Making Money Through

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Topics: Locals Only

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Dallas Cowboys' Dez Bryant faces 2nd lawsuit, for $615K

Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant faces a second lawsuit claiming he didn't pay for jewelry and game tickets and didn't repay loans.

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FOCUS: Courageous workers at troubled nuclear plant endure tough <b>...</b>

Each of the employees of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and other workers engaged in containing damage at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is given 30 survival food crackers and a 180 milliliter pack of vegetable juice for ...

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Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Brand

What is your social media brand? Do you have one? Sure, many small business owners and entreprene...

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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.

In February of 2007, 83.24 percent of users visiting TechCrunch did so from a Windows machine. One year later, in February 2008, the stranglehold remained firm at 80.44 percent. In February 2009, the number was at 74.04 percent. Last year, it was 61.59 percent. And this year? The number of people visiting our site from Windows machines dipped to 53.84 percent.

The writing is on the wall.

Look at those numbers again for a second. In four years, Windows share among TechCrunch readers has fallen 30 percentage points. That’s incredible.

The knee-jerk reaction in the comment section will likely be something like “it’s because you guys cover Apple so much”. But the fact of the matter is that Macintosh share, after rising for three of those four years, fell last year as well. It’s the mobile devices — specifically the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices — that are eating away at Windows.

In fact, if the trend over the past four years continues at about the same pace, in two years, devices made by Apple (Macs, iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads) will surpass devices that run Windows as the top visitors to TechCrunch. And depending on how popular the iPad 2, iPhone 5, and OS X Lion are, it could easily happen next year.

Here are the broken down numbers:

Feb 2007

• Windows: 83.24%


• Mac: 13.59%


• Linux: 2.51%

Feb 2008

• Windows: 80.44%


• Mac: 15.15%


• Linux: 2.97%


• iPhone: 0.77%


• iPod: 0.15%

Feb 2009

• Windows: 74.04%


• Mac: 20.48%


• Linux: 3.01%


• iPhone: 1.60%


• iPod: 0.28%


• Android: 0.09%

Feb 2010

• Windows: 61.59%


• Mac: 28.62%


• iPhone: 4.07%


• Linux: 3.49%


• Android: 0.87%


• iPod: 0.53%

Feb 2011

• Windows: 53.84%


• Mac: 27.64%


• iPhone: 6.72%


• iPad: 3.44%


• Linux: 3.28%


• Android: 3.06%


• iPod: 0.62%

While even the last batch of stats shows that Windows still has a nice cushion over number two, Mac, if you add the Apple products put together, it’s a different story.

• Feb 2007: 13.59% Apple products


• Feb 2008: 16.07% Apple products


• Feb 2009: 22.36% Apple products


• Feb 2010: 33.22% Apple products


• Feb 2011: 38.42% Apple products

In the four year span, Apple has added 25 percentage points to their share among TechCrunch readers. That nearly all of the 30 percentage points that Windows lost in that same span (Android’s growth pretty much fills in the rest).

So it currently stands at Microsoft’s 53.84 percent versus Apple’s 38.42 percent. Again, a big year for iPad, iPhone, and Mac could mean a changing of the guard as soon as next year. But unless something drastic changes, you can be sure that Apple will be dominant among TechCrunch readers in two years.

The latest rumors have Windows 8 showing up sometime in mid/late 2012. But the fact of the matter is that Windows 7, much more widely praised than the disaster that was Vista, hasn’t helped Microsoft buck this trend among our readers. Perhaps they’re only hope of gaining back share at this point is Windows Phone. So far, that hasn’t been going too well. Nokia should help that, but will it be enough to offset the Windows losses?

Humorously, Microsoft’s best hope for not falling to Apple may well be Android. If Google’s platform continues to make gains, it could prolong Apple passing Microsoft.

But again, Apple has iPhone 5, iPad 2, and OS X Lion on the immediate horizon — all within the next few months. And then there’s the very real possibility of another iPad in the fall.

The iPad 2 and iPhone 5 are likely to push the Apple share forward immediately. But don’t sleep on OS X Lion either. The early indications are that Apple has indeed made it much more iOS-like. That means millions of iPad/iPhone/iPod touch owners who have traditionally been PC users, are going to feel a lot more comfortable on a Mac than ever before.

And a new PC-to-Mac data migration system built in to Lion will only help that.

OS X Lion is going to feed off of iOS users, and vice versa. And the Mac ecosystem is going to continue to expand. Just as happened in the browser world with Chrome taking over, a transition is happening among TechCrunch readers in the ecosystem space. The numbers don’t lie. And Microsoft better pray that our readers aren’t leading indicators of overall trends in the space — which is exactly what you have been in the past.

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In our second installment of The Business of Blogging, we speak to the uber-talented Tommy Ton, founder of Jak & Jil and streetstyle photographer for Style.com and GQ.com

PARIS, France — “It was the summer of 1997 and I was 13 years old,” recalls Tommy Ton, now 27, describing the moment when a self-professed comic book nerd from the suburbs of Toronto first became interested in fashion. “My sister asked me to record Fashion Television and all of a sudden Tom Ford comes on and talks about women, and his idea of sex. He was so eloquent in his choice of words. It was love at first sight.”

From that moment, Mr. Ton embarked on what has been described as a something of a fairytale, becoming the world’s most influential street style fashion photographer today. But achieving such success is rarely that simple — or easy.

More than just a skilled photographer with a good eye and encyclopedic knowledge of fashion, Ton has proven himself to be a savvy digital operator with a potent mixture of ambition, work ethic and strategic thinking that has enabled him to discover and hone in on his special talent. His humility throughout it all has endeared him not only to the stylish women he has made famous, but also to fellow fashion bloggers and his growing list of paying clients.

Yes, Tommy Ton is building a business, and he’s proud of it.

At first, Mr. Ton says he simply became infatuated with fashion. “I’d bike to the library, tear out ad campaigns, and make collages of Gucci and Versace,” he explains over dinner during Paris Fashion Week. At age 15, he interned with the Toronto designer Wayne Clark and then in the women’s accessories department of Holt Renfrew, Canada’s leading luxury department store.

From the beginning, Ton has been a fervent but charming networker, not afraid to approach and build relationships with the industry’s top players. “I made an effort so Barbara Atkin knew who I was,” he says, referring to the Holt Renfrew’s highly-respected fashion director. This ultimately landed him a gig in the store’s buying office, furthering his understanding of the fashion business, but still not quite sating his fashion appetite.

“I was there in the Summer of 2004 when web magazines first started popping up,” he says. Ton started taking classes in digital photography and met with friends who did graphic design, before deciding to start Jak & Jil, which was initially conceived in 2005 as a lifestyle website focused on the product and people in Toronto.

“Then my guardian angel came along,” says Ton, referring to Lynda Latner, proprietor of vintagecouture.com. “She hired me because she saw my site and thought I could help her.”

In 2007 when Latner offered to send Ton to Europe to attend the shows in London and Paris, he had his first opportunity to experiment with street photography during fashion week, a trend which was just beginning to take off due to the pioneering work of Scott Schuman and Garance Doré.

“My first show in Paris was Balmain. I had no idea what Balmain was at the time, or what it was going to be, but all the girls were in that that show, like Daria, Irina, and Anja, and they played the Cure on the soundtrack. As soon as that show was done, it was raining outside…and I was dancing in the rain. I just felt so uplifted. I could not believe what fashion could do for you,” recalls Ton nostalgically. “To have that moment in Paris, at your very first show…it was magical.”

Using his “Canadian connections,” Ton also managed to get into Chanel, YSL, Dries van Noten and Rick Owens that first season. But in all the excitement, Ton says he didn’t know who or what to shoot. “I just shot what I thought was visually amazing. I didn’t know who Emmanuelle Alt was, or Kate Lanphear or even Anna Dello Russo.”

Almost immediately after this first trip, the Canadian fashion media took note of Ton’s photography, beginning with Flare magazine editor Lisa Tant. “Because of that trip, I got a page in Flare which gave me a validated reason to go back,” he says.

By 2008 Ton was already seeking a way to stand out from the growing hordes of photographers outside the shows who were mostly aping Schuman’s photographic style. “I thought, ‘I’m so tired of taking head-to-toe shots. No one can touch Scott at those photos — he is the king.’ I wanted my photos to stand out. That’s when I stated taking the candid shots.”

Ton’s landscape-style images focused in on the little details that caught his well-trained fashion eye — a towering Louboutin stiletto here, a pop of colour there on his favourite subjects as they walked into the shows. He rarely asked them to pose. Ton was developing a photographic style that that has now become instantly recognisable as his own, capturing the raw energy and excitement of fashion week. Fellow blogger Tavi Gevinson later remarked, “You always know what a Tommy Ton photograph looks like.”

He re-purposed Jak and Jil into a blog, and started posting two or three of his new style of photographs each day. This caught the attention of influential bloggers like Susanna Lau of Style Bubble and Rumi Neely of Fashion Toast, who helped to spread the word.

Two and half months later, Ton received an email from the head of marketing at Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, asking him to shoot their Spring/Summer 2009 campaign.

“I said yes, but I didn’t even know what my worth was,” says Ton. “After talking to my business friends in the industry, I threw a figure at Lane Crawford. It was a bit too much, but we negotiated, and I was proud of myself because I was able to get an amount that I was satisfied with and which they were willing to pay.”

With his reputation spreading, Ton’s confidence began to grow. “During the Fall/Winter 2009 season, people started to know who I was. Scott [Schuman] actually knew my work. I was officially blogging and shooting for Lane Crawford at the same time. That was the season I knew what I was doing, and I knew what I wanted to shoot. It was the beginning of something.”

Another important shift came the following season in Milan, when Ton was seated in Dolce & Gabbana’s front row, alongside Doré, Schuman and Bryanboy, an image that was plastered in the fashion media around the world, signalling the arrival of fashion bloggers. “That was a huge moment. It was all due to Anna Dello Russo. She was the one who told Domenico and Stefano: ‘These are the people who are changing things.’”

From then on, the front row tickets came in fast and furious. Everyone wanted Ton to shoot at their shows, knowing his images would be seen by thousands of fashion enthusiasts and influencers around the world. The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and others came calling. “They were emailing to buy photos,” he says.

Ton went from ultimate fashion outsider to insider almost overnight.

But the real turning point came a few weeks earlier when Style.com’s editor-in-chief Dirk Standen asked Ton to step into the formidable shoes of Scott Schuman, whose own photography career had gone stratospheric, in no small part due to the platform given to him by Style.com. Schuman had decided to leave Style.com to focus on other projects, and Ton now had the most high-profile streetstyle photography gig in the business.

“Being associated with Style.com is a huge deal for me. It’s what everyone looks at every day. People go to Style.com like you brush your teeth in the morning. It’s something you just do,” enthuses Ton.

By now, the time had come for Ton to seek professional representation. An introduction to elite agency The Collective Shift—which also represents top fashion photographers Inez and Vinoodh and super-stylist Melanie Ward—instantly felt like the right fit. Ton also signed on Trunk Archive to act as his image licensing agency, removing the burden of negotiating image rights and contracts on his own and dramatically increasing what he could earn from selling his images to the likes of American Vogue, Elle UK, and Vogue Nippon.

“Before, I was underselling myself, getting about $50-100 per image.” Today, Ton reports that he can earn from as little as $100 up to $2000. “The the thing I’ve learned is that you have to really consider whether it’s a one page image or a ½ page image or ¼ page image. It’s a really big deal when it’s one image over two pages in Grazia for example, whereas if it’s ⅛ of a page in Vogue, it is much less. I’m lucky to have Trunk Archive to deal with all that now.”

But image licensing only makes up about 30 percent of the revenue he earns. The remaining 70 percent comes from a variety of projects, including his gigs for Style.com, GQ.com, but also for retailers and brands such as Topshop, Selfridges, Sergio Rossi and Saks 5th Avenue.

Ton says he has made an intentional decision not to have advertising on his site. “It’s an association with your brand. I didn’t want my blog to be associated with any type of branding,” he explains.

But would he ever take pay for editorial placement on Jak & Jil itself? “Yes,” he says matter-of-factly. “But that requires a discussion between my agent, my client and me. The thing about the development of the Tommy Ton brand and the Jak & Jil brand is that everything is strategically selected and carefully monitored. We have to see potential growth in it, and understand what’s in it for us.”

When pressed on the criteria he uses for this kind of paid content, so as not to alienate his audience, he pauses to think. “It’s definitely gut instinct. It just has to be of the moment and relevant for the time.” His readers shouldn’t be able to tell the difference, he says, because the images he creates would be the kind he would post anyway. The standards are the same, and the images are just as powerful.

All the same, Tommy Ton also realizes this is his moment and it may not last forever. “I don’t even know if I will be able to earn the money I do now in a few years. I don’t know if I will be relevant or not. I am just lucky that people want to associate with me and their brand right now.”

And what about all that competition from the hundreds of streetstyle bloggers outside the shows? “You always have to stay on top of your game, and the only way to do that now is to have exclusive content,” he asserts. Recently, Ton has been invited to shoot behind-the-scenes at the Proenza Schouler studio and the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.

“I’m not making any money from it, but it gives me access no one else would have. I take a lot of pride in that. I am so, so happy I am invited to do these things,” he says, recalling that 13 year old kid watching Tom Ford on TV back in Toronto. “In some ways I still feel like an outsider, even though I am acknowledged by these designers. I am still in awe of what is going on.”

Imran Amed is founder and editor of The Business of Fashion

The Business of Blogging is a new series on the rarely discussed business side of fashion blogging. Previous articles are listed below:

Susie Bubble

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

From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Social Media Brand

Surface Encounters

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Brand

What is your social media brand? Do you have one? Sure, many small business owners and entreprene...

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Brand

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.

Surface Encounters

Making Money Job

Gov. Perry Talks Up Job Creation As He Prepares To Lay Off One-Third Of Texas’ Teachers

During a speech last week, Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) “pledged to continue strengthening the jobs climate” in his state. His director of administration added later that “the governor has put a priority on bringing jobs to Texas.”

However, jobs teaching Texas’ children to compete in the 21st century evidently don’t count:

Gov. Rick Perry can’t quit talking about jobs. He used the word 19 times in his recent state of the state address and has made it a top spending priority.

But if Perry realizes his vision of a budget balanced through cuts alone, 100,000 teachers could lose their jobs. That’s about a third of the 333,000 teachers employed by Texas public schools.

“If you lay off 1,000 teachers you’re going to have some greater number of that jobs loss because, presumably, those teachers are not going to be spending money in those communities,” said Terry Clower, director of the Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas. “That’s going to flow through the economy.” Indeed, the Center on Public Policy Priorities has estimated that Texas’ proposed cuts to public education will result in the loss of more than 100,000 private sector jobs.

Making matters worse, just a few weeks ago, Perry was actually extolling the virtues of education as one of the “building blocks of the economy“:

As our economy continues to reflect advances in technology, our educational approaches must do the same with an increased emphasis on the science, technology, engineering and math skills that Texans need to compete for future jobs. These are the basic building blocks of an economy that has drawn new employers to our state and our calling is to fortify them.

Of course, Perry could accept money from a bill passed by Congress last year aimed at preserving teachers’ jobs: Texas’ share of that money comes to $830 million. However, Perry is standing firm in his conviction that he should be allowed to spend that money on whatever he wants, going so far as to sue the Department of Education over the bill’s requirement that Texas use its share of the funding to maintain education spending. Previously, Perry has accepted federal education spending, only to cut state education spending by the same amount and use the saved money to bolster Texas’ Rainy Day Fund.

For Every Entertainment Industry Job 'Lost' To Infringement, Could 12 Jobs Be Created Elsewhere?

from the fun-with-stats dept

For years we've debunked various entertainment industry studies claiming ridiculous job and economic "losses" from copyright infringement. These studies tend to have all sorts of problems; ignoring the ability to adapt and to introduce new business models, using "ripple effects" in just one direction to double, triple and quadruple count the same "losses" over and over again, and counting every download as a "lost sale." The ripple effects one is especially pernicious because the industry likes to pretend that the impacts of infringement only go in one direction. They ignore that the money not spent on such content doesn't disappear from the economy but can be used elsewhere -- perhaps in areas that provide greater economic growth.



A few years ago, the folks at CCIA smartly took the copyright industry's exact methodology and showed that for all the claims of how much copyright contributed to the economy, exceptions to copyright contributed even more. While the copyright maximalists totally missed the point and attacked the methodology -- not realizing that, in doing so, they had undermined their own methodology -- the point was made. If you believe the claims from the copyright industry, then you also have to believe that the exceptions are more important. The methodology is the same, so either neither are right or both are right.



It looks like Rick Falkvinge, of The Pirate Party, has now done something similar on the "job loss" side of things, and concluded that, using similar methodology to the industry reports, for every job "lost" by copyright infringement, the positive ripple effects in the other direction mean that 11.8 new jobs are created. So if we accept the claim that 1.2 million jobs can be lost due to infringement, it would mean that a separate 14.2 million jobs were created elsewhere.



The report broke down the "creative industry," by noting that (contrary to copyright maximalist claims), most of that industry doesn't actually rely on copyright to make money. In fact, certain "creative" industries could be seen as "copyright-inhibited." For example, advertising. As we constantly hear from copyright maximalists, various sites are making big bucks by using advertising in association with file sharing. So based on the industry's own argument, it seems that the advertising market is clearly copyright-inhibited, and it would grow if there was greater infringement. After going through the numbers, it was determined that the majority of GDP, by quite a bit, are likely in the "copyright-inhibited" arena.



Now, you can certainly argue with the methodology here. I don't think anyone actually believes these numbers are accurate. But it's using the same basic methodology, assumptions and thought processes behind the studies in the other direction. You can also, obviously, claim that Falkvinge is biased. He is. But is he more biased than the entertainment industry legacy players who do the other studies? It seems clear that the industries are likely to be more biased, since they have billions of dollars bet on keeping the old structures in place. I think both studies are probably far from accurate in all sorts of ways, but if you're going to cite the entertainment industry's claims based on this kind of methodology, it seems you should also have to accept these claims. Not doing so suggests serious cognitive dissonance or someone who is paid not to believe the truth.

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SEO Services Vancouver For any Better Marketing Solution

 

When you begin your personal website there are lots of ways you will have to market it and one the best way is by using SEO services Vancouver if you happen to maintain that area. The SEO or search engine optimization services will be the top method of getting more 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 no internet business - but then again, if you don't have an online presence if you are an offline business, then you will not make it very far.

 

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

 

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

 

It is crucial that you simply do this because otherwise the company that you have worked so hard for could end up losing the money. If you have a website you want to create, then you'll also use the expertise of a search engine optimization company, which means search engine optimization company. What this company does is basically go ahead and take best areas of your site, look into the code, create keywords and write various articles and documents to ensure that your website is placed near the the surface of the list for that major search engines.

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

 

If you want to make use of the Search engine optimization Vancouver then all you've got to do is find the top companies. It is through these how the SEO gets done effectively and efficiently. Because of so many SEO companies to choose from you need to be certain the main one you're going for is reliable. You ought to be in a position to ask for a breakdown of what you need, and the company should also have the ability to let you know know long they've been operating for. This can limit the list to reveal the very best ones.

 

SEO Services Provided by Different Vancouver Web Companies

The Vancouver SEO company services are very beneficial for business growth because they provide quality services. If you are planning to produce a website for your online business, then you've come to right article when i is going to be explaining below how Search engine optimisation Vancouver company services can improve your website ranking making it popular.

Before that, you need to know what Search Engine Optimization is. It is not that complicated and i am sure you will get a grasp of it after reading my article. The main goal of SEO is to get increased traffic aimed at your website and audience. It's a good decision to select a Vancouver SEO company that specializes in this kind of work, so that your website could be indexed by search engines.

There isn't any reason for you having a website without any website ranking whatsoever while you won't get any business and profits to outlive. It's a very tough atmosphere available because there are a lot of online business people just like you, who want their share of pie. You have to be familiar with the truth that nearly 85% of world-wide-web traffic could be got from web sites.

When a user types in a keyword or keywords for what he/she really wants to know in different sites, these use crawlers to get websites using 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 is not important.

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

Once the traffic gets high, it is a sign that you are obtaining a service which will enable you to get more revenues. SEO Vancouver company do the next to create your website appear within the first page of search engine results.

Use keywords which are popularly used on search engines in your website content.
Have a website design for the website that is simple because top sites are allergic to flash and weird designs.
Submit your website to directories.
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SEO Vancouver company also perform site diagnostics that is an important part in online optimization as research and analysis on finding keywords is the method 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 Whenever Hiring a Roofing Contractor

When the time comes to correct or even replace your roof, it's really a daunting task to find somebody that is competent for the job. There are many roofing companies available, but the types who will do a congrats for any sensible cost are not frequently simple to find. If you are in the marketplace for the service provider, use the ideas beneath for interviewing and hiring the right one.

Job interview and Consultation

Most roofing companies provide free consultation services. This is especially important, because it gives them an opportunity to assess what your roof needs, and it provides you with a chance to evaluate all of them. As with all of businesses, trust your instincts about the people you let up on your roof. No issue how great a contractor's status or even suggestion, he should begin by presenting you with a company card. If the service provider arrives searching as well as speaking in an less than professional method, chances are that the job he's going to do will also be less than professional. This isn't to say that you ought to expect contractors to arrive in suits. They is going to be hiking on your roof, so most will be dressed up in jeans and work footwear or even athletic shoes. If the actual service provider seems to be more interested in talking upon their cell phone during your roof compared to he is within evaluating your own roof's needs, that may be an additional indication that he is not really the main one to do the job. For the legal safety, be certain that the actual service provider has adequate liability insurance coverage.

Roof Assessment

Expect the service provider is going to be rising in your roof. In fact, any kind of service provider who not need to go up in your roof to judge the issue ought to be instantly reduced. Those who're seriously interested in their function may possibly create a sketching of your roof's surface area as well as tag trouble spots on it as they undergo their own assessment, or they'll take pictures or video of the surface area while they're up there. This is a very essential step, since it allows you to see exactly what the troubles are as well as understand how they'll be fixed.

Estimate

The next phase will be the written estimate. The contractor will require away his loan calculator and come up with an itemized estimate. Some contractors will go out to their vehicle or van as well as write down the actual suggestion, while some will crunch the numbers to do the job prior to you. Once you're because of the proposal, make sure that you understand which items is going to be used, how long the task will take and if you will find any extra or even hidden expenses that could arise during the repair from the roof. The contractor will be able to answer many of these questions effortlessly as well as forewarn a person of any additional expenses that might be incurred if the roof's ethics end up being broken within.

After you have received several written estimates from roofing companies, evaluate exactly what each company or service provider is willing to offer you for that price. Do not always discount the highest bet, simply because sometimes the greatest bet will in reality function as the contractor who the task properly. Also, be skeptical of bids that are not nearly as expensive other people. They might be using substandard products or be unethical about the chance of concealed expenses. Above all, trust your intuition as well as go with the actual contractor who makes you feel quite comfy regarding giving more than your 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 the Uyghur People

through holly on Dec Twenty, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Supervisor, Uyghur Human Rights Project

If it were actually in doubt, info acquired through the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, offers verified Chinese language government worries more than its ongoing charge of the location it calls Xinjiang, also is referred to as Eastern Turkestan. The actual leaked out wires from U.S. diplomats demonstrate the degree that Chinese authorities make an effort to persuade governments worldwide to adopt its position on problems affecting Uyghurs. The wires also show the actual United States' concerns as well as sights concerning the ongoing repressive measures in the region.

The majority of illuminating associated with Chinese federal government pressure are the cables directed to Chinese language frustration, or the specter of Chinese language ire, over the release of Uyghur detainees within Guantánamo to 3rd nations. The Dec 29, 2008 cable applies exactly how Chinese language Helper International Minister Liu Jieyi met using the Ough.Utes. Ambassador to The far east in order to tone of voice Beijing's strong opposition of release in order to any nation other than China, which if the U.Utes. do indeed accede to this ask for it would "avoid injury to bilateral relations and to co-operation ‘in essential areas'". Furthermore, a February '09 cable television describes the way the Chinese language Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the actual possible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfavorable behave towards us" along with a "slap in the face". The U.S. federal government was firm within not really releasing the actual detainees in order to The far east demonstrates the actual extent of the politicized character from the Chinese judicial program. Legitimate issues over terrorism are understandable, however in the actual U.Utes. government's view the detainees might most likely encounter torture as well as execution if they came back to China

Chinese language government pressure in regard to the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't only put on the actual U.S. federal government, but also in order to New Zealand along with a handful of European governments which were considering resettlement. Albania, Indonesia as well as Finland, as well as European Union member states just about all have the symptoms of borne the impact associated with Chinese language government disappointment. In the case of Indonesia, which was at first prepared to consider 2 Uyghurs on purely humanitarian grounds, Uyghur Guantánamo instances were less better than additional detainees because of the negative effects accepting Uyghurs would have on relations along with China. A Might 8, '09 cable applies how "German Ambassador Michael Schaefer reported that Germany experienced informed China from the Ough.Utes. ask for to simply accept some Uighur detainees held from Guantánamo coupled with been consequently warned through The far east associated with ‘a large burden on bilateral relations' if Germany were to accept any detainees".

The diplomatic cables additionally talk about the unrest within Urumchi, the actual regional funds, in July 2009. The This summer 13, 2009 cable television talking about mass incidents within China says:

"Ethnic riots like those who work in Xinjiang July 5-7 as well as in Tibet in March associated with 08 differ substantially in origin as well as character from mass occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX emphasized to PolOff [Political Officer] on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each existing severe trouble for the Celebration, XXXXXXXXXXXX stated, but the Party leadership wouldn't wait to spread out fire on Uighurs or even Tibetans if they considered it essential to recover order. Bulk incidents present a different type of threat, he explained, as the management is actually ‘afraid' to fire on Han rioters for fear of sparking huge open public outrage that will change from the Celebration."

This is a relaxing opinion, especially when one considers the evidence presented by 50 percent reviews released this year through the Uyghur Human Rights Task (UHRP) and Amnesty International which detail eyewitness accounts of the utilization of lethal live fireplace towards Uyghur protestors in This summer 2009. In addition, the declaration that fireplace wouldn't be used towards Han Chinese protestors has resonances for that various strategy used through Chinese protection forces in Urumchi to Han Chinese protests in Sept '09. Throughout those protests, then Party Assistant, Wang Lequan, tackled protesters, that experienced demanded he inform them about federal government reactions to security issues. An identical request to satisfy using the Celebration Assistant by Uyghur demonstrators within July was not fulfilled.

The wider consequences of the unrest also saw a short discussion on the impact it might possess on Iran-China relationships, as well as on relationships along with Australia following Globe Uyghur Our elected representatives President, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, talked at the National Push Club in Canberra within July 2009. Within the second option case, the Chinese government "privately warn[ed] a significant Australian financial institution that sponsors the nation's Push Club to use its influence to bar the Kadeer speech there".

The U . s . States' concerns concerning the situation in the Uyghur area are available through within the wires. In a discussion upon policy path in Tibet, U.S. authorities explain that it will be impossible with regard to Chinese leaders to adopt the much softer collection "if they appear like doing this below international pressure". The actual cable television dated 04 Sixteen, 2008, 30 days after the outbreak associated with unrest within Tibetan areas, also relayed the declaration "that household stability remains the leadership's main concern above all else, meaning there will ‘almost surely' be no relaxation from the present difficult collection upon Tibet or perhaps in locations like Xinjiang." The information contained in the cable television also storage sheds light about the severe sensitivity that china government views territorial ethics, and the feasible spill over associated with unrest from Tibet.

The chance of methods to tensions within Tibet as well as Xinjiang arising from civil society are debated inside a Feb Twenty-four, 08 cable. While recommending which China's financial achievement will increase its potential to deal with democratic change, the cable television also talks about exactly how Chinese language frontrunners begin to see the usefulness of "a restricted growth of municipal culture, such as improvements in the rule of regulation and a stronger part with regard to approved religions, NGOs, charities along with other actors within places that bring about social stability and do not problem Communist Celebration rule." This can be a notable alternation in thinking, that has observed Ough.Utes. authorities promote the notion which Chinese language economic development, as well as economic relationships with China will bring about a progressively democratic society; nevertheless, much more faith appears to be placed in the grassroots motion compared to one that starts from the top quantity of a Chinese language government. Nonetheless, the cable television proves that "[i]n places such as Tibet and Xinjiang, driving a car of separatism results in tight limitations about the development of municipal culture." This method is viewed as counter-productive through the recognized, who shows that the U.S. government "should continue to express...serious issues over Beijing's human rights report as well as attract China's developing awareness which greater respect for individual privileges, religious independence and the rule associated with regulation assists to advertise the very improvement as well as social stability which China looks for as well as to enhance China's international picture." This type of technique might consider substantial diplomatic skills thinking about "China's weird fear that the Usa privately encourages routine change and ‘separatists' within Taiwan, Tibet as well as Xinjiang".

The actual cables provide understanding of the actual daily business associated with diplomacy that is rarely afforded to everyone, and it is interesting to note the quantity of function carried out behind closed doors on Uyghur problems. The importance of the part of the United States as a keep track of of Uyghur individual rights problems within private discussions is created obvious, as well as contrasts using its sensible public stance. Employees from the Uyghur Individual Privileges Task is actually well aware of the pressure the Chinese federal government exerts upon Uyghur activists; still, the facts of Chinese federal government pressure upon it's alternatives is illustrative from the degree which Chinese language authorities make an effort to suppress contradictory stories. With increased revelations in the future through Wikileaks, issues more than Uyghurs might not get the actual head lines, but the wires possess shed new light about the paperwork of individual rights conditions in the Uyghur area.

 

Wikileaks and the Uyghur

by henry on Dec Twenty, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Manager, Uyghur Human Rights Project

If it were ever in doubt, info acquired by the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, offers verified Chinese language government fears more than it's continued charge of the location it phone calls Xinjiang, which is also referred to as Eastern Turkestan. The actual leaked out cables from U.S. diplomats show the extent that Chinese language government bodies make an effort to convince government authorities worldwide to adopt its position upon issues impacting Uyghurs. The cables also show the actual United States' concerns and views concerning the on going repressive steps in the region.

Most lighting of Chinese federal government pressure would be the wires directed to Chinese language anger, or the specter of Chinese ire, over the release of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to 3rd nations. A December 29, 08 cable relates how Chinese language Assistant International Minister Liu Jieyi fulfilled with the Ough.Utes. Ambassador in order to China in order to voice Beijing's powerful opposition associated with launch in order to any nation other than China, which if the Ough.Utes. did indeed accede to this request it might "avoid harm to bilateral relations and also to cooperation ‘in essential areas'". In addition, the Feb '09 cable explains the way the Chinese language Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded the actual possible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfriendly behave toward us" along with a "slap within the face". That the U.S. federal government was company in not liberating the actual detainees in order to China illustrates the actual degree from the politicized nature from the Chinese language judicial program. Genuine concerns more than terrorism are understandable, however in the actual U.Utes. government's view the detainees would probably encounter torture as well as delivery if they came back in order to China

Chinese language government pressure regarding the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees was not just applied to the Ough.Utes. federal government, but also to Brand new Zealand and a number of Western governments which were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Indonesia as well as Finland, as well as European Union fellow member states just about all have the symptoms of borne the actual brunt associated with Chinese federal government unhappiness. In the case of Germany, that was initially prepared to think about 2 Uyghurs upon solely humanitarian reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo instances were much less better than other detainees because of the negative effects accepting Uyghurs would have upon relationships along with China. The May 8, 2009 cable applies how "German Ambassador Michael Schaefer reported which Indonesia experienced knowledgeable China from the Ough.Utes. ask for to simply accept some Uighur detainees held from Guantánamo coupled with already been subsequently warned through China associated with ‘a heavy burden on bilateral relations' in the event that Indonesia had been to simply accept any detainees".

The actual diplomatic wires also discuss the actual unrest in Urumchi, the actual local capital, within This summer '09. The This summer Thirteen, '09 cable talking about bulk occurrences within The far east states:

"Ethnic riots like those who work in Xinjiang July 5-7 and in Tibet in March associated with 08 differ markedly in origin as well as nature through bulk incidents, XXXXXXXXXXXX emphasized to PolOff [Political Officer] upon XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each existing severe trouble for the actual Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX stated, but the Party management would not wait to open fire on Uighurs or even Tibetans if they deemed this necessary to recover purchase. Mass incidents pose a different type of risk, he explained, since the management is actually ‘afraid' to fireplace upon Han rioters for anxiety about sparking massive open public outrage that would change from the Party."

This is a chilling viewpoint, especially when 1 considers the evidence presented by 50 percent reports launched this season through the Uyghur Human Privileges Task (UHRP) and Amnesty Worldwide that fine detail eyewitness company accounts of the utilization of deadly reside fireplace against Uyghur protestors within This summer '09. Additionally, the declaration that fire would not be used towards Han Chinese language protestors offers resonances for that different approach taken by Chinese security causes in Urumchi to Han Chinese protests in Sept '09. During individuals protests, then Celebration Secretary, Wang Lequan, tackled protesters, who experienced demanded he let them know regarding government responses to security concerns. An identical ask for to meet with the Celebration Secretary through Uyghur demonstrators within This summer wasn't met.

The actual broader consequences from the unrest additionally saw a short discussion about the effect it might have on Iran-China relations, as well as on relations with Australia after World Uyghur Congress President, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, talked at the Nationwide Press Membership in Canberra in July 2009. In the second option situation, china federal government "privately warn[ed] a major Australian financial institution that sponsors the National Push Membership to use its influence to bar the Kadeer speech there".

The actual United States' issues about the scenario within the Uyghur region are available through in the wires. Inside a discussion upon policy direction in Tibet, Ough.S. authorities explain that it will end up being impossible with regard to Chinese language frontrunners to adopt a much softer collection "if they look like doing this below worldwide pressure". The actual cable dated 04 16, 2008, one month after the episode of unrest within Tibetan areas, additionally relayed the observation "that household stability continues to be leadership's top priority above all else, meaning there will ‘almost surely' be absolutely no relaxation from the present difficult line upon Tibet or perhaps in locations such as Xinjiang." The information contained in the cable television additionally storage sheds light on the severe sensitivity with which the Chinese government views territorial ethics, and the feasible drip more than associated with unrest through Tibet.

The chance associated with solutions to tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang as a result of municipal society are discussed in a Feb Twenty-four, 08 cable television. While suggesting which China's economic success will increase its potential to deal with democratic change, the cable additionally talks about how Chinese leaders see the usefulness of "a restricted expansion of municipal society, including improvements in the guideline of law along with a stronger role with regard to authorized beliefs, NGOs, charities and other stars in areas which contribute to sociable balance and do not problem Communist Celebration guideline." This can be a significant alternation in considering, which has observed U.Utes. officials market the idea which Chinese financial improvement, and economic relations with China will bring in regards to a progressively democratic culture; however, more belief appears to be placed in a grassroots movement than one which begins from the best quantity of a Chinese federal government. Nonetheless, the actual cable concludes which "[i]n places such as Tibet as well as Xinjiang, the fear of separatism results in tight restrictions on the growth of civil culture." This approach can be regarded as counter-productive through the official, who suggests that the Ough.S. government "should continue to express...serious concerns more than Beijing's individual rights record and attract China's growing consciousness that greater respect for individual rights, religious independence and the rule associated with regulation assists to promote the very development and sociable stability which The far east seeks in addition to to improve China's worldwide image." This type of strategy would consider substantial diplomatic skills thinking about "China's weird fear that the United States secretly encourages regime alter and ‘separatists' within Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The actual cables provide understanding of the daily business of diplomacy that's rarely afforded to everyone, and it is fascinating to notice the quantity of function done nowadays on Uyghur issues. The significance of the role of the us as a monitor of Uyghur individual rights conditions in personal conversations is made clear, as well as contrasts with its sensible open public stance. Employees from the Uyghur Human Privileges Task is comfortable with pressure china federal government puts on Uyghur activists; nevertheless, the details associated with Chinese language government stress on its alternatives is actually illustrative from the diploma that Chinese language authorities make an effort to control contrary narratives. With more revelations in the future from Wikileaks, concerns more than Uyghurs may not grab the headlines, however the cables have shed new gentle about the paperwork of individual rights problems within the Uyghur region.

 

Search Engine Optimisation And Article promotion Will Place Yourself Page 1

Seo and article promotion are a couple of the most powerful strategies that can be used in promoting your website and get the revenue and success that you need for your web business. Those two things have been around to get a really while already but they still remain to be really effective. In reality, these have helped a lot of people free themselves from the traditional methods for money-generating options of society.

In the following paragraphs, I will be showing the ways on how it is possible to properly execute seo and article marketing for the betterment of the small business web site. In addition, I will also be discussing different points that you have to look out for when you're using these two website marketing strategies to promote your website and get customers. Even though article promotion and Search engine marketing have been around for a long time already, you have to know that the trends and choices concerning how they are performed are continually changing, and that's why you should stay up to date with these things through the help of Search engine optimization forum sites to enable you to quickly adjust and learn how to make your strategies far better.

In the past marketing with articles to various web sites was once so simple yet the effects that they produce for web-sites really was powerful. However, things have changed a great deal today. These days submitting exactly the same article to various websites is not recommended because search engines have now changed to a huge extent in the manner they rank pages. They no longer rank contents which are identical like they accustomed to in the past. This really is the most effective examples of changes that occur in online marketing trends. This change has given birth to wide plethora of methods that internet marketers are using today. Nearly all of online marketers now produce articles and publish them in really popular article directory sites and await targeted visitors to come to their pages. Perhaps that most reliable Seo strategy that you can use. Aside from being effective, and also this delivers positive outcomes regularly. The only problem with this strategy is how the caliber of traffic you will get from this won't be that good if you don't do proper market and keyword research beforehand and use in-links. You need for attending these two things prior to deciding to submit your articles so that you won't end up losing huge amounts of targeted prospects. Because of this you have to practice good amounts of diligence if you'd like your advertising initiatives to work.

Aside from articles, you may also use blogging, which is another really powerful type of internet marketing strategy today because it is highly popular with the major search engines. In this technique, it is possible to choose to produce a single blogging site that specifically targets your chosen market otherwise you can give rise to other weblogs which can be called experts in your niche.

Learn effective Vancouver search engine optimization techniques on the Vancouver SEO website.

Roofing Companies Vancouver BC

There are lots of things to think about when looking for any roofing contractor. Price tag, experience, and also referrals are a few of the things you will probably be concerned about. Keep reading for even other great ideas.

• Finding a Roofing Contractors

Before hunting for a roofing contractor, make sure you have a general idea of the job that you need to did. By no means is it necessary to be a professional. If you have any Roof Certificate, read it completely to find the information regarding your existing roof. Unless you have a Roof Certificate, reference documents signed during final to locate your homes Inspection sheet. These papers should supply you with everything you need to know about your roof. Just before contacting a new roofing contractor, you have to have a list of specifications and specs to help you make a decision exactly who is suitable for your covering project. Make sure to write down each and every potential covering contractor's answers as well as check these against each other. If you will find any differences, be sure to be aware this as well as take this into consideration when creating a final determination. There are no surefire ways to select a roofing contractor, however , if you take pay attention to to the info provided, your odds of a successful covering project are greatly superior.

One of the best ways of finding a roofers is by person to person. Try requesting a friend or relative who's had roofer work performed, and ended up being satisfied with the task. Get the brand of the company and their own contact details. If you have not sure of oral cavity referrals, attempt first looking in the telephone book and online. A large ad or extravagant website isn't necessarily a sign of the quality of work, but could be a great tool regarding measuring the amount of time and dedication they have used in their respected profession. Also, try discovering current worksites and appearance at the roof covering work which is done maybe in the process of getting finished. If you're visually pleased, ask the house manager to the name of the roofing contractor and their get in touch with information.

• Research

When looking for a new roofing contractors, it's imperative to 1st do your own background research. Purchasing in the phone book or on the Internet is a suitable destination to find a builder, finding essential information on these types of businesses is going to be found in several other areas. Very first, check with locations like the Bbb, city, condition, and region public records, and also local accreditation agencies. Ask your roofing contractor if they are an affiliate of any roofing contractor associations. These precautions will mitigate the risks. Additionally ask them what forms of roofing they specialize in. In addition ask your current roofing contractor regarding any extended warranties they offer on their own installed roofs. Find out what safety measures they choose to use avoid damage done to other areas of the home by simply workers. Things such as gutters, home siding, and chimneys are close in proximity and therefore susceptible to random damages.

Make sure all of this facts are included in your created contract. Check if you need a covering permit and/or agreement from your house owners association in advance. These entities will let you know that is responsible for obtaining these allows and authorizations. If it is the duty of the roofer, also have that included as part of your contract. If it is your duty, get mentioned permits and permissions collated with all the estimated roofing project and also have it plainly posted or even readily available.

• Accreditation and Referrals

Roofing Companies are not required to be accredited in all claims. Contact nearby licensing companies that rule general building contractors for the list of demands. Once you have obtained the requirements, develop a list of in depth questions to ask your current potential roofing contractor. This simple record should right away help you to weed out the qualified from the dodgy roofing contractors. Qualified installers should be able to quickly answer questions as well as tell you that they have to do even more research ahead of giving a definitive answer.

Even if the roofing contractor features all required licensing, you ought to ask to view pictures regarding completed roofing jobs and also speak to satisfied clients. Have a very list of concerns handy ought to recent consumers, such as the mother nature of the work, timeliness, and general satisfaction. Make certain these are recent clients along with cross guide if possible. When it comes to commercial roofer, make sure that the particular roofing contractor is actually bonded. Examining these references is another additional measure of stability to narrow down the list of potential roofing contractors.

Seo Through Article Writing

Article marketing could be a very powerful way of Seo for your company websites. Quality written articles have the ability to improve your websites SERP and add quality for a company website. Writing informative keyword rich articles is crucial in gaining new backlinks in your business website. Articles can and may be written on topics which are unique in your business or industry. The articles can discuss a range of issues and ideas within your industry. Articles that provide the various readers which has a resource will always be just about the most popular and most likely types of articles that can cause backlinks to your website.

Focus your articles on your own potential readers or customers. Seo articles should address real questions which are asked by current or past clients. Each article you write for you company ought to include detailed analysis and Seo keywords that will help associate your site with all the content present in the web site. Focus your articles on around 3 keywords and do not stray from them. Consistency is very important when writing Search engine optimization articles. If you are covering Vancouver Search engine optimization make sure your always come up with information strongly related the keyword.

Give all of your Seo Articles an engaging Title that may encourage people to see and bookmark your articles. Ideally, the articles you're writing can be as links off their websites which can be just like yours. This one thing may help boost the power of each and every link and definately will assist your SERP. Make sure you end each article using a keyword anchored link (see Easy Small company Seo). This link will enhance your rankings on the internet and other major search engines like google for that keyword connected to the link. Submit the articles with a submitted article directory and Voila! Before very long, your website could be around the first page of Google.

Thank you for reading. Can't wait to see your Seo articles!

Vancouver Seo Agency Aims For Google Places With Complete Achievement

When we type in research online term hunting for a business inside their local area, they'll find that Google places and Google maps is showing listings of local businesses. It's very eminent to enable them to be optimized and from this first page should they desire to generate business. Vancouver SEO companies must be educated in this area for their clients.

There seems to be a great deal of new Vancouver SEO companies establishing, simply because the need is there. Finding a search engine firm which has the client's welfare at heart may be tedious. How many keywords will they optimize for? What are the keywords and also the corresponding search volume? Do they learn how to optimize for Google places? And so on. Seo is the business of landing at the pinnacle and Maxim Edge can get you there.

"My wife i started our Vancouver Search engine optimization company by accident. We've learned through the school of hard knocks and trial and error how to utilize web to promote any business. We began with all the website, then the competition, after which of course building quality back-links to push a website up in the rankings. It isn't really pushing control button and watching what goes on type of business. It will require a lot of effort, a lot of research and a lot of commitment. We work tirelessly for our clients so we are very pleased with a high retention rate." Randy Neale says.

For additional info on Michael, a Vancouver SEO company, please visit the website today at seo4vancouver.com

Little about the Uyghurs

In the center of the desert landscapes of Taklamakan, in the northern-west part of China, the land of Xinjiang is a least populated land whereas it covers near to a sixth with the nation's area. Getting resisted while in generations the Han Chinese control, Xinjiang, or Old Eastern Turkistan, fell within the Chinese Han control in 1949. From then, its population is mainly Uyghur People and Turkish - speaking System.

Muslim above all, the Uyghurs have a solid religious identification that, in particular, permitted them to preserve a solid difference towards the Chinese invader. Definitely, the Uyghur Empire of Mongolia knew a great civilization, until its absorption by the Mongolian Empire in the XIIIth century.

While in their own background, the Uyghur People 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 entire Central Asia.

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

The arrival of Islam was a great change mainly because it was accompanied by the assimilation of the Uyghur areas in the enormous Turco-Mongolian and Islamic Empire. Thus, the descendants of Genghis Khan slowly replaced their writing by a Arabo-Persan alphabet, still used these days.

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

For a few years, China has included the proper identity of these remote people, though they represent only 8 million inhabitants - a trifle for this particular immense area. So, Uyghur people are now part of the fifty six racial minority groups having been well known in an official way by the People's Republic of China.

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

The integration of the Uyghur people and their culture in China, however, seems very illusory. The presence of all natural resources in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and its proximity with nations recognized as sensitive, highly encouraged the government to accelerate the sinicization of this area. Million of Han thus came to settle in this new Chinese eldorado, monopolizing the greater responsibility jobs.

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

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

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

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