Making Money Now

Another day, another honking big funding for another online start-up (and yet another broken embargo too!).

It’s like Groundhog Day in Silicon Valley as usual.

Today, Cambridge, Mass.-based HubSpot wins tech’s version of the lottery, grabbing $32 million from Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures and also Salesforce.com.

It is unclear what the valuation for HubSpot is now, although it is likely high given it has raised $65 million now.

HubSpot makes marketing software for businesses, who use it to find prospects and generate leads, along with tools to analyze the process. It claims it has “4,000 customers, over 50 percent market share, five million leads managed, and 70 million page views tracked monthly.”

The Series D financing included HubSpot’s existing venture investors–General Catalyst Partners, Matrix Partners, and Scale Venture Partners–and part of it will be used to cash out existing shareholders. In previous rounds, the start-up has raised $33 million.

Here is the official press release:

Sequoia, Google Ventures, and Salesforce.com Invest $32 Million in HubSpot

Marketing Software Company Attracts New Strategic Investors

CAMBRIDGE, MA–(Marketwire – March 8, 2011)–Today, for the first time ever, Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures and Salesforce.com all invested together in one company, providing HubSpot with a Series D round of financing through a $32 million investment. HubSpot provides all-in-one marketing software used by over 4,000 businesses to get found by more prospects, convert them into leads and sales, and analyze the entire marketing process.

“The fundamental way that people shop, learn, and buy has changed radically in the last few years. HubSpot helps transform the way businesses market from outbound marketing (cold calls, email blasts, and direct mail) to inbound marketing (Google, blogs, social media, mobile, etc.),” said Brian Halligan, co-founder and CEO of HubSpot.

Sequoia Capital has a long history of partnering with founders to help them build long-term, multi-billion dollar companies, including Google, LinkedIn, AdMob, YouTube, Yahoo!, Apple, and Oracle. “We back companies that are transforming their industries,” said Jim Goetz, General Partner at Sequoia Capital. “HubSpot is the emerging category leader in the SaaS marketing sector. Their customer base exceeds that of all the other relevant marketing software companies combined, including Eloqua, Marketo, Genius, and Manticore.”

“Today, every company needs to succeed in search, social, sales, and marketing–I can’t think of a more powerful trifecta than Google, Salesforce.com, and HubSpot. With 4,000 customers, HubSpot is already a clear marketing leader–now, with this new infusion of capital and recognition by Google’s venture arm and Salesforce.com, HubSpot has a great opportunity to separate itself from the pack and become the leading marketing platform in the small and medium business space,” said Brent Leary, co-founder of CRM Essentials.

Google Ventures Partner, Rich Miner (formerly co-founder of Android) said, “We agree with HubSpot’s belief that search engines, social media, and mobile devices have fundamentally changed how businesses should market themselves. We’re thrilled to support their efforts to help thousands of small and medium businesses reach potential customers.”

Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot commented, “We founded the company based on a simple premise: Businesses want an easy-to-use, complete and integrated marketing platform that helps them get more leads and customers. We plan to use this new capital to further invest in this ambitious vision and further our existing lead in the marketing software category.”

Surface Encounters

Report: NFLPA to soon begin paying players

The NFL Players Association will reportedly begin paying players in need from its lockout fund beginning April 15.

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<b>News</b> FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and Funny Pictures

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

Surface Encounters

Donald Trump Will Win <b>News</b> Cycles With Birtherism [UPDATED]

The big 2012 news today is, naturally, pure malarkey from Donald Trump, who has inexplicably decided to base his reality-teevee campaign solely on birtherism. Here's Politico's Andy Barr:

Surface Encounters

Editor’s Note: Jim Dalrymple has been writing about Apple for more than 15 years. You can follow him on Twitter @jdalrymple and on his Web site at The Loop.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday introduced the iPad 2 at a special event in San Francisco, taking even more momentum away from its competitors.

I’ve had a lot of people in the last 24 hours tell me that the iPad 2 isn’t as revolutionary as the first generation device. Yes, that’s true. But not every device a company releases has to be or can be revolutionary.

Apple has released three revolutionary products in the last decade alone: iPod, iPhone and iPad. I really can’t think of any products from Apple’s competitors that fit in the revolutionary category in that same time period.

People also said that Apple wasn’t very forthcoming with the specs of the iPad 2. Again, that’s true, but there’s a good reason for that—nobody cares.

Well, some people care. Those of us who are geeks care about specs. However, have you ever noticed that when you sit with your non-geek friends and start listing off specs their eyes glaze over and they rest their chin in their hand.

That’s because they couldn’t care less.

The iPad 2 is no slouch either. It lost one-third of the thickness of the previous generation, and therefore it is one-third less than the size of the iPad competitors too. It also has new technologies like a gyro built-in that will launch another round of cool apps.

Yesterday’s iPad 2 announcement wasn’t about the geeks—it was about all the other people who will buy an iPad. What those people want to know is “what can I do with it?”

If it fits into their lifestyle, most people are good with that. Apple showed many ways how the iPad 2 can fit into your lifestyle.

From the very beginning, Apple was very smart with how it marketed the iPad. The first thing it did was get the device into businesses and promote the fact that it could be used to get work done. And it was quite successful with that.

In an analyst call in October 2010, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said the iPad was already being used in 65 percent of Fortune 100 companies. That was four months ago and the iPad has grown since then, so we can only imagine where that number is now.

This strategy allowed Apple to do two things. If it came out with the iPad and pushed the gaming capabilities of the device, the business world would have looked at it as a toy. That would have certainly meant slower adoption. It also allowed them to work on some consumer software, two of which we saw yesterday.

In addition to the iPad 2, Jobs also unveiled iMovie and GarageBand for the iPad. This is what people want to know about—what can I do with the iPad that’s exciting and new.

Obviously, creating movies and being able to edit and share them with friends and family is a very popular thing to do these days. iMovie makes that easy.

Creating music, whether a novice or pro is also a cool thing to do. GarageBand is a great app to get that done and you can move your projects to your Mac and continue working on them.

It’s not just about the hardware. Apple delivers the whole experience that nobody else can. Jobs said yesterday that there are 65,000 apps on its App Store specifically designed for the iPad. That’s a lot of things you can do.

If you think Apple’s competitors are jumping for joy because the iPad 2 isn’t revolutionary, I believe you are wrong. I think they’re scared. Yesterday, they figured out Apple’s strategy too, but a little too late.

Titles from major book publisher Random House will now appear in Apple’s iBooks store. The news was one of many talking points covered earlier today at Apple’s media event. Random House had previously been the only major publisher not represented in Apple’s popular iOS book store, as it was not willing to grant Apple the 30% cut taken on titles sold through iBooks. The addition of Random House is a major coup for Apple as it looks to compete with the likes of Amazon’s Kindle bookstore and other popular offerings. Hit the break for Apple’s full press release.

Random House, Inc. Makes Entire US Catalog of 17,000 ebooks Available on Apple’s iBookstore

iBookstore Now Features More than 2,500 Publishers, Including All Six Major Trade Publishers

SAN FRANCISCO—March 2, 2011—Apple® today announced that Random House, Inc., the largest trade book publisher in the US, has made its full catalog of 17,000 ebooks available on Apple’s iBookstore℠, including bestsellers by Stieg Larsson, John Grisham, Dan Brown, Danielle Steel, Laura Hillenbrand, Cormac McCarthy, Lee Child and many more of the world’s preeminent authors. Starting today, customers can pre-order upcoming releases from Random House including Lisa Gardner’s “Love You More,” Suze Orman’s “The Money Class” and Jean Auel’s “The Land of Painted Caves.” With the addition of Random House, the iBookstore now offers ebooks from all six major trade publishers and thousands of independent publishers.

“We are delighted that Apple’s iBookstore now will be carrying Random House’s US ebooks for the first time,” said Markus Dohle, Random House’s Chairman and CEO. “And we look forward to bringing our 17,000 ebooks to Apple customers.”

“We’re thrilled to offer Random House on the iBookstore,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services. “iBookstore customers have already downloaded more than 100 million books in less than one year, and we think they’ll love being able to choose from Random House’s incredible selection of titles to enjoy on their iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.”

iBookstore customers can choose from a wide selection of illustrated and video-enhanced books that look incredible on iPad™, including Jay-Z’s memoir “Decoded” and Bing West’s “The Wrong War”; bestselling children’s series such as Magic Tree House and Junie B. Jones; and cookbooks by Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, and the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. Random House, Inc. comprises more than 80 adult and children’s US publishing imprints including Alfred A. Knopf, Doubleday, Crown, Pantheon Books, Vintage, Ballantine and Bantam.

The iBookstore, included in Apple’s free iBooks® app, is the best way to browse, buy and read books on your iPad, iPhone® and iPod touch®. iBookstore offers ebooks from more than 2,500 publishers in more than 20 categories, including Mysteries & Thrillers, Biographies & Memoirs, Cookbooks, Children’s & Teen, Humor, Romance, Business and Travel.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Tags: announcement, Apple, books, e-books, e-reader, ebooks, eReader, Event, iBooks, Random House


Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

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Preview of Final Result

 

Resources

• PT Sans Bold – FontSquirrel


• Free App Icons for Developers – WebAppers

Step 1

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

Step 2

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

Step 3

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

 

Step 4

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

Step 5

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

Step 6

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

Step 7

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

Step 8

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

Step 9

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

Step 10

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

Step 11

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

Step 12

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

Step 13

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

Step 14

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

Step 15

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

Step 16

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

Step 17

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

Step 18

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

Step 19

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

Step 20

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

Step 21

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

Step 22

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

Step 23

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

Step 24

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

Step 25

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

Step 26

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

Step 27

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

Step 28

To finish, add a Gradient Overlay effect.

Step 29

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

Step 30

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

Step 31

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

Step 32

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

Step 33

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

Step 34

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

 

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

Surface Encounters

URGENT: Plutonium detected in soil at Fukushima nuke plant: TEPCO <b>...</b>

URGENT: Plutonium detected in soil at Fukushima nuke plant: TEPCO. TOKYO, March 28, Kyodo. Plutonium has been detected in soil at five locations at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday ...

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

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

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web site promotion internet marketing

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Small Business <b>News</b>: Creative Marketing Secrets

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Out This Week – 01/04/2011 <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Out This Week – 01/04/2011. ... Latest Videos. Shift 2 trailer gears up for launch [5] 25 March, 2011. Latest News. Shift 2: Unleashed delayed by a week [16]. Shift 2: Unleashed nets Pagani Huayra [19] ...

SEO Services Vancouver For any Better Marketing Solution

 

When you start your own website there are lots of ways you will have to market it and something the best way is by using SEO services Vancouver if you maintain that area. The SEO or search engine optimization services will be the top method of getting more traffic to your website and therefore making more sales.

 

Now, you should know that you won't use SEO service if you are not an internet business - however, if you do not come with an online presence if you are a offline business, then you will not allow it to be very far.

 

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

 

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

 

It is very important that you do this because otherwise the organization that you have worked so difficult for could end up losing the money. If you have a website you want to create, then you'll also use the expertise of an SEO company, which stands for search engine optimization company. What this company does is basically go ahead and take best parts of your website, look into the code, create keywords and write various articles and documents to ensure that your website is placed close to the top of the list for the major search engines.

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

 

If you wish to make use of the Search engine optimization Vancouver then all you have to do is discover the top companies. It is through these how the SEO gets done effectively and efficiently. With so many SEO companies to select from you need to be sure that the main one you're going for is reliable. You should be able to ask for a failure of what you need, and also the company should also have the ability to tell you know long they've been operating for. This will limit their email list to reveal the very best ones.

 

Search engine optimization Provided by Different Vancouver Web Companies

The Vancouver SEO company services are extremely good for business growth because they provide quality services. If you're planning to create a website for your online business, then you've arrived at right article as I will be explaining below how Search engine optimisation Vancouver company services can improve your website ranking and make it popular.

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

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

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

To look in the first page from the search result, you will have to hire professionals and experts who can perform the needful to maintain your site among the good books in these websites. These professionals can optimize your site content to ensure your site gets increased traffic.

When the traffic gets high, it's a sign that you are getting a service that will get you more revenues. SEO Vancouver company do the following to create your site appear within the first page of search results.

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

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

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

 

What to anticipate Whenever Hiring a Roofing Contractors

When it comes time to repair or even substitute your roof, it's really a challenging task to find somebody that is qualified for the job. There are many roofing contractors available, but the ones who'll do a great job for any reasonable price are not frequently easy to find. If you're in the market for the contractor, use the tips beneath with regard to meeting with and employing the right one.

Job interview and Consultation

The majority of roofing contractors offer free consultations. This is particularly important, since it provides them an opportunity to assess exactly what your roof needs, and it provides you with an opportunity to evaluate them. As with all of businesses, trust your intuition concerning the people you allow upward onto your roofing. No matter exactly how great the contractor's reputation or suggestion, he or she should start by presenting you with a company greeting card. If the contractor arrives searching as well as talking within an less than professional method, most likely the task he is going to do will also be unprofessional. This is not to say that you ought to anticipate companies to reach within fits. They is going to be hiking on your roof, therefore the majority of is going to be dressed up in jeans and work boots or athletic shoes. If the contractor appears to be more interested in speaking on their mobile phone while on your roof compared to he is within analyzing your roof's requirements, that may be an additional indication that he is not really the main one for the job. For the lawful protection, make sure that the actual contractor has sufficient liability insurance coverage.

Roofing Assessment

Expect that the contractor is going to be going up in your roofing. In fact, any kind of contractor who does not want to increase in your roofing to evaluate the problem should be immediately discounted. Those who are serious about their function may either create a drawing of the roof's surface as well as tag trouble spots onto it because they undergo their evaluation, or they will take pictures or video from the surface area while they are available online for. This is an extremely essential action, since it enables you to observe just what the problems are as well as know how they'll be fixed.

Estimate

The next step will be the written estimation. The contractor will take out their calculator and are available up with a written estimation. Some companies will go out to their own vehicle or truck and write up the actual suggestion, while some will crisis the actual amounts to do the job prior to you. Once you're given the proposal, ensure that you comprehend exactly which items is going to be used, just how long the task will require and when there are any extra or hidden costs that may occur throughout the repair of the roof. The contractor should be able to answer many of these concerns effortlessly and forewarn you associated with a extra expenses that might be incurred if the roof's integrity end up being broken within.

After you have obtained a few created estimations from roofing contractors, assess what every company or even contractor would like to offer you for that price. Do not always low cost the greatest bet, because sometimes the greatest bid will in reality be the contractor who the job correctly. Additionally, be skeptical of prices for bids which are not nearly as expensive other people. They might be using substandard products or perhaps be untruthful about the chance of hidden expenses. Most importantly, believe in intuition and go with the service provider who makes you feel quite comfortable regarding giving more than your money.

 

Seven Uyghurs Sentenced to Death

2011-03-23

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

 

AFP

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

'Strike hard' campaign

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Earlier cases

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

New training scheme

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

An Urumqi resident surnamed Li agreed.

 

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

 

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

 

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

Copyright © 1998-2011 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

 

Wikileaks and the Uyghur

through holly upon December 20, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Supervisor, Uyghur Human Rights Project

Whether it were ever in doubt, information acquired by the whistleblower web site, Wikileaks, has verified Chinese government fears more than it's ongoing control of the region this phone calls Xinjiang, which is also referred to as Eastern Turkestan. The leaked out wires through U.S. diplomats show the extent to which Chinese government bodies attempt to persuade governments globally to consider it's stance upon problems affecting Uyghurs. The actual cables additionally display the U . s . States' concerns and sights regarding the ongoing repressive measures in the region.

Most illuminating of Chinese language government stress would be the cables directed in order to Chinese frustration, or the specter of Chinese ire, within the release of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to 3rd countries. The December Twenty nine, 08 cable television relates exactly how Chinese language Assistant Foreign Reverend Liu Jieyi met using the U.Utes. Ambassador in order to The far east in order to voice Beijing's strong competitors of release to any kind of country apart from The far east, and that if the Ough.S. do indeed accede for this request it might "avoid harm to bilateral relationships and also to co-operation ‘in essential areas'". Furthermore, a February '09 cable describes how the Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the actual feasible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfriendly act towards us" and a "slap in the face". The U.S. government stood firm within not really releasing the actual detainees to China illustrates the actual degree of the politicized nature from the Chinese judicial system. Legitimate issues over terrorism tend to be easy to understand, but in the actual U.S. government's observe the detainees would probably encounter do-it-yourself torture and delivery if they came back in order to The far east

Chinese government pressure regarding the Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't just put on the U.Utes. federal government, but also in order to New Zealand along with a number of European governments which were considering resettlement. Albania, Indonesia as well as Finland, in addition to European Union member says all appear to have paid for the actual impact of Chinese government unhappiness. In the case of Indonesia, that was initially prepared to consider 2 Uyghurs on purely humanitarian reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo instances had been less preferable to additional detainees because of the negative effects taking Uyghurs might have upon relations along with The far east. A Might Eight, 2009 cable applies exactly how "German Ambassador Michael Schaefer documented which Indonesia had informed China of the Ough.S. ask for to simply accept some Uighur detainees held from Guantánamo and had been subsequently cautioned through China of ‘a large burden upon bilateral relations' in the event that Indonesia were to accept any detainees".

The actual diplomatic wires additionally discuss the unrest in Urumchi, the regional funds, in July 2009. The July Thirteen, '09 cable talking about bulk occurrences within The far east says:

"Ethnic riots like those in Xinjiang This summer 5-7 as well as in Tibet in 03 of 2008 differ markedly in source and nature through mass occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed to PolOff [Political Officer] on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each present serious trouble for the actual Celebration, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, however the Celebration management would not wait to open fire upon Uighurs or Tibetans if they considered it essential to recover order. Bulk occurrences pose a different type of threat, he said, as the management is ‘afraid' to fireplace upon Han rioters with regard to anxiety about sparking massive open public outrage that would change from the Celebration."

This can be a relaxing opinion, especially when one views evidence offered by 50 percent reports released this season by the Uyghur Individual Rights Task (UHRP) and Amnesty Worldwide that detail eyewitness company accounts from the use of deadly reside fire against Uyghur protestors in July 2009. In addition, the declaration that fireplace wouldn't be used against Han Chinese protestors has resonances for that different approach taken by Chinese protection forces in Urumchi to Han Chinese language protests in Sept 2009. Throughout individuals protests, then Celebration Secretary, Wang Lequan, tackled demonstrators, that experienced required he let them know about federal government responses in order to security concerns. A similar request to meet using the Party Secretary by Uyghur demonstrators in This summer wasn't met.

The actual broader consequences of the unrest additionally noticed a brief dialogue about the impact it would possess upon Iran-China relationships, and on relations with Sydney following Globe Uyghur Our elected representatives President, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke at the Nationwide Push Club in Canberra in July 2009. In the latter situation, china government "privately warn[ed] a major Aussie financial institution which vendors the nation's Push Club to make use of its influence to bar a Kadeer talk there".

The actual U . s . States' issues about the situation within the Uyghur region are available via in the cables. In a dialogue on plan path in Tibet, U.S. authorities clarify that it'll end up being impossible for Chinese language frontrunners to consider the much softer collection "if they appear like they are doing this under international pressure". The actual cable out dated April Sixteen, 08, 30 days after the episode associated with unrest within Tibetan areas, also relayed the actual declaration "that domestic balance continues to be leadership's main concern above all else, which means there will ‘almost surely' be no rest of the current difficult collection on Tibet or perhaps in places like Xinjiang." The info included in the cable also sheds gentle about the extreme level of sensitivity with which the Chinese government views territorial integrity, and also the possible drip more than of unrest from Tibet.

The prospect associated with solutions to tensions in Tibet as well as Xinjiang arising from municipal society tend to be debated inside a February Twenty-four, 08 cable television. Whilst recommending which China's financial achievement increases its resistance to democratic change, the cable additionally talks about how Chinese leaders see the effectiveness associated with "a limited growth associated with municipal culture, including enhancements within the rule associated with law along with a stronger role with regard to authorized beliefs, NGOs, non profit organizations and other stars within areas which bring about social balance and do not problem Communist Party guideline." This is a notable change in considering, that has observed Ough.Utes. officials market the idea that Chinese language economic development, and economic relations with China brings about a steadily democratic culture; however, much more faith seems to be put into a grassroots movement than one which begins from the best levels of the Chinese language federal government. Nevertheless, the actual cable concludes that "[i]n areas for example Tibet and Xinjiang, the fear of separatism results in tight limitations on the growth of municipal society." This method can be regarded as counter-productive through the recognized, who shows that the Ough.Utes. federal government "should continue to express...serious issues more than Beijing's human privileges record as well as attract China's developing awareness which greater regard with regard to human privileges, religious independence and also the rule associated with law assists to advertise the improvement and sociable stability that The far east looks for as well as to improve China's worldwide image." Such a technique might consider substantial diplomatic abilities thinking about "China's weird concern that the United States privately encourages routine alter as well as ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet as well as Xinjiang".

The cables provide understanding of the daily company associated with diplomacy that's rarely owned by the general public, and it is fascinating to notice the quantity of work done behind closed doors upon Uyghur issues. The importance of the role of the us as a keep track of of Uyghur human rights problems in private conversations is made obvious, as well as contrasts with its tactful public position. Employees of the Uyghur Individual Rights Task is comfortable with the pressure china government exerts upon Uyghur activists; still, the details associated with Chinese language government stress on its alternatives is actually illustrative of the diploma which Chinese language officials make an effort to suppress contrary narratives. With more revelations in the future through Wikileaks, concerns over Uyghurs may not grab the actual headlines, but the cables have shed new gentle about the paperwork associated with individual privileges problems in the Uyghur region.

 

Wikileaks and the Uyghurs

by holly on Dec 20, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Supervisor, Uyghur Human Rights Project

Whether it were ever in doubt, information acquired by the whistleblower website, Wikileaks, has verified Chinese government fears more than it's continued control of the region this phone calls Xinjiang, also is referred to as East Turkestan. The leaked out wires through Ough.Utes. diplomats show the actual extent that Chinese language government bodies attempt to persuade governments globally to adopt its stance upon problems affecting Uyghurs. The wires also show the U . s . States' issues and sights concerning the on going repressive steps in the region.

Most lighting associated with Chinese government pressure are the wires pointing to Chinese anger, or the specter of Chinese language ire, over the release of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to third countries. A December 29, 08 cable television relates how Chinese language Assistant International Reverend Liu Jieyi met with the U.S. Ambassador in order to China to voice Beijing's powerful opposition of launch in order to any kind of nation other than The far east, which when the Ough.S. do certainly accede to this request it would "avoid harm to bilateral relations and also to co-operation ‘in important areas'". Furthermore, a February '09 cable television explains the way the Chinese language Ambassador in order to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the actual possible discharge of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees as "an unfavorable behave toward us" and a "slap within the face". That the U.Utes. federal government stood firm in not releasing the detainees in order to The far east illustrates the actual degree from the politicized nature of the Chinese language judicial program. Genuine issues over terrorism are understandable, but in the U.S. government's observe the detainees might most likely face torture as well as delivery if they returned in order to The far east

Chinese language government stress regarding the Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't only applied to the Ough.Utes. federal government, but additionally in order to Brand new Zealand along with a handful of Western governments which were considering resettlement. Albania, Germany and Finland, in addition to Eu fellow member states just about all have the symptoms of paid for the brunt associated with Chinese language government unhappiness. Regarding Germany, that was at first prepared to consider 2 Uyghurs upon purely relief grounds, Uyghur Guantánamo cases were less preferable to other detainees due to the negative effects accepting Uyghurs might have upon relations with China. A Might Eight, 2009 cable relates how "German Ambassador Erina Schaefer documented which Germany had knowledgeable China of the Ough.Utes. request to simply accept some Uighur detainees kept from Guantánamo coupled with already been consequently cautioned by China of ‘a large burden upon bilateral relations' if Indonesia were to accept any detainees".

The actual diplomatic wires additionally discuss the unrest within Urumchi, the actual regional capital, in July '09. The July Thirteen, '09 cable talking about bulk incidents within The far east states:

"Ethnic riots such as those who work in Xinjiang This summer 5-7 and in Tibet in March associated with 08 vary markedly in origin as well as character through bulk incidents, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed to PolOff [Political Officer] on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each existing serious problems for the Celebration, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, but the Party leadership wouldn't hesitate to open fire upon Uighurs or Tibetans if they deemed it necessary to restore order. Bulk occurrences present another kind of threat, he said, since the leadership is ‘afraid' to fire on Han rioters with regard to fear of sparking huge public outrage that will turn against the Celebration."

This can be a chilling opinion, particularly when one views evidence presented in two reviews released this year through the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and Amnesty International which detail eyewitness company accounts of the use of lethal live fire against Uyghur protestors within July '09. In addition, the actual observation which fire would not be deployed towards Han Chinese language protestors has resonances for the various approach taken through Chinese protection forces in Urumchi to Han Chinese protests within Sept '09. During individuals direct orders, after that Celebration Secretary, Wang Lequan, addressed protesters, that experienced demanded that he inform them regarding federal government reactions to protection concerns. A similar ask for to satisfy with the Celebration Secretary by Uyghur demonstrators in July wasn't fulfilled.

The actual wider repercussions from the unrest also saw a brief discussion on the effect it might have upon Iran-China relations, and on relations with Australia following World Uyghur Our elected representatives President, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke in the National Push Membership in Canberra within August 2009. In the latter situation, china federal government "privately warn[ed] a major Aussie financial institution which vendors the National Push Club to make use of it's influence to block a Kadeer speech there".

The U . s . States' concerns about the situation in the Uyghur region also come through within the cables. In a discussion on plan path within Tibet, U.S. authorities clarify that it will end up being impossible for Chinese language frontrunners to consider a much softer line "if they look like they are doing this below international pressure". The actual cable television out dated 04 Sixteen, 08, one month after the outbreak of unrest within Tibetan areas, also relayed the actual declaration "that domestic stability remains the leadership's main concern most of all, meaning there will ‘almost surely' be no rest from the current hard line upon Tibet or in locations such as Xinjiang." The info included in the cable television additionally sheds gentle on the extreme level of sensitivity with which the Chinese federal government sights territorial ethics, and the possible spill more than associated with unrest from Tibet.

The prospect associated with methods to tensions within Tibet as well as Xinjiang as a result of civil culture tend to be discussed in a February Twenty-four, 08 cable television. While suggesting that China's financial achievement increases its resistance to democratic change, the actual cable television also talks about exactly how Chinese language frontrunners see the effectiveness associated with "a limited expansion associated with municipal culture, including improvements within the rule of regulation along with a stronger role with regard to authorized beliefs, NGOs, non profit organizations and other stars in areas which bring about social stability and do not challenge Communist Celebration rule." This is a significant alternation in thinking, which has seen U.S. authorities market the idea that Chinese language economic development, as well as economic relationships with The far east brings in regards to a steadily democratic society; nevertheless, much more faith appears to be put into a grassroots motion than one that begins in the top levels of the Chinese language federal government. Nonetheless, the cable television proves that "[i]n areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang, driving a car of separatism leads to tight restrictions on the development of municipal culture." This approach can be regarded as counter-productive by the recognized, who shows that the actual Ough.S. government "should continue to express...serious concerns more than Beijing's individual privileges record as well as attract China's growing awareness which greater regard with regard to individual privileges, spiritual independence and also the guideline of law will serve to advertise the development and social stability which The far east seeks in addition to to improve China's worldwide picture." Such a strategy would consider substantial diplomatic skills thinking about "China's weird fear that the Usa privately encourages regime change and ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang".

The actual wires provide understanding of the actual every day company of diplomacy that is rarely owned by the general public, which is fascinating to note the amount of work carried out nowadays on Uyghur issues. The significance of the role of the us like a monitor of Uyghur individual rights conditions in private discussions is created obvious, as well as contrasts using its tactful public stance. Employees of the Uyghur Human Privileges Task is well aware of pressure china federal government exerts on Uyghur activists; nevertheless, the facts associated with Chinese language federal government pressure upon it's alternatives is actually illustrative from the degree which Chinese language officials make an effort to control contradictory stories. With increased facts in the future from Wikileaks, issues over Uyghurs may not grab the actual headlines, however the cables have get rid of brand new gentle on the documentation associated with individual rights problems in the Uyghur region.

 

Search Engine Optimisation And Article promotion Will Place Yourself Page One

Search engine optimization and article marketing are a couple of the strongest strategies which you can use in promoting your site and get the revenue and success that you desire for your online business. Both of these everything has been around to get a really very long time already but they still remain to be really effective. In reality, these have helped many people free themselves in the traditional methods for money-generating options of society.

In the following paragraphs, I will be showing the ways on what you are able to properly execute seo and article marketing for the betterment of one's small business website. Furthermore, I will even be discussing the different points you need to look out for when you're using these two internet marketing strategies to market your website and get customers. Despite the fact that article marketing and Search engine optimization have been around for a long time already, you have to know that the trends and preferences concerning how they are done are continually changing, which explains why you should remain up to date with this stuff through the help of Search engine marketing forum sites to be able to quickly adjust and discover ways to make your strategies more efficient.

In the past marketing with articles to various websites was once so simple yet the effects that they produce for web-sites really was powerful. However, everything has changed a lot today. Currently submitting the same article to several websites is not a good idea because search engines have now changed with a huge extent in the way they rank pages. They no longer rank contents that are identical like they utilized to in the past. This really is among the best types of changes that occur in online marketing trends. This change has given birth to wide plethora of methods that web marketers are using today. Nearly all of internet marketers now produce articles and distribute them in really popular article directories and wait for site visitors to make their pages. This is perhaps that most reliable Seo strategy that you can use. Aside from being effective, this also delivers positive outcomes regularly. One problem using this strategy is that the caliber of traffic that you will get from this won't be so good unless you do proper market and keyword research beforehand and rehearse in-links. You first need to attend to these two things prior to deciding to submit your posts so that you won't wind up losing large amounts of targeted prospects. Which means that you have to practice good levels of diligence if you want your advertising initiatives to function.

In addition to articles, you can also use blogging, that is another really powerful kind of internet marketing strategy today because it is highly well-liked by the major search engines. In this technique, you can choose to create a single weblog that specifically targets your best market or you can contribute to other weblogs that are labeled as experts in your niche.

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

Roofing Contractors Vancouver BC

There are several things to take into account when looking for a new roofing contractor. Price tag, experience, and also referrals are a few of the things you will likely be concerned about. Please read on for even more ideas.

• Finding a Roofing Contractors

Before hunting for a roofing contractor, be sure to have a basic idea of the project that you need to have done. By no means is it necessary to be an expert. If you have a new Roof Certificate, read it extensively to find the details about your present roof. Unless you have a Top Certificate, talk about documents authorized during final to locate houses roof Inspection sheet. These documents should supply you with everything you need to learn about your roof. Before contacting the roofing contractor, you ought to have a list of specifications and features to help you make a decision exactly who is acceptable for your roofer project. Make sure to write down every potential covering contractor's answers along with check these against the other person. If you'll find any differences, be sure to be aware this as well as take this into consideration when creating a final selection. There are no straightforward ways to choose a roofing contractor, but if you take take to the information provided, your chances of a successful roofer project tend to be greatly enhanced.

One of the best methods for finding a roofers is by recommendations. Try inquiring a friend or relative that has had roofing work performed, and had been satisfied with the project. Get the name of the enterprise and their contact data. If you have no word of mouth area referrals, attempt first looking in the cell phone book and internet based. A large advertising or extravagant website isn't necessarily a sign of the top quality of work, but sometimes be a excellent tool for measuring how long and devotion they have put in their respected profession. Furthermore, try locating current worksites and look at the roof covering work that may be done maybe in the process of staying finished. In case you are visually amazed, ask the home manager for that name from the roofing contractor as well as their get in touch with information.

• Preliminary research

When looking for any roofing contractors, it's imperative to 1st do the background research. Costly in the phone book or on the Internet is a suitable spot to find a service provider, finding relevant information on these kind of businesses is going to be found in several other areas. 1st, check with spots like the Bbb, city, condition, and local public records, along with local accreditation agencies. Ask your roofing contractor if they are a member of any roofer associations. These types of precautions may mitigate your own risks. Furthermore ask them what kinds of roofing that they specialize in. Furthermore ask your roofing contractor regarding any warranties they offer on his or her installed rooftops. Find out what precautions they choose to use avoid destruction done to other areas of the home through workers. Products such as gutters, home siding, and fireplaces are near the coast proximity and therefore susceptible to unintended damages.

Ensure all of this info is included in your published contract. Determine if you need a covering permit and/or permission from your home owners association before hand. These agencies will let you know who is responsible for receiving these permits and authorizations. If it is the obligation of the roofing contractor, also have the idea included within your contract. If it is your responsibility, get mentioned permits and also permissions collated with all the estimated roofing project and also have it obviously posted or perhaps readily available.

• Accreditation and Recommendations

Roofing Companies are not forced to be accredited in all states. Contact local licensing agencies that control general design contractors for any list of needs. Once you have acquired the requirements, build a list of comprehensive questions to ask your current potential roofing contractor. This simple listing should right away help you to get rid of the competent from the dodgy roofing building contractors. Qualified companies should be able to effortlessly answer questions or tell you that they must do additional research prior to giving a definitive solution.

Even if a new roofing contractor offers all essential licensing, you ought to ask to determine pictures involving completed roofing jobs and also speak to pleased clients. Use a list of questions handy must recent customers, such as the mother nature of the job, timeliness, and total satisfaction. Ensure these are the latest clients as well as cross reference point if possible. In the case of commercial roofer, make sure that the roofing contractor is bonded. Looking at these personal references is another extra measure of protection to define the list associated with potential roofing contractors.

Seo Through Articles

Articles could be a very powerful form of Search engine optimization to your company websites. Quality written articles be capable of increase your websites SERP and add quality to your company website. Writing informative keyword rich articles is crucial in gaining new backlinks for your business website. Articles can and will be written on topics which are unique in your business or industry. The articles can discuss numerous issues and ideas inside your industry. Articles offering the reader having a resource will always be just about the most popular and a lot likely forms of articles that can result in backlinks to your website.

Focus your articles on the potential readers or customers. Search engine optimization articles should address real questions that are asked by current or past clients. Each article you are writing for you company ought to include detailed analysis and Seo keywords which will help associate your internet site with the content present in the site. Focus your posts on as much as 3 keywords and stray at their store. Consistency is essential when writing Seo articles. If you are currently talking about Vancouver Search engine optimization be sure your always talk about information highly relevant to the keyword.

Give every one of your Seo Articles an engaging Title that may encourage people to read and bookmark your posts. Ideally, the articles you're writing can be as links using their company websites which are comparable to yours. This alone may help boost the power of every link and definately will help increase your SERP. Be sure to end each article which has a keyword anchored link (see Easy Business Seo). This link will assist you to enhance your rankings on the internet as well as other major search engines like yahoo to the keyword coupled to the link. Submit the articles to some submitted article directory and Voila! In no time, your internet site could possibly be on the first page of Google.

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

Vancouver Seo Company Aims For Google Places With Complete Achievement

When folks type in searching term searching for a business in their local area, they will find that Google places and Google maps is showing listings of local businesses. It is extremely eminent so they can be optimized and listed on this first page if they desire to generate business. Vancouver SEO companies have to be educated in this field for their clients.

There seems to be a large amount of new Vancouver SEO companies setting up, simply because the importance is there. Finding an SEO firm that has the client's best interest at heart might be tedious. What number of keywords can they optimize for? Do you know the keywords as well as the corresponding search volume? Do they understand how to optimize for Google places? And so on. Search engine optimization will be the business of landing towards the top and Maxim Edge you can get there.

"My wife and I started our Vancouver SEO company by accident. We've learned from the school of hard knocks and learning from mistakes how to make use of the web to market any business. We began using the website, then the competition, then of course building quality back-links to push a website up inside rankings. It's not pushing a button and watching what happens type of business. It will take a lot of effort, lots of research and plenty of commitment. We work hard for our clients so we are very proud of a high retention rate." Randy Neale says.

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

Portraits of Uyghur People

In the center of the desert landscapes of Taklamakan, in the north-west part of China, the province of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is the very least populated province whereas it covers close to a sixth of the country's territory. Getting resisted while in centuries the chinese control, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or Old Eastern Turkistan, fell within the Chinese Han domination in 1949. From then, its population is primarily Uyghur People and Turkish - speaking System.

Islamic especially, the Uyghur people have a strong religious identification that, in particular, permitted them to maintain a strong difference towards the Chinese enemy. Really, the Uyghur Empire of Mongolia knew a great civilization, until its absorption by the Mongolian Empire in the XIIIth century.

While in their own background, the Uyghurs successively adopted Shamanism, Manicheism, Buddhism and the Nestorianism before lastly converting to Islam when the Arab conquerors beat the Chinese in year 751 BC., as a result beginning the way to the Islamization of the whole Central Asia.

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

The entrance of Islam was a great modification mainly because it was followed by the assimilation of the Uyghur areas in the enormous Turkic and Islamic Kingdom. Thus, the descendants of Genghis Khan progressively replaced their writing by a Arabo-Persan alphabet, still used these days.

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

For a few years, China has integrated the proper identity of these remote people, although they represent only nine million inhabitants - a trifle for this particular large region. Thus, the Uyghurs are now part of the 56 ethnic minority groups having been known in an official way by the People's Republic of China.

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

The integration of the Uyghur people and their culture in China, however, appears really illusory. The presence of all-natural resources in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and its closeness with nations identified as very sensitive, strongly urged the government to speed up the sinicization of this area. Million of Han thus came to settle in this new Chinese eldorado, monopolizing the more significant responsibility jobs.

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

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

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

For further information about the Uyghurs, you can visit a Uyghur website called Uyghur News at http://www.uyghurnews.com

ation|Web optimization|Website seo|Seo optimization|Seo optimisation} Expert Advice - Getting Ahead Using SEO

When it comes to success, one of the mot important things is planning far ahead of time. Just like in everything else, preparation is the vital thing. Whenever you prepare with determination selecting capable of getting before competition, during the world of internet business. Websites these days want to do their best to get in front of competition for his or her targeted keywords and phrases through careful planning. Search engine optimization is the foremost tool that you can use in order to achieve your goals and fortunately, the Search engine optimisation expert consultancy and tips that were discussed here can make things simpler for you.

Search engine optimization is essential today

One of the main reasons why lots of people today are searching for Search engine optimisation expert consultancy is because it is one of the few strategies that often work today online. Search engine optimization can be very effective with regards to getting a higher site ranking on search engines like yahoo, increasing the amount of visitors on location and increasing the level of profits and purchases. Although a lot of people and anything good Search engine optimisation expert would tell you that it is a lengthy and complicated process, Seo can be a skill that may be learned. If you employ the help of an expert or if you utilize tricks used by experts for their own sites, then it would be easier for you to understand the theory and use it to your website.

Taking an SEO course

Several businessmen and internet based website owners today take Website seo certification from experts today because it turns out to be quite of great help for them. There are numerous short certification courses on Search engine optimisation on the market today which can show you the basic concepts and still provide you a grip on the subject. These trainings are generally given by those who find themselves experts in the field. Through training, these experts share their knowledge with the course participants, make them learn the essential processes for better optimization of web sites which will help the crooks to promote their business. These courses can instruct them niche research so that they could select the most effective keyword and get a better chance to rate higher on the search engines.

Search engine optimisation training could be very helpful

Through Search engine optimization training you'll be able to learn several concepts and tips like placing keywords within the right invest the content of websites. Another topic which is often tackled by such courses is linking strategy mainly because it will also allow you to rank higher. These Search engine optimisation trainings and courses can be taken either online or perhaps in the traditional format in classrooms, based on your own serious amounts of preferences. It will be possible to help your internet site and enjoy better traffic and profits while using concepts that are taught by these courses by an Seo expert.

The author is fulltime Seo Expert, you can know more about him and services they offer on their website http://www.seo4vancouver.com/.

Being Right or Making Money

All right, so we knew former Bell officials were bellying up to the public trough. But is there a difference between a pig and a hog?

I decided to check after reading about this e-mail exchange between former Bell Assistant City Administrator Angela Spaccia and Randy Adams, who was about to become the police chief:

ADAMS: "I am looking forward to seeing you and taking all of Bell's money?!"

SPACCIA: "Okay … just a share of it!! LOL … well you can take your share of the pie … just like us!!! We will all get fat together … Bob has an expression he likes to use on occasion … Pigs get Fat … Hogs get slaughtered!!!! So as long as we're not Hogs … All is well!"

Bob, of course, is Robert Rizzo, the former city administrator who made nearly $800,000 a year. Bob is looking at 53 felony counts in the alleged looting of the city of Bell, so I think you could say the slaughter has begun.

Adams was paid more than $400,000; and Spaccia, who made $376,000, is charged with misappropriating funds. They all got fat together, in other words, and whether you use the term pig, hog or wild boar, what can you say to any of this but oink, oink, oink?

The exchange between Spaccia and Adams was released in the midst of Monday's preliminary hearing, and Spaccia's attorney Russell Petti wasted no time in putting a cloven hoof into his own mouth. He told Times reporter Jeff Gottlieb we shouldn't get the wrong idea about those e-mails, because Spaccia was actually "trying to save the city of Bell money."

Thanks, counselor. I'll believe that when pigs fly, as they say.

Petti also said: "The intent of that is, 'Look, we're all very well compensated by the city and let's not be pigs about it.' "

Yeah, sure. Spaccia tells Adams they'll all get fat together, Adams ends up making more than police chiefs in Los Angeles and New York, and she's out to save Bell money?

But I digress. Is there a difference between a pig and a hog?

Apparently so.

The dictionary says a pig is "any of several mammals of the Suidae family." Or, "any person regarded as being pig-like, greedy or gross."

A hog is defined as a pig weighing over 120 pounds, and also as a "self-indulgent, gluttonous or filthy person."

So are they pigs or are they hogs?

To be safe, should we just go with swine?

-- Steve Lopez

Photos: (Left) Randy Adams in June 2010. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times. (Right): Angela Spaccia in October 2010. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Over the weekend, a minor firestorm erupted over a new feature in the official Twitter iPhone and iPad clients known as the “Quick Bar,” a strip at the top of a user’s tweet-stream designed to show trending topics. As users started criticizing the feature for being too intrusive, however, it quickly became known as the “dickbar,” in reference to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. Although the company has since said that a new update is on its way that will make the feature less annoying, the outrage over the #dickbar is a symptom of a larger problem for Twitter: it wants to be a business, and users have gotten used to it being a utility.

The update with the Quick Bar included was actually released on Thursday, and the trending topics feature was just one of a number of enhancements that Twitter introduced in that update, including automated URL shortening (using the company’s internal shortener, t.co, which it launched last year) and an auto-complete function for user names and hashtags — including, ironically, the #dickbar hashtag. Criticism of the Quick Bar seemed to pick up speed, and then exploded over the weekend.

One of the big complaints about the new feature is the way the trending topics bar gets overlaid on top of the Twitter stream, appearing whenever the feed was refreshed, and partially obscuring tweets. According to spokesman Sean Garrett, the new update that Twitter has submitted to the Apple store “fixes some bugs, and makes it so the quickbar doesn’t overlay on tweets” — but judging by his tweets and those from CEO Costolo, there’s no sign the company plans to allow users to disable or turn off the feature, something many have been asking for since it was introduced.

Although a number of users have said that they find the whole idea of trending topics irritating and unnecessary, Costolo has made it clear that this is a key part of the service’s functionality, saying “If users didn’t like trends, we wouldn’t have trends.” And while the Twitter CEO didn’t come right out and say so, one of the obvious reasons is that promoted tweets and promoted trends are two of the ways in which the company is trying to generate revenue and profits — and doing this has become even more important now that Twitter is theoretically valued somewhere between $3.7 billion (based on its last round of financing) and $7.7 billion as a result of secondary-market trading.

The Quick Bar fiasco may be a minor event, but it is an indication of a larger problem for Twitter: namely, that it has spent so much of its life being an open communications platform — more like a social-networking utility than a business, with a focus on how it can enable real-time publishing for everyone, including those fighting oppressive governments around the world — that it is jarring for users whenever the company does something cold or calculating like suddenly cutting off Twitter applications (as it did recently with Ubermedia) or implementing features that are clearly designed more to generate revenue than they are to serve the needs of users.

This is a line that Facebook has been trying to walk as well, of course — being a social utility, but also making money from advertising — but it seems to have done a better job of mixing the two so far. As Costolo tries to expand the business to justify those soaring valuations, we are likely to see more clashes with users rather than less.

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub req’d):

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Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Mark Suster, a 2x entrepreneur who has gone to the Dark Side of VC. He started his first company in 1999 and was headquartered in London, leaving in 2005 and selling to a publicly traded French services company. He founded his second company in Palo Alto in 2005 and sold this company to Salesforce.com, becoming VP of Product Management. He joined GRP Partners in 2007 as a General Partner focusing on early-stage technology companies. Read more about Suster at Bothsidesofthetable and on Twitter at @msuster.

Lately I have seen a number of deals announced on TechCrunch in which five or more different VCs were participating in the deal.

This always makes me chuckle because in my first company we had five investors in our first round and we picked up five more before we finally sold the company. In my second company I had only five investors.

While there is no right or wrong answer, having seen the extremes I’d like to offer you a framework for considering the right answer for yourselves.

The Perils of Many

I understand the appeal of having many VC firms on your cap table. You may feel as I did in 1999 that the more smart people around the table the more intros you’ll have, the more sage advice you’ll receive and the more impressive you’ll seem to outsiders. Plus, if you need more money it’s far less for each to dip into their respective pockets to fund you.

While all of this is true, it’s also true that nothing so perfect ever comes without a cost. Here’s the problem:

Let’s say you have five VCs (plus angels but let’s ignore that for now) and each one owns 5% so you took 25% dilution to get the round done. By definition each of those VCs (unless they are a micro VC – and one who doesn’t mind 5% ownership) will view you as a sort of “option” where they might get to fund the next round if you do well. Either that or there is something other than a financial motivator involved – NO VC is looking to build a business off of 5% ownership in startups. You simply can’t drive good returns that way.

So why else would they invest if not as an option to re-up in the next round? Maybe they wanted the branding associated with a hot company, maybe they wanted to work with the other investors around the table or maybe they thought it was a cheap way to get educated on your market – it’s always easier to learn an industry when you’re on the inside.

These are all dumb reason to invest – of course. But it happens.

So let’s consider a bad (but likely) scenario where either you don’t hit your targets, the market sours or competition is kicking your butt making it hard to fund raise. Most companies hit a bump in the road at some point. None of those five investors is sufficiently motivated to help you in tough times.

Firstly, they haven’t really signaled that it’s “their deal” in the way that leading a deal does. They can plausibly tell others, “yeah, we were a really small shareholder there – we had nothing really to do with the problems.”

Secondly, in tough times they’re also thinking about all of their other investments. Let’s say each of those five partners has at least seven other investments each. In tough times I promise you their time and energy will be allocated more heavily toward deals where they have more money invested and/or where they have a larger ownership position to protect.

Sure, if you become Zynga everyone of those five investors will be helping you. In fact, it will probably show up on their Twitter bio & on their website. But how many of you are likely to become the next Zynga (and without hitting a few bumps in the road first).

Now let’s consider the upside situation where you happen to be in a super hot space. Now you have five investors of which at least a few will be vying to take a larger stake in your next round. By definition you can’t have three investors each wanting to increase from 5% to 20% ownership or you’re fawked anyways. So it will be an internal fight over allocations. This is not to mention the fight you’ll see if you want to bring in a new investor to lead the next round to set an objective price.

“Many” has benefits but it also has drawbacks. If you plan to do it I highly recommend that most of the VCs be smaller funds and ones who are generally not looking to invest much more after your first round of capital. There are firms with this stated objective – seek them out if you want to load the VC roster on your deal.

Note that I am talking specifically about five VCs splitting one round. It might be that over a period of five years you’ve done three rounds of investment and ended up with four VCs. That’s a different story. Each VC came on with different information, at a different price and with a different risk appetite. Hopefully each lead or co-lead their round so there is more harmony in the configuration.

The Pitfall of One

It is very common for funding rounds to have just one VC doing the investment. This is largely true because most VCs have a 20% minimum threshold in order to invest so bringing in multiple VCs can be very expensive in terms of dilution. So obviously before agreeing to work with this VC you better make sure you know them really well. And I always encourage entrepreneurs to do reference checking. Here’s my guide to how to do that.

There is an obvious pitfall to working with just one VC – if you fall out of love you’re screwed. There are reasons why VCs sometimes don’t support deals once they’ve invested.

The most common case is that the partner who did the deal left the firm. You are then a “stranded” portfolio company. You know the drill – the new guy says he’ll support you, but it was never really his deal. If you have any hair on you he can always distance himself and deny any involvement.

You might have a VC who is at the end of their fund and doesn’t have deep enough pockets to fund you if you hit bumps in the road. The VC might have lost confidence in you. You might just have differences of opinion on the direction / strategy of the company or how to handle situations in difficult times.

I have personally seen some VCs who decide not to support certain industries they once had backed. I know that a lot of VCs had roadkill in the Internet Video 1.0 world and many pared back investments. Whatever the reason, when you’re stranded and you have one investor the only way out is to find new outside investors.

And this is doubly hard when your existing investor isn’t supportive. The standard line the new investor wants to hear from your previous VC is, “we’re behind this company 100%. We’re willing to do our full pro-rata & might even like to do a bit extra.” If your VC had stranded you, you won’t hear this – believe me.

Still, most deals involve one VC – just to be clear.

The Squeeze of the “Two Handed Deal”

The most tempting thing to do in a financing is to find two investors to split a deal. In my mind that’s the perfect scenario. You get all the benefits of the “many” deal without the drawbacks. If you can pull it off, I love the “two-handed” deal. If you’re doing well but need a little more gas to prove yourself, it’s so much easier for VCs to split an inside round. It’s both a smaller check and it’s external validation that somebody else was willing to fund.

The biggest problem in two is the “squeeze.” All VCs want to own between 25-33% of your company. That’s the number they feel comfortable owning in exchange for their time & resources over what will likely be a 7-10 year endeavor (if you’re successful). They internally almost all have their secret minimum threshold, which is 20%. There – the secret is out.

So in order to get a two-handed deal you need to dilute by 40% which is an awful lot at the start of your company. When you consider that they’ll also want a 15-20% option pool in the company you’re talking about founders owning as little as 40% after just one round. That wouldn’t be bad if you had just one founder, but if you have 4 you’re already at 10% each and you have 7-10 years more work left (not to mention 3 more funding rounds!).

There are a bunch of VCs out there who don’t cling to the old “20% or the highway” mentality on every single deal and I suggest you seek them out. They are the ones who will often partner better with other VCs. There are ones I’ve worked with like True Ventures, First Round Capital, Greycroft, Rincon Ventures …. just to name a few. And of course most of the micro VCs (fka super angels) also don’t hold to this minimum bar.

The easiest configurations to push for are either one lead VC who takes 20-25% and one smaller VC who takes 7.5-15% or two leads who take 15-17% each.

Rules of the Road

1. Always Have a Lead

No matter which option you choose always have a lead. If you want the “many” deal then give half the round to one VC and let the other 4 split the second 50%. No lead = no one on the hook in tough times = no one to corral other investors to take action = nobody with enough skin in the game to give a damn. Always, always have a lead. Not just to get through tough times, but for conflict resolution in general.

2. Make Sure You’re Stage Appropriate

If you select a lead VC make sure they’re stage appropriate. If you’re raising $2 million on an A round and it’s a $1 billion fund make sure they have a track record of backing and being active with early stage deals. If you’re raising a $10 million B round and a $100 million fund ponies up $8 million you better have a firm grasp of how much of their fund is allocated, how much they have reserved for you and how they plan to support you in tough times.

3. Make Sure They Have Enough Gas in the Tank

In any scenario it’s a good idea to understand where the VC is at in their fund. You can’t ask this kind of stuff on the first date, but ultimately you politely want to get out of them: when their fund was raised, how much capital did they raise, how much is allocated, when they’re raising their next fund and what their “reserve” strategy is. Best if you get much of this from due diligence of calling other portfolio companies and then use this information to confirm with the VC.

4. Make Sure They Play Nicely in the Sandbox

I often see VCs getting sharp elbows out at the time of a fund raising. They start muscling for ownership percentages and start angling to kick out certain investors or angels. I find this behavior strange but now a bit predictable.

I usually counsel entrepreneurs with the following advice, “if your VC can’t play nicely on the way in when they love you the most and are on their best behavior, imagine how they’re going to be in difficult times or when the final pie is getting split!”

Seriously, man. Assholes in good times are insufferable in bad times. If you experience this behavior run. Didn’t you get enough of this crap in high school to want to revisit it again?

5. Always Pitch Outsiders for Follow Ons

I have staked my strategy as a VC as being both stage agnostic and willing to follow great deals by leading another round and increasing my percentage ownership. So it seems strange advice for me to recommend that you pitch outside investors first for follow on investments.

Here’s why – even for a VC you really like and who you might like to lead your next round. You know the old saying, “great fences make great neighbors?” My corollary for VC is “pitch outsiders and you’ll have great insiders.” It just keeps us a bit honest. I think if your inside VC wants to lead a round and is giving you a “fair” price it’s reasonable to not “over shop” the deal and try to drive the highest price possible. Get a fair price from outsiders or at least market test the interest level.

6. Always Make Room for Value-Added Angels

Finally, I believe in making room for value-added angels on every round and in every deal. Yes, I include many micro VCs in this category. If there are 4-5 investors who each want to kick in $50-75k – why would I want to turn away smart people from working with the company? These aren’t people who are going to compete for increasing pro rata in the future. They aren’t people who are going to demand minimum ownership %’s.

They’re all dopeness, no wackness (presuming they are great angels and not PITAs).

If your new prospective VC is opposed to a great angel or a small investment from Founder Collective, Felicis Ventures, SV Angel or similar – please re-read number 4 above.

Image: Cassius Marcellus Coolidge

Marco Arment, the former CTO of the Tumblr blog platform, is best known these days for his time-shifting reading app Instapaper. But he could start a side-job as a financial advisor to start-ups. His motto: Get the money from your customers, not investors.

Arment’s more traditional take is built largely on the idea that if he puts out a good product, there’s no shame in asking customers to pay for it. And the more they pay, the less he needs to rely on outside investors. Arment said many developers are of the mindset that they need to amass a huge number of eyeballs through free services. But they don’t focus enough on building a solid product that can command loyalty and payment from consumers, and instead try to gain profitability through advertising and turning to outside venture capital.

By contrast, Arment says his efforts to monetize Instapaper have been successful because he was able to leverage the hard work he put into his paid versions and the good will he’s gotten back from consumers. And that has allowed him to avoid outside funding, something he plans on doing for the forseeable future.

Don’t Take Funding if You Don’t Need It

“If a service can be profitable and breakeven without VC money, you don’t need to take it,” Arment told me in an interview. “There’s no reason for developers to get a lot of users without charging. There’s another path. My goal is to spread that message: Charge for something and make more than you spend.”

Arment launched Instapaper as a free website in January 2008 and became profitable later that fall when he first began selling a paid iPhone app alongside a free version. He’s been profitable ever since. Arment won’t disclose his revenue, but he said he can cover his expenses and can afford to hire a couple more people if he needed. He left his Tumblr job in September to devote himself to Instapaper.

Though Arment maintains a free iPhone app, he said the focus of the company has been on the paid versions which are updated first (a new update is expected in the next month or so). He has yet to release a free iPad version and has only gotten three emails about the lack of it. Most seem happy to pay for the $5 iPad version. Between 25 and 33 percent of people pay for the $5 paid iPhone version. In fact, as an experiment, he pulled the free iPhone app from the app store for a week a little while back and found that only one person emailed. Sales of the paid version didn’t go up, but they didn’t go down either, he said.

“The free version isn’t really competing as much as I expected with the paid version; a lot of people go straight to the paid version,” he said. “It was only a week but the people who were going to the free version would not have gone to the paid version.”

Let Users Thank You by Paying You

That’s what’s allowed Arment to really focus on the paid segment. In fact, he still questions the value of the free version at times because it can leave a more negative impression for users with its limited set of features. Arment said his paying users have surprised him with their support. He started a $1 a month subscription plan in October that didn’t actually offer much in the way of extra features. It was more of a way to let users show their support for Instapaper. He said the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“That was a huge surprise to me how well it’s doing given there’s no real incentive to do it besides good will. But it ends up that good will is powerful,” Arment said. “It shows that people will pay for something they like because they want to ensure its future.”

Arment is testing the theory again with a new API that leverages his subscription plan. For developers who want to build apps with Instapaper integration, Arment said last month he will require their users to subscribe to Instapaper. Again, the response has been very positive, said Arment. Two hundred developers have applied to get access to the API. All this money-making has allowed Arment to sidestep venture capital money. He has had repeated offers, but Arment said accepting VC funding is akin to taking on a new boss, and the act of raising and maintaining money is a full-time job, he said.

Venture Capital Is Like Having Another Boss

“If you can go without funding, you can be a one- or two-person shop without a whole level of bosses,” he said. “You’re not worried about getting more money and getting diluted anymore.”

Arment’s approach doesn’t work for everyone. He was fortunate to be able to this as a side job and build it up while at Tumblr. And he acknowledges that the lack of funding could be a problem if he wanted to build a staff quickly. But he believes his experience shows that a more old-school approach to building a business and developing a following with consumers is a viable one for entrepreneurs that should be explored more. He may not the biggest company, but he can be a profitable one for a while.

“I don’t need the entire market,” Arment said. “I can get five percent of the market and be rich.”

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