Plainly Speaking by Tom Rambo contract content creator for Rossini.com
If you’re creating content for your company’s web site, consider carefully who your audience is. If you’re selling to other professionals in your industry, then jargon is fine. They expect it. If, however, your product or service is directed at the average consumer, the language you use should be everyday, conversational English. Including industry jargon on your web site is not going to impress them – in fact, it’s likely to do just the opposite.
If industry terms must be used, then define these terms for your reader and explain to them what this item or service does and why that’s important. You’d be surprised how many times potential customers are driven away to a competitor when they look at your web site and don’t understand what you’re talking about.
The question most people want answered is “What’s in it for me?” Anything you say on your website needs to answer that question effectively. For example, just saying that your business is “family owned” doesn’t mean anything. How does that benefit your customer? A better choice might be, “Our business is family owned, which means when you come in to see us with questions, you’re talking to someone who can make a decision and give you answers on the spot. Always let the customer know what’s in it for them!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
My thoughts
As we go into a well deserved holiday for most of us, I want to wish all of you that might read my blog a great, safe and happy weekend. Enjoy, recharge and know that I believe things are slowly getting better.
Talk soon
Joe
Talk soon
Joe
RSS Feeds for all of you that do not have time to blog!
By Sharon Housley in RSS
If you are struggling with the decision of whether to implement RSS feeds or not, consider the following pros and cons for webmasters who use RSS feeds as part of their content and communication plan…
Benefits (Pros Of Using RSS)
The benefits for a webmaster who opts to implement RSS feeds on their website are numerous:
1. Saves Time
RSS feeds save time. RSS subscribers can quickly scan RSS feeds, without having to visit each and every website. Subscribers can then click on any items they are interested in, to get additional information.
2. Timely
RSS feeds are timely. RSS feeds will automatically update themselves any time new information is posted, so the information your subscribers receive via their RSS reader or news aggregator is timely.
3. Spam Free
RSS is free of spam. Subscribers don’t have to worry about wading through huge amounts of spam in an attempt to get to the information they are actually interested in.
4. Opt-In
The RSS subscriber chooses what they want to see, and what information they wish to receive. Knowing they have full control, and that they do not have to provide any personal information to subscribe, they will be more likely to opt-in.
5. Unsubscribing Is Easy
It is also easy to unsubscribe from an RSS feed. If they do not like information contained in an RSS feed, they can simply remove the RSS feed from their RSS reader or news aggregator in order to unsubscribe.
6. Alternate Communication Channel
RSS provides you with an alternate communication channel for your business. And the more channels you provide, the more opportunities you have to connect with your customers and potential customers.
7. Expands Audience Through Syndication
The very nature of RSS is that it is designed specifically for syndication (i.e. publication by others). And wide-spread syndication can expand a company’s reach and strengthen the company brand.
8. Can Increase Backlinks
When an RSS feed is syndicated, it can increase the number of links back to the original website. And additional incoming links will often help a website rank better in organic search rankings.
9. Increases Productivity
RSS increases productivity, allowing people to quickly scan new posts and headlines, and only clicking through and spending time on the items of interest.
10. Competitive
Whether you decide to implement RSS feeds or not, your competitors likely will. So one way to remain competitive is to implement RSS feeds and other web 2.0 technology, and not allow your competition to get ahead of you.
Negatives (Cons Against Using RSS)
1. Not Widely Adopted Yet
Outside of technical circles, RSS has not yet been widely adopted. While it is becoming more and more popular, it is still far from being a mainstream technology.
2. Content Can Easily Be Copied
Content contained in an RSS feed can easily be copied and replicated, regardless of whether you want it to be or not. Few aggregators respect the copyrights of content contained in an RSS feed.
3. Tracking Subscribers Is Difficult
It is very difficult to accurately track the number of subscribers who read an RSS feed or the items contained in an RSS feed. This is due in part to the fact that at its heart, RSS is all about achieving the widest syndication possible.
4. Source Origination Difficult
It is sometimes difficult to discern the origin of an RSS feed item. When an item is syndicated, the source is not always indicated. The metrics available are not always reflective of the traffic received.
Weigh the pros and cons of implementing an RSS feed as a communication channel, and determine whether the benefits outweigh the risks in your own situation.
If you are struggling with the decision of whether to implement RSS feeds or not, consider the following pros and cons for webmasters who use RSS feeds as part of their content and communication plan…
Benefits (Pros Of Using RSS)
The benefits for a webmaster who opts to implement RSS feeds on their website are numerous:
1. Saves Time
RSS feeds save time. RSS subscribers can quickly scan RSS feeds, without having to visit each and every website. Subscribers can then click on any items they are interested in, to get additional information.
2. Timely
RSS feeds are timely. RSS feeds will automatically update themselves any time new information is posted, so the information your subscribers receive via their RSS reader or news aggregator is timely.
3. Spam Free
RSS is free of spam. Subscribers don’t have to worry about wading through huge amounts of spam in an attempt to get to the information they are actually interested in.
4. Opt-In
The RSS subscriber chooses what they want to see, and what information they wish to receive. Knowing they have full control, and that they do not have to provide any personal information to subscribe, they will be more likely to opt-in.
5. Unsubscribing Is Easy
It is also easy to unsubscribe from an RSS feed. If they do not like information contained in an RSS feed, they can simply remove the RSS feed from their RSS reader or news aggregator in order to unsubscribe.
6. Alternate Communication Channel
RSS provides you with an alternate communication channel for your business. And the more channels you provide, the more opportunities you have to connect with your customers and potential customers.
7. Expands Audience Through Syndication
The very nature of RSS is that it is designed specifically for syndication (i.e. publication by others). And wide-spread syndication can expand a company’s reach and strengthen the company brand.
8. Can Increase Backlinks
When an RSS feed is syndicated, it can increase the number of links back to the original website. And additional incoming links will often help a website rank better in organic search rankings.
9. Increases Productivity
RSS increases productivity, allowing people to quickly scan new posts and headlines, and only clicking through and spending time on the items of interest.
10. Competitive
Whether you decide to implement RSS feeds or not, your competitors likely will. So one way to remain competitive is to implement RSS feeds and other web 2.0 technology, and not allow your competition to get ahead of you.
Negatives (Cons Against Using RSS)
1. Not Widely Adopted Yet
Outside of technical circles, RSS has not yet been widely adopted. While it is becoming more and more popular, it is still far from being a mainstream technology.
2. Content Can Easily Be Copied
Content contained in an RSS feed can easily be copied and replicated, regardless of whether you want it to be or not. Few aggregators respect the copyrights of content contained in an RSS feed.
3. Tracking Subscribers Is Difficult
It is very difficult to accurately track the number of subscribers who read an RSS feed or the items contained in an RSS feed. This is due in part to the fact that at its heart, RSS is all about achieving the widest syndication possible.
4. Source Origination Difficult
It is sometimes difficult to discern the origin of an RSS feed item. When an item is syndicated, the source is not always indicated. The metrics available are not always reflective of the traffic received.
Weigh the pros and cons of implementing an RSS feed as a communication channel, and determine whether the benefits outweigh the risks in your own situation.
Neat social media article
This article by SKGT
Blogging, tweeting, friending. Odd sounding verbs, these. Not sure you'll find them in the "verb" category in the dictionary ~ at least not yet. Give them time. "Ain't" made it in, and that verb didn't have nearly the grassroots support of these three.
Indeed, this triad of "new verbs" are both the result and the harbinger of the most prominent types of social networks and Social Media Marketing in the world today: personal and professional blogs (with RSS feeds so you can stay "tuned in"), Twitter (the "mini-blog" suited to the info-bites attitude and fast-forward pace of our lives in the 21st century), and Facebook (the global water-cooler). As the Bible says of Faith, Hope, and Love, these three remain. Blogging, Twitter, and Facebook: which is "the greatest of these" remains to be seen.
[A Cruise or an iPad and the Latest Marketing Report on Email!]
In the realm of the online marketplace, however, it's no contest. The wínner is: all three of them. They are the leaders of the newest form of network marketing and one of the most effective: Social Media Marketing.
Why is it so effective? Three reasons that are particularly attractive to small business and other entrepreneurs: low impact/annoyance factor, cost effectiveness, and a viral spread of information.
1. Low Impact (and therefore low annoyance factor) :-
In the same way that email rapidly replaced telephone contact and so called "face time," blogging, Twitter, and Facebook are replacing other more traditional forms of marketing, and for the same reasons.
Emailing became the norm for the "sender" of information because it was easier (both physically and emotionally) than making a phone call or meeting with someone in person. Email grants immediate completion and instant gratification: No getting a busy signal or, worse, an answering machine or voice mail inbox that required you to leave a message (wherein you might say the wrong thing and not be able to erase and re-record) and no having to carry on an unscripted conversation with someone in person (wherein the same dangers were ever present). The receiver was equally blessed by the ability to respond (or not) at his or her leisure and with the same assurance of faux pas-free "conversation."
Social Media does the same for marketing by freeing the marketer to place his or her "ads" at any time, around the clock, 24/7, rather than to some PR office or publisher's schedule, while simultaneously granting the target audience the ability read/view and/or delete at will instead of having to dispose of or recycle the publication, and all for the low, low price of . . . well, nothing.
Which naturally leads us to reason number 2.
[Provide Support - Download Your Live Chat Script!]
2. Cost Effective ('cause it's free!) :-
Well the section header pretty much says it all. You can't get much more cost effective than "free," and all of these Social Media Marketing venues are just that. Free as the air you breathe ~ which, by the way, is how many viruses spread.
3. Wherein a Virus can be Your Business's Best Friend :-
Remember the "water-cooler" metaphor above? Years ago, in the traditional brick and mortar model of business, the water-cooler was the place where employees would gather to socialize during breaks, exchanging pleasantries and information, introducing the "new guy" to the old guard, telling jokes and showing off pictures of their pets or the new baby.
[Forget Expensive PPC Advertising - There is an Alternative!]
Long after the physical water-cooler had been replaced by bottled water, "hanging around the water-cooler" remained a metaphor for the casual meetings and conversations that took place among people in the physical spaces of a business environment. Whatever the place, the close physical proximity inherent to "hanging around the water-cooler," made it equally easy to pass along a cold or flu bug with the jokes and those pictures of your little ones.
As it is in the physical world, so is it in the virtual, and it is in this way, especially, that Social Media Marketing is effective. Facebook is an especially good example of the virtual "water-cooler" inasmuch as people "meet" there and exchange information (including jokes and pictures of the fam) and provide the perfect growth environment for spreading a "virus" in the form of word-of-mouth marketing.
It's little wonder, then, that adopting Social Media Marketing is a good idea for your small business. And it's kind of comforting to some of us, after all, that even here, in the virtual business world, we can find in these new fangled technologies an echo of tradition and a sense of continuity that is familiar and reassuring.
Blogging, tweeting, friending. Odd sounding verbs, these. Not sure you'll find them in the "verb" category in the dictionary ~ at least not yet. Give them time. "Ain't" made it in, and that verb didn't have nearly the grassroots support of these three.
Indeed, this triad of "new verbs" are both the result and the harbinger of the most prominent types of social networks and Social Media Marketing in the world today: personal and professional blogs (with RSS feeds so you can stay "tuned in"), Twitter (the "mini-blog" suited to the info-bites attitude and fast-forward pace of our lives in the 21st century), and Facebook (the global water-cooler). As the Bible says of Faith, Hope, and Love, these three remain. Blogging, Twitter, and Facebook: which is "the greatest of these" remains to be seen.
[A Cruise or an iPad and the Latest Marketing Report on Email!]
In the realm of the online marketplace, however, it's no contest. The wínner is: all three of them. They are the leaders of the newest form of network marketing and one of the most effective: Social Media Marketing.
Why is it so effective? Three reasons that are particularly attractive to small business and other entrepreneurs: low impact/annoyance factor, cost effectiveness, and a viral spread of information.
1. Low Impact (and therefore low annoyance factor) :-
In the same way that email rapidly replaced telephone contact and so called "face time," blogging, Twitter, and Facebook are replacing other more traditional forms of marketing, and for the same reasons.
Emailing became the norm for the "sender" of information because it was easier (both physically and emotionally) than making a phone call or meeting with someone in person. Email grants immediate completion and instant gratification: No getting a busy signal or, worse, an answering machine or voice mail inbox that required you to leave a message (wherein you might say the wrong thing and not be able to erase and re-record) and no having to carry on an unscripted conversation with someone in person (wherein the same dangers were ever present). The receiver was equally blessed by the ability to respond (or not) at his or her leisure and with the same assurance of faux pas-free "conversation."
Social Media does the same for marketing by freeing the marketer to place his or her "ads" at any time, around the clock, 24/7, rather than to some PR office or publisher's schedule, while simultaneously granting the target audience the ability read/view and/or delete at will instead of having to dispose of or recycle the publication, and all for the low, low price of . . . well, nothing.
Which naturally leads us to reason number 2.
[Provide Support - Download Your Live Chat Script!]
2. Cost Effective ('cause it's free!) :-
Well the section header pretty much says it all. You can't get much more cost effective than "free," and all of these Social Media Marketing venues are just that. Free as the air you breathe ~ which, by the way, is how many viruses spread.
3. Wherein a Virus can be Your Business's Best Friend :-
Remember the "water-cooler" metaphor above? Years ago, in the traditional brick and mortar model of business, the water-cooler was the place where employees would gather to socialize during breaks, exchanging pleasantries and information, introducing the "new guy" to the old guard, telling jokes and showing off pictures of their pets or the new baby.
[Forget Expensive PPC Advertising - There is an Alternative!]
Long after the physical water-cooler had been replaced by bottled water, "hanging around the water-cooler" remained a metaphor for the casual meetings and conversations that took place among people in the physical spaces of a business environment. Whatever the place, the close physical proximity inherent to "hanging around the water-cooler," made it equally easy to pass along a cold or flu bug with the jokes and those pictures of your little ones.
As it is in the physical world, so is it in the virtual, and it is in this way, especially, that Social Media Marketing is effective. Facebook is an especially good example of the virtual "water-cooler" inasmuch as people "meet" there and exchange information (including jokes and pictures of the fam) and provide the perfect growth environment for spreading a "virus" in the form of word-of-mouth marketing.
It's little wonder, then, that adopting Social Media Marketing is a good idea for your small business. And it's kind of comforting to some of us, after all, that even here, in the virtual business world, we can find in these new fangled technologies an echo of tradition and a sense of continuity that is familiar and reassuring.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Titles are important
This is a neat article you might enjoy:
Article Submission Guidelines: How To
Format Titles Correctly
by Steve Shaw | Published in: Business/ECommerce
Did you know that many publishers have formatting requirements for titles in their article submission guidelines, and if your article violates those guidelines it can be declined?
Yes, even if your article is superb, it can still be declined for a silly formatting error in the title.
Titles are amazingly important!
Are you spending enough time on your titles? Most likely you spend serious amounts of energy on your articles, but are you throwing together a title at the last minute and thinking that it doesn’t make any difference?
Well, it does.
The formatting guidelines of publishers are also in place to help your article look its best and get the most attention possible. If you abide by these title rules, you have a better chance of your article getting picked up for publication, and you create the best chance possible of attracting the attention of your target readers.
Below are 5 of the most common formatting requirements for titles:
1 - Put Your Title In Title Case.
This means that the first letter of every major word should be capitalized. You may also capitalize common words such as "the", "to", "a", and "for", but that is optional. DO NOT USE ALL CAPS IN YOUR TITLE. And do not capitalize only the first letter of the first word of your title. Rather, capitalize the first letter of each major word.
2 - Use Proper Spelling and Grammar in Your Title.
If you have grammar and/or spelling errors in the title, it leads the publisher and reader to believe that the rest of the article may also be low quality. Your title must be properly written. Any mistakes in an article title can lead to an immediate decline.
For example:
Incorrect grammar: How To Choose A Article Distribution Service
Correct grammar: How To Choose An Article Distribution Service
If you are targeting keyword phrases and one of your key phrases has a grammar or spelling error in it, then don’t use it, especially not in your title!
3 - Your Title Must be at Least 2 Words Long.
The purpose of your title is to tell the reader what your article is about, and one-word titles don't offer much help. Many publishers require that your title be no shorter than 2 words. Ideally your title should be long enough to indicate the specific topic of your article.
For example:
A too short title: Cars
Better title: Top 5 Family Friendly Fuel Efficient Cars
4 - Your Title Should Not be Enclosed in Quotes.
Just type your title in the title field--there is no need to put quotation marks around the title.
5 - Your Title Should Not Have a Period at the End.
There is a theory that a period at the end of a title serves as a mental stop to the reader and can deter them from reading further into your article. Whether or not that is the case, many publishers consider a period at the end of a title to be bad form and will decline articles on this basis.
Have you committed any of these title formatting mistakes? What changes will you make to your next article title so that they fulfill these common article submission guidelines?
Article Submission Guidelines: How To
Format Titles Correctly
by Steve Shaw | Published in: Business/ECommerce
Did you know that many publishers have formatting requirements for titles in their article submission guidelines, and if your article violates those guidelines it can be declined?
Yes, even if your article is superb, it can still be declined for a silly formatting error in the title.
Titles are amazingly important!
Are you spending enough time on your titles? Most likely you spend serious amounts of energy on your articles, but are you throwing together a title at the last minute and thinking that it doesn’t make any difference?
Well, it does.
The formatting guidelines of publishers are also in place to help your article look its best and get the most attention possible. If you abide by these title rules, you have a better chance of your article getting picked up for publication, and you create the best chance possible of attracting the attention of your target readers.
Below are 5 of the most common formatting requirements for titles:
1 - Put Your Title In Title Case.
This means that the first letter of every major word should be capitalized. You may also capitalize common words such as "the", "to", "a", and "for", but that is optional. DO NOT USE ALL CAPS IN YOUR TITLE. And do not capitalize only the first letter of the first word of your title. Rather, capitalize the first letter of each major word.
2 - Use Proper Spelling and Grammar in Your Title.
If you have grammar and/or spelling errors in the title, it leads the publisher and reader to believe that the rest of the article may also be low quality. Your title must be properly written. Any mistakes in an article title can lead to an immediate decline.
For example:
Incorrect grammar: How To Choose A Article Distribution Service
Correct grammar: How To Choose An Article Distribution Service
If you are targeting keyword phrases and one of your key phrases has a grammar or spelling error in it, then don’t use it, especially not in your title!
3 - Your Title Must be at Least 2 Words Long.
The purpose of your title is to tell the reader what your article is about, and one-word titles don't offer much help. Many publishers require that your title be no shorter than 2 words. Ideally your title should be long enough to indicate the specific topic of your article.
For example:
A too short title: Cars
Better title: Top 5 Family Friendly Fuel Efficient Cars
4 - Your Title Should Not be Enclosed in Quotes.
Just type your title in the title field--there is no need to put quotation marks around the title.
5 - Your Title Should Not Have a Period at the End.
There is a theory that a period at the end of a title serves as a mental stop to the reader and can deter them from reading further into your article. Whether or not that is the case, many publishers consider a period at the end of a title to be bad form and will decline articles on this basis.
Have you committed any of these title formatting mistakes? What changes will you make to your next article title so that they fulfill these common article submission guidelines?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Used furniture for sale
One of my clients www.proseinc.com is a specialist in the sale of remanufactured and used furniture sales for the business arena. Please visit www.proseinc.com to learn more about their products. Prose is a proud reseller of remanufactured Steelcase 9000 products.
PR releases do work
I have been doing more and more on line PR releases and I find that they have if written correctly an immediate impact on search rankings and sales. You must think about the article you wish to promote and the idea or company. Write a PR release in word first and check grammar and spelling.
More to come soon on this important topic.
Joe Rossini
More to come soon on this important topic.
Joe Rossini
more content writing tips.
This is another neat article to look at when you are writing content.
http://www.sitepronews.com/2010/05/24/15-proven-copywriting-techniques-to-help-improve-your-sales-conversions/
http://www.sitepronews.com/2010/05/24/15-proven-copywriting-techniques-to-help-improve-your-sales-conversions/
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Let a professional do it!
Let a Professional Do It… by Tom Rambo
These days, having a web site for your business is critical to your success. If your competitors have a presence on the web and you don’t, you’re letting revenues get away from you without ever even knowing what you missed. Obviously you understand that, because you’re here at Rossini.com.
You also need to understand, however, that having a web site is only half of the equation. The look and feel of your site is how you make your first impression to your customers. Some people think that bells and whistles are what make a site jump out and get people’s attention, but the truth is, most of your potential customers just want the facts about your business presented in a clear, easy-to-understand, easy-to-use format.
The words on each page of your web site provide visitors to your site with the message you want to deliver. The quality of those words can make a significant difference in how potential customers regard your business. Text that is boring, uninspiring and cliché will have them off looking at your competitor’s site in a hurry.
By the same token, you want the words on your site to clearly explain what it is that you do. Have you ever looked at a company’s web site and had no idea when you were finished looking at it what that business actually did? It happens more often than you’d think.
By engaging the services of someone who writes professionally, you’re assured that the text on your site will be a well-crafted reflection of who you are and what your business is all about. A professional writer will help you with your choice of ideas and words so that your web site truly separates you from the pack! Talk to us about how engaging the services of a professional writer can help your web site rise to the top!
These days, having a web site for your business is critical to your success. If your competitors have a presence on the web and you don’t, you’re letting revenues get away from you without ever even knowing what you missed. Obviously you understand that, because you’re here at Rossini.com.
You also need to understand, however, that having a web site is only half of the equation. The look and feel of your site is how you make your first impression to your customers. Some people think that bells and whistles are what make a site jump out and get people’s attention, but the truth is, most of your potential customers just want the facts about your business presented in a clear, easy-to-understand, easy-to-use format.
The words on each page of your web site provide visitors to your site with the message you want to deliver. The quality of those words can make a significant difference in how potential customers regard your business. Text that is boring, uninspiring and cliché will have them off looking at your competitor’s site in a hurry.
By the same token, you want the words on your site to clearly explain what it is that you do. Have you ever looked at a company’s web site and had no idea when you were finished looking at it what that business actually did? It happens more often than you’d think.
By engaging the services of someone who writes professionally, you’re assured that the text on your site will be a well-crafted reflection of who you are and what your business is all about. A professional writer will help you with your choice of ideas and words so that your web site truly separates you from the pack! Talk to us about how engaging the services of a professional writer can help your web site rise to the top!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Can the net be brought down?
This is a scary article that I suggest you read!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100508/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_fragile_internet
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100508/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_fragile_internet
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Ham radio
This is just a cool article and since I am a ham radio operator I will post it cause I am proud of being one!
Ham Radio Operator Glen Briggs Receives NOAA Environmental Hero Award
Grundy County Emergency Services Coordinator Glen Briggs received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Hero Award today in Trenton, Mo. Briggs was recognized for assistance to the National Weather Service in meeting its mission to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy.
Glen Briggs in action
Held annually in conjunction with Earth Day celebrations, the Environmental Hero Award honors NOAA volunteers for their tireless efforts to preserve and protect our nation’s environment. Briggs was recognized for his long-time commitment to helping provide high quality weather information to Grundy County residents and for volunteer assistance in the severe weather warning program, Andy Bailey of NOAA’s Kansas City National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill said.
“We are extremely fortunate to have such dedicated people as Glen Briggs volunteer so much of their time to help keep their neighbors informed and safe,” Bailey said. “He sets a perfect example for others to follow in their communities. America needs more volunteers like Glen Briggs.”
Briggs was commended for his over-all excellent service investing hundreds of hours a year as an amateur radio operations operator assisting the National Weather Service in their severe weather and for specific efforts on May 13, 2009. On that day of the Kirksville, Mo. tornado, Briggs provided real-time information to Pleasant Hill forecasters that resulted in saving countless lives by giving residents time to seek shelter before the tornado devastated the Kirksville area.
Established in 1995 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, the Environmental Hero Award is presented to individuals and organizations that volunteer their time and energy to help NOAA and its line offices carry out their mission. The mission of the National Weather Service is to protect lives and property and enhance the National economy.
During a ceremony honoring Briggs this week Bailey said, “On behalf of the many people you’ve helped keep safe in northern Missouri, I am pleased to present you with the 2010 Environmental Hero Award. Your dedicated efforts and concern for your community make our nation a better place.”
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Please visit http://www.noaa.gov.
Ham Radio Operator Glen Briggs Receives NOAA Environmental Hero Award
Grundy County Emergency Services Coordinator Glen Briggs received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Hero Award today in Trenton, Mo. Briggs was recognized for assistance to the National Weather Service in meeting its mission to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy.
Glen Briggs in action
Held annually in conjunction with Earth Day celebrations, the Environmental Hero Award honors NOAA volunteers for their tireless efforts to preserve and protect our nation’s environment. Briggs was recognized for his long-time commitment to helping provide high quality weather information to Grundy County residents and for volunteer assistance in the severe weather warning program, Andy Bailey of NOAA’s Kansas City National Weather Service office in Pleasant Hill said.
“We are extremely fortunate to have such dedicated people as Glen Briggs volunteer so much of their time to help keep their neighbors informed and safe,” Bailey said. “He sets a perfect example for others to follow in their communities. America needs more volunteers like Glen Briggs.”
Briggs was commended for his over-all excellent service investing hundreds of hours a year as an amateur radio operations operator assisting the National Weather Service in their severe weather and for specific efforts on May 13, 2009. On that day of the Kirksville, Mo. tornado, Briggs provided real-time information to Pleasant Hill forecasters that resulted in saving countless lives by giving residents time to seek shelter before the tornado devastated the Kirksville area.
Established in 1995 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, the Environmental Hero Award is presented to individuals and organizations that volunteer their time and energy to help NOAA and its line offices carry out their mission. The mission of the National Weather Service is to protect lives and property and enhance the National economy.
During a ceremony honoring Briggs this week Bailey said, “On behalf of the many people you’ve helped keep safe in northern Missouri, I am pleased to present you with the 2010 Environmental Hero Award. Your dedicated efforts and concern for your community make our nation a better place.”
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Please visit http://www.noaa.gov.
The FCC and the Internet ohhhhh no
CC Chairman Defends Broadband Regulation Move
Grant Gross , IDG News
May 6, 2010 12:10 pm
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will move to reclassify broadband transmission as a regulated, common-carrier service, but exempt many broadband services from new regulations in an effort to find a middle ground between no oversight and heavy-handed new authority, the agency's chairman said Thursday.
The FCC's move to reclassify broadband as a common-carrier service regulated under Title II of the Communications Act, announced late Wednesday, is necessary after a U.S. appeals court ruled last month that the agency does not have the authority to enforce informal network neutrality rules in a case involving Comcast's throttling of peer-to-peer traffic, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Thursday.
The agency will also forbear from most common-carrier types of regulations for broadband, Genachowski said.
The Comcast decision raises questions about the commission's ability to pass net neutrality rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking Web content and from implementing parts of the agency's national broadband plan, including a plan to revamp a telephone service subsidy to broadband deployment, Genachowski said in a statement.
"The goal is to restore the broadly supported status quo consensus that existed prior to the court decision on the FCC's role with respect to broadband Internet service," Genachowski said.
The Comcast decision, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, "does cast serious doubt" on the FCC's exercise of authority over broadband service, Genachowski said. The FCC does not want to face a court battle every time it tries to assert indirect, so-called ancillary, authority over broadband service, as it has it recent years, but it also does not want to give itself heavy regulatory powers over broadband, he said.
Genachowski said he has "serious reservations" about both of those approaches.
Claiming full Title II authority over broadband would "subject the providers of broadband communications services to extensive regulations ill-suited to broadband," he said.
Genachowski criticized both "extreme" alternatives available to the commission -- taking no action, or claiming full common-carrier regulatory authority. "Heavy-handed prescriptive regulation can chill investment and innovation, and a do-nothing approach can leave consumers unprotected and competition unpromoted, which itself would ultimately lead to reduced investment and innovation," he said.
The FCC would presumably have to launch an extensive rulemaking proceeding to reclassify broadband as a common-carrier service. An FCC spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to an e-mail asking for the agency's next steps.
Genachowski's announcement received mixed reviews.
Executives from five broadband suppliers said Wednesday they're concerned that new regulations would cause broadband providers to slow their investments in network expansion and upgrades.
"If people like Verizon start slowing down their investment in networking infrastructure, we're going to be hit pretty hard," said Noam Lotan, CEO of MRV Communications, a California manufacturer of networking equipment. "Any regulation you start introducing, the first thing that will happen is uncertainty."
While this FCC may back away from widespread regulation of broadband, future commissions may not, said Bruce Mehlman, co-chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance, a broadband deployment advocacy group with members including AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent.
"While an enlightened Chairman like Genachowski may indeed bring a light touch during his tenure, regulatory agencies tend to ultimately use all of the authority in their arsenal and more, and that would be bad for broadband," Mehlman said.
Comcast, in the center of the controversy, said it was disappointed by the FCC's move to regulate broadband. However, the broadband provider is prepared to work with the agency to determine if there is a compromise way to "take limited but effective measures to preserve an open Internet and implement critical features of the National Broadband Plan, but does not cast the kind of regulatory cloud that would chill investment and innovation by ISPs," said Sena Fitzmaurice, vice president of government communications for Comcast.
Others were more upbeat about Genachowski's announcement.
Public Knowledge, a supporter of new net neutrality rules, is "generally pleased" with the direction outlined by Genachowski, although it is concerned that agency officials suggested they would stay away from requiring broadband providers to share their lines with competitors, said Gigi Sohn, the organization's president.
"We have said for months that the right path for the commission to take would be to examine all the possibilities for the best way to protect consumers and guarantee the expansion of broadband," she said in an e-mail. "The method the FCC is expected to propose should be on the table, and we are glad it is."
The "Title II lite" approach is the right one, added Tyrone Brown, president of Media Access Project, a media reform group and net neutrality backer. The FCC's new approach will protect free speech rights of Internet users, he said.
"This is a defining moment for Chairman Genachowski," Brown said in a statement. "He was the object of a massive lobbying campaign mounted by some of the most powerful corporations in the country, and he held his ground. The telephone and cable companies fought this outcome because they know that the alternative ... is difficult if not impossible under the recent court decision in Comcast v. FCC."
Grant Gross , IDG News
May 6, 2010 12:10 pm
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will move to reclassify broadband transmission as a regulated, common-carrier service, but exempt many broadband services from new regulations in an effort to find a middle ground between no oversight and heavy-handed new authority, the agency's chairman said Thursday.
The FCC's move to reclassify broadband as a common-carrier service regulated under Title II of the Communications Act, announced late Wednesday, is necessary after a U.S. appeals court ruled last month that the agency does not have the authority to enforce informal network neutrality rules in a case involving Comcast's throttling of peer-to-peer traffic, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Thursday.
The agency will also forbear from most common-carrier types of regulations for broadband, Genachowski said.
The Comcast decision raises questions about the commission's ability to pass net neutrality rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking Web content and from implementing parts of the agency's national broadband plan, including a plan to revamp a telephone service subsidy to broadband deployment, Genachowski said in a statement.
"The goal is to restore the broadly supported status quo consensus that existed prior to the court decision on the FCC's role with respect to broadband Internet service," Genachowski said.
The Comcast decision, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, "does cast serious doubt" on the FCC's exercise of authority over broadband service, Genachowski said. The FCC does not want to face a court battle every time it tries to assert indirect, so-called ancillary, authority over broadband service, as it has it recent years, but it also does not want to give itself heavy regulatory powers over broadband, he said.
Genachowski said he has "serious reservations" about both of those approaches.
Claiming full Title II authority over broadband would "subject the providers of broadband communications services to extensive regulations ill-suited to broadband," he said.
Genachowski criticized both "extreme" alternatives available to the commission -- taking no action, or claiming full common-carrier regulatory authority. "Heavy-handed prescriptive regulation can chill investment and innovation, and a do-nothing approach can leave consumers unprotected and competition unpromoted, which itself would ultimately lead to reduced investment and innovation," he said.
The FCC would presumably have to launch an extensive rulemaking proceeding to reclassify broadband as a common-carrier service. An FCC spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to an e-mail asking for the agency's next steps.
Genachowski's announcement received mixed reviews.
Executives from five broadband suppliers said Wednesday they're concerned that new regulations would cause broadband providers to slow their investments in network expansion and upgrades.
"If people like Verizon start slowing down their investment in networking infrastructure, we're going to be hit pretty hard," said Noam Lotan, CEO of MRV Communications, a California manufacturer of networking equipment. "Any regulation you start introducing, the first thing that will happen is uncertainty."
While this FCC may back away from widespread regulation of broadband, future commissions may not, said Bruce Mehlman, co-chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance, a broadband deployment advocacy group with members including AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent.
"While an enlightened Chairman like Genachowski may indeed bring a light touch during his tenure, regulatory agencies tend to ultimately use all of the authority in their arsenal and more, and that would be bad for broadband," Mehlman said.
Comcast, in the center of the controversy, said it was disappointed by the FCC's move to regulate broadband. However, the broadband provider is prepared to work with the agency to determine if there is a compromise way to "take limited but effective measures to preserve an open Internet and implement critical features of the National Broadband Plan, but does not cast the kind of regulatory cloud that would chill investment and innovation by ISPs," said Sena Fitzmaurice, vice president of government communications for Comcast.
Others were more upbeat about Genachowski's announcement.
Public Knowledge, a supporter of new net neutrality rules, is "generally pleased" with the direction outlined by Genachowski, although it is concerned that agency officials suggested they would stay away from requiring broadband providers to share their lines with competitors, said Gigi Sohn, the organization's president.
"We have said for months that the right path for the commission to take would be to examine all the possibilities for the best way to protect consumers and guarantee the expansion of broadband," she said in an e-mail. "The method the FCC is expected to propose should be on the table, and we are glad it is."
The "Title II lite" approach is the right one, added Tyrone Brown, president of Media Access Project, a media reform group and net neutrality backer. The FCC's new approach will protect free speech rights of Internet users, he said.
"This is a defining moment for Chairman Genachowski," Brown said in a statement. "He was the object of a massive lobbying campaign mounted by some of the most powerful corporations in the country, and he held his ground. The telephone and cable companies fought this outcome because they know that the alternative ... is difficult if not impossible under the recent court decision in Comcast v. FCC."
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
possible scam
Take a look at this, I will never click on anything like this from an unidentified e-mail source
Dear e-mail User
Due to concerns for the safety and integrity of our web base e-mail service...we have issued this warning message
We have noticed that your e-mail account needs to be verified/confirmed, as we are upgrading our SSL web base e-mail account database.
To verify your e-mail account,please click on the Link below to verify your e-mail Account:
Verify Your e-mail Account
For further information, please contact our Customer Services.
Note: Failure to Verify/Confirm email account wethin 48hrs may lost his or her email account.
Sincerely, ....................
Thank You
© 2010 e-mail Support Team.
Dear e-mail User
Due to concerns for the safety and integrity of our web base e-mail service...we have issued this warning message
We have noticed that your e-mail account needs to be verified/confirmed, as we are upgrading our SSL web base e-mail account database.
To verify your e-mail account,please click on the Link below to verify your e-mail Account:
Verify Your e-mail Account
For further information, please contact our Customer Services.
Note: Failure to Verify/Confirm email account wethin 48hrs may lost his or her email account.
Sincerely, ....................
Thank You
© 2010 e-mail Support Team.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
A neat article about Pay Pal
By Chris Crum
2
Buzz This
A study released this week sponsored by FIS, PayPal and NACHA, found that demand for electronic P2P payments and transfers is growing rapidly, and that the interest of making these and other payment transactions through an ePayment Portal is also strong.
According to the study, of those who were interested in the Portal concept, 70% would be likely to use P2P payment services within that Portal.
Dan Schatt of PayPal on P2P payment demand "Results showed that almost 50 percent of consumers surveyed expressed interest in replacing cash and checks using electronic P2P for common needs," says Dan Schatt, GM of PayPal’s Financial Innovations team. "For example, sending money to a child at college, sending money out of the country or splitting the cost of a gift with family members, co-workers or friends."
"Research indicates that banks will benefit most by promoting P2P payments to online banking and bill payment customers, as well as users of mobile banking services and payments," he adds. "There is significant opportunity to drive adoption by increasing consumer awareness of the simplicity of initiating electronic P2P payments. As a proof point, 34 percent who expressed interest in the Portal concept indicated they would be willing to switch to a bank that offers electronic P2P payments as part of an ePayment Portal."
2
Buzz This
A study released this week sponsored by FIS, PayPal and NACHA, found that demand for electronic P2P payments and transfers is growing rapidly, and that the interest of making these and other payment transactions through an ePayment Portal is also strong.
According to the study, of those who were interested in the Portal concept, 70% would be likely to use P2P payment services within that Portal.
Dan Schatt of PayPal on P2P payment demand "Results showed that almost 50 percent of consumers surveyed expressed interest in replacing cash and checks using electronic P2P for common needs," says Dan Schatt, GM of PayPal’s Financial Innovations team. "For example, sending money to a child at college, sending money out of the country or splitting the cost of a gift with family members, co-workers or friends."
"Research indicates that banks will benefit most by promoting P2P payments to online banking and bill payment customers, as well as users of mobile banking services and payments," he adds. "There is significant opportunity to drive adoption by increasing consumer awareness of the simplicity of initiating electronic P2P payments. As a proof point, 34 percent who expressed interest in the Portal concept indicated they would be willing to switch to a bank that offers electronic P2P payments as part of an ePayment Portal."
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