The evils of call centers in India

Greetings!  I'm Christian Robicheau, assistant editor of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Today, I am pleased to introduce an editorial by our president Donna J. Jodhan and in it, Donna talks about a very hot topic; the effects of call centers being kept in India. 
I wish you a great day and enjoyable weekend.
 
 
The evils of call centers in India
By Donna J. Jodhan
 
I have already spent much time giving my views on this but one more time does not hurt.  I'll say it and I'll continue to say it:  Call centers in India are more of a menace to the North American economy than a bonus.  The only persons benefiting from all of this are large corporations who have found a way to make more money off of our backs.  They continue to tell the rest of the world that they are doing this in order to reduce costs and for the most part this is true but here's what they are not telling you.
 
1. They are taking advantage of an abundance of human resources in India and paying them next to nothing when it comes to wages and benefits if any.
2. They are depriving several segments of our North American society of job opportunities; retirees, single parents, the disabled, college students, and seniors.
3. They are effectively preventing much of our society from earning extra income at a time when many are looking to earn extra money to compensate for the huge amount of losses that they have incurred and continue to incur because of a faltering economy. 
4. Many North American companies have somehow conveniently forgotten to train their Indian call takers in the rudiments of the English language plus a basic knowledge of the products that they are supposed to be knowledgeable about.
5. They seemed to have also forgotten to give their staff in India a crash course in geography along with the basics of telephone courtesy.
 
It is bad enough that so many of us have had to experience a blood bath in the markets but when you have companies who deliberately choose to provide less than adequate services to us by hiring staff who do not even speak English as a first language let alone other languages such as Spanish and French, and staff who are struggling to provide adequate telephone support because of a language barrier and less than adequate phone manners and technical training, it becomes a bit too much. 
 
We need to stop this backward slide.  Our governments need to force these companies to bring these call center jobs back to North America where they belong.  Our economy is suffering and we need to put jobs on the table for our own.  If these companies want to serve consumers whose first language is primarily English, then they should at least have the decency to provide services in proper English.
 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and weekend.
To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to send you an electronic copy of our latest newsletter.
 
Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna's blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com 
a weekly feature on important answers to consumers concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
A monthly editorial on issues on diversity
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca
a monthly editorial on business issues and concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html 
weekly editorials on accessibility issues in Canada
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php
Editorials:  An International perspective on issues of accessibility and disability
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
A general perspective on issues of access and accessibility
http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 

 

 

Your best American cities

Hello there!  I'm Donna J. Jodhan and it's that time once again to put on our imaginary suits, buckle up, and get ready for take off.  Time to have some fun and I hope you enjoy this week's journeys.
I thank you for all of your feedback and please keep it coming.
Enjoy your journeys.
 
 
Week of February 27 2010

 

Your best American cities
 
1. Raleigh North Carolina
Are you seeking a city that has a bit of everything?
A great university, job opportunities in the high tech and medical industries, and a low crime rate?
One of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in America with lots of parklands to explore?
Ice hockey and basketball sports?
Raleigh has it all; and with its countless trees, and close to both the beach as well as to the majestic Appalachian mountain range, who could ask for more?
 
2. Corpus Christi Texas
Are you looking for a city with great potential?
A city that is steeped in Hispanic culture, architecture, and nature?
Oodles of hiking and biking trails, museums, a delightful aquarium, and lush botanical gardens?
A city that offers much to the surfer, the cowboy, and the oil professional?
A city with top class shopping facilities, and down town skyscrapers filled with great restaurants, cafes, and stores?
You need to check out Corpus Christi as soon as you can.
 
3. Newark New Jersey
Here is a city with natural beauty that is very hard to rival.
A city with very low unemployment rates, and crime is also very low.
Newark is one of America's oldest cities and is steeped in history.
Economic opportunities abound, businesses are flocking to Newark to set up shop, and educational facilities are thriving.
Neighborhoods are modern and there is a great variety of home styles to be had.
Newark is a city that is ready to guarantee your future.
 
4. Oakland California
Are you looking for a city with fine dining, fine weather, and fine neighborhoods?
A city that offers something for everyone; from the nature lover to the person with a taste bud for great Chinese food?
A city that can provide the sports minded with lots of football, basketball, and baseball?
You can have it all in the city of Oakland.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan bidding you a happy travel time.
Visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca if you would like to learn more.
Or send me an email at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca.

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2007

Greetings!  I'm Nico Trimoff, manager of transcription and accessibility services at www.sterlingcreations.ca and today I have a very fun article to share with you.  Hopefully this one will help to close off a successful week for you.
I wish you a great day.
 
 
HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2007
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.  

 

 

 

Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
200 7 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.
 
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.  

 

Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.  
 

 

Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock
2007 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.  

 

Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher.  English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.  

 

Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.  
 
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.  Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

How Do You Optimize For Every Individual Customer?

Greetings!  I'm Mark Micheau, manager of research and translation services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.  I hope that everyone is enjoying their week thus far, and today I have a thoughtful piece to share with you.  All about how can you use optimization to reach your customers.
I invite you now to read on and I wish you a great day.
 
 
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
 How Do You Optimize For Every Individual Customer?

 

The search engine landscape is ever changing. We covered that. However, while there are multiple players involved in facilitating that change, there is one that drives it far more than the rest of the competition. Obviously, we're talking about Google.

 

Is there a point where adapting to Google's changes becomes impossible? Share your thoughts.

 

To a very drastic extent, Google drives how the search engine marketing industry operates. With Google holding such a dominant share of the search market, it's not hard to figure out why. While some may tell you it's not the most productive use of your marketing time, businesses who hope to find success in driving people to their website (or even brick and mortar store) often hang on every word Google says and every change Google makes to its search engine and/or search results.

 

Liz Gannes with the tech blog GigaOm recently spoke with Google Engineering Director David Glazer about Google's approach to social for 2010. And we come back to that changing search landscape. Social plays a huge role in it, and Glazer acknowledged just that. Gannes reports:

 

In 2010, Google plans to expose and elicit more of the social network built into the tools that many of us already use — Gmail, Google Talk, etc. If you use Google products, the company already knows who your most important contacts are, what your core interests are, and where your default locations are. Glazer said to expect many product and feature launches that start to connect that information in useful ways.

 

"Everything is better when it knows who I am," said Glazer, who is responsible for working on developer platforms that include social aspects — a more distributed role than he had at Google in the past, Glazer said, when he was working on social exclusively. That's an improvement, he said, since social products are no longer siloed within the company.

 

What does "social" mean to Google? "Who I am, who do I know, what do I do," said Glazer. (emphasis added)

 

Back in October, Google released its experimental Social Search feature, which Google said would help users "find more relevant public content from their broader social circle."

 

Relevance of social search has been questioned though. WebProNews recently discussed search trends for 2010 and beyond with comScore's "Search Evangelist" Eli Goodman. Believe it or not, social search is counted among these trends, and he mentions such a lack of relevance in social search results.

 

 

 

The real question is: is SEO going to become less relevant? Before you get all worked up, I will acknowledge that SEO is based on adaptation and changing along with the search engines. In fact, that was essentially the topic of a recent WebProNews article. Hear me out.

 

Right now, search engine optimization as we know it is still very relevant for businesses, but as Google learns more about who people are, they're going to direct them to what they think is right. Social search and personalized search are very closely related.

 

Think about Google's universal search, which aims to deliver results Google thinks you might want. These results draw from a wide variety of different places - Google News, Google's real-time index, YouTube, etc. Each set of universal results takes more attention away from the regular old organic results. How long until social search (or something like it) becomes a part of this.

 

And let's not forget about mobile. Smartphones are taking the world by storm, and Google is doing everything in its power to take over this market (though it still has work to do). Google knows your location if you let it. Then you have Google Latitude. Google knows your friends' locations if they let it. Then, what happens when Chrome OS (Google's Operating System) comes out. It may not catch on as much as Google would like, but then again it may. It starts on netbooks, but how long until that grows into something bigger?

 

Google just keeps on releasing more products. More products means more opportunities for the company to encourage use of other Google products. They also keep acquiring more companies by the way, and that includes the recent acquisition of a mobile advertising agency and an attempted acquisition of Yelp (the failure of which, was quickly compensated for to some extent by Google's release of the "Near me Now" feature).

 

As Gannes notes, Google has this month brought on strategists Joseph Smarr and Chris Messina, who she says are "widely known for their advocacy of the open social web." This likely will lead to more social and personalized experiences related to search.

 

Chris Brogan, one of the posterboys for social media, read the article too, and makes some pretty good points for businesses. Rather, he asks questions. Questions like:

 

- Does your company know how you are?
- Do they know who you know?
- Do they know what you do?

 

Questions like these are already important for a business looking to establish its identity (not to mention tell its story), but they could become increasingly important in an era of new SEO strategies.

 

"People expect a certain level of customer service as table stakes to the game," says Brogan. "In the new, much more wired world, I believe we're asking for more. I want my airlines to know just how often I fly, which seat I tend to choose, how often I upgrade, and whether I normally check my bag. Think about how helpful they could be if they did something with that information."

 

Naturally, privacy plays a big role in the scheme of things, and as Brogan notes, that means opt-in. However, I think people generally trust Google (the search engine), at least to the extent that they will continue using it for the foreseeable future. I am well aware that many people do NOT trust Google, but within the broad spectrum of the general public, people trust it. Google's search market share is evidence of that.

 

So, moving into the future, as Google makes efforts to tailor the user experience to a more social and more personalized one, where does that leave traditional SEO? Can it survive? It's always been about adaptation and will continue to be, but is there a breaking point where SEO will be trumped by who users know and where they are? Who they are? Can you optimize for every individual customer? That's where things could get tricky.

 

If you have thoughts on the matter, we would love to hear them in the comments.

 

Was this article interesting?    
Comment Now...   Subscribe to our Newsfeed 

 

About the Author:
Chris Crum has been a part of the WebProNews team and the iEntry Network of B2B Publications since 2003. Follow WebProNews on Facebook or Twitter. Twitter: @CCrum237 
 
 
01.12.10 

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

How to market your website to foreign-language speakers? | One ...

How to market your website to foreign-language speakers? | One ...
By Donna J. Jodhan

 

This is one of the more challenging problems for those companies wishing to venture onto the International stage and it pertains to companies of all sizes.  Market your website in the wrong way and you stand to loose practically millions of foreign-language speaking customers.  Do it in the right way and you stand to increase both customers and revenues by much.
 
In order to successfully market your website to foreign-language speaking customers, you really need to understand what it entails; demographics, geographics, the right language to the appropriate customer, and the use of the right local language to the right country.  All of this plus more combine to make a recipe for success.
 
I am going to leave you with a really great reference to check out.  One that will show you how to develop a successful marketing plan to market your website to foreign-language speaking customers.  Please see below.

 

How to market your website to foreign-language speakers? | One ...
By Yaron
Website owners and marketing professionals are usually focused on English-speaking target demographics, and understandably so: this is the language in which. ... Spanish – that which is spoken in South America or in Spain (and in either case, which dialect?) Since translation costs money, many website owners take the easy way out: machine translation. These days it can be done by adding a plug-in to the content-management system installed on the website, and voilà! ...
One Hour Translation Blog - http://blog.onehourtranslation.com/ 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day.
Donna J. Jodhan is the president of Sterling Creations
Now you can view blogs and editorials written by Donna at:
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com (Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all)
 http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 (access and accessibility)
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php (accessibility issues in Canada)
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
http://www.onestopbookcafe.com (under the café talk link) 
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm (important answers to consumers concerns)
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca (monthly editorial on issues concerning diversity)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html (monthly editorial)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html (blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants)

Jobs and careers identified

Greetings everyone!  I'm Jill Christiansen, manager of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Today, I have vital headlines to share with you; all about how retirees can remain healthy after retiring!  By continuing to work.  I invite you now to read on.

 

Week of Feb 20
Jobs and careers identified

 

Is it really healthy to keep on working after retirement?
A myth or a truth?
Please read on.
Work after Retirement Has Health Benefits: Find a Job after 65 and ...
Retirees stay healthier if they continue working at a temporary or part-time job ... and Retirement Study, which is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. ... that people whose post-retirement jobs were related to their previous careers ... Baby Boomers Can Stay Healthy with Good Jobs, Photo by Cecile Graat ...
Read more at:
http://seniors-health-medicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/work_after_retirement_has_health_benefits
 
How many retirees are really seeking part-time employment?
Or, are they choosing to wander off into the sunset?
Please read on.
Locum tenens for retirees - Retirement reversal - Locum Tenens
Now that the first wave of the 77 million aging baby boomers has reached the ... of retirees are considering a return to the workforce, at least part-time. ...
 Read more at:
http://locumlife.modernmedicine.com/locumlife/Modern+Medicine+Now/Locum-tenens-for-retirees/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/643739?contextCategoryId=45220

 

With all of the upheaval going on in our economy, do you think that the next generation of retirees will be better off than the present one?
If so, why so?
Please read on.
Economic Commentary The Baby Boomers Mega-Inheritance Myth or
Some have conjectured that bequests out of this wealth will significantly boost resources of the baby boomers—the next generation of retirees—bridgin the ...
Read more at:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16990949/Economic-Commentary-The-Baby-Boomers-Mega-Inheritance-Myth-or
 

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

The customer services survey

Greetings!  I'm Scott Savoy, manager of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.  Today is a beautiful one and I sure hope that whereever you are, it will be a good one for you.
Today, I am delighted to introduce a weekly editorial by our president Donna J. Jodhan and this week she talks about a customer service survey that she took a few months ago.
I hope you find it great reading and I wish you a great weekend.
 
 
The customer services survey
 
A few months ago, I took the time to complete a customer services survey online and upon completion I thought that I would take a few minutes to reflect upon some of my responses.  The survey asked questions on accessibility to such things as: buildings, websites, services, and information.  The questions were well thought out and the responses sought were ones that will hopefully help the surveyors.  The million dollar question of the day is this:  What is the sponsoring organization planning to do with the results of this survey?
 
Will the results be used to improve accessibility in Canada?  Or will they be treated as just another survey and left to gather dust on the shelf in someone's office?  In recent times, it has been common for the results of several surveys similar to this one to be treated unkindly in that too often they have ended up on the back burner of someone's priorities.  These questions were well developed and appropriately constructed and they seemed to be getting at very important concerns.  I applaud the sponsoring organization for having taken the time to develop this survey and it is my hope that they will now be able to take the results and put them to meaningful use.
 
If the results of this survey were to show that action needs to be taken when it comes to improving access to information, websites, services, and buildings, then it would be a step in the right direction if these concerns could be positively addressed.  I do believe that many of the responses would be extremely helpful to businesses and companies across Canada and that the improvement of access to services would or could turn out to be a win-win situation for all stakeholders and rights holders.  Fingers crossed for a change in tides.
 
 
I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and weekend.
To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to send you an electronic copy of our latest newsletter.
 
Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna's blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com 
a weekly feature on important answers to consumers concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
A monthly editorial on issues on diversity
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca
a monthly editorial on business issues and concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html 
weekly editorials on accessibility issues in Canada
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php
Editorials:  An International perspective on issues of accessibility and disability
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
A general perspective on issues of access and accessibility
http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 

 

 

Your best American cities

Hello there!  I'm Donna J. Jodhan and it's that time once again to put on our imaginary suits, buckle up, and get ready for take off.  Time to have some fun and I hope you enjoy this week's journeys.
I thank you for all of your feedback and please keep it coming.
Enjoy your journeys.
 
 
Week of February 20 2010
 
Your best American cities
 
1. Montgomery Alabama
If you're seeking a city with a very robust southern charm, then Montgomery is it.
A city with beautiful weather, lush gardens, and clean and beautiful streets and parks.
A city with cultural sophistication, rich entertainment, and fine dining.
A city that is steeped in history and has many other attractions to experience.
If you are looking to relocate to a city with southern charm, then Montgomery is it.
 
2. Huntsville Alabama
If you are a young couple looking for a quiet and perfect city to raise your kids, then look no further than Huntsville Alabama.
This very low key Southern city is filled with charm and character.
There are several job opportunities in the computing, engineering, manufacturing, and research sectors.
Huntsville has a great university and lots of historic and modern condos and townhouses to choose from.
If you are seeking a quiet city with a flare for Southern charm, then Huntsville Alabama is it.
 
3. Little Rock Arkansas
Are you seeking a city that has really great public transportation?
One where the jobs are in abundance, a really great community spirit exists, and the economy is thriving?
Jobs for you in health care, banking, insurance, manufacturing, and technology?
Friendly neighborhoods, fishing, camping, hiking and biking, and lots for your kids to do?
Well, look no further than the scenic city of Little Rock.
Nestled between the Arkansas River and some majestic mountains, this city invites you to visit soon.
 
4. Virginia Beach Virginia
If you are looking to relocate to a city with class then Virginia Beach is it.
A city that is a lot more than just a seaside resort.
A city with lots to do such as: enjoy the warm weather, sun, and sand.
A city with historic museums, light houses, and a boardwalk that fronts for top class shopping, fine dining, and rich entertainment.
A city that offers wondrous beach front homes, modern condos, and townhouses.
If you would like to live in a city that offers a home away from home, then Virginia Beach is it.
 
 
I'm Donna J. Jodhan bidding you a happy travel time.
Visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca if you would like to learn more.
Or send me an email at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca.

Transit responds to people's needs

Greetings!  I'm Nico Trimoff, manager of transcription and accessibility services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
It's almost the end of another week but before it is over, please allow me to share a very informative article with you.  It's a burning issue for many and I hope you find time to review it.
Have a great day.

 

Transit responds to people's needs

 

By VINCENT BALL
Brantford Expositor, Dec. 8, 2009

 

Jacques Pilon recalls a time when it was treacherous to get to and from
classes at Mohawk College. "It used to be that you'd get off the bus and
stand at the curb waiting for a break in traffic and then take your chances
getting across Elgin Street," Pilon said. "There weren't any audio signals,
lights or even a cross walk. I could be waiting there for 10 minutes before
I knew it was safe. "And even then for someone like me, someone with no
vision and poor hearing, it was a pretty dangerous thing to do. Elgin is a
pretty busy street."

 

The introduction of hybrid cars, vehicles that are exceptionally quiet and
environmentally friendly, has made crossing Elgin Street even more dangerous

 

for Pilon and others with a hearing difficulty. "There's no way I'd ever do
that crossing on my own now," he said.

 

Fortunately, he doesn't have to and neither does anyone else who might have
difficulty crossing Elgin Street to get to classes.

 

Pilon, a member of the community advisory committee for disability issues,
took his concerns about the Elgin Street crossing to the committee a few
years ago. And after a little bit of work and after bringing the problem to
the attention of city and college officials, significant changes were made.

 

There is now a bus stop on the main driveway into the campus and signs that
mark the pedestrian crosswalk. Vehicles routinely stop for anyone trying to
cross the driveway. Now buses can come right into the campus, making it
easier for a lot of people, not just those with vision or hearing problems.

 

"It's better for everyone," Pilon said. "It's easier for moms who might be
coming here with their young kids and it's easier for seniors. "No one has
to try to make that suicide run across Elgin Street anymore." The change at
Mohawk College is one of many the committee and Pilon have helped
orchestrate over the years as the city becomes more universally accessible.

 

Another important change that Pilon helped bring about also focuses,  some
extent, on public transit.

 

It occurred a few years ago when Pilon was living in west Brant. He relied
on Brantford transit to get around town and, like many other people who are
blind or visually impaired, Pilon had the bus route memorized. He knew when
the bus would reach his stop and it was time for him to get off.

 

"One day, they changed the route and didn't tell me," Pilon recalled. "I
maybe wasn't paying as close attention as I usually did and I got off at the
wrong stop," he said. "For someone like me, that was a disaster because then
I didn't know where I was."

 

He was only one street away but it was impossible for him to orient himself
to his new surroundings without some help. Fortunately, a passerby gave him
the assistance he needed and he arrived home safely that day.

 

Again, Pilon took the incident and concern to the committee and changes were
made to make transit more user-friendly. Now buses are equipped with an
automated voice that announces each stop.

 

"The drivers are great and always have been about announcing stops and
helping me and others," Pilon said. "But I like the automated system because
it helps the driver concentrate on driving and the system makes sure the
stops are announced."

 

A member of the community advisory committee for 15 years, Pilon was
honoured for his contributions to Brantford by his fellow committee members
on the International Day for Persons with Disabilities last week.

 

He has helped the community become more accessible for everyone, Dorothy
DeVuono, the committee's vice-chairperson, said. "He's a local expert, one
of many that we have had on our committee," DeVuono said. "They bring their
life experiences to us and help us figure out ways to improve accessibility
for as many people as possible. "When we talk about accessibility, we talk
about making it universal. That is accessibility for all."

 

Asked what grade he would give the city with respect to accessibility, Pilon

 

gave the city a 'B.' "This city has been looking at accessibility for a
number of years now, going right back to when Chris Friel became mayor,"
Pilon said. "The city has a really good attitude towards accessibility and
about getting things done. "They listen to people with life experiences and
work to make things better."

 

www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2210572 -

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

Key Perspectives on the FTC Blogger Guidelines

Greetings!  I'm Mark Micheau, manager of research and translation services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.  A great day shaping up today and I have an interesting article to share with you.  It may be a bit outdated in that the question asked here may be a bit redundant but I still feel that it is important to be asked.
Here it is and I wish you a great day.
 
 
Key Perspectives on the FTC Blogger Guidelines
October 17, 2009
http://www.WebProNews.com

 

Would you benefit from paying someone to blog or tweet for you?
Yes or No

 

 

 

Key Perspectives on the FTC Blogger Guidelines
Chris Crum | Staff Writer

 

From Bloggers, PayPerPost, a Lawyer, and the IAB

 

An interesting development has occurred in the story of the controversial FTC guidelines for sponsored blogging/social media. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has called upon the FTC to rescind the blogger rules, and has questioned the constitutionality of them. As you may know, there have been a lot people calling them an infringement on free speech.

 

»» What are your thoughts on the FTC guidelines? Discuss here.

 

The IAB says the rules unfairly and unconstitutionally impose penalties on online media for practices in which offline media have engaged for decades. In an open letter to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, Randall Rothenberg, the President and CEO of the IAB, called the FTC's distinction between offline media and online media, "constitutionally dubious."
 Randall Rothenberg"What concerns us the most in these revisions is that the Internet, the cheapest, most widely accessible communications medium ever invented, would have less freedom than other media," he said. "These revisions are punitive to the online world and unfairly distinquish between the same speech, based on the medium in which it is delivered. The practices have long been afforded strong First Amendment protections in traditional media outlets, but the Commission is saying that the same speech deserves fewer Constitutional protections online. I urge the Commission to retract the current set of Guides and to commence a fair and open process in order to develop a roadmap by which responsible online actors can engage with consumers and continue to provide the invaluable content and services that have so transformed people's lives."

 

Rothenberg's letter can be read here in its entirety. The FTC's guidelines are set to go into effect at the beginning of December.

 

 WebProNews attended a keynote at the BlogWorld Expo this week, which dealt with the FTC's forthcoming regulations. Among the speakers were Ted Murphy, CEO of the controversial IZEA, the company known for PayPerPost and sponsored tweeting, Wendy Piersall of Sparkplugging.com, Jennifer Leggio, a blogger for ZDNet and Lisa Rotkin, an attorney from LA. Interestingly, about 60% of people in the room were for sponsored tweets, with very few indicating that they were against it.

 

Rotkin says the guidelines clarify the definition of endorsement, and that the FTC believes it has to be authenticated. She says that the blogger is as much liable as the advertiser, although recent comments from the FTC indicate that they are more concerned with the advertisers. She notes that bloggers would have to disclose relationships, but points out that there's a gray area in how to disclose.

 

Balancing Blogs And Twitter - Click Here Now 
 

 

There are also gray areas in what is actually considered to be a sponsored post. In the session, it was said that there are 8 forms:

 

1. Access
2. Incentive
3. Thank you
4. Product demo
5. Advertorial
6. Paid Reviews
7. Junket
8. Payola

 

Rotkin says that sponsored posts aren't right for everyone, but in some cases they are appropriate. However, she believes that bloggers aren't looking at the long term.
 Piersall says that people are able to disclose very well, and there are consequences if they do it wrong. She notes that she has no control over people's perceptions, whether she is being sponsored or not.

 

Murphy, who was wearing a shirt that said "I heart the FTC" said his company has been under a lot of attack because they monetize people.

 

Leggio says being a popular social media/blogger person is different than being a celebrity. She says sponsored blogging doesn't help relationships. "Do you want a spokesmodel or a thought leader?" she asked.

 

The character limit of Twitter is a subject that is often brought up in the FTC regulations discussion. How do you disclose on Twitter? Jeremiah Owyang, who moderated the session, doesn't think a hashtag like #ad is enough. Murphy thinks having "tools for disclosure" is the only way. It's unclear what these tools are exactly.

 

WebProNews reporter Abby Johnson contributed to this report from BlogWorld.

 

Do you think paid tweeting is a good idea? Share your thoughts.
 
 
For ad details and prices... mailto:susan@ientry.com
 
Signup for free newsletters: http://www.ientry.com/page/newsletters
 
--- WebProNews is an iEntry.com publication ---
http://www.iEntry.com
iEntry, Inc. 2549 Richmond Rd Second Floor Lexington, KY 40509 
 

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

MySpace, Facebook and Twitter's in troubles

MySpace, Facebook and Twitter's in troubles
By Donna J. Jodhan

 

There is something very interesting happening when it comes to communicating in various languages on websites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter.  Here is the problem in a nutshell; persons who speak one language are having difficulty understanding the profiles of others in another language.  For example:  A German-speaking person is unable to understand the profile of a Russian person if indeed they are unable to speak Russian in the first place.
 
This is a very interesting challenge for these three websites and indeed for many others who are of the social networking type.  This is not an insurmountable problem; no, not at all.  Enter the services of translators and as I see it, these could be wonderful times for translators to provide services to these websites.  The sky could be the limit here as more and more social networking websites come on the scene.  This is a new and growing field and translators would be wise to keep a very close eye on it. 

 

In addition, one can definitely expect to see a magnitude of opportunities for translators spring up in the future; opportunities that are going to come out of practically nowhere.  I am going to leave you with a very interesting reference to check out.  One that paints a really vivid picture for Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace.  Please see below.

 

MySpace, Facebook and Twitter's in troubles
BigNews.biz (press release)
Therefore, a German Facebook user, cannot contact, chat or simply understand a profile of a Russian, Spanish or European user. The English language is ...
Read more at:
http://www.bignews.biz/?id=810046&keys=Network-Facebook-Twitter-MySpace
 
 
I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day.
Donna J. Jodhan is the president of Sterling Creations
Now you can view blogs and editorials written by Donna at:
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com (Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all)
 http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 (access and accessibility)
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php (accessibility issues in Canada)
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
http://www.onestopbookcafe.com (under the café talk link) 
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm (important answers to consumers concerns)
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca (monthly editorial on issues concerning diversity)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html (monthly editorial)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html (blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants)

Jobs and careers identified

Greetings everyone!  I'm Jill Christiansen, manager of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.  Today, I have some very telling headlines to share with you; all about the shifting landscape for retirees and retiring boomers.  I invite you now to read on.

 

Week of Feb 13
Jobs and careers identified

 

Would you like to know where those high paying jobs in the health industry can be found?
Have problems locating them?
Please read on.
High-paying healthcare jobs
KTNV Las Vegas - Las Vegas,NV,USA
Don't miss 10 Careers With Great Job Prospects. ... The demand for doctors is expected to increase 17% through 2016 as Baby Boomers age. ...
Read more at:
http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11680902

 

Are you looking for the top 10 careers with great job prospects?
Not sure what they are?
Please read on.
10 Careers With Great Job Prospects - Investopedia.com
With an aging baby boomer population, it should come as no surprise that seven ... (For more jobs in health services, see 6 Hot Careers With Lots Of Jobs. ...
Read more at:
http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0709/16-Careers-With-Great-Job-Prospects.aspx?partner=worldnow

 

Are you interested in franchise opportunities?
Would you like to learn more?
Please read on.
Retirees buy franchises, new careers | Every Franchise's Franchise ...
Dec 15, 2009 ... "It's the one job where I can honestly say your clients are always ... The option is likely to draw more interest as baby boomers age and, ...
Read more at:
http://everyfranchise.com/franchise-news/index.php/2009/12/retirees-buy-franchises-new-careers/

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

The information barrier

Greetings!  I'm Christian Robicheau, assistant editor of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca. 
Yet another wintry February weekend is here and I hope that everyone is having fun.  Today, it's time to present an editorial by our president Donna J. Jodhan.  Here now is Donna's editorial.  Maybe you'll have an opinion to share with us? 
Have a great weekend.
 
 
The information barrier
By Donna J. Jodhan
 
I don't think that this topic would come as a shocker or shaker to anyone within the blind and visually impaired community but sad to say, it just might within the sighted world.  There are so many of our sighted friends and associates who still do not understand when we complain that information barriers still exist for us and that they are very mountainous.  The majority of websites are still guilty of not granting us equal access to information.  Companies and organizations still continue to send out information in printed formats that are still not accessible to us and reachable by us.  Important emergency procedures are still not in alternate formats that we can read and manuals that come with equipment and appliances are still not being produced in alternate formats.
 
For some inexplicable reason, websites continue to offer forms and downloadable files in PDF formats and even our Federal government is guilty of the same.  Many websites are still offering forms that are not totally accessible to us.  We are already living in a world of darkness so to speak but the information barrier makes our world even darker.  Everyone needs information in order to keep up with their surroundings, learn, and understand.  We are living in an information based society and as blind and visually impaired persons it is imperative that we have equal access to information.  Inadequate access to information on the Internet means that we are unable to independently garner knowledge and we need to depend on sighted assistance to help us.  Inaccessible forms means that we are unable to take full advantage of e commerce opportunities and access information that requires us to complete forms in order to receive information.  Inaccessible forms also mean that we are unable to apply for jobs and funding and as a result we need to again depend on sighted assistance. 
 
If procedures, especially emergency procedures are not available to us, then we have to again depend on sighted assistance and in addition, we are often at the mercy of kindness and compassion on the part of others.  Nowadays, there is no excuse for not being able to make information available in a format that we can read.  Information is almost always developed electronically so why can't society in general take that extra little step to make it available to us?  Via email, or in other alternate formats?  It is time for us to make a committed effort to break down the information barrier.
 
I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and weekend.
To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to send you an electronic copy of our latest newsletter.
 
Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna's blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com 
a weekly feature on important answers to consumers concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
A monthly editorial on issues on diversity
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca
a monthly editorial on business issues and concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html 
weekly editorials on accessibility issues in Canada
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php
Editorials:  An International perspective on issues of accessibility and disability
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
A general perspective on issues of access and accessibility
http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 

Your best American cities

Hello there!  I'm Donna J. Jodhan and it's that time again.  Time to have some real fun!  Time to buckle up, sit back, and enjoy!  I hope you packed your creative imaginations!
Time to take offf!  Enjoy your trip!

 

Week of February 13 2010
 
Your best American cities
 
1. Fayetteville Arkansas
Are you seeking a way to start off with a bang?
Not sure where to look and where to live?
Then, you need to take a long hard look at Fayetteville Arkansas.
One of the best places for young professionals, and one of the best places to launch a business career.
Fayetteville Arkansas has one of the highest educated populations in America, a highly recognized university, and oodles of employment opportunities in the education, health care, manufacturing, and construction sectors.
If yu want to get a head start on your classmates, then why not Fayetteville Arkansas?

 

2. Providence Road Island
Are you looking for that wholesome city with a wholesome set of attractions to offer?
Fine dining, rich entertainment, and excellent educational facilities?
Friendly neighborhoods that contain riverfront homes with magnificent views, modern condos, grand retirement homes, and second homes that are second to none?
A crown jewel of a city located in the heart of Road Island?
Then you must visit Providence; a city with a definite face and one that you will not soon forget.

 

3. St Paul MN
If you are looking to relocate to a city that is safe, clean, and one of America's most livable, then you got it all in St Paul Minnesota.
This beautiful city offers you great places to live; friendly neighborhoods with a great community spirit.
Winter carnivals, winter sports, and healthy college competition.
If you are seeking a city with history as well as with character, then St Paul is it.

 

4. New Haven Connecticut
If you are a young and aspiring student who is looking for the perfect location to study in, then look no further than the green and beautiful city of New Haven Connecticut.
Known as Elm City because of its numerous elm trees, New Haven is home to the very prestigious Yale University.
In addition, Yale provides an ideal setting for study and growth.
So if you are serious about yourfuture, then make New Haven your choice.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan bidding you a happy travel time.
Visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca if you would like to learn more.
Or send me an email at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca.

 

 

Want to Save Our Economy from Almighty Greed? Here's 10 Targets That Stand in the way

Greetings!  I'm Nico Trimoff, manager of transcription and accessibility services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Today, I have great things to share with you; all how you can help to save our economy from greed.  I invite you now to read on.
Enjoy your day.
 
 
Want to Save Our Economy from Almighty Greed? Here's 10 Targets That Stand
in the Way

 

By Zach Carter
AlterNet, November 5, 2009, Printed on November 5, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/143737/

 

Let's face it, financial regulation is boring and complicated. But if the
economic crisis taught us anything, it's that bringing Wall Street under
control is one of the most critical domestic policies facing the country
right now.

 

Here's what you need to know, and who you need to watch, as Congress readies
its banking overhaul.

 

1. A New Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Subprime mortgages. Abusive
and arbitrary rate hikes on your credit card. Payday loans. If you're
wondering who lets banks get away with this crap, there are more people at
it than you think. There are no less than four federal regulators
responsible for overseeing consumer protection in finance, and all of them
are terrible.

 

Regulators currently are responsible not only for keeping consumers safe
from predation but for ensuring the "safety and soundness" of banks -- that
is, keeping banks from failing.

 

Not surprisingly, sometimes what's best for bank balance sheets doesn't
exactly jive with the interests of consumers. If banks can fend off failure
by gouging you on your credit card, they're going to do it, and regulators
aren't going to lift a finger to stop them.

 

What's worse, regulators actually compete to prove to banks how lax they can
be at enforcing consumer protections. Each agency is funded by taxes it
levies on banks it regulates, and banks can choose who they want to regulate
them. If one agency is too tough, the bank can switch regulators. The result
is a race-to-the bottom in regulatory standards where the interests of
consumers are ignored.

 

The obvious solution is to give these consumer-protection responsibilities
to a single regulator with no such conflicts and with the power to enforce
uniform standards across the entire industry. That's what President Barack
Obama proposed in June, and it was by far the most significant reform on his
Wall Street agenda.

 

Unfortunately, the bank lobby has seriously watered down the bill in
Congress. One of the chief advocates for the CFPA, Rep. Brad Miller, D-N.C.,
sponsored an amendment exempting 8,000 of the nation's 8,200 banks from the
CFPA's oversight.

 

And it's getting worse -- the powers of the agency are being diminished with
every committee. The latest one subjected the CFPA director to input from
other commissioners and regulators from the same agencies that failed to
prevent the current crisis.

 

These destructive amendments can be stripped out on the House floor, but
only if Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has the political will to make it
happen.

 

2. Too big to fail. Here's an idea: Let's give a handful of firms on Wall
Street so much economic power that if they ever fail, the entire economy
will collapse with them. Sound good? Of course not. But sadly, that's what
Wall Street looks like today, and the problem has actually gotten worse
since the financial crisis began because troubled firms have been eaten up
in a flurry of mergers with stronger behemoths to stave off catastrophe.

 

The solution? Break up the banks to a size where failure does not destroy
the economy, and ban banks from participating in the capital markets casino.
Similarly, companies that engage in speculative, risky securities trading
would be banned from doing the boring, economically essential banking
activities such as accepting deposits and making loans.

 

With the two types of banking separated, we have a useful banking sector to
support the economy even if the Wild West finance hits the skids.

 

Obama and his inner circle of advisers have no interest in breaking up the
banks or ending too-big-to-fail. Their plan to deal with "too big to fail"
would codify the government's ability to bailout big firms with an unlimited
amount of loans, guarantees and asset purchases.

 

In other words, Obama wants to make the Troubled Asset Relief Program a
permanent government policy. If that sounds crazy, it is.

 

3. Derivatives. When people say "derivatives," they mean the crazy financial
weapons of mass destruction that brought down AIG. But they also mean
hundreds of trillions of dollars of other crazy shit.

 

If a Wall Street magician can conjure up any contract or security "derived"
from the value of something real -- oil prices, mortgages, corporate debt,
or literally anything else -- it's called a derivative.

 

As a derivative, it doesn't have to be regulated the way other Wall Street
securities are. Shockingly, after Congress passed landmark legislation in
2000 banning the regulation of key derivatives, the market absolutely
exploded, with 95 percent of it concentrated at five too-big-to-fail banks.

 

Derivatives are one of the key ways banks make themselves too big to fail.
Since derivatives can tie a bank to almost anything, from the financial
health of other companies to the value of the dollar, firms that buy and
sell derivatives can encapsulate themselves in a massive, interconnected web
of risk that regulators have trouble deciphering.

 

If a major derivatives dealer like JPMorgan Chase or Morgan Stanley were to
fail, it's almost impossible to determine what else would go down with them.

 

The best way to deal with the derivatives mess is to require that they be
traded on an exchange, just like ordinary stocks. Exchange trading lets
everybody know what everyone else is up to, and it requires a disinterested
third party to sign off on the transaction. E.g., if a hedge fund wants to
use derivatives to make a crazy bet on subprime mortgages with AIG, and the
exchange knows AIG doesn't have the money to cover the bet, the exchange
won't let the trade go through.

 

Unfortunately, Obama didn't push hard for this. Instead, he wants all
"standardized" derivatives to trade through a central clearinghouse --
basically an exchange without any public transparency. And any derivative
that could be classified as "customized" -- estimated to be about one-fifth
of the derivatives market -- would be exempt even from this level of market
discipline.

 

What's worse, Congress has watered down even the weak tea Obama offered.
Unless the derivatives bill is seriously overhauled on the House floor, the
biggest derivatives players won't even have to clear their "standardized"
derivatives trades through any disinterested third party as long as a trade
is conducted with a hedge fund or a private-equity firm.

 

4. Leverage. Ever gambled with somebody else's money? Pretty fun stuff. If
your bets pay off, you get to keep the winnings. If your bets don't turn out
so hot, you can stick your friend with the bill. That's the basic concept
behind leverage, and it's how Wall Street is able to make a killing off
minor movements in the values of stocks and other securities.

 

Say I've got $10, and I want to bet on a stock. Turns out, it's a good bet,
and the stock jumps 10 percent. I just made $1. Whoo-hoo. But say I borrowed
$500 before I made the same bet, and the stock made the same 10 percent
gain. I just made $51. That's a profit of over five times on my initial $10.
Now we're talking real money.

 

But what if my stock loses 10 percent? I'm out $51. The trouble is, I've
only got $10 -- everything else I borrowed. I just lost more than five times
the money I actually had, and I don't have enough to pay back my $500 loan.
If I were a corporation, I would be outrageously bankrupt.

 

That's what Wall Street just did.

 

The way to fix this is to require companies to have lots of cold, hard cash
on hand to keep them from destroying themselves if their bets don't pay off.
This cash is called "stock" or "equity." Obama, Congress and the Federal
Reserve have all been tight-lipped about how seriously they want to rein in
leverage, but at the height of the crisis, banks like Citigroup were
leveraged at more than 50 to 1: for every $50 in borrowed money Citi bet
with, it had just $1 of its own money on hand.

 

Saying what the right leverage ratio is can be tricky, but 10-to-1 is the
traditional range of safety.

 

5. Executive compensation. You're pissed off about the $26 billion Goldman
Sachs plans to pay in bonuses this year, and you're right to be. Not only is
this an obscene gesture in the face of 10 percent unemployment and an
affront to the very taxpayers who saved every single job at Goldman Sachs
last year, it actively harms the economy.

 

Ridiculous paychecks tied to short-term profits strongly encourage
executives to behave recklessly: If the risk pays off, they make a lot of
money for their shareholders. The average chief financial officer spends
three years on the job. If they don't get rich quick, they don't get rich.

 

If the risk backfires, hey, they already made their millions. Think they're
shedding any tears for their poor shareholders from their second houses in
the Hamptons?

 

6. Elizabeth Warren. She's been following predatory lending for decades, and
she knows every side of the issue you could think of. She knows what's
driving foreclosures, what's causing bank failures and can critique complex
accounting rules with the precision of a seasoned financial analyst.

 

As chairwoman of the TARP Oversight Committee, she has taken Treasury
Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to task
for keeping bailout decisions secret. Best of all, she's an unapologetic
consumer advocate who wants the banking system to work for the entire
economy, not just Wall Street executives.

 

Her media appearances have built her significant political clout, and
policymakers listen when she brings up concerns.

 

7. House Financial Services Committee. This is where most of the financial
reform legislation starts, and it's where the most egregious Wall Street
sell-outs have already taken place. The Republicans, of course, are
shameless shills for the bank lobby, as are many conservative Democrats on
the panel, such as Rep. Melissa Bean of Illinois. Even committed
progressives like Committee Chairman Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, and
Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina have been willing to sacrifice major
reforms when cutting deals with the banking industry.

 

8. Pelosi. The speaker of the House knows how to get legislation passed.
Everything that Bean and Frank screw up can be unscrewed on the House floor
if Pelosi is willing to twist arms to do it. She rounded up the Democratic
votes to pass the bailout in 2008, and she can get the votes to rein in Wall
Street if she wants to.

 

The good news: She has made it clear that she views at least the CFPA as a
top legislative priority.

 

9. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. No figure in Congress is more complicated than
the senator from Connecticut. He brought you both credit card reform and the
AIG bonuses. He is currently going to bat for you on abusive overdraft fees,
but routinely shills for predatory payday lenders.

 

As chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, he has as much sway over
financial regulations as anyone on Capitol Hill. He has been stalling for a
long time -- Obama dropped his regulatory reform plan in June, and Dodd has
yet to hold a single hearing to move a single proposal from the
administration.

 

Dodd was skewered in Michael Moore's recent film, and his approval ratings
have been in dangerous territory since the AIG bonus outrage broke in March.
He's up for re-election in 2010. Connecticut voters would be wise to make
him earn it.

 

10. Obama. The president ran as an economic progressive, promising a robust
Wall Street overhaul, but he has offered a tepid set of reforms that only a
banker could love.

 

He has eschewed investigations of what the FBI believes to be an "epidemic"
of fraud in the banking industry and failed to take significant action to
avert the foreclosure crisis.

 

He appears willing to slap a "serious reform" label on whatever drivel
Congress can pass. But Obama does have some sane economic instincts: His
stimulus package has helped stop the economic bleeding, and his plan to
create the CFPA is urgently needed.

 

A change of tone, or a new set of priorities from the White House, could
radically alter the political playing field for the better.

 

Zach Carter writes a weekly blog on the economy for the Media Consortium.
His work has appeared in the American Prospect, the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution and on CNBC.

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

 

 

Facebook twitter may mean more use for Google

Greetings!  I'm Mark Micheau, manager of research and translation services  at http://www.sterlingcreations.ca and boy o boy!  It's the middle of the week already.  Time for me to step up to the plate and get going. 
Today, I have a very interesting article to share with you; from one of our favourite authors Chris Crum and I invite you now to read on.
Have a great day.
 

 

Facebook twitter may mean more use for Google 
Thursday, October 22, 2009
 Social Media for SEO is Not Just About Links Anymore

 

Disclaimer: This article was originally written before Google made its announcement, and has been updated to reflect that.

 

Google and Microsoft have both inked deals with Twitter, and Microsoft has also inked one with Facebook to integrate Twitter and Facebook updates into Bing search results. Google will be adding tweets to search results.

 

Google's Marissa Mayer says, "We believe that our search results and user experience will greatly benefit from the inclusion of this up-to-the-minute data, and we look forward to having a product that showcases how tweets can make search better in the coming months. That way, the next time you search for something that can be aided by a real-time observation, say, snow conditions at your favorite ski resort, you'll find tweets from other users who are there and sharing the latest and greatest information."

 

There is a good chance that Google will be making a similar deal with Facebook, but even if they don't, their deal with Twitter and Bing's deals with both make it all the more important for marketers to be found in real-time searches and Facebook/Twitter in general.

 

Do you spend anytime trying to be found in real-time searches? Discuss here.

 

A while back WebProNews compiled a list of five tips for getting found in real-time searches, which basically boils down to staying in the conversation for relevant topics that people are searching for. The tips were:

 

1. Use keywords
2. Talk about timely events
3. Have a lot of followers
4. Promote conversation
5. Include calls to engagement

 

I elaborated on each of these in the previous article. Social media is viral by nature, and real-time search is nothing more than putting things in chronological order. You have to keep people talking to stay relevant "right now."

 

That said, we don't know all the details about how Google and Bing will be integrating its Twitter and Facebook results into the rest of their results yet. Bing has made available a beta tool for people to mess around with for searching tweets with the search engine. "You can now search for what people are saying all over the web about breaking news topics, your favorite celebrity, hometown sports team, and anything else you use Twitter to stay on top of today," says Paul Yiu of Bing's Social Search team.

 

 

 

A spokesperson for Microsoft tells WebProNews, more specifically, the new Twitter developments in Bing include:

 

A real-time index of the Tweets that match your search queries in results. This feature makes it easier to follow what's going on by reducing the amount of duplicates, spam, etc.
Giving you the option to rank tweets either by most recent or by "best match," where we consider a Tweeter's popularity, interestingness of the tweet, and other indicators of quality and trustworthiness.
Providing the top links shared on Twitter around your specific search query by showcasing a few of the most relevant tweets. Additionally, Bing automatically expands those small URLs (like bit.ly) to enable you to understand what people are tweeting about. Instead of showing standard search result captions, we select 2 top tweets to give users a glimpse of the sentiment around the shared link.

 

Bing already displays some Tweets for certain people results at the very top of the regular web search results page. That's a good place to appear. Here is a little info about how they rank tweets in their Twitter search.

 

Google announced a new Google labs project that injects social media into its own search results. This was also announced at the Web 2.0 Summit. Ben Parr with Mashable has the details from Mayer:

 

- The bottom of search results will soon have social networking information from your friends, like their Flickr (Flickr) photos or their status updates. It's a blended search integration, similar to seeing news or image results.

 

- These are pulled from social networks connected to your Google Profile. The more that are connected, the more social information that will appear in search results.

 

- They have also improved searching for images using social networks. Images become more relevant using social networking data.

 

- It will launch in Google Labs in the next few weeks.

 

The deals with Microsoft and Google make social media marketing all the more important to marketing in general, and specifically search engine marketing. Where social media has generally fit into the SEO equation thus far, has been the promotion of content, which inspires links and conversation, which can in turn help search engine rankings.

 

Now, if status updates and tweets become directly integrated into search results in Universal Search-type fashion, it will be not only be about promotion and outside links, it will be about direct exposure right in the results, not unlike the importance of online video right now (as you're probably aware, videos are often displayed prominently on the first page of Google results).

 

Now, forgetting about Google for a moment, pretend that the deals with Microsoft are the only ones that happened. You may also recall that Microsoft has a certain deal in the works with Yahoo. This (if everything goes according to plan) will see Bing results taking over Yahoo's own. Yahoo may still be controlling the front-end of its search, but Bing will be controlling the back-end. Ranking for Bing will mean ranking for Yahoo.

 

So with Yahoo, Twitter, and Facebook deals all in place for Bing, getting found in real-time searches may not only mean getting found in Twitter searches, Facebook searches, and such. It may also mean getting found in Bing searches and in Yahoo searches. That's pretty much the meat of the non-Google U.S. search market.

 

Now let's bring Google back into the equation. It has a deal with Twitter and may very well have one with Facebook before long. Kara Swisher who broke the news about Microsoft's deals says Google's been talking with both social networks. Still think real-time search and social media are not worth your time?

 

Do you think deals with Bing and Google will have a big impact on traffic from Twitter and Facebook? Share your thoughts.

 

About the Author:
Chris Crum has been a part of the WebProNews team and the iEntry Network of B2B Publications since 2003. Twitter: @CCrum237 
 
 
10.22.09

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

 

 

nourishing obscurity: [text messaging, net abbreviations] and the ...

nourishing obscurity: [text messaging, net abbreviations] and the ...
By Donna J. Jodhan
 
With text messaging becoming more and more popular, there is a growing need to ensure that texters can communicate in their own native languages.  I don't believe that anyone could have seen this new market coming but it is here to stay and will only continue to grow both in demand and real consumers.  This market could potentially present the sky is the limit opportunities for translators and anyone aspiring to be a foreign language professional.
 
With the advent of cell phones, this market was bound to have been born and now with more and more persons texting each other, this could be a very exciting time for many foreign language professionals.  Think of the massive number of opportunities that await you and the opportunity to create more possibilities because of the growing popularity to text in foreign languages.  Cell phone popularity is growing globally so there are all of your reasons to jump in now.
 
I am going to leave you with a very interesting reference to check out.  One that talks to the heart of this market.  Please see below.

 

nourishing obscurity: [text messaging, net abbreviations] and the ...
By James Higham
Professional translators and interpreters might achieve an interlingual world by enabling people without a common language to communicate with success, without the burdens and risks of widespread language learning. ... Every word has been selected according to an algorithm aiming at getting it as similar as possible to the corresponding words of the most widely spoken languages in the World - Chinese, English, Hindi, Spanish, Russian and Arabic – in that specific order. ...
nourishing obscurity -
http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com/ 
 
 
I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day.
Donna J. Jodhan is the president of Sterling Creations
Now you can view blogs and editorials written by Donna at:
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com (Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all)
 http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 (access and accessibility)
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php (accessibility issues in Canada)
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
http://www.onestopbookcafe.com (under the café talk link) 
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm (important answers to consumers concerns)
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca (monthly editorial on issues concerning diversity)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html (monthly editorial)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html (blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants)

Jobs and careers identified

Greetings everyone!  I'm Jill Christiansen, manager of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Today, I have important headlines for you concerning what experts are saying about retirees and aging baby boomers.  I have lots more to share as well and I invite you now to read on.

 

Week of Feb 06
Jobs and careers identified

 

Looking at the picture across the pond; will Britain's infrastructure be able to support future retirees?
If so, how so?  If not, what is to be done?
Please read on.
Economist Debates: Reaching 65: Statements
In his view, the generation of British baby-boomers now nearing "retirement" .... relevant measure to judge whether we will be able to support future retirees. .... on-the-job retirement, if they are lucky enough to still have jobs. .... Do we intend to have ONE career or MANY careers between young adulthood and ...
Read more at:
http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/330
 
How can retirees leverage their skills into part-time jobs?
Is there room for them to maneuver successfully?
Please read on.
Life Between Jobs » Mind the Gap
By timj4real
They are actually retirees looking for a way to leverage their talents into a part time gig that has the potential to provide a nice return. And it makes perfect sense to me. With the baby boomers reaching retirement in record numbers, ...
Life Between Jobs -
http://www.lifebetweenjobs.com/ 

 

How much do you know about the over 50s market?
Enough for you to turn a profit?
Please read on.
The 50+ job market | RetirementRevised
When older workers lose their jobs, they face the reality that they may not work ... Reach the dynamic Baby Boomer market -- advertise at RetirementRevised ...
Read more at:
http://retirementrevised.com/retirement-jobs/the-50-job-market

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.