Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Major leaguers Jason and Jeremy Giambi were expected to testify Tuesday as Barry Bonds' perjury trial resumed.

This Week's Health Industry News - NYTimes.com

A look at what's coming up in the drug and health fields.

REPORT: News Corp. In Talks To Hand Over Control Of MySpace To ...

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

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

Preview of Final Result

Resources

PT Sans Bold – FontSquirrel

Free App Icons for Developers – WebAppers

Step 1

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

Step 2

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

Step 3

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

Step 4

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

Step 5

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

Step 6

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

Step 7

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

Step 8

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

Step 9

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

Step 10

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

Step 11

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

Step 12

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

Step 13

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

Step 14

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

Step 15

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

Step 16

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

Step 17

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

Step 18

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

Step 19

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

Step 20

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

Step 21

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

Step 22

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

Step 23

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

Step 24

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

Step 25

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

Step 26

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

Step 27

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

Step 28

To finish, add a Gradient Overlay effect.

Step 29

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

Step 30

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

Step 31

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

Step 32

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

Step 33

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

Step 34

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

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

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

Tools & Techniques

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

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

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

News & Trends

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

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

Tips & Tricks

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

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

Success Stories

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

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

Opportunities

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

Surface Encounters

News FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and Funny Pictures

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

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Small Business News: 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

Monday, March 28, 2011

People Making Money Net

We’ve been following the Bernie Madoff saga for so long now, it seems that there’s hardly anything we don’t know about him.

That is, we realized this morning, we’ve never before heard his voice.

Until now.

New York magazine recently landed a series of phone interviews with Madoff, currently serving a 150-year prison sentence for bilking investors out of tens of billions. Click here for the story, which links to taped excerpts of the conversations — between Madoff and reporter Steve Fishman.

Just a few highlights for you, LBers:

Madoff on Madoff: �How could I have done this?� asked his prison therapist, according to the story. �I was making a lot of money. I didn�t need the money. [Am I] a flawed character?� Later, Madoff asked: �Everybody on the outside kept claiming I was a sociopath . . . Am I a sociopath?� (The therapist’s answer: he’s not a sociopath. He has morals and remorse.)

Madoff on his own misery: At the peak of his fraud, as everyone seemed to be getting rich, Madoff was “secretly suffering.” Said Madoff, according to Fishman: �It was a nightmare for me. It was only a nightmare for me. It�s horrible. When I say nightmare, imagine carrying this secret . . . Look, imagine going home every night not being able to tell your wife, living with this ax over your head, not telling your sons, my brother, seeing them every day in the business and not being able to confide in them.”

Madoff on his clients:

�Look, none of my clients, even if they lost every penny they put in there, can plead poverty . . . Look, it doesn�t mean I�m excusing what I did, doesn�t mean I don�t feel sorry for them. I�m embarrassed . . . It was the people that came in very late in the game that got hurt. All of my friends, most of my individual clients, are not net losers,� he said. �Now if you listen to [them], they�re living out of Dumpsters and they don�t have any money, and I�m sure it�s a traumatic experience to some, but I made a lot of money for people. Does it justify it? No.”

�

There’s a new gazillionaire in town. Online gaming firm Gazillion Entertainment has hired John Needham, former head of Cryptic Studios, as its new chief executive as the company enters a new stage of its development of massively multiplayer online games.

San Mateo, Calif.-based Gazillion is one of the highest-profile video game start-ups, since it has raised a lot of money ($60 million in its last round alone) and has multiple studios making very ambitious games. Under Needham, the company will complete its shift to a new business model in response to major changes in the way consumers play online games. That’s a wrenching shift, but it’s a necessary one in the face of the disruption happening in the industry.

Needham said in an interview that the company is in the process of converting all of its major games to the free-to-play business model, where users start playing a game for free and pay real money for virtual goods such as decorations or better weapons. That model took off first in Asia and is now sweeping through everything from iPhone games to massively multiplayer online games such as the high-quality games Gazillion makes.

“Free-to-play is gaining a foothold here,” Needham (pictured) said. “That is where the secret sauce is for the industry.”

Needham has been a leader in games since 2001, when he became senior vice president of business development and operations at Sony Online Entertainment. He left Sony in 2008 to become chief executive of Cryptic Studios, an MMO publisher in Los Gatos, Calif. There, he helped publish the Champions Online game, which wasn’t a big success at first but did better after its shift to free-to-play games. He sold the company to Atari and led the launch of the company’s Star Trek Online game, which had mixed results but which Needham says was profitable.

At Gazillion, Needham will have his hands full, because the company is one of the most ambitious in the game business, with three major studios focusing on high-quality online games. David Brevik, a former Blizzard executive, became No. 2 at Gazillion in January, and Needham says he looks forward to working with him. Gazillion has more than 200 employees.

Rob Hutter, former CEO and now chairman, said he welcomes Needham to the new job. Under Hutter, the company has gone through some twists and turns, acquiring studios and shutting one down. Gazillion’s first studio was Slipgate Ironworks, an MMO developer founded by Doom co-creator John Romero. But Gazillion shuttered the game and laid off its staff. Romero left to run his own Facebook games studio, Loot Drop.

The company’s NetDevil studio in Louisville, Colo., also worked on a work-for-hire game for Lego, dubbed Lego Universe. After Lego Universe launched, NetDevil laid off some of the team and then transferred the remaining workers to Lego, which assumed responsibility for maintaining it. The remaining team at NetDevil is working on Fortune Online, a real-time strategy game for the web.

Another Gazillion studio, Seattle-based Amazing Society, is working on Marvel Super Hero Squad. That kid-focused online game is expected to launch in the coming months in conjunction with a show on the Cartoon Network. And the last studio is Secret Identity Studios in San Mateo, Calif., which is working on Marvel Universe, an MMO based on Marvel Comics characters.

Investors include Oak Investment Partners, Hearst Interactive Media, Revolution Ventures, Pelion Venture Partners, Founders Fund, Abu Dhabi Media Company and Temasak Holdings.

Rivals include Bigpoint, Riot Games and a variety of other online game companies.

Next Story: Moolah Media adds phone reports to its mobile ads Previous Story: Instapaper 3.0 for iPhone/iPad brings social features, biggest update yet

bench craft company reviews

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

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

The Truth About Twitter: It's The Evening News

Twitter is a media platform, not a social network.

Small Business News: Creative Marketing Secrets

Marketing for your small business can be part art/part science. But however you would describe it, it is the key to both getting new customers and keeping the.

Search engine optimization Vancouver For any Better Marketing Solution

When you begin your own website there are many ways you'll have to market it and one the best way is by using SEO services Vancouver if you happen to be in that area. The SEO or search engine optimization services would be the top method of getting more visitors to your website and therefore making more sales.

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

It is a popular proven fact that if you are planning to really make it in the offline world you must have an online presence. This really is something that all people are learning hard way. Something that you should also know is the fact that it is not as easy as just establishing the website and leaving it to do its things.

You can do this in most types of ways, however these companies usually take advantage of multiple methods to create the perfect marketing technique online. It is possible to hire these phones write articles for you, 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 do this because otherwise the organization that you have worked so difficult for could end up losing the money. If you have an internet site you want to create, then you'll also employ the expertise of a search engine optimization company, which stands for search engine optimization company. What the corporation does is basically take the best parts of your website, look into the code, create keywords and write various articles and documents to ensure your website is placed near the top of the list for the major search engines.

By doing this the SEO company cannot only increase your traffic, but also ensure that your website is fully optimized for that search engine spiders that'll be introduced to it. These spiders are utilized to analyze your website and put it in certain positions determined on certain keywords.

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

SEO Services Offered by Different Vancouver Web Companies

The Vancouver SEO company services are extremely good for business growth as they provide quality services. If you are planning to create a website for the internet business, then you've come to right article when i will be explaining below how Web optimization Vancouver company services can improve your website ranking and make it popular.

Before that, you should know what Seo is. It is not that complicated and I'm sure you're going to get a grasp from it reading my article. The main goal of SEO is to have more traffic aimed at your website and audience. It is a good decision to select a Vancouver SEO company that specializes in this sort of work, so that your website could be indexed by search engines.

There is no point in you having a website without any website ranking whatsoever as you won't have any business and profits to survive. It is a very tough atmosphere out there because there are a lot of internet business people just like you, who want their share of pie. You must be familiar with the truth that nearly 85% of web traffic could be got from web-sites.

When a user types inside a keyword or keywords for which he/she really wants to know in different sites, these use crawlers to get websites with the relevant content and index them according to algorithms. You don't have to worry about the algorithms which these sites use as that is not important.

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

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

Use keywords which are popularly utilized on search engines like google on 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.
Submit your site to directory websites.
Postings on blogs and forums with back-links for your websites. This is considered as a very effective way to get more traffic to your website as many internet users use blogs and forums.

SEO Vancouver company also perform site diagnostics which is an important part in online optimization as research and analysis on finding keywords may be the method to start a SEO campaign. So, be sure you choose the best SEO Vancouver service company.

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

What to anticipate When Getting a Roofer

When it comes time to repair or substitute your roof, it can be a challenging job to find somebody that is competent to do the job. There are lots of roofing companies out there, but the types who'll perform a great job for a sensible price are not frequently simple to find. If you are in the market for the service provider, make use of the ideas below with regard to meeting with and employing the correct one.

Job interview and Consultation

Most roofing contractors provide free consultation services. This is especially important, because it gives them an opportunity to assess what your homes roof needs, also it provides you with a chance to evaluate them. As with all businesses, believe in intuition concerning the people a person allow upward on your roof. No issue exactly how good the contractor's reputation or recommendation, he should begin by showing you having a company card. If a service provider arrives looking and talking within an unprofessional manner, chances are that the task he's going to perform may also be unprofessional. This isn't to say that you ought to anticipate contractors to arrive within fits. They will be hiking in your roof, therefore most is going to be dressed up in denim jeans and work boots or even athletic shoes. If the actual contractor seems to be interested in speaking upon their mobile phone during your roof compared to he is within analyzing your roof's requirements, which may be an additional sign that he is not really the main one for the job. For the legal safety, be certain that the actual contractor has adequate legal responsibility insurance coverage.

Roofing Evaluation

Anticipate that the contractor will be going up on your roof. In fact, any kind of service provider who does not need to increase on your roofing to evaluate the problem ought to be immediately reduced. Those who are seriously interested in their work may either make a sketching of your roof's surface area and mark trouble spots on it as they go through their assessment, or even they'll consider pictures or video clip of the surface area while they are up there. This is an extremely essential step, because it allows you to see just what the problems are as well as understand how they'll be set.

Estimation

The next step would be the created estimate. The contractor will require out his calculator and come up with a written estimate. Some contractors will go to their own vehicle or even truck as well as write down the proposal, while others may crunch the amounts to do the job prior to you. Once you are because of the suggestion, make sure that you understand exactly which items will be used, just how long the job will take and if you will find any extra or even concealed expenses that could occur during the restore from the roofing. The contractor should be able to solution many of these questions with ease as well as forewarn a person of any additional costs that might be sustained if the roof's integrity end up being damaged inside.

Once you have obtained a few created estimations from roofing contractors, evaluate exactly what every company or even contractor is willing to provide for the price. Do not always discount the highest bet, because sometimes the greatest bid will in reality be the contractor who does the task correctly. Also, be wary associated with bids which are significantly less than other people. They might be utilizing inferior items or be unethical about the possibility of concealed expenses. Most importantly, believe in intuition as well as go with the actual service provider that makes you feel quite comfy regarding handing more than your hard earned money.

Seven Uyghurs Sentenced to Death

2011-03-23

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

AFP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Strike hard' campaign

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Earlier cases

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New training scheme

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Urumqi resident surnamed Li agreed.

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

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

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

Wikileaks and also the Uyghurs

through holly upon December Twenty, 2010
Henryk Szadziewski, Manager, Uyghur Human Rights Project

Whether it had been actually in doubt, information acquired through the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, has verified Chinese government worries over its ongoing control of the region this phone calls Xinjiang, also is known as Eastern Turkestan. The leaked wires through U.S. diplomats show the actual degree that Chinese authorities attempt to persuade governments worldwide to consider its position upon issues affecting Uyghurs. The actual wires additionally show the United States' concerns and sights regarding the ongoing repressive measures in the region.

The majority of illuminating associated with Chinese government pressure would be the wires directed in order to Chinese language frustration, or even the specter associated with Chinese ire, over the release of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to third countries. A December 29, 2008 cable television applies exactly how Chinese language Assistant International Minister Liu Jieyi fulfilled using the Ough.Utes. Ambassador to The far east in order to voice Beijing's powerful opposition of launch in order to any nation other than The far east, and that when the Ough.Utes. did indeed accede to this ask for it might "avoid harm to bilateral relationships and to co-operation ‘in important areas'". Furthermore, the Feb 2009 cable explains how the Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded the possible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees as "an unfavorable act towards us" and a "slap within the face". The U.Utes. federal government was company within not releasing the actual detainees in order to The far east illustrates the actual extent of the politicized character from the Chinese language judicial system. Genuine concerns more than terrorism tend to be easy to understand, but in the Ough.S. government's view the detainees might probably encounter torture and execution if they came back to China

Chinese federal government pressure regarding the Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't only applied to the U.Utes. federal government, but additionally to Brand new Zealand along with a handful of European governments that were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Germany as well as Finland, as well as European Union member says just about all have the symptoms of borne the actual impact of Chinese language government unhappiness. In the case of Germany, which was at first willing to think about 2 Uyghurs upon purely relief grounds, Uyghur Guantánamo cases were less better than additional detainees due to the unwanted effects accepting Uyghurs might have upon relations along with The far east. A May 8, 2009 cable relates exactly how "German Ambassador Erina Schaefer reported which Indonesia experienced knowledgeable China from the Ough.Utes. request to simply accept a few Uighur detainees held at Guantánamo and had already been consequently warned by China associated with ‘a heavy load upon bilateral relations' if Indonesia had been to accept any kind of detainees".

The actual diplomatic cables also discuss the unrest in Urumchi, the regional capital, within This summer 2009. The July 13, 2009 cable discussing bulk occurrences in The far east says:

"Ethnic riots like those who work in Xinjiang July 5-7 and in Tibet in 03 associated with 2008 vary substantially in source and nature through bulk incidents, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed to PolOff [Political Officer] upon XXXXXXXXXXXX. Both existing serious trouble for the actual Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX stated, however the Celebration management wouldn't hesitate to spread out fireplace on Uighurs or Tibetans if they deemed this necessary to restore purchase. Bulk incidents pose a different kind of risk, he said, as the leadership is ‘afraid' to fire on Han rioters for anxiety about sparking massive open public outrage that would turn against the Celebration."

This is a relaxing opinion, particularly when one considers evidence offered by 50 percent reviews released this year by the Uyghur Individual Rights Task (UHRP) as well as Amnesty International which fine detail eyewitness accounts from the use of lethal live fireplace towards Uyghur protestors within This summer '09. Additionally, the actual observation which fireplace wouldn't be deployed towards Han Chinese language protestors offers resonances for that different approach used through Chinese security forces in Urumchi in order to Han Chinese protests in Sept '09. During those protests, after that Party Secretary, Wang Lequan, addressed demonstrators, who experienced required he inform them about government reactions in order to security issues. A similar ask for to meet with the Party Secretary by Uyghur demonstrators within July wasn't met.

The actual wider repercussions from the unrest additionally saw a short dialogue on the impact it might possess upon Iran-China relations, as well as on relationships along with Australia after World Uyghur Congress President, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, talked at the Nationwide Push Membership in Canberra within July 2009. In the latter case, the Chinese government "privately warn[ed] a significant Aussie financial institution that sponsors the National Push Club to make use of it's impact to block the Kadeer talk there".

The United States' concerns concerning the situation in the Uyghur region are available through in the cables. In a discussion on policy direction within Tibet, Ough.Utes. officials explain that it will be not possible for Chinese leaders to consider a much softer collection "if they appear like doing this under international pressure". The cable dated April Sixteen, 2008, one month following the outbreak associated with unrest in Tibetan areas, also relayed the actual declaration "that household balance remains the leadership's main concern most of all, which means there will ‘almost surely' be absolutely no relaxation of the current hard collection upon Tibet or in locations like Xinjiang." The information included in the cable additionally sheds light about the severe level of sensitivity that china federal government views territorial ethics, and also the possible spill more than of unrest through Tibet.

The chance associated with methods to stress within Tibet and Xinjiang as a result of civil culture are debated inside a February 24, 08 cable. Whilst suggesting which China's financial success increases its resistance to democratic change, the cable also talks about how Chinese frontrunners begin to see the usefulness associated with "a restricted expansion associated with municipal society, including enhancements within the guideline associated with law and a more powerful part with regard to approved religions, NGOs, non profit organizations and other actors within places that contribute to social balance and do not challenge Communist Party guideline." This can be a significant change in thinking, which has observed Ough.Utes. authorities promote the notion that Chinese language financial improvement, as well as economic relations with China will bring in regards to a progressively democratic culture; however, more belief seems to be placed in the grassroots motion compared to one which starts from the top quantity of a Chinese language federal government. Nonetheless, the cable television concludes that "[i]n places for example Tibet as well as Xinjiang, the fear of separatism leads to tighter restrictions on the growth of municipal society." This method is viewed as counter-productive by the recognized, who shows that the actual Ough.S. federal government "should continue to express...serious issues over Beijing's individual privileges record as well as attract China's growing consciousness that higher respect for human privileges, religious freedom and also the rule associated with regulation assists to promote the very improvement as well as sociable stability that China seeks in addition to to enhance China's international image." This type of strategy would take considerable diplomatic skills considering "China's paranoid fear that the Usa secretly promotes regime change and ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The wires provide insight into the every day company of diplomacy that is rarely afforded to the general public, which is interesting to note the amount of function carried out behind closed doors upon Uyghur issues. The importance of the part of the us as a monitor associated with Uyghur human rights problems within personal discussions is made obvious, and contrasts using its sensible public position. The staff from the Uyghur Human Privileges Task is comfortable with pressure china government puts on Uyghur activists; still, the facts of Chinese federal government stress upon its counterparts is illustrative of the degree which Chinese officials attempt to control contradictory stories. With increased facts in the future from Wikileaks, concerns over Uyghurs may not grab the headlines, however the wires have get rid of brand new light about the paperwork associated with human privileges conditions within the Uyghur area.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Wikileaks and the Uyghurs

by henry upon December 20, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Manager, Uyghur Human Rights Project

If it had been actually uncertain, information acquired through the whistleblower web site, Wikileaks, offers verified Chinese federal government fears more than it's ongoing charge of the region this phone calls Xinjiang, also is referred to as Eastern Turkestan. The actual leaked cables from U.S. diplomats show the actual degree to which Chinese language government bodies attempt to persuade governments worldwide to consider its position upon problems affecting Uyghurs. The wires additionally display the United States' concerns as well as views concerning the ongoing repressive steps in the region.

Most lighting of Chinese language federal government pressure are the wires pointing in order to Chinese anger, or the specter associated with Chinese language ire, over the discharge of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to third countries. The Dec 29, 2008 cable television applies how Chinese Assistant Foreign Reverend Liu Jieyi met with the Ough.Utes. Ambassador to China to voice Beijing's powerful opposition of launch in order to any nation other than China, and that when the Ough.Utes. did certainly accede for this request it might "avoid injury to bilateral relations and also to cooperation ‘in essential areas'". Furthermore, the February 2009 cable television explains how the Chinese Ambassador in order to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded the actual feasible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees as "an unfavorable act toward us" and a "slap within the face". The Ough.S. federal government was firm within not really liberating the actual detainees to The far east demonstrates the extent of the politicized character of the Chinese judicial program. Legitimate issues over terrorism are understandable, however in the actual U.S. government's observe the detainees might most likely face torture as well as execution if they came back in order to China

Chinese government pressure in regard to the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't only applied to the actual U.Utes. government, but also to Brand new Zealand and a handful of European government authorities which were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Germany and Finland, in addition to European Union fellow member says all have the symptoms of paid for the brunt associated with Chinese language government unhappiness. In the case of Germany, that was at first prepared to think about 2 Uyghurs upon purely relief reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo instances had been less preferable to additional detainees because of the unwanted effects accepting Uyghurs might have on relations with The far east. The Might Eight, '09 cable television relates how "German Ambassador Michael Schaefer reported that Germany had informed The far east from the U.S. request to simply accept some Uighur detainees kept at Guantánamo coupled with been subsequently cautioned by China associated with ‘a large 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 regional funds, within July 2009. A July Thirteen, 2009 cable talking about mass occurrences in China says:

"Ethnic riots such as those who work in Xinjiang This summer 5-7 as well as in Tibet within March associated with 2008 vary markedly within source and character through mass occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed to PolOff [Political Officer] on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Both present severe trouble for the actual Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, but the Party leadership would not wait to spread out fireplace upon Uighurs or even Tibetans when they considered it necessary to recover order. Bulk incidents present another kind of threat, he said, as the leadership is ‘afraid' to fire on Han rioters for fear of sparking huge public outrage that will change against the Celebration."

This is a chilling opinion, particularly when one views the evidence offered in two reviews launched this season by the Uyghur Human Privileges Project (UHRP) as well as Amnesty Worldwide that detail eyewitness company accounts of the utilization of deadly reside fireplace against Uyghur protestors in July '09. Additionally, the declaration which fire wouldn't be used towards Han Chinese protestors offers resonances for the different strategy used through Chinese security forces within Urumchi to Han Chinese direct orders in Sept 2009. Throughout individuals protests, after that Party Secretary, Wang Lequan, addressed demonstrators, that had demanded that he let them know regarding federal government reactions to protection issues. An identical request to satisfy with the Celebration Assistant by Uyghur demonstrators within This summer wasn't met.

The wider consequences of the unrest also saw a brief discussion about the impact it might have on Iran-China relations, and on relationships along with Sydney after Globe Uyghur Our elected representatives President, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, talked in the Nationwide Push Club within Canberra within July '09. In the latter case, the Chinese government "privately warn[ed] a major Aussie financial institution that sponsors the National Press Membership to use its influence to bar a Kadeer talk there".

The actual U . s . States' concerns concerning the scenario in the Uyghur area are available through within the wires. In a discussion on plan path in Tibet, Ough.Utes. officials explain that it'll end up being not possible for Chinese frontrunners to consider the softer collection "if they appear like they are doing so under worldwide pressure". The actual cable dated 04 16, 08, 30 days after the outbreak associated with unrest in Tibetan regions, also relayed the observation "that household balance remains the leadership's main concern above all else, meaning there'll ‘almost surely' end up being no relaxation from the present hard collection upon Tibet or perhaps in places like Xinjiang." The information contained in the cable also storage sheds gentle on the severe sensitivity with which the Chinese government sights territorial ethics, and the feasible drip over of unrest from Tibet.

The chance of methods to stress in Tibet as well as Xinjiang as a result of municipal culture tend to be discussed inside a February Twenty-four, 2008 cable television. While suggesting that China's economic achievement increases its resistance to democratic reform, the actual cable television also discusses exactly how Chinese language frontrunners see the usefulness associated with "a limited growth of civil society, such as improvements within the rule of regulation along with a more powerful part for authorized beliefs, NGOs, non profit organizations along with other stars in places which contribute to social stability and do not challenge Communist Party rule." This is a notable alternation in thinking, which has observed U.Utes. officials promote the notion that Chinese financial improvement, as well as financial relations along with China will bring in regards to a progressively democratic culture; however, much more faith appears to be placed in the grassroots movement than one which starts in the best levels of the Chinese government. Nonetheless, the actual cable concludes which "[i]n areas for example Tibet as well as Xinjiang, the fear of separatism results in tight limitations on the growth of civil society." This method can be regarded as counter-productive through the recognized, that suggests that the U.Utes. government "should continue to express...serious issues more than Beijing's individual privileges record and appeal to China's developing consciousness which greater regard with regard to human privileges, religious freedom and the rule associated with law will serve to promote the very development as well as sociable balance which The far east seeks as well as to improve China's worldwide image." Such a technique would consider considerable diplomatic abilities considering "China's paranoid fear that the United States secretly promotes routine change as well as ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The actual cables provide insight into the daily company of diplomacy that's rarely afforded to everyone, and it is fascinating to notice the amount of function done behind closed doors upon Uyghur issues. The importance of the role of the United States like a monitor associated with Uyghur individual privileges conditions in personal conversations is made obvious, as well as contrasts with its sensible open public stance. The staff of the Uyghur Human Rights Task is well aware of pressure the Chinese federal government exerts on Uyghur activists; nevertheless, the details associated with Chinese language government stress upon its alternatives is actually illustrative from the diploma that Chinese language officials make an effort to suppress contradictory stories. With more facts to come from Wikileaks, issues more than Uyghurs may not get the headlines, however the wires possess shed new gentle about the documentation associated with individual rights problems within the Uyghur region.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Search Engine Optimisation And Marketing with articles Will Place You On The 1st Page

Seo and article promotion are a couple of the strongest strategies which you can use in promoting your site and get the revenue and success that you need for your internet business. Those two stuff has been around for any really very long time already nevertheless they still remain to be really effective. In fact, these have helped a lot of people free themselves from the traditional means of money-generating options of society.

In this article, I will be showing the ways how you can properly execute search engine optimization and article promotion for the betterment of one's business web site. Additionally, I will be also discussing the different points that you have to consider when you are using these two internet marketing strategies to market your website and acquire customers. Despite the fact that article promotion and Search engine optimisation have been established for a long time already, you need to know that the trends and preferences as to how they are carried out are continually changing, which explains why you need to keep yourself up to date with these items through the help of Seo forum sites so that you can quickly adjust and discover ways to make your strategies more effective.

In the past marketing with articles to various websites used to be so simple the effects they produce for web sites was powerful. However, everything has changed a great deal today. Nowadays submitting the identical article to several websites is no longer recommended because search engines have now changed with a huge extent in how they rank pages. They will no longer rank contents that are identical like they used to in the past. This is the most effective samples of changes that occur in internet marketing trends. This change has given birth to wide plethora of methods that web marketers are using today. Nearly all of web marketers now produce articles and publish them in really popular article submission sites and await targeted prospects arrive at their pages. This is perhaps that most reliable Seo strategy that you can use. Aside from being effective, this also delivers favorable outcomes on a regular basis. The only issue using this strategy is the caliber of traffic that you will get using this defintely won't be so good if you do not do proper market and keyword research beforehand and rehearse in-links. You need to attend to these two things prior to deciding to submit your posts so that you won't end up losing huge amounts of targeted visitors. This means that you must practice good levels of diligence if you want your advertising initiatives to function.

In addition to articles, you may also use writing a blog, which is another really powerful form of online marketing strategy today because it is highly favored by google and yahoo. On this technique, you can choose to develop a single weblog that specifically targets your chosen market or you can give rise to other weblogs that are labeled as experts in your niche.

Learn effective Vancouver search engine marketing techniques at the Vancouver SEO website.

Roofing Contractors Vancouver British Columbia

There are numerous things to take into account when looking for a new roofing contractor. Cost, experience, and referrals are some of the things you'll likely be concerned about. Please read on for even other great ideas.

Finding a Roofers

Before searching for a roofing contractor, be sure you have a standard idea of the work that you need to did. By no means do you have to be an authority. If you have the Roof Certification, read it extensively to find the information about your current roof. If you don't have a Roofing Certificate, make reference to documents signed during final to locate your Roof Inspection linen. These paperwork should provide you with everything you need to find out about your roof. Ahead of contacting a new roofing contractor, you have to have a list of needs and specifications to help you determine exactly who would work for your roof covering project. Be sure to write down each and every potential roofing contractor's answers along with check these people against one another. If there are any inacucuracy, be sure to notice this along with take this into consideration when creating a final decision. There are no guaranteed ways to select a roofing contractor, in case you take attention to the details provided, your odds of a successful roofer project tend to be greatly enhanced.

One of the best means of finding a roofers is by word of mouth marketing. Try requesting a friend or relative that has had roofer work performed, and was satisfied with the project. Get the title of the company and their contact information. If you have no word of oral cavity referrals, test first looking in the cell phone book and online. A large ad or elegant website is just not necessarily indication of the high quality of work, but tend to be a very good tool with regard to measuring how long and dedication they have put in their particular profession. Also, try obtaining current worksites and search at the covering work that's done or in the process of getting finished. If you are visually impressed, ask the property manager for that name in the roofing contractor along with their get in touch with information.

Preliminary research

When looking for a roofing contractors, it can be imperative to 1st do your background research. Acquire the best in the phone book or on the web is a suitable destination to find a service provider, finding essential information on these types of businesses will likely be found in a number of other areas. Initial, check with locations like the Bbb, city, point out, and county public records, and local licensing agencies. Inquire your roofing contractor if they are an affiliate of any roofer associations. These kinds of precautions may mitigate your current risks. Furthermore ask them what forms of roofing these people specialize in. Additionally ask your roofing contractor concerning any extended auto warranties they offer on their own installed homes. Find out what measures they take to avoid injury done to other areas of the home simply by workers. Things such as gutters, home siding, and chimneys are close in proximity and therefore susceptible to random damages.

Be sure all of this information is included in your created contract. Determine whether you need a covering permit and/or permission from your home owners association in advance. These agencies will let you know that's responsible for getting these makes it possible for and authorizations. If it is the obligation of the roofing contractor, also have this included as part of your contract. If it's your obligation, get mentioned permits along with permissions collated with the estimated roofer project and still have it plainly posted or readily available.

Accreditation and Referrals

Roofing Contractors are not forced to be accredited in all declares. Contact nearby licensing companies that oversee general design contractors for any list of needs. Once you have attained the requirements, create a list of thorough questions to ask the potential roofing contractor. This simple record should immediately help you to weed out the qualified from the untrained roofing installers. Qualified contractors should be able to easily answer questions or even tell you that they should do further research prior to giving a new definitive answer.

Even if a roofing contractor offers all required licensing, you should ask to determine pictures involving completed roofing jobs along with speak to fulfilled clients. Use a list of queries handy ought to recent consumers, such as the dynamics of the work, timeliness, and general satisfaction. Make certain these are the latest clients and also cross guide if possible. Regarding commercial covering, make sure that the actual roofing contractor will be bonded. Checking out these referrals is another included measure of security to limit the list involving potential covering contractors.

Search engine optimization Through Articles

Content creation could be a very powerful kind of Search engine optimization for the company web-site. Quality written articles have the ability to transform your websites SERP and add quality for your company website. Writing informative keyword rich articles is important in gaining new backlinks for a business website. Articles can and will be written on topics which might be unique for your business or industry. The articles can discuss a multitude of issues and ideas within your industry. Articles offering the reader having a resource will almost always be probably the most popular and a lot likely varieties of articles that may result in backlinks to your site.

Focus your posts on your own potential readers or customers. Search engine optimization articles should address real questions that are asked by current or previous customers. Each article you're posting to suit your needs company will include detailed analysis and Search engine optimization keywords which will help associate your website using the content contained in the web site. Focus your articles on approximately 3 keywords , nor stray from their website. Consistency is very important when writing Search engine optimization articles. Should you be writing about Vancouver Search engine optimization make sure your always come up with information relevant to the keyword.

Give each one of your Seo Articles an engaging Title that will persuade folks to see and bookmark your posts. Ideally, the articles you write can become as links off their websites which are similar to yours. This will help increase the power of each and every link and definately will assist your SERP. Ensure that you end each article using a keyword anchored link (see Easy Small company Search engine optimization). This link will assist you to raise your rankings in Google and other major engines like google for your keyword connected to the link. Submit the articles with a submitted article directory and Voila! Before you know it, your web site might be for the first page of Google.

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

Vancouver Seo Agency Aims For Google Places With Complete Success

When people type in searching 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 from this first page whenever they desire to generate business. Vancouver SEO companies must be educated of this type for their clients.

There will be a large amount of new Vancouver SEO companies starting, simply because the importance is there. Finding an SEO firm which has the client's interest at heart may be tedious. What number of keywords will they optimize for? What are keywords and also the corresponding amount of searches? Do they discover how to optimize for Google places? And so on. Seo will be the business of landing at the very top and Maxim Edge can get you there.

"My wife and i also started our Vancouver Search engine optimization company by accident. We now have learned with the school of hard knocks and learning from your errors how to make use of the web to promote any business. We began using the website, then your competition, and then of course building quality back-links to push an online site up within the rankings. It isn't really pushing some control and watching what happens type of business. It will require a lot of effort, lots of research and lots of commitment. We give your very best for our clients and now we are very satisfied with a high retention rate." Randy Neale says.

For added info on Michael, a Vancouver Search engine optimization company, please visit the website today at seo4vancouver.com

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Portraits of Uyghur People

In the middle 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 land while it covers near to a sixth of the nation's area. Getting resisted during centuries the Han Chinese control, Xinjiang, or Old East Turkistan, fell into under the Chinese Han control in 1949. From then, its population is generally Uyghurs and Turkish - speaking System.

Muslim primarily, the Uyghur people have a very good religious identification which usually, in specific, permitted them to preserve a solid difference in opposition to the Chinese enemy. Certainly, the Uyghur Empire of Mongolia knew a excellent civilization, until its absorption by the Mongolian Empire in the XIIIth century.

During their historical past, the Uyghurs successively taken on 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 influence of the religions which they taken on, Uyghur People used 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 entrance of Islam was a great change mainly because it was supported by the absorption of the Uyghur areas in the enormous Turco-Mongolian and Muslim Kingdom. Thus, the descendants of Genghis Khan progressively replaced their writing by a Arabo-Persan alphabet, still used presently.

If their own writing, their language and their religion mark a real big difference with the tradition of Chinese Han, Uyghur People 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 origins of these men and these women.

For a few years, China has integrated the proper identity of these remote people, although they represent only 8 million population - a trifle for this particular large land. Thus, 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 country exactly where their big difference is very often repressed. Thus, Uyghur families escape the "single child policy" and their language is recognized as the second official language in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The integration of the Uyghur people and their culture in the People's Republic of China, however, looks very illusory. The presence of natural resources in Xinjiang, and its distance with locations known as sensitive, clearly 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 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 mainly the acceptance of their true identity, this movement was seriously repressed by the power authorities in area Xinjiang.

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 Uyghur population continues today to proudly continue to keep their identification and their tradition , though they become a minority on their own land.

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