majority of web marketers now produce articles and submit them in really popular article directories and watch for site visitors to make their pages. Perhaps that most reliable Search engine optimization strategy that can be used. Aside from being effective, this delivers favorable outcomes regularly. One problem with this technique is the caliber of traffic you will get out of this won't be that good if you don't do proper market and keyword research beforehand and rehearse in-links. You first 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 prospects. Which means that you need to practice good amounts of diligence if you'd like your advertising initiatives to be effective.

In addition to articles, you can also use blogs, which is another really powerful form of internet marketing strategy today since it is highly favored by the major search engines. Within this technique, it is possible to choose to create a single weblog that specifically targets your best market or else you can contribute to other weblogs which can be labeled as experts within your niche.

Learn effective Vancouver seo techniques on the Vancouver SEO website.

Roofing Contractors Vancouver WA

There are numerous things to take into account when looking for any roofing contractor. Cost, experience, along with referrals are a handful of the things you'll likely be concerned about. Continue reading for even other great ideas.

• Finding a Roofers

Before hunting for a roofing contractor, be sure to have a common idea of the task that you need to have done. By no means do you have to be an authority. If you have any Roof Certification, read it thoroughly to find the information regarding your present roof. If you don't have a Roofing Certificate, talk about documents authorized during closing to locate houses roof Inspection page. These papers should give you everything you need to learn about your roof. Before contacting a roofing contractor, you have to have a list of needs and specifications to help you determine exactly who works for your covering project. Be sure you write down each and every potential covering contractor's answers and check these against one another. If there are any discrepancies, be sure to be aware this as well as take this into consideration when coming up with a final determination. There are no guaranteed ways to pick a roofing contractor, but when you take pay attention to to the data provided, your odds of a successful roof covering project tend to be greatly increased.

One of the best methods for finding a roofers is by word of mouth. Try wondering a friend or relative who may have had roof covering work performed, and ended up being satisfied with the work. Get the title of the business and their contact data. If you have not sure of jaws referrals, test first hunting in the phone book an internet-based. A large advertising or extravagant website isn't necessarily indication of the good quality of work, but could be a good tool pertaining to measuring the amount of time and determination they have put in their particular profession. Also, try locating current worksites and appear at the covering work which is done or in the process of becoming finished. If you're visually impressed, ask the home manager to the name of the roofing contractor along with their contact information.

• Background Research

When looking for any roofing contractors, it is imperative to very first do the background research. Acquire the best in the yellow pages or on the Internet is a suitable place to find a company, finding relevant information on these kind of businesses will likely be found in many areas. Very first, check with areas like the Bbb, city, condition, and county public records, and local accreditation agencies. Ask your roofer if they are an associate of any roofing contractor associations. These types of precautions can mitigate your current risks. In addition ask them what sorts of roofing these people specialize in. Furthermore ask your roofing contractor regarding any warranties they offer on their installed rooftops. Find out what safeguards they decide to try avoid harm done to the rest of the home simply by workers. Things such as gutters, siding, and chimneys are close in proximity and for that reason susceptible to random damages.

Ensure all of this info is included in your created contract. Determine whether you need a roofing permit and/or agreement from your homeowners association in advance. These organizations will let you know that is responsible for getting these allows and permissions. If it is the duty of the roofing contractor, also have it included inside your contract. If it is your obligation, get said permits and also permissions collated while using estimated roofer project and possess it obviously posted or even readily available.

• Licensing and Recommendations

Roofing Companies are not necessary to be accredited in all states. Contact community licensing organizations that rule general building contractors for a list of requirements. Once you have attained the requirements, develop a list of thorough questions to ask your own potential roofing contractor. This simple listing should immediately help you to weed out the qualified from the untrained roofing companies. Qualified building contractors should be able to easily answer questions as well as tell you that they must do further research ahead of giving the definitive reply.

Even if any roofing contractor features all necessary licensing, you should ask to view pictures of completed roof covering jobs and also speak to pleased clients. Use a list of questions handy to inquire about recent consumers, such as the mother nature of the career, timeliness, and all round satisfaction. Be sure these are the latest clients as well as cross reference point if possible. When it comes to commercial roofing, make sure that your roofing contractor is bonded. Checking out these personal references is another additional measure of security to define the list regarding potential covering contractors.

Seo Through Article Writing

Content creation may be an extremely powerful kind of Search engine optimization to your company web-site. Quality written articles are able to improve your websites SERP and add quality for your company website. Writing informative keyword rich articles is essential in gaining new backlinks for a business website. Articles can and really should be written on topics which are unique for your business or industry. The articles can discuss a range of issues and ideas inside your industry. Articles offering people which has a resource will always be probably the most popular and a lot likely forms of articles which will result in backlinks aimed at your website.

Focus your posts in your potential readers or customers. Seo articles should address real questions that are asked by current or past customers. Each article you're writing in your case company should include detailed analysis and Search engine optimization keywords which will help associate your web site with all the content present in the website. Focus your posts on approximately 3 keywords , nor stray from them. Consistency is essential when writing Search engine optimization articles. If you are writing about Vancouver Seo make certain your carry on and reveal information tightly related to the keyword.

Give each of your Search engine optimization Articles an engaging Title that will encourage people to read and bookmark your articles. Ideally, the articles you're writing will end up as links using their company websites which can be comparable to yours. This might help raise the power of each and every link and will help increase your SERP. Be sure to end each article using a keyword anchored link (see Easy Small enterprise Seo). This link will enhance your rankings online along with other major engines like google for that keyword attached to the link. Submit the articles to a free article directory and Voila! Before you know it, your site might be for the first page of Google.

Many thanks for reading. Can't wait to visit your Search engine optimization articles!

Vancouver Search Engine Optimization Company Aims For Google Places With Complete Good results

When individuals type in research online term looking for a business of their local area, they are going to find that Google places and Google maps is showing listings of local businesses. It is very eminent to enable them to be optimized and listed on this first page if they desire to generate business. Vancouver SEO companies should be educated in this region for their clients.

There seems to be a lot of new Vancouver SEO companies starting up, simply because the need is there. Finding an SEO firm containing the client's interest at heart might be tedious. The number of keywords would they optimize for? Do you know the keywords and the corresponding search volume? Do they discover how to optimize for Google places? Etc. Search engine optimization may be the business of landing towards the top and Maxim Edge provide there.

"My wife and i also started our Vancouver Seo agency by accident. We've got learned from the school of hard knocks and learning from your errors how to utilize web to promote any business. We began using the website, then the competition, and of course building quality back-links to push an internet site up in the rankings. It isn't really pushing control button and watching what are the results type of business. It will take a lot of effort, a great deal of research and a lot of commitment. We strive for our clients and now we are very happy with a high retention rate." Randy Neale says.

For really information on Michael, a Vancouver Seo agency, please visit the website today at seo4vancouver.com

The Uyghurs from East Turkestan

In the center of the desert landscapes of Taklamakan, in the north-west part of China, the land of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is a very least populated province while it covers close to a sixth from the country's territory. Having resisted while in centuries the chinese control, Xinjiang, or Old East Turkistan, fell under the Chinese Han control in 1949. From then, its population is mostly Uyghurs and Turkish - speaking System.

Islamic especially, the Uyghur people have a very good religious identity which usually, in specific, enabled them to protect a strong difference towards the Chinese invader. Of course, the Uyghur Kingdom of Mongolia knew a excellent civilization, until its absorption by the Mongolian Empire in the XIIIth century.

While in their historical past, the Uyghurs successively adopted Shamanism, Manicheism, Buddhism and the Nestorianism before lastly changing to Islam when the Arab conquerors beat the Chinese in year 751 BC., therefore opening the way to the Islamization of the whole Central Asia.

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

The arrival of Islam was a great modification mainly because it was accompanied by the assimilation of the Uyghur areas in the immense Turkic and Islamic Empire. Thus, the descendants of Genghis Khan slowly replaced their writing by a Arabo-Persan alphabet, still used at present.

If their writing, their language and their religion mark a real difference with the culture of Chinese Han, Uyghur People also differ from their aspect, so characteristic 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 origins of these men and these women.

For a few years, China has integrated the proper identity of these remote people, though they represent only 8 million people - a trifle for this specific big land. Therefore, Uyghur people are now part of the 56 racial minority groups having been known in an official way by the People's Republic of China.

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

The integration of the Uyghurs and their culture in China, however, appears quite illusory. The presence of all natural sources in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and its distance with nations well-known as sensitive, highly motivated 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 work opportunities.

In response 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.

Asserting more flexibility, but primarily the recognition of their true identity, this movement was severely repressed by the power authorities in area Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The situations 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 hold their identification and their tradition , even though they become a minority on their own territory.

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